Kurdish Civilian Omid Karami was sentenced to one year of imprisonment and 74 Lashes by branch 2 of Criminal Court on charges of “disturbing public order and closing public roads” on January 20.  He was detained in Sanandaj by security forces a day after a protest rally against the Turkish army’s attack on northern and east Syria but he was released on bail.

“Omid Karami was arrested by security forces at his family home on October 15, 2019, one day after a protest rally in Sanandaj against the attack of the Turkish army in north and northeast Syria (Rojava. He was initially taken to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre in Sanandaj but he was transferred to Sanandaj Prison after 25 later. “ a source told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). 

Karami was held at the Sanandaj Central Prison for 5 days and he was released on November 14 on a bail of 700 million tomans.

His trial was held on January 20 at Branch 104 of the Criminal Court in Sanandaj, presided over by Judge Ali Omidi, on charges of “disturbing public order due to participating in illegal rallies and blocking public roads”. He was sentenced to one year in prison and 74 lashes.

It is worth mentioning that the Turkish army’s attack on north and east Syria led to the protests in many Kurdish cities of Iran from Orumiyeh, Khoy, Mahabad, Piranshahr, Sardasht, Bukan, Saqqez, Baneh, Marivan, Sanandaj, Dehgolan, Divandareh, Kermanshah, Javanrood, Paveh, Ravansar, Ilam and Ivan. Accordingly, dozens of civilians were arrested and summoned by security agencies.

During the rallies, at least 47 civilians were arrested and many of them were sentenced to prison terms. These people include Reza Ismaili and Keyvan Zarei in Orumiyeh, each sentenced to one year in prison. Other detainees including Jaka Ismailpour, Homan Faizi, Shaho Khezri and Simko Maroufi in Bukan were also sentenced to prison.