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Three Oshnavieh’s Residents Arrested by Security Forces

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News, Other
Edris Karsaz, Kamal Oghabi, Mohammad Rasulpour, Oshnavieh

Edris (Idris) Karsaz, Mohammad Rasulpour, and Kamal Oghabi, residents of Oshnavieh in West Azerbaijan province, were arrested by security forces in this city and transferred to an unknown location, according to a report by Kurdpa.

According to a source, Mr. Karsaz was arrested early in the morning on Wednesday, July 3rd, by security forces at his residence in Oshnavieh without a judicial warrant. On the other hand, Messrs. Rasul Pour and Oghabi were also arrested by security forces on the evening of Tuesday, July 2nd, without a judicial warrant.

As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained about the whereabouts and charges against these citizens.

Mohammad-Reza Amani Nazarlu Sentenced to Imprisonment

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Araz Amani, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Mohammad Reza Amani Nazarlu, Shabestar, Tabriz, آراز امانی نظرلو

Mohammad Reza (Araz) Amani Nazarlu, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, was sentenced to three months and one day in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Shabestar.

Based on a ruling issued on July 2nd by the Revolutionary Court of Shabestar and delivered to Mr. Amani Nazarlu, he was sentenced to three months and one day in prison on charges of “propaganda in favor of groups or organizations opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran.” He was acquitted of the charge of “insulting ordinary people.”

The court session to address this citizen’s charges was held on October 14, 2023, in the mentioned branch.

Amani was arrested by security forces in Shabestar on May 21st of last year. He was released on bail from Tabriz prison on June 10, 2023.

Four Prisoners Executed in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad

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Executions, News
Citizens executed, HRANA, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

On June 30, 2024, four inmates previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges were executed in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad.

These prisoners were hanged at dawn on Sunday, June 30th. Two of them were from Mashhad, one was from Quchan, and the other was an Afghan national. They had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death. The two prisoners from Mashhad were arrested in 2019.

Based on information received by HRANA, the execution of these prisoners was carried out without a final meeting with their families. Two of them were identified by HRANA as Yaser Ghafoorian and 47-year-old Mohammad Hooshyar Alizadeh.

No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these executions at the time of writing.

According to data gathered by the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj witnessed the highest number of executions in 2023, with Zahedan Prison following closely behind. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

Ruhollah Kavousi Remains Detained for Over 300 Days, Facing Political Charges

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News, Prisoners
ahvaz, HRANA, Izeh, Ruhollah Kavousi, Sheiban Prison

Ruhollah Kavousi, a political detainee, has been held in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, for over 300 days without resolution. Despite his poor health, he has been denied proper medical care and transfer to medical facilities.

A source close to Kavousi’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Mr. Kavousi has developed kidney and liver diseases, affecting his physical health. Nonetheless, he has been denied transfer to external medical facilities and proper medical care.”

Based on HRANA’s information, despite 306 days passing since his arrest, Kavousi remains in limbo in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz. His case is under review by the second branch of the Izeh Prosecutor’s Office. He faces charges including “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.”

Kavousi, from Izeh, was arrested by security forces in Ahvaz on September 1, 2023, and subsequently transferred to Sheiban Prison in the city.

Political Prisoner Jamal Ameli Denied Medical Care in Evin Prison

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Prisoners
Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Jamal Ameli, Tehran

Jamal Ameli, a political prisoner, is serving his sentence in Ward 8 of Evin Prison. Despite his poor health, he has been denied proper medical care and transfer to medical facilities outside the prison.

A source close to the prisoner’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Mr. Ameli suffers from an autoimmune disease, and the lack of access to necessary medications and regular visits to a doctor has led to spinal complications and other consequences of this illness. Despite his poor health, he has been denied proper medical care and transfer to medical facilities outside the prison.”

Based on HRANA’s reports, Mr. Ameli’s deprivation of new tests and timely and continuous treatment has led to more skin wounds and other severe problems, increasing the concerns of Mr. Ameli’s relatives and family regarding his physical health.

Jamal Ameli, a Tehran resident, was arrested on April 6 after appearing at the Evin Prosecutor’s Office and was transferred to Evin Prison to serve his one-year prison sentence. He had previously been summoned to this judicial branch to serve his sentence.

In February of last year, he was sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, on charges of “assembly and collusion to commit a crime against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.”

Mohammad Ali (Jamal) Ameli, a Tehran resident, has a history of arrests and judicial encounters due to his activities. On October 30, 2012, he was arrested and later summoned for further explanations.

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Execution of Two Afghan Nationals for Drug Offenses in Shiraz

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Executions, News
Adelabad Prison, Afghan nationals, Afzal-Allah Bakhsh, Ali-Allah Bakhsh, Shiraz

On Sunday, June 30, two Afghan nationals who had previously been sentenced to death for drug-related offenses were executed in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, as reported by Iran Human Rights Organization.

Their identities have been reported as “Ali-Allah Bakhsh and Afzal-Allah Bakhsh, both Afghan nationals.”

The report states that Ali and Afzal were related. They were arrested in Shiraz three years ago on charges related to drug offenses and subsequently sentenced to death by the judiciary.

