Category: Freedom of Expression

Amir Seyedi Arrested by Security Forces in Mahabad

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Amir Seyedi, HRANA, Mahabad

HRANA – On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Amir Seyedi, a resident of Mahabad, was arrested by security forces in the city and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to Kolbar News, Seyedi was detained at his workplace without a judicial warrant. As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding the reasons for his arrest, his place of detention, or the charges against him.

In August 2023, Seyedi was previously arrested in Mahabad and released after about six months on bail. Following his release, he was sentenced by the judiciary to three years in prison.

Abolfazl Khoran Sentenced to One Year in Prison and 74 Lashes

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Abolfazl Khoran, Arak prison, Keramat Parsafar, Mehrshad Shahidi, ابوالفضل خوران

HRANA – Abolfazl Khoran, a teachers’ union activist currently held in Arak Prison, has been sentenced by Branch 105 of the Criminal Court Two of Arak County to one year in prison and 74 lashes in connection with a new case opened against him during his incarceration.

According to HRANA, the verdict was issued on the charge of “disturbing the order and public peace of the prison.” Presiding Judge Keramat Parsafar cited slogans written inside the prison in protest against death penalty verdicts as the basis for the conviction.

The ruling may be appealed within 20 days of its notification.

Khoran was first arrested in August 2023, along with several other citizens, after attending a ceremony at the grave of Mehrshad Shahidi, one of the victims of the 2022 nationwide protests in Arak. All were later released on bail of 7 billion rials each.

In September 2023, the same court sentenced him to six years in prison and 74 lashes to be carried out in public, on charges of “insulting sacred beliefs” and “disturbing the order and public peace.” He began serving this sentence on January 21, 2025, when he was transferred to Arak Prison, where he remains in custody.

Mohsen Alizadeh Arrested in Gachsaran

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Gachsaran, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Mohsen Alizadeh, Mohsen Alizadeh Benari, محسن عالی زاده

HRANA – Yesterday, Mohsen Alizadeh Benari, a resident of Gachsaran, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, was arrested at his home by agents of the IRGC Intelligence Organization and taken to an undisclosed location.

A source close to his family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “On Tuesday, August 12, Mr. Alizadeh was arrested at his residence in Gachsaran by IRGC Intelligence agents. The agents searched the premises and confiscated his digital devices, including his laptop and mobile phone.”

As of now, there is no information on his whereabouts, the reasons for his arrest, or the charges against him.

Mohsen Alizadeh Benari has previously been arrested and served prison time for his activities. He was detained during the nationwide protests of November 2019 and spent a period in prison.

Kerman Province: 104 Citizens Arrested in Connection with 12-Day Israel–Iran War

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Israel–Iran War, Kerman

HRANA – The police chief of Kerman Province announced the arrest of 104 individuals in the province during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. According to him, the arrests were made on charges such as “creating insecurity during the war.”

According to Tasnim News Agency, the police chief of Kerman Province stated: “During the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, 28 checkpoints were established across the province.”

Jalil Moghufeh’i added, “In this regard, 104 individuals suspected of being involved in causing insecurity during the war in Kerman Province were arrested and handed over to the relevant judicial authorities.”

The report did not provide further details regarding the identity, location of detention, or current status of those arrested.

Arbitrary arrests, transferring detainees to undisclosed locations, and leaving families in the dark about the fate of their loved ones are routine practices of the Iranian regime’s security agencies, such as the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Unit. This pattern of behavior stands in clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

Teachers’ Union Activist Masoud Farhikhteh Sentenced to Imprisonment by Court of Appeal

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Alborz province, Masoud Farhikhteh, Sanandaj, مسعود فرهیخته

HRANA – Branch 12 of the Alborz Province Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentence of teachers’ union activist Masoud Farhikhteh to four years, one month, and 17 days, down from the six years previously handed down by the trial court.

According to the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, the appellate court sentenced Farhikhteh to three years, six months, and one day in prison for “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against internal security,” and seven months and 16 days for “propaganda against the regime.”

Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, only the most severe sentence — three years, six months, and one day — will be enforceable.

Farhikhteh was originally sentenced in January 2025 by Branch 2 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court, following a trial held in July 2024.

In a separate case, the Sanandaj Revolutionary Court sentenced him in April 2024 to three months in prison for “propaganda against the regime,” later converting the sentence to an eight-million-toman fine. He was acquitted of this charge in August 2024 by the Kurdistan Province Court of Appeal.

A board member of the Islamshahr Teachers’ Union, Farhikhteh was arrested by security forces at his home in Karaj on May 1, 2023, and transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison. He was released on bail in June of that year.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Ramin Gorgani Arrested in Kamyaran by Security Forces

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News, Other
HRANA, Kamyaran, Ramin Gorgani, Sanandaj

HRANA– On Sunday, August 10, 2025, Ramin Gorgani, a resident of Kamyaran County, was arrested by security forces in this county and transferred to one of The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facilities in Sanandaj. During a search of his home, agents confiscated several of his personal belongings.

