Author: A MN

Four Baha’i Citizens Released on Bail in Shiraz

Posted on by A MN
News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i, baha'i citizens arrested, baha'i in iran, Hayedeh Forootan, Megareh Ghaderi, Mehran Mosala-Nejad, Moeen Misaghi, NAJA, Security forces, Shiraz, Shiraz city

On Tuesday, October 27, Baha’i citizens Moeen Misaghi, Negareh Ghaderi, Hayedeh Forootan and her son Mehran Mosala-Nejad were released on bail in Shiraz until the end of legal proceedings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, each of these citizens has been granted a bail of 800 million tomans.

On September 22 and 23, security forces arrested the citizens and transferred them to solitary confinement cells in block 201 of the police detention center in Shiraz City, where were held until their release.

On September 22,  after the inspection of their house, Moeen Misaghi and Negareh Ghaderi were arrested and transferred to an unidentified location. Meanwhile, security forces raided Hayedeh Forootan and her son’s house to arrest them, but they were not at home. The security forces searched the house and confiscated some of their belongings. These citizens were summoned to the Shiraz CID Police of NAJA office to give some explanations. She was arrested upon arrival. Twice before, their house had been searched by security forces. According to an informed source, during the search, the security forces behaved brutally and carelessly so that they caused their two-year old daughter to be burnt by a bowl of hot soup.

According to unofficial sources, it is estimated that more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Because their faith is not considered legitimate by authorities, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.

This 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.

Amir Hossein Moradi Offered Release on Bail

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
#Don't_execute, Amir Hossein Moradi, Babak Pak-Nia, Capital Punishment, Death sentence, Mohammad, Mohammad Rajabi, Moradi, November 2019 nationwide protests, November 2019 Protests, November Protests, Revolutionary Court of Tehran, Saeed Tamjidi, Tehran

Earlier this Tuesday, October 26, the court granted bail to Amir Hossein Moradi, who was arrested in relation to the nationwide protests of November 2019.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Moradi is currently hospitalized for a skin disease. Based on this court order, if he pays the required 4 billion tomans bail, he will be set free upon being discharged from the hospital. This has been confirmed on the personal social media page of Babak Pak-Nia, Moradi’s lawyer.

Amir Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi, and Mohammad Rajabi were sentenced to death by the Tehran Revolutionary Court, before a global outcry led to the re-examination of their case.

On Jun 24, 2020, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)  announced that the death sentence of the three political prisoners had been upheld by the Supreme Court. On July 14, 2020, the spokesman of the Judiciary officially announced the confirmation of their death sentences and said that the sentences had been sent to the prosecutor’s office for execution.

However, according to the lawyers, permission to enter the trial and study the case was given to them on July 15, 2020–weeks after HRANA reported that the death sentence had been confirmed in the Supreme Court.

Less than an hour after the official confirmation of the death sentences for Amir Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi, and Mohammad Rajabi, “#Don’t_execute” became the world’s top trend with hundreds of thousands of tweets. Human Rights Watch, US President Donald Trump, the Writers’ Association of Iran, and others all reacted to this news. The hashtag has now been used more than ten million times.

The following day, UN human rights experts issued a statement and condemned the death sentences. The statement expressed that Amir Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi, and Mohammad Rajabi were tortured and forced to confess and that these forced confessions were later used against them in their trials. HRANA has previously conducted numerous conversations with informed sources and extensive research to determine what happened to the prisoners in the various processes of activity up to the conviction.

On July 19, 2020, the three defendants’ lawyers issued a joint statement announcing that the case had been referred to a different branch for retrial after the Supreme Court’s acceptance of Article 477.

In mid-December of 2020, in the aftermath of the global outcry, the young activists’ request for a retrial was finally accepted by Branch 1 of the Supreme Court and their death sentences were finally overturned.

The retrial process since has been comparably unstructured. The cases were submitted to Branch 23 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran for retrial following overturn of their death sentnece, but, due to turnover in the head of the branch, the court session was postponed to May 12. Once again, the court session was cancelled due to the absence of the second judge. In July, their court session was postponed for a fourth time.

