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Political Detainee Alireza Merdasi Denied Medical Care in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz

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News, Prisoners
ahvaz, Alireza Mardasi, Alireza Merdasi, HRANA, Sheiban Prison

Alireza Merdasi, a teacher and political detainee, remains in legal limbo in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, more than a year after his arrest. He suffers from health issues and has been denied proper medical care and transfer to outside medical facilities.

A source close to the family of this political detainee confirmed the news to HRANA, stating, “Mr. Mardasi suffers from a lung condition and has been deprived of specialized medical care and transfer to medical facilities. Furthermore, he has been held in legal uncertainty for over a year in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, and has yet to face a court trial.”

Merdasi was arrested by security forces in Ahvaz on August 1, 2023.

He was later charged with “spreading corruption on Earth” and “membership in a rebellious group.”

Alireza Merdasi, approximately 45 years old, a father of one, a resident of Ahvaz, has over twenty years of experience teaching at the elementary level.

Somayeh Rostami Arrested by Security Forces in Ilam

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Freedom of Expression, News, Other
Ilam, Somayeh Rostami, سمیه رستمی

Somayeh Rostami, a resident of Ilam, was arrested by security forces in the city and transferred to an undisclosed location, according to Kurdpa.

The identity of the individual has been reported as 21-year-old Somayeh Rostami, a resident of Ilam.

According to the report, this citizen was arrested by security forces on Monday, August 5th.

As of the time of this report, the reasons for Ms. Rostami’s arrest and her place of detention remain unknown.

Death Sentences for Six Prisoners Upheld by the Supreme Court

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Abdolhakim Azim Gorgij, Abdolrahman Gorgij, Farhad Shakeri, HRANA, Isa Eidmohammadi, Malek Ali Fadaie-Nasab, Mashhad, Taj Mohammad Khormaly, Vakilabad prison

Branch 39 of  the Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences of Malek Ali Fadaie-Nasab, Farhad Shakeri, Isa Eidmohammadi, Abdolhakim Azim Gorgij, Abdolrahman Gorgij, and Taj Mohammad Khormali, political prisoners held in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

In early July 2023, Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced each of these prisoners to death on the charge of “armed rebellion (Baghi)” after a retrial in a joint case.

A source close to the family of one of these political prisoners confirmed the news to HRANA, stating that the Supreme Court’s 39th Branch had upheld their death sentences.

In 2019, Branch 1 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mahmoud Davoodabadi, sentenced these prisoners to death on charges of “armed rebellion through membership in the Salafi group Hizb al-Furqan and membership in the National Solidarity Front of Sunni Muslims of Iran.”

Subsequently, Branch 4 of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Ali Razini, overturned their death sentences and referred the case to a another court branch for retrial. In July 2023, Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Ahmadian Salami, re-issued death sentences for these prisoners after a retrial.

After the death sentences were issued, the case was referred back to Branch 39 of the Supreme Court for further review.

A source close to the families of these prisoners previously informed HRANA that “this case is fraught with fundamental flaws, and there is insufficient evidence to convict these individuals of the charges against them. The use of pepper spray against one of the prisoners is an example of the torture inflicted upon them. The effects of such torture remain on their bodies even after several years.”

Sereen Curtis Sentenced to Over 9 Years in Prison and Additional Penalties

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Freedom of Expression, News
Iranian-New Zealand citizen, Karaj Revolutionary Court, New Zealand, Sereen Badiei, Sereen Curtis

Sereen Curtis (Badiei), known as “Shahzadeh Sereen,” a dual Iranian-New Zealand citizen, has been sentenced by Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court to 9 years, 1 month, and 16 days in prison, according to Emtedad. He also received a two-year ban on leaving the country and engaging in social media activities.

His lawyer, Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani, stated that Mr. Curtis was sentenced to 66 months in prison for the charge of “provoking impurity and indecency,” 36 months for “insulting religious sanctities,” and 7 months and 16 days for “propaganda against the regime,” totaling 109 months and 16 days in prison. Additionally, he was sentenced to a two-year ban on leaving the country and engaging in social media activities as supplementary penalties.

