Supreme Court of the occupying regime of Iran, for the fourth time, upholds the 40-year prison sentences of three Azerbaijani activists

The Supreme Court rejected the request for a retrial submitted by Araz Aman, Ayaz Seyfkhah, and Baqer Hajizadeh—activists of the Azerbaijani National Movement who are currently held in Ward 7 of Evin Prison.

This case represented by Asghar Mohammadi, an Azerbaijani lawyer and a member of the Human Rights Commission of the East Azerbaijan Bar Association—was reviewed in Branch 29 of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Abbas-Ali Alizadeh. The branch once again rejected the activists’ request for retrial and upheld the verdict previously issued by Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, confirming the convictions of the three activists.

Based on the issued rulings, the three men have collectively been sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment: Ayaz Seyfkhah to 14 years, Araz Aman to 13 years, and Baqer Hajizadeh to 13 years in prison.

The court rulings state that the charge of “espionage” resulted in an eight-year prison sentence each for Araz Aman and Baqer Hajizadeh, and nine years for Ayaz Seyfkhah. Additionally, all three were sentenced to another five years for “assembly and collusion to commit a crime against national security.”

Besides the prison sentences, the court has also imposed two-year bans on membership in political parties, engagement in media or online activities, and on leaving the country.

Following their appeal, the case was referred to Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals. However, that branch also rejected the appeal and fully upheld the original verdict.

According to informed sources, Araz Aman, Ayaz Seyfkhah, and Baqer Hajizadeh were arrested on February 5 and 7, 2024 (16 and 18 Bahman 1402) in Tabriz by security forces without a judicial warrant and were subsequently transferred to Tehran.

Since their arrest, they have been held in Evin Prison (and temporarily in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary after the bombing of Evin Prison). Sources close to their families report that the defendants were denied access to an independent lawyer and the right to release on bail during the judicial process.