The individuals were reportedly apprehended at their residences.
The report has not provided details about their identities, current whereabouts, or the specific allegations against them.
Branch 1 of the Ardabil Court of Appeals made this decision due to allegations that Lisani had violated the terms of his exile.
In a previous retrial, Branch 1 of Iran’s Supreme Court had sentenced Lisani to eight years in prison and two years of exile in Yazd County. This sentence was based on charges of “creating and leading groups with the intent of undermining national security.” However, he was acquitted of the charge of “acting against national security,” for which he had initially received a five-year prison sentence.
Lisani was placed in exile after his release from Ardabil prison on February 21, 2023.
Lisani has a long history of arrests and convictions stemming from his peaceful activism.
A reliable source close to her family has conveyed to HRANA that Asadi faces charges related to violating hijab rules and spreading propaganda against the regime.
Notably, Asadi had previously been arrested by security forces in February 2021, alongside Mehran Delfan Azari, Meysam Gholami, and Masoud Vazifeh. They were detained on allegations of “propaganda against the regime” and “membership in an anti-regime group.”
On October 2, 2021, Branch 2 of Shiraz’s Revolutionary Court sentenced Asadi to a one-year term for the charge of “propaganda against the regime.” Subsequently, she was taken into custody at her residence in Tehran in January 2022, in order to commence her sentence at Qarchak Prison in Varamin. However, she was ultimately released following a pardon under the “pardon and commutation” directive.
According to a source close to Moradi’s family, he was apprehended by IRGC Intelligence agents 18 months ago. Despite repeated inquiries by his family to both security and judicial authorities, they have received no responses, leaving them deeply concerned about his well-being.
Moradi, a married man and father of one, was taken into custody by security forces on March 17, 2022.
Among these condemned individuals was Hamid-Reza Khodabandeh Farsimadan Ghashghaie, identified by the Iran Human Rights Organization.
Etemad News also reported the execution of an inmate for murder in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, on the same day. He was found guilty of the murder of a man six years ago in collusion with the victim’s wife, with whom he had engaged in an illicit affair.
In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.
Among those executed, two have been identified as Avaz Moradi and Ramezan Khorshid, both hailing from Bam. They had been incarcerated for six years.
At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.
These executions thrust the issue of capital punishment for drug-related offenses into the spotlight. In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran recorded 457 reports concerning the death penalty. Shockingly, approximately 43% of these executions were linked to drug-related charges.
Authorities subsequently conducted a search of Rostamzadeh’s residence and seized some of his belongings. This arrest transpired in response to a complaint filed by the Masal Prosecutor’s Office concerning the publication of a critical article.
As of now, the whereabouts of Rostamzadeh’s detention remain undisclosed.
The Iran Human Rights Organization has confirmed the identity of the executed inmate as Samad Moradi, a 30-year-old individual from Izeh County.
Two days prior to his execution, Moradi was transferred to solitary confinement, a move that sparked protests and resistance from fellow inmates. An altercation with prison guards during this transfer resulted in injuries to some prisoners.
Moradi had been convicted of murder five years ago, and his execution was carried out as a result of this conviction.
According to an insider source who informed HRANA, these individuals were guests at Mrs. Basiri’s residence when security agents conducted a raid and apprehended them. Additionally, searches were carried out at the residences of all four Baha’i individuals.
The motives behind their arrests, as well as their current whereabouts, remain unknown.
HRANA’s annual report has highlighted a concerning trend where, in 2022, 64.63% of reported human rights violations against religious minorities are directed toward the Baha’i community.
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.
These protests escalated into violence as security and military forces employed gas, leading to injuries and hospitalizations among several protestors. According to Haal Vsh, a news outlet dedicated to reporting human rights violations in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, at least 29 individuals, including eight minors, have been injured. Among them, Haal Vsh has identified a 13-year-old named Hasib Rigi.
Furthermore, on the same day, Netblocks, a watchdog organization monitoring cybersecurity and internet governance, confirmed significant disruptions in internet connectivity within Zahedan.
Additionally, visual evidence has emerged depicting a heavy military presence in Zahedan, particularly around the Makki Grand Mosque, intensifying tensions on this day. Nevertheless, the Zahedan Prosecutor dismissed reports of shooting incidents, characterizing the situation as normal.
About Bloody Friday of Zahedan
Last year, during the nationwide protests of 2022 in Iran sparked by the tragic death in detention of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, Zahedan witnessed a brutal crackdown on September 30, 2022. As protestors converged at the Great Mosalla of Zahedan after the Friday prayers, the Iranian security forces unleashed a barrage of live ammunition, metal pellets, and tear gas, resulting in significant casualties. This tragedy, now known as the “Bloody Friday of Zahedan,” has come to symbolize the Iranian authorities’ increasing disdain for the sanctity of human life and the broader struggles of the Baloch community in the country.
Read HRA’s report for an overview and contextual information about the event.
