Author: . .

Koroush Jalil Detained by the Ministry of Intelligence

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News

On May 24, 2024, Koroush Jalil was detained by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location, according to a source close to his family.

Confirming Jalil’s arrest, a source close to his family informed HRANA that the Ministry of Intelligence is responsible for his arrest.

Jalil previously faced arrest on May 12, 2022, in connection with a protest organized by working and retired teachers and educators in Yasuj. After being formally charged, he was temporarily released on bail.

In February 2024, Jalil was again implicated in legal issues, facing multiple charges including “propaganda against the regime through activities on Instagram,” “inciting violence by calling for protests and causing unrest via social media posts,” “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran and the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and “blasphemy, which includes derogatory comments about the Quran, Kaaba, the Islamic prophet, and Shia Imams.”

In March of the same year, the Revolutionary Court of Yasuj convened to address these allegations against Jalil and five other co-defendants.

Jalil, a 43-year-old resident of Yasuj, has previously encountered law enforcement and undergone prior arrest due to his activism.

Supreme Court of Iran Rejects Retrial Request of Jewish Death-Row Inmate Arvin Ghahremani

Posted on by . .
News
Arvin Ghahremani, Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, Kermanshah, Nathanael, Qisas, آروین قهرمانی

The Supreme Court of Iran has dismissed the retrial request of Arvin Ghahremani (Nathaniel), a 20-year-old Iranian Jew sentenced to death for his involvement in a fatal altercation that resulted in the death of one man named Amir Shokri. Ghahremani, who is currently held in Dizelabad Prison in Kermanshah, was rapidly tried and sentenced to death.

Last week, his legal team was informed of the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the retrial application. Amidst growing concerns, several public figures, including prominent artists, are trying to petition the victim’s family for forgiveness, which could potentially halt the execution.

Ghahremani’s case highlights the additional challenges faced by members of religious minorities under Iran’s legal system.

A video recently circulated on social media features Ghahremani’s mother appealing for public support to stop the execution. She pleads, “Pray for Arvin to come back home again.” Dr. Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, head of Iran’s Jewish Committee, confirmed that attempts to meet with the victim’s family and the newly appointed Imam of Friday Prayer in Kermanshah, Sheikh Mohammad-Hassan Rahimian, have been rejected. Efforts by the MP from Natanz to mediate were also fruitless, and proposals such as constructing a school in the victim’s name have been declined.

This case has heightened concerns within Iran’s Jewish community. Human rights activists argue that the retribution laws and their uneven application between Muslims and non-Muslims reflect systemic discrimination against religious minorities in Iran. These laws, rooted in religious ideology, often disadvantage non-Muslim citizens.

While Qisas mandates capital punishment if a non-Muslim kills a Muslim, the reverse scenario does not hold—a Muslim who kills a non-Muslim is only obliged to pay blood money. This legal disparity is a significant barrier to a fair trial and the achievement of civil rights in Iran.

The ongoing enforcement of unjust penalties for the murder of non-Muslims has led to numerous extrajudicial killings, especially of Iran’s Baha’i community, by extremist elements.

Ali Reyhani Kujuvar Detained for Remarks on Iranian President’s Death

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Reyhani Kujuvar, Ebrahim Raisi, Tabriz

Security forces have detained Ali Reyhani Kujuvar after he posted comments about the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. Reyhani is currently held in Tabriz prison.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of Sunday, May 19th, when a helicopter carrying President Raisi and several officials, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, crashed in the Dizmar forest between Varzaqan and Jolfa. Official media reported the deaths of Raisi and his companions the following morning, after locating the crash site and the wreckage. Numerous citizens have been arrested or faced legal action for expressing views on the incident, which the authorities have found objectionable.

Three Individuals Executed for Drug-Related Crimes in Meshginshahr

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Ardabil, Fardin Musazadeh, Hatef Sha'abani, Mehdi Khadem, Meshginshahr

On May 18, 2024, three prisoners convicted on drug charges were executed at Meshginshahr Prison in Ardabil Province, as reported by the Iran Human Rights Organization.

