Death sentence for Kurdish journalist upheld in Iran

A death sentence for Kurdish dissident journalist Adnan Hassanpour was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court, Hassanpour’s lawyer said November 9, according to Reuters. Fellow journalist, Abdolvahed ‘Hiva’ Botimar, who was sentenced to death at the same time as Hassanpour, has had his case referred to a lower court.

Hassanpour and Botimar received death sentences in July for mounting an “armed struggle against the system,” which is a capital crime. According to Iran’s judiciary, the charges are unrelated to their profession.

“Hassanpour’s charges are various, including giving classified military information to incompetent figures, having contact with foreigners and espionage,” Hassanpour’s lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht said. Nikbakht plans to appeal the sentence.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the death sentences “show how little Iran is bothered by international humanitarian law. They also show how determined it is to use every possible means to silence the most outspoken journalists and human rights activists.”

Under Iranian law, all execution orders must be upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court.

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