Author: . .

Hossein Kooshki Nejad Begins One-Year Prison Term in Evin Prison

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Hossein Kooshki Nejad, HRANA, Ilam prison, Khorramabad, Reza Kooshki Nejad

On April 7, 2024, Hossein Kooshki Nejad commenced his one-year prison term in Evin Prison. His brother, Reza, who was detained during the 2022 nationwide protests, is currently serving a two-year sentence in Ilam prison.

According to reports obtained by HRANA, Kooshki Nejad faced legal action last year in the Courthouse in Khorramabad, accused of the political charge of “propaganda against the regime.” The Tehran Revolutionary Court subsequently took over the case and sentenced him to one year in prison.

Kooshki Nejad stated that the beginning of his sentence had been postponed until April 7.

Political Prisoner Mohsen Ghiasi Denied Medical Care in Evin Prison

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
Esmaeil Barjesteh, Evin Prison, Isfahan, Mohsen Ghiasi, Shahriar, محسن غیاثی

Mohsen Ghiasi, detained during the nationwide protests in 2019, known as the Aban protests, is currently serving a five-year, three-month prison sentence in Evin Prison. Recent reports indicate that he has been denied medical furlough as a punitive measure.

According to a source close to Ghiasi’s family who spoke with HRANA, in mid-March, Ghiasi was placed in solitary confinement as punishment for protesting against the poor conditions in the prison during Ramadan. He endured eight days in isolation, and his medical leave was subsequently revoked.

Security forces arrested Ghiasi on November 26, 2019, in Isfahan during the protests. After four months, he was transferred from Ward 209 of Evin Prison to the Great Tehran Penitentiary.

He was released on bail on March 15, 2020.

On March 1, 2023, the Revolutionary Court of Shahriar, presided over by Esmaeil Barjesteh, sentenced Ghiasi to seven years and three months in prison on multiple charges, including “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran” and “assembly and collusion against national security.”

Following Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, which stipulates that in cases of multiple charges, the harshest punishment shall be enforced, Ghiasi began serving a sentence of five years and three months.

Ghiasi, aged 42, is a resident of Shahriar County, married, and a father of one.

The November 2019 protests were triggered by a surge in fuel prices, leading to demonstrations in numerous cities across the country. Seyed Hossein Taghavi, the spokesperson for the Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, stated that approximately 7,000 individuals were arrested during these protests. Reports from human rights organizations indicate that hundreds of people lost their lives as a result of the actions carried out by the security apparatus.

 

Fifteen Baha’i Women Face Indictment in Isfahan

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Azita Rezvani-Khah, Baha'i, Baharestan, Bashra Motahar, Farkhandeh Rezvan Pay, Firoozeh Rastinejad, Isfahan, Maryam Khorsandi, Mojdeh Bahamin, Mojgan (Mozhgan) Pourshafee, Nasrin Khademi, Noushin Hemmat, Roya Azad Khosh, Samira Shakib, Sanaz Rasteh, Sara Shakib, Shola Ashouri, Shurangiz Bahamin

The Isfahan Courthouse has indicted 15 Baha’i residents from Baharestan City in Isfahan County.

Among those indicted are Mojgan (Mozhgan) Pourshafee, Nasrin Khademi, Azita Rezvani-Khah, Shola Ashouri, Mojdeh Bahamin, Bashra Motahar, Sara Shakib, Samira Shakib, Roya Azad Khosh, Noushin Hemmat, Shurangiz Bahamin, Sanaz Rasteh, Maryam Khorsandi, Firoozeh Rastinejad, and Farkhandeh Rezvan Pay.

These women have been charged with “propaganda against the regime” and “assisting in education and propaganda activities against Islamic Sharia.” The indictment was issued on April 8, 2024. Among them, Pourshafee, Khademi, Rezvani-Khah, Azad Khosh, Shakib, Raseh, Ashouri, Bahamin, Rastinejad, Khorsandi, and Hemmat were previously arrested in 2021 and later released on bail.

Furthermore, Bahamin, Rezvan Pay, Motahar, and Shakib’s residences were subjected to raids and searches by Intelligence agents.

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.

Kamal Lotfi Arrested by Security Forces in Dehgolan

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Dehgolan, Kamal Lotfi, Kamyaran, Qorveh, Reza Lotfi, رضا لطفی, کمال لطفی

On April 9, 2024, security forces apprehended Kamal Lotfi in Dehgolan, Kurdistan province, transferring him to an undisclosed facility. His 25-year-old son, Reza Lotfi, tragically lost his life at the hands of regime forces during the nationwide protests on September 19, 2022.

Confirming Lotfi’s arrest, a source close to his family informed HRANA that he was taken into custody after receiving a summons from the Revolutionary Court of Qorveh. The specific reasons for his arrest, his current location, and the charges against him remain undisclosed at this time.

This is not Lotfi’s first encounter with law enforcement. On April 17, 2023, security forces detained him through physical force, leading to his imprisonment in Kamyaran Prison. He was subsequently released on bail on July 3, 2023.

Execution of Inmate Alireza Marzban in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Adelabad Prison, Alireza Marzban, Shiraz

Adelabad Prison officials in Shiraz executed Alireza Marzban, a 27-year-old resident of Shiraz, on April 7, 2024, as reported by the Iran Human Rights Organization.

Marzban had been convicted of murder stemming from a group altercation three years prior. The execution took place without a final family visit.

