Azerbaijani Turk activists Abbas Lesani, Ali Khayrjou, Yusuf Kari and Behzad Dashti have been sentenced to a combined 40 years in prison by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mohammadreza Amouzad.
The verdict was delivered to the case lawyer in person, without written notification. According to the lawyer's copy, all four activists were sentenced to 5 years in prison on the charge of "assembly and collusion to commit a crime against national security". Abbas Lesani was sentenced to a further 10 years on the charge of "forming and leading a Turkic separatist group inside the country", while Yusuf Kari and Behzad Dashti were each sentenced to a further 5 years on the charge of "membership of a Turkic separatist group inside the country".
Under the ruling, Abbas's mobile phone has also been confiscated.
A hearing in the case of Abbas Lesani, Ali Khayrjou, Yusuf Kari and Behzad Dashti was held at Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on 30 May 2026. At that hearing, Abbas Lesani, Yusuf Kari and Ali Khayrjou refused to appear in court and announced that they would not take part in "show trials that are closed to the public and lack the standards of a fair trial".
The four civil activists were arrested on 11 November 2025 in front of Evin Prison. Within hours of their arrest they were transferred to Branch 6 of the Evin Prosecutor's Office investigation unit, where charges were brought against them including "forming or membership of an illegal group" and "assembly and collusion against national security".
