• <coverage-outsourcing id='11925'> HRANA reports that he and his wife were taken to Evin prison’s solitary cells of ward 2A, immediately after the ransacking of their home and the sealing of their gallery </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='11924'> Afarin Neysari and Karen Vafadari, Zoroastrian Iranian-American couple were arrested, a few days apart, by security forces </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='13654'> Hossein Ali Haj Gilani, the representative of Shahin Shahr, in a public session of Parliament, said, “Karen and Afarin, two foreign couples, have come to Iran. Look and see what they have done to our artists and athletes. They use alcohol with a plumbing system and they’ve filmed the artists and sports personalities so they can, afterwards, blackmail them into collaboration with the threat of publishing the films” </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='11926'> According to HRANA’s report, after five months of arrest, “interrogation and enduring a long period of solitary confinement,” he was transferred to the general public wards of Evin prison. Ms. Neysari was sent to the nesvan (women’s) ward in Evin and Mr. Vafadari was transferred to ward 7 or 8 of the same prison </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='13660'> Kateh Vafadari wrote a letter, to the Leader of the Iranian regime, strove to reject the accusations brought forth by the representative for Shahin Shahr. In this letter, Ms. Vafadari, explained that dual-citizenship is not a crime, and that in the Zoroastrian religion possessing and drinking alcohol is allowed. She adds that in the Zoroastrian religion mixed gatherings are, also, not crimes, and although “single” gender gatherings that are prevalent in others religions are respected, this problem too with the party cannot be perceived as illegal. She, also, rejected the accusation of blackmail </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='11930'> HRANA reported, at least 200 artists and gallery owners, demanded clarity from judicial institutions regarding the predicament of this Zoroastrian Iranian-American couple. They said, “In our capacity and responsibility as professional colleagues, we demand clarity from judicial institutions regarding this matter. Certainly, a fair public- hearing is the right of all classes of society including religious minorities and social organizations, and underlining the previous cultural activities and contributions of the family and their importance among the artistic community, demand a transparent sharing of information in order to help alleviate the concerns regarding this case </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='11928'> He and his wife, were summoned to the court of Evin and faced charges such as “recruiting and introducing spies”, “assembly and collusion </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='13665'> Kateh Vafadari, in a new letter, confirmed that Karen Vafadari and Afarin Neysari, in a meeting prior to the court hearing, were faced with accusations that they had already been cleared of in previous stages. Judge Salavati, denied their lawyer’s presence at the meeting and has asked them to change their lawyer, they, also, faced new accusations such as, “striving to overthrow the state”, “recruiting spies through foreign embassies”, “assembly and collusion against national security”, were added to their previous charges of “possessing alcohol at home” and “socializing with foreign diplomats, spying, and collaboration with the enemy.” For around five months they were incarcerated in the solitary cells of IRGC. Judge Keshik, initially told them, that because there is not a single piece of evidence in regards to the charge of spying, they will be released on a minimum amount of bail. Some of their art pieces, from home and their place of work, have been destroyed, and others have been confiscated and registered, writes Kateh Vafadari, adding that Afarin Neysari has been put under pressure to spy on her husband’s art community for the security forces </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='13671'> Deutsche Welle reports that the Tehran prosecutor, announced that an individual with dual nationality, “employed six Afghans to turn the cellar of the house into a locale for making alcoholic beverages, in which, around, 4 thousand liters of alcoholic beverage was found.” He, also, “lured and gathered people to create vulgar and putrid images and pieces, that he, then, exposed and sold,” which the prosecutor deemed a crime. It seems like the Tehran prosecutor had Afarin Neysari and Karen Vafadari in mind when speaking of these newly accused </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='15263'> Some of the representatives of the Republican and Democratic parties of America, asked president Trump’s government to pressure Iran to release American citizens or permanent residents: Siamak Namazi, Mohammad Bagher Namazi, Nizar Zakka, Afarin Nassiri, Robert Levinson and Karen Vafadari. One other person has been named in this bi-partisan statement but the name has been withheld because of the family’s wishes </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='17189'> “Asr-e-Iran” reported that the US government issued a statement calling for the release of American prisoners in Iran. The statement states that "for forty years, hostage-taking has been used as a political solution in Iran, and the latest example is the 10-year prison sentence for Xiyue Wang." The statement warned Iran that it would be "punished" if it refrained from releasing prisoners. Mr Trump also called for the release of Robert Levinson. Shortly thereafter, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry described the White House statement as "interference in internal affairs" and called on the United States to release Iranian prisoners. Mr. Ghasemi also said that the Islamic Republic "does not have any new knowledge" about the fate of Robert Levinson </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='18726'> HRANA published Karen Vafadari’s letter to judge Salavati. In this letter, Mr. Vafadari, while insisting on his innocence, writes that his interrogator has told him that the worst day of the former’s life had been the day Ruhollah Khomeini had declared that it was not necessary that religious minorities mark their businesses with sign that declared them as such. He, also, writes, that the IRGC interrogators have told them, after twenty days, that for them “it is questionable that we are not spies!” This letter, entitled, “The Last Defense” can be found in the evidence section of this page </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='19022'> CNN asked about foreign nationals and dual citizens detained in Iranian jails. Rouhani said in an aside that he had his own views on the subject of detained foreigners and dual citizens, but that he was obliged to follow the Iranian constitution which had enshrined the separation of powers between the executive and the judiciary </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='19709'> The American Senate passed Resolution 245 asking the government to prioritize the freedom of “American hostages” in Iran. At the same time, Thomas Reuters Foundation published an official letter denying the claim that Ms Zaghari was “teaching journalism”. IPA will, from now on, not record the opinions of political figures and human rights groups in connection with this case in this profile page, rather, it will, only on special occasions, record the statement of human rights organizations and politicians </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='20188'> Defenders of Human Rights Center’s website reports that the second session of investigating the charges against Afarin Neysari was held. Karen Vafadari will also be tried in this court in the next two days </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='20656'> The hearing on charges against Afarin Neysari and Karen Vafadari was held at Branch 15 of Tehran Revolutionary Court under the chairmanship of Judge Salavati. According to the website of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, the court sentenced Afarin Neysari to 16 years and sentenced Karen to 27 years in confinement and confiscation of property. Still, the details of the sentence and the changes resulting from the application of Article 134 are not clear in this case. In its report, the Center has emphasized that Karen, before his arrest, was persistently pursuing the restoration of her family's inherited property confiscated after the revolution </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='20698'> Center for Human Right In Iran reported that Karen Vafadari, in a letter, wrote to his fellow Zoroastrian that he was sentenced to 27 years in prison, 124 lashes, paying more than 900 million Tomans and confiscation of property, and his wife, Afarin Neysari was sentenced to 16 years in prison and confiscation of property. Based on this letter, Judge Salavati has issued the sentence of one and a half years of this imprisonment, 74 lashes and 140 million tomans (approximately 35 thousand USD) for the production of wine at home and three years in prison and 600 million tomans (approximately 150 thousand USD) for accepting alcoholic beverages as gifts from friends and foreign diplomats and 15 years imprisonment for holding mixed parties charged with "spreading immorality and debauchery". Mr. Vafadari also announced that he is the first Iranian subject to the execution of Article 989 of the Civil Code, which was passed in 1924, and therefore his property has been seized </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='23922'> He was released on bail </coverage-outsourcing>