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Two Death Sentences Issued to Defendant in Tehran

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Executions, Prisoners
Citizen sentenced to death, Death Penalty, Death row, Death sentence, Death sentence issued, moharebeh, Tehran

A defendant in Tehran was sentenced to death and lashes by the city’s criminal court on charge of murder under the “Qisas” (eye for an eye) principle of Islamic sharia law.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Javan Online, he was also sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on a charge of “moharebeh”. Moharebeh, or “waging war against God”, is another pillar of Sharia law that is typically applied to those suspected of connection to any acts against the state.

The defendant was sentenced to death and lashes by the Criminal Court and the Revolutionary Court in separate sentences.

According to the report, the defense attorney of one of the victims said, in reference to the sentence issued for the defendants in this case,  “The first defendant in this case was sentenced to death and lashes, and the other defendants were sentenced to long prison terms, lashes and deportation to place with a bad climate.”

“The verdicts have not yet been finalized and needs to be considered by the Supreme Court,” he added. “The cases are about to be sent to the Supreme Court.”

Three Political Prisoners Facing New Charges of Questionable Legitimacy After Protesting the Beating of Nayeb Hajizadeh Yangjeh

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Hajizadeh Yangjeh, irgc, Kayhan Mokaram Al-Nabi, Nayeb Askari, Nayeb Hajizadeh, Nayeb Hajizadeh Yangjeh, Political Prisoners, Urmia, Urmia prison

On Monday, July 12, political prisoners Nayeb Hajizadeh Yangjeh, Kayhan Mokaram Al-Nabi, and Nayeb Askari were faced with new charges after protesting the beating of Hajizadeh Yangjeh.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, per an informed source, the lawsuit was filed at the request of Urmia Prison director Amir Sohrabi after several political prisoners protested the beating of Nayeb Hajizadeh by two prisoners accused of violent crimes.

It is said that one of the assailants was also summoned to the court as a witness in the case.

During the briefing session, the three accused were briefed on the alleged charges of “disturbing the order of the prison” and “blasphemy”.

Nayeb Hajizadeh was arrested by security forces in August 2019 and sentenced to 7 years and six months in prison shortly after being charged for membership in an opposition group. Kayhan Mokarram Al-Nabi was arrested by security forces in January 2020 and sentenced to five years in prison on charges of membership in an opposition group.

Nayeb Askari was arrested by IRGC intelligence agents in Urmia in April this year and was transferred to prison in June. Mr. Askari has been charged with collaborating with an opposition party.

Sunni Vakilabad Prisoners Write Letter to UN Special Rapporteur Requesting an Investigation into their Case

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Executions, Prisoners
Abdolbaset Orsan, Abdolrahman Gargij, Abdullah Hosseini, Eisa Eid-Mohammadi, Farhad Shakeri, Habib Pir- Mohammadi, id al-Hakim Azim Gargij, Javid Rahman, Mohammad Reza Sheikh Ahmadi, Morteza Fakuri, un special rapporteur on iran

Nine Sunni prisoners in Vakilabad prison have written a letter to Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, requesting that their case be investigated.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the nine prisoners have been identified as Eisa Eid-Mohammadi, Farhad Shakeri, Eid al-Hakim Azim Gargij, Abdolrahman Gargij, Habib Pir- Mohammadi, Abdolbaset Orsan, Mohammad Reza Sheikh Ahmadi, Morteza Fakuri, and Abdullah Hosseini.

In a part of their letter, the prisoners reported they were being beaten and tortured for forced confessions and their families were also being pressured by authorities.

 

“…Accusations full of lies and fabrications under severe torture, forced and dictated confessions, threats, and imprisonment of our family members, which has led to harsh death sentences and long prison terms of more than 15 years. Some of our families, parents, and spouses were summoned and detained to harass and torture us. Also, the involvement of the Ministry of Intelligence in our family affairs led to divorce and the disintegration of the family unit, and for our children to lose a parent.

These actions had been taken to force us to cooperate with the Ministry of Intelligence and to accept the false accusations.

It has also become a routine to be beaten and desecrated in Ward 1.6 of Mashhad Prison by prison guards, and the ward’s supervisor, and non-political mercenary prisoners who harass us on the orders of prison officials.

In addition to issuing illegal death sentences, the Ministry of Intelligence and the Judiciary, through some of their lawyers, liaisons, and informants, go to our families and demand billions of Tomans to break our execution sentences.

With this way of issuing unjust and illegal verdicts, they have found a way to fill their own pockets at the price of sacrificing Iranian and Sunni youth.”

 

These citizens have previously been detained by Ministry of Intelligence agents and sentenced to death or long prison terms. They are imploring Rahman to commit to giving their case a thorough investigation.

 

“We request that you investigate our cases, which are facing false accusations such as acting against security, membership in dissident groups, membership in the Al-Forqan party group, propaganda against the regime, and so on.

We have been in prison for more than 5 years. We were banned from calling and visiting for more than 2 years.”

210,000 Students Were not Enrolled in the 2020-2021 Academic Year, Deputy Minister for Primary Education Says

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Children, Environment, Students
Access to education, Accessible Education, Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs, Deputy Minister of Primary Education, Education, Hakimzadeh, Rezvan Hakimzadeh

210,000 students were, for various reasons, unable to attend school in the 2020-2021 academic year.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Student News Network, Deputy Minister for Primary Education Rezvan Hakimzadeh announced that 210,000 students were not enrolled in school for the duration of this academic year.

The Deputy Minister has laid out these numbers despite promises from the Interior Ministry last week to address the discrepancy by issuing new letters.

As the registration deadline for the upcoming school year approaches, Afghan immigrants are continuing to experience obstructions from the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs.

“Even children of families who are illegally in Iran can receive an educational support card from the governorates,” Hakimzadeh said, “and start studying after enrolling in school.”

