IRGC Intelligence Arrested Three Telegram Channel Admins 

In recent days, the IRGC Intelligence arrested three individuals for “disturbing public opinion through publishing classified documents”.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Radio Farda and Rokna, three Telegram channel admins were arrested by IRGC Intelligence allegedly for “publishing classified documents.”

In this report, one IRGC official claimed, “They attempted to gain the audience’s trust by publishing classified documents and by creating division between officials through fake and selective news items.”

This official did not disclose the individuals’ identities and their whereabouts. The individuals arrested are said in social media outlets to be connected to the IRGC Intelligence.

Teachers Mahmood Melaki and Mohsen Omrani Arrested in Bushehr

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Independent Iranian Workers Union (IIWU), on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, teachers Mahmood Melaki and Mohsen Omrani were arrested in Bushehr City.

Reportedly, two individuals’ families’ inquiry about their whereabouts and conditions has been unanswered by security and judicial authorities and the reasons for these arrests, the charges and their whereabouts are still unknown.

On May 1, 2022, Melaki and Omrani were arrested during the teachers’ protests in Bushehr. Melaki and Omrani were released on bail on May 17 and 21 respectively.

Last year, the Bushehr Revolutionary Court sentenced Melaki to refrain from teaching for two years and a 20-million tomans fine.

Mass Arrests of Teachers and Teacher Union Activists in Cities of Iran

On June  15 and 16, 2022, several teachers and teacher union activists were arrested by security forces in the cities of Rasht, Saqqez, Khomeini Shahr, Mariwan, Divandarreh, Sanandaj and Delfan. HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists,  was able to verify the arrest of 51 individuals.

According to HRANA, dozens of teachers and educators were arrested in different cities.

On Thursday, June 16, 2022, in response to the call of the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, active and retired teachers and educators held protests in front of the Ministry of Education in several cities across Iran.

In Tehran, a high number of police and security forces prevented the protestors from gathering near the parliament. Also, in Saqqez and Sanandaj, the heavy presence of plainclothes security agents was evident.

The protesting teachers demanded the immediate release of detained teachers, 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. 

The following is a confirmed list of individuals arrested in each city:

Rasht, Gilan Province

  1. Koka Bodaghi
  2. Aziz Ghasemzadeh
  3. Mahmood Sedighipour
  4. Anoosh Adeli
  5. Javad Saeedi and
  6. an unidentified woman.

 

Saqqez, Kurdistan Province

  1. Khaled Abdollahi
  2. Mohammad Fatahi
  3. Taher Ghaderzadeh
  4. Soleyman Abdi
  5. Azizi Marzi
  6. Ahmad Ghaderi
  7. Keywan Mohammadi
  8. Hossein Mohammadi
  9. Loghmanollah Moradi
  10. Khaled Sheikhi
  11. Salahedin Hosseini
  12. Ghader Yasrabi
  13. Marzieh Talai
  14. Amanj Amni
  15. Zahed Moradi
  16. Anvar Farajzadeh
  17. Awat Razawi
  18. Esmail Reihani
  19. Taher Hamei
  20. Keywan Ahmadi
  21. Salah Sorkhi

 

Qazvin, Qazvin Province

  1. Mohammad-Reza Behnam-Nejad
  2. Ali Sadeghi-Nejad
  3. Mahmood Sabooni
  4. Mahmood Zamani
  5. Saayadi (first name unknown)
  6. Hamid Farokh Amini
  7. Efekhari (First Name Unknown)
  8. Razni (first name unknown)
  9. Kazemi (first name unknown).

 

Khomeini Shahr, Isfahan Province

  1. Sattar Zarei (released on bail)
  2. Mojtaba Abtahi (released on bail)
  3. Ruhollah Ghadimi (released on bail)

 

Mariwan, Kurdistan Province

  1. Tahsin Mostafa
  2. Sivan Soleimani
  3. Aram Ghaderi

 

Divandarreh, Kurdistan Province

  1. Omid-Shah Mohammadi
  2. Othman Rezai
  3. Hiwa Ghoreishi
  4. Parviz Ahsani
  5. Kaweh Mohammadzadeh

 

Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province

  1. Salah Haji Mirzai
  2. Mohammad-Reza Moradi
  3. Ghias Nemati

And in Delfan, Lorestan province, one arrested teacher was identified as Parviz Eini.

 

 

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, numerous protests took place this week in Iran. Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations

Saturday, June 11

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization held protests in the cities of Ahvaz, Hamedan, Karaj, Ilam and Shush. They protested against the government’s decision to increase the pensions by only 10% rather than the 38%  as enacted by the Supreme Labor Council.

 

The workers of the Tehran Darougar Company and the chemical and consumer goods Company Tolypers based in Qazvin, which are both subsidiary companies of Darougar Holding Company, held protests separately at their workplaces. Reportedly, due to the companies’ shut down, these workers have been suspended from work and not been paid.

A group of educators of Tonekabon County in Mazandaran Province gathered in front of the Courthouse in Sari to ask for the prosecution of illegal land grabbers. About 150 educators have lost their money through fraudulent acts of Madani Farhang Company and several land grabbers.

