16-year-Old Iranian Protester Handed Two-Year Prison Sentence

An Iranian court has sentenced a 16-year-old teenager to two years in prison over his participation in nationwide protests last year, Kurdish media reported on July 10. 

Farhad Navaei was convicted of "assembly and collusion to commit crimes against the country’s internal security," according to the Kurdpa news agency. 

The court acquitted him of the charge of “waging war against God,” which can carry a death sentence.

The student was arrested on November 18 during protests in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan province.

During his detention and court proceedings, he was denied access to a lawyer of his choice. 

The court set a bail amount of 5 billion tomans ($120,000) for his temporary release, which his family could not pay.

The Coordinating Council of the Teachers’ Union has reported that Navaei was coerced into making a forced confession.

The Islamic Republic has cracked down hard on the widespread protests sparked by the September death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, while she was in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation.

More than 500 people have been killed in the clampdown and over 19,000 have been unlawfully detained, activists say.

Following biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.