A Prominent South Azerbaijani patriotic movement leader, Mr. Abbas Lisani has refused to appear for his trial at the Islamic  Revolutionary Tribunal of the Province of Ardebil due to the court’s denial to hold an open hearing.

Mr. Lisani’s trial was set to proceed on 30th of December 2014. Months prior to the date of trial, he made repeated requests to hold a public hearing.  However, the court repudiated to grant his requests and insisted that the trial would be held in camera due to national security concerns. Therefore, Mr. Lisani refused to appear for the scheduled trial.
Mr. Lisani filed his most recent application with  the Revolutionary Tribunal of Ardebil on December the 1st 2014 in which the movement leader asserted that pursuant to the article 168 of the Iranian Constitution and rules of the court, he is entitled to his constitutional right to have a public trial by an impartial jury and attended by independent journalists.

Mr. Lisani is accused of “conspiracy against Iran’s national security” due to his participation at Babak Castle and Lake Urmia and other protests.

Mr. Lisani has suffered massive pressures due to his peaceful activities  including years of in- exile- imprisonment at Yazd (Central Iran) Prison.

Reportedly, in the most recent attempt to silence the movement leader, Mr. Lisani’s teenager son, Oktay has been summoned to Ardebil’s Ettelaat Department for unidentified reasons.