Man Acquitted for a Murder that was Ordered by his Father with Consent of Victim’s Father

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna, a man in Tehran who had killed a young man at the request of father was acquitted of severe punishments with the consent of the victim’s father.

Under the laws of the Islamic Republic, the father, as the “rightful parent”, is spared serious punishment in the event of murder or complicity in the murder of their child. This issue has long been criticized by critics of the current laws in the country. In some cases, fathers have committed murders after finding out that a father is safe from severe punishment for the murder of their own child in Iran.

On this subject, the former head of the Tehran Criminal Court stated, “According to the Islamic Penal Code, the mother will be punished more severely than the murderer father under the heading of ‘complicity in murder of child’. Based on Article 127 of the Islamic Penal Code, fathers will be sentenced to between 3 and 10 years imprisonment while it is 15 years for the mothers.

Maryam Ebrahimvand Arrested by Security Forces in Tehran

On the morning of Sunday, August 22, Maryam Ebrahimvand, a director, filmmaker, and former prisoner, was arrested by security forces and taken to an unknown location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, she was released after a couple of hours interrogation.

According to a close source to Ms. Ebrahimvand, she had gone to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to seek permission for her confiscated films, and was arrested in front of the Ministry’s building in Tehran.

“A few months ago,” the source told HRANA, “Ms. Ebrahimvand was told by the Ministry of Guidance that after receiving a letter working ban from the IRGC,  it is not possible to grant permission for her films.”

Ms. Ebrahimvand had previously been detained and convicted. IRGC intelligence agents arrested Ms. Ebrahimvand in September 2016. After 35 days, she was released on  a bail of 300 million Tomans from the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center, Ward 2A, Evin Prison.

Nearly two years later, in July 2018, Ms. Ebrahimvand was arrested again after being summoned to Branch 4 of the Culture and Media Court. She was transferred to Ward 2A of the IRGC, and then was transferred to prison a month after interrogations ended, while a bail of 10 billion Tomans was issued for her.

Ms. Ebrahimvand, who had been detained in the Women’s Ward of Evin Prison from July 2018, was sentenced by Branch 1059 of the Government Employees’ Court to ten years in prison in November of last year on charges of “making a vulgar film”, “insulting the President”, and “spreading lies against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps”.

In the second part of her case, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced her to 6 months in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime,” and in the final verdict, she was sentenced to a total of ten years and six months in prison.

Ms. Ebrahimvand was finally informed of her release in June of this year after appearing before the Culture and Media Court.

Maryam Ebrahimvand is a writer, film director, and producer of “Comedy of Love”, “We Are All Alone”, and “Girls’ Boarding House”.

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

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.

Ebrahim Raisi in Response to Questions About his Role in the 1988 Executions in Iran: “I Should be Praised and Admired”

In his first press conference since being announced as winner of Iran’s presidential election, Ebrahim Raisi was interviewed by Al Jazeera.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activist, Al Jazeera questioned the president elect about his role in the executions of the political prisoners in Summer 1988 in Iran, his inclusion on the human rights sanctions list, and the request for his trial by some human rights organizations.

In response, without claiming to have played a role in the 1988 executions, Raisi claimed that he has “always been a defender of the rights of the people, as a juristic”, and that “human rights has been at the axis of all (his) responsibilities”. He went on to state that he should be “praised and acclaimed” for this.

For the four decades of the Islamic Republic’s existence, Raisi has served in various positions in the judiciary against human rights and been responsible for the execution, imprisonment, torture, amputation to repression, justification of repression, violation of the rights of countless women, Bahai’s and others.

For his role in the massacre of political prisoners in the summer of 1988, in Tehran, he has been called the “Ayatollah of Massacre” by critics.

