Kianoush Cheraghi Freed After Sentence Suspension Over Mahpareh Prison Protest

On May 17, 2025, Kianoush Cheraghi, a Kurdish citizen from Dehloran and one of the detainees of the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom) revolutionary uprising, was released from Mahpareh Prison in Ilam. His prison sentence was converted to a suspended sentence following a visit by a delegation from the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office and his explicit protest against the inhumane and unjust conditions.

Cheraghi had previously been violently arrested on February 17, 2025, after his electronic ankle monitor was revoked, and was transferred to Mahpareh Prison to serve his sentence. During his incarceration, he went on hunger strike at least twice in protest of prison conditions and unfair judicial treatment.

According to a source who spoke to Kurdpa, the delegation from the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office visited Mahpareh Prison in recent weeks. During the visit, Cheraghi strongly protested the inhumane conditions, the unjust judicial process, and the violations of his rights. Following these protests, an order was issued to convert his sentence from punitive to suspended, and he was released.

However, the informed source added that despite his current release, Cheraghi is still facing several other legal cases. These include charges such as "propaganda against the regime," "insulting and threatening law enforcement," and "spreading false information via computer systems." If convicted in any of these cases, his suspended sentence could be reinstated as a custodial (punitive) sentence.

Arrest and Sentencing Timeline

• October 2023: Arrested at his home without a judicial warrant. Released on bail after interrogation.
   
• November 2023: Sentenced to two years of imprisonment and a mandatory 200-page research assignment by Branch 101 of the Criminal Court Two of Dehloran, presided over by Judge Hossein Panahi, for “spreading false information.”
   
• Earlier: Sentenced by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Ilam, presided over by Judge Seyed Reza Salah-al-Dini, to one year in prison for “propaganda against the regime.”
   
• April 2025: Transferred to Ilam Prison to begin serving his sentences.
   

Electronic Ankle Monitor and Its Cancellation

After a period of release with an electronic ankle monitor, Cheraghi requested a transfer or work leave due to the mobility restrictions in the agricultural areas around Dehloran. His request was denied.

Sources say that Hossein Panahi, the new prosecutor of Dehloran, played a key role in the sudden revocation of the ankle monitor.
 This decision was upheld by Branch 6 of the Ilam Court of Appeals on February 15, 2025.

Violent Arrest and Hunger Strikes

On February 17, 2025, security forces stormed his home and arrested him violently. During the transfer to Ilam Prison, he was severely beaten, resulting in a broken tooth and injuries to his jaw and knee.

Cheraghi began a hunger strike immediately, alternating between dry and wet fasting. On the seventh day, he sewed his lips shut, and was transferred to the hospital after his condition deteriorated.
 He ended the strike on the ninth day after receiving promises of attention to his demands.

On March 5, 2025, after a sudden transfer to Darreh Shahr Prison and being ignored again, he launched a second hunger strike.

In a voice message shared during the protest, he described the ankle monitor revocation as “illegal,” the beating as “a violation of human rights,” and the arrest as “outside the legal timeframe.”

Medical Neglect

Despite sustaining serious physical injuries, Cheraghi was denied access to medical treatment in prison. His requests for medical care were ignored.