Sadegh Mahmoudnezhad, a protester who suffered an eye injury during the anti-government uprising of Women Life Freedom, has been sentenced to five years and six months in prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan Province.
The charges against him include “acting against national security” through his alleged “membership” of a Kurdish opposition party and engaging in “propaganda against the state”.
This sentence follows a prior verdict in August by Branch 102 of the Criminal Court of Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan Province, which sentenced Mahmoudnezhad to three months in prison term and 30 lashes on charges of “disturbing public order and peace by participating in protests” and “inciting individuals to violence through social media”.
In recent weeks, this sentence was commuted to a fine of 80 million rials – nearly 160 USD.
Mahmoudnezhad, a 23-year-old civilian from Piranshahr, suffered a severe eye injury from pellet shots fired by military-security forces during the anti-government protests in the city on 21 September 2022.
Despite undergoing multiple surgeries in different hospitals, he retains only 20 percent vision in his left eye.
On 3 July, security forces arrested Mahmoudnezhad without a warrant at his family home in Piranshahr and took him to the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in the city.
After initial interrogation, he was transferred to Naqadeh Prison and temporarily released on 15 July on bail of 40 billion rials – nearly 80,000 USD.