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

Friday, May 21 and Saturday, May 22

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least seven protest rallies were held on May 21, and 22. Several employees of the offshore platforms of the South Pars Oil and Gas Company rallied at their workplace. A group of nurses and medical staff members of the Health Cooperative rallied in front of the Judiciary in Tehran. Several workers of Pajen Dairy Company rallied in front of Nasimshahr Governor’s Office. Workers of Izeh’s Water and Sewerage Company rallied in front of the city water supply building demanded their unpaid wages. Street cleaners in Chabahar rallied in front of the city building; a group of workers of IGC in Assaluyeh rallied in their workplace, and truck drivers parked their vehicles in one of Mashhad’s highways protesting the neglect of their problems by the authorities. All the groups of protestors called for their demands to be addressed.

 

Workers of IGC in Assaluyeh:

 

Medical staff members of the Health Cooperative’ rally:

 

Cleaners and sweepers in Chabahar:

 

Workers of Izeh’s Water and Sewerage:

 

Sunday, May 23

 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least 10 protest rallies were held on May 23. A group of employees of Tehran Metro Operation Company rallied in front of the Islamic parliament in Tehran; Retirees of Isfahan Steel Industry rallied in front of the Retirement Fund building in Isfahan; School janitors rallied in front of their provincial education department in Lorestan and Qazvin provinces; a group of Shiraz Telecommunication Company retirees rallied in front of the governor’s office in the city, a group of preschool teachers from different cities rallied in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly; teachers working in non-profit schools in Sistan and Baluchestan, Kerman, and East Azerbaijan provinces protest rallies called for their demands to be addressed.

 

Employees of Tehran Metro:

 

Retirees of Isfahan Steel Industry:

 

 

Teachers working in non-profit schools in Sistan and Baluchestan, Kerman, and East Azerbaijan:

 

Janitors rallied in in Lorestan and Qazvin provinces:

 

Telecommunication Company retirees in Shiraz:

 

 

Preschool teachers rally:

 

Monday, May 24

 

According to HRANA, the News Agency of Human Rights Activists, at least seven protests took place on Monday, May 24.  Employees of the Ministry of Oil rallied in front of this ministry building in Tehran; a group of truck drivers held a rally and parked their vehicles in front of the municipality building in Mashhad; Security and maintenance workers of line 5 of Tehran city train held a rally on-site; several retired employees of Iran Air airline rallied in front of the airline building in Tehran; a group of faculty members of the Azad University of Tabriz and Ahvaz held rallies in their cities; retirees of health department held a rally in front of the building of the Program and Budget Organization in Tehran.Protesters called on their demands to be addressed.

 

Truck drivers held a rally in Mashhad:

 

Employees of Iran Air airline rallied in front of the airline building in Tehran:

Retirees of health department held a rally in front of the building:

 

 

Tuesday, May 2

 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least thirteen protest rallies were held on Tuesday, May 25.   Stakeholders of Azovico company who lost money held a rally in the streets around the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade in Tehran. Several workers from the Ministry of Oil in the Persian Gulf Holding rallied in Petrochemical Special Economic Zone in Bandar Imam Khomeini. Workers at Pegah Milk Factory of Tehran held a rally in front of the Judiciary building. A group of teachers and several temporary employees of the Ministry of Oil rallied in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly building. A group of employees and retirees of Imam Khomeini Hospital held a rally in front of the Municipal Organization of Alborz Province. Residents of Barangerd village, farmers of the rural part of Gamboueh, and a group of employees of Khuzestan Rural Water and Sewerage Company held rallies in Khuzestan Province. Several students of Estahban Higher Education Center protested in this educational center. A few retirees of Pars Metal factory rallied in front of Ghanoon daily newspaper office in Tehran. Shareholders of the stock market rallied in front of the Stock Exchange Organization in Tehran, and a group of farmers in Isfahan held protest rallies in this city and called on their demands to be addressed.

 

Stakeholders of Azovico company:

 

Workers from the Ministry of Oil in the Persian Gulf Holding:

 

Residents of Barangerd village:

 

Residents of Gamboueh village:

 

 

Students of Estahban Higher Education:

 

 

Retirees of Pars Metal:

 

Employees of Rural Water and Sewerage in Khuzestan:

Wednesday, May 26

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Wednesday, May 26, official employees of the oil industry held rallies in 9 different cities and locations including Bahregan, Lavan, Ahvaz, Gachsaran, Abadan, Assaluyeh, Tehran, Mahshahr, and Bushehr. The employees called their demands on payment of arrears, equipment upgrade, correct and complete implementation of Article 10 and 112, resolving problems of employees’ transfer to needed sections and some other demands. Several employees of Rural Water Supply and Sewerage gathered in front of the government buildings in the Khuzestan Province. A group of technical protection and safety consultants gathered in front of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare in Tehran rallied to pressure authorities to address their demands.

