Iran: 81-year-old human rights activist jailed

Tehran, 27 May (AKI) – An 81-year-old lawyer and human rights activist of Iraqi descent has been jailed in Iran.

Hassan Abdul Hussein Tafah was sentenced to 15 years in jail and fined the equivalent of 130,000 euros for attending international conferences where human rights issues were discussed.

Tafah, originally from the southern Iraqi city of Basra, was sentenced to death for being a ‘moharebeh’, a term used in Iran’s Islamic Sharia law to describe a crime against God, Islam and the state.

Before seeking refuge in Iran and becoming an Iranian citizen, Tafah had spent 15 years in Iraqi jails under the rule of late dictator Saddam Hussein, deposed in 2003 following the US invasion of Iraq.

After having found refuge in Iran, Tafah continued his human rights activism, often defending political detainees.

http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2201214130