Category: Freedom of Expression

Meysam Kazemi Jailed in Behbahan Prison 

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Farzad Ansarifar, Mahmood Dashtinia, Mehrdad Dashinia, Meysam Kazemi, Mohammad Hashamdar, Mohammad Hossein Ghanavati

On July 23, 2022, Meysam Kazemi was taken to Behbahan to serve a 15 months sentence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on July 23, 2022, Kazemi started his sentencing at the Behbahan Prison.

On  December 4, 2021, Kazemi was arrested and transferred to Behbahan Prison after appearing at Branch 4 of the Public and Revolutionary Court, where he was accused of “circulating social media posts about the individuals arrested after Behbahan’s protest on July 16, 2020”.

Subsequently, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Bandar Mahshahr sentenced Kazemi to 22 months in prison, of which 7 months and 2 weeks were suspended. Based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, one year and three months of imprisonment is enforceable.

During the November 2019 protest, security forces in Behbahan City used live ammunition against the protestors, leading to the death of several protestors including Mehrdad Dashinia, Mahmood Dashtinia, Farzad Ansarifar, Mohammad-Hossein Ghanavati, and Mohammad Hashamdar.

Documentary Maker Hossein Dehbashi Sentenced 

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
hassan rouhani, Hossein Dehbashi, National Library of Iran, Oral History of Iran

Researcher and documentary maker Hossein Dehbashi was sentenced to six months in prison despite the fact that the Culture and Media Prosecutor’s Office had disagreed with the prosecution and closed the case.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, history researcher and documentary maker Hossein Dehbashi was sentenced to six months in prison.

Dehbashi announced on his social media account that after declining the prosecution by the Culture and Media Prosecutor’s Office and the Computer Crimes Prosecutor’s Office and the final confirmation that the case is closed,  another court sentenced him to six months in prison.

In 2020, Dehbashi was charged with “spreading falsehood”, “propaganda against the regime” and ” insulting the clergy” as a result of a complaint brought by the Ministry of Intelligence.

In 2019, the Ministry of Health filed a complaint against Dehbashi for “disturbing public opinion”, for which he was sentenced to four months in prison, and the verdict was upheld on appeal.

Hossein Dehbashi is known for producing President Hassan Rouhani’s presidential campaign advertisements and documentaries such as “According to the Royal Court”. He has also produced “Oral History of Iran” for the National Library of Iran.

Man Arrested for Holding a Placard against Supreme Leader

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Khamenei, Vladimir Putin

A video circulated on social media shows a man standing over a telephone kiosk holding a placard with a slogan against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He was arrested immediately after.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, security forces arrested a man for holding a placard.

The man was holding a placard with slogans against Iran’s Supreme Leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin written on it. Putin recently visited Iran for diplomatic talks with Iran and Turkey’s leaders in Tehran.

 

 

Journalist Vahid Ashtari Sentenced to Two Years in Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
authorities' corruption, Criminal Court, Vahid Ashtari

The Criminal Court has sentenced journalist Vahid Ashtari to two years in prison and social deprivations.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the news outlet Dideban, the Criminal Court has sentenced journalist Vahid Ashtari to two years in prison, banned him from engaging in journalistic and social activities for two years.

Ashtari received this sentence for exposing the authorities’ corruption.

Human Rights Lawyer Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah Imprisoned

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Iman Piroozkhah, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah

Security forces arrested former political prisoner and lawyer Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah and took him to Evin Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on July 20, 2022, Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah was arrested and sent to Evin Prison.

Iman Piroozkhah, DadKhah’s colleague, broke the news on social media and wrote, “Long years after serving out his sentence for a legal case in 2008, he was arrested again under unlawful pretexts”.

In 2011, the Revolutionary Court sentenced Dadkhah to nine years in prison, 90 lashes, paying a fine and the suspension of his law license for ten years. 

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Member of Iran’s Parliament Reveals Son’s Imprisonment

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Mehdi Mirsalim, member of Iran's Parliament, Mostafa Mirsalim

Mostafa Mirsalim, a member of Iran’s Parliament, revealed that his son Mehdi Mirsalim has been imprisoned on the charge of “acting against national security” since February 2021 in Evin prison. According to his father, Mehdi Mir-Salim was arrested in July of 2019 and sentenced to five years in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Tasnim, Mehdi Mirsalim is currently serving a five-year sentence in Evin Prison.

