Issuance of Death Sentences and Long Prison Terms for Three Protesters in West Azerbaijan

Human rights media reported the issuance of death sentences and long prison terms for three detainees from the nationwide protests of "Women, Life, Freedom." According to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, the first branch of the juvenile criminal court in West Azerbaijan province in Urmia sentenced 32-year-old political prisoner Pejman Soltani to death for the "premeditated murder" of a Basij member during the nationwide protests of 2022. The report states that two other defendants in this case, Razgar Bigzadeh Babamiri, aged 47, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Soran (Ali) Ghasemi was sentenced to 10 years and one day in prison, while the fourth defendant, Kaveh Salehi, was acquitted. The charges against Razgar Bigzadeh Babamiri and Soran Ghasemi were labeled as "complicity in murder." Jino Bigzadeh Babamiri, Razgar's son, told Voice of America that the criminal court condemned his father to 15 years in prison "without presenting any evidence." He stated that his father was targeted by the Islamic Republic's security apparatus for delivering "humanitarian aid" during the protests when cities in Kurdistan were under severe repression and the injured could not access medical facilities. According to Hengaw, Pejman Soltani, Razgar Bigzadeh Babamiri, and Soran Ghasemi were subjected to "severe torture" for four months in solitary confinement after their arrest in April 2023 and were deprived of family visits and access to a lawyer, being forced to make coerced confessions. The court session was held on December 30 of the current year, and the sentences were communicated to the three prisoners held in Urmia prison on January 15. According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, these four political prisoners, along with another individual named Javanmard Mamkhisravi, are facing charges such as "moharebeh" (waging war against God), "baghi" (rebellion), "sending medicine," and "Starlink smuggling" in another case at the Revolutionary Court in Urmia. The Iran Human Rights Association announced on Friday, February 8, that Razgar Bigzadeh Babamiri, a Kurdish political prisoner, has gone on a dry hunger strike in protest against "lack of transparency in the trial" and "pressure from security agencies during interrogation." According to the report, he, a farmer by profession, has been "under torture and abuse" in detention for over 22 months and faces multiple charges, including "moharebeh" and "baghi," which put him at risk of execution. Razgar Bigzadeh went on hunger strike in protest against "lack of transparency in the trial." The UN Special Rapporteur: The death sentence for Pkhashan Aziz must be immediately halted. The Iran Human Rights Campaign: The international community must break its silence regarding executions. Statement from 1,200 activists and political prisoners: Executions of women in Iran must stop.