Iranian court gives Azerbaijani activist Yurush Mehralibeyli new jail term

Yurush Mehralibeyli

An Iranian court has handed jailed Azerbaijani activist Yurush Mehralibeyli a further three-year prison sentence on charges including spreading propaganda against the regime.

The Revolutionary Court in Tabriz sentenced Mehralibeyli to three years and one day for "inciting people to war and slaughter" and a further seven months and 16 days for anti-regime propaganda, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported.

Mehralibeyli, who is being held in Tabriz prison, was previously sentenced to nine years and nine months on charges of forming an illegal group and colluding against national security. That verdict is currently under review by Iran's Supreme Court.

The new ruling comes shortly after an appeals court in Tabriz upheld sentences totaling more than 85 years against 13 Azerbaijani cultural activists, including Mehralibeyli, activist sources told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The group had been accused of gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security.

Rights monitors say Iranian authorities have intensified crackdowns on ethnic minority campaigners across the country.

According to HRANA, at least 302 people were detained in Iran during 2025 in connection with their ethnic or minority identity — a 15.2% rise compared with the previous year.

The group noted that at least 186 of those detentions were executed without a court warrant, with many activists held over their peaceful advocacy for minority rights.