British-Iranian Woman Sentenced to Year in Jail For Watching Volleyball
A British-Iranian woman who attempted to watch a volleyball game at Azadi Stadium in Tehran, Iran and was arrested on site in June has now been sentenced to a year in jail, though no official reason was given for her conviction.
Ghoncheh Ghavami, 25, was arrested on June 20 at the stadium on charges of "spreading propaganda against the regime," members of her family told The Guardian. Ghavami was a law graduate living in London when she was arrested abroad. She spent four months in prison before the latest sentence of a year in jail was brought down.
"In a meeting Ghoncheh had with her mother on Wednesday, she said no new charges have been filed against her."
Earlier this month Ghavami spent 14 days on hunger strike in protest at her detention, which has drawn condemnation from the highest political level. David Cameron underlined his concerns in a meeting with Iran's president Hassan Rouhani in September at the UN general assembly in New York.
Ghavani's lawyer has not been permitted to visit or speak with his client. She has been held in near solitary confinement at the notorious Evin prison since June, and her lawyer said there is a chance the court could lessen the sentence since she has no prior criminal record.
[Image via The Guardian]