Prisoner Executed in Malayer Prison for Drug-Related Charges

HRANA News Agency – At dawn yesterday, January 26, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted on drug-related charges was carried out in Malayer Prison, Hamedan province.

HRANA has identified the executed prisoner as Hamid Jahangiri, 36 years old. He had been arrested on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by judicial authorities.

As of the time of this report, the execution has not been officially announced by prison officials or relevant institutions.

According to data compiled by HRANA, 52.69% of all executions in Iran in 2024 were related to drug-related charges. Notably, only 6% of the executions were officially announced, highlighting a significant lack of transparency. For a detailed analysis of these executions and the associated statistics, see HRANA’s full report.

Drug-Related Crimes: Three Prisoners Executed in Karaj Central Prison

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Sunday, January 26, three prisoners previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges were executed in Karaj Central Prison.

HRANA has identified these hanged prisoners as Farhad Fardini, Samad Hashemi, and Farzad Mirzaei.

HRANA had previously reported that these prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for the implementation of their death sentences. The individuals had been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Courts.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and relevant institutions have not officially announced the executions.

According to data gathered by the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists, during 2024, about 7 people per 100,000 were executed in Alborz Province. Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj ranks first with 138 executions.

Journalist Azhadar Piri Sentenced to One Year in Prison

HRANA News Agency – Azhadar (Ajdar) Piri Sarmanlou, editor-in-chief of the Pazhuhesh-e Melal monthly magazine, has been sentenced by Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj to one year in prison and a two-year ban on online activities.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Mr. Piri was convicted of ‘propaganda against the regime’ and ‘insulting officials and agents.’ The verdict, issued in January by the Revolutionary Court of Karaj, also imposes a two-year prohibition on membership and activity on social media as additional penalties.

Earlier, on October 21, 2024, Mr. Piri was arrested at his residence in Karaj by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence. He was transferred to one of the city’s security detention facilities, where he was denied access to legal counsel throughout his detention. After 21 days, Mr. Piri was moved to Karaj Central Prison upon the completion of interrogations. He was released three days later on a bail of 200 million tomans (approximately 3,300 dollars).

Azadar Piri Sarmanlou, 36, originally from Urmia and currently residing in Karaj, serves as the editor-in-chief of Pazhuhesh-e Melal magazine.

Thirteen Baha’i Citizens Arrested by the IRGC Intelligence Organization in Isfahan

HRANA News Agency – The IRGC Intelligence Organization in Isfahan has announced the arrest of 13 Baha’i citizens for allegedly promoting and teaching beliefs associated with the Baha’i faith.

According to HRANA, quoting ISNA, in a statement released today, the IRGC Intelligence Organization claimed that the arrests were made due to the promotion and teaching of Baha’i beliefs among children and teenagers through virtual classes. the IRGC Intelligence, without disclosing the identities or whereabouts of the detainees, alleged that these individuals engaged in actions such as “altering Islamic lifestyles through promoting promiscuity, dog walking, intermingling of girls and boys.”

It is worth noting that HRANA previously reported on the imprisonment of 10 Baha’i women in Isfahan, but it remains unclear whether the ISNA report refers to these individuals or to other Baha’i citizens recently arrested in the city.

According to the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between January 1, 2024, and December 20, 2024, a total of 157 reports were recorded in the category of religious and faith-based minority rights. Among these, Baha’is accounted for 67.54% of the reports, ranking as the most observed group in human rights monitoring.

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.

Interrogation Sessions Held for 12 Azerbaijani-Turk Activists at Tabriz Prosecutor’s Office

HRANA News Agency – Interrogation sessions for 12 Azerbaijani-Turk activists, were held at Branch 15 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Tabriz.

According to HRANA, the interrogation sessions, related to a joint case involving the 12 individuals, took place separately from January 11 to January 22, 2025. These activists are: Yoroush Mehrali Beiglou, Araz Ebrahim Nejad, Davoud Shiri, Mehrdad Ghaderi, Hamed Yeganehpour, Mohammadreza Movahed, Amirhossein Aghaei, Ali Babaei, Javad Soodbar, Morteza Nourmohammadi, Hossein Azadi, and Ebrahim Ava-Zadeh

During these sessions, the defendants defended themselves against charges of “membership in an illegal group with the intent to oppose the regime” and “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security.” Additionally, Yoroush Mehrali Beiglou faced the separate charge of “forming a group with the intent to oppose the regime.”

Although Naser Razmjoo, one of the accused in the case, was named and notified of his case registration at Branch 15, he has not yet been summoned. The other activists had been summoned through individual notices prior to the sessions.

