Masoud Shamsnejad, A Kurdish humuman rights lawer, was arrested by security forces on Tuesday in Orumiyeh and transferred to an unknown location. The security forces raided the house and law office of this lawyer while inspecting all his belongings and confiscated a number of his clients’ documents and dossiers before arresting him.
Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that Masoud Shamsnejad, a Kurdish human rights lawyer, was arrested at Orumiyeh Court by security agents when referring to the court to pursue a lawsuit of his client on Tuesday, January 08. He was then taken to his office which was searched by security agents who transferred him to an unknown location while inspecting and confiscating a number of his clients’ dossiers.
Moreover, security forces searched Shamsnejad’s home in Orumiyeh.
The afore-mentioned lawyer and former lecturer of Payam-e-Nour University of Orumiyeh, who has recently represented a number of political prisoners such as Salahedin Ranjbar and Farokh Abdi, had been arrested earlier on May 9, 2013 on charges of membership in opposition parties. He was transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison after initial interrogations at the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre in Orumiyeh. He was later released on June 12, 2013, on a bail of one billion Toman.
The charges brought forward against Masood Shamsnejad included propaganda against the state through interviews with overseas Kurdish media, publishing false articles and news and membership in the opposition groups. Finally, on May 18 2013, he was sentenced to 4 months of imprisonment on charge of propaganda against the state by branch 2 of Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh, headed by judge Sheikhlo but he was exonerated from the charge of membership in opposition groups.
Branch 10 of the Court of Appeal of West Azerbaijan Province approved the above-mentioned verdict in August 2013. Consequently, this Kurdish attorney was transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison on Oct 19, 2014.
Mr Shamsnejad nominated himself for Iran parliamentary elections in 2011 but he was disqualified due to allegedly supporting Kurdish parties. He also nominated himself for Orumiyeh city council elections in 2013 but his candidateship was rejected again.
