Arrest
Teyfour Salimi Babamiri, from Bukan, West Azerbaijan Province, was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents at the Baneh border crossing in the Kurdistan Province on 17 April 2023.
He was arrested alongside Javanmard Mam-Khosravi in connection with the anti-government Women, Life, Freedom uprising.
After his arrest, he was taken to the security service’s detention facility in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province.
Salimi Babamiri was held in solitary confinement for several months without the right to meet with his family or have access to a lawyer.
During this time, he was subjected to torture to extract forced confessions, before being transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison.
Judicial Process
After three hearings held for the joint case involving Pezhman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, Ali (Soran) Ghassemi and Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, sentenced Salimi Babamiri to death on 7 July 2025 on charges of “leading and forming an armed criminal group” under titles including “Rebels’ Association, Shamaran, Komala, and PAK”.
The court also sentenced Salimi Babamiri to 10 years, five years, and one year in prison, as well as five years in prison and a fine of 430 billion and 580 million rials (nearly 475,000 USD) on charges of “collaboration with the hostile government of Israel”, “propaganda against the state”, “assembly and collusion with the intention of undermining national security”, and “smuggling of 120 Starlink satellite devices”.
Following an appeal against the verdict, the case was referred to Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, which overturned the ruling and ordered a retrial at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Mahabad. The prisoners’ families were officially informed of the decision on 24 October 2025.
Current Status
Salimi Babamiri was provisionally released on 1 September 2024 on bail of 30 billion rials (nearly 33,000 USD).
Additional Information
On 14 July 2024, Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Intelligence Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), released a video of his forced confessions along with those of three others involved in the same case.
Notes:
1. Women, Life, Freedom Uprising: Jina Amini (Mahsa Amini), a 21-year-old Kurdish woman from Saqqez, Kurdistan Province, was arrested on a street in Tehran on 13 September 2022 by the morality police because of the way she was dressed. Shortly after her arrest, she was transferred to Kasra Hospital in Tehran with head injuries and symptoms of brain death, and passed away three days later on 16 September 2022. The government’s killing of Jina sparked unprecedented anti-government protests, which began with a large turnout at her funeral at Aichi Cemetery in Saqqez and quickly spread to many cities across Iran. These widespread protests against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which lasted for several months, resulted in at least 527 protesters being killed and thousands injured and arrested. The protests are known for their central slogan of “Women, Life, Freedom” (Kurdish: Jin, Jiyan, Azadi).
2. Article 287 of the Islamic Penal Code: “A group that engages in armed insurrection against the foundation of the Islamic Republic of Iran is considered rebellious, and if they use weapons, the members shall be sentenced to the death penalty.”
3. Article 508 of the Islamic Penal Code: “Any individual or group who, in any manner, collaborates with hostile foreign states against the Islamic Republic of Iran, provided they are not deemed to be moharebs (enemies of God), shall be sentenced to one to 10 years’ imprisonment.”
4. Article 610 of the Islamic Penal Code: “If two or more individuals gather and conspire to commit crimes against the internal or external security of the country or to facilitate the means for committing such crimes, they shall be sentenced to two to five years’ imprisonment, unless they are considered mohareb (those who commit enmity against God).”
5. Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code: “Anyone who engages in propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or in favour of groups and organisations opposing the state, in any manner, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a period of three months to one year.”