No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these 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.

According to data compiled by HRANA, in 2023, Adelabad Prison carried out 49 executions, ranking five among prisons across Iran. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

Baha’i Citizen Payam Vali Receives One Year in Prison and Other Punishments

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News, Religious Minorities
Alborz Revolutionary Court, Bahais, Ghezel Hesar prison, Payam Vali

Payam Vali, a Baha’i citizen, has been sentenced by the Karaj Revolutionary Court to one year in prison, a two-year travel ban, and a ban on social media use in relation to a case opened against him during his imprisonment. He is currently serving a previous sentence in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

Based on a verdict issued on Saturday, June 29, 2024, by Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Narimani, Vali was sentenced to one year in prison, a two-year travel ban, and a ban on social media use for the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

The hearing for Vali’s charges was held on June 8 this year in the aforementioned branch.

A close associate of Vali told HRANA, “Publishing an open letter from prison was cited as evidence for the charges against him.” In this letter, Vali protested his illegal detention and the charges against him, and copies were sent to several political and judicial leaders of the Islamic Republic.

Vali’s arrest took place on September 24, 2022, when security forces apprehended him at his residence in Karaj and conducted a search of his house. Subsequently, he was detained in Rajai Shahr Prison before being relocated to Ghezel Hesar Prison.

In early February of the same year, Vali was sentenced by Branch 1 of the Alborz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Seyed Mousa Asef Hosseini, to ten years in prison for “collaborating with hostile governments,” five years for “inciting people to war and killing each other,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” with credit for time served, and additional punishments including a two-year travel ban post-imprisonment and two years of compulsory residence in Yasuj with weekly reporting to the Revolutionary Court.

Finally, on May 10, 2023, his sentence was reduced by the Alborz Court of Appeals to nine years and nine months in prison. Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe punishment, six years in prison, will be enforced. Vali’s request for a retrial was denied by the Supreme Court in early January 2024.

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.

An Instagram Blogger Arrested in Qazvin and His Account Blocked

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Freedom of Expression, News
Maryam Ghalibaf, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Vahid Nemati

On June 28, 2024, Vahid Nemati, an Instagram blogger, was summoned and arrested by security forces in Qazvin for allegedly “publishing criminal content.”

Nemati, known for creating humorous videos in response to current events, was detained by a security agency in Qazvin. The content on his Instagram and Facebook pages, which had about 90,000 followers, was deleted, and an image stating “By order of the honorable judicial authority, this page has been blocked due to the publication of criminal content” was posted.

Recently, Nemati released a video in which he criticized the remarks of Maryam Ghalibaf, daughter of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and a candidate in the 2024 presidential election in Iran, using humorous rap music. This video went viral, being viewed and shared millions of times on social media.

As of the time of this report, no information is available about Nemati’s whereabouts or the charges against him.

Women’s Rights Advocate Atefeh Rangriz Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Atefeh Rangriz, Damghan, HRANA, Semnan, Shahroud

Atefeh Rangriz, a women’s rights activist, was arrested on Saturday, June 29th, after a court session addressing her charges and was transferred to Shahrud Prison.

A source close to the family of this women’s rights activist confirmed the news to HRANA, saying: “Ms. Rangriz was arrested after a court session addressing her charges in Branch 1 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Damghan and was transferred to Shahrud Prison.” She had recently been summoned to the mentioned branch to defend herself against charges of “forming a group aiming to disrupt national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “disseminating falsehoods on the Internet to disturb public opinion.”

Rangriz’s initial arrest dates back to September 10, 2023, when she was arrested by security forces in Damghan and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Semnan. After completing the interrogation process, she was moved to Shahrud Prison. She was finally released on bail from Shahrud Prison on October 21, 2023.

Rangriz has previously been arrested and sentenced due to her activities.

Farhad Sheikhi Sentenced to Imprisonment and Additional Penalties

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News
Alborz, Divandarreh, Farhad Sheikhi, Hashtgerd, Karaj, Karaj Central Prison, Musa Asif al-Hosseini, فرهاد شیخی

Farhad Sheikhi, a workers’ rights advocate, has been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Karaj to one year in prison, a two-year travel ban, two years of mandatory residence in Divandarreh, and a two-year ban on living in Alborz and Tehran provinces.

Based on a verdict recently issued by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj, presided over by Judge Seyed Musa Asif al-Hosseini and communicated to Mr. Sheikhi, he has been sentenced to one year in prison, two years of exile to Divandarreh in Kurdistan province, and a two-year travel ban for the charge of “propaganda against the regime.” Additionally, after the period of exile, he is prohibited from living in Alborz and Tehran provinces for two years. His court session regarding this charge was held on June 19th of this year.

Farhad Sheikhi was arrested by security forces at his home in Hashtgerd on May 28th of 2023 and was subsequently transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.

Mr. Sheikhi was eventually released on June 13th of the same year from Karaj Central Prison on a bail of 100 million Tomans after being formally charged at the Hashtgerd Prosecutor’s Office.

This workers’ rights advocate has previously been arrested and sentenced due to his activities. He was released from prison on February 7, 2023, as per a pardon directive.