Saffron Shawls Distributed In Hubballi Colleges Amid Hijab Row
New Age Islam News Bureau
02 June 2026
· Saffron shawls distributed in Hubballi colleges amid hijab row
· 80 lakh women removed from Maharashtra's Ladki Bahin scheme, Opposition alleges financial crisis
· Elderly London man’s trial begins in alleged attacks on Muslim women
· Lawyer explains that women must be involved in Syria's new constitution
· Inspired by Ladakh breakthrough, Mehbooba calls for united J&K outreach to Centre
· CAIR-DFW, Faith Power Alliance, MAS-Dallas to Hold Protest for Shayma Alzubi at Fort Worth ISD Meeting
· Sepideh Qoliyan: The Woman Who Refused to Stay Silent
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Saffron shawls distributed in Hubballi colleges amid hijab row
Jun 1, 2026
Hubballi: Right-wing activists distributed saffron shawls to college students in Hubballi on Monday, following the state govt’s decision permitting the wearing of hijab in schools and colleges.
The activists visited several schools and colleges across the city and handed out saffron shawls to students.
At Kanakadasa College in Vidyanagar, saffron shawls were given to around 30 students. Students of Sardar Veerana Gowda Patil Girls’ School of Mahila Vidyapeeth also received them.
They said it was condemnable that the govt allowed wearing of hijab despite the existence of a uniform code. According to them, the uniform system was introduced to prevent discrimination based on religion and caste among students, but the state govt revoked the restriction on hijab. They added that the campaign to distribute saffron shawls has been launched in this context and will continue until the order is withdrawn.
Source: indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubballi/saffron-shawls-distributed-in-hubballi-colleges-amid-hijab-row/articleshowprint/131446596.cms
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80 lakh women removed from Maharashtra's Ladki Bahin scheme, Opposition alleges financial crisis
01.06.26
Representational image
AI-generated picture.
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Around 80 lakh women have become ineligible for the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme following an e-KYC deadline, sparking sharp allegations from the Opposition parties that the Maharashtra government was weeding out beneficiaries due to a "severe financial crisis".
A senior official on Monday, however, said that the beneficiary count has dropped from 2.4 crore to nearly 1.7 crore after the e-KYC deadline of April 30, but the disqualifications were also linked to non-compliance with eligibility criteria.
The government had provided an eight-month window for beneficiaries to complete their e-KYC, he said.
"Around 50 to 55 lakh women failed to complete the process entirely, while two to three lakh rectified errors during this period. Additionally, nearly 12 lakh women were found to be income-tax payers exceeding the annual income cap of Rs 2.5 lakh, and over 4.5 lakh had crossed the upper age limit of 65 years," the official said.
Around five lakh women were already receiving benefits under the Namo Shetkari scheme, he added.
Addressing complaints that women who completed e-KYC missed monthly instalments, the official noted, "The final figure of actual beneficiaries will be clear in a week, and the complaints are being cross-verified." He further denied that 80 lakh women were dropped from the scheme solely on the grounds of non-completion of e-KYC.
Opposition NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, meanwhile, claimed that the dropping of beneficiaries from the scheme reflects a "severe financial crisis" faced by the state.
Patil alleged that the scheme, which provides monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to eligible women, was rolled out ahead of the 2024 state assembly elections following the ruling Mahayuti alliance's poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls.
"Now, as many as 80 lakh women beneficiaries have been declared ineligible. This amounts to abandoning the very people who were promised assistance," he said.
The former minister claimed that the move was indicative of the growing financial strain on the state government.
"After the Centre, the state too is facing a major financial crisis. The first blow has fallen on our 'ladki bahins'. The state's fiscal deficit is substantial, and the global economic slowdown has further aggravated the situation," Patil said, adding that the move could have been avoided with better planning and careful implementation.
Echoing similar sentiments, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged that the state government was gradually removing beneficiaries from the Ladki Bahin scheme with the ultimate aim of discontinuing it.
