Susan Hassanzadeh, a civil rights activist and Kurdish language teacher, has been sentenced to three months in prison by Branch 101 of the Second Criminal Court in Bukan, West Azerbaijan Province, on charges of “propaganda against the state”.
Hassanzadeh, who was also charged with “membership of opposition groups”, was acquitted of this charge.
The activist’s trial took place on 8 October without the presence of her appointed lawyer.
Hassanzadeh, a resident of Bukan, was beaten and arrested by security forces on a street in the city on 15 May and was taken to solitary confinement in Orumiyeh Central Prison.
During her detention, she was taken to the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Orumiyeh for daily interrogations and then returned to solitary confinement each night.
On 12 June, she was provisionally released on bail of 8 billion rials (nearly 16,000 USD).
Hassanzadeh was denied both family visits and access to legal counsel throughout her detention.
A Kurdish language teacher for 17 years in Bukan and nearby villages, she has been repeatedly summoned and interrogated by the security services in recent years for her activism.
