Kurdish writer and language teacher Sajad Haeri sentenced to prison in Damavand

Hengaw – Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Sajad Haeri, a Kurdish writer, director, and language teacher from Ilam, has been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court in Damavand, Mazandaran Province, to two years and six months in prison, in addition to complementary restrictions. He is the brother of Ahmadreza Haeri, a Kurdish political prisoner.

According to reports obtained by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Haeri was convicted on charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic” and “spreading public anxiety through publishing falsehoods.” Alongside his prison term, he was banned for two years from membership in political and social groups and from engaging in online activities.

Haeri was first arrested on July 12, 2025, at his home in Damavand by security forces affiliated with the IRGC Intelligence Organization and released on July 21 after posting bail of 500 million tomans. On August 3, he was summoned again to court, where new charges of “spreading public anxiety through publishing falsehoods” were brought against him, leading to his temporary release on a heavier bail of 1 billion tomans.

During his initial arrest, security forces violently raided his home, seizing his mobile phone, laptop, and more than one hundred books related to the Kurdish language.