Category: Ethnic Minorities

13 Azerbaijani-Turk Activists Sentenced to Over 81 Years in Prison by Appeals Court

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Babaei, Amirhossein Aghaei, Araz Ebrahim-Nejad, Davoud Shiri, East Azerbaijan, Ebrahim Avaz-Zadeh, Hamed Yeganehpour, Hossein Azadi, HRANA, Javad Soodbar, Mehrdad Ghaderi, Mohammadreza Movahed, Morteza Nourmohammadi, Yoroush Mehrali Beiglou

HRANA – By order of the East Azerbaijan Province Court of Appeals, 13 Azerbaijani-Turk activists were collectively sentenced to 81 years and five months in prison.

According to HRANA, the ruling issued by the East Azerbaijan Province Court of Appeals has been formally communicated to the defendants’ attorney.

The verdict was delivered to the lawyer of these individuals on Saturday, May 16. According to the ruling, the defendants were collectively sentenced to 81 years and five months of imprisonment.

The details of the charges and final sentences issued against each defendant are as follows:

1. Yoroush Mehrali Beiglou was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in prison on the charge of “forming an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

2. Hamed Yeganehpour was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison on the charge of “membership in an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

3. Ebrahim Avaz-Zadeh was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison on the charge of “membership in an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

4. Araz Ebrahim-Nejad was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison on the charge of “membership in an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

5. Hossein Azadi was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison on the charge of “membership in an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

6. Amirhossein Aghaei was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison on the charge of “membership in an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

7. Naser Razmjou was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison on the charge of “membership in an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

8. Davoud Shiri was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison on the charge of “membership in an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

9. Javad Soudbar was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison on the charge of “membership in an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

10. Mehrdad Ghaderi was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison on the charge of “membership in an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

11. Ali Babaei was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison on the charge of “membership in an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

12. Mohammadreza Movahed was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison on the charge of “membership in an illegal group,” and to 3 years and 7 months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

13. Morteza Nourmohammadi was sentenced to 2 years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

These individuals had previously been sentenced in late-December 2025 by Branch Two of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court to a total of 85 years and 9 months in prison at the preliminary trial stage.

According to HRA’s annual report, a total of 302 individuals were arrested in 2025 on the basis of their ethnic status or national minority identity. In addition, arrests of citizens belonging to ethnic minorities increased by 15.2% compared to the previous one-year period. At least 186 of these arrests were carried out without judicial warrants. Although in many cases the specific charges and reasons for arrest were not disclosed, given the previous conduct of security institutions, it is likely that these individuals were detained due to their activities related to ethnic rights.

Yoroush Mehrali Beiglou Arrested in Tabriz

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Azerbaijani Turk activist, Tabriz, Yoroush Mehrali Beiglou

HRANA – Yoroush Mehrali Beiglou, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, was arrested by security forces in Tabriz and transferred to an undisclosed location.

Mr. Mehrali Beiglou was arrested today, January 5, 2026, by security forces in Tabriz. As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for his arrest or his place of detention.

Recently, Mehrali Beiglou, along with 13 other citizens, was sentenced to imprisonment by the Tabriz Revolutionary Court. In this case, he was sentenced to six years and two months in prison on charges of forming an illegal group, and an additional three years and seven months on charges of assembly and collusion against national security. Court hearings related to the charges against these Azerbaijani-Turk activists were held in June of this year.

Interrogation sessions related to the case had previously taken place in January and February 2025 at Branch 15 of the Tabriz Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office.

Yoroush Mehrali Beiglou was transferred to Tabriz Prison in February 2024 and was released on bail shortly afterward. He had been arrested earlier, in November 2023, in the city of Jolfa and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Tabriz. He has previously faced arrest and conviction due to his activities.

13 Azerbaijani-Turk Activists Sentenced to Prison

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Babaei, Amirhossein Aghaei, Araz Ebrahimnejad, Davoud Shiri, Ebrahim Avaz-Zadeh, Hamed Yeganehpour, Hossein Azadi, Javad Soodbar, Mehrdad Ghaderi, Mohammadreza Movahed, Morteza Nourmohammadi, Nasser Razmjou, Tabriz

HRANA – 13 Azerbaijani-Turk activists have been collectively sentenced to 85 years and 9 months in prison by Branch Two of the Revolutionary Court of Tabriz.

Based on the ruling, Yoroush Mehrali Beiglou was sentenced to six years and two months in prison on the charge of forming an illegal group, and three years and seven months for assembly and collusion against national security. The other twelve defendants, Hamed Yeganehpour, Ebrahim Avaz-zadeh, Araz Ebrahimnejad, Hossein Azadi, Amirhossein Aghaei, Nasser Razmjou, Davoud Shiri, Javad Soodbar, Mehrdad Ghaderi, Ali Babaei, Morteza Nourmohammadi, and Mohammadreza Movahed, were each sentenced to two years and nine months for membership in an illegal group and three years and seven months for assembly and collusion against national security.

