A/HRC/43/61 human rights defenders outside the Islamic Republic of Iran. 59 The Government has indicated that Mr. Sadeghi’s prison sentence was reduced to seven and a half years and that he has been regularly offered medical care for his cancer, including in out-of-prison specialized medical centres, but has provided no information on his infection. In 2018, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found Mr. Sadeghi’s detention to be arbitrary.60 34. The Special Rapporteur is particularly concerned about reports received of increasing pressure on families of human rights defenders. The arrest of one family member of prominent women’s rights defender Masih Alinejad is emblematic of this trend. 61 According to information received, in recent months families of human rights defenders, lawyers and activists have been facing more blatant harassment and pressure from the authorities, even arrest. Such treatment appears to be connected to their relatives’ work on human rights. E. Situation of women and girls 1. Protesters opposed to compulsory veiling 35. The Special Rapporteur remains alarmed at the ongoing repression of women human rights defenders who object to compulsory veiling, and condemns the recent sentencing of three women human rights defenders: Yasaman Aryani, Monireh Arabshahi and Mojgan Keshavarz. The women were arrested in April 2019 for their participation in a protest against compulsory veiling laws on 8 March 2019, International Women’s Day.62 In August 2019, Ms. Keshavarz was sentenced to 23 years and 6 months’ imprisonment while Ms. Aryani and Ms. Arabshahi were each sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment. 63 If the sentences are upheld on appeal, they will serve the highest sentence of 10 years, which includes the days of detention already served, in line with article 134 of the Penal Code. 36. On 1 June 2019, Saba Kord Afshari was arrested in Tehran in relation to her participation in the White Wednesday campaign against compulsory veiling and due to a video of the protest that was posted on Ms. Alinejad’s social media account.64 Upon arrest, Ms. Afshari was interrogated and then held in solitary confinement for 11 days. She was reportedly told that her father would be killed and her mother would be arrested and that all the private photographs on her telephone would be released if she did not make a confession. She was also reportedly forcibly disappeared for 12 days in July, when she was transferred to a location unknown to her and her family. 65 In August 2019, Ms. Afshari was convicted of three national security-related and morality charges and sentenced to 24 years in prison. She will need to serve seven and a half years if the sentence is upheld on appeal, in line with article 134 of the Penal Code.66 37. The treatment of women human rights defenders, and of all individuals seeking to support the human rights of women, many of whom have faced harassment, arrest and detention, is of grave concern. The Special Rapporteur calls upon the Government to take all measures necessary to ensure the protection of women human rights defenders. 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 10 www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24813&LangID=E. A/HRC/WGAD/2018/19. www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/09/iran-family-of-womens-rights-activist-arrested-indespicable-attempt-to-intimidate-her-into-silence/. A/74/273, para. 37. www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/0856/2019/en/. www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/iran-sentencing-of-mses-saba-kord-afshari-yassmanaryani-monireh. www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/07/iran-cruel-campaign-to-extract-propaganda-confessionsfrom-protesters-against-compulsory-veiling/. www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/iran-sentencing-of-mses-saba-kord-afshari-yassmanaryani-monireh.