Daughter of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, was serving a two-year sentence at Tehran’s Evin prison for her involvement in women’s rights protests. She was just released from prison.
Faezeh was arrested during the 2022 protests and given a five-year prison sentence.
Her attorney, Mohammad Hossein Aghassi, acknowledged that her release came as a result of an appeals court’s decision.
Faezeh was taken into custody in September 2022 amid widespread demonstrations brought on by Mahsa Amini’s passing.
Mahsa’s death while in police custody for allegedly disobeying Iran’s rigid dress code sparked large-scale protests calling for reform.
Since the protests started on September 16, 2022, women and students have made a substantial contribution to the movement, which is calling for the Islamic Republic to be overthrown in addition to women’s rights.
Faezeh, a supporter of women’s rights, represented Tehran in the parliament from 1996 to 2000.
Wearing a chadar herself, she has been outspoken in her support for loosening clothing regulations and has voiced her opposition to the mandatory hijab.
Faezeh has a lengthy history of activism; in 2009, following the disputed election of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, there were protests and arrests.
She started the women’s publication Zan in 1998 and was a member of the parliament from 1996 to 2000. Known for taking a critical stance against the administration, she has spoken out against the policies of the dictatorship in front of sizable audiences by using venues such as Clubhouse.
Before his death in 2017, her father—a reformist president from 1989 to 1997—held a number of significant positions. Faezeh has made a point of blaming the “incorrect” actions of the Iranian government for the detrimental effects of US sanctions on common Iranians.
International attention was drawn to her advocacy; the U.S. Foreign Office recently introduced her as “Faezeh, defendant of women’s rights all over Iran.” Iranian activists engaged in contentious discussions as a result of this portrayal
