Shock as Iran jails woman in volleyball protest

Iman Ghavami, 28, said his family were expecting his 25-year-old sister Ghoncheh to be released by the Iranian authorities but instead she received a 12-month prison sentence.

Ms Ghavami was found guilty last month of “propagating against the ruling system” and received the custodial sentence, her lawyer Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei said.

The Iranian authorities have not officially released details of the court’s verdict.

Human rights activists branded the sentencing “appalling” and said she was a “prisoner of conscience” and called for her immediate release.

Mr Ghavami told the Press Association that his family was desperately trying to confirm the jail sentence.

“We are really shocked because we were really hoping she would get the sentence as time served,” he said. “They are still delaying the verdict and we don’t understand why they are doing that after 127 days.

“The judge has told our lawyer that the sentence is one full year and two years of prohibition from leaving the country.”

Mr Ghavami said his parents were in Iran meeting officials to try and get his sister released.

“There is a huge amount of abnormality in this case really. We are in constant contact with the Foreign Office,” he said.

“The next step is to make sure the sentence is what it is and whether the court is going to apply any leniency.”

Mr Ghavami said his sister was being held in solitary confinement and his family at least wanted her moved from there.

“The Evin Prison is notorious and the section she is in is the most horrific part of the prison,” he added.

Ms Ghavami, a graduate of the University of London’s School of African and Oriental Studies, was detained in June at a Tehran stadium after trying to attend a men’s volleyball match between Iran and Italy.

She was held for a few hours and then released but she was detained again a few days later. She stood trial last month.

Iran banned women from volleyball games in 2012. Ms Ghavami, from Shepherd’s Bush in west London, was taking part in a protest against a ban on women in Iran attending sporting events.