Bojnourd; Farhad Baghcheqi, Young Kurmanji Kurdish Man, Sentenced to 3 Years Imprisonment and 74 Lashes

July 24, 2026 – "Farhad Baghcheqi," a young Kurmanji Kurdish man from Bojnourd who was arbitrarily detained for two months during the January 2026 protests, was recently sentenced to 3 years of discretionary imprisonment and 74 lashes by a branch of the Bojnourd Criminal Court.

A well-informed source confirmed the news to Kurdpa, stating: "Farhad Baghcheqi, who was arrested during the January 2026 protests and held in arbitrary detention for two months, was sentenced in late July 2026 by Branch 103 of the Bojnourd Criminal Court to 3 years of discretionary imprisonment and 74 lashes on charges of 'disrupting public order and peace through participation in gatherings,' 'disobedience toward government officers in the line of duty,' and 'clashing with officers.'"

Farhad Baghcheqi was arrested by security forces without a judicial warrant on January 8, 2026. Following two months of arbitrary detention and solitary confinement in security detention centers and Bojnourd Prison, he was temporarily released on a 5-billion-Toman bail.

According to the source, the verdict against the Kurdish citizen was issued in absentia. He was denied the right to legal counsel and was also deprived of access to a lawyer and family visits throughout his two months of arbitrary detention.