Azerbaijani-Turk activists Saeed Minaei and Aydin Mohammadi have been sentenced to a total of eight years in prison by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, Judge Salavati of Branch 15 recently issued the verdict, which was communicated to the activists through their attorney. Minaei received a five-year prison sentence on the charge of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security.” Mohammadi was sentenced to three years on similar charges, including “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.” The final court hearing in their case took place on September 8, 2023.

Saeed Minaei (Minaie) was detained on February 5, 2024, after visiting the Ministry of Intelligence office in Bonab. He was initially held in a Tabriz detention center before being transferred to solitary confinement in Evin Prison’s Ward 240, managed by the Ministry of Intelligence. Sixteen days later, he was moved to Ward 209, another intelligence-run facility within Evin Prison, and was released on bail on March 13, 2024.

Aydin Mohammadi was also arrested on February 5, 2024, when security forces detained him at his workplace in Ardabil. He was subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Evin Prison and released on bail in March 2024.

Minaei, a law student at University of Qom, has a history of previous legal encounters related to his activism.