Mahsa Amini’s uncle sentenced to more than five years in jail in Iran for criticising government

Court finds Safa Aeli guilty of ‘insulting’ Iranian leader, among other charges

Authorities in Iran sentenced an uncle of Mahsa Amini to more than five years in prison for anti-government comments during protests following his Iranian-Kurdish niece's death in 2022.

Amini's death in police custody in 2022 sparked nationwide protests that rocked the Islamic Republic and led to the killing of more than 500 people.

Safa Aeli, 30, was handed a five year and four-month-long sentence in prison by the revolutionary court in north-western Iran's Saqez town on charges of "participation in a gathering and conspiracy against internal security", "propaganda against the system" and "insulting" Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Mr Aeli was previously arrested by security forces in a raid on his home in September 2023, shortly before the first anniversary of Amini's death.

He was "brutally assaulted" for 42 days before being released on bail, according to Norway-based Hengaw group.

A protest in London against the Islamic Republic in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini (PA Wire)

The court also imposed sanctions on Mr Aeli and demanded he produce written documents outlining the biography of a member of the security forces, who was killed during the protests.

Mr Aeli was ordered to post a voice message about the work on his social media accounts, the right group said.

He has also been asked to report to the Intelligence Office and complete three educational, ethical, and religious courses.

Iranian authorities in December 2023 banned members of Amini's family – her father and two brothers – from traveling to France to receive the EU's top human rights prize on her behalf.

Amini was granted the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought posthumously in September last year.

The 22-year-old woman died after Iran's morality police arrested her for allegedly violating the country’s strict headscarf law that forced women to cover their hair and entire body. Her death led to massive protests that quickly escalated into calls to overthrow Iran’s clerical rulers.

Iranian women, furious over Amini's death, played a pivotal role in the protests, with some opting to go without their mandatory headscarves.

Authorities immediately launched a heavy crackdown, arresting nearly 20,000 people, according to human rights activists in Iran.

Iran in December executed a 23-year-old protester with a mental health condition over alleged crimes committed during nationwide demonstrations.

Mohammad Ghobadlou was executed on charges of killing a local official and injuring five others after he ran them over in his car during a rally in the town of Parand near the capital of Tehran.