Iran Sentences Kurdish Man in Urmia to Prison

Hengaw; Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Ayhan Ebrahimi Alikani, a Kurdish resident of Urmia and a nursing graduate from Guilan University of Medical Sciences, has been sentenced to six years in prison by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, in early October 2024, Ayhan Ebrahimi Alikani, 28, was sentenced by Branch 3 of the Urmia Court, presided over by judges Barzkar and Najafzadeh, to six years in prison, including time already served, on charges of “membership in opposition groups against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Documents obtained by Hengaw indicate that the charges against Alikani are based on his use of the hashtag “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (Woman, Life, Freedm) and an alleged membership in a group called “The People’s Armed Committee,” for which there is no concrete evidence of activity or existence.

Hengaw has also learned that Iranian security forces have threatened Alikani’s family, warning them against publicly discussing his arrest or trial.

It is noteworthy that Ayhan Ebrahimi Alikani was arrested at 3 a.m. on Monday, July 8, 2024, by Intelligence forces during a raid at his family home in Urmia, carried out with intimidation and violence. His arrest had not been previously reported.

After 10 days, Alikani was transferred from the Intelligence detention center to the security ward of Urmia Central Prison. He was later temporarily released on bail of 2 billion tomans, pending the completion of legal proceedings.