Pawar, in a statement, claimed that while the scheme had 2.47 crore beneficiaries before the state assembly elections, the names of around 81 lakh women had now been removed from the beneficiary list.
"KYC is merely an excuse. The real intention is to remove beneficiaries in phases and eventually shut down the scheme," he alleged.
"If the government is now calling these women bogus beneficiaries, was it not the government's own failure to implement the scheme without proper KYC verification before the elections?" he asked.
He also warned the government against taking any action to recover money from women beneficiaries or causing them inconvenience, and said the move would invite strong opposition.
Talking to reporters, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar accused the Mahayuti government of betraying beneficiaries of the scheme, which was launched only to win votes.
The government rolled out the scheme with a lot of publicity before the state assembly elections, but has now distanced itself from the beneficiaries, he said, adding that the ruling dispensation will have to pay a heavy price for angering and disappointing women.
NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule said that the scheme was implemented in a hurry during the election period without proper verification of beneficiaries.
"It is surprising that the government has realised only after about one-and-a-half years that 80 lakh women were allegedly ineligible. This shows a serious collective failure of the government at the political, administrative and implementation levels. The scheme is funded by taxpayers' money. Therefore, an important question arises: was the government distributing public money to ineligible beneficiaries for the last one-and-a-half years?" she said in a post on X.
She alleged that the government made false promises to women only for political gains, and has now betrayed the women of Maharashtra.
"The number of affected women is very large. Our stand is that every eligible woman in Maharashtra must continue to receive benefits of the scheme regularly. Women should not be denied benefits because they could not complete e-KYC within a specified deadline," Sule said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the Devendra Fadnavis-led government of running bogus schemes.
He claimed that the government had initially said it would enhance the monthly stipend to women, but has instead declared more than 80 lakh beneficiaries ineligible.
Source: telegraphindia.com
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/80-lakh-women-ineligible-for-maharashtras-ladki-bahin-scheme-opposition-alleges-financial-crisis/cid/2163435
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Elderly London man’s trial begins in alleged attacks on Muslim women
By Nick Paparella
June 01, 2026
A trial against an 81-year-old London, Ont. man accused in a rash of assault cases involving Muslim women got underway Monday.
In September 2024, a man was reported yelling derogatory comments at someone wearing a hijab near Berkshire Drive and Berkshire Place.
Within minutes, another woman got involved.
At the time, police said the suspect pulled out a knife before leaving on foot.
James Henkel has pleaded not guilty to six counts, which include assault with a weapon.
Source: ctvnews.ca
https://www.ctvnews.ca/london/article/elderly-london-mans-trial-begins-in-alleged-attacks-on-muslim-women/
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Lawyer explains that women must be involved in Syria's new constitution
2 June, 2026
Lawyer Rojin Abdulbaqi Khasho explained that enshrining women's rights in the constitution is not an issue concerning women alone; rather, it is a genuine measure of the state's commitment to the concepts of citizenship, justice, and equality.
She told ANHA's agency: “The constitution is the highest social contract regulating the relationship between the state and society. Any absence of women's rights within this contract signifies a fundamental flaw in the very concept of democracy.” She noted that a democratic state is not built solely through elections or political institutions, but is first founded on the principle of equality among all citizens without discrimination.
Rojin explained that explicitly and clearly stating women's rights in the constitution grants women the highest level of legal protection, which cannot be overridden or diminished through ordinary laws, personal interpretations, or varying religious and social interpretations.
She argued that neglecting women's rights solely to legal interpretations exposes them to change according to political, ideological, or social circumstances, whereas clear constitutional provisions make these rights permanent and binding upon all legislative, executive, and judicial authorities.
The lawyer emphasized that clear constitutional text prevents discrimination based on gender, restrictions on women's rights justified by social customs or traditions, the enactment of laws that undermine women's rights, and the use of legal interpretations to justify exclusion or violence.
