Execution Sentence of Seyed Mohammad Javad Vafaie Suspended

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News, Prisoners
Babak Paknia, Mashhad, Seyed Mohammad Javad Vafaie, Vakilabad prison

HRANA – Iran’s Supreme Court has agreed to halt the execution of Seyed Mohammad Javad Vafaie Sani, a political prisoner held at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

Babak Paknia, the defense attorney for this political prisoner, stated earlier today that an order to stop the execution of Mohammad Javad Vafaie Sani had been issued by the Supreme Court. The death sentence had recently been reaffirmed by the Supreme Court following the rejection of a request for retrial.

The death sentence of Javad Vafaie Sani had previously been overturned twice by the Supreme Court. However, in recent months it was upheld by Branch Nine of the Supreme Court. Following this decision, his lawyer submitted another request for retrial, which was ultimately rejected. Mr. Vafaie Sani was most recently sentenced to death in September 2024 by Branch Three of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court on the charge of “corruption on earth.”

This 28-year-old political prisoner and boxing coach was arrested in Mashhad in March 2020 and transferred to Vakilabad Prison. In the initial stage of proceedings, he was also sentenced to death by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court on charges of “corruption on earth through deliberate destruction.” That verdict was overturned by the Supreme Court, and the case was referred to a parallel branch for reconsideration. In the second trial, a death sentence was again issued, which was likewise overturned by the Supreme Court in June 2024.

Jalil Abbasi Remains in Detention Five Days After Arrest in Zanjan

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News, Prisoners
HRANA, Jalil Abbasi, zanjan, جلیل عباسی

HRANA – Jalil Abbasi, a resident of Zanjan, has been detained for five days by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and is being held in the city’s prison.

A source close to Mr. Abbasi’s family confirmed the arrest to HRANA, stating that he was detained on December 17 by Ministry of Intelligence agents in Zanjan and transferred to the city’s prison. He has been held in the quarantine ward of the prison since his arrest. As of the time of this report, no information has been made available regarding the reasons for his arrest or the charges against him.

Jalil Abbasi has previously faced arrest and judicial action due to his activities.

Arbitrary arrests, transferring detainees to undisclosed locations, and leaving families in the dark about the fate of their loved ones are routine practices of the Iranian regime’s security agencies, such as the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Unit. This pattern of behavior stands in clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

Bahrooz Alikordi Arrested in Mashhad

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Freedom of Expression, News
Bahrooz Alikrdi, Khosrow Alikordi, Mashhad, Sabzevar

HRANA – Bahrooz Alikrdi, a relative of Khosrow Alikordi, was arrested yesterday by security forces in Mashhad and transferred to Soroush Detention Center in the city.

Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Alikordi was arrested today, Monday, November 22, 2025, by security forces at his workplace in Mashhad. Following the issuance of a temporary detention order, he was transferred to Soroush Detention Center. So far, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for his arrest or the charges brought against him.

Bahrooz Alikordi is the cousin of Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer and human rights defender from Sabzevar who resided in Mashhad and passed away on the evening of December 5, 2025. His burial ceremony was held on December 7 in Sabzevar and was accompanied by protest chants from attendees, including “Woman, Life, Freedom” and “Long Live Iran.”

On December 12, the seventh-day memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi was held at Ghadir Mosque in Mashhad with a large turnout of citizens. The ceremony was marked by protest chants from participants and ultimately turned violent following the intervention of law enforcement forces. Dozens of attendees were arrested by security forces. On Saturday, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Mashhad announced the arrest of 39 individuals in connection with the ceremony, stating that they were detained due to what he described as “norm-breaking actions and behavior.” He also claimed that two law enforcement officers were injured during the event.

On December 17, HRANA published a report on the continued legal uncertainty of dozens of those arrested at the ceremony and the release of some on bail. The report provided further details, including the charges against individuals, transfers to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, and the release of some detainees under judicial guarantees.

Earlier this week, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Razavi Khorasan Province announced that out of the 39 individuals arrested in connection with the ceremony, nine have been released after posting appropriate bail.

Appeals Court Upholds One-Year Prison Sentence for Faramarz Se-Dehi

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Freedom of Expression, News
Behbahan, Faramarz Se-Dehi, فرامرز سه دهی

HRANA – The conviction of Faramarz Se-Dehi, a poet and member of the Iranian Writers’ Association, has been fully upheld by Branch 14 of the Khuzestan Province Appeals Court. He had previously been sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 104 of Criminal Court No. 2 in Behbahan.

