In a retrial, Branch 1 of Iran’s Supreme Court sentenced Azerbaijani Turk activist Abbas Lesani to eight years in prison and two years of living in exile in Yazd County.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Azerbaijani Turk activist Abbas Lesani was sentenced to eight years imprisonment and two years compulsory residence in Yazd. He has been convicted on the charge of “creating and running groups with the purpose of disrupting national security.”  Lesani was later exonerated of the charge of “acting against national security” for which he had been initially sentenced to five years in prison.

Lessani has been held in Ardabil Prison since January 2019. In two separate cases, he has been sentenced to ten years and ten months combined.

Lesani had suffered from medical issues and requires further treatment outside of the prison, which he was denied.

On January 15, 2019, Abbas Lessani was summoned by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Tabriz and was arrested and transferred to Ardabil Prison.

The Ardabil Revolutionary Court sentenced Lesani to eight years imprisonment and 2 years exile in Yazd City on a charge of “creating a group with the purpose of disrupting national security”.

The verdict was increased to 15 years imprisonment and two years exile on appeal. In July 2020, his appeal was dismissed. Under Article 134, a maximum sentence of 10 years is enforceable. 

In May 2019, in another legal case, Branch 26 of the Court of appeal in Eastern Azerbaijan sentenced Lessani to ten months in prison on a charge of “propaganda against the regime in favor of opposition political groups”.

Abbas Lessani has faced other arrests and convictions due to his civil activities. On July 2, 2018, together with three residents of Ardabil, he was arrested by the intelligence agents, prior to holding an annual gathering in Babak Fort (a gathering to celebrate the Babak Khorramdin’s birthday).