The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) reported that an Iranian court has sentenced Pezhman Soltani, a protester arrested during the anti-government “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (Woman, Life, Freedom) uprising, to death on charges of “premeditated murder”.

Two others, Rizgar Beygzadeh Baba-Miri, 47, and Ali (Soran) Ghassemi, 28, were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years and one day in prison, respectively, for “complicity in murder”.

Additionally, a fourth defendant, Kaveh Salehi, 42, was acquitted of the charge of “complicity in murder”.

The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that the trial took place on 29 December 2024 at Branch One of the Juvenile Criminal Court in West Azerbaijan Province, with the verdict delivered to the defendants in prison on 15 January 2025.

Soltani, 32, was sentenced to death after being found guilty of “premeditated murder”, a crime punishable by qisas, which gives the victim’s family the right to retaliate under Islamic law.

Second case pending

The Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, has also opened a separate case against the four political prisoners and another prisoner, Javanmard Mam-Khosravi, on charges including “enmity against God” (moharebeh), “armed insurrection” (baghi) and “smuggling Starlink”.

The case remains unresolved due to complaints by the prisoners alleging torture by Ministry of Intelligence interrogators to force confessions. It is due to be referred to one of the judicial bodies responsible for dealing with violations of civil rights.

The five men, from the city of Bukan, West Azerbaijan Province, were arrested in April and May 2023 after taking part in the Women, Life, Freedom protests in Bukan and Baneh, Kurdistan Province.

After their arrest, security forces transferred them to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention centre in Orumiyeh, where they were subjected to months of physical and psychological torture before being moved to Orumiyeh Central Prison.

During this time, they were denied legal representation and family visits.

According to the indictment, Ghassemi, Soltani, Salehi, and Beygzade Baba-Miri face a range of charges, including “armed insurrection” (baghi), “enmity against God” (moharebeh), “assembly and collusion”, and “collaboration with hostile states”, while Mam-Khosravi faces charges of “enmity against God” (moharebeh), “collaboration with hostile states” and “smuggling Starlink”.

Soltani, Ghassemi, and Salehi have also been accused of “premeditated murder” of a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a separate case.

On 14 July 2024, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency broadcast forced confessions from four of the prisoners.