Kurdistan Human Rights Network

Kurdish protester Negar Davoudi has been sentenced to a total of two years and three months in jail, 74 lashes, two years ban on international travels, a year of community service and 200 hours of mandatory participation in Quran interpretation classes over her participation in the recent anti-government protests in Ilam, western Iran.

The Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court and the Branch 103 of the Second Criminal Court of Ilam charged Davoudi with “disrupting public order”, “insulting the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran” and “assembly and collusion with the intention of acting against national security”.

The young woman was detained by the security forces in Ilam during the anti-government protests and then released on bail.

Davoudi, who is a student of software engineering at the University of Ilam, was detained at her family home on 15 November 2022 and was taken to the detention centre of the Ministry of Intelligence in the city.

After seven days of interrogation and torture, she was first transferred to the women’s ward of Ilam Central Prison and then temporarily released on a bail of 500 million Tomans – nearly 12,000 USD – on 18 December 2022.

She was tried through video conference in the Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court and the Branch 103 of the Second Criminal Court on 28 December.

Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Ilam, presided over by Judge Rajab Mohammadi, sentenced her to two years in prison and one year of community service in the State Welfare Organization of Ilam on charges of “assembly and collusion with the intention of acting against national security” and “insulting the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

Separately, Branch 103 of the Criminal Court of Ilam, presided over by Yaser Khalafi, sentenced her to three months of imprisonment and 74 lashes on charges of “disrupting public order” and a two-year international travel ban and attending 200 hours of Quran interpretation classes to be approved with a certificate from the Islamic Propaganda Organisation of Ilam province.

According to the verdict, due to Davoudi’s clean criminal record, the sentence of three months in prison and 74 lashes has been converted into a fine of 240 million Iranian Rials – nearly 600 USD.