High Court of occupying regime of Tehran approved the prison sentences against Araz Aman, Ayaz Seif Khah, and Bagher Hajizadeh who are being held in the Tehran prison.

This order was previously issued by Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolution Court in Tehran.

The occupying regime of Iran has sentenced three Azerbaijani civil activists—Araz Aman, Bagher Hajizadeh, and Ayaz Seif Khah—to lengthy prison terms on national security-related charges. Mr. Aman and Mr. Hajizadeh received 8 years in prison on charges of espionage, while Mr. Seif Khah was sentenced to 9 years. In addition, all three were sentenced to 5 years in prison for gathering and conspiring to commit a crime against national security.

The court also imposed 2-year bans on each of the men from:

• Joining any political parties or groups,
• Engaging in political activities,
• Participating in media or virtual (online) platforms.

Their appeal was reviewed by the 36th Branch of the Tehran Court of Appeal, which ultimately rejected the appeal and upheld the initial sentences.

These individuals were detained without judicial warrants by intelligence forces in Tabriz on Bahman 16 and 18, 1402 (early February 2024) and were illegally transferred to Tehran, where they were held in Tehran’s Great Prison.

Impact of Airstrikes and Prison Transfers

Following Israeli airstrikes on July 2, which reportedly hit Evin Prison, Iranian authorities began transferring prisoners from Evin to various other detention facilities within Tehran Province. As a result, many detainees—including political prisoners—have been subjected to poor conditions, such as:

Lack of separation between inmates held on political versus criminal charges.

Severe overcrowding,

Unsafe drinking water,