She stated that any modern constitution seeking to establish a truly democratic state must regard women as full partners in the nation, not merely as a group in need of protection. She explained that the constitution can protect women when it explicitly affirms the principles of equality and non-discrimination and obliges the state to take concrete measures to combat violence in all its forms.
She said that constitutional protection is achieved through criminalizing gender-based discrimination, guaranteeing equality in employment, education, and political rights, obligating the state to protect women from domestic, societal, and political violence, and providing legal mechanisms for justice and protection.
To guarantee women's right to access justice without discrimination, Rojin stressed that the constitution must ensure the state's commitment to enacting laws specifically designed to protect women from domestic violence, forced marriage, child marriage, economic exploitation, harassment and cyber blackmail, and human trafficking.
Lawyer Rojin highlighted the most important rights that should be explicitly enshrined in the new Syrian constitution: full equality before the law, the right to political participation, the right to education and employment, protection from violence, personal status rights, and social and healthcare protections. She affirmed that any new constitution that does not clearly include these rights will remain incomplete and incapable of building a genuine state of citizenship.
She pointed out that the constitution plays a pivotal role in empowering women politically, saying: “Political participation is not achieved solely through individual desire; it requires a legal environment that guarantees equal opportunities. The constitution opens the door to women's representation in parliament and government, supports women's access to leadership positions, prevents gender-based political exclusion, and encourages political parties and institutions to involve women.”
Lawyer Rojin explained that the absence of constitutional guarantees leaves women in a state of legal and social vulnerability and makes their rights susceptible to political and social fluctuations. She noted that the lack of clear constitutional provisions sometimes allows social customs or narrow interpretations of the law to be used to restrict women's rights.
She stressed that it is impossible to speak of a true citizenship-based state if women do not enjoy full and equal rights, and that any infringement on women's rights results in incomplete citizenship, which contradicts the foundations of a modern democratic state.
Lawyer Rojin Khasho further emphasized that the absence of clear constitutional provisions could lead to serious legal and social risks, including the restriction of rights through subsequent legislation, weak judicial protection, the continuation of violence and discrimination, reduced participation of women in politics and employment, and the indirect legitimization of certain discriminatory practices.
She also highlighted the role of human rights and women's organizations, stating: “These institutions play a fundamental role in defending women's rights, especially during constitutional drafting processes and political transitions, by preparing studies and legal proposals, exerting pressure on political and legislative bodies, raising public awareness of women's rights, documenting violations against women, and organizing campaigns and civil initiatives.”
The Syrian lawyer Rojin Abdulbaqi Khasho concluded her remarks by emphasizing the need for legal professionals, activists, and women themselves to cooperate in forming a genuine force capable of ensuring women's presence as full partners in shaping Syria's future.
Source: hawarnews.com
https://hawarnews.com/en/lawyer-explains-that-women-must-be-involved-in-syrias-new-constitution
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Inspired by Ladakh breakthrough, Mehbooba calls for united J&K outreach to Centre
Fayaz Wani
02 Jun 2026
SRINAGAR: Drawing inspiration from the success of Leh and Kargil in securing constitutional safeguards under Article 371 for Ladakh UT through dialogue with the Centre, PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has called for a joint and coordinated outreach from political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
In an outreach statement, the PDP chief has written letters to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma, JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone, MP Engineer Rashid, J&K AAP President Mehraj Malik, PDF Chairman Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, J&K National Panthers Party President Harsh Dev Singh, Shiv Sena (J&K unit) President Manish Sahni, Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti President Sanjay Tickoo, and Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee Chairman Jaspal Singh.
“J&K stands at a crossroad where we cannot let despair shape our future,” Mehbooba said and proposed a united political initiative, urging leaders to set aside differences and jointly advocate for resumption of meaningful dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir.
She emphasised that a collective voice is essential to represent the aspirations, grievances, and concerns of the people of the region at the national level.
