Category: Freedom of Expression

Protest Rapper Toomaj Salehi Receives One-Year Sentence and Additional Penalties

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Freedom of Expression, News
Amir Raisian, Babol, Isfahan, Toomaj Salehi, توماج صالحی

In the latest development, Toomaj Salehi, the renowned Iranian protest rapper, has been sentenced to one year by the Revolutionary Court. Additionally, he faces a two-year travel ban, the annulment of his passport, and is required to participate in behavior management and knowledge skills programs.

Revealing the verdict publicly, Amir Raisian, Salehi’s lawyer, expressed concern over the due process, labeling it as “unusual,” “illegal,” and “peculiar.” Raisian asserted that the court session concluded without prior notice to Salehi and in the absence of his attorney.

Salehi was re-arrested in Babol on November 30, twelve days after his release on bail from Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. The Judiciary spokesperson cited Salehi’s statement after his release as the grounds for this subsequent arrest.

In late October 2022, Salehi was initially detained by security forces during nationwide protests. Subsequently, the Isfahan Revolutionary Court sentenced him to six years and three months in prison along with additional penalties. However, he was released on bail after the Supreme Court overturned the verdict.

It is worth noting that the protest singer already has a prior conviction in a separate legal case. On January 12, 2022, he was sentenced to a six-month prison term and fined, with the imprisonment suspended for one year.

Workers’ Rights Advocate Saeed Yoozi Taken Into Custody by Security Forces

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
HRA, Human Rights Activists, Saeed Yoozi, Workers' Rights Advocate, سعید یوزی

On December 26, Saeed Yoozi, a dedicated workers’ rights advocate, was apprehended by security forces.

According to a source with close ties to Yoozi’s family, agents from the Ministry of Intelligence conducted the arrest at his residence.

As of now, the reasons behind Yoozi’s detention and his current location are undisclosed.

Yoozi, an active member of the Committee for the Establishment of Independent Labor Organizations, has previously encountered arrests and legal challenges due to his commitment to labor advocacy.

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) recorded 64 cases of arrest related to workers’ rights advocacy. Furthermore, 29 labor activists or workers’ rights defenders received sentences totaling 654 months, comprising 568 months of actual imprisonment and 86 months of suspended imprisonment. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding labor rights, refer to HRANA’s report.

 

Mohsen Haji-Mohammadi Sentenced to Four Years on Political Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News
Iman Afshari, Mohsen Haji-Mohammadi, Pouria Shokoohi Rad, Tehran, Tehran Revolutionary Court

The Tehran Revolutionary Court has handed down a four-year prison sentence to Mohsen Haji-Mohammadi, while co-defendant Pouria Shokoohi-Rad has been acquitted of the charges.

Presiding over Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Judge Iman Afshari found Haji-Mohammadi guilty of the political charge of “assembly and collusion against national security” during the court session held on December 4 of this year.

Both defendants were apprehended separately in Tehran in September 2023. After seven days of detention in solitary confinement by the Public Security Police, they were subsequently transferred to Evin Prison.

Notably, Haji-Mohammadi has a history of arrests and previous incarcerations due to his activism.

Reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of HRA indicate a total of 193 cases in which Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has been involved in issuing verdicts that infringe upon the human rights of defendants.

Hamid-Reza Dorostkar Receives Prison Sentence and Fine

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Freedom of Expression, News
Behbahan, Hamid-Reza Dorostkar, Khuzestan province, Mahshahr

Mahshahr’s Criminal and Revolutionary Courts have sentenced Hamid-Reza Dorostkar to two years and nine months in prison.

According to the verdict issued by the Revolutionary Court on December 25, 2023, Dorostkar was given six months for “insulting the Supreme Court” and one year and three months for “spreading propaganda against the regime.” Notably, he was acquitted of charges related to “inciting people to wage war and cause unrest against national security.”

Additionally, the Criminal Court of Mahshahr sentenced Dorostkar to one year for “blasphemy via publishing insulting media content on the Internet.” He has also been fined 18 million tomans for the charges of “disseminating false information.”

Dorostkar’s arrest occurred during the 2022 nationwide protests, and he remained in detention for four months. Initially sentenced to four years and 74 lashes for multiple charges such as “disturbing public order by participating in and filming unrests to send them to anti-regime media,” “disseminating false information,” and “promoting violence,” he later received amnesty under “the general pardon and commutation,” leading to the closure of his legal case.

Dorostkar, 39 years old, is married and resides in Behbahan, Khuzestan province.

Hamed Palizvan Arrested and Incarcerated in Aligudarz Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Aligudarz, Hamed Palizvan, Omid Azarkhosh

On December 24, Hamed Palizvan was confined in Aligudarz prison to begin serving his sentence. Tragically, his nephew, Omid Azarkhosh, became a victim of regime forces during the 2021-2022 Iranian protests related to water shortages and mismanagement by the government.

Palizvan had previously been sentenced by the Aligudarz Criminal Court to eight months in prison, including the detention period, on charges of “disturbing public order through participation in illegal protest rallies.”

Palizvan’s arrest can be traced back to the 2022 nationwide protests when security forces detained him, leading to his imprisonment in Khorramabad Prison. He was subsequently released on bail.

Omid Azarkhosh, Palizvan’s nephew, had previously been shot by the police in Aligudarz and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital a few days later.

