Author: A MN

Eight Citizens Accused of Espionage in Detention in Urmia Prison 

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Amir Moshtagh, Aran Omari, Ashkan Othmannejad, Espionage, Fakhredin Doodkanloo, Hasan Omarpour, Kamran Henareh, Rahman Parhazoo, Urmia prison, Vafa Henareh

Eight citizens, who were arrested and accused of espionage, have been detained since November 2021. On March 11, 2022, all these detainees but one were relocated to Urmia Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, eight citizens identified as Kamran Henareh, Vafa Henareh, Ashkan Othmannejad, Fakhredin Doodkanloo, Aran Omari, Rahman Parhazoo, Hasan Omarpour, Amir Moshtagh have been detained on the charge of espionage. Vafa Henareh is still held at a detention center and the rest are jailed in Urmia Prison. All these individuals have been indicted for espionage.

Although the prosecution of individuals for espionage is not considered a violation of human rights, there are concerns about the validity of these allegations due to the frequent use of such accusations by Iran’s regime in order to suppress its political dissidents and due to the ambiguities in legal proceedings and the lack of transparency about such legal cases.

Asghar Khani Arrested and Sent to Kazerun Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Asghar Khani, Farashband County, HRANA, Kazerun Prison

On Tuesday, April 3, 2022, in Farashband County located in Fars Province, intelligence agents arrested Asghar Khani at his work and transferred him to Kazerun Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Tuesday, April 3, 2022, Asghar Khani was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence agents in Farashband County.

Khani suffers from respiratory disease, and his detention raises health concerns. An informed source told HRANA: “Asghar Khani suffers from respiratory disease and he has to use a respiratory spray. According to his physician, he has to stay away from stressful situations, prison conditions and interrogation will worsen his disease.”

The reason for this arrest and the charges are still unknown.

Asghar Khani, age 49, is a civil engineer and a father of two children.

Imprisoned Civil Activist Behnam Moosivand Still on Hunger Strike Despite Deteriorating Conditions 

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Behnam Moosivand, Evin Prison, Hunger Strike

Imprisoned civil activist Behnam Moosivand is currently in critical health condition after 16 days of hunger strike. On the eighth day of his hunger strike, he was dispatched to a hospital from the Evin Prison’s quarantine ward.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, jailed civil activist Behnam Moosivand is in critical condition as a result of a prolonged hunger strike.

An informed source close to Moosivand’s family told HRANA: “Behnam has lost a lot of weight and can hardly speak. He suffers from pain and nausea and has to be injected with morphine to relieve the pain. However, he is denied family visitation even though his family has been present at the hospital.”

On April 19, 2022, Moosivand went on a hunger strike in protest against aggressive behavior and assault by prison officers following his objection to being handcuffed during the dispatching to the hospital.

On February 1, 2018, the intelligence officials raided Moosivand’s home and transferred him to the detention facility of the Ministry of Intelligence in Evin Prison, known as Ward 209. He was released on bail on March 19, 2018.

Subsequently, in September 2019, branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced Moosivand to five years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security”, and one year on a charge of “propaganda against the regime”. The verdict was upheld on appeal. On June 14, 2020, Moosivand went to Evin for sentencing. In September of 2020, he was sent into exile, to Rajai-Shahr prison in Karaj City.

Upcoming Execution of Dual National Ahmad Reza Jalali Set for May 21

Posted on by A MN
Executions, News, Prisoners

Quoting an informed source, ISNA reports that imprisoned Iranian-Swedish national Ahamd Reza Jalali is to be executed by May 21, 2022.

Jalali’s death sentence was previously upheld by the Supreme Court of Iran on the charge of espionage which he has vehemently denied and was seen as a political manoeuvring against those who invited him and to force concessions from the Swedish government 

The announcement today has also raised concern that the Iranian regime intends to use Professor Jalali to force the Swedish government to free Hamid Nouri, an Iranian official who is on trial and accused of participating in the 1988 execution of political prisoners. This trial is coming to an end as the Swedish government has asked for a life sentence for Nouri based on evidence from a lengthy trial. 

