Kermanshah: Sunni Kurdish cleric Mamosta Ayat Gholami sentenced to two years in prison

Hengaw _ Saturday, May 24, 2025

Mamosta Ayat Gholami, a Sunni Kurdish cleric, former imam of the Mohammad al-Mostafa Mosque in Kermanshah (Kermashan), and a religious educator, has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Special Court for the Clergy in Hamedan.

According to information received by the Hengaw
Organization for Human Rights, the verdict was issued on Saturday, May 24, 2025, with Gholami found guilty of several charges, including “propaganda against the state,” “spreading false information,” “disturbing public opinion,” and “insulting Hazrat Fatemeh.” He received a two-year discretionary prison sentence, of which one year is enforceable. The verdict was formally communicated to him the same day, and he has been granted 20 days to file an appeal.

Mamosta Gholami was previously summoned to the Kermanshah branch of the Special Clergy Court on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, where he was taken into custody.

On July 10, 2024, following a summons to the Protection Office of the Kermanshah Clergy Center, Gholami was officially barred from leading prayers and conducting any mosque-related activities by order of the security authorities.

Shortly after the restrictions were imposed, Mamosta Gholami released a video statement condemning the decision. He revealed that he had been previously warned that all mosque classes and religious sessions at the Mohammad al-Mostafa Mosque must be conducted under the supervision of instructors approved by state security agencies.

Mamosta Gholami attributed the ban on his activities to his outspoken criticism of government policies, his condemnation of the killings of Kurdish border couriers (Kolbars) and fuel carriers (Soukhtbars), his signing of a statement denouncing the execution of fellow cleric Mamosta Mohammad Khezrnejad, and his opposition to the arrest and silencing of other Sunni clerics.