In separate incidents on April 3, 2023, Hassan Siahani and Eslam Dorkhani were shot dead by military forces in Sistan and Baluchestan Province.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Haal Vsh, on April 3, 2023, a citizen was killed in an unrestrained shooting by military forces in Saravan County, Sistan and Baluchestan Province.
This individual has been identified as Hassan Siahani, age 40, and a resident of a village in Saravan County. The military forces reportedly began shooting directly at him without any warning.
According to another report, military forces shot dead another citizen, identified as Eslam Dorkhani, in Sistan and Baluchestan Province on the same day.
According to HRANA annual report, in 2022, 845 people were shot by military forces. At least 571 of the victims lost their life. This includes 22 kolbars, 9 fuel carriers, and 540 civilians. 274 people were injured by military forces open fire, including 134 kolbars, 128 civilians, and 12 fuel carriers.
Hadi (Abbas) Mirzaie is still detained for about four months in the Great Tehran Penitentiary with an unclear status of due process.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Hadi Mirzaie, a Master’s student in music at the Tehran University of Art, is still detained for about four months.
An informed source told HRANA, “Mirzaie is still jailed in the Great Tehran Penitentiary, awaiting processing.”
On December 10, 2022, security forces arrested Mirzaie near his office in Tehran. On January 11, 2023, he was transferred to the Great Tehran Penitentiary.
Student Hadi (Abbas) Mirzaie is an electrical engineering graduate at Shahid Beheshti University, a Master’s student in music at the Tehran University of Art, and an expert in stamps and banknotes.
On April 3, security forces arrested Ruhollah Heidari and took him to an undisclosed location. His brother, Javad Heidari, was killed by regime forces amid the 2022 nationwide protests.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on April 3, 2023, Ruhollah Heidari was arrested.
His sister, Fatemeh Heidari informed the public, “After the arrest of my three brothers and firing me from my job, today, they arrested my other brother, Ruhollah Heidari, without giving any reason. My family’s inquiries have remained unanswered so far.”
Heidari’s detained location and the allegation against him are also unknown.
On September 22, 2022, his brother, Javad Heidari, age 36, was shot dead at protests in Qazvin.
About the 2022 Nationwide Protests
The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hejab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. During the nationwide protests, about 19600 people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.
On April 3, 2023, Fakhreddin Ebrahimi was arrested by security forces after being summoned to the Investigation Branch of the Urmia Public and Revolutionary Court. On March 17, 2023, his father, Mohyeddin Ebrahimi, a political prisoner, was executed.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on April 3, 2023, security forces arrested Fakhreddin Ebrahimi in Urmia.
On March 27, Ebrahimi reportedly was summoned to the Investigation branch of the Urmia Public and Revolutionary Court for the allegation of “destructing door of guard room of the Court of Appeal.” He was arrested there by security forces and taken to a detention facility.
Earlier, on March 16, 2023, he was also arrested by security forces and released on bond the next day.
Over the past six months, dozens of journalists have been arrested or summoned for covering news and publishing articles about the 2022 nationwide protests and poison attacks on school students. These arrests exemplify the regime’s attempt to suppress the free flow of information and limit social and civil liberties. This report provides a list of 19 jailed journalists.
According to data collected by HRANA, among many of the journalists who were detained or summoned in recent months, at least 19 are still jailed/imprisoned in different prisons:
Niloofar Hamedi
1- Niloofar Hamedi
Arrest date: September 22, 2022
Place of Arrest: Tehran
Status of due process: defendant with an unclear status of due process.
Latest Condition: Jailed in Qarchak Prison, Varamin city.
Elaheh Mohammadi
2- Elaheh Mohammadi
Arrest date: September 29, 2022
Place of Arrest: Tehran
Status of due process: defendant with an unclear status of due process.
Latest Condition: Jailed in Qarchak Prison, Varamin city.
Alireza Jabbari Darestani
3- Alireza Jabbari Darestani
Arrest date: September 25, 2022
Place of Arrest: Tehran
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
Vida Rabbani
4- Vida Rabbani
Arrest date: September 24, 2022
Place of Arrest: Tehran
Status of due process: sentenced to seven years and three months in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security”
Latest Condition: Jailed in Evin Prison, Tehran
Maliheh Doreki
5- Maliheh Doreki
Arrest date: October 26, 2022
Place of Arrest: Abadan
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
Farzaneh Yahya-Abadi
6- Farzaneh Yahya-Abadi
Arrest date: October 19, 2022
Place of Arrest: Abadan
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
Farkhandeh Ashoori
7- Farkhandeh Ashoori
Arrest date: October 17, 2022
Place of Arrest: Shiraz
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
Siamand Mohtadi
8- Siamand Mohtadi
Arrest date: February 11, 2023
Place of Arrest: Bukan
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
Ziba Omidifar
9- Ziba Omidifar
Arrest date: December 8, 2022
Place of Arrest: Qorveh
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
Maral Darafarin
10- Maral Darafarin
Arrest date: November 1, 2022
Place of Arrest: unknown (a resident of Lahijan)
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
Melika Hashemi
11- Melika Hashemi
Arrest date: January 20, 2023
Place of Arrest: Tehran (Evin Courthouse)
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
Amir Maskani
12- Amir Maskani
Arrest date: November 22, 2022
Place of Arrest: Sabzevar
Status of due process: sentenced to seven months in prison, nine months of suspended imprisonment and paying a five-million-Toman fine for “propaganda against the regime, inciting people to commit murder and wage war against national security”
Latest Condition: Unknown
Seyed-Ali Pour-Tabatabaei
13- Seyed-Ali Pour-Tabatabaei
Arrest date: March 5, 2023
Place of Arrest: Qom
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
Morteza Hagh-Bayan
14- Morteza Hagh-Bayan
Arrest date: August 25, 2019
Place of Arrest: Sanandaj
Status of due process: sentenced to two years and six months in prison for “spreading falsehood on the Internet, disturbing public opinions, insulting and slandering government’ authorities.”
