Death Sentence Issued for Kurdish Citizen; Three Other Citizens Sentenced to Over 4 Years in Prison
Three Kurdish citizens named “Iran Rahpekar,” “Hamid Balkhkhanlo,” and “Jafar Pekand” have been sentenced to a total of 4 years and 6 months in prison. On the other hand, the death sentence of “Arslan Khodkam,” a citizen from Mahabad, was confirmed by the Supreme Court of the country.
Based on news released by the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, in recent days, Iran Rahpekar, a imprisoned citizen from Marivan, was sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj under the presidency of Judge Saidi to 3 years in prison on charges of “cooperation with the Free Life Party of Kurdistan.”
Ms. Rahpekar was arrested on the 24th of Ordibehesht upon her return from the Kurdistan Region by officials of the Marivan Information Department and was later transferred to the Central Prison of Sanandaj.
According to an informed source, the trial of this political prisoner was held without the presence of a lawyer.
A citizen from Mako named “Hamid Balkhkhanlo” was also sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Urmia to one year in prison on charges of “cooperation with one of the opposition Kurdish parties against the Iranian government.”
Hamid Balkhkhanlo was arrested on Saturday, the 28th of Khordad, by officials of the Urmia Information Department and after one month of detention was temporarily released on bail of 300 million tomans until the end of legal proceedings.
On the other hand, “Jafar Pekand,” a citizen from Boukan who was previously arrested on the 19th of Tir by officials of the Boukan Information Department, was sentenced on Sunday, the 10th of Shahrivar, by Branch 101 of the General Court of that city to 6 months in prison on charges of “cooperation with one of the opposition Kurdish parties against the Iranian government.”
According to an informed source, officials of the Information Department searched the residence and shop of Mr. Pekand during his arrest, seized two automobiles and a number of his personal belongings and took them away.
Hengaw reported in another report that the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence of a citizen from Mahabad named “Arslan Khodkam” on charges of “espionage” and “cooperation with the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran,” and the Pardon Commission opposed the request for retrial and pardon of this political prisoner.
An informed source said that on Wednesday, the 13th of Shahrivar, officials of the Central Prison of Urmia notified Mr. Khodkam of the confirmed verdict that had been sent to the executions department of that prison.
Arslan Khodkam was arrested by Mahabad security forces in Farvardin of 1397 and was sentenced to death in late Mordad of last year by Branch 32 of the Military Prosecutor’s Office of Urmia.
Based on published information, this political prisoner was a peshmerga of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran who, after surrendering, joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from 1370 onwards.
Previously, on Monday, the 11th of Shahrivar, the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj sentenced “Vali Nasri,” a citizen from the village of Tangiser who was arrested in late Esfand on charges of holding a Nowruz ceremony, to 6 years in prison on charges of “cooperation with one of the opposition Kurdish parties against the Iranian government” and “action against national security.”
Amnesty International in Bahman of last month, in a report, named 2018 as “the year of shame” for the Islamic Republic and announced that in that year more than seven thousand people, including protest participants, students, journalists, women’s rights activists, environmental activists, labor activists, and ethnic and religious minority rights activists, were arrested in Iran.
The United States State Department has also repeatedly condemned cases of human rights violations in Iran, including the suppression of ethnic and religious minorities, women, and civil activists.
Source: Voice of America