Moradi’s release would mark a rare victory in the ongoing legal battle facing so many of those who were involved in the nationwide protests of November 2019.

Golaleh Moradi Still in Detention After Six Months

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
access to a lawyer, Golaleh Moradi, Kurdpa, Moradi, Piranshahr, Urmia, Urmia City, Urmia prison

After six months, Piranshahr resident Golaleh Moradi is still in detention in Urmia Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, no court session has been held as of yet. Moradi has has been denied conditional bail as well as access to a lawyer throughout her detention.

On April 17 of this year, Golaleh Moradi was arrested along with her two children and transferred to a detention center in Urmia City. Her children were released after completing the interrogation process, but Moradi was then relocated from the IRGC detention facility to Urmia Prison in June.

“She has been under pressure for confession,” an informed source stated.

 

 

One Worker Killed, Two Others Injured due to Unsafe Workplace Conditions

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Garmsir, Garmsir City, ILNA, Jalal Maleki, Maleki, Mashhad, Mashhad City, Tehran, Tehran Fire Department, unsafe workplace conditions, workplace conditions

In recent days one worker lost his life and two others were injured due to due to unsafe workplace conditions.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ILNA, spokesperson of the Tehran Fire Department Jalal Maleki announced the severe injury of one firefighter during a recent firefighting operation.

“At 1:24 am, the Fire Department was called on about an extensive fire in a commercial building and immediately firefighters of five stations dispatched to the spot,” Maleki commented. “The building had three floors as well as an attic. On the third floor, five stores were totally burned and the fire (had) spread to the attic. When the firefighters reached on spot, the fire had swept through the entire third floor. They began immediately to extinguish the fire with regard to all (safety) issues. But a part of the roof was demolished and one of the firefighters who was wounded was transferred to the hospital.”

According to IRIB, a fire incident in a cotton products factory in Garmsir City caused injury to a worker.

“Two teams were dispatched to the spot and extinguished the fire after thirty minutes,” the head of the fire department in Garmsir City commented.

According to him, a man about 70 years old was injured from the fire and subsequently transferred to a hospital.

According to ISNA, the head of the fire department of Mashhad City additionally announced the death of a young worker due to the debris falling in a building during the demolition process.

According to him, for unknown reasons, the debris fell on a worker and killed him, after which firefighters pulled his body from the debris.

Zia Nabavi’s One-Year Sentence Upheld by Court of Appeals

Posted on by A MN
News, Students
Behesht-e-Zahra, Branch 36, Nabavi, Revolutionary Court of Tehran, Student activist, Students, Tehran, Zia Nabavi, Zie (Zia-el-din) Nabavi

Branch 36 of the Court of Appeals in Tehran recently upheld a one year sentence for student activist Zia (Zia-el-din) Nabavi.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran had initially convicted Nabavi on a charge of “propaganda against the regime”.

The sentence included one year in prison including other unconventional punishments like monthly attendance of martyrs’ burial grounds in Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, disabled veteran sanatorium, emotional control courses and the prohibition of leaving the country for two years.

On February 25, 2020, Nabavi was arrested by security forces in Tehran and released on bail on March 2, 2020. He had previously faced other arrests and convictions due to his non-violent activities.

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Concerns Increase about Atena Daemi’s Condition in Rasht Prison After Two Months Incommunicado

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
Arena, Atena (Fatemeh) Daemi, Atena Daemi, Daemi, Evin, Evin Prison, Goldrokh Ebrahimi, Lakan, Lakan prison, Mohammad, Mohammad Moghiseh, Rasht

After two months in detention, civil activist Atena Daemi is still incommunicado in Rasht’s Lakan Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, her family has not heard from her or received updates about her condition in two weeks, and it seems she is being denied access to phone calls, mounting concern about her situation.

On August 12, in protest against the intentional and frequent interruption of prison phone lines and the poor conditions within the prison, Atena Daemi went on a hunger strike. She broke her hunger strike after five days, after authorities restored her access to a telephone. However, according to an informed source, even at the time, she had been allowed to have only five minutes of phone time with the presence of a prison guard or at the office of the head of the prison.