Sharifzadeh Ardakani announced in late July that Mr. Curtis’s court session for the mentioned charges was held in Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court. He added that Sereen Curtis brought several assets, including jewelry and cash (dollars), to Iran, which have been confiscated. As a result, his client has faced financial difficulties while in prison, a situation they have reported to some of his acquaintances and the New Zealand Embassy.

Noting that the New Zealand Embassy is aware of his client’s case, Sharifzadeh Ardakani emphasized that his client was hospitalized for two weeks at Roozbeh Hospital in Tehran and is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. They requested that he be re-evaluated by a three-member forensic medical commission, given his bipolar disorder, which is considered a type of schizophrenia and occasionally causes sudden insanity.

Sharifzadeh Ardakani expressed hope that considering these points to prove his client’s mental instability, the issued sentence will be thoroughly reviewed by the judges in the Karaj Court of Appeal.

Sareen Curtis (Badiei), a 51-year-old dual Iranian-New Zealand citizen who also holds US residency, was arrested by security forces in Karaj on March 25 of this year. Shortly after his arrest, he was transferred to a solitary cell in Ward 12 of the Central Prison of Karaj and eventually moved to Ward 15 of the same prison in June.

Hekmat Amiri Sentenced to Imprisonment

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Freedom of Expression, News
Dehgolan, Hekmat Amiri, حکمت امیری

Hekmat Amiri, a resident of Dehgolan in Kurdistan province, was sentenced to forty-two months in prison by the Revolutionary Court of this county, as reported by Kurdpa.

Based on a ruling issued by Branch 1 of the Dehgolan Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Rostami Ahghar, and communicated to Mr. Amiri in late July, he was sentenced to forty-two months in prison on charges of propaganda against the regime”” and “collaboration with anti-regime groups and organizations.” Thirty-six months of the sentence have been suspended.

Hekmat Amiri is a resident of Dehgolan who is active in the fields of environmental protection and addiction treatment.

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Prisoner Executed in Sabzevar Prison

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Executions, News
Akbar Gohari, Sabzevar

At dawn on Tuesday, August 6, a prisoner who had previously been sentenced to death on charges of murder was executed in Sabzevar Prison in Razavi Khorasan province, according to Iran Human Rights Organization.

The identity of this prisoner has been reported as “Akbar Gohari, approximately 40 years old and the father of one child.”

The report states that Mr. Gohari was arrested about three years ago on charges of murder and was sentenced to death by the judiciary.

As of the time of this report, the execution of this prisoner has not been announced by prison officials or relevant authorities.

According to the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran, in 2023, at least 767 citizens, including 21 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the executions of 7 individuals were carried out in public. Additionally, during this period, 172 others were sentenced to death, with 5 of them sentenced to public execution. It is worth noting that during the same period, the initial death sentences of 49 other individuals were also upheld by the Supreme Court.

Mehrdad Bakhtiari Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News
Manouchehr Bakhtiari, Mehrdad Bakhtiari, Pouya Bakhtiari, Rajai Shahr Prison

Mehrdad Bakhtiari, the paternal uncle of Pouya Bakhtiari, one of the victims of the November 2019 protests, was arrested by security forces and transferred to an unknown location on August 7, 2024.

His sister, Saba Bakhtiari, announced this news and stated that the agents beat Mehrdad Bakhtiari during his arrest. The reasons for his arrest and his whereabouts are currently unknown.

In March 2024, Mr. Bakhtiari was sentenced by the Karaj Revolutionary Court to five years in prison, a two-year travel ban, and two years of exile to Shahrekord.

It is noteworthy that in April 2023, a court session was held in Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court to address other charges against Mehrdad Bakhtiari. He was acquitted of the charges in that case.

