Mohammad Khezrnejad

Mohammad Khezrnejad is a Sunni cleric from Bukan. He was interrogated many times by the security institutions and was fired as the imam of various mosques in Sanandaj and Bukan by the orders of the Great Islamic Center of the West of the country and the security institutions. Khezrnejad was arrested and sentenced to death during the 2022 uprising.

The national uprising of 2022 centered around the “woman, life, freedom” slogan was triggered in response to the murder of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini. The protests began sporadically in several cities and online space but in just a few days it spread to dozens of cities across Iran and the goal of the protesters changed to overthrowing the regime. <symbol-timeline></symbol-timeline>

• <coverage-outsourcing id='8020'> According to "Kurdpa", in his Friday prayer sermons, he strongly criticized the execution of Sunni prisoners in the Rajaeeshahr Prison of Karaj and was arrested on the same day. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='12770'> There is no information available regarding his continued incarceration or release. He was probably released </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='16161'> The security forces shut down the religious school he had founded. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='16160'> Kurdpa reported that Branch 9 of Tabriz Special Clerical Court has summoned him and issued him a sentence of 15 months of imprisonment and four years of suspended imprisonment. According to this report, his charges include "propaganda against the system" with examples such as opening a school of religious studies, criticizing the performance of government officials and commenting on the situation of Kulbars. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='55593'> <reference source='https://kurdpa.net/content/upload/1/news-kurdpa/%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C%D9%87-454.pdf'> According to Kurdpa report, Mohammad Khezrnejad along with 453 other clerics had signed a statement in support of the Women, Life, Freedom uprising and condemned the "violence, arrests, and the massacre of protesters." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='45935'> <reference source='https://t.me/kurdpaagency/26047?single'> According to Kurdpa, Mohammad Khezrnejad was arrested by security agents after giving a speech at the funeral ceremony of Asad Rahimi, one of the victims of the Bukan uprising. Kurdpa wrote more than a year later that he was arrested violently along with his son Yaser. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='45936'> <reference source='https://kurdpa.net/fa/news/2023/01/33'> After 52 days have passed since the arrest of Mohammad Khezrnejad, there is no information about his condition. While announcing this news, Kurdpa emphasized that the security and judicial institutions did not give an explanation to his family about Mr. Khezrnejad's condition and the security agents insulted them. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='55600'> <reference source='http://tinyurl.com/bdfywzeh'> Mohammad Khezrnejad is facing a death sentence. Sunni News wrote that Mr. Khezrnejad was tortured horribly. According to this informed source, when Khezrnejad's family visited him after several months of detention, they did not recognize him due to the injuries caused by torture. This source added that the fingers of Mohammad Khizranjad were broken and he was forced to confess. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='55592'> <reference source='https://kurdpa.net/fa/news/2024/02/26'> Kurdpa wrote months later that the last court session of Mohammad Khezrnejad was held by video conference and without access to a lawyer in the third branch of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='55591'> <reference source='https://kurdpa.net/fa/news/2024/02/26'> He was sentenced to death and 16 years in prison by the third branch of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, headed by Judge Reza Najafzadeh, on charges of spreading corruption in the land, action against national security by harming the land integrity or independence of the country, and propaganda against the state. Kurdpa, while announcing this news, quoted an informed source and wrote that the court cited the forced confessions obtained by the Ministry of Intelligence as examples of the accusations against Mohammad Khadranjad, including the connection with extremist religious groups, the leadership of the Bukan protests and the damage caused to the public. According to this source, Khezrnejad denied all the charges in the court and protested against the verdict issued by the court. Based on this report, the case has been referred to the Court of Appeal. Kurdpa also wrote that this verdict was issued after holding four brief meetings. According to Kurdpa's report, Mohammad Khezrnejad was severely mentally and physically tortured in the solitary cell of the Urmia Intelligence Department detention center for three and a half months to make forced confessions, and after the interrogation process was completed, he was transferred to the prison of this city. