CNN
—
Faride Moradhani, the niece of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called on foreign governments to cut ties with the Iranian regime in a video statement released two days after her arrest.
Faride Moradhani, a prominent human rights activist who opposes the Iranian regime, was arrested Wednesday when she went to the public prosecutor’s office to issue a court order.
In a video statement shared by her brother two days later, Faride Moradhani urged people around the world to cut ties with the Iranian regime as protests swept the country, calling her government “this We urge you to stop doing business with the administration.” ”
“Oh, free people, stay with us and tell your government to stop supporting this murderous, child-killing regime. I am not aware of any laws or regulations other than those that are enforceable.
“Now, at this critical moment in history, all of humanity is watching the people of Iran empty-handed, fighting the forces of evil with exemplary courage and bravery,” she said. “At the moment, the Iranian people are carrying this heavy burden of responsibility alone, at the cost of their lives.”
Faride Moradhani said the Iranians were at war with a government that supported the Iranian regime and called on democracies to recall their representatives from Iran and expel Iranian representatives from their countries.
“The urgent need is not to support this regime that killed thousands of Iranians in four days in November 2019, and the world just watched,” she added.
Farideh and Mahmoud Moradhani are the children of cleric and longtime opposition figure Ali Tehrani, who married the Supreme Leader’s sister Badri Hosseini Khamenei. Tehrani passed away last month.
In a statement shared Thursday, the Human Rights Activist Agency (HRANA) confirmed Wednesday’s arrest of Faride Moradkani, saying she was “incarcerated after appearing in Evin Court to serve a 15-year sentence.” ‘He said.
HRANA had previously reported that she was last arrested by security forces in January and was released on bail “until the end of the legal process.” According to HRANA, Farideh Moradkhani had previously been detained “for civic action.”
CNN could not independently confirm when Faride Moradkani recorded the video statement his brother shared on YouTube on Friday, and reached out to Mahmoud Moradkani for clarification.
The ongoing protests in Iran were initially sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, in September after she was detained by Iran’s morality police.
According to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, the unprecedented nationwide riots have taken control of more than 150 cities and 140 universities in all 31 Iranian provinces.
More than 14,000 people, including children, have been arrested in connection with the protests, according to Turk.
Iranian security forces’ violent response to protesters has shaken diplomatic ties between Tehran and Western leaders.
Over the weekend, Ayatollah Khamenei praised the country’s Basij militia for its role in the deadly crackdown on dissident protesters.
Khamenei, who met with Basij officials in Tehran on Saturday, described the popular protests as “rioters” and “thugs” backed by foreign forces and “innocent” Basij fighters defending the country. praised.
The Basij are part of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and have been deployed to the streets as protests escalate.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Faride Moradhani was arrested after the release of the video statement. This has been fixed.
