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Appeals Court Upholds Prison Sentence and Defrocking of Shiite Cleric Mohammad-Taghi Akbarnejad

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Freedom of Expression, News
irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Mohammad-Taghi Akbarnejad, Qom prison

HRANA – The Appeals Court of the Special Clerical Court has upheld the prison sentence and defrocking order against Shiite cleric Mohammad-Taghi Akbarnejad. In the initial ruling, he had been sentenced to 23 months and six days in prison, along with three years of defrocking from the clergy.

A page attributed to this cleric reported that the Appeals Court of the Special Clerical Court confirmed in full both his prison sentence and defrocking order. In the lower court, he had been sentenced to eight months and one day in prison on the charge of “acting against the regim,” and to 15 months and five days in prison for “insulting the leaders of the Islamic Revolution.” Additionally, he was sentenced to three years of defrocking on the charge of “dishonoring the clergy.”

Mr. Akbarnejad was released from Qom Prison in March 2024 after posting bail. His arrest had taken place on February 17, 2024, by agents of the IRGC Intelligence.

In an earlier audio message sent to HRANA, Akbarnejad described being pressured to make forced confessions.

Mr. Akbarnejad, a Shiite cleric and former professor at the Qom Seminary, has previously faced judicial action due to his activities.

Ehsan Rostami Arrested by Security Forces in Tehran

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News, Other
Ehsan Rostami, Tehran, احسان رستمی

HRANA – On Wednesday, August 19, Ehsan Rostami, a Tehran resident, was arrested by security forces in the city and transferred to an undisclosed location.

Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Rostami was arrested at his private residence in Tehran on Wednesday, August 20, by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location. So far, no information has been obtained regarding his whereabouts, the reasons for his arrest, or the charges against him.

Ehsan Rostami is a cultural activist in the field of publishing and books.

Mojtaba Moghiseh Arrested in Sabzevar

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Freedom of Expression, News
Mojtaba Moghiseh, Sabzevar, مجتبی مقیسه

HRANA – On Wednesday, August 20, Mojtaba Moghiseh, a resident of Sabzevar, was arrested by security forces in the city and transferred to an undisclosed location.

A source close to the family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Mr. Moghiseh was arrested on Wednesday, August 20, by security forces in Sabzevar. Since his detention, he has not contacted his family, and his whereabouts remain unknown.” At the time of this report, no information is available regarding the reasons for his arrest.

In late 2024, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Sabzevar sentenced him to seven months and 15 days in prison and one year of exile. In late-April 2025, Moghiseh’s conviction was upheld in full by the Court of Appeals of Razavi Khorasan Province.

Another part of his case, on the charge of insulting sacred beliefs, is still under review at Branch 103 of the Criminal Court of Sabzevar.

Mojtaba Moghiseh is one of those arrested during the 2022 nationwide protests in Sabzevar and has previously faced arrest and conviction over his activities.

Nariman Randani Arrested by Security Forces

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Freedom of Expression, News
Nariman Randani, Nariman Rendani, Saqqez

HRANA – On August 19, 2025, Nariman Randani, a civil rights activist and resident of Saqqez, was arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.

His brother, Milad Randani, confirmed the news, writing: “My brother Nariman was arrested for the third time in recent months. Yesterday at 6 a.m., intelligence forces came to our house again and arrested him. I have no information about Nariman’s whereabouts.”

On May 11, 2025, Nariman Randani was released on bail. He had previously been arrested on April 9, 2025, for unknown reasons.

Randani had also been arrested earlier, on February 25, 2025, in connection with a general strike in Kurdish cities, and was later released.

Writers Nina Golestani and Rozita Rajai Sentenced to Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, IRGC Intelligence, Lakan prison, Nina Golestani and Rozita Rajaie, Rasht, Rozita Rajai, رزیتا رجایی, نینا گلستانی

HRANA – Nina Golestani and Rozita Rajai, two fiction writers from Rasht, have each been sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of the city.

According to Hyrcani, the two writers were previously tried by Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht on charges of “propaganda against the regime on social media.” The court has now sentenced each of them to one year in prison.

Another joint case against the two remains under judicial review. Charges in that case include “spreading falsehoods, appearing in public without hijab, publishing images and content deemed contrary to public morality, and disclosing preliminary investigations of the prosecutor’s office.”

Rozita Rajai was released on bail from Lakan Prison in Rasht on August 3, 2025, after being arrested on July 19 following a prosecutor’s office interrogation.

Nina Golestani was released on bail from Lakan Prison on March 16, 2025. She had been arrested on March 11, 2025, in Rasht by IRGC intelligence agents and transferred to the same facility.

Both writers have previously faced judicial convictions in relation to their activities.

