LGBTQ+ Community Activist Apprehended in Urmia

Hengaw: Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Elham Choubdar, a prominent LGBTQ+ community activist in Urmia, has been apprehended by authorities after previously facing a death sentence, which was later overturned by the judicial system of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Elham Choubdar, a sexual minority activist, was arrested in late February and transferred to the women's ward of Urmia Central Prison to serve a 3-year incarceration verdict.

This 26-year-old activist, along with another individual identified as Sara (Zahra) Sedighi Hamedani from Naqadeh, was initially sentenced to death in September 2023 on charges of "corruption on earth by propagation of homosexuality," "promotion of Christianity," and "collaboration with opposition parties."

However, the death sentence imposed on Elham Choubdar was overturned by the Supreme Court on March 13, 2023, and she was temporarily released on bail of 1 billion Iranian tomans.

Hengaw sources indicate that Elham Choubdar was subsequently sentenced to 3 years of penal incarceration in autumn 2023, and her recent arrest occurred in February 2024. She is currently held in the women's ward of Urmia Central Prison.