Iran sentences prominent Kurdish journalist and women's rights activist to 21 years in prison

A Kurdish journalist was sentenced to 21 years old imprisonment by an Iranian revolutionary court, after being tried on several charges following a series of arrests.

Jîna Muderîs Gurcî is a prominent journalist and women's rights activist from Sanandaj (Sine), in the Iranian province of Kurdistan. She was known as the “voice of the people” in her hometown.

On May 23 this year, she was sentenced to 21 years in prison on three separate charges: 10 years for “creating an illegal organization aimed at overthrowing the regime”, 10 years for “acting as a 'informant for foreign states' and one year for 'propaganda against the regime'.

According to the verdict, the charges against Gurcî include “intent to overthrow the government by forming a parliament based on feminist ideology, participating in meetings against the people and calling for an uprising against society, applying a continued repression of dissent, participating in international conferences and training seminars, discrediting Iran by writing articles on social issues and organizing interviews with foreign media, and stirring up society after Jîna's death Amini.

Hengaw Human Rights Organization said This whole affair was based on reports from Iranian intelligence services.

The court also ruled that Gurci must serve his sentence in Hamedan prison, 175 km from his hometown, which made it extremely difficult for him to visit family and friends, a tactic frequently used against political prisoners by the government. Iranian regime. Gurcî's lawyers are appealing this conviction.

Hengaw also reported that the Revolutionary Court declared the criminal court to investigate another charge of “spreading lies and inciting acts of violence.”

The human rights watchdog said Gurcî had already been arrested twice – the first time following the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” (“Woman, Life, Freedom”) movement in September 2022 She was arrested again by Iranian authorities. on April 10, 2023, and held in solitary confinement for a month at the Sanandaj Correctional and Rehabilitation Center before being transferred to prison for an additional two months. Each time, she was released on bail.