Author: A MN

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
fuel ration cards, Iranian pensioners, Railway Workers, Rezwan Dorud, scaffold workers, Tehran Darugar Company, Zahedan

On Saturday, June 25, 2022, five protests and one worker strike took place in Iran. Read our review below for details, photos, and videos from these demonstrations:

A group of workers of the Tehran Darugar Company held a protest against a three-month delay in payments. According to these workers, the employer’s claim that the raw materials are in short supply is baseless and ingredients of shampoo and detergent are available on the market.

The workers and personnel of the Railway Services and Technical Construction Engineering Company Rezwan Dorud gathered and protested in a railway station in Zarand City, Yazd Province, to ask for levelling up wages.

A group of pensioners of the Social Security Organization gathered before the Governor’s office in Ahvaz to ask for their demands.

A number of workers of Azarpark Company gathered in front of this company office in Tabriz to protest against a three months delay in wages and the company’s decision not to raise the wages.

A number of residents of Zahedan gathered before the National Iranian Oil Company to protest against the revocation of their fuel ration cards.

The scaffold workers of the contractor company Salahshur working in the oil industry went on strike to ask for increasing wages and a shift work schedule with 20 days working followed by 10 days off.

 

Inmates in Women’s Ward of Qarchak Prison Held in Inhumane Conditions

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Iranian women prisoners, Qarchak Prison

Women imprisoned in Qarchak Prison in Varamin are being held in poor and inhumane conditions, deprived of a ventilation system and healthy drinking water, which results in skin diseases and other health issues.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, inmates of women’s wards in Qarchak Prison are deprived of basic human needs.

In recent days, the quality of tap water has intolerably worsened. According to an informed source, low-quality water has caused many diseases. Many women inmates cannot afford to buy water bottles from the food store in prison.

These harsh conditions have also increased tensions and quarrels among inmates.

The conditions in the women’s ward have caused criticism of the authorities, including  Heshmatollah Hayat, the head of the Tehran Prisons Organization.

Update on Prisoner Akbar Faraji in Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Akbar Faraji, Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary

Political prisoner Akbar Faraji (Farajim), age 41, is serving a five-year sentence in the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary.

On October 8, 2021, Faraji and 13 other inmates were relocated to a locked-door ward. After being kept there for several months, the inmates in this ward are suffering from many issues such as frequent water cuts, overcrowding and the lack of a ventilation system.

On February 10, 2019, security forces arrested Akbar Faraji for his activities on social media. He was held at one IRGC detention facility in Tehran and after ten days of interrogation, transferred to Evin Prison. On February 24, 2019, Faraji was released on bail of 300 million Tomans.

On April 9, 2019, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Akbar Faraji to five years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security” and one year on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.” This verdict was upheld on appeal. Based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the five years sentence for the first charge is enforceable. On September 6, 2020, Faraji was jailed in the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary to serve his sentence.

Concern over Prisoner Mohammad-Ali Mansouri’s Health 

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
HRANA, Iran Mansouri, javaid rehman, MEK, Mohammad Ali Mansouri, Sunni prisoners

Political prisoner Mohammad-Ali Mansouri, who is serving the fifteenth year out of his seventeen-year sentence in Rajai Shahr Prison, is denied urgent medical treatment and furlough despite prior approval. In an open statement, his mother, Iran Mansouri asked human rights organizations for help.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Mohammad-Ali Mansouri, a political prisoner who is held in  Rajai Shahr Prison is denied urgent medical treatment and furlough.

An informed source told HRANA, “Last year, Mansouri had a heart attack. Although it was suggested that he should be at a healthcare facility for further examination and supervision, the  prison authority rejected the request.”

“Mansouri has served his first sentence and now he is imprisoned for another sentence which he faced during prison time”, this source added.

In an open statement addressing Javaid Rehman, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, Amnesty International and United Nations Human Rights Council, Mansouri’s Mother, Iran Mansouri expressed concern about her son’s poor health and asked for help.

