Abbas Lessani

According to Human Rights in Iran, on the evening of Sunday, September 1, 2024, Abbas Lisani, a national civil activist and former political prisoner residing in Ardabil Province, left for Yazd Province to serve his two-year exile. This national civil activist had previously faced multiple summons, arrests, and interrogations.

A knowledgeable source told the Human Rights in Iran reporter: "In a phone call with his wife, Mr. Lisani stated that he was arrested to serve his two-year exile sentence and was traveling by bus to Yazd Province, where he introduced himself to the news headquarters of the General Directorate of Intelligence of Yazd Province."

On August 31, 2024, Abbas Lisani was arrested by agents of the Ardabil Province Intelligence Office, the security authority of his case, and was then transferred to the detention center of the General Directorate of Intelligence of Ardabil Province. After a few hours, he was sent to the intercity passenger terminal to endure his period of exile.

It is worth mentioning that on February 13, 2022, Abbas Lisani was released from Ward 6 of Ardabil Central Prison after posting bail and obtaining approval from the Forensic Medicine Commission for medical treatment and spinal disc surgery. He returned to Ardabil Central Prison on August 27, 2022, to continue serving his sentence after the surgery. On February 21, 2023, he was released from Ward 7 of Ardabil Central Prison and initially transferred to the Ardabil Police Detention Center to serve his exile period in Yazd Province. However, he later returned to Ardabil due to non-compliance with the exile.

Additionally, on March 14, 2022, Abbas Lisani's case was reviewed by the First Branch of the Supreme Court, presided over by Ahmad Mortazavi Moghadam and Deputy Abolhasan Hashemi Emamzadeh. After a court session, his imprisonment was reduced, and on June 7, 2022, this national civil activist was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment and two years of exile in Yazd Province for forming and leading a group aimed at disrupting national security. Before this sentence, Abbas Lisani was serving a 15-year imprisonment sentence.

On August 31, 2019, Abbas Lisani was sentenced by the Appeals Court Branch 1 of Ardabil Province, presided over by Nasser Atabati and with the presence of two court advisors, Bilal Mozaffari and Marhamat Shahbazzadeh, to 15 years of imprisonment and two years of exile in Yazd Province. This sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court on July 5, 2020.

On July 8, 2019, the Revolutionary Court Branch 1 of Ardabil, presided over by Judge Khodadadi, issued a verdict acquitting him of charges listed in the indictment but sentenced him to eight years of imprisonment and two years of exile in Yazd on charges of forming a group with the intent to disrupt national security.

During the preliminary stage, Abbas Lisani attended three court sessions to present his defense regarding the same case at the Revolutionary Court Branch 1 of Ardabil, presided over by Judge Khodadadi. He defended himself against charges of forming, leading, and membership in the so-called civil and ethnic group Gamaj, the main branch through a structured chart in the file, along with organizing gatherings, media relations with regime-opposing groups aimed at opposing the entirety of the regime, continuous and persistent propaganda activities against the regime through publishing offensive materials via interviews with gatherings, speeches aimed at disrupting national security, inciting and encouraging Turkic ethnic groups in West Azerbaijan Province through speeches and interviews with regime-opposing media, and subsequently publishing them with the aim of waging war with Kurdish ethnic groups.

Previously, Abbas Lisani was sentenced to ten months of imprisonment by the Appeals Court Branch 26 of East Azerbaijan Province. The hearing for this case was held on April 13, 2018, in absentia and without Abbas Lisani's presence, presided over by Judge Khobyar. On January 15, 2019, after being arrested at the Revolutionary Court Branch 2 of Tabriz, he was transferred to the Ardabil Intelligence Detention Center. After several weeks of uncertainty, in early March 2019, he was charged by Nunehal, Deputy Prosecutor of Ardabil, with four charges: inciting and encouraging the people of West Azerbaijan to arm themselves, acting against national security, forming an illegal group, and propaganda against the regime. He was then tried on March 10, 2019, by the Special Investigative Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Ardabil. In 2018, Abbas Lisani called on national civil activists to participate seriously in gatherings such as the Babak Castle ceremonies, and after that, on July 2, 2018, he was arrested by security forces and transferred to the Tabriz Intelligence Office. On July 11 of the same year, he was released on bail. This national civil activist was arrested on January 15, 2019, after a court session by the Revolutionary Court Branch 2 of Tabriz for another case in which he was sentenced to ten months of imprisonment and was transferred to Ardabil Central Prison to serve his sentence.