Saeed Sangar, political prisoner, sentenced to 15 years in prison
Saeed Sangar, a political activist imprisoned in Urmia Central Prison, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court in a new case.
According to news published on social media, this political prisoner, who was arrested in September 2010 by the Orumiyeh Intelligence Department and is currently in Ward 12 of Orumiyeh Central Prison, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in a new case on the charge of "membership in groups hostile to the regime" by Branch 2 of the Orumiyeh Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Ali Sheikhloo.
According to the information in the issued judgment, this verdict was issued by the Revolutionary Court on March 11 of last year and, after more than a month had passed since its issuance, it was notified to his defense lawyer on Saturday, April 13.
According to published reports, Saeed Sangar was arrested in September 2000 by the Urmia Intelligence Department and initially sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Sanandaj Revolutionary Court on charges such as "moharebeh" and "connection with the People's Mojahedin Organization." This sentence was changed to life imprisonment during the appeal stage after protests in 2003.
It should be noted that this political prisoner's life sentence was finally reduced to 18 years in prison in 2017, when he had served sixteen years of his sentence in the central prisons of Urmia, Sanandaj, and Evin, by Branch 4 of the Sanandaj Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office.
This sentence is being issued to this political prisoner, who has not been sent on leave for even a single day, at a time when the lives of countless prisoners, including him, are at risk in Iranian prisons, despite the outbreak of the coronavirus in Iran.
According to the new judicial directive, which was issued nearly two months ago, most political and security prisoners, including Saeed Sangar, are excluded from the right to leave or temporary release under the current circumstances because they have been sentenced to more than 5 years in prison.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a press conference on Wednesday, April 26: "We have asked not only Syria, but also the Islamic Republic of Iran to release not only American citizens, but all those who have been unjustly imprisoned in these circumstances. This is a humanitarian act, and apart from the fact that these people have been imprisoned illegally, in these circumstances, the principle of humanitarianism dictates that they be released from prison."
Source: Voice of America
