Kurdistan/Iran; a Kurdish political prisoner convicted of propaganda against the iranian regime while incarcerated

On Saturday, May 24, 2025, Mohammad Rasoulpour, a Kurdish political prisoner currently serving a year and a half sentence in Shino (Oshnavieh) Prison, was sentenced to an additional one year of imprisonment in a separate case. He was convicted on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “collaboration with a Kurdish opposition party.”

According to an informed source spoking to Kurdistan Human Rights Association-Geneva, the second chamber of Branch 101 of the Shino (Oshnavieh) Criminal Court, presided by Chief Judge Ali Ansari, sentenced Mr. Rasoulpour, a Kurdish political prisoner to four months additional imprisonment for “propaganda against the state” and eight months for “connection with a Kurdish opposition party” in a newly opened case. The verdict was issued on May 24, 2025, following a hearing held via video conference on the 19th of May 2025.

Mr. Rasoulpour has been imprisoned in Shino (Oshnavieh) Prison for over five months under a previous sentence. Due to the new charges, he has been denied the right to furly for six months. The Intelligence services in Shno had previously rejected his request to be transferred to an open prison facility.

On April 11, 2025, Kurdpa reported that, in a separate legal proceeding, Mr. Rasoulpour was tried via video conference from Shino (Oshnavieh) Prison on new charges of “propaganda against the state,” and was formally denied any furlough for a period of six months.

Additionally, on April 8, 2025, Kurdpa reported that a new case had been opened against Mr. Rasoulpour, in which he was again charged with “propaganda against the regime.” He was summoned to appear within five days before Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Shino (Oshnavieh).

In a summons dated April 7, 2025, issued by Deputy Prosecutor Mirnaqy Seyed Rezaei of Branch 1, Mr. Rasoulpour was ordered to present himself to face charges of “propaganda in favor of anti-regime groups” within five days.

Mr. Rasoulpour has submitted several requests to be moved to an open prison, all of which have been rejected by thethe Intelligence agency in Shino (Oshnoviyeh). As a result of the new charges, he remains barred from furlough for six months.

Previous Case: One-and-a-Half-Year Sentence

On Saturday, November 16, 2024, Mr. Rasoulpour was transferred to Oshnavieh Prison to begin serving a sentence of one year and six months for “membership in a Kurdish opposition party and engaging in anti regime propaganda.”

He had previously been arrested without a judicial warrant by security forces on the evening of Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in the village of Kobe Qella, located in Shino (Oshnavieh) County. Following twelve days in temporary detention, Mr. Rasoulpour was released on July 13, 2024, on bail for 600 million Iranian tomans, pending trial.

In October 2024, the Revolutionary Court in Shino (Oshnavieh), presided over by the same chief Judge, Ali Ansari, sentenced Mr. Rasoulpour to two years of imprisonment on charges of “membership in a Kurdish opposition party” and “propaganda against the regime.” This sentence was later reduced to one year and six months under Article 442 of the Iranian penal Code.

Mohammad Rasoulpour was born in 1972. He is married and the father of three children