Afarin Chitsaz Aval

She was a journalist in the Foreign Politics Committee of Iran Newspaper. She is one of the journalists arrested in the case known "Infiltration".

• <coverage-outsourcing id='6182'> Ayatollah Khamenei warned of the implementation of the "Infiltration Project" following the JCPOA. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='6574'> Afarin Chitsaz, Issa Saharkhiz, Saman Safarzai, Ehsan Mazandarani, and Davoud Asadi were arrested by agents of the IRGC's Intelligence Unit on a warrant by Branch 12 of Tehran Court and were transferred to Ward 2A of Evin Prison. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='6183'> The IRGC Intelligence Unit issued a statement announcing that during the last week "a few members of the Infiltration Network implemented by western enemy states, who were operating in the media and online" were arrested. On the same day Fars News and Mehr News agencies announced that those arrested were related to an "Infiltration Network". Ebrahim Raeisi called those arrested "American spies and pen-holding mercenaries". In addition to these individuals, other media outlets and officials across the country noted the arrest of this network as well. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='6185'> Reporters Without Borders published a harshly-worded statement with regards to the arrests of the journalists : > It is not the first time that journalists in Iran get caught up in the animosities among different political forces in the Islamic Republic. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='6184'> Hassan Rouhani spoke at a cabinet meeting on the anniversary of the occupation of the US embassy in Iran, seemingly in response to the IRGC's operation: > Let's not go and arrest a couple of people for no reason, build a case against them, and then say that we have stopped a line of infiltration . </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='6186'> According to Jamaran Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Iran's Minister of Justice had expressed optimism in the cases being tried as soon as the case files were completed. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='6400'> 90 journalists penned a letter requesting the immediate release of Issa Saharkhiz, Ehsan Mazandarani, Saman Safarzai, and Afarin Chitsaz, four imprisoned journalists. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='5153'> It was reported that three months after her arrest, there is still no information on her condition. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='6187'> Mr. Alizadeh Tabatabai participated in an interview with Shargh Newspaper in which he stressed that nobody involved in the case has any news of Afarin Chitsaz's case. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='5686'> She was transferred from the IRGC's Ward 2A to the Women's Ward of Evin Prison. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='6188'> The defendant's trial was held presided by Judge Moghiseh. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='5682'> It was reported that her trial was held. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='5768'> She was tried by Judge Moghiseh and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of "Assembly and collusion against national security and relations with enemy states". </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='6189'> The Reporters Without Borders organization condemned the 22 year sentence that was given to three Iranian journalists. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='5814'> Her mother reported that she was in solitary confinement for six months and that she was tortured during this period. She also stated that her daughter is suffering from heart and kidney disease and that she needs to take anxiety pills as well. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='6190'> 230 journalists penned a letter to Hassan Rouhani requesting his attention to the case of those arrested as part of the "Infiltration Network". </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='8637'> The attorney for a number of defendants in this case, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, informed HRANA that Appeals Court had maintained the two charges of "propagating against the system and insulting the Supreme Leader" and had sentenced them to two years in prison based on Clause 134 [of the Islamic Penal Code] </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='8981'> Radio Farhang quoted a post by the defendant's attorney, Mohammad Moghimi, on his Telegram account, which stated that her sentence was reduced to two years' imprisonment and a two-year ban on working in the media in Appeals Court. This report states that the defendant was hospitalized after having surgery on the meniscus of her right knee, and that her physician recommends having surgery done on her left knee as well </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='9241'> Completing her temporary leave, she returned to prison </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='9845'> In a letter to the chief of judiciary, 132 journalists stated that the charges brought against the defendants of this case "are beneath the noble community of the press" and added "now that one year has passed since our colleagues were sentenced and they can apply for parole according to Article 58 of Islamic criminal law, they are told that you will stay in prison until the 2017 Elections and then a decision will be made about you." They emphasized the implementation "of the directive that you yourself issued and their parole requests to be "urgently" considered" </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='9420'> Her lawyer told the Campaign for Human Rights that until now, Afarin Chitsaz’ has only had surgery on her right leg but her left leg, also, needs surgery, and she hasn’t been sent to the hospital, yet. According to the Mohammad Moghimi the severity of her pain is such that she has not met with her family for three weeks </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='10639'> His lawyer, Mohammad Moghimi, told BBC Persian that he will file a complaint against Hossein Allah Karam for the defamation of Mr. Chitsaz. Hossein Allah Karam, head of the coordinating council of Ansar Hezbollah, has claimed, two days ago, on an instagram post, “a woman spy has confessed to unholy relations with five cabinet ministers”, including Ali Janati, the previous minister of Culture and Guidance. Mr. Allah Karam claimed that an individual, named, “A. Ch” made these confessions and Ali Janati’s resignation was related to these confessions. Mr. Allah Karam published these writings with a picture that has the word “influence” in middle. Six days later, Mohseni Ejei, the first deputy of the judiciary, dismissed these claims </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='19052'> The cash fine, in exchange for four months prison, given to her mother, Maryam Azadpour Langaroudi was annulled by the appeals court and Ms. Azadpour was exonerated from the charge of “publication of falsehoods to stir public opinion” by means of interview about her daughter’s case </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='18841'> The Defenders for Human Rights Center’s website, reported that she has embarked on a hunger strike in protest to the postponement of the date of release. The prosecutor’s office announced that the period that Ms. Chitsaz was hospitalized where she was under the supervision of prison doctors, with the presence of guards, will not be counted as time served and therefore, this period has to be added to the sentence </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='19181'> Defenders of Human Rights Center reported that she ended her hunger strike </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='20624'> She was released </coverage-outsourcing>