A number of farmers in Shadegan city, Khuzestan Province, gathered before the governorate building to protest against cutting off or reducing the fuel portion for their tractors.

A number of applicants for the housing project “Melli Maskan” gathered before the governorate building in Ahvaz to ask for their demands.

A number of personnel and trainers of the Technical and Vocational Training Organization in Alborz province gathered before the office to protest against low wages and their poor living conditions.

Sunday, June 12

In support of Political prisoner Vahid Bagheri, his family and relatives gathered before the Parliament in Tehran. On May 10, 2022, Vahid Bagheri staged a hunger strike in protest against the prison official’s rejection of his request for release on probation despite the head of the judiciary’s approval.

In Naqadeh, Bandar Abbas, Zanjan, Shush, Sanandaj, Tabriz, Shushtar, Rasht, Hamedan, Karaj, Ardabil, Arak, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Sari, Borujerd and Ahvaz, the social security pensioners held protests to demand 38% increase in wages as the Supreme Labor Council has enacted.

 

Dozens of retired Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) drivers gathered in front of a bus terminal in Tehran to demand severance payment and a four per cent premium as allocated for hazardous jobs.

In Tehran, a number of shopkeepers and merchants walked off the job, shut down their shops and rallied against increasing taxes. Reportedly, the demonstration turned violent by the police. A similar protest by shopkeepers took place in Arak before Iranian National Tax Administration.

 

A group of residents of Tehran gathered before the Electricity Distribution Company to ask for their demands.

For the second consecutive day,  the workers of the Tehran Darougar company protested at the company’s premises. They asked for job security and returning to work.

Monday, June 13

A number of artists and other residents of Malekan City, East Azerbaijan Province, gathered before the governorate building to protest against the appointment of the new head of the county Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. They said that the appointment is not based on his merit but on his support from a parliament member during the election.

The protest of pensioners continued in Bandar Abbas, Ahvaz and Dorud. They asked for increasing wages, implementing a plan to close wage disparities, addressing supplementary insurance issues and end-year bonuses.

A number of preschool teachers gathered before the Ministry of Education in Ahvaz to ask for official job contracts and other demands.

A group of students of the Tarbiat Modares University gathered before the central building of this University to protest against the lack of proper amenities and facilities.

A group of the residents of two villages in Mazandaran Province protested against land grabbing by the General Directorate of Endowments and Charity Affairs.

A number of shopkeepers of the Kazerun City in Fars Province staged a strike and shut down the market in protest against the poor economic conditions.

 

Tuesday, June 14

Social Security pensioners continued their protests in the cities of Ahvaz, Shush, Kermanshah and Zanjan.

A Number of interns of Tehran University of Medical Sciences gathered at their workplace to protest against delays in payment and ask for levelling up wages.

One of the interns said, “You will not believe it if I tell you that at the age of 25, with such a high volume of work, they have just increased my wages from 1,3 million to 1,8 million tomans. Yet, the increase has not yet been paid. It is about 14 months that we have not received our delayed wages.”

A group of citizens with special diseases gathered in front of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education to protest against the shortage and high costs of medicine.

A number of shopkeepers went on strike and rallied in the cities of Shiraz, Arak, Borujerd and Minab. They protested against increasing taxes in hard economic conditions.

Wednesday, June 15

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization held protests in the cities of Shush, Shushtar, Dorud, Ahvaz and Kermanshah. Also, ILNA has reported similar protests in Gilan and Zanjan provinces.

In the cities of Ilam, Fasa and Arak, shopkeepers and merchants went on strike against worsening economic conditions and increasing taxes.

A group of retired bank employees gathered before the Bank Pension Fund in Tehran to protest against unpaid benefits and other issues.

A group of the personnel of Iranian international shipping companies gathered in front of the Road Maintenance & Transportation Organization in Tehran. They protested against layoffs following the privatization of these companies.

A group of truck owners held a protest in front of the Fuel Transportation Management department.

Thursday, June 16

In response to the call of The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, active and retired teachers and educators held protests in front of the Ministry of Education in several dozens of cities across the country.

In Tehran, a high number of police and security forces prevented the protestors to gather before the parliament. Also, in Saqqez and Sanandaj, a heavy presence of plainclothes security agents was evident.

The protesting teachers demanded the immediate release of detained teachers, the implementation of the “Job Ranking Plan” as passed in Iran’s parliament, the closing disparity in pensions, free education for students, a maximum class size of 16, and the release of jailed teachers.

 

A number of Tolypers Manufacture company of Qazvin gathered and rallied in the street led to the governorate building in Qazvin.  These workers protested against unpaid wages during the factory closure.

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization continued their protests in Rasht, Ahvaz and Dorud.

The workers of the Parsa Company who are working on a petrochemical construction project went on strike to ask for unpaid wages.

 

 

 

Anisha Asadollahi and Keyvan Mohtadi in Detention Extended for One Month

In recent days, Anisha Asadollahi and Keyvan Mohtadi’s detention was extended for one month. On Monday, May 9, 2022, security forces arrested these workers’ rights activists and jailed them in Ward 209 of Evin prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Anisha Asadollahi and Keyvan Mohtadi’s detention was extended for one month.

