Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, daughter of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been released from Tehran’s Evin prison after serving two years for her involvement in protests advocating for women’s rights.
Originally sentenced to five years in prison, Faezeh’s release came after an appeals court ruling, as confirmed by her lawyer, Mohammad Hossein Aghassi. She was arrested in September 2022 during nationwide demonstrations triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini.
Amini’s death while in police custody for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code sparked widespread protests calling for change, with significant involvement from women and schoolchildren advocating for women’s rights and the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.
Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, a long-time advocate for women’s rights, previously served as a parliament representative for Tehran from 1996 to 2000 and founded the women’s newspaper Zan in 1998. She has been a vocal critic of Iran’s strict dress codes and compulsory hijab, despite wearing a chadar herself.
Her activism, which includes opposition to the government’s policies through platforms like Clubhouse, has garnered international attention. In 2009, she was arrested during the unrest that followed the disputed election of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Faezeh’s father, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was a reformist president from 1989 to 1997 and held several influential positions until his death in 2017. Faezeh has criticized the impact of U.S. sanctions on ordinary Iranians, attributing them to the Iranian authorities’ policies.
Her release has drawn global attention, with the U.S. Foreign Office referring to her as “Faezeh, defender of women’s rights all over Iran,” a description that has sparked debate among Iranian activists.
