In a significant ruling, Branch Nine of the Supreme Court has reaffirmed the death sentence of Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou, a Kurdish political prisoner from Chaldoran, West Azerbaijan Province. Initially handed down in July 2024 by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh under Judge Najafzadeh, his sentence was based on allegations of “armed insurrection” related to his supposed ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Notably, his appeal submitted in August 2024 saw the Supreme Court uphold the ruling without regard for his defence.
Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou’s ordeal began with his arrest on 13 April 2023 at the Chaldoran border alongside several Afghans. Initially detained at the Chaldoran Border Guards Detention Centre, his situation worsened when the Ministry of Intelligence mandated his arrest. Transferred to a detention facility in Orumiyeh, he experienced 11 months of severe physical and psychological torture aimed at extracting confessions about an armed engagement between PKK forces and Iranian border guards, which reportedly resulted in eight guard fatalities.
During his prolonged detention, the political prisoner faced gruelling conditions, having only two brief phone calls with family and being denied legal representation. Despite his denials of all charges, he was coerced into signing confessions he could not read due to illiteracy. His insistence on innocence was further undermined by the court’s dismissal of evidence that corroborated his alibi on the day of the clash. The Islamic Revolutionary Court’s proceedings lasted mere minutes, culminating in a death sentence based on unsubstantiated allegations of his animosity towards border forces stemming from a past family tragedy.
Now aged 38, Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou, a father of three, had been earning a living in recent years as a fuel porter and border trader. This tragic case reflects the continued struggles faced by Kurdish political prisoners under Iranian authority, highlighting issues of legal rights and human dignity.
The Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence for Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou, a Kurdish political prisoner accused of armed insurrection and alleged membership in the PKK. Initially sentenced in July 2024, his appeal was dismissed without consideration of his defence. Throughout his detention, he faced severe torture and was denied adequate legal representation, leading to coerced confessions. His case reflects broader issues of injustice and human rights abuses in Iran.
The case of Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou underscores a grim narrative of injustice and human rights violations against Kurdish political prisoners in Iran. The unyielding support of authorities, compounded by inadequate legal representation and coercive interrogation methods, paints a stark picture of the challenges faced by those accused of political dissent. As his final appeal has been dismissed, the situation remains dire for Hosseinnezhad and implies ongoing systemic failures within the judicial framework.
Original Source: kurdistanhumanrights.org
