Iran sentences Iranian-French academic to five years in prison – lawyer

Fariba Adelkhah is a citizen of Iran and France, but Tehran does not allow dual nationality, so the suspect was tried as an Iranian and sentenced to five years in prison on national security charges.

Fariba Adelkha is seen in this photo taken in an undisclosed location in 2012.
AFP

Fariba Adelkha is seen in this photo taken in an undisclosed location in 2012.

Iran sentenced a French-Iranian academic to five years in prison on national security charges on Saturday, her lawyer said.

Fariba Adelkhah was "sentenced to five years for gathering and conspiring against national security, and one year for propaganda against the Islamic republic", Said Dehghan said.

He said his client would only be expected to serve the longer, five-year jail term and added that she intended to appeal.

Adelkhah, a specialist in Shia Islam and a research director at Sciences Po university in Paris, was arrested in June last year.

She is a citizen of Iran and France, but Tehran does not allow dual nationality.

Her trial started on March 3 with the last hearing held on April 19 at branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court.

In January, Iranian prosecutors dropped spying charges against Fariba after an hours-long hearing.

Iran had criticised French authorities for interfering in the case of Fariba, claiming it an “unjustified” and “unacceptable” move that makes the trial procedure more complicated, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported.

Adelkhah's French colleague and partner Roland Marchal, who was detained along with her, was released in March in an apparent prisoner swap.

Marchal was freed after France released Iranian engineer Jallal Rohollahnejad, who faced extradition to the United States over accusations he violated US sanctions against Iran.

Washington has said that it "deeply regrets" the decision.

Dehghan said Marchal's release gives grounds for appeal against the charge of "gathering and conspiring against national security".

"At least two people must be involved for this charge to stand," he claimed.

Adelkhah's defence team plans to argue that her personal academic sentiment regarding the cultural dress code enforced in Iran cannot amount to "propaganda against a political system".

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