Atena (Fatemeh) Daemi was sentenced to 14 years in prison on May 15, 2015, by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security, propaganda against the regime, and offensive statements against the supreme leader”. The verdict was reduced to seven years in the court of appeal, from which five years is enforceable grounded on Article 134 of the Islamic penal code.

She began serving her prison term in December 2016. In 2018, while enduring her sentence in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, she and Golrokh Ebrahimi, another civil activist, faced a new case, for which they were sentenced to an additional three years and seven months in prison by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran.

The verdict was upheld by the court of appeal. By applying Article 134, two years and one month of this term are enforceable. Additionally, they were condemned to a two-year prohibition from membership in political groups and parties.

Once again, in July 2020, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran opened a new case and sentenced her to two years imprisonment and flogging of 74 lashes. Her request for a retrial was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Iran in March 2021. She and her family have been frequently under pressure by security forces and judiciary officials.

On March 16 of this year, she was transferred from Evin Prison to Lakan Prison in Rasht.

 

Roya Jalali Sentenced to Two Years of Suspended Imprisonment

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
Jalali, Khabat Marakheri, Mafakheri, Roya Jalali, Saeedi, Sanandaj, Sanandaj Revolutionary Court

The Sanandaj Revolutionary Court recently sentenced Sanandaj resident Roya Jalali to two years suspended imprisonment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Branch 1 of the Sanandaj Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Saeedi, convicted Jalali on a charge of “membership in an opposition political party”.

On February 2, Roya Jalali was arrested violently at her home and released on bail after spending one month in detention.

She suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS) and was denied access to lawyers, phone call and family visitation throughout her detention.

Earlier, her husband, Khabat Mafakheri, was also sentenced to four years suspended imprisonment on the charge of “collaboration with one of opposition political parties” by the Sanandaj Revolutionary Court.

Citizen Sentenced to Forty Lashes for Stealing Three Packs of Cashews

Posted on by A MN
News, Other
Article 7, citizen sentenced to lashes, Civil and Political Rights, corporal punishment, flogging, Inhumane punishment, lashes, Tehran, Tehran University, torture

A board member of Tehran University revealed a lawsuit wherein in recent weeks a criminal court condemned a citizen to 40 lashes, along with other punishments, just for stealing three packs of cashews.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a board member of Tehran University publicized the court order in which a citizen has been convicted to 40 whips.

This verdict stands in blatant violation of the international covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of which Article 7 prohibits “torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment”.

Despite being a party to the international covenant, Iran’s regime regularly uses inhuman and humiliating punishments like flogging.

Azerbaijani Turk Activist Nader Sadeghian Sentenced to Four Months Imprisonment

Posted on by A MN
Ethnic Minorities, Prisoners
Azerbaijani Turk, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Hamlbar, Khuzestan, Nader Sadeghian, Revolutionary Court of Tabriz, Sadeghian, Tabriz Prison

On October 20, Azerbaijani Turk activist Nader Sadeghian was sentenced to four months in prison by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Tabriz city.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, 100 days of this term has been suspended for four years.

The court, headed by judge Hamlbar, issued the verdict to his lawyer. Mr Sadeghian has been convicted of the charges of “online provoking people to act the violent crimes.”

On Saturday, July 24, a number of Tabriz’s citizens protested in support of Khuzestan protests against water shortages and general mismanagement of the crisis. During this protest, a number of people were arrested.

Nader Sadeghian was arrested on July 25, by intelligence agents and transferred to a security detention center in Tabriz. After 17 days, he informed his family about his relocation to Tabriz Prison. He was released on bail on October 15.

 

Workers’ Rights Activist Othman Esmaeili Arrested by Security Forces

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News, Prisoners
Activist arrested, activist detained, Esmaeili, Othman Esmaeili, Saqqez, Saqqez city, Security forces, workers rights activist

On Wednesday, October 20, workers’ rights activist Othman Esmaeili was detained by security forces.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Esmaeili was transferred to an unidentified location following the arrest.

As an informed source told HRANA, ten security agents arrested the activist at 6 pm in front of his home in Saqqez City. According to the source, the security forces had been monitoring the house all day.

As of this writing, the reason for the arrest and charges against him are unknown.