Tag: Yousef Kari

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.

Yousef Kari and Touhid Amir Amini Sentenced to Imprisonment and Fines

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Freedom of Expression, News
ardabil prison, Touhid Amir Amini, Yousef Kari

HRANA – Azerbaijani-Turk activist Yousef Kari has been sentenced by Branch 104 of Ardabil Criminal Court to pay fines, some of which are in lieu of imprisonment and flogging. Another defendant in the case, Touhid Amir Amini, was sentenced to a prison term and a monetary fine.

The verdict, issued on Sunday, August 3, 2025, finds Kari guilty of “disturbing public order and peace” and sentences him to a 30 million toman fine in lieu of imprisonment and a 12 million toman fine in lieu of flogging. He was also fined an additional 20.2 million tomans for “disobeying officers.”

Touhid Amir Amini was tried in absentia and convicted of “spreading falsehoods with the intent to disturb public opinion.” He received a sentence of three months and one day in prison, along with a 30 million toman fine.

Amir Amini was arrested in late June 2025 and transferred to Ardabil Prison. He was released on bail on June 28.

In May 2025, Kari was arrested during public celebrations following a football club’s championship victory. He was released the following day from the Public Security and Intelligence Police detention facility in Ardabil.

The indictment against both activists was issued in March 2025 by Branch 10 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Ardabil.

Kari and Amir Amini have both previously faced judicial harassment, including arrests and imprisonment, in connection with their activism.

Ardabil Street Vendor Detained for 12 Days on Charges of “Disturbing Public Opinion”

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Ethnic Minorities, News, Prisoners
ardabil prison, Azerbaijani Turk activist, HRANA, Yousef Kari

Yousef Kari, a street vendor and Azerbaijani-Turk activist from Ardabil, has been held in Ardabil Prison for 12 days following his arrest on charges of “disturbing public opinion.”

A source close to his family confirmed to HRANA: “Mr. Kari was violently detained by police while working as a street vendor on October 29, 2024. Despite being charged by the Ardabil Prosecutor’s Office and the setting of a 5 billion rial bail, the presiding judge has refused to grant his release, leaving him in legal limbo.”

The source added, “During his arrest, Mr. Kari was subjected to physical violence, which he protested. In retaliation, security forces took him to a forensic medical examiner and pressured a psychiatrist to label him mentally unstable.”

Yousef Kari, previously dismissed from his job under security pressure, now earns a living as a street vendor in Ardabil. He has faced repeated harassment in the past due to his activism.

Azerbaijani Turk activist Yousef Kari Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ardabil, Yousef Kari

On October 5, 2022, security forces arrested Azerbaijani Turk activist Yousef Kari in Ardabil and took him to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on October 5, 2022, Azerbaijani Turk activist Yousef Kari was arrested in Ardabil.

The security agents raided his father’s house earlier last Saturday, but Kari was not present.

The reason for this arrest, the charges and his whereabouts are still unknown.

Yousef Kari faced other arrests and convictions on prior occasions.

Eight Azerbaijani Turk Activists End Hunger Strike in Ardabil and Evin Prisons After Officials Promise to Meet Their Demands

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Abbas Lesani, Ali Vaseghi, Ardabil, ardabil prison, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Azerbaijani Turk activists in Iran, Behnam Sheikhi, Evin, Evin Prison, Hunger Strike, Kianoosh Aslani, Mehrdad Sheikhi, Reza Vaseghi, separation of prisoners based on crime, Siamak Mirzaei, Yousef Kari

On June 14, eight Azerbaijani Turk activists ended their hunger strike in Ardabil and Evin Prisons after the authorities’ favorable promise that their demands would be met.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Saturday, June 13, Abbas Lesani went on a hunger strike to protest the non-observance of the principle of separation of prisoners based on crime and the punitive transfer of political prisoners to wards with prisoners of violent crimes.
Seven other prisoners had gone on hunger strikes in support of Lesani’s endeavor.
The prisoners involved were Abbas Lesani, Yousef Kari, Mehrdad Sheikhi, Ali Vaseghi, Reza Vaseghi, Siamak Mirzaei, Behnam Sheikhi, and Kianoosh Aslani.

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Five Azerbaijani Turk Activists on Hunger Strike in Ardabil Prison

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Abbas Lesani, Adrabil, Ali Vaseghi, ardabil prison, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Hunger Strike, Mehrdad Sheikhi, Reza Vaseghi, Yousef Kari

Azerbaijani Turk activists Yousef Kari, Abbas Lesani, Mehrdad Sheikhi, Ali Vaseghi, and Reza Vaseghi have gone on hunger strike to protest prison authorities failing to comply with their demands.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the prisoners were transferred to the quarantine center of Ardabil Prison for isolation on Sunday, June 13, and have been barred from phone calls.
Mehrdad Sheikhi, Ali Vaseghi and Reza Vaseghi have been on a hunger strike since June 13 to protest the non-observance of the principle of separation of crimes and the transfer of political prisoners to wards with prisoners of violent crimes. Abbas Lesani and Yousef Kari have been on strike since Saturday, June 12th.
Despite the long term physical and mental harm that hunger strikes can cause, many prisoners in Iran are resorting to this mode of protest, as it is one of the only tools of expression available to them. Many of these strikes take place in protest of the lack of attention to problems in prisoners’ cases, non-observance of inmates’ rights, and prolonged uncertainty about the status of their detention.
 

An appeals court sentenced Yousef Kari to two years in prison

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Prisoners
azerbaijani turkic ethnic minority rights activist, Yousef Kari

On February 16, 2020, appeals court presided by Judge Yousef Khodadadi reduced Yousef Kari’s sentence to two years imprisonment.

Mr. Kari, an Azerbaijani Turkic ethnic minority rights activist, was sentenced to a six-year prison term by Branch 1 of Ardabil’s Revolutionary Court. In December 2019, Mr. Kari was sentenced to one-year imprisonment for the charge of “propaganda against the state” and five years of imprisonment for the charge of “membership in the civil-ethnic group by attending their meetings with the intent of acting against the national security”.

On September 3, 2019, Mr. Kari was arrested in Shariati Square in Ardabil by the security forces. Although his bail was set at 50 million Tomans, his bail was not accepted by the authorities and his family was told that Mr. Kari’s bail had been increased to 200 million Tomans.

First arrest

On August 10, 2018, he was arrested along with others, after the security forces attacked Azerbaijani Turkic minority activists camp in Mount Sabalan. These activists reportedly planned to climb Mount Sabalan. They were arrested while reading poetry in their camp. Mr. Kari was released after few hours.