Iranian artist jailed for 12 years for drawing satirical cartoons now faces 'indecency' charges... because she shook her male lawyer's hand
- Artist Atena Farghadani, 29, serving 12 year sentence for satirical cartoons
- Drew politicians who restricted women's access to birth control as animals
- She and lawyer Mohammad Moghimi charged after shaking hands in prison
An Iranian woman sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for drawing satirical cartoons of politicians is now facing new charges - for shaking a man's hand.
Artist Atena
Jailed: Atena Farghadani, 29, is serving 12 years in prison after drawing satirical cartoons of Iranian politicians
Satirical: The artist depicted government officials, who restriicted women's access to birth control, as animals
New charges: Ms Farghadani and her lawyer have been charged with having an 'illegitimate sexual relationship short of adultery' and 'indecent conduct'
The artist was bailed for a short time last
Ms Farghadani even went as far as to publish a YouTube video discussing her treatment in prison, which included being interrogated for nine hours each day for six weeks and being beaten.
She also posted an open letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on her Facebook page upon being returned to her cell.
Three weeks after she was rearrested in January this year, Ms Farghadani went on hunger strike to protest the poor prison conditions.
Her lawyer said she suffered a heart attack and briefly lost consciousness in late February as a result of her strike.
Open discussion: Artist Atena Farghadani published a video on YouTube discussing her treatment in prison
Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa deputy director, said: 'No one should be in jail for their art or peaceful activism. Atena Farghadani has effectively been punished for her cartoons with a sentence that is itself a gross caricature of justice.
'Such harsh and unjust sentences seem to be part of a disturbing trend in Iran, where the cost of voicing peaceful dissent is escalating.'
The judge who handed down the harsh prison sentence, Abolghassem Salavati, is known as 'Iran's hanging judge' or 'the judge of death' in his country thanks to his reputation for harsh punishments.
He is particularly notorious for handing out sentences to journalists, artists, bloggers and political activists, making his named in the aftermath of the street protests that were brutally crushed during Iran's 2009 general election.
- Shocking! Panera Bread manager punches female employee
- 'How long would it take you to travel 80 miles?'...'8...
- 'Let's go upstairs' dog reacts to owners command with guilty...
- Whoopi Goldberg loses cool with Bill Cosby accusers on The...
- Dropping the f-bomb? McDonalds Minion toy under scrutiny
- MoD Reaper destroys ISIS armoured vehicles with hellfire...
- Does William reveal what Prince George calls the Queen?
- Clown smashes pie in woman's face on hidden camera show
- Robbery goes wrong when store worker realises gun is fake
- Scary moment engine catches fire on Boston-bound flight
- UPS driver kicks a service dog before pushing it's owner
- New video emerges of brutal Cincinnati sidewalk fight
- The tragic downfall of an 80s icon: Mugshots chart the...
- Caught on camera: Fatal moment Caitlyn Jenner's Cadillac...
- The most bitter cat fight in tennis: One's a human volcano,...
- EXCLUSIVE: Full story of why criminal wept as judge revealed...
- China cracks down on its sex partying, Ferrari-driving,...
- Michelle Obama reveals her 'modest' $590k changes to White...
- Former Miss Nevada, 30, who was stripped of her crown over...
- 'I know what I saw and I saw the lady!' Revealed, the...
- Shocking moment manager of New York restaurant punches...
- The ISIS massacre of 770 in Iraq that was so bloody it could...
- EXCLUSIVE: Daredevil photographer dubbed 'Spiderman' who...
- Utah teacher, 36, who sexually abused three male students...