The ruling was issued on December 16, 2025, by Branch 14 of the Khuzestan Appeals Court. According to the judge’s decision, the appeal was rejected, and Mr. Sehdehi was sentenced to one year of discretionary imprisonment on the charge of “insulting sacred beliefs via Instagram and Telegram messaging platforms.”

This sentence had previously been issued at the preliminary stage by Branch 104 of Criminal Court No. 2 in Behbahan, where a hearing on the charges against Faramarz Se-Dehi had been held.

In April 2025, in a separate case, Faramarz Se-Dehi was sentenced to more than 22 months in prison by Branch One of the Mahshahr Revolutionary Court.

On February 17, 2025, Mr. Se-Dehi was formally charged at Branch Two of the Behbahan Prosecutor’s Office and was released on bail.

Faramarz Se-Dehi is a Khuzestani poet and a member of the Iranian Writers’ Association. He has previously faced convictions due to his activities.

Iran’s Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence of Mehrab Abdollahzadeh

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News
Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, Mehran Abdollahzadeh, محراب عبدالله زاده

HRANA – The death sentence of Mehrab (Mehran) Abdollahzadeh, a political prisoner held at Urmia Prison, has been upheld by Branch 9 of Iran’s Supreme Court.

According to Kurdpa, the Supreme Court has confirmed the death sentence issued against Abdollahzadeh. The ruling was reportedly communicated to him in prison some time ago.

Previously, Mr. Abdollahzadeh had been tried by Branch Two of the Urmia Revolutionary Court on the charge of “corruption on earth” through “complicity in the premeditated murder” of a Basij member. In November of 2024, the court sentenced him to death on this charge.

Following objections raised by his attorneys, the verdict was referred to the Supreme Court in late October of this year.

According to an informed source quoted in the report:
“Mr. Abdollahzadeh was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture while in detention in order to extract forced confessions. A review of CCTV footage shows that Mehrab was not present at the scene of the killing. The camera footage is in the possession of security forces, and there is no evidence indicating that he was present at that time and place.”

Mehrab (Mehran) Abdollahzadeh, a resident of Oshnavieh, was arrested during the 2022 protests and was later released on bail. In another part of his case, he had been sentenced by Branch 101 of the Oshnavieh Criminal Court No. 2 to nine months in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion.” He was ultimately rearrested and transferred to Urmia Prison.

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Ehsan Khodayari Arrested in Rasht

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Freedom of Expression, News
Armin Khodayari, Ehsan Khodayari, Lakan prison, Rasht, احسان خدایاری

HRANA – On December 20, Ehsan (Armin) Khodayari, a citizen from Zanjan, was arrested by security forces in Rasht and transferred to an undisclosed location.

A source familiar with the case told HRANA:
“After completing his sentence at Lakan Prison in Rasht, Ehsan was working at a bakery in Tehran. During his previous imprisonment, his mobile phone had been confiscated by security agencies. Some time ago, he was summoned by phone by the same agency to retrieve his phone. On Friday evening, he traveled to Rasht. After security agents became aware of his presence in the city, they contacted him again. Due to his failure to report, he was questioned and ultimately arrested.”

As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding his place of detention, the reasons for his arrest, or the charges brought against him.

Ehsan Khodayari, 20 years old and originally from Zanjan, has previously faced arrest and judicial confrontations due to his activities.

At Least 17 Prisoners Executed in Iranian Prisons Over Two Days

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Executions, News
Aligudarz, Arak, Ardabil, Bandar-Abbas, Borujerd, Dezful, Hamedan, Karaj, Kermanshah, Khorramabad, Nahavand, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Tabriz, Yasuj

HRANA – Over the past two days, HRANA has reported the execution of 17 prisoners in various prisons across Iran. This report provides details of these executions:

Saturday, December 20:

On this day, HRANA reported the executions of the following individuals:

• Yashar Tehrani Moghadam, on a charge of murder, at Karaj Central Prison
• Kian Papi, on a charge of murder, at Aligudarz Prison
• Behzad Hosseini Rad, on a charge of murder, at Kermanshah Prison
• Yarhossein Hassanvand, on a charge of murder, at Khorramabad Prison
• Mohammad Javad Kalani, on a charge of murder, at Nahavand Prison
• Hessam Nouzari, on a charge of murder, at Ardabil Prison
• Moslem Salimi, on drug-related charges, at Hamedan Prison
• One prisoner of unknown identity, on a charge of murder, at Dezful Prison

Sunday, December 21:

• Fariborz Ghasemi, on a charge of murder, at Yasuj Prison
• Reza Dastar, on drug-related charges, at Bandar Abbas Prison
• Kazem Sourian, on a charge of murder, at Qom Prison
•Vahid Pazouki, on drug-related charges, at Semnan Prison
• Ali Mohammad Koushki, on a charge of murder, at Borujerd Prison
• Amir Mohammad Jadidi, on a charge of murder, at Qazvin Prison
• Fardin Khani, on a charge of murder, at Arak Prison

The death sentences of two other prisoners were also carried out on murder charges at Tabriz Prison. The identity of one of them has been confirmed by HRANA as Ebrahim Mashayekhi.

