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Kianoosh Cheraghi Sentenced to Prison and Flogging

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Freedom of Expression, News
Darreh Shahr, Dehloran, Ilam prison, Kianoosh Cheraghi, کیانوش چراغی

HRANA – Kianoosh Cheraghi, a resident of Dehloran, has been sentenced by Branch 101 of the Criminal Court Two in this city to 13 months and 16 days in prison and 40 lashes.

This verdict was recently issued by Branch 101 of the Dehloran Criminal Court Two. He was sentenced to 13 months and 16 days in prison, taking into account time previously spent in detention, on the charge of “spreading falsehoods online,” and to 40 lashes for the charge of “insulting officers on duty.”

The ruling stated that publishing critical videos of government officials on Cheraghi’s personal page was considered as evidence of “spreading falsehoods.”

Cheraghi was arrested on Tuesday, June 25, by security forces in Dehloran and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Ilam.

Earlier, in late May this year, he had been released from Darreh Shahr Prison following the suspension of a previous prison sentence in another case. On March 24, 2025, however, he was arrested again to serve his prison term and transferred to Ilam Prison.

Kianoosh Cheraghi, 45, a resident of Dehloran and a former employee of the city’s Social Security Organization, has been sentenced in two separate cases to a combined three years in prison and supplementary punishments.

Hasti Amiri Sentenced to Prison, Fine, and Additional Punishments

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Hasti Amiri, Iman Afshari, هستی امیری

HRANA – Hasti Amiri, a student at Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran, has been sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to three years in prison, fines, and supplementary punishments.

This verdict was issued in absentia by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court and was notified to Amiri yesterday. Based on the ruling, she was sentenced to one year in prison for “propaganda against the regime,” and fined 3.3 million tomans for “appearing in public without mandatory hijab.” She was also sentenced to two years in prison and fined 50 million tomans for “spreading falsehoods with the intent to disturb public opinion.”

Judge Iman Afshari also imposed supplementary punishments, banning Amiri for two years from leaving the country and from membership in political and social groups.

On Saturday, April 26, 2025, Amiri was arrested after appearing at the Evin Courthouse and transferred to Evin Prison. She was released the following day after posting bail.

Hasti Amiri has previously been arrested and served prison time due to her activism.

Appeals Court Upholds 38 Years and 11 Months of Imprisonment for Six Baha’i Women

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News, Religious Minorities
Atefeh Zahedi, Farideh Ayoubi, Neda Mohebi, Noora Ayoubi, Zarrindokht Ahadzadeh, Zhaleh Rezaei

HRANA– The prison sentences of six Baha’i women residing in Hamedan, have been fully upheld by Branch 11 of the Hamedan Appeals Court. In the initial stage, they had been sentenced by the Hamedan Revolutionary Court to a combined total of 38 years and 11 months in prison.

The sentences of Neda Mohebi, Atefeh Zahedi, Farideh Ayoubi, Noora Ayoubi, Zarrindokht Ahadzadeh, and Zhaleh Rezaei were upheld on August 12 by Branch 11 of the Hamedan Appeals Court. The ruling was issued without scheduling a hearing, without informing the lawyers about a session, and under the advisement of Bahram Karari and Morteza Ramezani. Membership in the Baha’i community and “teaching and propagating against Sharia” were among the charges brought against them.

In June this year, following their initial trial, Branch 2 of the Hamedan Revolutionary Court sentenced Neda Mohebi to five years in prison for “teaching and propagating against Sharia” and two years and eight months for “membership in the Baha’i community.” Three years of her prison sentence were suspended for five years.

Atefeh Zahedi, Farideh Ayoubi, Noura Ayoubi, Zarindokht Ahadzadeh, and Zhaleh Rezaei were each sentenced to two years and eight months for “membership in the Baha’i community” and three years and seven months for “teaching and propagating against Sharia.” Two years of the sentences of Noora Ayoubi, Ahadzadeh, and Rezaei were suspended for five years.

These citizens had previously been released in December 2023 on bail. They were arrested on November 7, 2023, by security forces and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Hamedan.

Over the past decade, the Iranian Bahá’í community has been disproportionately targeted by Iran’s security forces and judiciary—more than any other minority group. In the past three years, an average of 72 percent of the reports on religious rights violations collected by HRANA have documented the Iranian regime’s repression of the Bahá’í community.