The individuals executed were Fardin Musazadeh, a 40-year-old father of two, along with Mehdi Khadem, 27, and Hatef Sha’abani, 30.

Musazadeh was arrested and sentenced to death five years ago, while Khadem and Sha’abani were apprehended and similarly sentenced three years ago, all in separate cases involving drug offenses.

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.

The reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists for the year 2023 reveal a concerning prevalence of executions for drug offenses in Iran, constituting 56.4% of the total executions. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

Five Arrested in Hashtrud for Environmental Protest

Posted on by . .
Environment, News, Other
Aghil Talebi, Davoud Sharifi, Hadi Sharifi, Hashtrud, Jafar Sharifi, Rahmat Saeedi

In Hashtrud, East Azerbaijan province, five individuals were detained by security forces following a protest against environmental damage.

The detainees, identified by HRANA as Rahmat Saeedi, Jafar Sharifi, Davoud Sharifi, Hadi Sharifi, and Aghil Talebi, are residents of a village in Hashtrud County.
They were protesting the ecological harm caused by local sandwashing workshops. The protest escalated into violence following intervention by police and security agents, leading to multiple arrests. The specific charges against the arrested individuals have not yet been disclosed.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Juvenile Offender Executed in Miandoab

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
execution of juvenile offender, Miandoab, Ramin Sa'adat, رامین سعادت

On May 18, 2024, 20-year-old Ramin Sa’adat was executed at Miandoab Prison for a murder committed when he was 16 years and five months old, reports Kurdpa.

Sa’adat was arrested after a fatal altercation. He maintained throughout his trial that he had not delivered the deadly blows.

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

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered the execution of 767 individuals. Out of these, 7 were carried out in public. Among the executed individuals whose genders were identified, 21 were female. Additionally, 2 juvenile offenders, defined as individuals under the age of 18 at the time of their alleged crimes, were also executed. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s annual report.

Appellate Court Upholds One-Year Sentence for Political Activist Reza Ramezanzadeh

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Reza Ramezanzadeh, Tehran

Branch 36 of the Tehran Appellate Court has upheld a one-year prison sentence for Reza Ramezanzadeh.

The sentence was originally imposed by Branch 24 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, which convicted Ramezanzadeh of “disseminating false information” related to reporting on the conditions of prisoners.

Ramezanzadeh was initially detained in late February 2024 after attending a hearing at the Evin Prosecutor’s Office. He was released on bail three days later.

This incident marks another chapter in Ramezanzadeh’s history of arrests and legal challenges stemming from his political activism.

Four Political Detainees Face Armed Rebellion Charges

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
Abolhassan Montazer, armed rebellion, Babak Alipour, Baghi, Mohammad Taghavi, Pouya Ghobadi, Vahid Bani-Amerian

Pouya Ghobadi, Babak Alipour, Abolhassan Montazer, and Seyed-Mohammad Taghavi have been recently indicted of armed rebellion (Baghi) by the Public and Revolutionary Court of Tehran. This charge which carries the potential for severe penalties, including the death penalty, raises concerns.

On May 14, 2024, these individuals were indicted of “armed rebellion” for allegations of their involvement with an anti-regime group” and “assembly and collusion against national security.”

Earlier HRANA reported that another political detainee Vahid Bani-Amerian has also faced the same charges. He has been reportedly moved from Ward 209 of Evin prison to the quarantine section of this prison, following his indictment.

Under the Islamic penal code, Baghi is a grievous offense that can lead to severe punishments, including execution, amputation of the right hand and left foot, and exile.

Abolhassan Montazer and Babak Alipour were arrested separately in Tehran on December 22, 2023. Pouya Ghobadi was detained by security forces in Chaldoran, West Azerbaijan province, on February 23, 2024, and subsequently transferred to Maku and then Evin prison. Seyed Mohammad Taqavi was also detained by security forces late last year.