As of the time of this report, the executions of these prisoners have not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

From the beginning of this year until the end of November, 2025, the Iranian regime has executed 1,594 people, marking an unprecedented increase compared to previous years.

Three Azerbaijani-Turk Activists Sentenced to Prison by Tabriz Revolutionary Court

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Amin Taghizadeh, Azerbaijani Turk activists, Reza Salimi, Samad Heydari, Tabriz

HRANA – Amin Taghizadeh, Samad Heydari, and Reza Salimi, three Azerbaijani-Turk activists, have been sentenced by Branch Two of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court to a total of 12 years and 9 months of discretionary imprisonment.

Based on the ruling issued by Branch Two of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Reza Abdi, Amin Taghizadeh, Samad Heydari, and Reza Salimi were each sentenced to three years and seven months in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security,” and an additional eight months in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

Samad Heydari and Reza Salimi had also been arrested earlier, in February 2025, in Tabriz and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in the city. Both were ultimately released from Tabriz Prison on February 6, 2025, after posting bail.

In March 2025, the three citizens were summoned to Branch 10 of the Tabriz Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office after receiving official notices. On March 1, 2025, Amin Taghizadeh was arrested after appearing at the branch and was later released after posting bail.

The court session addressing the charges against Mr. Heydari was held on April 13, 2025.

These Azerbaijani-Turk activists have previously faced judicial confrontations due to their activities.

Sadegh Mansouri Arrested in Mashhad

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Freedom of Expression, News
Khosrow Alikordi, Mashhad, Sadegh Mansouri, صادق منصوری

HRANA – Sadegh Mansouri, a resident of Mashhad, was arrested yesterday by security forces in the city and transferred to an undisclosed location.

The arrest took place on Sunday, December 21, 2025, when security forces raided his private residence in Mashhad. Based on information received by HRANA, officers stated at the time of arrest that the reason for this action was Mr. Mansouri’s presence at the seventh-day memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi.

So far, no information has been made available regarding his place of detention or the charges brought against him.

Yesterday, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Razavi Khorasan Province announced that out of 39 individuals arrested in connection with this ceremony, nine have been released after posting appropriate bail.

Previously, on December 18, 2025, HRANA published a report on the continued legal uncertainty of dozens of citizens arrested during the ceremony, as well as the release of some individuals on bail. That report included further details such as the charges attributed to those detained, transfers to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, and the release of several detainees under criminal bail orders.

On Friday, December 12, 2025, the seventh-day memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi was held at Ghadir Mosque in Mashhad with a large public turnout. The event was accompanied by protest chants from participants and ultimately turned violent following the intervention of law enforcement forces. During the incident, dozens of attendees were arrested by security forces. On Saturday, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Mashhad confirmed the arrest of 39 individuals during the ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer, stating that they were detained for what he described as “norm-breaking actions and behavior.” He also claimed that two law enforcement officers were injured during the event.

Sadegh Mansouri is a Mashhad-based citizen and an artist active in the field of calligraphy. He has previously faced security-related confrontations and arrest.

Uncertain Status of Iranian–Norwegian Citizen Shahin Mahmoudi Continues

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News, Prisoners
Sanandaj, Saqqez, Shahin Mahmoudi, شهین محمودی

HRANA – Eight days after her arrest, Shahin Mahmoudi, an Iranian-Norwegian dual national, remains in an uncertain legal situation at The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Sanandaj.

Based on information received by HRANA, Ms. Mahmoudi was summoned by telephone to the Ministry of Intelligence office in Saqqez on Sunday, December 14. Later that day, after appearing at the security agency, she was arrested. She was subsequently transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Sanandaj.

So far, no information has been provided to her family regarding the charges against her. Her relatives remain completely unaware of the reasons for her arrest, her health condition, and the status of her case.

Ms. Mahmoudi had traveled from Norway to Iran on Friday, November 28, a trip that was followed by her arrest and the opening of a judicial case against her.

Shahin Mahmoudi, born in 1979, is originally from Saqqez and holds Norwegian citizenship. Her name is registered as Shine Mahmoudi in Norwegian identity documents.