Tabriz,South Azerbaijan,Jun 28
Branch 7 of the Appeals Court in Eastern Azerbaijan province for correction cases of Hussein Ali Mohammadi and Taha Kermani referred to lower court.
According to report of HRANA (Human Right Activist News Agency), on Monday 22th of June 2015, Branch 7 of the Appeals Court in Eastern Azerbaijan province because of a wrong ruling in the judgment of cases of Hussein Ali Mohammadi and Taha Kermani, referred the case for reform to branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Tabriz.
On Monday 15th of June 2015, the lawyers of the civil rights activists objected to the issued verdict and asked for the establishment of appeals courts to proceedings accurate and legal in the cases of their clients.
Two South Azerbaijani civil rights activists, Hussein Ali Mohammadi and Taha Kermani were found guilty of “Insulting Islamic Sanctity”, “Insulting the Supreme leader of Islamic Republic” and “Causing Damage to Public Properties” and each were sentenced to 13 years in prison by President of Tabriz revolutionary court Mr. Hamid Bagherpour.
Each activist received a sentence of 10 years in prison from the Court of Tabriz and another 3 years’ incarceration from the Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal totaling to the harsh sentence of 13 years imprisonment.
However, Hussein Ali Mohammadi and Taha Kermani both rejected accusations in court. They faced with psychological torture, mental and physical solitary confinement detention during interrogation by Iran’s Intelligence Agency (commonly referred to as Etelaat) and demanded to judicial scrutiny of the situation of the detention center and Interrogation procedures of Iran’s Intelligence Agency-Ettelaat.
Both activist were arrested approximately two years ago at the Sahand Stadium in Tabriz ,While cheering for Tractor Sazi team ( the South Azerbaijan popular football team). During their 6 month detention at the Central Detention Centre of Ettelaat in Tabriz both activists were subjected to ill treatment and torture.
Taha Kermani was released temporarily on bail of 90 billion $ on 26th of March 2014.However Hussein Ali Mohammadi holds in row 12 of Tabriz Central Prison without a final decision of the judiciary.
The Revolutionary Tribunal of Tabriz has also found another South Azerbaijani activist, Murteza Muradpour, pictured below, guilty of “Anti-State Propaganda” and sentenced him to 3 years in Prison.
He was detained by Ettelaat in 2011 and held incommunicado for 6 months due to his alleged role in a peaceful protest demanding linguistic rights for Azerbaijani Turks. The protest took place at the Elgolu National Park of Tabriz.
In another development Ali Rezayi, a prominent South Azerbaijani Human Rights activist who was detained and held in Evin Prison for 95 days has been released on a bail awaiting his trial with no set-date.
