Category: Freedom of Expression

Dezful Artist Peyman Yousefi Sentenced to One Year in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Dezful, Peyman Yousefi, پیمان یوسفی

HRANA News Agency – Peyman Yousefi, head of the “Sol-La” music group in Dezful, has been sentenced to one year in prison by a criminal court in Dezful.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Yousefi received the one-year sentence in absentia from Branch 104 of the Dezful Criminal Court II in February–March 2025.

The charge against him is “producing, sending, distributing, and publishing obscene and vulgar content.”

Yousefi stated that the case was opened following a complaint filed by the Public Security and Morality Police. However, when he visited the police office to inquire about the matter, officials there claimed to have no knowledge of the case.

Peyman Yousefi leads “Sol-La,” a music group based in Dezful. In 2021, the group released a music video filmed at the historic Sanee’i House in Dezful. Shortly after the video’s release, Dezful’s police chief announced that those involved in the video had been summoned and a legal case had been opened against them.

Babak Asadi Arrested and Transferred to Tabriz Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Asadollah Asadi, Babak Asadi, Heris, HRANA, Tabriz Prison

HRANA News Agency – Babak Asadi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, was arrested yesterday by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in Heris County, East Azerbaijan province, and transferred to Tabriz Prison.

A source close to his family told HRANA: “A few hours after the arrest, Mr. Asadi called his family and informed them that he had been transferred to Tabriz Prison.”

The day before, on Sunday, May 25, intelligence agents had searched both his workplace and his family residence in Heris without presenting a court warrant. Following the search, they summoned him to the Intelligence Office without providing a formal summons.

As of the time of this report, the reasons for his arrest and the charges against him remain unknown.

Babak Asadi Daghdaghan, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, has previously faced pressure and security-related actions due to his activism. He is the son of Asadollah Asadi, a political activist and former prisoner.

Mahsa Zarei Arrested by Security Forces in Kermanshah

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Freedom of Expression, News, Other
Kermanshah, Mahsa Zarei, مهسا زارعی

HRANA News Agency – On Sunday, May 25, security forces arrested Mahsa Zarei, a 33-year-old resident of Kermanshah, at her home and transferred her to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, citing Kolbar News, Ms. Zarei was detained without the presentation of a judicial warrant. During the arrest, agents also searched her home.

As of the time of this report, the reasons for her arrest, her whereabouts, and the charges against her remain unknown.

Arbitrary arrests, transferring detainees to undisclosed locations, and leaving families in the dark about the fate of their loved ones are routine practices of the Iranian regime’s security agencies, such as the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Unit. This pattern of behavior stands in clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

Judicial Case Filed Against Women’s Wrestling Medalist Masoumeh Soleimani

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Freedom of Expression, News, Women
HRANA, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Khorramabad, Masoumeh Soleimani, معصومه سلیمانی

HRANA News Agency – A judicial case has been opened against Masoumeh Soleimani, a world medalist in women’s wrestling. She has been summoned to the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Khorramabad in connection with the case.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Soleimani announced in a video that she was recently summoned on charges of “encouraging women to defy mandatory hijab laws.”

In August 2023, she had been sentenced by the Khorramabad Criminal Court to one year of imprisonment on the charge of “inciting violent acts on social media.”

In a separate case, she was sentenced to six months of discretionary imprisonment and six months of suspended imprisonment. Following an appeal, the sentence was reduced to a fine of 50 million tomans and six months of suspended imprisonment.

Soleimani was previously arrested on May 10, 2023, by security forces in Khorramabad and released on bail for days later. She had been held in the IRGC Intelligence Detention Facility.

Masoumeh Soleimani, a mother and world medalist in women’s wrestling, has a history of arrest due to her activism.

16 Days Without News: Javad Mobarra Still Held Incommunicado in Tehran

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Javad Mobarra

HRANA News Agency – Javad Mobarra, a 25-year-old resident of Tehran, has been held incommunicado for 16 days following his arrest by security forces. His current whereabouts and condition remain unknown.

According to information obtained by HRANA, Mobarra was arrested on Monday, May 5, in front of his home by plainclothes agents. An eyewitness reported: “Mr. Mobarra was standing outside his residence in casual clothing when a black car stopped in front of him. Two individuals in plainclothes exited the vehicle and took him into custody.”

Since his arrest, no official information has been released regarding his place of detention or legal status. The prolonged lack of communication has caused growing concern among his family members.

The reasons for Mobarra’s arrest and any charges against him have not been disclosed.

Sources told HRANA that late last year, Mobarra had been summoned and questioned by security agencies in connection with content he had posted on social media.

Arbitrary arrests, transferring detainees to undisclosed locations, and leaving families in the dark about the fate of their loved ones are routine practices of the Iranian regime’s security agencies, such as the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Unit. This pattern of behavior stands in clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules:
“Every prisoner shall have the right, and shall be given the ability and means, to inform immediately his or her family, or any other person designated as a contact person, about his or her imprisonment, about his or her transfer to another institution and about any serious illness or injury. The sharing of prisoners’ personal information shall be subject to domestic legislation.”

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Appeals Court Upholds 2-Year Prison Sentence for Environmental Activist Arman Shadivand

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Freedom of Expression, News
Arman Shadivand, Darreh Shahr, Ilam province, آرمان شادی وند

HRANA News Agency – The Ilam Province Court of Appeals has fully upheld the prison sentence of Arman Shadivand, an environmental activist from Darreh Shahr.

