Mrs. Sho’leh Pakravan, the mother of Executed Reyhaneh Jabbari who was executed for defending her honor against a sexual assault attempt by an intelligence ministry agent, posted a note on her website after learning of the jail sentence issued for a number of civil activists:
“Sunday evening I heard some bad news from Golrokh. An appeals court has upheld their initial verdicts. This has a number of messages.
First of all, there is no meaning in appeals courts anymore, and it is only an administrative phase in confirming a ruling.
Second, Arash and Golrokh will be spending 19 and 6 years behind bars, respectively.
… I suddenly started to think back about this entire story. 300 years ago in France Jan val Jan was sentenced to 19 years behind bars for stealing a piece of bread for his sister and her hungry child. Arash hadn’t stole anything. He is seeking bread for all the hungry people in his country. Hugo’s story led to major changes and the spread of justice in France. However, my country is in its dark days of despair.
To Golrokh and Arash, and the hundreds and hundreds of other brave men and women jailed in Iran, don’t be looking for an Iranian Hugo. You will be crying [for freedom] away from each other and from behind bars…”

 (NCRI – February 23, 2016)