Category: Freedom of Expression

Peaceful Demonstrations Turned Violent in Azerbaijan

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression
Motahari Hospital, Urmia

HRANA News Agency – Peaceful demonstrations by Azerbaijani citizens turned violent when Iranian security forces interfered with a gathering to save Lake Urmia.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), anti-riot police in the city of Tabriz shot tear gas directly at the crowd and injured a number of the protestors.

Oddly enough, plain cloth agents broke the windows of shops and public phone booths in Tabriz.Previously, this behavior had also been observed multiple times in Tehran.

Eye-witnesses have reported that the clashes are still on-going in front of the Constitution House of Tabriz (Khaneh Mashrouteh).Demonstrators are shouting slogans such as “Rise up and cry out Azerbaijan. Give life back to Lake Urmia” and “Lake Urmia dies. Congress orders its demise.”During the clashes with the police, a large number of citizens have been injured.

While the clashes in the city of Urmia are spreading to Ykaneyan Bazaar, Agh Dash and Shapour Gate, the number of those injured are significantly increasing.

HRANA correspondents report that Iranian security forces have stormed the Motahari Hospital to arrest those injured during street clashes.

 

36 Activists helping refugees of earthquake have been arrested

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Freedom of Expression
Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki, Ali Mohammadi, Amin Ronaghi, Amir Ronaghi, Artemiz Varzandeh, Baghban Bashi, Bahram Shojaie, Behrouz Alavi, Danial Hosseini, Esmael Rafati, Esmael Salmanpour, Farnaz Ahmadzadeh, Hamid Reza Mossayebian, Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, Houman Taheri, Jafar Gholami, Kiana Karimpour, Masoud Vafabakhsh, Maziar Esmaeilpour, Mehdi Salehi, Mehrnaz Ahmadzadeh, Milad Panahipour, Misagh Afshar, Mohammad Arjmandi Rad, Mohsen Saemi, Morteza Esmaeilpour, Nafiseh Shahidfar, Narges Kheirollahi, Navid Khanjani, Reyhaneh Hesami, Saeed Shirzad, Sepehrdad Saheban, Shayan Vahdati, Shima Ghousheh, Vahed Kholoosi, Vahid Rouhani

HRANA News Agency – At least 35 activists Helping refugees of Earthquake were arrested tonight in Haris, Azarbaijan, after their relief camp was attacked by Iranian Security forces. In Addition, one activist was arrested yesterday.

 

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Attempt to Arrest Babak Ejlali Failed

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Freedom of Expression
Babak Ejlali, Hussein Ronaghi

HRANA News Agency – On Monday, August 1, 2011, Iranian security forces raided and searched Babak Ejlali’s house and summoned him to the Intelligence Agency.During this raid, Babak Ejlali’s computer and personal notes were seized.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Iranian security forces carried an arrest warrant for Babak Ejlali.However, the attempt to arrest him failed because Babak Ejlali was not home at the time of the raid.

Babak Ejlali is the editor of Rasa Online News and a human rights activist.Because of his family ties and connections with the jailed Iranian blogger Hussein Ronaghi, Babak Ejlali has been interviewed by various media outlets for information about Ronaghi’s condition.

 

Documentary Filmmaker and Women’s Rights Activist Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, Women
Jafar Panahi, Mahnaz Mohammadi, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami

HRANA News Agency – This morning, on June 26, 2011, Mahnaz Mohammadi, a documentary filmmaker and women’s rights activist, was arrested.

According to the Committee of Human Right Reporters, this morning, following a raid on her home, Mahnaz Mohammadi was arrested by security forces and taken to an unknown location.The identity of the arresting officers and the reason for this arrest are not known.

Previously, on December 29, 2009, Mahnaz Mohammadi together with Jafar Panahi, Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami and a few other movie producers were arrested when a group of directors and documentary filmmakers visited Tehran’s Behesht-Zahra Cemetery to place flowers on the graves of those killed in the events following Iran’s presidential election.

“Women Without Shadows” is Mahnaz Mohammadi’s most notable documentary for which she received many awards in Iran and abroad.Recently, Mahnaz Mohammadi and Rakhshan Bani-Etemad in collaboration with each other made the documentary film titled “We Are Half of Iran’s Population.”This documentary explores the demands of Iranian women in the presidential election.

 

Blogger Rojin Mohammadi Arrested Upon Arrival

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Freedom of Expression
Rojin Mohammadi

HRANA News Agency – Blogger Rojin Mohammadi was arrested after returning to Iran and was then transferred to Evin Prison.Rojin Mohammadi is a medical student at the University of Manila (UM) in Philippines.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on November 14, 2011, Rojin Mohammadi flew from Istanbul to Tehran.Upon arriving at the airport, she was arrested by Iranian security agents and taken to Evin Prison.

