Abdanan; Civil Activist and Retired Teacher Ahmad Alizadeh Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison and Additional Punishments

June 30, 2026; In recent days, “Ahmad Alizadeh,” a Kurdish cultural activist and retired teacher from Abdanan, was sentenced to 2 years of enforceable imprisonment alongside supplementary punishments, including a one-year travel ban, passport revocation, and 1,080 hours of mandatory free community service for the Abdanan Municipality.

An informed source confirmed the details to Kurdpa, stating that according to a verdict issued by a branch of the Ilam Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge “Rajab Mohammadi” and officially communicated to Alizadeh on June 15, 2026, he was handed a 1-year and 3-month discretionary prison sentence for "propaganda against the state and in favor of opposition groups." He also received a 2-year and 6-month discretionary sentence (Grade 5) for "insulting the founder and leader of the Islamic Republic," factoring in his prior days in detention. Guided by consolidation laws regarding multiple charges, the maximum executable term is set at 2 years. He has 20 days from the notification date to appeal.

The ruling stems from his arbitrary arrest during the December 2025 protests, when he was apprehended on January 29, 2026, and transferred to an undisclosed location.

Background of Previous Arrests and Judicial Record:

Ahmad Alizadeh has a prolonged history of judicial profiling due to his labor and civil rights activism in Abdanan:

October 2022: He was initially arrested by security forces during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests and later released on bail.

January 2023: He was re-arrested upon summoning to the Abdanan Judiciary and transferred to Ilam Central Prison.

September 2023: The Preliminary Board for Investigating Administrative Violations of the Ministry of Education in Ilam Province sentenced him to forced retirement with a reduction in pay grades under heavy accusations, including "leading crowds to disrupt national security."

March 2024: Branch 1 of the Ilam Revolutionary Court sentenced him to over 6 years in prison, a 2-year mandatory internal exile to Fanuj (Sistan and Baluchestan Province), a 2-year ban from public service, and a 2-year social media ban.

November 2024 to June 2025: He turned himself in to Ilam Prison to serve his term and was subsequently released from Darreh Shahr Prison in June 2025 under electronic monitoring (ankle bracelet).

February 2025: He reported to the Public and Revolutionary Court of Fanuj to begin serving his 2-year internal exile sentence before being targeted again in the recent legal case.