Mostafa Mirsalim had claimed that his son was arrested after two years of surveillance in July 2019 and sentenced to five years on the charge of acting against national security and started his sentencing in February 2021. Mirsalim had claimed his son was arrested for his information and access privileges. 

Twelve Individuals Arrested in Tabriz, Naqadeh and Urmia

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Emrahim Azaroghlu, Hakimeh Ahmadi, Hamid Akbarzadeh, Hamid Pourvali, Hooshang Taghizadeh, Jalal Dehghani, Masoud Abbaszadeh, Michael Gholipour, Reza Akarzadeh, Reza Etebari Rad, Yunes Gholizadeh, Yunes Mahmoodi

On July 16, 2022, security forces arrested twelve individuals in Tabriz, Naqadeh and Urmia.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, security forces arrested Hakimeh Ahmadi (an Azerbaijani Turk Activist), Yunes Gholizadeh (an Azerbaijani Turk Activist), Jalal Dehghani, Hamid Pourvali,  Yunes Mahmoodi, and Emrahim Azaroghlu in Tabriz, Masoud Abbaszadeh in Naqdeh, and Hooshang Taghizadeh, Michael Gholipour, Hamid Akbarzadeh and Reza Akarzadeh and Reza Etebari Rad, in Urmia.

The reason for these arrests and the individuals’ whereabouts are unknown so far.

Yunes Gholizadeh and Hakimeh Ahmadi had previously been arrested and convicted for their civil activities. 

Four Citizens Arrested in Miandoab

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Jalal Kudarilu, Mostafa Dolatkhah, Nader Amani, Naser Heshmati, Vali Zohrabi

On July 16, security forces arrested four residents of Miandoab, West Azerbaijan Province, and transferred them to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, On Saturday, July 16, 2022, Jalal Kudarilu, Mostafa Dolatkhah, Nader Amani, and Naser Heshmati were arrested in Miandoab County.

 Another resident of Miandoab Vali Zohrabi had also been arrested.

The reason for these arrests, the individuals’ whereabouts and the charges are unknown so far.

Five Workers of the Sungun Copper Mine Arrested

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Esmail Ebadi, Kazem Shahi, Mohammad Mahmoodi, Saleh Mohammadi, Sungun copper mine

At least five labor workers of the Sungun copper mine have been arrested for going on strike and transferred to an unidentified location, raising the number of detained workers to eleven.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, in an effort to crackdown on workers’ strike, security forces have arrested five additional workers identified as Kazem Shahi, Saleh Mohammadi, Mohammad Mahmoodi, Esmail Ebadi and Haj Ziad Mahmoodi.

On July 7, 2022, Sungun copper miners went on strike for the third consecutive day to demand closing wage gaps between official and contract employees, and implementation of the Job Classification Plan, among other demands. These protests turned violent by the police.

The charges against these workers are still unknown.

Dutch National Arrested and Sentenced 

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Cécile Kohler, Dutch national, Jacques Paris, Kees Lunenburg, Maciej Walczak, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Olivier Vandecasteele, Polish scientist

HRANA has identified a European national who is jailed in Evin prison. Kees Lunenburg, a Dutch national, is currently serving his five-year sentence in Ward 8 of Evin Prison. Polish Maciej Walczak, who was sentenced to three years, is also housed in the same ward.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Dutch national Kees Lunenburg is currently jailed in Ward 8 of Evin Prison. HRANA has received variants of this individual’s last name and will update its database accordingly. 

The about-mentioned detained Dutch national was sentenced to five years imprisonment on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security.” HRANA is trying to find out new details about his case. 

Polish scientist Maciej Walczak is housed in the same ward. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland has confirmed his arrest.  Iran has claimed that Walczak and three others were arrested as they were collecting soil samples from a restricted site of a missile test. 

The spokesperson of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, has stated that in September of 2021, Walczak and his two colleagues were arrested in Iran. Two university professors were released but Walczak was sentenced to three years in prison.

In recent weeks, Belgian national Olivier Vandecasteele, a 41-year-old aid worker, and two French individuals, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris were also arrested.