Free Kurdish Journalist and Human Rights Activist Khosro Kordpour

* UPDATE 2013- 11-11

BROTHERS, IRANIAN-KURDISH HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, JOURNALISTS MASOUD AND KHOSROW KURDPOUR HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO PRISON--KHOSROW (MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE MUKRIAN NEWS AGENCY) TO FIVE YEARS, MASOUD TO THREE YEARS--FOR "ASSEMBLY & COLLUSION" TO ACT "AGAINST NATIONAL SECURITY" DETAILS AND LINKS TO PETITIONS FOR BOTH BELOW.

November 10, 2013--After 250 days of limbo status in prison, on Sunday November 10, 2013, the Mahabad Revolutionary Court issued it’s ruling and sentenced Masoud and Khosrow Kurdpour to imprisonment and forced exile.

Khosrow Khosravi, one the defense attorneys in this case told Mukrian news that, “Based on the Islamic Republic’s Penal Code, Articles 500 and 600, the Kurdpour brothers were convicted on charges of assembly and collusion with intent to act against the national security, and propaganda against the establishment.”

According to Khosrow Khosravi, Masoud Kurdpour was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment on charges of assembly and collusion with intend to act against the national security, and sentenced to 6 months on charges of propaganda against the establishment for a total of 3 1/2 years imprisonment.

Khosrow Kurdpour, the managing director of Mukrian news agency, was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment on charges of assembly and collusion with intent to act against the national security, and 1 year imprisonment on charges of propaganda against the establishment.

Khosravi also added that Khosrow Kurdpour’s sentence includes 2 years forced living in Kerman, based on Article 23 of the Islamic Republic’s Penal Code to prohibit him from association with others, and 5 years imprisonment to be served in Tabriz prison due to security concerns in Mahabad prison.

Osman Mozayen, another one of the Kurdpour brothers’ defense attorneys said, “During the trial no reference was made to the “Classified” documents referred to in the sentences issued by court, and the defendants and their attorneys were not aware of, nor were shown such documents.

Therefore, sentences issued based on such documents are contrary to the principle of defending the defendants and a violation of their rights.

Mozayen added, “The lower court’s justification for exiling Khosrow Kurdpour to Tabriz prison lacks any prove of my client’s disturbing the security in Mahabad prison. Also we should not forget that exiling a prisoner causes pressure on, and also punishes the families and relatives of the defendant, which is inconsistent with the principle of only the defendant being punished.

SOURCE: Mukrian News Agency
ORIGINAL (Not in English): http://mukriannewsagency.blogspot.com/#!/2013/11/blog-post_9.html
ENGLISH TRANSLATION By Persian Banoo:
http://persianbanoo.wordpress.com/2013/11/10/kurdish-journalistshr-activists-brothers-masoud-and-khosro-kurdpour-sentenced-to-imprisonment-2/

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Defence optimistic as jailed brothers go back on trial

Radio Zamaneh 09/17/2013

Massoud and Khosro Kordpour attended their second trial on September 16 in a Mahabad Revolutionary Court.

The Mukerian news website reports that the session investigated the charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “insulting the leader.”

The judge ruled that the charge of “publishing falsehoods to disturb public minds” is outside his jurisdiction and further investigations needed to be made around the other charges.

Abbas Jamali, a member of the defence team, told human rights news agencies that he feels the trial process was very positive and he has every hope that the verdict will be fair. Jamali went on to add that the judge was convinced that Kordpour has never insulted any figure.

As for Massoud Kordpour, the court was told that as a teacher and a reporter working in collaboration with Mukerian, he had also worked within the framework of legal regulation and committed no crime and never insulted the leader.

The next trial will be held next month; however, the court did not decide to release either of the two brothers on bail.

Source : Radio Zamaneh
http://archive.radiozamaneh.com/english/content/defence-optimistic-jailed-brothers-go-back-trial
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Journalist and Human Rights Activist Khosro Kordpour Arrested in Kurdistan

Radio Zamaneh 03/07/2013

Arrest of Iranian journalist and human rights activist Khosro Kordpour in Mahabad reveals the persistence of the wave of arrests against journalists that began late January in Iran.

Massoud Kordpour brother of the detained journalists told Zamaneh that security officials arrested Khosro Kordpour with a warrant on Thursday March 7 and confiscated his computer and some of his personal belongings. The charges against him have not been announced yet.

Kordpour is the director of Mokerian News Agency which mostly covers news of Kurdestan Province and human rights issues.

Close to twenty journalists have been arrested in the past month in Iran and while most of them have been released on bail, the intelligence ministry claims that it has uncovered an anti-regime media network with numerous links outside the country.

Analysts have interpreted the arrests as a move by the establishment to prevent any form of mass protests or activities gaining momentum in the time leading to the presidential elections in June.