IranWire

A prominent Sunni cleric who serves as the Friday prayer leader of a mosque in Sanandaj was arrested on Monday following his appearance at the Special Clerical Court in Hamedan.

Luqman Amini has since been transferred to an undisclosed location. The reasons for his latest arrest remain unclear.

The Kurdish cleric was previously detained during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.

He was sentenced by the Special Clerical Court to five years in prison for "possessing a handgun," one year for "propaganda against the Islamic Republic in favor of Kurdish parties," and another five years for "inciting unrest and supporting protesters."

Under Iran’s sentencing laws, only the five-year prison term will be enforced.

Amini was also permanently defrocked, banned for life from delivering sermons, and sentenced to two years of internal exile in Ardabil.

He was initially arrested by government forces on January 30, 2023, on the Sanandaj–Marivan road and was temporarily released on bail on February 22, 2023, pending judicial proceedings.