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Two prisoners executed in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan

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Executions, News
Dastgerd Prison, Hossein Karimi, HRANA, Isfahan, Taleb Rikani, حسین کریمی, طالب ریکانی

HRANA– At dawn yesterday, August 21, two prisoners were executed in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan. These prisoners had previously been sentenced to death in separate cases on charges related to drug offenses and murder.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of the prisoners as Taleb Rikani, from Khuzestan, and Hossein Karimi.

According to information received by HRANA, Mr. Karimi had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

Mr. Rikani had earlier been arrested on a charge of murder and subsequently sentenced to death by a Criminal Court.

As of the time of this report, the execution of these prisoners has not been announced by prison officials or judicial authorities.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, over 52 percent of executed prisoners had been convicted on drug-related charges. Over the past ten years, individuals convicted of drug trafficking have accounted for 40 percent of all executions. Unfortunately, HRANA’s statistics show no progress in reducing executions for drug-related offenses.

For the second time, Babak Shahbazi’s request for retrial rejected by the Supreme Court

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Executions, News
Babak Shahbazi, Evin Prison, Ghezel Hesar prison

HRANA – Branch 9 of the Supreme Court has for the second time rejected the retrial request of Babak Shahbazi, a political prisoner sentenced to death and currently held in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj.

Kian Shahbazi, Babak Shahbazi’s brother, confirmed in a statement yesterday that the retrial request had once again been dismissed by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court, under the authority of Judge Ghasem Mazinani.

Two days ago, after 12 days without any contact or information about his condition, Shahbazi was transferred to the public ward of Ghezel Hesar Prison. His family had previously voiced concern about the lack of information regarding his situation.

BBC Persian has previously reported that Babak Shahbazi’s death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Shahbazi was arrested on charges of espionage and sentenced to death, with prosecutors citing his attempt to send a message to the President of Ukraine as evidence for the charge.

He was initially arrested in December 2023 and transferred to Evin Prison. Following an Israeli airstrike on the facility, he, along with other political prisoners, was relocated to the Greater Tehran Penitentiary before later being moved to Ghezel Hesar Prison.

Three Prisoners Executed in Kerman Prison

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Executions, News
HRANA, Kangavar, Kerman prison, Milad Narouei, Safarali Keyfari

HRANA- At dawn on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, the death sentences of three prisoners previously convicted on charges related to drug offenses were carried out in Kerman Prison.

HRANA has identified two of the executed prisoners as Safarali Keyfari and Milad Narouei. Keyfari, a resident of Kangavar, was the father of three children.

The third prisoner, whose identity is still being confirmed, was from Shiraz. He had been sentenced to death in the same case as Kamran Amraei – executed in the same prison last week – under Article 45 of the Islamic Penal Code, which prescribes the death penalty for certain drug-related offenses.

According to information received by HRANA, all three prisoners executed yesterday had been arrested in separate drug-related cases and subsequently sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and relevant institutions have not officially announced the executions.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, over 52 percent of executed prisoners had been convicted on drug-related charges. Over the past ten years, individuals convicted of drug trafficking have accounted for 40 percent of all executions. Unfortunately, HRANA’s statistics show no progress in reducing executions for drug-related offenses.

Shahram Fallah, Baha’i Citizen, Arrested in Kerman

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizens, HRANA, Kerman, Shahram Fallah

HRANA – On the evening of Monday, August 18, 2025, Shahram Fallah, a 64-year-old Baha’i citizen of Kerman, was arrested at his home by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and transferred to that agency’s detention facility.

A source close to the family told HRANA: “Intelligence agents in Kerman came to Mr. Fallah’s home that evening and arrested him while several guests were present. They confiscated the mobile phones of family members and guests, along with a number of Mr. Fallah’s religious books and images. Since his arrest, he has not contacted his family.”

The reasons for his arrest and the charges against him remain unknown.

Mr. Fallah has previously faced judicial harassment, arrest, and imprisonment.

Recently, HRANA published a statistical report on the widespread human rights violations against Baha’i citizens in Iran over the past five years.

Mehdi Jahangiri Arrested in Tehran

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Mehdi Jahangiri, University of Tehran, مهدی جهانگیری

HRANA– Mehdi Jahangiri, a resident of Tehran, was arrested today by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence at his workplace and transferred to an undisclosed location.

A source close to the family confirmed the arrest to HRANA, stating: “This morning, Wednesday, August 20, 2025, Mehdi Jahangiri was arrested at his workplace. Ministry of Intelligence agents carried out the arrest without presenting a judicial warrant.”

According to information received by HRANA, the arrest was linked to his social media posts and protests over repeated power outages.

As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained regarding his whereabouts or the charges against him.

Mehdi Jahangiri, a University of Tehran graduate and worker at the Golgoun Industrial Town, had previously been arrested by the security police on December 16 of last year during a workers’ protest at the same industrial complex. He was later released on bail.