Branch One of Sanandaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Shirzad Karimi, a Kurdish university student and a member of the Kurdish Students Democratic Union, to four years in prison, suspended for three years, on charges of “propagating against the regime,” a local human rights source in Kurdistan told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

Karimi was summoned to the Sanandaj Intelligence Office and arrested on 12 September 2011, along with several other members of the Kurdish Students Democratic Union, the source said. Karimi spent 22 days inside the detention center of the Sanandaj Intelligence Office, where he was interrogated. He was released later on bail of about 20 million toman (approximately $10,000 at today’s exchange rate).

The human rights source told the Campaign that security forces summoned and arrested seven Kurdish student activists and members of the Kurdish Students Democratic Union last summer. They were released later on bail.

The Sanandaj Revolutionary Court sentenced the spokesperson for the Union, Souran Daneshvar, to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and Milad Karimi, the deputy secretary of the Union, to 1.5 years in prison, which was reduced to six months on appeal.

Suspended sentences, which have been rising in recent years, indicate that the accused will not serve the prison sentence unless the individual is subsequently accused of another offense. Suspended sentences have been used as a tool to dampen political activity and intimidate individuals.