Earlier, an informed source told HRANA, “Anisha Asadollahi is still held in solitary confinement and today was allowed to have a short visit from her mother. Keyvan Mohtadi is held along with three other inmates in a public cell of Ward 209.” The charges against these workers’ rights activists are still unknown.

Anisha Asadollahi and Keyvan Mohtadi had been arrested and convicted before for their civil activities. On May 1, 2019, along with many other workers and worker’s rights activists, Anisha Asadollahi was arrested at a gathering for the celebration of International Workers’ Day. Subsequently, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced her to one-year imprisonment (of which six months were suspended) and 74 lashes on the charge of “disturbing the public order”. She was jailed in Evin prison for sentencing on January 4, 2020, and was freed on January 21 of that year.

Anisha Asadollahi is an electrical engineer and a graduate of K. N. Toosi University of Technology. She works as an English teacher.

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Eight Inmates Executed in Rajai Shahr Prison

On Wednesday, June 15, 2022, eight inmates convicted of murder were executed in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, the executions of eight inmates were carried out in Rajai Shahr Prison.

Three of these executed inmates have been identified by HRANA as Mohammad Shokri, age 25, Ali Gholami, age 24 and Amir Jafari. They had all been convicted of murder.

These executions have not been reported by official sources and media outlets inside Iran so far. 

The most recent report from the Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) states that between January 1 of 2021 and December 20 of 2021, at least 299 citizens, including four juvenile offenders, were executed. In addition, 85 citizens were sentenced to death in this period. 

As the report points out, Iran’s judicial authorities do not publicly announce over 88% of executions. These unreported executions are known as “secret executions” by human rights organizations.

 

Ten Teacher Union Activists Arrested in Saqqez and Divandarreh

Yesterday, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, security forces arrested ten teacher union activists in Saqqez and Divandarreh, in Kurdistan Province, and transferred them to an unidentified location. The individuals arrested, who are members of the Kurdistan Teachers’ Trade Associations, include Soleiman Abdi, Aziz Marzi, Salah Sorkhi from Saqqez and Omid-Shah Mohammadi, Othman Rezai, Hiwa Ghoreishi, Parviz Ahsani and Kaweh Mohammadzadeh from Diwandarreh.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, ten members of the Kurdistan Teachers’ Trade Associations were arrested in Saqqez and Divandarreh.

The reason for the arrest, the whereabouts and the charges against these individuals are unknown so far.

The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations called active and retired teachers to rally across the country in protest against the widespread arrests of teachers.

Baha’i Children’s Rights Activist Samin Ehsani Imprisoned

On Wednesday, June 15, 2022, Baha’i children’s rights activist Samin Ehsani was arrested and taken to Evin Prison to serve a five-year sentence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, Baha’i children’s rights activist Samin Ehsani was taken to Evin Prison for sentencing.

Earlier, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Ehsani to five years in prison on the charges of “propaganda against the regime”, and “membership in the heretical Baha’i sect”. The verdict was issued on July 1, 2012. The verdict was upheld on appeal.

Samin Ehsani has been active in running educational courses for Afghan children who do not have access to education in Iran. During the trial, her activities were presented as an example of the charges.

The deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a breach of 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.

Several Individuals Arrested for Live Stream Posts by Iran’s Cyber Police

The chief of Iran’s Cyber Police announced that several individuals have been arrested in several cities across the country for what he called inappropriate live videos on social media. He said that the individuals’ mobile phones have been confiscated and they have been indicted by the judicial authorities.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Mehr News Agency, a number of individuals have been arrested by the cyber police in Bushehr, Tehran, West Azerbaijan, Zanjan and Fars provinces.

Without revealing the identities and the number of the individuals who are arrested, Vahid Majid, the chief of Iran’s Cyber Police claimed, “from Bushehr, Tehran, West Azerbaijan, Zanjan and Fars, the members and heads of a gang, who were circulating inappropriate live video posts to promote corruption and money laundering were identified and apprehended.”

Update on Prisoner Kamal Sharifi in Minab Prison

Political prisoner Kamal Sharifi is serving the fourteenth year out of a 30 years sentence in Minab Prison. In violation of prison rules, he was housed with violent prisoners. Moreover, he suffers from heart disease and digestive disorders, for which he has been denied adequate medical treatment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Kamal Sharifi is serving the fourteenth year of his sentence in a ward for prisoners of violent crimes in Minab Prison.

In March of 2021, he was dispatched to a hospital outside prison after a heart attack. After four days, however, he was sent back to prison before completing medical treatment. Also, due to damaged tendons in his foot, Sharifi can hardly walk for which he has not received medical treatment.

Earlier, HRANA reported that Sharifi is not allowed furlough, family visitation or regular phone calls.

Kamal Sharifi was arrested in 1998 in the city of Saqqez, when Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced him to 30 years imprisonment.

On several occasions, Kamal Sharifi was arrested in 1989 and 1990 on the charges of supporting and working for the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and eventually, the Revolutionary Court of Saqqez sentenced him to one additional year of imprisonment and 40 lashes.