 

Protest of employees of the oil industry in 9 cities:

 

In Tehran:

In Lavan:

In Bahregan :

in Mahshahr :

 

in Ahvaz:

 

in Bushehr:

 

 

Employees of Rural Water Supply and Sewerage in the Khuzestan Province:

Thursday, May 27

According to HRANA, at least three protest rallies were held on May 26. Khuzestan Rural Water Supply and Sewerage staff for the third day in a row in front of the governor’s office in Ahvaz. Medical staff at Bu Ali Hospital rallied at their workplace in Tehran, and a group of citizens of Behbahan held a rally at the Friday prayers center in the city, in Khuzestan, and called on their demands be addressed.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Security Forces Arrested at Least 26 Citizens in the Cities of Ahvaz and Mahshahr

At least 26 citizens were arrested in the cities of Ahvaz and Mahshahr and transferred to an unknown location between May 14 and May 16. Additionally, several citizens with histories of  arrest have been summoned for detainment by security services over the phone.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the arrests were made after Eid al-Fitr ceremonies, at which attendants danced and chanted slogans in front of the homes of citizens who were either killed in the November 2019 national protests or executed in recent years.

So far, HRANA has verified the names of “Rasoul Zuhairi son of Karim; Shaker Silawi, Mohammad Silawi, Qais Sawari, Walid Sawari, Hamzeh Chaldawi 34 years old, married, and father of 4 children; Hossein Mazra’eh, Hassan Hezbawi son of Ramazan; Hadi Hezbawi son of Ramazan; Mohsen Hezbawi son of Ramazan; Jamil Hezbawi son of Lefteh; Badrieh Hamidawi, Amin Amir Hatami, 23 years-old; Faisal Hezbawi, son of Ramazan; Keramat Hezbawi, son of Ramazan; and Mojtaba Salihawi from Mahshahr”.

“In the Zoyeh alley in Ahvaz, several citizens gathered in front of the house of Ms. Badrieh Hamidawi, the mother of Ali Tamimi, one of the victims of the November 2019 national protest, and chanted slogans,” an informed source told HRANA. “Ms. Hamidawi was arrested because she greeted them.”

The whereabouts of these citizens and the charges against them are unknown as of this writing. It is worth noting, however, that every year during the months of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, many Sunni Arab citizens in the Khuzestan province get detained under various pretexts.

 

Khosro Sadeghi Borujeni was sentenced to eight years imprisonment

Khosro Sadeghi Borujeni, a sociology graduate, was sentenced to eight years imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran. Based on the Article 134 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, the charge with the highest penalty will be considered; this means that Mr. Borujeni should serve five years in prison for the charge of “assembly and collusion with an intention to commit a crime against national security”.

Khosro Sadeghi Borujeni was arrested and interrogated after being summoned to the Branch 2 of Evin’s prosecutor’s office on May 8, 2019. His arrest warrant was later changed to 300 million Tomans bail [approx. $30,000]. He was temporarily released from Evin Prison on a 300 million Tomans bail[approx. $30,000].

His trial was on July 28, 2019. According to the verdict ordered by the Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran presided by judge Mohammad Moghiseh, Mr. Borujeni was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for the charge of “ assembly and collusion with an intention to commit crime against the national security”, to one-year imprisonment for the charge of “propaganda against the state”,  and to two years imprisonment for the charge of “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic”; a total of eight years imprisonment.

Mr. Borujeni has been conducting research on neoliberalism and the political economy of Iran and has written several articles on these subjects in recent years. His essays “Critique of Neoliberalism” was published by H&S Media Publishing Company in the UK.  His other book “Globalization and Inequality” was published by Porsesh Publishing Company back in 2011.

