Five Kurdish political prisoners in Orumiyeh have been sentenced to death

According to information received by the Hana Human Rights Organization:
Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh, presided over by Judge Reza Najafzadeh, has sentenced five Kurdish political prisoners — Pezhman Soltani, Soran Qasemi, Kaveh Salehi, Rezgar Babamiri, and Teyfor Salimi Babamiri — all from Bukan and arrested during the “jin, jian, Azadi” (Women, Life, Freedom) movement, to a total of twelve death sentences.

According to Hana’s sources, these sentences were officially communicated to the prisoners’ lawyers today, Monday, July 7, 2025, following three online court hearings.

Based on the issued verdicts:
• Pezhman Soltani, Soran Qasemi, and Kaveh Salehi have each been sentenced to three death sentences,
• Rezgar Babamiri to two death sentences, and
• Teyfor Salimi Babamiri — who had been temporarily released on bail — to one death sentence.

According to received reports, the charges brought against them are “Baghi” (armed rebellion) and “Moharebeh” (enmity against God). Security agencies have accused them of collaborating with Kurdish opposition parties such as Komala and PAK. These accusations are reportedly based solely on intelligence reports and forced confessions extracted under torture in the detention facility of Orumiyeh’s Intelligence Department.

Investigations by the Hana Human Rights Organization show that during their detention, all five individuals were denied their most basic legal rights, including access to a lawyer of their choice, visitation with family, and adequate medical care. Multiple pieces of evidence also indicate that they were subjected to severe physical and psychological torture aimed at forcing self-incriminating confessions.

These harsh rulings come amid repeated warnings by international human rights organizations about the widespread and instrumentalized use of the death penalty against ethnic and religious minorities in Iran.

“HANA had previously reported on Judge Reza Najafzadeh, who presides over the Urmia court branch and issued these sentences.”

The Hana Human Rights Organization expresses deep concern over these unjust sentences and calls on the international community and human rights bodies to take urgent action regarding the situation of these Kurdish political prisoners, working toward halting the executions and ensuring fair trials.