The second court session for Verisheh Moradi, a Kurdish political prisoner in Tehran’s Evin Prison, is scheduled for 4 August at Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, presided over by Judge Abolghassem Salavati.
This session follows a period during which Moradi’s lawyers have been unable to access her case files.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that Moradi, who is currently being held in the women’s ward of Tehran’s Evin prison, was informed of her upcoming court session a few days ago.
Since 6 May, Moradi has been prevented from contacting her family and lawyers by order of Judge Salavati, and her legal team has not yet been allowed to review her case file.
In a related case, Pakhshan Azizi, another Kurdish activist, was sentenced to death last week by Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran under Judge Iman Afshari on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi).
Moradi’s first hearing, on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi) through membership of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), was held on 16 June at Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
During this session, Judge Salavati did not allow Moradi or her lawyers to present a defence.
The first hearing, originally scheduled for 13 May, was cancelled for undisclosed reasons, and on 14 May Judge Salavati ordered Moradi’s transfer to solitary confinement in Ward 209 for further interrogation.
The prisoner spent three days in solitary confinement and, together with Pakhshan Azizi, another Kurdish prisoner, began a two-day hunger strike in protest.
Moradi, a member of the East Kurdistan Free Women Society (KJAR) from Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence on 1 August 2023 at the entrance to Sanandaj upon her return from Kermanshah, Kermanshah Province, where she had been involved in political and organisational activities.
She spent the first 13 days of her detention in the detention centre of this security institution in Sanandaj, and afterwards was transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran.
During this period, she was subjected to pressure and threats to make forced confessions, and on 26 December 2023, after five months of solitary confinement, she was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.
