Kurdish Political Prisoner, Mamosta Mohammad Khezrnejad, Goes on a Hunger Strike in Urmia Prison

Hengaw: Monday, September 16, 2024

Mamosta Mohammad Khezrnejad, a religious figure from the city of Bukan and one of those arrested during the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, has gone on a hunger strike in protest of his situation in Urmia Central Prison. He has been in detention for nearly 22 months.

According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the 45-year-old Kurdish cleric began his hunger strike in Urmia Central Prison, protesting his prolonged detention and the referral of his case to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court.

This Kurdish cleric has called the charges against him baseless and criticized the handling of his trial, which was conducted virtually. He has also objected to his case being sent to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court.

Previously, Mamosta Mohammad Khezrnejad was sentenced by Branch 3 of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court in Urmia, presided over by Judge Reza Najafzadeh, to death on charges of "corruption on earth," 15 years in prison for "harming the integrity or independence of the country," and one year in prison for "propaganda against the regime."

Later, this death sentence and the two prison terms were reduced to a 25-year prison sentence following a mitigation of punishment. The Iranian judiciary's news agency claimed that this sentence reduction was based on "a commitment to good behavior."

Mamosta Mohammad Khezrnejad was arrested on Saturday, November 19, 2022, during the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement along with his son, Yaser Khezrnejad, by Iranian Intelligence agents at his home, with severe violence. He was kept in the Intelligence Ministry's detention center in Urmia for 100 days, where he was subjected to extreme torture and forced to make false confessions against himself. His son was released after a few days.

Mamosta Mohammad Khezrnejad’s arrest followed a memorial ceremony for Asad Rahimi, one of the victims of the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, during which Khezrnejad gave a speech at the Eftekhari Mosque in Bukan, criticizing the Iranian government and its treatment of protesting citizens.

He has been detained for one year, six months, and 19 days without the right to leave, and is currently held in Ward 2 of Urmia Central Prison without adherence to the principle of separating prisoners based on their charges.