Professor Jalali, who travelled to Iran in May 2016 at the invitation of the University of Tehran, was arrested by security forces on charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through espionage for Israel”. Moharebeh, loosely translated as “waging war against God”, is a pillar of Sharia Law which is typically applied to those suspected of connection to acts against the state.

Mr. Jalali was sentenced to death for espionage, and the sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court in December 2017.

Ahmad Reza Jalali worked at the Center for Natural Disasters after graduating from medical school in Iran. He immigrated to Sweden in 2009 to continue his studies and earned a doctorate. He completed his postdoctoral in Disaster Medicine at the University of Piedmont in Italy, and later, settled in Sweden with his wife and two children.

According to a report published by HRANA in November 2020, Ahmad Reza Jalali was transferred to solitary confinement for a week to be prepared for execution. In December of that year, his attorney Mrs. Mousavian was informed that her client’s death sentence was put on hold and he was transferred to ward 209 of Evin prison.

“Fortunately, Mr. Jalali was transferred to a public ward in April, but so far, despite all the efforts, his death sentence has not changed,” Mousavian said. “I am very worried about my client, especially now that the presidential election is over. Despite my repeated expressions of concern, no effective action has been taken by the country of dual citizenship and the European Union.”

Detained Teachers Eskandar Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah on Fourth Day of Hunger Strike

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News

Eskandar Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah detained teachers and members of the Teachers’ Trade Association of Mariwan, have been on hunger strike since their arrest last Sunday.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Telegram account of “Teachers’ Union” (Kanale Senfi Moaleman), on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, detained teachers Eskandar Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah have been on hunger strike since the arrest last Sunday. The two teachers were arrested with Shaaban Mohammadi.

Lotfi, a teacher union activist and the inspector of the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, has faced other arrests and convictions for his civil activities.

On Sunday, May 1, in response to a call by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, the retired and working teachers in 45 cities assembled in front of the building of the Ministry of Education. In Mariwan and Bushehr, these protests were attacked by the police and several protestors were arrested. 

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Individual Arrested for Writing Anti-regime Slogan on Wall

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Ministry of Intelligence, Urmia, writing slogans

An individual was arrested for writing slogans on the Ministry of Intelligence’s wall and setting his own car on fire in Azerbaijan Province’s Urmia City. A video circulated on social media showed a security agent pointing a gun at him.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, a citizen was arrested for writing a slogan on the wall and setting his vehicle on fire. 

As an act of protest, this unidentified individual first set his vehicle which was parked by the Ministry of Intelligence on fire in Urmia and then began to write slogans on the wall of the ministry’s office.

 The media outlets inside Iran and officials have not reacted to this incident so far. Yet, a video showing a security agent pointing a gun toward the protestor from about a short distance has become viral on social media.

Civil Activist Monireh Arabshahi Hospitalized for Poor Health Conditions

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
iranian civil activist, Kachooye Prison, Monireh Arabshahi, Yasaman Aryani

On Sunday, May 1, 2022, imprisoned civil activist Monireh Arabshahi was hospitalized due to poor health conditions.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Sunday, May 1, 2022, civil activist Monireh Arabshahi, who is currently jailed in Kachooie Prison in Karaj City, was dispatched to a hospital outside the prison.

She was sent to a prison health facility first and after a few hours, dispatched to a hospital outside the prison.

An informed source told HRANA: ” after surgery and Thyroid drainage, Arabshahi has to be under medical care by a physician to check her hormone levels, which is not possible in prison. Nonetheless, the prosecutor does not grant any medical furlough.”

Earlier, on August 4, 2021, Arabshahi was sent on medical furlough and on October 4, 2021, forced to return to prison despite unfinished medical treatment.

Also, on July 31, 2021, Arabshahi was dispatched to a hospital and was sent back to prison a day after without adequate medical treatment.   

Despite poor health conditions, which make her unable to endure imprisonment, Arabshahi is still jailed in Kachooie Prison in Karaj City.

