Seeking Help from Religion and Attacking Mousavi

On the fourth trial session of individuals arrested on Ashoura Day, a 20-year-old student was charged with Moharebeh [armed struggle against state] and two other defendants were accused of spying for foreigners.  In addition, one week after the deputy intelligence minister announced the arrest of two German diplomats for organizing the Ashoura Day protests in Tehran, two young women were brought to court to testify having indecent relationships with the German diplomats and connect the popular protests against the election coup to the German intelligence service.

In a report that published by state-run media after the court session, none of the defendants were named and all five defendants were said to have been charged with using satellite equipments.  The defendant and their lawyers all spoke against the green movement’s leaders and asked forgiveness from God, the supreme leader, the Islamic Republic and the presiding judge so that they can “live respectfully under the presence of ayatollah Khamenei” and asked “everyone who is thinking about 22 Bahman” to learn from their faith “instead of watching BBC and CNN.”  

Defendants’ Complaints Against German Diplomats

During the court session, Jafari Dolatabadi’s representative read the indictments of the two female defendants in the case, in which the 24- and 30-year-old women were accused of having relationships with German diplomats in Iran, committing crimes against national security, espionage and spreading propaganda against the regime.  

These two defendants confessed in court yesterday that the German diplomats had given them green wristbands with the English writing, “I am Neda” on them.  

In her defense, the 30-year-old woman said that she “participated in the gathering even though she was unaware of the election until two months before the election, and did not know the green candidate until three days before the election.”

She said that “after the supreme leader asked the people not to participate in the protests she did not participate in them.”  

Speaking about her relations with the German diplomat, she said, “We communicated through email, but did not have political conversations.”

She also added, “The German diplomats gave bags containing green wristbands to several people to distribute but I didn’t do it.”

Influenced by the Green Movement

The second female defendant in the case was a 24-year-old woman identified as having been born in Manchester, and charged with “gathering and conspiring against national security, distributing propaganda against the regime, insulting the regime’s senior officials, drinking alcohol and using satellite equipment.”  

In her defense, the 24-year-old woman said, “I was influence by the green movement and thought that the things I was doing were correct and wanted to serve my country, but now I’m aware that my work was wrong and didn’t benefit the country.”  

The defendant’s lawyer asked the court for mercy and forgiveness and said during one part of her defense, “If the green movement is illegal why have proper actions not been taken against it?”