A court in Iran has delivered a harrowing judgment, sentencing Pezhman Soltani, a 32-year-old protester arrested during the Women, Life, Freedom uprising, to death. Found guilty of committing “premeditated murder,” Soltani’s fate now lies in the hands of a law that allows for family retaliation under Islamic principles. Meanwhile, two accomplices face severe prison time: Rizgar Beygzadeh Baba-Miri, 47, receives a 15-year sentence, while 28-year-old Ali (Soran) Ghassemi is sentenced to 10 years and a day.
In a twist of fortune, a fourth defendant, Kaveh Salehi, 42, has been acquitted of all charges related to this grim case. The trial, which unfolded on December 29, 2024, at the Juvenile Criminal Court in West Azerbaijan Province, culminated in verdicts being handed down on January 15, 2025. The despair deepens as additional charges loom for the defendants in an unrelated case filed by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh.
This new case includes grave accusations like “enmity against God” and “armed insurrection” against Soltani and his fellow political prisoners, compounded by allegations of torture that cast dark shadows over their treatment by authorities. Taken into custody during the protests in April and May of 2023, these men endured numerous violations, being subjected to months of both physical and psychological torment before their transfers to Orumiyeh Central Prison, where they remained isolated from legal counsel and family visits.
The indictment against the five political prisoners details a chilling array of charges, including collaboration with hostile states and, in separate accusations, a murder linked to a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Disturbingly, on July 14, 2024, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency aired coerced confessions from four of the accused, raising alarms over the integrity of the judicial process.
An Iranian court sentenced Pezhman Soltani to death for “premeditated murder” during protests. Two others received lengthy prison terms, while a fourth defendant was acquitted. The ongoing oppression includes new serious charges against the defendants amid torture allegations concerning their treatment in custody. This case exemplifies the severe repercussions faced by dissenters in Iran.
This disturbing chain of events highlights the Iranian regime’s draconian approach to dissent, illustrated by the harsh sentences meted out to protesters and the chilling consequences of challenging authority. Amid accusations of torture and coerced confessions, the plight of these individuals calls into question the moral fabric of the judicial interventions in matters of political expression and human rights. As the trial’s aftermath unfolds, their fates remain intertwined with a oppressive system unwilling to tolerate dissent.
Original Source: kurdistanhumanrights.org