“It necessitates a broad consensus above and across party and partisan lines to pull J&K out of the current debilitating stalemate. If we want to restore the dignity & security of our people, a constructive dialogue with the Government of India is a much needed imperative. The time has come to make a united outreach to the Prime Minister and Home Minister and prevail upon them to initiate a sustained dialogue with the people of Jammu & Kashmir,” she stated in the letter.
Mehbooba pointed to recent breakthrough achieved by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, saying the developments in Ladakh demonstrate that dialogue remains the most effective way of achieving meaningful outcomes.
“This will set the ball rolling for us to formally reach out to the Central Government. Given the fact that disagreements & squabbling between regional parties have been detrimental to the collective interests of J&K a reasonable consensus especially post 2019 is the only solution.”
Mehbooba urged Omar Abdullah, as the elected head of the government, to bring all parties together through an official meeting.
“However your support is a prerequisite for the success of this political platform. Genuine unity in these difficult unprecedented times can lead us towards restoring our rights and dignity of our people guaranteed by the Indian Constitution,” she wrote to CM.
In separate letters to LoP Sunil Sharma and J&K Congress chief Tariq Karra, Mehbooba stated, “We must set aside our differences, disagreements, and competing political narratives in the larger interest of those we represent. This cannot become an exercise in claiming political credit or scoring partisan points. Rather, it must be a moment of collective responsibility and unity for the welfare and future of our people.”
“I urge you to rise above our differences and join this effort. At this critical moment, unity is our greatest strength. Together, we can work towards a peaceful, dignified, and prosperous Jammu & Kashmir one where the rights, aspirations, and identity of its people are protected and safeguarded within the framework of the Constitution of India,” she wrote.
It remains to be seen what would be the reaction of the political leaders to Mehbooba’s unity efforts.
In the past, Mehbooba’s PDP had joined hands with Abdullah's NC and some other parties and floated the Gupkar Alliance for restoration of Article 370. However, the alliance gradually lost momentum amid internal differences and initially broke during DDC polls in J&K in November-December 2020 and finally broke and collapsed ahead of Assembly polls in J&K in 2024.
The Gupkar alliance had failed to come up with any roadmap and was confined to meetings and statements instead of taking concrete steps to reach out the Central government with their grievances.
After the failure of Gupkar Alliance experiment, Mehbooba’s latest reach out represents a fresh attempt to forge consensus among Jammu and Kashmir’s diverse political voices.
Source: newindianexpress.com
https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jun/02/inspired-by-ladakh-breakthrough-mehbooba-calls-for-united-jk-outreach-to-centre
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CAIR-DFW, Faith Power Alliance, MAS-Dallas to Hold Protest for Shayma Alzubi at Fort Worth ISD Meeting
June 1, 2026
Today (June 1, 5 p.m.), the DFW chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW) will join Faith Power Alliance and MAS-Dallas at a protest calling for reinstatement of Shayma Alzubi, the principal of a Fort Worth ISD school who was reassigned from her post due to what is being called an online “anti-Muslim witch hunt.”
The silent protest will take place at today’s FWISD Board Workshop.
Fort Worth ISD reassigned Alzubi after the announcement of her hiring showing her in an Islamic head scarf, or hijab, sparked a bigoted backlash online.
In recent months, Texas Muslims have been targeted by a vicious campaign of hate by some political leaders in that state.
Washington, D.C., based CAIR noted that its latest civil rights report documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025 – the highest number ever recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.
CAIR encourages community members facing bias or hate incidents to report them to law enforcement and to CAIR.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-dfw-faith-power-alliance-mas-dallas-to-hold-protest-for-shayma-alzubi-at-fort-worth-isd-meeting/
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Sepideh Qoliyan: The Woman Who Refused to Stay Silent
JUNE 1, 2026
ROGHAYEH REZAEI
Political prisoner Sepideh Qoliyan was released from Mashhad's Vakilabad Prison on Saturday, May 30, after completing her sentence. She had been violently arrested on December 12 while attending the seventh-day memorial ceremony of Khosrow Alikordi, a human rights lawyer who died under suspicious circumstances.
