“The trial of Mahvash and her co-workers officially began on 12 January 2010, in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The presiding judge, who was dressed in clerical robes, was called Maqiseh. Throughout the proceedings Mahvash was firm and determined, brave and dignified; she seemed fearless of the outcome of the court’s decision against her. Her principal concern was for the Bahá’í community in Iran. She believed that it was not herself but her Faith and those who believed in it that were on trial. No matter how severe the retribution it might incur, she repeatedly stated that the Yaran’s principal raison d’etre was to defend the conviction of the Bahá’ís.
But such a defence could only have been possible if the court had respected the law. The lawyers of the Yaran insisted on this outcome, and tried to ensure that the provisions of the Constitution were upheld…As one session after another was postponed because of illegal court proceedings, we lawyers became increasingly concerned that our clients would no longer be very much in favour of our pressing for compliance with the laws.
In the end, after three consecutive days of hearings, on 12 June 2010, all these concerns were swept aside and the deadlock was broken by a single sentence from Mahvash Sabet. With great courage and indescribable audacity she stood up on behalf of the Yaran and said, “Well, the upshot is that you will finally condemn us. We know that and we are ready for death. But we nevertheless believe that the laws must be upheld and that the Bahá’ís in this country should have the right to defend themselves and their faith.” Mahnaz Parakand
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Mahnaz Parakand was one of the defence lawyers for Mahvash Sabet and the Yaran. She has also defended prominent human rights lawyers Shirin Ebadi, Nasrin Sotoudeh and Abdolfattah Soltani . In 2011, she was summoned to Evin prison in Iran, and after facing the threat of execution she left Iran for Norway where she now works as an activist with an interest in human rights and women’s rights in Iran.
Teacher and poet Mahvash Sabet is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in Evin prison, Tehran. She is one of a group of seven Baha’i leaders known as the “Yaran-i-Iran” – “Friends of Iran” – who have been detained since 2008 for their faith and activities related to running the affairs of the Bahá’í community in Iran. Mahvash Sabet began writing poetry in prison, and a collection of her poetry entitled Prison Poems was published in English translation on 1 April 2013.
PEN International is calling on the Iranian authorities to release Mahvash Sabet and all other writers imprisoned in Iran solely for exercising their right to legitimate freedom of expression.
To take action for Mahvash Sabet visit here
To learn more about the Day of the Imprisoned Writer and how to take action for all the writers highlighted visit here
how brave and wonderful.