Background on the Activists

  • Yoroush Mehrali Beiglou was arrested in November 2023 in Jolfa and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Tabriz. In February 2024, he was transferred to Tabriz Prison and later released on bail. He has a history of prior arrests and convictions related to his activism.
  • Mohammadreza Movahed, Araz Ebrahim Nejad, and Davoud Shiri were arrested in September 2023 and transferred to Tabriz Prison. They were released on bail in December 2023. Both Shiri and Movahed have previously faced judicial actions due to their activism.
  • Mehrdad Ghaderi was arrested in September 2023 by security forces in Tabriz and released on bail in November 2023.
  • Morteza Nourmohammadi Nadarli (Nazarlo) was arrested in September 2023 and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Tabriz. He was later moved to Tabriz Prison but then returned to the same detention facility. In early November 2023, he was charged with “assembly and collusion to act against national security” in Shabestar Prosecutor’s Office and later faced new charges of “membership in a group to act against national security.” He was released on bail in November 2023.
  • Hamed Yeganehpour, a resident of Maragheh, was arrested in November 2023 by security forces in Tabriz and released from detention in November 28, 2023.
  • Amir-Hossein Aghaei was arrested in September 2023 in Baghmisheh, Tabriz, and released on bail in December 2023.
  • Ali Babaei and Javad Soodbar were arrested in September 2023 in Tabriz and released on bail in December 2023.
  • Hossein Azadi was arrested in September 2023 in Baghmisheh, Tabriz, and released on bail in November 2023.
  • Ebrahim Avaz-Zadeh was arrested in October 2023 in Tehran and released on bail in late-November 2023.
  • Naser Razmjoo was arrested in October 2023 in Tabriz and released on bail in late-November 2023.

This case highlights the ongoing judicial and security pressures faced by Azerbaijani-Turk activists in Iran.

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Drug-Related Charges: A Prisoner Executed in Arak Prison

HRANA News Agency – On Sunday, January 19, a prisoner previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges was executed in Arak Prison.

The prisoner has been identified by HRANA as Abbas Mohammadi, 49, a resident of Kangavar.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Mohammadi was arrested in 2020 on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, prison officials and relevant authorities have not announced or confirmed the execution.

According to data compiled by HRANA, 52.69% of all executions in Iran in 2024 were related to drug-related charges. Notably, only 6% of the executions were officially announced, highlighting a significant lack of transparency. For a detailed analysis of these executions and the associated statistics, see HRANA’s full report.

Saqqez: Civil Rights Activists Nariman and Milad Rendani Arrested by Security Forces

HRANA News Agency – Nariman and Milad Rendani, two brothers and civil rights activists from Saqqez, were arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location, as reported by Kurdpa.

The two individuals have been identified as “Nariman Rendani and his younger brother, Milad Rendani.” According to the report, Nariman Rendani was arrested in Saqqez on Wednesday, January 22, by security forces without a judicial warrant. Similarly, Milad Rendani was apprehended the following day, Thursday, January 23, at his workplace, also without a judicial warrant.

The arrests of the Rendani brothers are believed to be connected to the general strike held in Kurdish cities on Wednesday, January 22, in protest of the death sentences issued against Pakhshan Azizi and Varisheh Moradi.

As of now, no details have been released about the reasons for their arrests, their current whereabouts, or the charges against them.

Hiresh Nowgaran-Zadeh Arrested by Security Forces in Sanandaj

HRANA News Agency – On Monday, January 20, Hiresh Nowgaran-Zadeh, a resident of Sanandaj, was arrested by security forces and transferred to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, citing Kurdpa, Hiresh Nowgaran-Zadeh, a 39-year-old resident of Sanandaj, is married and a father of two children. He is also a member of the campaign against the execution of Pakhshan Azizi.

The report indicates that Mr. Nowgaran-Zadeh was detained by security forces without the presentation of a judicial warrant.

As of now, no information is available regarding the reasons for his arrest, the charges brought against him, or his current place of detention.

It is noteworthy that in 2007, Mr. Nowgaran-Zadeh was sentenced to one year in prison on charges of membership in one of the political parties opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Beniamin Rahimpour Arrested in Sanandaj

HRANA News Agency – On Tuesday, January 21, 2025, Beniamin Rahimpour, a resident of Sanandaj, was arrested by security forces and transferred to the IRGC Intelligence detention facility in the city (Shahramfar), According to Kurdpa.

Security forces reportedly arrested Mr. Rahimpour at his workplace and transferred him to the IRGC Intelligence detention facility. They then searched his home, seizing some of his electronic devices.

As of the time of this report, no information is available about the reasons for his arrest, the charges against him, or his current location.

Rahimpour, 33, originally from Avihang village and residing in Sanandaj, has a history of previous arrests due to his activism.

From the human rights cases reported and compiled by HRANA, in 2024, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence has been involved in 117 cases, including arbitrary arrests. For details and statistics read HRANA’s 2024 annual report.

Kurdistan Shopkeepers’ Strike; 7 Protesters Against Executions Arrested

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, January 22, 2025, amid a strike by shopkeepers across cities in Kurdistan Province protesting the death sentences of Varisheh Moradi and Pakhshan Azizi, seven citizens were arrested by security forces and taken to unknown locations.

According to HRANA, quoting Kolbar News, Soheila Mataei, previously arrested during the 2022 nationwide protests in Dehgolan, was detained for participating in the strikes. Additionally, six residents of Sanandaj—Amjad Geriakhiz, Naeem Doosti, Mohammad Seif-Panahi, Sina Rezaei, Mohammad Atlasi, and 33-year-old Omid Mohammadi—were arrested without judicial warrants for joining the strike.

As of this report, no information about the charges against these individuals has been released. Soheila Motaei has a history of arrests and legal confrontations due to her activism.

Yesterday, shopkeepers in various cities across Kurdistan, including Sanandaj, Saqqez, Divandarreh, and Marivan, went on strike, halting daily activities in protest against the death sentences of Varisheh Moradi and Pakhshan Azizi.