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Baha’i Citizen Erfan Eshraghi Arrested in Karaj

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'is arrested, Erfan Eshraghi, Erfan Eshraqi, Karaj, عرفان اشراقی

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, February 18, 2025, Erfan Eshraghi, a Baha’i citizen residing in Golshahr, Karaj, was arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.

A source close to Mr. Eshraghi’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “On the morning of Tuesday, February 18, Mr. Eshraghi was arrested by security forces while leaving his home in Golshahr, Karaj. The agents then searched his residence and confiscated laptops, mobile phones, religious books, and photographs belonging to him and his family. This occurred despite the fact that Mr. Eshraghi was scheduled to undergo kidney surgery at the hospital that same day.”

As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding his whereabouts or the charges against him.

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.

Detained British Nationals, Craig and Lindsay Foreman, Accused of “Espionage”

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News, Other
Craig Foreman, HRANA, Hugo Shorter, irgc, IRGC’s intelligence, Lindsay Foreman

HRANA News Agency – The spokesperson for Iran’s judiciary has announced that Craig Foreman and Lindsay Foreman, two British nationals recently arrested in Kerman, have been charged with “espionage.”

According to HRANA, quoting Mizan, the judiciary’s official news outlet, the spokesperson confirmed the charges against the detained individuals. Asghar Jahangir, the judiciary spokesperson, stated that the arrests were carried out by the IRGC’s Intelligence Unit and that the couple is accused of gathering intelligence under the cover of tourism. He further alleged:

“The arrested individuals entered Iran under the guise of tourists. They gathered information in multiple provinces while pretending to conduct research and academic studies.”

On February 15, 2025, the Foreman family released a statement confirming the identities of the detainees. Expressing deep concern for their safety, they stated that they are working with the British government to secure their release.

Earlier, on February 13, 2025, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Kerman announced that Hugo Shorter, the British Ambassador to Iran, had met with the detained individuals at the prosecutor’s office.

The couple, both in their early 50s, had entered Iran as part of a motorcycle world tour and had planned to continue their journey to Pakistan after a short stay.

In recent years, Iranian authorities have arrested multiple foreign nationals on charges of espionage or collaboration with hostile governments. While some have been released following political negotiations, human rights organizations and several Western governments have accused Iran of using such arrests as a means of political leverage—an allegation Iranian officials have consistently denied.

Updated Report: Number of Executions in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan, Rises to Four

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Executions, News
Ali Es'haghi, Dastgerd Prison, Ezzat Hosseini Duraki, HRANA, Isfahan, Mohammad Shamseddin

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Monday, February 17, 2025, the execution of three more prisoners in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan, brought the total number of executions carried out in the prison today to four.

In addition to the execution of Ezzat Hosseini Duraki, who had been sentenced to death on drug-related charges, three other prisoners were also executed. HRANA has confirmed the identities of two of them as Ali Eshaghi and Mohammad Shamseddin. Both had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the judiciary.

HRANA is still investigating further details, including the identity of the fourth executed prisoner.

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

In 2024, HRA reported 53 executions in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan, making it the fourth-highest among prisons in terms of execution numbers.
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.

World-Traveling Cyclist Khosrow Azarbeyg Arrested in Tehran

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Freedom of Expression, News
Khosrow Azarbeig, Khosrow Azarbeyg, Tehran, World-Traveling Cyclist, خسرو آذربیگ

HRANA News Agency – On Monday, February 17, 2025, security forces in Tehran arrested Khosrow Azarbeyg, a musician and world-traveling cyclist.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, attorney Amir Raeesian stated that Mr. Azarbeyg was detained by security forces on Monday evening while walking on a street in Tehran. His family has been informed that he is facing charges of “insulting Bashar al-Assad.” His current whereabouts remain unknown.

Mr. Azarbeyg had previously been arrested on September 20, 2024, while performing street music in Tehran’s Mellat Park. Security forces confiscated his belongings, and although he was released hours later, a judicial case was opened against him.

He was also briefly detained on January 10, 2024, for playing the daf drum at a metro station in Tehran.

Khosrow Azarbeyg is a cyclist, musician, traveler, documentary filmmaker, and children’s rights activist. He has traveled to more than 40 countries across Asia, Europe, and Africa and has been involved in various initiatives supporting impoverished families in Sistan and Baluchestan, children with autism, and the families of child laborers.

A Prisoner Executed in Dastgerd Prison on Drug-Related Charges

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Executions, News
Dastgerd Prison, Ezzat Hosseini Duraki, HRANA, Isfahan

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Monday, February 17, 2025, a prisoner who had previously been sentenced to death on drug-related charges was executed in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the identity of the prisoner has been confirmed as Ezzat Hosseini Duraki.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Hosseini Duraki had been arrested on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by the judiciary. He had spent more than ten years in prison before his execution.

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

In 2024, HRA reported 53 executions in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan, making it the fourth-highest among prisons in terms of execution numbers.
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.

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Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Ebrahim Asemani Sentenced to Prison and Flogging

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Azerbaijani Turk, Ebrahim Asemani, Tabriz, Zohreh Sa’adati Vafaie

HRANA News Agency – Azerbaijani-Turk activist Ebrahim Asemani has been sentenced to three months in prison and 30 lashes by Branch 118 of the Tabriz Criminal Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Asemani was convicted on charges of “disrupting public order through unconventional attire and creating commotion during the funeral of Zohreh Sa’adati Vafaie.” The verdict, issued on February 15, 2025, sentenced him to three months and one day of imprisonment and 30 lashes.

This verdict was issued in absentia and can be appealed within 20 days of notification, with an additional 20-day window for appeal in the Court of Appeals.

