Summon and Arrest of Kurdish Language Teacher Seywan Ebrahimi, for Execution of Prison Sentence

Hengaw; Thursday, July 4, 2024

Seywan Ebrahimi, a Kurdish language teacher and board member of the "Nozhin" Socio-Cultural Association, has been arrested and transferred to the central prison of Sanandaj after being summoned to execute his eight-month prison sentence. He had recently been released from prison following the annulment of a 10-year sentence in the appellate court.

According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, Seywan Ebrahimi, a Kurdish language teacher from Kamyaran and board member of the "Nozhin" Socio-Cultural Association, was arrested and transferred to the central prison of Sanandaj to serve his eight-month sentence. This followed his summons and appearance in the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj to merge his two sentences.

Ebrahimi had previously been summoned and arrested by the Sanandaj Court’s Execution of Judgments branch on December 30, 2023, to serve a one-year prison sentence for "disrupting public order" and was transferred to the central prison of this city. He was pardoned and released from the political prisoners’ ward on June 24, 2024.

In December 2023, Ebrahimi was initially sentenced to 10 years in prison for "forming a group and gang with the intent to disturb national security" and one year for "propaganda against the government," totaling 11 years, by the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj, presided over by Judge Karami. However, on June 23, 2024, the appellate court annulled his 10-year sentence, acquitted him of that charge, and reduced his one-year sentence to eight months.

In another case, Ebrahimi was sentenced by Branch 106 of the Sanandaj Criminal Court to one year in prison, exile, and 40 lashes for "disrupting public order." On December 2, 2023, the appellate court confirmed his prison and flogging sentences but annulled his exile sentence to Dizelabad Prison in Kermanshah.

Ebrahimi, a board member of the Nozhin Cultural and Social Association, was arrested by security forces on January 18, 2023. He was temporarily released on bail from Sanandaj prison on February 13, 2023, pending the end of legal proceedings.

Previously, on January 3, 2023, Ebrahimi was arrested by security forces while following up on the case of his wife, Zara Mohammadi, at the Sanandaj Revolutionary Court and was released on bail on January 5.