Two Prisoners Executed in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz

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Executions, News
Adelabad Prison, Ahmad Younesi, Mehdi Najafi, Shiraz

HRANA – At dawn yesterday, the death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted on drug-related charges were carried out in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz.

HRANA has identified the two prisoners who were hanged at dawn on Sunday, August 17, as Ahmad Younesi and Mehdi Najafi.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, both prisoners had earlier been arrested on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by the judiciary.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been announced by prison officials or state media.

According to HRANA’s statistics, in 2024, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz witnessed the execution of 92 inmates — an 88% increase compared to the previous year. This sharp rise places Adelabad as the second deadliest prison in Iran after Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

Sunni Prisoner Hamzeh Darvish Continues Hunger Strike

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News, Prisoners
Hamzeh Darvish, Lakan prison, Mehdi Fallah Miri, Rasht, Talesh, حمزه درویش

HRANA – Hamzeh Darvish, a Sunni prisoner held in Lakan Prison, Rasht, remains on hunger strike. He began his strike on August 2 in protest against authorities’ neglect of his demands.

Three days ago, a source close to his family confirmed the news to HRANA, saying: “Mr. Darvish is currently on the fourteenth day of his hunger strike.”

This Sunni prisoner went on strike on Saturday, August 2, in protest against what he describes as his continued unjust imprisonment, psychological and physical torture, the violation of the principle of separation of crimes, and the authorities’ disregard of his previous requests. He has demanded transfer to the political prisoners’ ward in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj.

In December 2024, Darvish wrote a letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, urging attention to his case. Following this action, he was held in solitary confinement with handcuffs and shackles for one month by order of Gilan’s Prosecutor, Mehdi Fallah Miri.

Hamzeh Darvish, a prisoner from Talesh, was previously sentenced to 14 years in prison, later reduced to 10 years and 6 months in August 2024 after he submitted to the court’s ruling. He had already served another long-term prison sentence before this case.

Additionally, following a prison altercation on October 9, 2022, and a complaint filed by the Prisons Organization, a new legal case was opened against him. On May 11, 2020, this Sunni prisoner was transferred from Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj to Lakan Prison in Rasht.

Darvish’s journey through adversity began in 2014 when he was deceived by ISIS forces into traveling to Turkey and later to Syria, as he claims. Following a period of confinement in an ISIS jail, he managed to escape and returned to Iran, where he surrendered himself to security forces.

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53 Christians Arrested in Iran After 12-Day War with Israel

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News, Religious Minorities
HRANA, Iranian Christians

HRANA – Official media outlets have announced that following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, 53 Christian citizens have been arrested in Iran. The arrests were carried out under allegations of “collaborating with Israel.”

According to HRANA, quoting Hamshahri, since the start of the 12-day Iran-Israel war, 53 Christian citizens have been arrested. The report claims that the arrests of these citizens are connected to the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.

It also alleges that these individuals were “followers of a branch of Christianity and had collaborated with Israel.”

No further details, including the identities of those arrested or the location of their detention, have been provided in the report.

Based on about 180 reports compiled by HRANA over the past decade, 11% of all victims of religious minority rights violations by Iran’s security-judicial apparatus were Christians—particularly Christian converts. In 2024, Christians made up over 9% of those targeted.

Death Sentence of Sharifeh Mohammadi Upheld by the Supreme Court

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Executions, News
Amir Raisian, HRANA, Lakan prison, Rasht, Sharifeh Mohammadi

HRANA News Agency – Amir Raisian, attorney at law, announced that the death sentence of Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist held in Lakan Prison in Rasht, has been upheld by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court.

Confirming the news, Mohammadi’s lawyer stated: “Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, which had previously overturned the death sentence of Sharifeh Mohammadi, this time—despite all persisting ambiguities and flaws in the case—upheld the ruling.”

According to Raisian, Branch 39 of the Supreme Court had earlier annulled the sentence due to numerous deficiencies, including the lack of evidence connecting her to armed operations, the failure to prove her membership in an organization classified under Baghi (armed rebellion) or a rebel group, as well as flaws in the intelligence agents’ report. The case had then been referred to Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht, but that court “treated the judicial officer’s report as conclusive evidence” and reissued the death sentence.

