Iran's top court annuls death sentences for five Kurds

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Supreme Court of Iran has overturned death sentences issued against five Kurdish political prisoners, who were detained during the nationwide protests of 2022.

 

Rezgar Beigzadeh, Pezhman Soltani, Ali Ghasemi, Kaveh Salehi, and Teifour Salimi, were detained during the Jina protests and had previously been sentenced to death by the Urmia Revolutionary Court. Their cases have now been referred to the Mahabad Revolutionary Court for retrial.

 

Othman Muzayen, the lawyer of Beigzadeh, told Rudaw that they had appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Iran, and Branch 39 of the court overturned the sentence.

 

In September 2022, Kurdish woman Mahsa (Jina) Amini died while in the custody of Tehran’s morality police. Her death sparked nationwide protests, often led by women demanding greater freedoms, removing their mandatory headscarves, and chanting Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom), a popular slogan of Kurdish activists.

 

The charges brought against them included “baghi” (armed rebellion against the state), “moharebeh” (enmity against God), and “leadership and formation of a rebel criminal group.”

 

Ghasemi, Soltani, and Salehi were each sentenced to three executions, Beigzadeh to two executions, and Salimi to one execution on the same charges.