Iranian court summoned a women and family affairs senior official for a court session over her comment regarding a village where she claims men were executed due to drug smuggling. Officials of a southeastern province village filed a legal complaint against her.
Judiciary spokesman said, Shahindokht Molaverdi, who was the vice president of women and family affairs, has been ordered by the court in Iran to attend a trial session after officials of Sistan-Baluchestan Province sued her for "spreading lies and defamation", Reuters reported.
In February, Molaverdi made a comment claiming the entire male population of a village in Sistan-Baluchistan Province has been executed on drug-related offenses and their remaining families are potential drug dealers, as they would want to seek revenge for their fathers and also provide for their families.
She also claims the province is used as a route by drug traffickers due to its proximity to Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Middle East Monitor reported, Mohamed Ali Hamidiyan, an Iranian Judicial official in the province denied her claims and said it was baseless and are wrong. Spokesman of the Iranian judiciary, Ghulam Hussein Mohseni Ejeyie told the reporters Sunday, that Molaverdi has been officially summoned by the court to answer the charges.
The spokesman did not specify when Molaverdi must appear in court or what sentence she could face if found guilty. Shahindokht Molaverdi's comment in February has been greatly protested by the village officials. Drug-related offenses in Iran have been the most controversial matter in the country, according to Trend News Agency.
The shocking claim had been made headlines in Persian-language and Western media. Despite the backlash and criticism, Molaverdi denied making the comments. Her office released an official statement regarding the issue. "There was nothing to defame any province, spread false information against any authority or encourage external media to report regarding human rights issues that increase sanctions," Molaverdi wrote.
