The Second Branch of the Ilam Provincial Appeals Court has recently commuted the nine-year prison sentence of Babak Karimi, a protester arrested during the Jin Jiyan Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom in Kurdish) uprising in Eyvan-e Gharb, Ilam province, to a total of four years, nine months and two days.
In June, the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Ilam, Ilam Province, sentenced Karimi to five years, two years, and two years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion with the intention of disrupting national security”, “insulting the leadership [of the Islamic Republic of Iran]”, and “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, respectively.
Branch Two of the Ilam Provincial Court of Appeals found Karimi guilty of charges including “assembly and collusion with the intention to disrupt national security” and “insulting the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran” and sentenced him to three years, six months and one day in prison, and 15 months and one day in prison, respectively.
Under Article 134 of the Law on Consolidation of Sentences, the highest sentence of three years, six months and one day in prison is enforceable.
Karimi was summoned to the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Eyvan-e Gharb in recent days, where the final verdict was delivered to him.
The verdict was issued without a court session, in his absence, and without his legal representative present, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned.
Another case against Karimi, on the charge of “disturbing public order”, is currently under consideration in Branch 101 of the Eyvan-e Gharb Criminal Court.
Karimi was arrested during the anti-government protests in Eyvan-e Gharb on 21 September 2022.
He was released on bail of 20 billion rials – nearly 40,000 USD – on 6 February 2023.
During his imprisonment, he staged two hunger strikes in protest at his continued detention.
