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| Mahmud Ojaghli |
The 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran Province has sentenced civil activist Mahmud Ojaghli, who is being held in Tehran's Evin Prison, to 16 years in prison.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRA), Mahmud Ojaghli was sentenced to 5 years in prison for "gathering and conspiring against national security," 1 year for "engaging in propaganda against the system," and 5 years each for "joining an opposition group with the aim of undermining the country's security" and "inciting war and riots by promoting public opinion," totaling 16 years in prison.
The court ruling does not specify which group Ojaghli is accused of being a member of.
This news agency, referring to Article 134 of Iran's Criminal Code, writes that the most severe sentence, i.e., 5 years in prison, could be applied to him.
The Azerbaijani activist living in Tehran has been banned from leaving the country for 2 years and is prohibited from engaging in any activities in the media or on social media platforms. According to the ruling of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Ojaghli has also been sentenced to write summaries of certain books approved by the Islamic Republic related to the history, language, and culture of Azerbaijan.
Mahmud Ojaghli was detained by security forces at his workplace in Tehran on December 11 of last year and faced new charges during a court session in April.
It is reported that the civil activist has been held in Tehran's Evin Prison for about 7 months. The court issued a decision for his temporary release, and his family presented a civil guarantee to the court, but the court officials did not allow his temporary release.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Milli fəal Mahmud Ocaqlı 16 il həbs cəzasına məhkum edilib