Political Prisoners Database

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Kurdish political activist from Maku
Detention date: 26 February 2008
Charged with: Membership of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) and taking up arms against the Islamic Republic of Iran
Sentence: Life sentence
Current status: Imprisoned in Yazd Prison

Zeynab Jalalian is a woman political prisoner born in 1982 and comes from the village of Dim Qeshlaq in Maku. She was arrested on 26 February 2008 by the Ministry of Intelligence in Kermanshah and was subjected to severe physical and psychological tortures for about three months in the detention centre of the office of intelligence ministry, being accused of “membership in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK)”. She was then transferred to the Juvenile Detention Centre of Kermanshah.

Jalalian was sentenced to death on 3 December 2008 on charges of “membership of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK)” and “taking up arms against the Islamic Republic of Iran”, by Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah, presided over by Judge Moradi.

After appealing against the sentence, Jalalian’s case was referred to Branch 4 of the Court of Appeals of Kermanshah and the sentence was upheld. In 2009, the ruling was approved by the Supreme Court of Iran.

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