Iran: Political Prisoner Sentenced to Flogging After Thirteen Years in Prison

According to a close source, Mohammad Amin Abdollahi, a political prisoner at Birjand Central Prison, has been sentenced to 74 lashes and six months deprivation of leave.

His verdict, issued by Branch 104 of the general court of Birjand, states, “The defendant, Mr. Mohammad Amin Abdollahi, son of Esmaeel, is charged with ‘failure to return to the prison on the due date’”.

A close source told IHR, “Mohammad Amin Abdollahi failed to return to prison because of some family issues. He has a 15-year-old son and a poor family.”

Mohammad Amin Abdollahi has been in prison for 13 years and eight months. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the system, Moharebeh through armed conflict with government forces”. However, his relatives deny his involvement in any armed conflicts.

A close source told IHR, “The pieces of evidence that were gathered from Mohammad Amin at the time of the arrest included a map of Kurdistan and a walkie-talkie.”

Furthermore, the prisoner was sentenced to six months in prison on the charge of communication with overseas media from prison. He was charged with “propaganda in favor of opposition groups or organizations”. According to his verdict, “He communicated with the overseas media of PJAK group under the alias of Chapa and provided them with information about the prisoners and the execution of one of the members of the group.” However, the relatives of the prisoner denied his associations with any political parties and only confirmed his communications with human rights media.

It should be noted that Mohammad Abdollahi, Mohammad Amin Abdollahi’s brother, was executed at Urmia Central Prison on the charge of Moharebeh.

Generally, based on Iran’s laws, flogging is one of the most common and important punishments for such crimes as “fornication, Intercrural sex, mosaheqeh (sexual relations between two females), procuring, and drinking alcohol”.

Moreover, other crimes such as “beating, insulting, extortion, kidnapping, harassing people, openly committing a harām (sinful) act” are punished by fine, imprisonment, or flogging.

Based on Article 300 of the Criminal Procedure Code, flogging is carried out by the Public and Revolutionary Courts according to the regulations cited in the Islamic Penal Code.