Category: Freedom of Expression

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

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Freedom of Expression
Eslam Ali Akbarloo, Eslamashahr, Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Agro-Business, Haft Tappeh, Haft Tappeh Sugar Company, Khuzestan, Power outage in Eslamashahr, Tehran, Tehran Protests
A number of protests took place this week in Iran, many of which were continuations of ongoing movements. According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, employees of Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry Company continued their protests for a 6th week. Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations.

 

Saturday, August 14

A group of workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry entered the 33rd day of their strike in Shush. Several teachers of Literacy Movement Organization of Iran in front of the parliament building, rallied and called on their demands to be addressed. Also, following the power outage in Eslamshahr, many citizens held a protest rally in Tehran.

Citizens in Tehran following power outage in Eslamshahr:

 

Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry Company:

 

Sunday, August 15 and Monday, August 16

Workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry continued their strike for a 34th day in a row in Shush, a number of Isfahan farmers rallied in front of the Isfahan Governor’s Office, and a group of workers of Pajan Company held protest rallies in Tehran.

Farmers in Isfahan:

 

Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry Company:

 

Workers of Pajan Company in Tehran:

 

Tuesday, August 17 and Wednesday, August 18

For the second day in a row, workers of Pajan company protested in Tehran, also, a group of civil activists in Karaj, gathered in a protest calling on their demands to be addressed.

Workers of Pajan company in Tehran:

 

Civil activists in Karaj:

Friday, August 20

A group of farmers in Parsabad gathered in front of the governor’s office to protest water cuts for their farms.

 

Farmers in Parsabad:

Javid Rahman’s Latest Report on the Human Rights Situation in Iran has been Published

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Executions, Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
accountability, COVID, covid-19, death sentence issuances, death sentences in Iran, Javid Rahman, Rahman, Ukranian aircraft, UN Human Rights Council

Javid Rahman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Iran, has published his latest report, which is scheduled to be presented at the next meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, various issues have been addressed, such as the COVID-19 crisis, the alarming rate of death sentence issuance, and the Islamic government’s lack of accountability for human rights violations in the country.

According to the report, journalists and civil society activists were under pressure from security agencies as this year’s presidential election approached. Those who called for a boycott of the election were detained or harassed by security forces.

Expressing concern over the non-observance of the preconditions for free elections, Javid Rahman called for fundamental reform of Iran’s electoral laws.

The rapporteur reiterated the lack of accountability of individuals and institutions that have violated the rights of Iranian citizens, such as the violence in November 2019, and the downing of a Ukrainian 752 aircraft, and he added that restitution to the families of individuals killed in the flight can in no way replace serious prosecution and punishment of perpetrators.

He further expressed concern about the impact of international sanctions on the state of the Corona epidemic and called the government’s efforts to reduce the impact of the crisis on the social and economic life of citizens insufficient.

You can read the complete report here. 

Several Civil Activists Arrested During a Rally at Site of Pouya Bakhtiari’s Death in Karaj

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Activists arrested, Civil activists, Civil activists arrested, Khuzestan, Khuzestan province, Nahid Shirbisheh, Narges Mohammadi, Nazemi, Pouya Bakhtiari, Tehran

Today, Wednesday, August 18, during a gathering of civil activists at the site of Pouya Bakhtiari’s death in Karaj, several of those in attendance were arrested and then released an hour later.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Narges Mohammadi, Pouran Nazemi, and Nahid Shirbisheh were among the arrested.

Nahid Shirbisheh is the mother of Pouya Bakhtiari who was one of the victims of the November 2019 national protests in Iran.

Recently, a lawsuit was opened against Ms. Nazemi and Ms. Mohammadi charged in Branch 2 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office, along with seven other civil activists.

These activists were arrested in Tehran on July 20, during a rally in support of the people of Khuzestan, and were released hours later.

 

Charo Ahmadi Arrested in Divandarreh in Kurdistan Province

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners, Women
Ahmadi, Charo (Jaleh) Ahmad, Charo Ahmadi, Divandarreh, Kurdish language teacher, Kurdistan, Kurdistan Province, Zagros

On Monday, August 16, Sanandaj resident Charo (Jaleh) Ahmadi was arrested and transferred to an unknown location by security forces in Divandarreh .

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Center of Democracy and Human Rights in Kurdistan, A day later, Ms. Ahmadi was released on bail from a security detention center on Tuesday, August 17.

The security forces searched Ms. Ahmadi’s house and confiscated some of her personal belongings at the time of the arrest.

Charo Ahmadi is a Kurdish language teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Ms. Ahmadi is a member of the board of directors of the Zagros Socio-Cultural Institute in Divandere.

As of this writing, no information is available on the reasons for the arrest or the charges against her.

Citizen Detained in Alborz Province for “Blasphemy in Cyberspace”

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Freedom of Expression, News
Citizen arrest, Citizen arrested, Citizen arrests, Citizen detained, cyberspace, detention, online activity

A citizen in Alborz Province was arrested by IRGC forces for what is being described as “blasphemy in cyberspace”.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Mehr, the arrested citizen has been accused of “insulting sacred things ” in their online activity.

