The temporary detention of four political prisoners –Ibrahim Isaipour, Ahmad Tamouei, Kamal Hassan Ramadan and Ali Ahmad Suleiman– has been extended for another month, a reliable source told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).
According to the source, “the Orumiyeh Prosecutor’s Office has extended the detention of these four Kurdish political prisoners, who have been transferred from Orumiyeh Central Prison to one of the detention centres since Apr 4.”
These prisoners have been deprived of the right to contact and visit their families, and so far the Orumiyeh Intelligence Office and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have not released any information about their status.
“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 Tamouei, 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 media and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran.
Kamal Hassan 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, an Iraqi citizen, 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), 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 receive “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 Tamouei, 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.
