Sanandaj: Leila Pashaei and Baran Saeedi Summoned to Court Over New Charges, Bail Increased

On Monday, May 26, 2025, Leila Pashaei and Baran Saeedi, women’s rights activists and former detainees from the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom) uprising in Sanandaj, were summoned to the Sanandaj Revolutionary Court. Both had been arrested in March 2025 in connection with organizing International Women’s Day (March 8) events.

According to a source informed by Kurdpa, both activists appeared today before Branch 2 of the Sanandaj Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mehran Ramazani, where they faced two new charges:

• “Propaganda against the regime”
• “Establishing an illegal group”

In addition, their bail was increased by 100 million tomans each. Previously, they had been charged with “assembly and collusion against national security” and released on 500 million toman bail each.

The source emphasized that the charge of forming an illegal group is considered serious under Iranian law, raising concerns about the possibility of harsh sentencing.

Initial Detention and Release:

On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, Leila Pashaei and Baran Saeedi were released from the Sanandaj Juvenile Correctional and Rehabilitation Center after 25 days in detention, having each posted 500 million tomans in bail. They had been arrested without a court order in connection with International Women’s Day events.

During their detention, both women were denied access to legal counsel and family visits, and were held in the Sanandaj Intelligence Detention Center before being transferred to the correctional facility’s quarantine ward.

March 8 Women’s Day Ceremony:

On March 7, 2025 (17 Esfand 1403), a large gathering of women’s rights and civil society activists in Sanandaj, including seven women’s organizations, Mothers of Justice, environmentalists, labor unionists, and sports activists, held a public ceremony commemorating International Women’s Day. The event featured equality slogans, speeches, and a broad public turnout.

In response, several activists were summoned or contacted by security forces and Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, some of whom were pressured or forced to sign written commitments barring them from organizing or participating in March 8 events.

Among those arrested in connection with these events were:

• Leila Pashaei
• Baran Saeedi
• Soma Mohammadzadeh
• Soheila Mottaei

Arrest History of Leila Pashaei and Baran Saeedi:

• On Monday, March 10, 2025, Leila Pashaei was arrested without a warrant and taken to an undisclosed location. She had previously been detained during the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi uprising on September 23, 2024, and released on October 3, 2024, on bail.
   
• On the same day, Baran Saeedi was also arrested without a warrant following a raid on her home during which personal items were confiscated. Saeedi had previously been arrested during the uprising on September 20, 2022, and detained at the Sanandaj Correctional Center for nearly two months before her release on bail.