MARAGHEH, South Azerbaijan

Araz News: Maragheh’s Revolutionary Court has sentenced Azerbaijani activist Mehdi Dedham to one year in prison.

Mehdi Deyhami, along with his friend Asghar Nosrati, were arrested by security forces in the city of Malekan in September of last year.

The court charged Dedham with “propaganda against the system,” affiliation with separatist groups, graffiti, and secessionist propaganda, which was allegedly found on a flash memory card that he owned.

Asghar Nosrati has been acquitted of the charges.

Iran’s security forces routinely imprison peaceful Azerbaijani activists with hefty and disproportionate sentences, which violate international freedom of speech norms.