Author: A MN

Two Citizens Arrested in Kamyaran and Piranshahr Cities

Posted on by A MN
News, Other
arrests, Kamyaran, Karim Poormohammad, Kianoosh Rahmani, Piranshahr

On December 27, security forces arrested Kianoosh Rahmani in Kamyaran. The next day Karim Poormohammad was arrested in Piranshahr. Both were transferred to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Rahmani, a resident of Kamyaran County, was arrested after a previous summons by IRGC’s intelligence unit.

“Last Sunday, the security forces raided his house to arrest him, but he was not at home and they searched the house”, an informed source said.

As of yet, the security institution responsible for these arrests has not revealed to either family the reason for arrest, the charges or their whereabouts.

Four Workers Dead, Four Others Injured Due to Unsafe Workplace Conditions

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Alborz province, Artin Kamali, Bahar County, Fardis City, Gachsaran City, Gorgan City, workplace death, workplace injusry, workplace safety

Four workplace accidents in recent days killed four workers and injured four others.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IRNA, Artin Kamali, the head of Forensic Medicine of Hamadan Province, announced that a fire broke out in a workshop located in Bahar County. The fire killed a 36 year old worker.

“Investigation shows that defects in a heater in the workshop caused the fire,” he added.

According to ROKNA, a worker in Fardis City, Alborz Province, died after falling for a high height. “110 Police Emergency Center was called about the fall of a worker from the fourth floor of a building under construction in Fardis. Immediately, 11 central police officers were dispatched to the spot,” the police commander in Fardis County commented.

“The worker lost his life right after the fall,” he added.

In another workplace accident, one worker died and two others were severely injured in a turning workshop located in Gorgan City after an oxygen cylinder exploded.

Reportedly, when one of the workers was unloading the cylinders from a truck, one cylinder fell to the ground and blasted.

According to TABNAK News Agency, on December 28, in Gachsaran City, a contractor working on the city sewer network died due to the collapse of channel walls. Two other workers were also injured. According to the experts’ report, the ground became frail due to recent rainfalls, leading to the fall of the channel walls.

Iran ranks 102nd in workplace safety out of 189 countries.

Ten Year Old Child Killed by Landmine Blast in Elam Province

Posted on by A MN
Children, News
child killed, child killed by landmine, Dehloran County, Elam Province, landmine, landmines

In a border area near Dehloran County in Elam Province, a landmine blast killed a 10 year old child.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Mehr News Agency,

“A 10 year old child from nomadic people was grazing the cattle when one of the cattle stepped on a landmine and the child was hit in the chest by the shreds”, commented Dehloran police commander Colonel Manoochehr Makki.

“The wounded child was sent to a hospital but was lost due to severe injuries,” he added.

Every year, landmine explosions take several victims in  Iran’s border areas. There are about 42,000 square kilometres of war zones in Iran that have not yet been fully demined from the Iran-Iraq war.

In flagrant violation of international conventions, the regime is still using these landmines to secure its borders.

Accordingly, there are still thousands of landmines planted in Iran in the border areas with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. The regime also planted many landmines during the conflicts of the 1980s in Kurdistan.

Reza Mazaheri Arrested By Security Forces

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Reza Mazaheri, Tehran City

On December 25, Reza Mazaheri, a resident of Tehran City, was arrested by security forces and transferred to Evin Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, family inquiry to Evin Courthouse regarding his conditions and the reasons for arrest have remained unanswered.

On December 29, 2018, the security forces arrested Mazaheri. After being indicted by Branch 2 of Evin Courthouse prosecutors, he was jailed in Ward 4 of Evin prison. On April 15, 2019, he was released from jail on bail of 2 billion tomans (475,910 USD) pending further legal proceedings.

On March 15, 2020, the Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced him to two years in prison. This verdict was upheld by Branch 36 of Tehran’s court of appeals.

He has been already summoned to Branch 1 of Evin’s Executive unit.

Imprisoned French Tourist Benjamin Briere On Hunger Strike in Vakilabad Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Benjamin Briere, Mashhad City, saeed dehghan, Vakilabad

French Tourist Benjamin Briere, currently imprisoned in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad City went on hunger strike to protest being deprived of his inalienable right as a prisoner to contact his family on Christmas night.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Briere has been jailed in Vakilabad since May 2020 when he was arrested by security forces.

“What is the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad waiting for in order to proceed Benjamin Briere’s case after 570 days in detention?” his lawyer, Saeed Dehghan, asked on his personal page on social media.

Dehghan was informed about charges of spying and propaganda against the regime against his client. Two other charges of “spreading corruption on earth” and “alcohol drinking” had been already dismissed by the court.

