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Iranian Kurd in Danger of Being Iran's Next Executed Political Prisoner,
Lawyer Says

Michael Lipin

   WASHINGTON - An Iranian lawyer says his minority Kurdish client is at
   imminent risk of being Iran's next political prisoner to be executed
   following the Saturday execution of an Iranian wrestler who had joined
   a peaceful antigovernment protest.

   Speaking to VOA Persian on Monday from Tehran, lawyerSaleh Nikbakhtsaid
   Iran's Supreme Court had rejected his request to grant a retrial to his
   client,Heydar Ghorbani, leaving Ghorbani's death penalty in place and
   enabling authorities to carry it out at any time.

   Ghorbani was arrested in October 2016
   inKamyaranCountyofIran'sKurdistanprovincein connection withthe deaths
   of three members of Iran's top military force, the Islamic
   Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in September.

   Rights activists have said Iran's judiciary sentenced Ghorbanito death
   on chargesincluding engaging in anarmed attack that killed the IRCG
   personnel, being an accessory to murderandbeing a memberof the outlawed
   Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan rebel group.

   In 2017,Ghorbani appeared on a program ontheIranian state network Press
   TV, "The Death Driver," andseemingly confesseddrivinga car ofDPIK
   rebelswhoauthoritiessaidwereinvolvedintheSeptember 2016 incident.Family
   members have said Ghorbani was tortured into making a false
   confession.Rights activists say this is a common pressure tacticusedby
   Iranian authoritiesseekingto create pretexts for harsh sentences
   against political prisoners when other evidence of serious crimes is
   lacking.