After her release, she went straight to Alikordi’s grave with a bouquet of flowers. There, she compared her recent imprisonment and the wider struggle of Iranian society to the myth of Sisyphus, the ancient Greek figure condemned by the gods to push a massive boulder up a mountain, only to watch it roll back down each time he reached the top.
Since her first arrest in March 2017, which followed Instagram posts about air pollution in Ahvaz and the diversion of Khuzestan’s water resources, Sepideh has lived through a repeated cycle of prison, brief freedom, and re-arrest. Her arrest alongside Ismail Bakhshi and several labor activists during the 2018 Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company workers’ protests turned her into one of the most recognizable faces of Iran’s labor and civil rights movement.
At times, her freedom lasted only a few hours. In March 2023, immediately after walking out of prison, she chanted: "Khamenei the Tyrant, we will drag you into the dirt!" Security agents ambushed and re-arrested her on the road hours later. Yet, as Sepideh once wrote, she has never laid down "the heavy burden of carrying the truth every single piece of it, scattered and fragmented."
Who is Sepideh Qoliyan, and Why Has She Spent Eight Years Being Moved from Prison to Prison?
Sepideh Qoliyan is 31 years old. She was born on September 23, 1994, and comes from Dezful in Khuzestan province. She was a veterinary student, but since the age of 24, when she joined the Haft Tappeh workers’ protests, most of her life has been spent behind bars.
She was first arrested in March 2017 at the age of 22. According to human rights organizations, she was released six days later. Her arrest was linked to content she had posted on Instagram about the growing number of child laborers in Ahvaz, the city’s severe air pollution, and the diversion of Khuzestan’s water to central Iran.
Her second arrest came in November 2018 in the city of Shush, where she had joined a rally in support of striking Haft Tappeh workers. She was later sentenced to five years in prison on charges including "propaganda against the regime," "assembly and collusion to act against national security," and "disturbing public opinion."
While dozens of workers arrested at the rally were released within days, Sepideh and prominent labor activist Ismail Bakhshi were held for a month before being released on bail. Reports said both were subjected to severe torture. At the time, testimonies about Sepideh’s torture were written by Bakhshi and civil activist Asal Mohammadi, who shared a cell with Sepideh at a detention center in Ahvaz.
Mohammadi testified: "I witnessed her [Sepideh Qoliyan’s] long hours of interrogation; this process was repeated almost every day from 10:00 AM until late into the night. I could hear the shouts and insults of her interrogator from the adjacent room. We witnessed a day when they placed such immense pressure on her to extract a forced confession that she was clawing at her own face and wishing for death."
A few days later, Sepideh and Ismail Bakhshi appeared in a broadcast on the Islamic Republic’s Channel 2 during the notorious 20:30 program. The propaganda report, titled "Burnt Design," was hosted by Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour, who became widely known as an "interrogator-journalist" because of her role in producing security-backed programs and documentaries targeting civil activists and political prisoners.
The broadcast showed the "forced confessions" of Qoliyan, Bakhshi, and several left-wing activists, sparking public outrage. Soon after, Sepideh and Ismail Bakhshi were re-arrested in January 2019.
After another period of detention, they were transferred to Evin Prison. Mohammad Moqiseh, the Revolutionary Court judge at the time, who was later killed alongside Ali Razini in the Supreme Court building in December 2024, handed down heavy sentences to Bakhshi, Qoliyan, Amirhossein Mohammadifard, Sanaz Allahyari, Amir Amirqoli, and Asal Mohammadi. They were eventually released on October 26, 2019.
But Sepideh was arrested again on November 16, 2019, during nationwide protests over the overnight tripling of fuel prices. A video of her chanting in the streets circulated widely on social media: "Neither threats nor prison work anymore!"
According to human rights sources, "After she returned home, four vehicles carrying security forces raided her [Sepideh Qoliyan's] residence, beat her, and took her into custody."
