Mohammad Abolhassani, a civil rights activist, is serving his sentence in Choobindar Prison, Qazvin. Mr. Abolhassani has faced various deprivations in this prison due to his refusal to perform forced labor.
A source close to the prisoner’s family confirmed this news to HRANA, stating: “Since July 14, the authorities of Choobindar Prison have violated the principle of separation of crimes by transferring Mr. Abolhassani from Ward 17 to Ward 14, which is designated for financial crimes. In this ward, prisoners are obliged to perform forced labor. Mr. Abolhassani’s refusal to do forced labor led the authorities to deny his request for leave.”
The informed source added that this prisoner has also been threatened with punitive transfer to solitary confinement and deprivation of all prison facilities, including having a bed, if he continues to refuse forced labor.
Mohammad Abolhassani was summoned on December 14, 2021, to serve his prison sentence and was subsequently transferred to Evin Prison on January 1, 2022. On February 6, 2023, without prior notice, he was beaten and transferred from Evin Prison to Choobindar Prison in Qazvin.
Regarding a new case opened against him during his imprisonment, Abolhassani was sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Qazvin to three months in prison and twelve lashes for “disturbing public order. Ultimately, this prison sentence was converted to a fine.
In January 2021, while serving his previous sentence, he was tried in a new case along with two co-defendants and was initially sentenced by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to fifteen months in prison and four months of forced labor at the Agricultural Jihad Organization for four hours a day. In March 2021, this sentence was upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals.
In October 2022, he was also sentenced to four years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran for another case opened against him during his imprisonment.
Mohammad Abolhassani, a resident of Qazvin, has a history of arrest and conviction due to his activism.
