ADAP: Several Civil Activists and Supporters of Tractor Sazi Tabriz Arrested

The Association for the Defense of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijanis in Iran (ADAP) reported that several Azerbaijani civil activists and supporters of the Tractor Sazi football club were arrested on Wednesday, March 14, during the team's match in Tabriz. Among those arrested were Siamak Saifi, Milad Zain al-Abidin Zadeh, Samad Heidari, Hadi Gozli, and Amin Taghizadeh. According to the report, Mr. Heidari, Gozli, and Taghizadeh were released on bail of 200 million tomans on Friday, March 16, after appearing in Branch 15 of the Tabriz Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office. ADAP reported, citing family sources, that the arrests were carried out by security forces during and after the match, and they were transferred to the Tabriz Intelligence Office. Additionally, ADAP noted that Karim Ismailzadeh, an Azerbaijani environmental activist from Tabriz, was sentenced to six months in prison in a court of appeal. The report stated that Branch 2 of the East Azerbaijan Court of Appeals, presided over by Aliqoli Karimzadeh, considered Ismailzadeh's environmental activities, based on videos posted on his Instagram next to Lake Urmia and the Aras River, as 'criminal operations through the dissemination of images and content in cyberspace' and confirmed the charge of propaganda against the regime, sentencing him to six months in prison. Karim Ismailzadeh had published protest videos against the drying of Lake Urmia and the pollution of the Aras River caused by industrial wastewater from Armenia. ADAP noted that he was arrested afterward and sentenced in the first court for 'inciting and inviting people to violent acts in cyberspace' to six months in prison, taking into account previous detention days. Ismailzadeh was arrested on August 27, 2023, in Tabriz and released on October 28 after posting bail of 600 million tomans. This social activist and athlete has been arrested and interrogated several times due to civil and environmental protests regarding the drying of Lake Urmia, promoting the campaign to save the lake, and protesting the pollution of the Aras River by Armenia directing industrial wastewater towards the river. His last arrest was on August 27 of this year, and after about a month, he was released on October 28 with a bail of 600 million tomans. Meanwhile, Saeed Minaei, an Azerbaijani activist, was released on March 14 after 35 days of detention on bail of 700 million tomans. He was arrested on February 6 in his hometown, Bonab, and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Security forces of the Islamic Republic simultaneously arrested 15 others in the cities of Tabriz, Urmia, Ardabil, Rasht, Karaj, Maragheh, Astara, Varamin, and Islamshahr in Tehran, transferring them to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Among the detainees, Taher Naqvi (a lawyer), Abdulaziz Azimi Qadim, Saeed Jamalzadeh, Baqer Hajizadeh, Ayaz Seyfkhah, Kamal Noori, Araz Aman, Karam Mardaneh, Abdollah Vahedi, Morteza Parvin, and Jafar Mohammadi remain imprisoned. The continuation of the widespread wave of arrests in Iran; Hassan Naib Hashem: indicates the government's fear. 13 people arrested in 9 cities in Iran; the detainees are accused of 'colluding and conspiring against internal security.' Hundreds of users on Instagram have called for the release of political prisoners in Iran. Increased pressure on Azerbaijani activists; the arrest and transfer of Mokhtar Ebrahimi to Maragheh Prison. Mohammad Maleki, a civil activist in Zanjan, was summoned to serve his prison sentence. Ibrahim Rashidi, a journalist, was arrested in Meshkinshahr.