A source close to Mavati’s family confirmed his conviction for “collaboration with anti-regime groups” by the Urmia Revolutionary Court. The Supreme Court subsequently reduced his sentence from ten to five years.
Mavati, hailing from Bukan, was arrested in March-April 2023 and has since been incarcerated in Urmia Prison.
Initially apprehended by security forces at her shop in Mashhad in June-July 2022, Beyraghdar spent approximately six months in detention before being released on bail amounting to one billion tomans (roughly 20,000 dollars).
Following her release, the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad convicted her on charges including “forming groups to act against national security,” “assembly and collusion against national security,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and “propaganda against the regime.” Pursuant to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, she received a sentence of four years and six months for the primary charge.
In June-July 2023, Beyraghdar commenced serving her sentence at Vakilabad Prison.
According to a source close to Rahemipour’s family, she is battling multiple serious illnesses, including a brain tumor requiring specialized medical attention. Despite her urgent medical needs, authorities have refused to transfer her to an external hospital solely on the grounds of her refusal to adhere to hijab requirements.
Additionally, reports obtained by HRANA reveal that Rahemipour has been deprived of family visits, exacerbating her isolation and distress.
Rahemipour was briefly hospitalized in late January 2024 due to her deteriorating health, undergoing cardiac angiography before being abruptly returned to prison two days later.
The civil rights activist was initially arrested alongside Jila Karamzadeh Makvandi in Tehran on November 12, 2019, and detained in Ward 2-A of Evin Prison which is under the control of IRGC. After a period on bail, she was indicted by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime,” leading to a six-year prison sentence beginning in November 2023.
The court has determined that Ghadimi will serve 32 months for alleged “membership in an opposition political party,” eight months for “propaganda against the regime,” and is also fined for “disseminating false information.”
Ghadimi was apprehended by security forces in September 2023 and held in a detention facility in Sanandaj until his release on bail on December 25, 2023.
His brother Foad Ghadimi lost his life to regime gunfire during the nationwide protests on September 21, 2022.
It’s worth noting that the agents conducted the arrest without presenting any formal warrant. Interestingly, just last month, Abbaszadeh had been summoned and subsequently released after signing a letter of commitment. This summons was reportedly linked to his vocal opposition to the parliamentary election.
In May 2023, the Criminal Court of Ilam sentenced Abbaszadeh to six months in prison and imposed a fine. Additionally, he was required to pen a short essay on the “divine punishment of blasphemy.”
Abbaszadeh’s activism has previously led to his arrest during the 2022 nationwide protests, commonly referred to as the Mahsa Amini protests. In that legal proceeding, he was fined and sentenced to 74 lashes, along with one year of suspended imprisonment.
Presided over by Judge Abbasali Hozan, Branch 36 of the Tehran Appellate Court found Monfared guilty of allegedly “spreading propaganda against the regime,” leading to a 12-month imprisonment. Additionally, she faces restrictions, including a ban on residing in Tehran and its surrounding provinces, prohibition from joining political or civil groups, and limitations on smartphone usage.
Initially sentenced to 15 months in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Monfared’s appeal, along with her co-defendant Narge Mohammadi, was adjudicated in absentia in December. She was informed of the conviction on February 20, subsequent to the dismissal of her appeal request by the court.
This marks the third legal case resulting in a conviction that Monfared has encountered during her incarceration.
Monfared’s ordeal began on August 31, 2020, when security forces arrested her as she was leaving her home. She was transferred to one of the detention centers under the control of the IRGC in Tehran. After 14 days of detention, she was subsequently released on bail from Evin Prison.
Following that, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced Monfared to six years in prison and four months of probation work in the Agricultural Jihad on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “blasphemy.” This verdict was later reduced to four years and two months on appeal.
In January 2022, in a new legal case while imprisoned, Monfared received two years and eight months, this time for the charge of “membership in anti-regime groups” and paying a fine for “disseminating false information.”
It is worth noting that on June 6, 2023, once again, Monfared faced the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security,” and this time the case was closed after a while.
Yasin Zolfaghari and his unidentified wife, coming from Jolfa, East Azerbaijan province, were convicted in the same legal case before facing execution.
No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of their executions at the time of writing. In 2023, 66% of HRANA’s reports on executions lacked official announcements by judicial authorities and went unreported by media inside Iran, highlighting a troubling lack of transparency in due process.
The reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists for the year 2023 reveal a concerning prevalence of executions for drug offenses in Iran, constituting 56.4% of the total executions. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.
Nayeb Askari, a political prisoner on death row in Urmia Prison, was transferred to solitary confinement at Urmia prison on March 27, 2024, sparking fears among his family that his execution may be imminent.
A source with close ties to Askari’s family has confirmed his relocation. While the exact reason for the transfer remains unclear, it is customary for prison authorities to move death-row inmates to solitary confinement before executing them.
Initially sentenced to death for “enmity against God (Moharebeh)” on April 15, 2023, his plea for a retrial was accepted, leading to a charge change to Baghi. In October 2023, the court reaffirmed the death sentence, with the hearings reportedly conducted without his lawyer’s presence. The charge is supported by his alleged membership in a Kurdish political opposition party.
Arrested by IRGC intelligence agents on March 27, 2021, in Urmia, Askari was later moved to a detention facility and, on June 17, 2021, to Urmia Prison.
HRANA’s source reveals another ongoing case accusing Askari of the murder of IRGC member Mostafa Soltani. In 2013-2014, Soltani was injured during a clash with a political opposition party member, passing away six years later from COVID-19. Soltani’s family claims alleged Askari’s involvement in the altercation caused the sustained injury leading to his eventual death.
A new case, opened on July 12, 2021, based on a complaint from the Urmia Prison head, resulted in a three-month imprisonment extension and 50 lashes for “disrupting prison order.”
According to HRA’s annual report, in 2023, Urmia Prison officials executed 29 inmates, positioning this facility as the sixth highest in terms of executions among the ranked prisons.
The court has cited “publishing a song in support of the nationwide protests in 2022” as an example of the aforementioned charges.
Notably, the court dropped the charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” citing insufficient evidence.
Ahmadpour was arrested on February 4, 2024, by security forces at his residence and was held in detention for over 15 days before being released on bail from Evin prison.
During his detention period, PEN America issued a statement condemning Ahmadpour’s arrest and urged for his immediate release.
Judge Mehdi Rasekhi, presiding over the trial, sentenced Zohreh Dadras to nine years, six months, and two days for her alleged involvement in “forming a group to act against national security”. Forough Saminia, Sara Jahani, Yasamin Hashdari, Shiva Shah Sia, Negin Rezaie, Azadeh Chavoshian, Zohreh Dadras, and Matin Yazdani each received sentences of six years and 47 days for charges of “assembly and collusion to act against national security.” Additionally, Hooman Taheri and Jelveh Javaheri were each sentenced to one year in prison for “propaganda against the regime.”
The trial commenced on February 29, 2024. These individuals were initially detained during a mass arrest of citizens in Gilan Province on August 16 and 17, 2023. Subsequently, they were released on bail from Lakan Prison in Rasht pending the conclusion of legal proceedings.
