Matin Hassani, a 23-year-old Kurdish civilian who was injured in the eye during anti-government protests in Bukan, West Azerbaijan Province, in November 2019, has been called to appear before the Branch One of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in the city on charges of “propaganda against the state”.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that Hassani received the summons on 18 April and was ordered to appear at Branch One of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Bukan within five days.
On 23 January, security forces arrested Hassani in Bukan and took him to the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in the city.
After initial interrogation, the young man was transferred to the city’s prison and released on 22 February on bail of 10 billion rials – nearly 14,000 USD.
Hassani was injured by gunfire from military security forces during anti-government protests in Bukan on 16 November 2019, suffering damage to his left eye.
Despite the passage of four years, a pellet remains in his left eye due to the risk of surgery as a bullet hit the nerve part of the eye.
Hassani had previously been arrested by security forces in December 2019 while receiving treatment at a medical centre in Tehran, and was released on bail from Tehran’s Evin Prison some time later.
Last year, he had been threatened by the security services for meeting with the families of protesters killed during the Women Life Freedom anti-government uprising and visiting the graves of those killed.