The verdict was delivered in person to the case lawyer, Asghar Mohammadi. None of the defendants have received a physical copy of the ruling or an electronic version through Iran’s Sana judicial system.

Court hearings addressing the charges against these Azerbaijani-Turk activists were held in June of this year. Preliminary investigation sessions had previously taken place in January and February 2025 at Branch 15 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Tabriz.

Yoroush Mehrali Beiglou was transferred to Tabriz Prison in February 2024 and released shortly afterward on bail. He had been arrested earlier, in November 2023, in Jolfa County and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Tabriz. He has a prior history of arrest and conviction related to his activities.

Hamed Yeganehpour, a resident of Maragheh, was arrested by security forces in Tabriz in November 2023 and released the following month from The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Tabriz.

Araz Ebrahimnejad was arrested in September 2023, transferred to Tabriz Prison, and released on bail in December 2023.

Ebrahim Avaz-zadeh was arrested in October 2023 in Tehran and released on bail from Tabriz Prison in December 2023.

Nasser Razmjou was also arrested by security forces in October 2023 and released on bail from Tabriz Prison in early December 2023.

According to the annual statistical report by HRA’s Department of Statistics and Publications, 302 individuals were arrested in 2025 on the basis of their ethnic status or national minority identity. Arrests of ethnic minority citizens increased by 15.2% compared to the previous one-year period. At least 186 of these arrests were carried out without a judicial warrant. Although in many cases the specific charges and reasons for arrest were not disclosed, given the past record of security agencies, it is likely that these individuals were detained due to activities related to ethnic rights.

Three Azerbaijani-Turk Activists Sentenced to Prison by Tabriz Revolutionary Court

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Amin Taghizadeh, Azerbaijani Turk activists, Reza Salimi, Samad Heydari, Tabriz

HRANA – Amin Taghizadeh, Samad Heydari, and Reza Salimi, three Azerbaijani-Turk activists, have been sentenced by Branch Two of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court to a total of 12 years and 9 months of discretionary imprisonment.

Based on the ruling issued by Branch Two of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Reza Abdi, Amin Taghizadeh, Samad Heydari, and Reza Salimi were each sentenced to three years and seven months in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security,” and an additional eight months in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

Samad Heydari and Reza Salimi had also been arrested earlier, in February 2025, in Tabriz and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in the city. Both were ultimately released from Tabriz Prison on February 6, 2025, after posting bail.

In March 2025, the three citizens were summoned to Branch 10 of the Tabriz Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office after receiving official notices. On March 1, 2025, Amin Taghizadeh was arrested after appearing at the branch and was later released after posting bail.

The court session addressing the charges against Mr. Heydari was held on April 13, 2025.

These Azerbaijani-Turk activists have previously faced judicial confrontations due to their activities.

Prison Sentence of Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Ata Karimi Upheld by the Supreme Court

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Ata Karimi, Ghasem Mazinani, Urmia, عطا کریمی

HRANA – The prison sentence of Ata Karimi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, has been fully upheld by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court. He had previously been sentenced to two years in prison by Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court.

Following the rejection of his request for appeal by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Ghasem Mazinani, Karimi’s two-year sentence was confirmed without modification. In August, 2024, Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court had sentenced this Azerbaijani-Turk activist to two years in prison.

Mr. Karimi was previously arrested by security forces in Urmia in June 2015 and was released about a week later.

Ata Karimi has also faced prior judicial actions due to his activism.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, 20 ethnic minority rights activists were sentenced to a total of 471 months (nearly 40 years) in prison. Over the past seven years, the total length of such prison sentences has reached 913 years.

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Four Azerbaijani-Turk Activists Arrested by Security Forces

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Abbas Lesani, Ali Kheirjoo, Behzad Dashti, Evin Prison, HRANA, Taher Naghavi, Vadood Asadi, Yousef Kari

HRANA – On Tuesday, November 11, Azerbaijani-Turk activists Abbas Lesani (Lisani), Ali Kheirjoo, Yousef Kari, and Behzad Dashti were arrested in front of Evin Prison and taken to an unknown location. They had traveled to Tehran to support the sit-in held by families of several political prisoners detained in this prison.

According to HRANA, the arrests were carried out today by security forces outside Evin Prison. These Azerbaijani-Turk activists had gone to Tehran in solidarity with the families of Taher Naghavi and Vadood Asadi, political prisoners currently held in Evin Prison.

So far, there is no information on the detainees’ whereabouts or the charges brought against them. Recently, Vadood Asadi and Taher Naqavi were transferred to solitary confinement in Evin Prison as a punitive measure following their hunger strike.

Abbas Lesani, Ali Kheirjoo, Yousef Kari, and Behzad Dashti have previously faced arrests and judicial proceedings due to their activism.

Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Peyman Ebrahimi Arrested

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Ethnic Minorities, News
HRANA, Peyman Ebrahimi, Tabriz, پیمان ابراهیمی

HRANA – On Saturday, September 20, Peyman Ebrahimi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, was arrested after appearing at Branch 15 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Tabriz.