Mansouri was arrested in September 2007 after attending the 19th anniversary of the massacre of political prisoners in 1988. Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, sentenced him to 17 years in prison and a fine of 150,000 tomans on the charge of “communicating and collaborating with the People’s Mujahedin Organization (MEK)”. The sentence was upheld by the Court of Appeals.

In May 2018, on the pretext of [conducting] “activities inside the prison” such as going on a hunger strike, inciting prisoners, and writing a statement in support of the Sunni prisoners,  Mansouri was charged with “collusion against the regime” and sentenced to an additional five years in prison.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Bojnurd, Iranian nurses, Iranian scaffold workers, North Khorasan province

On Thursday, June 23, 2022, the scaffold workers of more than 22 companies went on strike and the medical personnel in Bojnurd held a protest.

Yesterday, scaffold workers of oil and petrochemical companies went on strike. Today, the scaffold workers of several other companies joined the strike. These workers demanded increasing wages and a shift work schedule with 20 days working followed by 10 days off.

Reportedly, in response, some employers have threatened them with termination. However, one of the petrochemical companies, Kian, promised to increase the wages.

On the same day of the presidential visit to North Khorasan Province, a number of nurses and medical personnel held a protest in front of the Governor-General building in Bojnurd to ask for their demands.

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Majid Khademi Arrested upon Appearing at Court

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Behbahan, IRGC Intelligence, Khuzestan, Majid Khademi, Mehran Ghareh-Baghi, Tilehkoohi

On Wednesday, Jun 22, 2022, Majid Khademi was arrested after an appearance at Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Bandar Mahshahr. He and the other defendant in this case, Mehran Ghareh-Baghi, had attended the court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, Majid Khademi was arrested in Bandar Mahshahr, Khuzestan Province.

On January 18, 2020, IRGC Intelligence arrested Khademi and transferred him to a detention facility in Behbahan City. After one month of interrogation, he was relocated to Behbahan Prison.

Khademi  was later charged with “propaganda against the regime, participating in the destruction of public property, producing non-military explosive materials and Membership in one of the anti-regime parties and spreading corruption on earth.” Later, he was released on bail of 2.5 billion tomans.

Majid Khademi is 30 years old and a resident of the village Tilehkoohi of Behbahan County, Khuzestan Province.

Researcher Mohammad Khani Imprisoned in Evin

Posted on by A MN
News
Allameh Tabatabai University, Mohammad Khani, PhD student, Revolutionary Court of Tehran

On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, social researcher and translator Mohammad Khani was taken to Evin Prison in Tehran to serve a four-year sentence. Previously, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran had sentenced him to four years imprisonment and additional punishments. This verdict was upheld on appeal.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, social researcher and translator Mohammad Khani was taken to Evin Prison for sentencing.

On July 3, 2021, the Tehran Court of Appeal upheld the verdict against Khani. Earlier, he had been sentenced to three years and six months in person on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security” and six months on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

Based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, three years and six months sentence, as the most severe of multiple charges, is enforceable.

As additional punishments, Khani was banned from civil and political activities for two years, six months of social work for children with mental disabilities, and confiscation of some of his personal belongings, including his research archive, for two years.

On October 1, 2020, IRGC Intelligence arrested Khani at his house and transferred him to Ward 2A of Evin prison. During the arrest, they searched his house and confiscated some of his personal belongings. On November 11, 2020, Khani was released on bail.

Mohammad Khani is a PhD student in Welfare and Social Policy at Allameh Tabataba’i University.

Iranian Teachers Protests Update: 230 Arrests during Last Two Months

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News

At least 230 teachers and teacher union activists have been arrested since early May, during the nationwide peaceful teachers’ protest. Additionally, at least 23 teachers have been summoned by security and judicial authorities. In some cases, the security forces used violence during the arrest, raided the teacher’s houses and conducted searches. 

During this period, active and retired teachers held protests on many occasions in different cities. During the protests, many teachers were beaten and several of them are detained and on hunger strike.

