Political prisoner Azad Abbasi has been subjected to severe assaults while serving his one-year prison sentence in Qorveh Prison, Kurdistan Province.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that on 19 November, the ward head and several inmates convicted of common crimes beat Abbasi, and despite requests for an investigation and review of CCTV footage following a meeting with prison officials, Abbasi was assaulted again by the same individuals with a “blade” and a “boiling water flask” upon his return to the ward.
Abbasi suffered burns in the attack and has yet to receive any medical treatment, and the prison authorities have not taken any action against the perpetrators or documented the incidents in an official report.
Abbasi, a Kurdish language teacher from Dehgolan, Kurdistan Province and the director of the Nozhin Socio-Cultural Association, began serving his prison sentence in Qorveh Prison on 31 October.
The activist was initially sentenced in absentia by Branch 102 of the Second Criminal Court of Dehgolan to five years for “acting against national security”, two years for “insulting the leader”, and one year for “propaganda against the state”.
However, following his request for a retrial, the activist was acquitted of the national security charges, although a total sentence of three years was upheld.
On appeal, his sentence was reduced to one year, including eight months for “insulting the leader” and four months for “propaganda against the state”.
In recent years, the activist has been repeatedly summoned and detained by security forces for his civil rights activities.
His most recent arrest took place on 19 September 2023, when security forces arrested him in Dehgolan and took him to the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province.
After a few days he was transferred to Sanandaj Central Prison, but was later released on bail pending the outcome of his case.