November 2019 remains one of the bloodiest periods of protest in Iran’s recent history. Amnesty International said at least 324 protesters were killed by state forces within days. Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the interior minister at the time, put the death toll between 200 and 225. Reuters, citing its own sources, reported that 1,500 people had been killed, a figure many activists and justice-seeking families say is closer to the truth.
Sepideh was released on bail a few days later, but the Haft Tappeh appeals court later finalized her five-year prison sentence.
Speaking of Nameless Prisoners: The Heavy Burden Sepideh Carried
December 21, 2019, became a turning point in Sepideh Qoliyan’s activism. Shortly after being released from Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz, she published a thread on X, formerly Twitter, exposing the horrific conditions faced by women inside the prison.
She focused on women jailed for non-political offenses, especially those whose voices had never reached the outside world. She named them, wrote about them, and documented the suffering of women who had been forgotten inside the prison system.
She wrote about Maryam Hammadi and her child, who were punished by prison guards because she used a flask to bathe out of turn. She wrote about Somayeh, who was sent to the quarantine unit of the Sepidar women’s ward for dancing and later tried to hang herself with a bedsheet under severe psychological pressure. She also documented the forced hijab, the exploitation of female prisoners for a wage of only 100,000 tomans, and the pressure placed on inmates to perform mandatory prayers.
IranWire has previously reported on the inhumane conditions at Sepidar Prison, especially in the women’s ward. According to testimonies from two former inmates, around 400 women in the ward face daily torture through starvation, forced psychiatric medication, and verbal and physical sexual harassment, particularly targeting Arab female prisoners. As a result, self-harm is extremely common among them.
Speaking about the pain and discrimination faced by non-political female prisoners became something Sepideh continued to do in the years that followed. In her two books, Tilapia Drinks the Blood of Hoor al-Azim and Invoking the Double-Footed Demon of Disgrace with Apple Pie, both published by IranWire, she wrote extensively about these women, their daily struggles, and their resilience in the face of oppression and marginalization.
Sepideh later exposed conditions at Bushehr Prison as well, after she was exiled there under an internal displacement sentence known as Nafi-ye Balad and briefly released on medical leave. She described the prison as "a place near the end of the world."
After contracting COVID-19 in September 2021 and receiving temporary medical leave, Sepideh wrote about an Afghan child held in the prison with his mother. According to her, the prison warden ordered that the child be wrapped in a shroud, or Kafan-poosh, to frighten him into sleeping earlier at night.
She also wrote about other abuses in Bushehr Prison, including forcing women to wear brassieres, "ritually washing" (Ghusl) a female inmate in front of other prisoners as punishment for bathing outside scheduled hours, and removing prisoners’ phone privileges if they refused to watch the forced strip-search of their cellmates.
After Sepideh published the thread and returned to prison, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency released a video of the Afghan woman she had written about. In the footage, which appeared to have been recorded under heavy pressure, the woman said prison conditions were fine and accused Sepideh of "lying."
Mahboubeh Rezaei, another inmate held in Bushehr Prison, later wrote a testimony confirming Sepideh’s account:
"I testify that due to financial difficulties, I received offers from the officials of the Bushehr Central Prison women's ward to enter into temporary marriages (Sigheh) with wealthy men in the financial crimes ward. I testify that they threatened to murder and rape my sister, who is dearer to me than life itself, Sepideh Qoliyan, right before our eyes."
The Complaint Against Ameneh Sadat, and Ameneh Sadat’s Lawsuit Against Sepideh
Sepideh was among the first people to file a legal complaint against state television officials over the forced confessions broadcast against her. In 2019, she filed a lawsuit against Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour, the 20:30 reporter widely known as an "interrogator-journalist," saying Zabihpour had been present inside her interrogation room.
Sepideh’s complaint went nowhere. Instead, Zabihpour filed a counter-lawsuit against her. While still serving her prison sentence, Sepideh was forced to appear in court as a defendant.