In late April, intelligence authorities began to summon and threaten teacher union activists. During Teacher Appreciation Week in Iran, active and retired teachers and educators held protests in front of the Ministry of Education in different cities. Their demands include the implementation of the “Job Ranking Plan” as passed in Iran’s parliament, closing the gap in pensions, free education for students, and a maximum class size of 16. 

Iran’s intelligence apparatus responded to widespread protests through arrests and the harassment of teacher union activists. At least 230 teachers have been arrested so far. In two protests in Tehran on April 21 and May 12, 70 protestors were arrested and taken to a detention facility, most of whom were released after a few hours. However, dozens of teachers are still in detention. In Saqqez, Kurdistan province, ten detained teacher union activists went on hunger strike in protest against their detention. 

The following is a list of detained teachers are verified by HRANA:

CityProvinceIdentified Arrests*Verified ReleasesSummoned by the security or judicial authorities
TehranTehran2931
SaqqezKurdistan2510 
ShirazFars205 
YasujKohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad1572
BushehrBushehr113 
MariwanKurdistan1043
QazvinQazvin90 
SanandajKurdistan7210
RashtGilan755
DivandarrehKurdistan61 
AhvazKhuzestan4445
YazdYazd30 
KermanKerman33 
KhomeynishahrIsfahan33 
JolfaEast Azerbaijan21 
MashhadRazavi Khorasan21 
IsfahanIsfahan22 
DashtiariSistan and Baluchestan10 
KhorramabadLorestan10 
PoldokhtarLorestan10 
HamedanHamedan10 
ZavehRazavi Khorasan10 
PasargadFars10 
DelfanLorestan10 
AligudarzLorestan11 
NajafabadIsfahan11 
LangerudGilan112
SariMazandaran11 
ArakMarkazi11 
AbharZanjan002
KermanshahKermanshah002
IzehKhuzestan001

*The figures are limited to cases identified by HRANA and the actual numbers may be higher.

 

 

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Agro-Industry Complex Karoon, Asaluyeh, Bushehr and Damavand, Iranian pensioners, Iranian scaffold workers, Kangan, Khorramshahr municipality, Mehr housing, scaffold workers' strikes

On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, a number of protests and scaffold workers’ strikes took place in different cities across Iran.

A group of workers of the Khorramshahr Municipality gathered in front of the governor’s office in this city to protest against a two-month delay in payments and other unpaid benefits. They said that the municipality has not paid its insurance contribution for 17 months.

The workers of Agro-Industry Complex Karoon rallied in Shushtar. They asked for the CEO’s removal. Despite the ministry of Justice’s order for deposing the CEO due to hoarding sugar, he has not yet been removed from the office.

Like the previous days, the pensioner of the Social Security Organization gathered before the governor’s office in Ahvaz.

In Pardis City, a number of citizens who have pre-purchased apartments in a housing construction project known as Mehr, gathered and protested in front of Omran Pardis New Town Company. After 11 years, they still have not received their apartments.

A number of scaffold workers of several petrochemical companies in Asaluyeh, Kangan, Bushehr and Damavand walked off the job and staged a strike. They demanded increasing wages and a shift work schedule with 20 days working followed by 10 days off.

 

Update on Political Prisoner Ayoub Porkar’s Condition 

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
ahvaz, Ayoub Porkar, Iranian Political prisoner, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Sheyban Prison

Political prisoner Ayoub Porkar is currently spending the fourteenth year out of his twenty-year sentence in Sheyban Prison in Ahvaz. During this period, he has not been granted any furlough. 

In 2008, Porkar was arrested by security forces and later sentenced to death by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on the charge of “enmity against God through cooperation with The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK).” This verdict was commuted to 20 years in prison on appeal. 

Nasrin Sotoudeh, his attorney at the time of trial, stated that the arguments for his conviction were based on his beliefs rather than actions. 

Porkar is currently serving the fourteenth year of his sentence in exile, in Sheyban prison in Ahvaz. During the entire fourteen years, he has not been granted any furlough.