Two weeks after the transfer of Kurdish political prisoners “Ibrahim Issaipour“, “Ahmad Tamouei“, “Kamal Hassan Ramazan” and “Ali Ahmad Soleiman” who were suddenly transferred from Orumiyeh central prison to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre, there is still no information available on their fate.
“After two weeks of making enquiries and referring to the prison, neither the court nor the security agencies of Orumiyeh have told us to which of the four detention centres of the Intelligence Office or the Intelligence units of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) units these prisoners have been transferred.” The family of one of these people said in an interview with the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).
“Following the outbreak of the coronavirus at Orumiyeh Central Prison, the situation in this prison is becoming more critical day by day, It seems that security agencies have transferred these four political prisoners to one of the detention centres for fear of protests and strikes in this prison.”, the source added.
Ali Ahmad Suleiman, Kamal Hassan Ramazan and Ahmad Tamouei had previously been transferred from prison to detention centres of the IRGC and Al-Mahdi Detention Center in Orumiyeh and re-interrogated several times during previous years.In October 2012, Ali Ahmad Suleiman and Ahmad Tamou along with three other political prisoners, were transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre for two months and were tortured for making false confessions on charges of communicating with the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran and communicating with the media.
Kamal Hasan Ramazan, a Syrian citizen, was arrested by security forces on 28 August 2014 and initially sentenced to seven years in prison for membership in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). However, he was sentenced to death in absentia due to the similarity of his name with another person named “Kamal Sur” three years ago. Saleh Nikbakht, the political prisoner’s lawyer, successfully contested the sentence which was overturned.
Ali Ahmad Suleiman, Iraqi citizen who was detained by security forces in November 2005 and initially sentenced to five and a half years in prison for membership in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), was remanded in custody during his sentence. He was severely interrogated and tortured before being sentenced to death (“retribution”) in a new case regarding the “murder” of two local IRGC agents. After a while, the families of the victims consented to “diyat” (blood money) instead of retribution. Part of the sum required for diyat has now been collected and paid, and Ali Ahmad Suleiman will be released if the remaining amount is provided.
Ahmad Tamoui, a political activist from Salmas, was arrested on October 24, 2007, in the city of Mahabad by the intelligence forces of the IRGC. He was subsequently sentenced to 15 years in prison and exile to Orumiyeh Central Prison.
Ebrahim Issaipour, from Sardasht was arrested by security forces in Sardasht on July 9, 2011. He and Sirvan Nejavi were tried and sentenced to death without the presence of a lawyer by Branch 1 of the Mahabad Islamic Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Javadikia on charges of “Moharebeh” through cooperation with PJAK. However, the Supreme Court reduced the sentence to 11 years in prison in 2015.
