Former lawmaker and daughter of Iran's former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been sentenced to five years in prison for criticizing the Iranian regime.
Faezeh Hashemi’s lawyer, Neda Shams, wrote on Twitter Tuesday that her client was sentenced to five years in prison at the preliminary stage.
She also noted that she cannot comment on the verdict as it is not final yet and her client is still in prison with other charges against her.
According to ISNA, Faezeh Hashemi was indicted on July 3 for “propaganda against the establishment” and “insulting the sanctities”.
Hashemi was arrested in September, days after popular protests broke out in Iran.
Speaking on the social audio app Clubhouse, the political activist had said that removing the IRGC from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) is not in Iran's interest.
Negotiations to restore Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal encountered complications as Tehran demanded the IRGC be removed from the terrorist list.
Footage of Hashemi Rafsanjani also surfaced in media, talking about Prophet Muhammad and how he used his wife’s money to advertise Islam.
Hashemi is known for her critical remarks about the Islamic Republic, its leaders, and policies. Her father, who for decades was the second most powerful man in the Islamic Republic, and helped bring Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to power in 1989, allowed the IRGC to become an economic player in the country.