HRANA – Moloud Afand (Armandpour), a journalist and translator, has remained in legal limbo for nearly eight months since his arrest and continues to be held in Urmia Prison. His case, in which he is accused of “espionage for a hostile state,” has been referred to Branch 1 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, Moloud Afand (Armandpour), a journalist and translator, remains detained without a final judicial decision in Urmia Prison.

Based on information received by HRANA, Moloud Armandpour has been detained for more than 220 days and is currently being held in Urmia Prison. He was previously formally charged in Branch 6 of the Investigative Prosecutor’s Office of the Urmia Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office with “espionage for a hostile state.” About a week ago, following the issuance of an indictment, his case was referred to Branch 1 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Doosti.

Moloud Afand (Armandpour) was arrested in November-December 2025 and transferred to the IRGC Intelligence detention facility in Urmia. After a period of interrogation, he was transferred to Tehran in February 2026. On March 3, 2026, he was transferred from The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility to Greater Tehran Penitentiary.

The political defendant remained in Greater Tehran Penitentiary until June 2026, after which he was transferred to Urmia Prison, where he has remained ever since.

A source familiar with the family’s situation confirmed the information to HRANA, stating: “Mr. Armandpour had also disappeared in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in 2012. After being transferred to Iran, he was held in Evin Prison until the autumn of 2015 without being brought to trial or receiving a sentence. He spent approximately one year and six months of that time in solitary confinement. During the prolonged period without any information about his whereabouts, his family believed he had lost his life. Ultimately, he was released from prison in the autumn of 2015 without any sentence being issued.”

Before his latest arrest, Moloud Armandpour worked as a journalist and editor-in-chief of a publication in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. “Afand” was his former surname, which he officially changed to “Armandpour” several years ago.