Father Legally Bars 12-year-old Daughter From Attending World Equestrian Championship Abroad

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Children, Cultural, Freedom of Expression, Students, Women
Mehravin, Mehrdad Mehravin, Parental travel ban, Pour-Azima, Sara Pour-Azima, Women's rights, women's rights in iran, World Equestrian Championship

12-year-old athlete Sara Pour-Azima was barred from participating in the World Equestrian Championships because her father legally banned her from leaving the country.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Pour-Azima was scheduled to leave for Russia his week with the rest of her team.

Mehrdad Mehravin, the lawyer of Sara’s mother, said the young athlete’s parents are currently embroiled in a legal battle regarding alimony, and that the father’s move to ban Sara from travel was part of an ongoing dispute with Sara’s mother. Sara reportedly found out that she had been barred from travel to the Championships upon arriving at the airport.

Given the importance of the trip in the athlete’s success and future, legal action was taken to obtain permission from the prosecutor so that Sarah could travel, but legal authorities did not ultimately issue an allowance for her to leave the country.

In Iran, before getting married, women need the legal permission of a father or paternal grandfather to leave the country, and the permission of a husband after marriage.

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Supreme Court Confirms Sentence for Two Defendants in Mashhad

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Executions, Prisoners, Women
citizen executions per-capita, Death Penalty, Death sentence, first degree murder, Mashhad, Mustafah, Sakineh, second degree murder, Vakilabad, Vakilabad prison

The Supreme Court recently confirmed the sentences of two defendants, a man and a woman, in Mashhad.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Khorasan Newspaper, the pair allegedly conspired to commit a murder together amidst an extramarital affair, and were charged with first and second degree murder respectively.

Sakineh, the second-degree defendant, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for her role in the murder, and 99 lashes for having an extramarital affair.

Mustafa, the first-degree defendant, was sentenced to death by hanging for murder, one year in prison for possession of an illegal weapon, and 99 lashes for having an extramarital affair.

The defendants objected to the verdict issued by the judges of Criminal Court One, and the case was sent to the Supreme Court. Judges of Branch 20 of the Supreme Court upheld the verdict.

Baha’i Citizen Sina Kamali Sarvestani Released from Adelabad Prison on Bail

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Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Adelabad Prison, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, Arrest without warrant, Citizen arrested, Citizen detained, irgc, IRGC detention center, Kamali Sarvestani, medical neglect, Shiraz, Sina Kamali Sarvestani

On Sunday, July 11, Sina Kamali Sarvestani, a Baha’i citizen, was released on bail from Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, still no information is available on the reasons for his arrest and the charges against him as of this writing.

Kamali Sarvestani was arrested by security forces on June 14 and was first transferred to the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center and later to Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, where he was held for nearly a month. He has been released on bail temporarily until the end of his trial.

According to unofficial sources, 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 violation 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.

Second Prisoner Executed in Adelabad Prison On July 11

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Executions, Prisoners
Adelabad, Adelabad Prison, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, Citizen executed, Citizen execution, Citizen executions, citizen executions per-capita, Death Penalty, Death sentence, Hossein Nemati, Nemati, Shiraz

On Sunday, July 11, 35-year-old Hossein Nemati, who had previously been sentenced to death for murder, was executed in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Iran Human Rights (IHR), Mr. Nemati had been kept in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz since 2017.

HRANA previously reported that Mohammad Hassan Taheri Haghighi, another prisoner, was executed on the same day in Adelabad Prison. Thus, the number of inmates executed in Adelabad prison increased by two on July 11.

On Sunday, July 4, two other prisoners were hanged in this prison. The report identifies one of the prisoners, Mr. Jahani, who had previously been sentenced to death for murder. The report does not mention his first name.

Iran ranks first in the world in citizen executions per capita, according to international organizations. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported that between January 1 and December 20 of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed.

One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders. An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death.

According to the same report, more than 72% of executions in Iran are not reported by the government or the judiciary, which human rights organizations call “secret” executions.

Nemati’s execution has not been announced by Iranian media or official sources as of this writing.

 

Prisoner Executed in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj

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Executions, Prisoners
Capital Punishment, Citizen executed, citizen executions per-capita, Death Penalty, Death sentence, iran death penalty, Karaj, Rajai Shahr Prison, Rajai-Shahr

In recent days, a man who had previously been sentenced to death for murder was executed in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Hamshahri newspaper, the prisoner was sentenced to death by Branch 10 of the Criminal Court for a murder he committed in 2017. The sentence was upheld by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court.

Iran ranks first in the world in citizen executions per capita, according to international organizations. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported that between January 1 and December 20 of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed.

One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders. An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death.

Amir and Akbar Jalilifar Executed in Isfahan prison

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Executions, Prisoners
Akbar Jalilifar, Amir and Akbar Jalilifar, Amir Jalilifar, Citizen executions, citizen executions per-capita, Citizens executed, Isfahan, isfahan central prison, Isfahan Prison

On Saturday, July 10, two prisoners were executed in Isfahan Central Prison on drug-related charges.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Human Rights Organization of Iran, the executed prisoners have been identified as Amir and Akbar Jalilifar. According to the report, Akbar Jalilifar was married and has one child.

The report states that, according to an informed source, Amir and Akbar were arrested and sentenced to death four years ago on charges of carrying 180 kilograms of narcotics.

Iran ranks first in the world in citizen executions per capita, according to international organizations. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported that between January 1 and December 20 of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed.

One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders. An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death.

According to the report, more than 72% of executions in Iran are not reported by the government or the judiciary. Human rights organizations call these “secret executions”.

Amir and Akbar Jalilifar’s execution has not been announced by Iranian media or official sources as of this writing.