Iranian Activist Subjected to 'Mental Torture' by Authorities, Brother Says

An ailing imprisoned Iranian activist has been subjected to "mental torture," according to her brother.

Asghar Sepehri, brother of Fatemeh Sepehri, a political detainee, disclosed on his social media account that his sister underwent interrogation by an "interrogator psychologist," resulting in what he describes as "mental torture."

According to Asghar Sepehri, his sister was transferred from Vakil Abad prison in Mashhad to a meeting, where a person identifying as a psychologist from the judiciary asked her personal questions about her childhood.

Sepehri further reported that despite Fatemeh Sepehri falling ill during this half-hour encounter and subsequently being transferred to the prison hospital, the Islamic Republic has shifted from "using journalists for interrogation to employing psychologists for the same purpose."

"The Islamic Republic is subjecting my sister to psychological torture through its agents, including Ali Soleimani, the prosecutor of the 903 branch," Asghar Sepehri stated.

The outspoken pro-democracy advocate was arrested in Mashhad on September 12, 2022, and was sentenced in February this year to a total of 18 years in prison on charges including “propaganda against the regime,” “cooperating with hostile countries,” and “insulting” Khamenei and his predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini. 

She is one of the 14 signatories of a 2019 statement calling for Khamenei’s resignation, the abolition of the Islamic Republic, and the establishment of a secular government.