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.
