SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — The Iranian Revolutionary Court in Urmia sentenced seven Kurdish citizens in Rojhelat (Iranian Kurdistan) to years in prison for “having links with Kurdish parties and disrupting the country’s security,” according to Kurdpa news agency.
As reported by Kurdpa, the arrests coincide with recent anti-government protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman who died under police custody in September 2022.
In the course of the Piranshahr protests in Urmia province on the 5th of October, the security forces arrested these seven protesters. Following their arrest, they were taken to a security detention center in Urmia for interrogation and released on bail. However, they were arrested again to serve out their jail sentences.
It follows Iran’s execution of the country’s former deputy defense minister and British-Iranian dual national Alireza Akbari on Saturday on convictions of “spying for the UK,” which he denied.
Following are the seven protesters’ identities, as disclosed by Kurdpa:
Ismail Tajala, Aram Khalidi, Alireza Mohammadi, Ali Bakhshori, Ehsan Golabi, Mohammad Ebrahimi and Hiwa Mahmoudi all received prison sentences ranging from two to 14 years.
Aside from membership in the Kurdish opposition parties to the Iranian government, they were also charged with “conspiring against the country’s national security” and “propaganda” against the regime.
More than 40,000 protesters have been arrested since the nationwide protests began in September 2022, including over 10,000 people in Iranian Kurdistan, human rights groups report.
At least 481 people, including 64 children and 35 women, have been killed by the security forces during the protests, according to Iran Human Rights Organization (IHR NGO).
1. At least 481 people including 64 children and 35 women, have been killed by security forces and at least 109 protesters are at risk of execution, death penalty charges or sentences in #Iran.#StopExecutionsInIran #IranRevolution https://t.co/PuiDxVOpbg pic.twitter.com/3Ch4BMl842
— Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) (@IHRights) January 9, 2023
Aside from murdering and arresting protesters, the Iranian regime has executed people to quell the protests.
IHR NGO estimates that 109 protesters may face execution or death penalty in Iran.