Yasaman Aryani, Arabshahi’s daughter and an outspoken opponent of the compulsory hijab in Iran, who had been released after serving out her sentence on February 14, 2019, was also arrested again on April 10, 2019, on new charges.

One day after the arrest of her daughter, Arabshahi was also arrested and both were relocated to Gharchak Prison. Subsequently, both were sent to Evin Prison and finally to Kachooye Prison in Karaj.

Subsequently, Branch 28 of the revolutionary court convicted the mother and daughter to a total of 16 years in prison, which were later reduced to a total of 9 years and 7 months. They were charged with “assembly and collusion against national security”, “propaganda against the regime”,  and “provoking and provisioning of impurity and indecency”.

Nine Teacher Union Activists Indicted in Saqqez

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Ahmad Ghaderi, Amanj Amini, Awat Razavi, Aziz Marzi, Khaled Abdollahi, Leila Enayat-Zadeh, Soleiman Abdi, Taher Ghaderzadeh, Taher Hamedi

Nine Teacher Union Activists in the city of Saqqez in Kurdistan Province were indicted by the Public and Revolutionary Court of Saqqez. These individuals were identified as Awat Razavi, Leila Enayat-Zadeh, Taher Hamedi, Taher Ghaderzadeh, Amanj Amini, Aziz Marzi, Ahmad Ghaderi, Khaled Abdollahi, and Soleiman Abdi.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Telegram account “Teachers’ Union” (Kanale Senfi Moaleman), nine teachers who had been arrested during teachers’ protest in Saqqez were indicted.

The report did not mention the charges against these teachers.

 

Seven Arrested Teachers Released, Four Teachers’ Detention Extended

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Ardeshir Sayyadi, Asghar Hajeb, Bushehr, Fereydoun Shafiee, Hamid Khojasteh, Mahmood Melaki, Mariwan, Mohammad Melaki, Mohammad-Reza Akbari, Mohsen Omrani, Naser Zendeh-boodi, ranian Teachers’ Trade Association, Reza Amanifar, Yousef Sayyadi

On Monday, May 2, 2022, seven teachers who had been arrested during teachers’ protests in Bushehr were freed, while four teachers’ pretrial detentions were extended by 72 days.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, seven teachers who were arrested during the teachers’ protest in Bushehr last Sunday were released and four teachers’ detention was extended by 72 days.

Reportedly, these released teachers have been identified as Hamid Khojasteh, Mohammad-Reza Akbari, Ardeshir Sayyadi, Yousef Sayyadi, Fereydoun Shafiee, Mohammad Melaki and Naser Zendeh-boodi. The detentions of four teachers identified as Reza Amanifar, Asghar Hajeb, Mohsen Omrani and Mahmood Melaki were extended by72 days by the order of the prosecutor’s office.

These teachers had been arrested by the police in Bushehr last Sunday.

On Sunday, May 1, in response to a call by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, the retired and working teachers in 45 cities assembled in front of the building of the Ministry of Education. In Mariwan and Bushehr, these protests were attacked by the police and several protestors were arrested. 

Two Teacher Union Activists Arrested in Mariwan

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Aram Ghaderi, Aram Mohammadi, Jabbar Doosti, Kurdistan Province, Mehdi Tafsiri, the Coordination Council of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association

Security forces in Kurdistan Province arrested two teacher union activists, Jabbar Doosti and Mehdi Tafsiri in Mariwan and transferred them to an unidentified location. Two other teachers and residents of Mariwan, Aram Ghaderi and Aram Mohammadi were also beaten by security forces. Aram Ghaderi was then arrested and released after a few hours of interrogation.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Telegram channel of the Coordination Council of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, two teacher union activists, Jabbar Doosti and Mehdi Tafsiri were arrested by security forces.

The video received by HRANA shows a teachers’ gathering in Mariwan before the Ministry of Education was taken over by the police force.

In recent days, and especially since the Teacher Appreciation Week in Iran is close, many teachers and educators have been summoned or arrested by security and judicial institutions.