According to Kurdpa, an informed source reported that Mr. Gorgani’s arrest was carried out by security forces without the presentation of a judicial warrant, in one of the streets of Kamyaran. Following his arrest, he was transferred to one of The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facilities in Sanandaj.

Additionally, after detaining him, agents went to his home, searched the premises, and seized some of his personal possessions.

As of the time of writing, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for his arrest or the charges against him.

Ramin Gorgani has previously been arrested due to his activities.

Yazdan Khazaei, Brother of Slain Protester, Arrested in Shahriar

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Erfan Khazaei, Kangavar, Neda Kargar, Yazdan Khazaei

HRANA News Agency – Today, Saturday, August 9, Yazdan Khazaei, the brother of Erfan Khazaei, one of the victims of the 2022 nationwide protests, was arrested and taken to an undisclosed location after appearing at the Revolutionary Court of Shahriar County.

So far, no information has been obtained regarding his place of detention or the charges against him.

Yazdan Khazaei has previously faced security-related harassment, including summons and interrogations.

In July this year, Ehsan Khazaei and Neda Kargar, Yazdan Khazaei’s brother and sister-in-law, were also arrested in Kangavar and released some time later on bail.

It is worth noting that Erfan Khazaei, 30, a resident of Kangavar in Kermanshah Province, was killed by gunfire on September 21, 2022, during the nationwide protests in Shahriar.

Fatemeh Ziaei Arrested in Tehran by Ministry of Intelligence

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Fatemeh Ziaei, HRANA, Tehran

HRANA News Agency – On Thursday, August 7, Fatemeh (Hourieh) Ziaei Azad was arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in Tehran and taken to an undisclosed location.

A source close to her family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Ms. Ziaei was arrested last night at her home in Tehran by Ministry of Intelligence agents and transferred to an undisclosed location.”

As of now, no information is available regarding her place of detention, the reasons for her arrest, or the charges against her.

Fatemeh (Hourieh) Ziaei Azad, approximately 66 years old, resides in Tehran. She has previously been sentenced and served time in prison.

Masoud Bakhtiari Arrested in Arak

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Arak, Masoud Bakhtiari, مسعود بختیاری

HRANA – Masoud Bakhtiari, a resident of Arak, was arrested by the Cyber Police (FATA) in the city and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, citing the Free Union of Iranian Workers, Mr. Bakhtiari—who was active in labor-related issues—was arrested in recent days by FATA officers without a judicial warrant. Following his arrest, he was transferred to an unknown location.

The reason for his arrest was reportedly the publication of posts criticizing the Friday Prayer Imam and local authorities in Arak, as well as raising labor issues and workers’ demands in a Telegram channel.

The report does not mention further details, including the exact time of arrest.

As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained about Mr. Bakhtiari’s whereabouts or the charges against him.

In 2024, a total of 2,783 Iranian citizens were arrested by security and judicial authorities due to their beliefs, opinions, or political and civil activities. Over the past decade, the number of such arrests has exceeded 56,000. The highest number of arrests occurred in 2022, during the nationwide protests, when HRANA documented 23,977 detentions.

Yousef Kari and Touhid Amir Amini Sentenced to Imprisonment and Fines

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
ardabil prison, Touhid Amir Amini, Yousef Kari

HRANA – Azerbaijani-Turk activist Yousef Kari has been sentenced by Branch 104 of Ardabil Criminal Court to pay fines, some of which are in lieu of imprisonment and flogging. Another defendant in the case, Touhid Amir Amini, was sentenced to a prison term and a monetary fine.

The verdict, issued on Sunday, August 3, 2025, finds Kari guilty of “disturbing public order and peace” and sentences him to a 30 million toman fine in lieu of imprisonment and a 12 million toman fine in lieu of flogging. He was also fined an additional 20.2 million tomans for “disobeying officers.”

Touhid Amir Amini was tried in absentia and convicted of “spreading falsehoods with the intent to disturb public opinion.” He received a sentence of three months and one day in prison, along with a 30 million toman fine.

Amir Amini was arrested in late June 2025 and transferred to Ardabil Prison. He was released on bail on June 28.

In May 2025, Kari was arrested during public celebrations following a football club’s championship victory. He was released the following day from the Public Security and Intelligence Police detention facility in Ardabil.

The indictment against both activists was issued in March 2025 by Branch 10 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Ardabil.

Kari and Amir Amini have both previously faced judicial harassment, including arrests and imprisonment, in connection with their activism.