Urmia: Death sentence of Kurdish political prisoner Naser Bakrzadeh overturned
Hengaw: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
The death sentence issued against Naser Bakrzadeh, a Kurdish political prisoner held in Urmia Central Prison, has been overturned by the Supreme Court of the Iranian judiciary. He had previously been sentenced to death on charges of “espionage for Israel.”
According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the Supreme Court officially notified Bakrzadeh’s lawyer of the ruling to overturn the death sentence. Bakrzadeh, 26, is a native of Urmia.
As a result, the case will be referred back to a parallel branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Urmia for reconsideration.
In November 2024, Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, presided over by Judge Najafzadeh, had sentenced him to death on charges of “espionage for Israel.”
Bakrzadeh was initially arrested on August 9, 2023, by IRGC intelligence forces in Urmia and was temporarily released a few weeks later after signing a written pledge.
On January 2, 2024, he was arrested again by the IRGC Intelligence forces in Urmia and, after several months of pressure-filled interrogations, was transferred to Urmia Central Prison.
During his detention, Bakrzadeh was held under duress to extract forced confessions and was denied basic rights, including access to a lawyer and visits with his family.
