The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) reported that Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh has sentenced five Kurdish men – Ali (Soran) Ghassemi, Pezhman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, Rizgar Beygzadeh Baba-Miri, and Teyfour Salimi Baba-Miri - to a total of 11 death penalties, lengthy prison sentences, and financial penalties for their involvement in the anti-government ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ (Woman, Life, Freedom) protests in Bukan.

Eight other defendants have also received prison terms and fines.

Previously, Branch One of the Juvenile Criminal Court in West Azerbaijan Province had sentenced Soltani to death on charges of “premeditated murder”, a crime punishable by qisas, which gives the victim’s family the right to retaliate under Islamic law.

The verdicts, issued by Judge Reza Najafzadeh with Esmaeil Bazrkari as advisor, were delivered to defence lawyers on Monday following three recent online court sessions.

The Kurdistan Human Rights Network has learned that the court ignored allegations of torture, forced confessions, and security-led fabrications that took place during the men’s detention at the Ministry of Intelligence’s facility in Orumiyeh.

Ghassemi, Soltani and Salehi, who are Kurdish political prisoners, were each sentenced to two death penalties on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi), “enmity against God” (moharebeh). 

Ghassemi was also sentenced to death for “leading and forming an armed criminal group” under titles including “Rebels’ Association, Shamaran, Komala, and PAK”.

Additionally, Beygzadeh Baba-Miri received three death sentences on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi), “leading and forming an armed criminal group” under titles including “Rebels’ Association, Shamaran, Komala, and PAK” and “espionage for Israeil”, while Salimi Baba-Miri – who had previously been released on bail – was given one death sentence for “leading and forming an armed criminal group” under titles including “Rebels’ Association, Shamaran, Komala, and PAK”.

They have also been sentenced to five to 15 years in prison and fined a total of 3.580 million rials (nearly 40,000 USD) on charges including “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel through intelligence missions for Mossad”, “involvement in the smuggling of 120 Starlink satellite devices”, “propaganda against the state”, and “assembly and collusion with the intention of acting against national security”.

Previously, Branch One of the Juvenile Criminal Court in West Azerbaijan Province had sentenced Soltani to death on charges of “premeditated murder”.

During the same trial, Baba-Miri was given a 15-year prison sentence for “instigating murder”, while Ghassemi was sentenced to 10 years and one day for “aiding and abetting murder”. Salehi was acquitted of all charges.

The Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh also sentenced eight more defendants – Siamak Hayasi, Savareh Azizzadeh, Hemin Kirmanj, Hossein Hosseinzadeh, Jalil Mowloudi, Ahmad Mamehzadeh, Javanmard Mam-Khosravi, and Salar Daghdar – to prison sentences and financial penalties.

The charges included “membership in an armed group” under the titles “Rebels’ Association, Shamaran, Komala, and PAK”, “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”, and “insulting the Supreme Leader”. Seven of them had previously been released on bail.

One defendant, Dr Salahaddin Ahmadi, was acquitted of all charges in this case. However, he has been charged separately with “financing terrorism” and the case has been referred to the Criminal Court.

According to the KHRN report, the case file, consisting of 33 volumes, was compiled by the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Orumiyeh, and all evidence is based on Ministry of Intelligence reports and confessions extracted during detention, with no independent or credible documentation presented to the court.

For instance, only a few defendants were reportedly found in possession of Starlink devices, while others were arrested simply for installing satellite equipment. Nevertheless, they have been prosecuted under severe national security and political charges.

The 14 defendants were arrested by security forces in April and May 2023 over alleged involvement in the anti-government protests of the Women, Life, Freedom uprising in Bukan and Baneh, and were transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention centre in Orumiyeh.

They were reportedly subjected to months of physical and psychological torture, forced confessions, and denied access to lawyers and family visits.

On 14 July 2024, Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), broadcast portions of these confessions. The defendants later claimed that these statements had been extracted under duress and had formed the basis for the court’s heavy sentences.