Sunni Cleric with Relatives Sentenced to Imprisonment, Death

The Revolutionary Court of Zahedan, Iran, has finally sentenced Mawlana Fathi Muhammad Naqshbandi, his son and four other relatives after 20 months.

“SunniOnline” quoted “Campaign of Baloch Activists”, the court found the Sunni scholar and his relatives ‘guilty’ in the assassination case of a local pro-regime cleric, Mostafa Jangizahi.

The report suggests Mawlana Fathi Muhammad Naqshbandi has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and exile in Khalkhal, more than 2,200km away from Zahedan, Molawi Abdul-Ghaffar Naqshbandi was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment and exile to an unknown place, while ‘Nizamuddin Mullazadeh’, ‘Malek-Muhammad Aabadian’ and his son ‘Jaaber Aabadian’ and ‘Jawad’ have been sentenced to death by hanging.
The possible sentences of two other detained relatives of Mawlana Naqshbandi are unclear yet.

The prominent Sunni scholar and Khateeb of Rask city, Baluchistan, has refused the edicts of the court against himself and his comrades and termed them baseless.

It is notable, Mawlana Fathi Muhammad Naqshbandi, his son and five others were arrested about 20 months ago on the charge of ‘killing’ Mostafa Jangizahi; the detained men deny this accusation strongly. According to the Campaign, the family of “Mostafa Jangizahi” has repeatedly urged Mawlana Naqshbandi was not behind the murder of Mr. Jangizahi.

Before this, some provincial officials promised to release the detained activists soon; now the court surprised the people of Sistan-Baluchistan.