The Supreme Court’s Branch 39 has upheld the death sentence for Yousef Ahmadi, a 38-year-old Kurdish political prisoner, charged with “armed insurrection” (baghi) for being a member of a Kurdish opposition party and “involvement in the murder of two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)”.
The Kurdish political prisoner, from Baneh in Kurdistan Province, now faces imminent execution following the court’s confirmation.
Ahmadi was arrested along with three fellow Kurds – Mohammad Karimi, Baset Karimi and Mohammad Feyzi – by security forces in Baneh on 27 April 2020.
At the time of his arrest, Ahmadi was shot in the leg by security forces and, despite his injuries, was transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence detention facility in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province.
During his detention, he was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture for forced “confessions” and was denied medical care.
In September 2023, Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj sentenced Ahmadi to death on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi) for being a member of a Kurdish opposition party and “involvement in the murder of two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)”.
At the same time, Mohammad Karimi, Baset Karimi and Mohammad Feyzi received lengthy prison sentences of 25, 20 and 20 years respectively for “aiding and abetting armed insurrection”.
Additionally, Ahmadi and death row prisoners Hemin Mostafaei and Shoresh Morovvati were severely beaten by prison guards during a crackdown on prisoners at Sanandaj Central Prison on 1 October 2022.
They were then transferred from the prison to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention centre in the city, where they were subjected to several months of interrogation and torture.
Mostafaei was later executed on 21 June 2023 and Morovvati on 22 August 2023, both in Sanandaj Central Prison.
