Category: Freedom of Expression

Lawyer Reza Hamzei Sentenced to One Year in Prison

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Iranian Lawyer, Reza Hamzei

Recently, the Qazvin Revolutionary Court sentenced lawyer Reza Hamzei to one year in prison and banned him from practicing law for two years.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, attorney at law Reza Hamzei was sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”.

His court session was held on November 11, 2022.

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, about 18200 people, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read HRANA’s comprehensive report here.

 

 

Azerbaijani Turk activist Hadi Navazi Sentence to Nine Months

Posted on by . .
Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Azerbaijani Turk activist, great tehran penitentiary, Hadi Navazi

The Revolutionary Court sentenced jailed Azerbaijani Turk activist Hadi Navazi to nine months in prison. In mid-September 2022, security forces arrested and jailed him at the Great Tehran Penitentiary.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Azerbaijani Turk activist Hadi Navazi was sentenced to nine months in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime” and “spreading falsehood on the Internet.”

Navazi is currently jailed in the Great Tehran Penitentiary. He was arrested allegedly for “publishing calls for protests.”

 

 

Iranian Comedian Zeinab Mousavi Sentenced to Two Years

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Iranian comedian, Zeinab Mousavi

Iranian comedian and parody artist Zeinab Mousavi was sentenced to two years in prison. In October 2022, security forces arrested her in the city of Qom and later released her on bail.

On her page on social media, Zeinab Mousavi wrote that she was in solitary confinement for 25 days during detention.

Mousavi is known for her parody character Empress of Kuzcoo.
The charges brought against Mousavi are still unknown.

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, about 18200 people, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read HRANA’s comprehensive report here.

Four Teacher Union Activists Sentenced to Imprisonment

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News

The Sanandaj Revolutionary Court sentenced four teacher union activists of Divandarreh, Omid Shah-Mohammadi, Parviz Ahsani, Kaveh Mohammadzadeh and Hiva Ghoreishi to imprisonment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, the Sanandaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Omid Shah-Mohammadi to five years in prison on the charge of “acting against national security.” Parviz Ahsani, Kaveh Mohammadzadeh and Hiva Ghoreishi were also given five-year suspended sentences for the same charge.

On August 28, 2022, these teachers were released on a 1.5 billion tomans bail until the end of legal proceedings.

Their pre-trial detentions were extended three times.

Omid Shah-Mohammadi faced other arrests and convictions on a prior occasion for his civil activities.

 

Yarsan Civil Activist Seyyed-Karam Abbasi Arrested

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News, Religious Minorities
Ahl-e Haqq, Seyyed-Karam Abbasi, Seyyed-Soroush Abbasi, Syeed-Amin Abbasi, Yarsan, Yarsanism

On December 1, 2022, security forces violently arrested Yarsan civil activist Seyyed-Karam Abbasi and took him to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Yarsan civil activist Seyyed-Karam Abbasi was beaten and arrested by security forces.

One day before his arrest, his two brothers, Syeed-Amin and Seyyed-Soroush Abbasi and five other Yarsan followers were also arrested by the road police on the way to Bisotun, Kermanshah Province.

According to an informed source, all three brothers were beaten during the arrest; their houses were searched and damaged.

The reason for these arrests and their whereabouts are still unknown.

Yarsanism, Ahl-e Haqq is a syncretic religion founded by Sultan Sahak in the late 14th century in western Iran. As a religious minority, Yarsan followers are subjected to intimidation and prosecution by regime security and judicial systems.

 

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

At least Five Animal Rights Activists Arrested

Posted on by . .
Environment, Freedom of Expression, News
Animal Rights Activists, Hadi Behbahani, Mehdi Fadaei, Milad Shaterani, Mohammad Azizi, Mojtaba Rasouli

Mehdi Fadaei, Hadi Behbahani, Mojtaba Rasouli, Mohammad Azizi and Milad Shaterani are among the animal rights activists arrested during the recent nationwide protests.

These Animal rights activists were arrested earlier on 26th October, for unknown reasons in relation to the current nationwide protests.

At the time of writing, there is no information on the charges and place of detention of these individuals.

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, over 18200 people, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read HRANA’s comprehensive.

Poet Alireza Adineh Arrested

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Alireza Adineh, HRANA, Iranian Writers Association

On November 30, 2022, security forces arrested Alireza Adineh, poet and a member of the Iranian Writers Association, in Tehran and took him to an undisclosed location. The agents searched his house and confiscated some of his belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on November 30, 2022, poet Alireza Adineh was arrested at his house in Tehran by security forces.

The reason for this arrest and his whereabouts are still unknown. On September 23, an intelligence institution summoned and interrogated him for hours.

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, about 18200 people, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read HRANA’s comprehensive report here.

 

Actress Soheila Golestani and Theatre Director Hamid Pourazari Arrested

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Hamid Pourazari, HRANA, Soheila Golestani

Recently, security forces arrested actress Soheila Golestani and theatre Director Hamid Pourazari.

A few days ago, they and several other artists published a video in which they appear in front of the camera and women artists remove their headscarves to show their support for freedom and recent nationwide protests.

Their whereabouts are still unknown.

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, about 18200 people, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read HRANA’s comprehensive report here.

 

Three Students Sentenced to a Total of 14 Years and 7 Months

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Azin Saeedi-Nasab, Beniamin Moghadasi, he University of Tehran, Mohammad Javaheri, Radbeh Keshavarz

Three students at the University of Tehran, Azin Saeedi-Nasab, Mohammad Javaheri and Beniamin Moghadasi were sentenced to a total of 14 years and seven months. Additionally, Javaheri was sentenced to 74 lashes and prohibited from membership in civil and political groups and leaving the country for two years.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Aftab News, three students were sentenced to imprisonment and flogging.

According to these verdicts, Saeedi-Nasab and Moghadasi were sentenced each to five years and Javaheri to four years and seven months and additional punishments.

Security forces arrested Saeedi-Nasab in Tehran on September 22, 2022, and took her to Qarchak Prison in Varamin.

Javaheri and Moghadasi were arrested during the protests and later were released on bail.

Moreover, recently, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced another student of the University of Tehran, Radbeh Keshavarz, to six years on the charge of “propaganda, assembly and collusion against the regime.”

 

Iranian Labour News Agency Staff Intimidated and Arrested by Security Forces

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
eyyed Mostafa Jafari, ILNA, irgc, Qatar, Qazvin, Reza Asad Abadi, Somayeh Masroor

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, Labour News Agency (ILNA) staff have been subjected to intimidation and arrest by security institutions.

Somayeh Masroor, the head of ILNA, was arrested at protests and released on bail after a few days.

In another case, leaving the country toward Qatar in order to cover the football world cup news, ILNA’s sports editor was stopped at the airport by security forces. The agents arrested him and seized his passport.

Several other staff have also been summoned, interrogated and forced to sign a letter of commitment.
 
On Wednesday, November 23, IRGC forces arrested ILNA’s reporter Reza Asad-Abadi at his house. Since then, he has not called his family.
 
Also, in mid-November, judicial authorities banned another ILNA reporter in Qazvin, Seyyed Mostafa Jafari, from practising journalism. He was also banned from leaving the country for six months.