An Iranian appellate court has upheld a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence against Kurdish language teacher, writer, and director Sajad Haeri, according to the Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which said the ruling marks another escalation in Tehran's crackdown on Kurdish cultural activists.

Hengaw reported late Monday that the Tehran appellate court confirmed an earlier verdict issued by Iran’s Revolutionary Court, sentencing Haeri to two years and six months in prison on charges of "propaganda against the state" and "disturbing public opinion through publishing false information."

In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a two-year ban on membership or involvement in political parties and a two-year prohibition on all online activities, including the use of cyberspace. Hengaw said the appellate ruling makes the sentence final.

The decision comes amid what rights groups describe as a sustained campaign against Kurdish civil society organizations and Kurdish language educators across Iran's Kurdish-majority regions (Rojhelat), where teachers and activists have increasingly faced security-related charges, arrests, and lengthy prison terms.

Haeri, who is originally from Ilam province, was arrested in July 2025 after intelligence agents affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) raided his home in Damavand, Tehran province. According to Hengaw, security forces confiscated his mobile phone, laptop, and more than 100 Kurdish-language educational books during the operation.

He was released later that month on bail of 500 million tomans (approximately $3,600 at the time) following initial interrogation. In August 2025, authorities summoned him again on additional charges before releasing him on a higher bail of one billion tomans (around $5,300), an amount subject to fluctuations due to Iran's volatile currency market.

Human rights organizations say Haeri's case reflects a broader pattern of increasing pressure on Kurdish activists and educators. According to Hengaw's 2025 annual report, six Kurdish language teachers were arrested during 2024, while seven others received prison sentences totaling 20 years and eight months, in addition to one year of suspended imprisonment.

The report argues that Iran has continued—and intensified—a policy of linguistic homogenization since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979. It says authorities have failed to implement Article 15 of Iran's Constitution, which permits the use of minority languages in education alongside Persian.

Hengaw has also documented other recent cases involving Kurdish-language rights advocates. In July 2025, authorities temporarily detained Kezhal Saleh, a 14-year-old Kurdish girl from North Khorasan, after she recited Kurdish poetry. While she was released after three days, her father remained in custody, according to the organization.

In June 2025, security forces also arrested Mohammad Rezaei, a Kurdish civil activist from Sanandaj known for promoting Kurdish-language rights.