No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of this execution 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 HRANA’s data, Adelabad Prison ranks fifth among Iranian prisons in the number of executions, having carried out 49. For a detailed analysis of execution statistics in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Writer and Translator Loghman Ghanbari Arrested by Security Forces in Sarpol-e Zahab

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
IRGC Intelligence, Loghman Ghanbari, Ofra Bengio, Sarpol-e Zahab

Loghman Ghanbari, a writer and translator, was arrested at his residence in Sarpol-e Zahab, Kermanshah province, by security forces on April 7, 2024, as reported by Kurdpa.

Around 20 IRGC Intelligence agents conducted a search of his residence and seized some of his belongings.

Ghanbari, known for translating the book “The Kurds in a Volatile Middle East,” published in Sweden after Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance denied a license, was accused of “association with Israel” based on his correspondence with the book’s author, Ofra Bengio.

After a day of interrogation, Ghanbari was released upon signing a written commitment.

Environmental Activists Taher Ghadirian and Sepideh Kashani Granted Release

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
Abdolreza Koohpayeh, Amir-Hossein Khaleghi, Morad Tahbaz, Niloufar Bayani, Sam Rajabi, Sepideh Kashani, Taher Ghadirian

On April 9, 2024, environmental activists Taher Ghadirian and Sepideh Kashani were released from Evin Prison, marking the end of over six years of incarceration following a pardon granted ahead of the upcoming holiday.

Yesterday, two other environmental activists, Niloufar Bayani and Hooman Jokar, were also released from the same prison.

In January 2018, Kashani and Ghadirian, along with several other environmental activists, were arrested and detained in Evin Prison. Subsequently, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Salavati, sentenced them to lengthy imprisonments:

  • Niloufar Bayani and Morad Tahbaz were handed 10-year sentences for “collaboration with the hostile U.S. government.”
  • Taher Ghadirian and Hooman Jokar received eight-year sentences for the same charge.
  • Sam Rajabi and Sepideh Kashani were sentenced to six years for the same charge.
  • Amir-Hossein Khaleghi received a six-year sentence for “espionage.”
  • Abdolreza Koohpayeh was sentenced to four years for “assembly and collusion against national security.”

On February 18, 2020, Gholamhossein Esmaeili, the then spokesperson of Iran’s Judiciary, announced the finalized verdicts against these eight environmental activists at the Appellate Court.

HRANA reported that during interrogations, several of these prisoners, including a female, were subjected to mistreatment and sexual assault to extract confessions.

Environmental Activists Niloufar Bayani and Hooman Jokar Released After Six-Year Imprisonment

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
Abdolreza Koohpayeh, Amir-Hossein Khaleghi, Environmental activists, Evin Prison, Gholamhossein Esmaeili, Hooman Jokar, Morad Tahbaz, Niloufar Bayani, Sam Rajabi, Sepideh Kashani, Taher Ghadirian

Environmental activists Niloufar Bayani and Hooman Jokar were granted a pardon and released from Evin Prison on April 8, 2024, marking the end of more than six years of incarceration.

In January 2018, along with several other environmental activists, Bayani and Jokar were detained and held in Evin Prison. Subsequently, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Salavati, sentenced them to lengthy imprisonments. The sentences were as follows:

  • Niloufar Bayani and Morad Tahbaz received 10 years for “collaboration with the hostile U.S. government.”
  • Taher Ghadirian and Hooman Jokar received eight years for the same charge.
  • Sam Rajabi and Sepideh Kashani received six years for the same charge.
  • Amir-Hossein Khaleghi was sentenced to six years for “espionage.”
  • Abdolreza Koohpayeh received four years for “assembly and collusion against national security.”

On February 18, 2020, Gholamhossein Esmaeili, the then spokesperson of Iran’s Judiciary, reported the finalized verdicts against these eight environmental activists at the Appellate Court.

HRANA had reported that during interrogation, several of these prisoners, including a female, were subjected to mistreatment and sexual assault to extract confessions.

Execution of Inmate at Khorramabad Prison

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Hassan-Ali Mirzania, Khorramabad, Khorramabad Prison

On April 5, 2024, Khorramabad Prison carried out the execution of an inmate found guilty of murder, as reported by the Iran Human Rights Organization.

The inmate, identified as Hassan-Ali Mirzania, aged 30, was convicted four years ago for the fatal shooting of two brothers with a hunting gun.

At present, there is no coverage of the execution from official sources or domestic media outlets within Iran. This absence of information raises significant questions regarding the transparency and accountability of the execution process.

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.

University Student Fahimeh Soltani Summoned and Arrested by Ministry of Intelligence

Posted on by . .
News
Fahimeh Soltani, Fahimeh Sultani, Isfahan, University of Isfahan, فهیمه سلطانی

Fahimeh Soltani, a law student at the University of Isfahan, was summoned by IRGC’s Intelligence in Isfahan on April 6, 2024, and subsequently detained at an undisclosed location.

Confirming Soltani’s arrest, a source close to her family informed HRANA that “she was summoned by university officials via phone. Since the request was made outside of office hours, she did not go there. Subsequently, the IRGC’s Intelligence in Isfahan summoned and arrested her upon her appearance.”

The reason for Soltani’s arrest remains unknown at this time. This is not her first arrest. Also, in May 2023, the University’s Disciplinary Committee suspended her for two semesters due to activism.