The lawyer stressed that the ruling of Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht merely repeated the earlier decision of Branch 1, without addressing the Supreme Court’s objections, relying solely on the intelligence report. Raisian added: “It was expected that the Supreme Court would once again overturn the ruling, but contrary to expectations, it did not.”

Reaffirming his client’s legal prospects, Raisian said: “We are still hopeful for retrial. We will continue to pursue a request for retrial and try to annul the death sentence of this prisoner through other legal avenues.” He expressed hope that given the numerous flaws in the case and the judicial process, the death sentence of Sharifeh Mohammadi would be overturned and its enforcement stopped.

In late December of last year, the trial of Sharifeh Mohammadi’s charges was held in Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht. Prior to that, after the Supreme Court’s Branch 39 had overturned her death sentence, the case had been referred back to Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht for retrial.

Mohammadi was sentenced to death on July 4, 2023, on charges of baghi (armed rebellion) due to her alleged membership in an opposition group. This sentence against the female labor activist triggered widespread public outcry.

Her trial, held on June 8, 2023, revolved around multiple charges, including propaganda against the regime, actions against national security, and baghi through her supposed affiliation with the group.

Mohammadi was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence at her home in Rasht on December 5, 2023. Later that month, she was transferred from Lakan Prison to Sanandaj Prison on December 30, only to be sent back to Lakan after some time.

A source close to her family told HRANA: “Sharifeh was a member of the Association of Labor Organizations until 2013, which has no ties to the Komala group. The charge of baghi is based on her alleged membership in this group, which is not true.”

Execution in Ilam for Drug-Related Offenses

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Executions, News
Amir Hosseinpour, HRANA, Ilam prison

HRANA– At dawn on Monday, August 11, 2025, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted on drug-related charges was carried out in Ilam Prison.

HRANA has identified this prisoner as Amir Hosseinpour. According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Hosseinpour had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report’s publication, the execution has not been announced by prison officials or other responsible authorities.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, over 52 percent of executed prisoners had been convicted on drug-related charges. Over the past ten years, individuals convicted of drug trafficking have accounted for 40 percent of all executions. Unfortunately, HRANA’s statistics show no progress in reducing executions for drug-related offenses.

Taftan County: Three Citizens Arrested by Security Forces

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News, Other
Abdolvahed Pirdadi Rigi, Rahmatollah Aramoun, Taftan, Younes Delavari

HRANA– On Wednesday, August 13, 2025, three residents of Taftan County were arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and taken to an undisclosed location.

The detainees have been identified by Haal Vsh as Abdolvahed Pirdadi Rigi, 29, Younes Delavari, 22, Rahmatollah Aramoun, 29. All three are residents of Bidaster village in Taftan County, Sistan and Baluchestan province.

The arrests reportedly took place while they were on duty as security guards at the Taftan County gold mine, and were carried out by Ministry of Intelligence agents without prior notice. Efforts by their families and relatives to obtain information from security and judicial authorities about their fate have so far yielded no results, heightening their concerns.

As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding the reasons for their arrest, their place of detention, or the charges against them.

Arbitrary arrests, transferring detainees to undisclosed locations, and leaving families in the dark about the fate of their loved ones are routine practices of the Iranian regime’s security agencies, such as the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Unit. This pattern of behavior stands in clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

Three Prisoners Executed in Nahavand, Dezful, and Hamedan

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Executions, News
Dezful, Hamedan, Hamid Sarlak, HRANA, Javad Esfandiari, Nahavand Prison, Saber Akbari

HRANA-Between Monday and Wednesday, August 11–13, three prisoners were executed in the prisons of Nahavand, Dezful, and Hamedan.

According to HRANA, on Monday, Saber Akbari, who had been arrested on a murder charge, was executed in Nahavand Prison. He had been sentenced to death by the Criminal Court.

On Tuesday, Dezful Prison carried out the execution of Hamid Sarlak, also convicted of murder.

On Wednesday, another prisoner, identified as Javad Esfandiari, was executed in Hamedan Prison. He had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

At the time of this report, the executions have not been announced by prison authorities or official sources.

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.