Asemani was arrested on September 23, 2024, during the funeral of Sa’adati Vafaie at a Cemetery in Tabriz for wearing traditional clothing featuring specific inscriptions. He was released on bail after eight days.

Asmani, aged approximately 60, is a married Azerbaijani-Turk activist from Tabriz. He has previously faced summonses, arrests, and judicial sentences due to his activism.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) strictly prohibits inhumane and degrading punishments such as flogging and amputation. However, in 2024, HRANA documented at least three cases where flogging sentences were carried out, totaling 106 lashes. Additionally, at least 131 individuals were sentenced to a combined 9,957 lashes by the Iranian judiciary.

Furthermore, four individuals had their hand amputation sentences executed, while four others were sentenced to amputation.
For detailed statistics and further insights, read HRANA’s 2024 Annual Report.

Report on the Arrest of Christian Convert Somayeh Rajabi in Babol

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News, Religious Minorities
Babol, HRANA, IRGC Intelligence, Sari, Somayeh Rajabi

HRANA News Agency – On the evening of Thursday, February 6, 2025, security forces raided a gathering of dozens of Christian converts in Gatab, a town in Babol County, and arrested Somayeh Rajabi, a Christian convert, transferring her to prison.

According to HRANA, citing Mohabat News, agents from the IRGC Intelligence in Babol stormed the gathering, where around 80 Christian converts were present.

Rajabi was arrested during the raid and, one day later, informed her family in a brief phone call that she had been transferred to a prison in Sari.

Reports indicate that security forces treated the attendees harshly and confiscated all religious books, musical instruments, and digital devices.

No information is currently available regarding the charges against Rajabi.

Notably, while Christianity is officially recognized as a minority religion in Iran, security agencies view the conversion of Muslims to Christianity as a highly sensitive matter and respond with severe crackdowns on those involved in religious activism.

The persecution of Christian converts in Iran persists despite Article 18 of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which affirm every individual’s right to freedom of religion, including the right to change their faith and to practice it openly or privately, alone or in community with others.

Prisoner Executed in Arak Prison

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Executions, News
Arak prison, Hadi Farahani, زندان اراک

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Sunday, February 16, 2025, a prisoner previously sentenced to death for murder was executed in Arak Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the executed prisoner has been identified as Hadi Farahani. He was arrested on murder charges and later sentenced to death by a criminal court.

As of the time of this report, prison and judicial authorities have not publicly announced the execution.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.

Wave of Arrests Following Protests in Dehdasht, Iran

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ahmad Nourmohammadi, Alireza Parisayi, Dehdasht, Hamid Parisayi, Hossein Parisayi, HRANA, irgc, Jaber Foroughi, Kamran Buzari, Pouria Barati, Reza Yeganeh, RGC Intelligence, Shahram Nooranian, Shahriar Heshmat-Nasab

HRANA News Agency – Following a protest on Tuesday, February 11, in Dehdasht, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, a large number of demonstrators have been arrested.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of several detainees, including Shahram Nooranian, Shahriar Heshmat-Nasab, Reza Yeganeh, Hossein Parisayi, Alireza Parisayi, Hamid Parisayi, and Ahmad Noormohammadi. Earlier, the arrests of Atefeh Tahernia, 17-year-old Amirhossein Jafari, 16-year-old Kamran Buzari, Jaber Foroughi, and Pouria Barati had also been reported.

Ahmad Noormohammadi, accused of leading the protests, is being held in the IRGC Intelligence detention facility. Meanwhile, Hossein, Alireza, and Hamid Parisayi (three brothers), Jaber Foroughi, and Pouria Barati are detained in Dehdasht Prison, while Atefeh Tahernia is held in Yasuj Prison. Amirhossein Jafari, the 17-year-old detainee, has been transferred to the Yasuj Juvenile Correctional Center.

A source close to the detainees confirmed this to HRANA, stating: “Atefeh Tahernia was supposed to be released from Yasuj Prison on bail, but the judicial officer opposed her release.”

Yesterday, Fars News Agency reported the arrests of several protesters in Dehdasht, accusing them of “disrupting public order and attempting sabotage.” At the same time, security-affiliated media channels identified one of the detainees as “Ahmad Lolo” (referring to Ahmad Noormohammadi) and claimed—without evidence—that he is an Afghan national and one of the organizers of the protest.

According to HRANA’s sources, during the arrests of Shahram Nooranian and Shahriar Heshmat-Nasab, IRGC intelligence forces opened fire on their vehicle in the Tang-e Pirza area of Kohgiluyeh County.

A source close to one of the detainees’ families confirmed this account to HRANA, stating:
“Shahram and Shahriar were violently beaten and arrested. Since their detention, their families have received no information about their whereabouts and are deeply concerned for their well-being.”

On the night of Tuesday, February 11, a group of Dehdasht residents gathered in protest, chanting slogans against the government. These demonstrations were driven by growing public frustration over economic and social issues.

In the days following the protest, amid widespread arrests, Dehdasht has remained under heavy security, with a significant presence of security forces throughout the city.

Prisoner Executed in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz

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Executions, News
Adelabad Prison, HRANA, Saeed Jokar, Shiraz, سعید جوکار

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Sunday, February 16, 2025, a prisoner previously sentenced to death on non-political charges was executed in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the identity of the executed prisoner has been confirmed as Saeed Jokar. Based on information obtained by HRANA, Jokar had been sentenced to death by judicial authorities on non-political charges.

As of the time of this report, prison and judicial officials have not publicly announced the execution.

Saeed Jokar’s Death notice

According to HRANA’s data, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz carried out 85 executions in 2024, marking a 73% increase compared to the previous year. This places it as the second most active prison for executions in Iran. For a detailed analysis and full statistics on executions across the country, refer to HRANA’s report.