On May 19, 2025, Branch 9 of the appellate court issued the ruling and formally notified Mr. Shadivand. The court sentenced him to 8 months in prison for “propaganda against the regime” and 16 months for “insulting the Supreme Leader.”

Earlier, in February 2025, Branch 2 of the Ilam Revolutionary Court had handed down the same 24-month prison sentence on those charges.

The Darreh Shahr Prosecutor’s Office issued an indictment in Mr. Shadivand’s case and split the file between the Revolutionary and Criminal Courts. Authorities issued two separate court summonses, and Mr. Shadivand attended one of the sessions.

In November 2024, Branch 2 of the Darreh Shahr Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office summoned Mr. Shadivand. Security forces arrested him after he appeared in court, but released him the next day on bail from Mahpareh Prison in Darreh Shahr.

In 2024, HRANA documented the arrest of 11 environmental activists, along with three summonses to security institutions, one house search, and one court trial.

Appeals Court Upholds Prison Sentence and Ban on Legal Practice for Behnam Nezadi

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Freedom of Expression, News
Behnam Nezadi, HRANA, Markazi Province, بهنام نزادی

HRANA News Agency – Branch 8 of the Markazi Province Court of Appeals fully upheld the conviction of attorney Behnam Nezadi, who was sentenced to four months in prison and a one-year ban from practicing law. The Supreme Court had referred the case to this equivalent branch for reconsideration after accepting his request for retrial.

In a ruling issued on May 16, 2025, Branch 8 of the Markazi Province Court of Appeals reaffirmed the previous sentence: four months of imprisonment and a one-year ban from the legal profession. The case had initially been returned for review by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court following a request for retrial, and was referred to this equivalent branch.

Mr. Nezadi was released from Evin Prison on April 15, 2025. He had been arrested on March 1, 2025, to serve his sentence.

This member of the Central Bar Association had previously been sentenced on January 2025, by Branch 9 of the Markazi Province Court of Appeals to four months in prison and a one-year ban from practicing law, following a retrial request submitted by his lawyers. Earlier, in late November 2024, he had been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Arak to one year in prison and a two-year ban from practicing law on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

In another part of his case, Branch 106 of the Arak Criminal Court sentenced Behnam Nezadi to 13 months and 16 days in prison for “disclosing confidential information,” and to 113 days in prison for “spreading falsehoods.”

Azim Yadegari Arrested by Security Forces in Tehran

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Freedom of Expression, News
Azim Yadegari, Dehloran, Tehran

HRANA News Agency – On Wednesday, May 14, Azim Yadegari, a resident of Dehloran, was arrested by security forces in Tehran and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to Kolbar News, the arrest took place in Tehran. In recent months, Yadegari had been summoned several times to begin serving his prison sentence.

Mr. Yadegari had previously been sentenced to 10 years in prison. As of now, there is no information on his whereabouts. His case was reviewed in the September 2023 by the Ilam Criminal Court.

He had also been arrested in August 2023 by security forces. Prior to that, he had a record of arrest related to the 2022 nationwide protests.

Taher Haji Ghorbani Sentenced to Over 14 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Taher Haji Ghorbani, Tehran

HRANA News Agency – Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Taher Haji Ghorbani, a resident of Tehran, to 14 years and 2 months in prison, a monetary fine, and additional restrictions. Judge Iman Afshari presided over the case.

According to information obtained by HRANA, the court convicted Ghorbani on the following charges:

5 years and 6 months for “assembly and collusion to commit a crime against internal and external security,”
6 years for “blasphemy,”
8 months for “propaganda against the regime,”
2 years for “spreading falsehoods,”
and imposed a fine of 500 million rials (50 million tomans).

The court also handed down supplementary punishments, barring him for two years from living in Tehran Province and adjacent regions, traveling abroad, and joining political or social groups.

Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, only the severest sentence—six years in prison—will be enforceable.

Authorities cited Ghorbani’s online activities as grounds for the charges. The court issued the verdict on May 2, 2025, and delivered it to him in prison. His trial had taken place earlier that month in the same court.

In February 2025, the court set bail at 3.5 billion tomans, but judicial officials refused to accept it, effectively blocking his release.

Security forces arrested Ghorbani at his Tehran residence on February 2, 2025, and transferred him to Evin Prison.

Appeals Court Upholds One-Year Prison Sentence for Fereshteh Souri

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Jahanian, Fereshteh Soori, Fereshteh Souri, Hamadan province, Hamedan, Nahavand

HRANA News Agency – The Court of Appeals in Hamedan Province has upheld a one-year prison sentence for Fereshteh Souri.

As stated in the verdict issued by Branch 11 of the Hamedan Province Court of Appeals, which was delivered to Ms. Souri, she has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

In the preliminary stage, Souri and her husband, Ali Jahanian, were tried and convicted in March 2025 by Branch 1 of the Nahavand Revolutionary Court. Each was sentenced to one year in prison in Nahavand. After Ali Jahanian accepted the ruling, the judge reduced his sentence by only 18 days.

The couple was released on bail on November 11, 2024, after spending 64 days in detention.

A source close to the family told HRANA that “during her interrogation at the Ministry of Intelligence, Ms. Souri was subjected to verbal abuse and physical assault.”

Ali Jahanian, a poet and political activist based in Nahavand, has previously been arrested for his activism.