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Asadollah Fakhimi and Hoori Khanpour Receive Combined Eight-Year Prison Sentences

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Mazloum, Asadollah Fakhimi, Evin Courthouse, Hoori Khanpour

The Tehran Revolutionary Court has handed down a five-year prison sentence to Asadollah Fakhimi and three years to his wife Hoori Khanpour.

Seyed Ali Mazloum, presiding over Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, found the couple guilty of “propaganda against the regime” and “assembly and collusion against national security.”

The Ministry of Intelligence executed a raid on the couple’s residence on July 11, 2023, conducting a thorough search and seizing some of their belongings. Subsequently, Fakhimi and Khanpour were summoned to Evin Courthouse to face legal action.

Following the second inquiry session at Evin Courthouse on November 5, 2023, the couple was released on bail of one billion tomans.

Sajjad Zare Receives Ten Years and Six Months Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Adelabad Prison, Mahmoud Sadati, Sajad Zare, Sajjad Zare, Sajjad Zareh, Shiraz, سجاد زارع

Shiraz’s Revolutionary Court has issued a ten-year, six-month sentence to Sajjad Zare, a former political prisoner.

Judge Mahmoud Sadati presided over the recent ruling, sentencing Zare to seven years and six months for “assembly and collusion against national security” and three years of imprisonment with an additional two years of exile in Yazd province for “insulting the Supreme Court of Iran.”

A source close to Zare’s family informed HRANA that the verdict is notably harsh for the charges, given Zare’s previous conviction. Due to his prior record, the court applied half of the severest prison term for each count.

Sajjad Zare was apprehended by the Ministry of Intelligence on September 16, 2023, at his residence, and initially held at House No 100 detention facility before being transferred to Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.

Zare has a history of arrests and convictions. He was released from Adelabad Prison on October 4, 2021, after completing a sentence. However, on November 14 of the following year, he was arrested again, only to be released later under the “general pardon and commutation” directive.

Student Arzhang Mortazavi Sentenced to Prison and Social Restrictions

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Freedom of Expression, News
Alborz province, Arzhang Mortazavi, Damghan University, Kharazmi University, ارژنگ مرتضوی

Arzhang Mortazavi, a student at Kharazmi University, has been handed a one-year sentence by the Revolutionary Court of Alborz province.

Issued by Judge Asef Al-Hosseini, the verdict finds Mortazavi guilty of “spreading propaganda against the regime,” with the detention period subtracted from the prison term. In addition to imprisonment, he faces restrictions such as a ban on joining social media communities, limited use of social media, and a two-year prohibition from leaving the country.

Security forces apprehended Mortazavi in Karaj on October 7, 2023, leading to his detention. After approximately one month, he was released on bail.

His initial arrest occurred on December 17, 2022, at the university entrance. However, on February 21, 2023, he was released from the Central Prison of Karaj under a general “pardon and commutation” directive.

In a separate development, Mortazavi faced a university suspension for four semesters and was mandated to transfer to Damghan University late last month.

Three Political Defendants Face Varied Penalties Following Convictions

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ehsan Ghadiri, Evin Prison, Hamed Mohagheghi, Sajjad Bakhsh-Ali, Sajjad Bakhshali

In the wake of political charges, Ehsan Ghadiri, Sajjad Bakhsh-Ali, and Hamed Mohagheghi have received a range of sentences, including imprisonment, exile, fines, and additional social restrictions.

As per the Tehran Revolutionary Court’s verdict, delivered under the authority of Judge Iman Afshari, the trio has been sentenced to a one-year prison term, mandatory two-year exile, and a prohibition from engaging in online activities and social media.

The charges against these political figures include assembly and collusion to commit crimes, as well as propagating against the regime.

Ghadiri, taken into custody by security forces at his residence on September 14, 2023, was subsequently transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. The arrests of Bakhsh-Ali and Mohagheghi occurred during August and September 2023, marking a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings.

Activist Couple Laleh Zari and Ahmad-Khan Beigi Receive Combined 10-Year Prison Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News
ehfar Laleh Zari, Evin Prison, ezvaneh Ahmad-Khan Beigi, Iman Afshari, Qarchak Prison, بهفر لاله زاری, رضوانه احمدخان بیگی

In a recent development, the Tehran Revolutionary Court has handed down a five-year sentence to each of Behfar Laleh Zari and Rezvaneh Ahmad-Khan Beigi, a couple currently held in Evin Prison.

Presiding over the court, Judge Iman Afshari issued this ruling, sentencing each member of the couple to four years for “assembly and collusion against national security” and an additional year for “propaganda against the regime.” If the verdict is upheld on appeal, Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code mandates that the four-year sentence for the first charge will be enforceable.

The arrest of Laleh Zari and Ahmad-Khan Beigi took place at their residence on September 18, 2023. Following seven days of solitary confinement in the detention facility of the Public Security Police, Laleh Zari, a former political prisoner, was transferred to Evin Prison. Meanwhile, Mrs. Ahmad-Khan Beigi was initially detained in Qarchak Prison and later moved to Evin Prison after a few days.

This couple has a history of activism, having faced prior arrests and incarceration. This latest sentencing adds to their ongoing legal challenges in their pursuit of social and political advocacy.