Akbar Abolzadeh

Akbar Abolzadeh is a civil rights activist in Ahar city of West Azerbaijan province. He was arrested during the November 2015 protests in West Azerbaijan and sentenced to prison.

In November 2015, a program on Islamic Republic’s state TV led to protests in over ten cities to what the protesters called “racist insult toward Turks” and “efforts to humiliate Turk children”. During these protests, hundreds of Azeri citizens were arrested and some received long-term prison sentences. <symbol-timeline></symbol-timeline>

• <coverage-outsourcing id='19587'> An IPA source reported that Akbar Abolzadeh was arrested by the security police in Ahar and was released after a while on bail. He was arrested during the protests in several Azari majority cities against “Hotel Fitilei”, a state-TV program. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='39955'> A credible source reported that the first branch of Ahar revolutionary court presided by Judge Ahrari sentenced Akbar Abolzadeh, Ebrahim Nouri, and Saleh Molla Abbasi to 10 months in prison in accordance with article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code; Esrafil Fathollahzadeh, Morteza Shokri, Soleiman Kazemi, and Hamed Allahvardipour were sentenced to seven months in prison on the same charge. According to the source: “The indictment states that these seven citizens were involved in planning and media coordination for the protests, and their main intent was protesting against the state and its policies regarding teaching the mother tongue and other ethnic issues.” </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='24661'> An IPA source reported that judges Behloul Alizadeh and Hossein Farshi Radour of the third branch of the East Azerbaijan appeal court confirmed the initial sentence of Akbar Abolzadeh, Ebrahim Nouri, Saleh Molla Abbasi, Esrafil Fathollahzadeh, Morteza Shokri, Soleiman Kazemi, and Hamed Allahverdipour verbatim. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='39956'> Judicial magistrates in Ahar Prison arrested Akbar Abolzadeh to enforce his sentence of 10 months in prison. The IPA source reported that Mr. Abolzadeh has been transferred to Ahar Prison to serve his sentence. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40695'> Akbar Abolzadeh went on hunger strike. According to an IPA source, Mr. Abolzadeh sent a letter to Ahar Prison officials informing them of his hunger strike and wrote that he has taken this step as a protest against his father getting deceived and insulted by Ahar prosecutor Ali Fazeli, and the prosecution pressuring his family for bail and then refusing to grant him leave. The source told IPA that after the announcement of his hunger strike, Ahar Prison authorities moved him to the prison’s solitary confinement. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40750'> An IPA source reported that Akbar Abolzadeh was transferred to Tabriz Central Prison on the fourth day of his hunger strike. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40814'> Sara Khoda told Iran Prison Atlas that after meeting with the warden of Tabriz Central Prison and the Azerbaijan East Azerbaijan prisons inspector, her husband Akbar Abolzadeh ended his hunger strike. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='47021'> He was released from prison after serving a full term. </coverage-outsourcing>