Latest Condition: Since May 19, 2021, he has been serving his sentence in Sanadaj Prison.
Mohsen Ravari
15- Mohsen Ravari
Arrest date: September 23, 2022
Place of Arrest: Jiroft
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
Pouria Mahdavi Moghadam
16- Pouria Mahdavi Moghadam
Arrest date: October 22, 2022
Place of Arrest: Borujerd
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
17- Iman Behpasand
Arrest date: September 22, 2022
Place of Arrest: Tehran
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
18- Mohsen Ahmadizadeh
Arrest date: September 23, 2022
Place of Arrest: Jiroft
Status of due process: defendant awaiting trial
Latest Condition: Unknown
Mohammad Zare Foumani
19- Mohammad Zare Foumani
Arrest date: October 9, 2022
Place of Arrest: unknown
Status of due process: Sentenced by the Court of Appeals to 12 years, paying a 15-million-Tomans fine and two years exile for “spreading falsehood against the regime’s authorities to disturb public opinions, assembly and collusion, and inciting people to act against national security.”
Latest Condition: Jailed in Evin Prison’s special ward for clergies, Tehran.
On April 2, 2023, security forces arrested Sunni citizen Hossein Askani in Rask and took him to an undisclosed location.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on April 2, quoting the Baloch Activists Campaign, Hossein Askani was arrested in Rask, Sistan and Baluchestan Province.
20-year-old Askani reportedly was apprehended by IRGC forces while returning from a religious school along with several other students.
The report speculates that his arrest is related to his activities in the religious group Tablighi Jamaat. (Society of Preachers)
In recent days, dozens of businesses in several cities across Iran were closed for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code (Hijab) and behaviour rules.
An official from the IRGC announced the closure of at least 40 businesses in Kashan due to “female customers’ lack of Hijab.” Earlier, a hotel and a tourist complex were also shut down for this reason.
Similarly, in Khorramabad, one restaurant and one wedding hall were closed, and in Mianeh, seven businesses were shut down. In Babolsar, six businesses were closed, and several others in Shiraz were also affected due to violations of the Islamic dress code and behaviour rules.
Iran’s regime routinely violates its citizens’ privacy and right to choose their clothing. Imposing a certain lifestyle on citizens stands in blatant violation of Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which entitles everyone to the right to life, liberty and security of person. Additionally, Article 12 of this declaration affirms, “One shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.”
Maryam Bani-Razi, a resident of Qom, was sentenced to over eight months, 148 lashes and additional punishments for not complying with the compulsory Hijab.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Persian BBC, Maryam Bani-Razi was sentenced to imprisonment.
Bani-Razi was given ten days in prison for removing her headscarf in public, eight months and 74 lashes for “disturbing public order,” and another 74 lashes and the two-year termination of her job as a nurse for “committing an outrage on public modesty.”
In November-December 2022, a video surfaced showing Bani-Razi in a bank without a headscarf.”
The Yazd Criminal Court sentenced teacher Mehdi Dastani, arrested at the 2022 nationwide protests, to one year in prison and 74 lashes, a ban from leaving the country and termination of service as a teacher.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Medi Dastani, a teacher and resident of Yazd, was sentenced to one year in prison and flogging.
Dastani received this verdict for “disturbing public order by creating traffic on the street and accompanying troublemakers.” This verdict was upheld on appeal.
An informed source told HRANA, “last March, Dastani was summoned to endure flogging and start serving his sentence.”
“He was acquitted from other charges due to the lack of evidence,” the source added.
On September 28, 2022, Dastani was arrested at nationwide protests by security forces in Yazd and released after three days on 700-million-toman bail.
About the 2022 Nationwide Protests
The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hejab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. During the nationwide protests, about 19600 people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.
Security forces arrested an individual in Kermanshah for “association with anti-regime satellite television channels and leading the protests.”
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Fars News Agency, an individual was arrested by IRGC forces in Kermanshah.
This report claims that this individual “met anti-regime groups in Kurdish regions of Iran one month before the beginning of [nationwide] protests. He also sent pictures of protests and strikes to anti-regime satellite television channels.”
He was also accused of leading the protests. This report did not disclose his identity and his detained location.
About the 2022 Nationwide Protests
The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hejab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. During the nationwide protests, about 19600 people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.
