An Iranian court has sentenced Pezhman Soltani, a 32-year-old protester, to death on charges of “premeditated murder” following his involvement in the anti-government ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ (Woman, Life, Freedom) uprising, Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported on Monday. Two other men, Rizgar Beygzadeh Baba-Miri, 47, and Ali (Soran) Ghassemi, 28, received prison sentences of 15 years and 10 years respectively, for “complicity in murder”.
The trial took place on 29 December at Branch One of the Juvenile Criminal Court in West Azerbaijan Province, with the verdict delivered to the defendants in prison on 15 January. A fourth defendant, Kaveh Salehi, 42, was acquitted of all charges.
According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), Soltani was convicted under Islamic law, which allows for qisas (retribution) by the victim’s family. However, rights groups warn that the convictions are based on forced confessions extracted under torture.
The case stems from the men’s arrests in April and May 2023 in Bukan and Baneh, Kurdistan Province, following their participation in the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ protests. They were held at the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention centre in Orumiyeh (Urmîye), where they were reportedly subjected to months of physical and psychological torture. During this period, they were denied access to legal representation and family visits.
A second case against the men remains unresolved. The Islamic Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh has charged them with “enmity against God” (moharebeh), “armed insurrection” (baghi), and “collaboration with hostile states”. A fifth detainee, Javanmard Mam-Khosravi, is also facing similar charges, including “smuggling Starlink”.
The prisoners have denied the accusations and filed complaints about torture used to extract confessions. Their case is set to be reviewed by a judicial body responsible for addressing civil rights violations.
In July last year, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency broadcast forced confessions from four of the defendants, a practice frequently condemned by human rights organisations.