The report does not mention the identity of the detainee.

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Athena Daemi Ends Hunger Strike in Lakan Prison in Rasht

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners, Women
Atena, Atena Daemi, Hunger Strike, hunger strike prisoner, Lakan, Lakan prison, prison hunger strike, prisoner hunger strike

Yesterday, August 17, imprisoned civil activist Atena Daemi  ended her hunger strike in Lakan Prison in Rasht.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Ms. Daemi had been on a hunger strike since Thursday, August 12, in protest of repeated telephone cuts and prison mismanagement.

She has ended her strike following the fixation of telephone cuts, and the release of prisoners whose release was delayed for weeks.

Citizen Arrested in North Khorasan for Publishing Images in Cyberspace

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
censorship, FATA, FATA police, freedom of expression, North Khorasan, North Khorasan province, Shakeri, Yousef Shakeri

A citizen was recently arrested in North Khorasan Province for publishing images that were deemed “immoral” by authorities.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna News, the citizen was arrested after posting advertising images for a makeup salon online.

Yousef Shakeri, the head of FATA police in North Khorasan province, commented on the arrest.

“Following the news that immoral images were published for makeup advertisements in cyberspace,” Shakeri said, “the issue was placed on the police’s agenda and the person was identified and arrested with the coordination of a judicial official.”

The report does not mention the identity of the detainee.

Prison Sentence and Ban on Leaving the Country Upheld for Environmental Activist Samko Maroufi

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Environment, Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Bukan, Bukan County, Court of appeals, Maroufi, Samko MAroufi, West Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan Province

The conviction of Bukan native Samko Maroufi was recently upheld by the Court of Appeals of West Azerbaijan Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Center of Democracy and Human Rights in Kurdistan, Samko Maroufi is an environmental activist and member of the Valat Environmental Association. He has previously been arrested and convicted for his activities.

In May of this year, Branch 104 of Bukan County Criminal Court sentenced Mr. Maroufi to one year in prison and a two-year ban from leaving the country on charges of propaganda against the regime.

He was arrested by security forces in Bukan on March 2021 and was released on bail on April 2021.

 

Aras Amiri Larijani Acquitted after Enduring 3 Years in Evin Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners, Women
Abolghasem Salvati, Amiri, Aras Amiri Larijani, Emtedad, Kingston, Kingston University, Larijani, Supreme Court

After serving out 3 years of a 10 year sentence in Evin Prison, Iranian cultural activist Aras Amiri Larijani was acquitted by the Supreme Court of the charges against her.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Emtedad, Amiri is a student at Kingston University and former employee of the British Cultural Council.

Aras Amiri has been acquitted after enduring three years of her ten-year prison sentence. Ms. Amiri had previously been sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran and the sentence was upheld by the Court of Appeals.

She was arrested by security forces in September 2018 after being summoned to the Evin Courthouse, and was transferred to the women’s ward of the prison two days later.

In May 2019, Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Abolghasem Salavati, sentenced Ms. Amiri to 10 years in prison and two years of social deprivation, including bans from work and leaving the country after serving ten years in prison.

The accusation was labeled “espionage” by a spokesman for the judiciary in the public media. This sentence was upheld by the Tehran Court of Appeals in August 2019 in absentia and without the presence of a lawyer.

A grad student in Philosophy of Art, Amiri had been in organizing joint art exhibitions and festivals between Iranian and British artists and had collaborated with the British Council.

Amiri’s family member had previously told the media that Aras Amiri’s cultural interactions were coordinated and supervised by various deputies of the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

Court of Appeals Sentences Keyvan Samimi to 2 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Ahmad Zargar, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, Court of appeals, Ensaf News, Iman Afshari, Iran-e-Farda, Keyvan Samimi, Samimi, Supreme Court, Tehran

Iranian journalist Keyvan Samimi has been sentenced to two years in prison after a court of appeals overturned the Supreme Court’s  decision to resume Samimi’s case.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Ensaf News, Samimi is the editor of Iran-e- Farda newspaper and a member of the Iranian Writers’ Association.

Mr. Samimi had previously endured six years in prison in 2009 for questioning the 2009 presidential election, participating in protests, and writing articles critical of the Islamic Regime. He is currently being held in Evin Prison, where he has been imprisoned since his arrest on International Workers’ Day in 2019.

Samimi was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Judge Iman Afshari, to three years in prison on charges of conspiracy to act against the security of the country. This verdict was upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Ahmad Zargar.

Mahmoud Behzadi-Rad, Samimi’s lawyer, said that the Supreme Court accepted the resumption of Mr. Samimi’s trial, but when his case was sent to the Branch 54 of the Court of Appeals, the decision was reversed.

“The judge did not accept the opinion of the Supreme Court,” Behzadi-Rad said, “and they only reduced the three-year imprisonment sentence to two years.”