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| Mahmud Ojaghli, a Turkish language rights defender |
Mahmud Ojaghli, a Turkish language rights defender held in Tehran's Evin Prison, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison by the Tehran Province Appeal Court. The Revolutionary Court of Tehran Province had previously sentenced him to 16 years in prison.
According to a report by the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRA), he was sentenced to 5 years in prison for “gathering and conspiring against national security,” 1 year for “engaging in propaganda activities against the system,” and 5 years for “inciting public opinion to foment war and unrest.”
In the initial trial, he was sentenced to 5 years for “joining an opposition group with the aim of undermining the country's security,” but the Appeal Court acquitted him of this charge. As a result, although he was initially sentenced to a total of 16 years in prison, his sentence was reduced to 11 years by the Appeal Court.
According to Iran’s criminal laws, when multiple charges are brought against a defendant, the most severe punishment can be applied. Therefore, despite being acquitted of one of the charges, the 5-year sentence for Mahmud Ojaghli remains unchanged.
The Tehran Province Appeal Court upheld his other sentences. The Turkish language rights activist has been banned from leaving the country for two years and prohibited from engaging in any activities on mass media or social media platforms. He was also sentenced to summarize some books approved by the Islamic Republic related to the history, language, and culture of Azerbaijan.
Mahmud Ojaghli was arrested by security forces on December 11 of last year and transferred to Evin Prison. He was not allowed to be temporarily released on bail. For almost 9 months, he has been held in the No. 4 ward of Tehran’s Evin Prison, where new charges were brought against him during his imprisonment.
The activist, who lives in Tehran, had previously been imprisoned and subjected to various pressures by security forces for his peaceful efforts to defend Turkish language rights.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Güneyli fəal Mahmud Ocaqlı Apellyasiya Məhkəməsində 11 il həbsə məhkum edilib