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='55689'> <reference source='https://x.com/AbdolhamidNet/status/1757695204763562058?s=20'> Abdolhamid Esmailzahi, Friday Imam of Zahedan, reacted to the death sentence issued for Mohammad Khezrnejad on his page on X social network. Molavi Abdolhamid wrote in this post: > Teacher Mohammad Khezrnejad is a prominent figure and a moderate and benevolent scholar. The sentence issued for him is unfair and worrying. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='55907'> <reference source='https://kurdpa.net/fa/news/2024/02/47'> 235 teachers and religious scholars of Sunni Kurdistan, in a letter addressed to Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of the Islamic Republic Judiciary and security officials, while pointing out the moderateness of Mohammad Khezrnejad and rejecting his membership in extremist groups, pointed out that his trial process has been unfair and in conflict with the laws of the government. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='55908'> <reference source='https://www.zeitoons.com/113727'> In an open letter, 14 religious thinkers asked the head of the UN Human Rights Council to use his "reputation and authority" to save the life of Mohammad Khezrnejad. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='60201'> <reference source='https://kurdpa.net/fa/news/2024/06/16'> According to Kurdpa, in the middle of this month, the death sentence and 16 years of imprisonment were confirmed by the 41st branch of the Supreme Court headed by Judge Ali Razini verbatim. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='60202'> <reference source='https://kurdpa.net/fa/news/2024/06/16'> According to Kurdpa report, without observing the principle of segregation of crimes, the undecided prisoners are kept in the reception ward 2 of Urmia Central Prison. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='60203'> <reference source='https://www.radiozamaneh.info/j_post_status/%d8%b9%d8%a8%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d9%85%db%8c%d8%af-%d8%a7%d8%b3%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b9%db%8c%d9%84%d8%b2%d9%87%db%8c-%d8%ae%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%aa%d8%ac%d8%af%db%8c%d8%af'> According to Zamaneh, Abdolhamid Esmailzahi, the Sunni Friday imam of Zahedan, called for a review of the sentence issued to Mohammad Khezrnejad in his Friday prayer sermons. Esmailzahi also said that political prisoners should not remain in prison because "they are in the interest of the country and should speak and criticize." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='60515'> <reference source='https://tinyurl.com/96kdmw7d'> The Judiciary's Mizan news agency reported that the sentence of Mohammad Khezrnejad was changed from execution to life imprisonment. This report claimed that after Mr. Khezrnejad "expressed remorse and committed to good behavior" by "requesting amnesty and reduction of the sentence and also following the plea of a number of Sunni scholars, he was granted amnesty with a reduction of the (death) sentence into imprisonment". The Kurdistan Human Rights Network wrote that although the Mizan site and the Chief Justice of West Azarbaijan province have announced "amnesty with a reduced degree" and according to the law this means life imprisonment, only the cancellation of the death sentence has been communicated to the family of this political prisoner. No explanation has been given to them regarding the amount of imprisonment. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='63193'> <reference source='https://kurdpa.net/fa/news/2024/06/41'> According to Kurdpa, the Tasnim news agency affiliated with the IRGC released the video of the forced confession of Mohammad Khezrnejad. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='63459'> <reference source='https://tinyurl.com/59m77w4b'> According to IranWire, he went on a hunger strike to protest his sudden transfer from Urmia prison to the IRGC intelligence detention center. According to this report, he also objects to the prison sentences issued as well as the way he was detained and interrogated. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='63780'> <reference source='https://t.me/ikhrc/11372'> According to Chawnews, on the 14th day of the hunger strike, he is in poor physical condition and his health is at risk. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='63781'> <reference source='https://tinyurl.com/mt7w8vwn'> The Kurdistan Human Rights Network announced in a report that it has ended its hunger strike and has been returned to prison. According to this report, he was transferred to the intelligence detention center of Urmia after submitting his letter announcing his hunger strike to the prison officials, and after a few days, he was transferred to the intelligence detention center of Urmia. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='63869'> <reference source='https://tinyurl.com/3xvn95an'> He was transferred to Sanandaj Central Prison. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network, announcing this news, wrote that in the past few months, he had requested to be transferred to the central prison of this city due to his family's residence in Sanandaj. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>