Yousif (Ehsan) Keramat, a Kurdish resident of Naqadeh, has been arrested to serve his six-month prison sentence after being summoned to the Naqadeh Enforcement of Sentences Office on February 5, 2025. The 26-year-old activist, who had previously been granted temporary release on bail, was taken into custody and transferred to Naqadeh Central Prison to begin serving his sentence.
Keramat had been sentenced by the Naqadeh Revolutionary Court on charges of “propaganda against the regime.” The charges stemmed from his activism and involvement in advocating for freedom and human rights. He had initially been arrested by security forces last year and later released pending trial.
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights has reported that Keramat was detained in 2022 during the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (Woman, Life, Freedom) movement. He was held for a week by security forces during which he endured torture.
Keramat’s arrest and sentence highlight the continued repression of Kurdish activists and the regime’s efforts to suppress dissent. Human rights organizations continue to express concern over the treatment of individuals involved in peaceful protests and their subsequent punishment under Iran’s justice system.
