Extra Bio Info:

Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani was imprisoned for her human rights work in support of the LGBTQI+ community.

On October 27, 2021, authorities detained Sedighi-Hamadani in Urumieh, West Azerbaijan province, reportedly in relation to her real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity as well as her social media activity in support of LGBTQI+ rights. She was reportedly forcibly disappeared for 53 days and also subjected to solitary confinement and verbal abuse and threats by authorities of physical violence towards her and her children. 

On January 16, 2022, Sedighi-Hamadani was informed that she had been charged with committing corruption on Earth (Art. 286 IPC) through “promoting homosexuality,” “communication with anti-Islamic Republic media channels,” and “promoting Christianity."  The first two components of the charge reportedly stem from her participation in a BBC documentary about LGBTQI+ issues in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The latter component was reportedly in relation to her wearing a cross necklace and attending a house-church several years ago.

In July 2022, it was reported that Sedighi-Hamadani had been fined 5.3 million tomans for “illegally leaving the country." It was also reported that authorities had accused Sedighi-Hamadani of “promoting homosexuality, gambling, fraud, and promoting illicit sexual relations and publishing them on the Internet." It was also reported that Sedighi-Hamadani had been acquitted of an “encouraging prostitution” charge.

In September 2022, it was reported that the Urmia Revolutionary Court sentenced Sedighi-Hamadani to death for "committing corruption on Earth" (Art. 286 IPC) by "trafficking women to the Kurdistan region of Iraq."

In September 2022, it was reported that Sedighi-Hamadani had attempted suicide in prison, hospitalized, and subsequently returned to prison.

In March 2023, it was reported that Sedighi-Hamadani had been released on bail.

In December 2023, it was reported that Sedighi-Hamadani had safely fled Iran for another undisclosed country.

Related Cases: Elham Choubdar

Extra Bio Info:

Rehmutulla Semet is imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity.

In 2018, authorities arrested Semet, the owner of the Tengge Tagh Hotel and a real estate company, and other Uyghur businessmen amid mass detentions of largely Muslim ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

There are conflicting reports on Semet's charges and sentencing. One source indicated that Semet was sentenced to 19 years in prison for leaking state secrets and "disturbing society," whereas Radio Free Asia reported that Semet was sentenced to 20 years in prison for “engaging in separatist activities” in April 2021.