Per Briere’s lawyer, actions such as taking aerial photos with a remote-controlled helicam and posing some questions like “why is the veil (Hijab) forced in Iran but not other Islamic countries” were invoked as examples for charges of “spying” and “propaganda against the regime” respectively during in the last court session held in February 2021.

“A report published by Figaro used the word “drone”, while he had just used a normal helicam. This mistranslation brought about some misunderstanding regarding the charges in the media. Additionally, this report wrongly called him a French-Iranian dual citizen, while he is a French citizen,” Dehghan told HRANA.

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Teacher’s Union Activist Fatemeh Bahmani Arrested in Shazand city

Posted on by A MN
News, Other
Arak City, Arrest without warrant, Fatemeh Bahmani, irgc, Mohammad Kurd, Shazand City

On December 24, security forces arrested teacher and union activist Fatemeh Bahmani at her house in Shazand City. Her cell phone was confiscated during the arrest.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, IRGC’s security agents arrested Bahmani without showing an arrest warrant.

The reasons for the arrest and her whereabouts are unknown at the time of writing.

Bahmani was arrested earlier in 2018 along with her husband Mohammad Kurd. They were arrested during a protest and sit-down strike in Arak City and transferred to the city’s prison. In two different cases for each, they were sentenced to two years suspended imprisonment for three years and fined 8 million tomans (1904 USD).

Suspicious Death of Juvenile Offender in Amol Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Abolfazl Shaabani, Amol Prison, Death in prison, death of a prisoner, death row juvenile offender, execution of juvenile offender, juvenile death penalty, juvenile offender, mysterious death, suspicious death

On December 24, imprisoned juvenile offender Abolfazl Shaabani lost his life under suspicious circumstances in Amol Prison. Shaabani was sentenced to death at age 16 for murder, but was able to recompense the victim’s family and was saved from execution.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, there is conflicting information regarding the cause of death. According to an informed source close to his family, he was killed during a quarrel in prison. However, another informed source told HRANA that he died by suicide using pills.

Shaabani was buried the next day.

On February 3, 2014, he was arrested for killing one of his friends in a fight. Thereafter, he was sentenced to death and his execution proceeded twice, sending him to the foot of gallows. Shaaabani was able to recompense the victim’s family and at the time of death, was serving time for convictions other than murder.

Sunni Cleric Arrested By Security Forces in Kamyaran

Posted on by A MN
News, Religious Minorities
arrests, Heydar Ghorbani, Kamyaran County, Kurdistan, Mohammed-Mirza Rahmani, Sunni

On December 24, security forces arrested Sunni Cleric Mohammad-Mirza Rahmani in Kamyaran County, Kurdistan Province and transferred him to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Rahmani, a resident of the village Lown-e Sadat, was arrested due to his speech at the funeral of Heydar Ghorbani, a political prisoner who was recently executed in Sanandaj prison.

Despite inquiry from his family, his whereabouts are still unknown at the time of writing.

Two People Arrested by Security Forces in Naghadeh County

Posted on by A MN
News, Other
collaborating with an opposition party, Farzin Abdollahzadeh, Kueek, Naghadeh, Sarhang Alizadeh, West Azerbaijan

Two citizens were arrested by security forces and transferred to an unidentified location last Sunday. The arrests occurred in Naghadeh County, West Azerbaijan Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Sarhang Alizadeh and Farzin Abdollahzadeh, both the residents of the village Kueek, were arrested for allegedly “collaborating with an opposition political party”. Reportedly, security agents did not show an arrest warrant.

The arrestee’s whereabouts are still unknown at the time of writing.

Political Prisoners in Urmia Prison Still on Hunger Strike After 10 Days

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
high security, hunger strikes, Political Prisoners, Urmia prison

Political prisoners in Urmia Prison are on the tenth day of their hunger strike. Since December 12, about forty-seven political prisoners have been on hunger strike in protest of an order from the prison director that would move them to a new high security ward with insufficient space and poor equipment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the prisoners went on sit-down strike on December 22nd. They protested before the prison guard office and after a few hours, went back to their ward after prison officer promised to address their demands.

In a shared open letter, these prisoners announced that they would continue their hunger strike until order for their relocation to a new ward is revoked.

According to an informed source, the head of the prison had announced that within two next weeks, they will be transferred to a newly built high-security ward. Daily time outside will be reduced to two hours.

In Iran’s prisons, hunger strikes are common among prisoners despite causing long-term physical and mental impairment. Hunger strikes are used as a last resort to achieve urgent demands such as unlawful long-term detention without trials, violations of prisoners’ rights and infringement in due process.