In August 2023, Sepideh’s brother, Mehdi Qoliyan, wrote on Instagram that his sister had appeared in the courtroom without the mandatory hijab. He said Zabihpour had accused Sepideh of espionage: "At the end of the trial, as Sepideh itself stated, she spat in her [Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour's] face on behalf of the people."
Sepideh Qoliyan was later sentenced to another eight months in prison in connection with that case.
Prison, Chanting, and Prison Again
Sepideh Qoliyan has been moved from one prison and detention center to another again and again, often with only short gaps in between. Her shortest period of freedom likely came on March 16, 2023, when she was released from Evin Prison after completing her sentence, only to be arrested again five hours later while traveling to Khuzestan. An informed source told IranWire that agents had set an "ambush" on the highway to detain her.
A video published in March 2023 showed Sepideh standing outside Evin Prison in traditional Balochi clothing, without the mandatory hijab, chanting: "Khamenei the Tyrant, we will drag you into the dirt!" The slogan had been heard repeatedly during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement. Her Balochi attire was likely a tribute to the more than 100 people killed in the Zahedan Bloody Friday massacre.
The video and the attention it received led authorities to intercept her family’s car. Her family had driven to Tehran to pick her up so they could spend Nowruz together for the first time in years. But before she could travel far from Tehran, she was taken away again.
During the first hours of that detention, Sepideh was repeatedly threatened with rape. Informed sources told IranWire in April 2023 that after hours of sexual threats and physical beatings, security agents at Evin Prison told her, "You don't deserve to sleep in a cell; you must sleep on the floor of the Ward 209 corridors." When she protested, they told her, "If you open your mouth, you'll be taken care of right here!"
The Revolutionary Court later sentenced her to two years in prison on the charge of "insulting the leadership." As her brother wrote, Sepideh had to begin again something that had only just ended.
Her prison terms over the years became so numerous and overlapping that they confused even experienced human rights researchers. These repeated and back-to-back sentences were finally concluded through a consolidation of convictions in June 2025. Sepideh Qoliyan, who had been serving her sentence in Evin, hundreds of kilometers away from her family under internal exile, was then released.
The Suspicious Death of Khosrow Alikordi and a New Prison Term
On the evening of Friday, December 5, 2025, Khosrow Alikordi, a prominent lawyer who represented political prisoners and justice-seeking families, died under suspicious circumstances, according to informed sources who spoke with IranWire.
Authorities said he had suffered a heart attack. His family said he had been in perfect health and noted that CCTV footage from his office had been confiscated. State media later released a brief video showing the moment he suddenly collapsed to the ground.
Public anger over his death grew, and people gathered at his seventh-day memorial service, where slogans were chanted. Several female political prisoners, including Narges Mohammadi, Alieh Motalebzadeh, Sepideh, and Hasti Amiri, traveled from Tehran to attend the ceremony. Nasrin Sotoudeh also arrived, though later. As mourners and protesters at the ceremony were met with violence, the women were violently arrested. Sepideh Qoliyan was sentenced to six months in prison after this arrest. She was released yesterday from Mashhad's Vakilabad Prison after completing that sentence.
In an Instagram note, she renewed her commitment to truth and its revelation. Writing about her time in Vakilabad and the current state of society, she compared their struggle to the story of Sisyphus, the man condemned by the ancient Greek gods to carry a boulder up a mountain, only for it to roll back down each time it reached the top.
Qoliyan wrote: "From prison, I came straight to Khosrow's grave. I feel in a strange way that, like Sisyphus, the gods have condemned us to carry a stone up a hill... the heavy burden of carrying the truth, every single piece of it, scattered and fragmented." Sepideh, who has always shared a close bond with her cellmates, wrote that even after her release, her heart remains inside prison with the other inmates, and she will not forget them.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/features/153131-sepideh-qoliyan-the-woman-who-refused-to-stay-silent/
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