Ejlal Ghavami, the Kurdish journalist and human rights activist who was arrested and briefed in Sanandaj on Aug 20, 2018, has been sentenced to 8 months of imprisonment in absentia on charges of “publishing lies to disturb public opinion” by Branch 109 of Sanandaj Penal Court.
Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has been informed that the verdict was issued by Branch 109 of Sanandaj Penal Court on Sept 22, 2018 and it was officially served on him today. The journalist announced the issuance of the verdict on his Twitter account. ‘I have been sentenced to 8 months of imprisonment on the basis of a verdict in absentia by Branch 109 of Sanandaj Penal Court. I was briefed in this case a month ago.I will be also tried at Branch Four of Court of Appeals on Nov 13, 2018, on charges of propaganda against the state.’, he stated.
This case relates to the charge of publishing a statement on Twitter and Instagram regarding the execution of Mohammad Salas and Ramin Hossein Panahi.
Ejlal Ghavami was previously tried in Branch 1 of Sanandaj Revolutionary Court in 2016 on charges of “propaganda against the state”, “interviews with foreign media abroad”, “Publishing falsehood” and “insulting Islamic Republic of Iran Guards Corp (IRGC)” but he was acquitted of all the charges. However, Sanandaj Prosecutor protested contested the verdict and the case was referred to the Sanandaj Court of Appeals (branch 4) where there will be a hearing on Nov 18, 2018, at Branch 4 of Sanandaj.
It should be noted that this civil activist has been summoned to the security services over the last few years and has been interrogated on his activities.
