Kurdish Religious Prisoner Davud Abdullahi Transferred to Solitary Confinement Amidst Imminent Threat of Execution

Hengaw, Tuesday, December 26, 2023

After 14 years of detention, Davud Abdullahi, a Kurdish religious prisoner from Mahabad, has been relocated to the solitary confinement of Ghezel Hesar prison, Karaj, to face execution of his death sentence. In light of the recent executions of Qasim Abesteh and Ayoub Karimi, fellow religious prisoners involved in the same case, Abdullahi now faces an immediate threat of execution.

According to reports obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights on Tuesday, December 26, 2023, Davud Abdullahi, sentenced to death, was moved to solitary confinement in Ghezel Hesar prison.

The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights expresses profound concern over Abdullahi's transfer to solitary confinement, raising immediate apprehensions about the imminent execution of his death sentence. Such actions flagrantly violate international human rights obligations, particularly the right to life. Hengaw calls for an immediate cessation of these proceedings and advocates for a comprehensive review of his case in adherence to international standards of justice.

This transfer occurred subsequent to the execution of Qasim Abesteh on Sunday, November 5, 2023, and Ayoub Karimi on Wednesday, November 29, 2023.

Davud Abdullahi, Farhad Salimi, Anwar Khezri, Qasim Abeste, Khsraw Besharat, Kamaran Shekha, and Ayoub Karimi were apprehended on December 7, 2009, by security forces and were subsequently transferred to the intelligence agency detention center in Urmia City.

As the last accused in the murder case of "Abdul Rahim Tina," these religious activists were sentenced to death on charges such as "action against national security," "propaganda against the regime," "membership in Salafi groups," and "corruption on earth" by Branch 28 of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, presided over by Judge Moghiseh.

The session for the accusations against these 7 Kurdish religious prisoners took place at the end of March 2015, with the mentioned sentences officially communicated to them on May 25, 2016.

It's noteworthy that the verdict was overturned by the 41st branch of the Iranian Supreme Court, headed by Judge Razini, in 2017. An appeal was made to the 15th branch of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, where, in June 2017, Davud Abdullahi and six other co-accused were again sentenced to death by Judge Abolqasem.

This verdict was confirmed by the 41st branch of the Iranian Supreme Court with repeated pressure from the Iranian Intelligence Department in Urmia. On Monday, March 4, 2020, it was officially communicated to Mahmoud Walizadeh Tabatabai, the lawyer representing these seven Kurdish religious prisoners.

These seven individuals were initially incarcerated in Gohardasht prison and were later transferred to Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj on August 1, 2023, following the evacuation of Gohardasht prison.