Azerbaijani Activist Mohammad Khakpour Summoned to Ardabil Prosecutor’s Office

Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)- Azerbaijani activist Mohammad Khakpour received a writ dated November 14th, ordering him under threat of arrest to appear at Branch 1 of the Ardabil Investigation and Prosecution Office within the next five days.

Khakpour was among a group of Ardabil residents arrested for their participation in Azerbaijani cultural gatherings last July. Marking the season of annual crackdowns on these gatherings — which in recent years have gravitated to Babak Fort — at least 80 Azerbaijani activists were arrested that month. Khakpour was held in custody for three days.

Fort Babak, a monument built during the pre-Islamic Sasanian period, is the namesake of Babak Khorramdin, who led an uprising against the Abbasid caliphate in 893. In recent years, it has become a place of symbolic gathering for Azerbaijani activists, especially during annual commemorations held in the first week of July.

Update: Arrests and Detainments as of November 14, 2018

Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) – Local sources have recently reported the violent arrests of two ethnic-minority cultural activists. Their stories are below.

Azerbaijani Activist Violently Arrested by Security Forces in Ardabil

Ardabil security forces assaulted and arrested Azerbaijani activist Habib Sassanian November 8th, releasing him one hour later on bail. His court hearing was scheduled to take place on November 10th.

According to a close source, security forces showed up at the home of one of Sassanian’s relatives, laying into him immediately and arresting him without a warrant. Photos of Sassanian’s wounded face were provided to HRANA, and a close source affirmed that his face, right eye, and scalp were left swollen.

Sassasian spent 16 months in Tabriz Central Prison after an August 2017 arrest before going free on a 3.5 billion IRR bail [approximately $83,000 USD]. He was also among a group of Azerbaijani activists arrested in Ardabil May 15, 2016, dubbed the “six-man Gamo spy gang” by the Chief Justice of East Azerbaijan Province in June 2017. They were charged with forming, participating in, and providing guidance to the Azerbaijani political group “Gamo,” as well as “spying for foreign countries” and “leaking confidential IRGC information to foreign countries.”

Ardabil is a city in northwest Iran, home to Iran’s Azerbaijani ethnic minority.

Authorities Assault the Parents of Ahwazi Arab Arrestee

Ahwazi Arab cultural activist Yousef Savari, of Dasht-e Azadegan County in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan Province, was arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location on November 8th. Security forces reportedly assaulted his parents at the time of his arrest.

A local source told HRANA that IRGC intelligence agents stormed the Savari family home in the morning of November 8th, beating 76-year-old Mehdi Savari and 65-year-old Nasimeh Savari before taking their son Yousef into custody.

Recording with their cell phones, the intelligence agents then coerced Savari’s parents to make incriminating statements about their son Isa Savari, who currently works for a television station in Holland.

No information is currently available on Yousef Savari’s whereabouts or the reasons behind his arrest.

Hundreds of Ahwazi Arab activists have been arrested and detained since the September 22nd armed attack on an Ahvaz military parade that killed and injured dozens of civilians.

Khuzestan Province, located on Iran’s southwest border with Iraq, is home to Iran’s Ahwazi Arab ethnic minority.

Journalist’s Death Attributed to Travel and Healthcare Restrictions

Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) – Hamid Houshangi, former journalist and director at the state-run news agency, IRNA, passed away Thursday, November 8th of cancer. He was 70.

At the time of his death, Houshangi was facing a two-year prison sentence. In a note published September 2nd of this year, Houshangi drew attention to a writ in which he was summoned to serve the sentence despite his diagnosis.

The cancer diagnosis came at about the same time as his prison sentence — ruled by Judge Moghiseh on October 2, 2016 — for charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “gathering and colluding against national security.” The sentence was upheld a few months later by Judge Zargar of Appeals Court Branch 36.

Referred throughout his cancer treatment to resources that could only be obtained abroad, Houshangi never broke free of a two-year stalemate with judicial authorities who refused to let him seek care outside Iran.

Houshangi started his journalism career with Iranian national radio and television in 1973.