Prior Arrest and Conviction:

Montazer, 65, a political prisoner from the 1980s, was arrested in 2018, sentenced to five years, and released from Rajai-Shahr Prison in Karaj under a pardon directive after serving three years of his prison term.

Babak Alipour was also previously arrested with his brother Roozbeh while working at a market in Rasht on November 4, 2018. Sentenced to seven years for “membership in anti-regime groups and insulting the Supreme Leader,” he began his sentence at Lakan Prison in Rasht and was released from Evin Prison last spring.

Pouya Ghobadi, an electrical engineering graduate from the University of Sanandaj, was initially arrested in May 2018, sentenced to eighteen years and exile, and was released in 2022 under a pardon directive.

Seyed Mohammad Taqavi, 57, also a former political detainee from the 1980s, holds a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Tehran University and has previously served a prison sentence.

Mashallah Karami Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
Karaj, Mohammad-Mehdi Karami, Nazarabad

Mashallah Karami was sentenced to six years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Karaj. This follows the execution of his son, Mohammad-Mehdi Karami, by the regime for his participation in the 2022 nationwide protests.

On May 20, 2024, Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Karaj handed down a verdict sentencing Karami to five years for “assembly and collusion against national security” and an additional year for “propaganda against the regime.”

In March, Karami’s lawyer, Sharifzadeh Ardekani, revealed that his client also faces charges of “acquisition of illegal property” and “money laundering,” which are pending in the Criminal Court of Nazarabad.

Karami was arrested at his home on August 22, 2023. During the arrest, authorities conducted a search, seizing various items from him and his family.

He was initially detained at the Ministry of Intelligence facility before being transferred to the Central Prison of Karaj on October 28, 2023. After spending three months in the prison’s quarantine section, Karami was moved to Ward 15.

It is notable that Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini, both implicated in the death of Basij militia member Ruhollah Ajamian, were executed on January 7, 2023.

Background on the 2022 Nationwide Protests

The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hijab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. Protesters came to the streets with the central slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” in protest against the performance, laws, and structure of the regime. During the nationwide protests, thousands of people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students, and civil rights activists, were arrested.

 

Father Sentenced to Three Years for Murder of Transgender Son

Posted on by . .
Children, LGBTQ+, News
Iranian LGBTQ Community, Iranian LGBTQ+, Tabriz, transgender

In February of last year, the Criminal Court of Tabriz sentenced a man to three years in prison for the murder of his 17-year-old transgender son, sparing him from more severe punishment. According to the report by Rokna, the man killed his son, Parsa, because he wore makeup.

During his trial, the father defended his actions by stating, “Parsa had feminine sexual inclinations, and we did everything we could to treat him, but none were effective because Parsa did not cooperate and kept running away from home. His behavior was completely uncontrollable.” He also attempted to place Parsa in the care of the State Welfare Organization, which declined due to Parsa’s conditions.

The father further claimed that Parsa had recently tried to influence his younger brother, asserting, “His brother said that when we are alone at home, Parsa shows pictures of his friends and talks about the ‘immoral acts’ they perform together. I could no longer bear it. I felt so disgraced and embarrassed among friends and relatives.”

Ultimately, referencing Article 612 of the Fifth Book of the Islamic Penal Code, the court sentenced the man to three years in prison, including time already served. The Islamic Republic’s laws designate the father as the primary “blood avenger,” a status that can spare him from severe punishment in cases involving the killing of a child. This provision has been widely criticized by many who argue that it sometimes enables repeat offenses.

It is important to note that transgender individuals have a gender identity that differs from the sex assigned to them at birth. Not all transgender individuals seek gender confirmation surgeries. However, under Iranian law, a transgender person’s identity is recognized officially only after undergoing surgery and sterilization.

No specific regulations have yet been established in Iranian law regarding the transition process for transgender individuals; however, a section was included in the 2013 Family Protection Bill. In 1983, Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa legitimizing gender reassignment surgery. The absence of uniform laws for changing documents and obtaining necessary surgical permits has created significant challenges for transgender citizens, navigating legal complexities and facing arbitrary and sometimes exploitative behaviors by certain legal authorities.