The Islamic Revolutionary Court in the city of Saqqez has sentenced Kurdish trade unionist Osman Esmaeli to one year in prison on charges of “propaganda” against national interests.
“On 28 April 2015, a few days before International Workers’ Day, Osman Esmaeli, a worker and atrade unionist, was arrested by Iranian security forces at his workplace in Saqqez. He was interrogated for 12 days at the Intelligence Agency’s detention centre in Sanandaj. On 9 May 2015, he was temporarily released on bail [after paying 72 million Iranian toumans],” a trade union source told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).
“But then Esmaeili’s trial took place on 1 and 2 September 2015 at the Revolutionary Court in Saqqez under the presidency of judge Saeed Jafar Rahimi. The verdict was issued on 6 February 2016.” the source said.
The source added that “Osman Esmaeili was sentenced to one year behind bars on charges of ‘propaganda for organisations acting against the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran’, as well as ‘membership in Komalah [a Kurdish communist group]”.
The sentence was officially announced to his family and the Appeal Court of Kurdistan Province has 20 days to confirm or pre-empt the sentence.
* Osman Esmaeli’s verdict number is 9409978741000844 and his case number is 940998874190