On July 11, 2022, Mehrdad Bakhtiari was arrested by security forces and transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj after publishing a video about the arrest of Ms. Shirpisheh, Pouya Bakhtiari’s mother, and posting images of the broken lock on her house. He was released on bail on September 3 of the same year.

Previously, Manouchehr Bakhtiari, Pouya Bakhtiari’s father, announced that his 27-year-old son was shot and killed during the November 2019 protests in Mehrshahr district, Karaj. According to him, Pouya, along with his sister and mother, joined the protesters on the second day of the demonstrations against the increase in gasoline prices when he was shot in the skull and died before reaching the hospital.

Meysam Basir Tavana Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News
Fuman, HRANA, Mehran Basir Tavana, Meysam Basir Tavana

On Tuesday, August 6, Meysam Basir Tavana, the brother of Mehran Basir Tavana, who was killed during the nationwide protests in 2022, was arrested and transferred to an unknown location.

Based on reports received by HRANA, so far, the efforts of his family and relatives to find out his whereabouts and latest status have been unsuccessful.

In April of this year, Meysam Basir Tavana, along with two other family members, was arrested and released a few hours later.

In January of 2024, Basir Tavana was summoned to the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Fuman.

On November 19, 2022, 29-year-old Mehran Basir Tavana was killed by regime forces’ gunfire during a protest in Someh Sara, Gilan Province.

Baha’i Citizen Matin Fahandej Saadi Arrested by Security Forces

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News, Religious Minorities
Kerman, Matin Fahandej Saadi

On August 5, 34 years old Matin Fahandej Saadi, a Baha’i citizen residing in Kerman, was arrested by IRGC intelligence of the city and transferred to an unknown location.

A source close to the family confirmed this news to HRANA and said: “Matin Fahandej Saadi was arrested at his father’s workplace by the IRGC intelligence forces of Kerman. The security forces then went to his business, a pet boarding house, searched the place, and confiscated some personal belongings and CCTV cameras.”

The source added: “Despite the family’s efforts to follow up on Matin’s status at the local police station, Kerman’s Judicial Branch No. 5, and the IRGC intelligence office in Kerman, they have not received any information regarding the reasons for his arrest or his whereabouts. Judge Hadi Khalooie is in charge of this Baha’i citizen’s case and has issued a 48-hour detention order. The Kerman prosecutor’s office informed the family that they need to wait until August 10 for the case to be registered and then follow up on Matin Fahandej Saadi’s status. Matin has only had one brief phone call with his family since his arrest.”

Baha’is are subjected to violations of their religious rights, comprising 82% of reports on infringements against religious minorities, according to HRA’s 2023 annual report.

The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.

Twenty-Two Prisoners Executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj

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Executions, News
Abdollah Shahnawazi, Esmaiel Sharafi, Ghezel Hesar prison, HRANA, Karaj, Mohammad Gholami, Shahab Maleki

Today, August 7, 2024, the execution of twenty-two prisoners, previously sentenced to death for non-political crimes including murder, drug-related offenses, and rape, was carried out in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj.

The identities of six of these prisoners, who were sentenced to death for drug-related offenses, have been confirmed by HRANA as Esmaiel Sharafi, Mohammad Gholami, Abdollah Shahnawazi, Shahab Maleki, Rasoul (last name unknown), and (first name unknown) Ghanbari.

Seven of these prisoners were previously sentenced to death for drug-related offenses, four prisoners for murder, three Afghan nationals for rape, seven Sunni prisoners and one other individual with unspecified charges.

In the past few days, these prisoners had been transferred to solitary confinement in Ghezel Hesar Prison in preparation for their execution. HRANA had reported the imminent danger of these 22 executions yesterday.

Further details on this matter are being investigated by HRANA.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially announced by prison authorities or responsible organizations.
According to the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran, in 2023, at least 767 citizens, including 21 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the executions of 7 individuals were carried out in public. Additionally, during this period, 172 others were sentenced to death, with 5 of them sentenced to public execution. It is worth noting that during the same period, the initial death sentences of 49 other individuals were also upheld by the Supreme Court.