Several Azerbaijani Civil Activists Sentenced to Prison

Reports indicate that prison sentences and social restrictions have been issued for several Azerbaijani civil activists in Iran in recent days. The Azerbaijani Political Prisoners Defense Association (ADAP) reported separately on the issuance of prison sentences for this group of activists, noting that "Karam Mardane," who was arrested on February 6, is currently detained in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, facing charges of "conspiracy and collusion to commit a crime against internal/external security." According to ADAP, Milad Jalili, an Azerbaijani rapper from Tabriz, and Salar Tahrafshar, an Azerbaijani activist in Urmia, were sentenced to 8 and 6 months of imprisonment, respectively. ADAP stated that these two were convicted in the second branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tabriz for what has been termed "propaganda against the regime." The reports also indicated that Reza Zarehkar, from Savojbolagh in Alborz province, was sentenced to a total of 5 years and 1 month in prison by the appellate branch of the Alborz province court. This sentence was issued based on charges of "insulting the sacred, propaganda against the regime, and insulting the leadership," with the initial sentence being 8 years and 1 month. The Azerbaijani Political Prisoners Defense Association in Iran reported, citing informed sources, that the judge's evidence for issuing this sentence was information obtained from the content of his mobile phone. In another case, Afshin Nazari, an environmental activist residing in Tehran, was sentenced to 57 months in prison, a 2-year travel ban, and confiscation of his mobile phone. According to ADAP, during the trial of this environmental activist, charges such as "propaganda against the regime, insulting the leadership, and membership in anti-revolutionary groups" were mentioned. The Azerbaijani Political Prisoners Defense Association in Iran stated that this sentence was issued after the environmental activist published a video on his Instagram, calling for action regarding severe industrial pollution in the Aras River. Iranian media have repeatedly reported that the water of the Aras River, especially in the vicinity of the "Khoda Afarin" dam and the Moghan plain, is contaminated not only with radioactive materials but also with heavy and toxic metals such as lead and its compounds, arsenic, aluminum compounds, nickel, copper, iron, manganese, and 53 other pollutants. Most of these pollutants originate from Armenia's nuclear power plants, which discharge their nuclear waste into the Aras River without treatment. Additionally, the newspaper "Payam-e Ma" reported on June 19 that the Aras River has been contaminated with "radioactive" materials, leading to a cancer wave in the provinces along the Aras. In another report, ADAP also announced that Ayat Mehrali Beiglou, an Azerbaijani political activist from Jolfa, was released on bail of 500 million tomans from Tabriz prison on February 18, after 104 days of detention on the pretext of attempting to hold an environmental gathering due to the drying of Lake Urmia. In another case, Saleh Malabasi, a political prisoner in Ahar prison, was released on February 18 after completing his sentence. This political activist was sentenced to three months and one day in prison by the 101st branch of the criminal court of Ahar for the charge of "spreading falsehoods to disturb public opinion" due to posting an Instagram story in support of nationwide protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police. The arrest of 152 citizens in Iran by security forces in one month, hundreds of users on Instagram calling for the release of political prisoners in Iran, increased pressure on Azerbaijani activists; the arrest and transfer of Mokhtar Ebrahimi to Maragheh prison, several protesting residents of the Qara Qashlaq village in West Azerbaijan were released, Mohammad Maleki, a civil activist in Zanjan, was summoned to serve his prison sentence, journalist Ebrahim Rashidi was arrested in Meshkinshahr, and Javad Soodbar and Ali Babaei were temporarily released after 100 days of detention.