Rojin Mohammadi was released on bail after being detained for 24 hours.Five days later, on November 19, 2011, security agents raided her father’s house in Kermanshah in order to arrest her again.However, since she was not home at the time of the raid, the police failed to take her into custody.

On November 21, 2011, Rojin Mohammadi was summoned by phone to Shahid Moghadasi Court in Evin Prison, and her personal belongings including a computer were confiscated.She was interrogated for 3 consecutive days and finally arrested again on November 23, 2011 and locked up behind bars in Evin Prison.

So far, Iranian officials have not announced the reason for this arrest or the charges against Rojin Mohammadi.Furthermore, the exact location of the arrest and the length of detention aren’t precisely known.

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Satellite Dishes Confiscated in Salmas County

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Freedom of Expression
Azerbaijan

HRANA News Agency – In an attempt to confiscate and collect all satellite dishes, Iranian security and police forces have harassed citizens throughout Salmas County and the surrounding areas in West Azerbaijan Province.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Iranian security forces in Salmas County have been entering homes without legal warrants, invading citizens’ privacy and harassing them for over a month.Additionally, a number of citizens have been arrested for owning a satellite dish and sentenced to one month in prison while others have been forced to pay cash fines ranging from $100 to $1,000.

 

During the first six months of the year, nine and half centuries of imprisonments and 8 death sentence judgments have been issued.

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Freedom of Expression
Iran

During the first six months of the year,  nine and half centuries of imprisonments and 8 death sentence judgments have been issued.
During the first six months of the year, the judicial system of the Islamic Republic of  Iran  has issued more than nine and one half centuries of jail punishments for 290 political and civil activists  in different areas,  and has issued or confirmed eight (8) execution orders.
According to the reports by statistics unit,  of  publishing and writings of  Iranian Human Rights  Activists , the different branches of revolutionary courts (preliminary) collectively  have issued four and half centuries of imprisonments for 189 individuals.  In addition to these sentencing,   2 individuals have been sentenced to death.

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11 Years in Prison and Exile for Masoumeh Yavari and Zahra Jabari

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Freedom of Expression
Masoumeh Yavari, Zahra Jabari

May 22, 2010

HRANA – On Wednesday, May 19, Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court announced the sentences issued for Masoumeh Yavari and Zahra Jabari.

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Blogger Bahnam Darvishan Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression
Bahnam Darvishan

HRANA News Agency – Blogger Bahnam Darvishan was sentenced to three years in prison by the Revolutionary Court in Qazvin.He was arrested on November 21, 2010 by IRGC security forces and has been banned from having any visitors for the last eight months.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a number of plain clothes officers raided Bahnam Darvishan’s family house on November 21, 2010 and confiscated his personal belongings such as subsidy checks, books, notes and CDs.He was arrested and locked up in a solitary confinement in IRGC Intelligence Agency’s detention center.Following his family’s repeated pleas and appeals, he was allowed to call his family last week.During this brief phone call, Bahnam Darvishan informed his family that he was suffering from a respiratory disease acquired in prison.

Iranian judicial officers have told Bahnam Darvishan’s family that he has been charged with propaganda against the regime and connections with the opposition groups abroad.Citing articles 498 and 500 from Islamic Criminal Law, the Qazvin Province Revolutionary Court, Branch 2, sentenced Bahnam Darvishan to three years in prison.

After Bahnam Darvishan’s incarceration, Iranian intelligence agents also attempted to arrest two of his colleagues.On November 21, 2010, Ali Shafi was detained, and a computer and several CDs were seized from his house.Ali Shafi’s whereabouts and current condition are not known.

Families of Bahnam Darvishan and Ali Shafi have been placed under tremendous pressure in order to prevent them from disseminating any news of these prisoners.

 

Student Activist Mohammad Amin-Alizadeh Still in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Students
Mohammad Amin-Alizadeh

HRANA News Agency – Student activist Mohammad Amin-Alizadeh who was arrested on Wednesday, June 25, 2011, is still in prison while no charges have been filed against him.At the time of his abduction by Iranian Intelligence Agency, Mohammad Amin-Alizadeh was in his final semester studying sociology at Esfahan University.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), although twenty three days have passed since Mohammad Amin-Alizadeh was detained, his family has not been given any information about him.Despite his family’s repeated inquires and follow-ups, Iranian government officials refuse to provide any answers to Mohammad Amin-Alizadeh’s family and have denied his parents the right to see their child.

Eyewitnesses have reported that Mohammad Amin-Alizadeh was arrested by plain clothes agents on June 25, 2011.Mohammad Amin-Alizadeh is a Kurdish student and the editor of Chia Student Publication at Esfahan University.