A source close to the family of this Azerbaijani-Turk activist confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Today, Mr. Ebrahimi’s interrogation session was held at Branch 15 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Tabriz. He had been summoned there on charges of propaganda against the regime and, without any opportunity for defense, was arrested. He has now been transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Tabriz.”

According to information received by HRANA, this Azerbaijani-Turk activist had been summoned to the mentioned branch last week after receiving an official notice.

Peyman Ebrahimi was previously arrested by security forces in Tabriz on August 26, 2023, and released from prison in that city on October 25 of the same year after posting bail.

In December of the same year, Branch 1 of the Public and Revolutionary Court of Tabriz, presided over by Judge Hamlbar, sentenced him to seven months and sixteen days in prison for the charge of propaganda against the Islamic Republic, and fifteen months and one day in prison for insulting the Supreme Leader. The verdict was later commuted to a monetary fine after the appeals court hearing.

Peyman Ebrahimi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, is a resident of Tabriz and an Azerbaijani dance instructor.

Iraj Pashapour Sentenced to Prison and Complementary Punishment

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Ethnic Minorities, News
Ardabil Province, Eslamshahr, Germi, HRANA, Iraj Pashapour

HRANA News Agency – Iraj Pashapour, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, has been sentenced by Branch 1 of the Germi Revolutionary Court in Ardabil Province to nine months in prison and a one-year ban on online activity.

According to the verdict, which was recently communicated to him, Pashapour was convicted on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.” In addition to his prison term, the court imposed a one-year prohibition on his use of social media as a complementary punishment.

The ruling was based on reports from the Germi Public Security Police as well as Pashapour’s online activities. The court further stated that if he violates the ban, the punishment will be extended, and in the case of repeated violations, it may be converted to a fine or an additional prison term.

Notably, while the header of the judgment identifies the issuing body as the “Germi Public Civil Court,” the text refers to it as the “Germi Revolutionary Court.” Such discrepancies are common in smaller cities where no independent Revolutionary Court exists, and a branch of the General Court assumes its duties.

Pashapour was arrested on June 20, 2024, by security forces and transferred to Germi Prison. He was later charged with “membership in groups formed inside the country with the intent of disturbing national security” and “propaganda against the regime,” before being released on bail of 500 million tomans.

Iraj Pashapour is an Azerbaijani-Turk activist and a resident of Eslamshahr.

Azerbaijani-Turk Activists Kazem Safabakhsh and Saman Bidar Arrested in Qazvin

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Ethnic Minorities, News
Azerbaijani Turk activists, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Kazem Safabakhsh, Saman Bidar, Tabriz Prison

HRANA News Agency –On Friday, May 2, Azerbaijani-Turk activists Kazem Safabakhsh and Saman Bidar were arrested in Qazvin and transferred to the city’s prison.

A source close to the families confirmed the arrests and told HRANA, “The two were detained by IRGC Intelligence agents in connection with their support for the Tractor football team during a recent match. Following their arrest, both Safabakhsh and Bidar were transferred to Qazvin Prison.”

Saman Bidar had previously been released on bail from Tabriz Prison on March 13, 2025, after being arrested by IRGC Intelligence agents on March 1 of the same year.

Both activists have a history of prior arrests and convictions related to their activism.

In 2024, HRANA reported the arrest of 262 ethnic activists. Although the specific charges and reasons for these arrests remain unclear in many cases, given the security agencies’ longstanding pattern of conduct, it is believed that most were detained due to their advocacy for ethnic rights. At least 109 of these arrests were carried out without a warrant.

Appeals Court Upholds Over 5-Year Sentence for Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Vadood Asadi

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Ethnic Minorities, News, Prisoners
Abolghasem Salavati, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Evin Prison, Rasht, Vadood Asadi

HRANA News Agency –The Gilan Province Appeals Court has upheld the five-year-and-six-month prison sentence of Vadood Asadi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist currently detained in Evin Prison. The verdict was confirmed without any changes.

A source close to Asadi’s family told HRANA that the sentence, originally issued by Branch 3 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court, was reaffirmed by Branch 11 of the Gilan Appeals Court. Asadi was convicted on charges of propaganda against the regime, membership in anti-regime groups, and insulting the Supreme Leader.

On March 3, 2025, Asadi was transferred to Evin Prison to begin serving his sentence following an official summons.

In a separate case, Asadi had earlier been sentenced to four years in prison by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, for “assembly and collusion to act against national security.” That sentence was later reduced to one year under a general pardon. After he accepted the verdict, a further reduction was applied, resulting in a final sentence of nine months.

Asadi was initially arrested by security forces in Rasht in February 2024. He was transferred to Evin Prison in March of that year and released on bail several days later.

The activist has a history of facing legal action related to his civil and political activities.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, 20 ethnic minority rights activists were sentenced to a total of 471 months (nearly 40 years) in prison. Over the past decade, the total length of such prison sentences has reached 913 years.