The hearing of Masoud Shamsnejad, the human rights lawyer, will be held at the Branch 3 of Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh on January 31 following an indictment issued by the Orumiyeh Prosecutor’s Office. He was recently detained on charges of acting against national security and propaganda against the state
A reliable source has told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) that “the family of Mr ShamsNejad were waiting for his release on bail, but the prosecutor’s office in Orumiyeh issued an indictment against him on the two charges of acting against national security and propaganda against the state. “
According to this source, the afore-mentioned lawyer- currently detained in ward 3-4 allocated to Prisoners of Ordinary Offences- has been formally informed that his trial will be held on January 31 at Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Orumiyeh by receiving a summons a few days ago.
“He has been accused of propaganda against the state due to acting as the lawyer of a number of Kurdish political prisoners and making enquiries regarding the suspicious death of Sheida Hatami, a Kurdish student at the University of Orumiyeh.”, the source added.
Shamsnezhad has been held in the ward allocated to Prisoners of Ordinary Offences Orumiyeh Central Prison since his arrest despite his repeated requests to be transferred to the Political Prisoners’ Ward.
This Kurdish 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 taken to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre in Orumiyeh for interrogation before being transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison on January 17.
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 Salah al-Din Ranjbar and Far Abadi, 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 Shams Nejad included propaganda against the state through interviews with overseas Kurdish media, publishing false articles and news in addition to membership in the opposition groups. He was finally sentenced to 4 months of imprisonment on charge of propaganda against the state on May 18, 2013 by branch 2 of Orumiyeh Revolutionary Court, 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 lawyer was transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison on Oct 19, 2014.
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.
