Ghoncheh Ghavami, the London law student imprisoned in Iran after attending an International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) World League match, has been remanded in court for at least another week following a 90-minute trial.
The 25-year-old British-Iranian citizen appeared at the closed door hearing at Bureau 26 of Tehran’s Court of Revolution where she faced charges of “propaganda against the regime”.
Ghavami has so far spent more than 100 days in prison, including 41 in solitary confinement in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, after being arrested for breaking public segregation laws by attending the FIVB World League match between Iran and Italy at Azadi Stadium on June 20.
Women are banned from attending volleyball matches in Iran.
Iranian officials deny the charges against Ghavami, a graduate of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, are linked to her attending the match but have refused to detail the exact details of why she was arrested.
FIVB President President Ary S Graça has written to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani asking for her to be released.
The International Olympic Committee have also written to the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran asking them to help Ghavami.
Both letters have so far gone unanswered.
Ghavami had been on hunger strike in protest at her arrest but has now ended it.
Lawyers attending the court hearing were warned by Iranian officials not to reveal any details of what was discussed.
But Sousan Moshtaghian, her London-born mother, claimed on her Facebook page that she remained hopeful her daughter would be released next week.
“Before the commencement, when they brought Ghoncheh, I laid a kiss on her beautiful face and gave her as much comfort as I could in that brief time,” she wrote.
“The judge has arranged to give a verdict next week.
“I hope that by now next week this nightmare is over and my daughter is in my arms.
“Keep me in your prayers.”
This article first appeared in insidethegames.biz and has been reproduced with permission. The original article can be viewed by clicking here.