Category: Freedom of Expression

Cultural Activist Ehsan Rostami Charged With “Armed Rebellion”

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Baghi, Ehsan Rostami, Evin Prison, احسان رستمی

HRANA – Branch Five of the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office formally charged Ehsan Rostami with the offense of “baghi” (armed rebellion). He was subsequently transferred to the quarantine ward of Evin Prison. The charge of “baghi” can lead to severe sentences, including the death penalty.

Based on information received by HRANA, on December 10, Mr. Rostami was summoned to Branch Five of the Investigative Office of the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office, presided over by Investigator Mr. Jalayer. He was charged with “baghi” on suspicion of membership in groups opposed to the regime. Following the session, he was transferred to the quarantine ward of Evin Prison.

This political defendant was arrested on August 19 at his personal residence in Tehran by security forces and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison.

Ehsan Rostami is a cultural activist working in the field of publishing and books.

It is worth noting that the charge of baghi may result in severe penalties including execution.

Prison Sentence of Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Ata Karimi Upheld by the Supreme Court

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Ata Karimi, Ghasem Mazinani, Urmia, عطا کریمی

HRANA – The prison sentence of Ata Karimi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, has been fully upheld by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court. He had previously been sentenced to two years in prison by Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court.

Following the rejection of his request for appeal by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Ghasem Mazinani, Karimi’s two-year sentence was confirmed without modification. In August, 2024, Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court had sentenced this Azerbaijani-Turk activist to two years in prison.

Mr. Karimi was previously arrested by security forces in Urmia in June 2015 and was released about a week later.

Ata Karimi has also faced prior judicial actions due to his activism.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, 20 ethnic minority rights activists were sentenced to a total of 471 months (nearly 40 years) in prison. Over the past seven years, the total length of such prison sentences has reached 913 years.

Shabnam Hosseinzadeh Sentenced to Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Shabnam Hosseinzadeh, شبنم حسین زاده

HRANA – Shabnam Hosseinzadeh, the wife of Amirhossein Mousavi, has been sentenced to five years in prison by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Reza Shafakhah, her attorney, announced that on December 8, the court’s ruling was delivered to him verbally. Without specifying the charges brought against her, he added that Ms. Hosseinzadeh has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Further details, including the specific charges against this political defendant, are still under HRANA’s review.

Shabnam Hosseinzadeh is the wife of Amirhossein Mousavi, who remains detained in Evin Prison without due process nearly one year after his arrest.

Six Political Prisoners Re-Sentenced to Death after Retrial

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Executions, Freedom of Expression, News
Akbar Daneshvar Kar, Babak Alipour, Iman Afshari, Pouya Ghobadi, Seyed Abolhassan Montazer, Seyed Mohammad Taghavi, Vahid Bani-Amerian

HRANA – Political prisoners Akbar Daneshvar Kar, Seyed Mohammad Taghavi Sang-Dehi, Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi Bistouni, Vahid Bani-Amerian, and Seyed Abolhassan Montazer have once again been sentenced to death by Judge Iman Afshari.

The initial death sentences for Daneshvar Kar, Taghavi Sang-Dehi, Alipour, Ghobadi Bistouni, Bani-Amrian, and Montazer had been issued on the charge of baghi (armed rebellion) through alleged membership in anti-government groups. These sentences were overturned by the Supreme Court in August this year, and the case was sent back for reconsideration.

In November, the six prisoners were retried in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. Ultimately, on Sunday, December 7, their death sentences were issued once more and formally communicated to their lawyers.

In addition to the charge of baghi, the prisoners were also sentenced to prison terms and internal exile on charges including assembly and collusion to disrupt national security, property destruction, forming unlawful groups, and illegal border crossing.

Babak Alipour was arrested by security forces in Tehran in the fall of 2023, and Vahid Bani-Amerian was arrested in December 2023. On February 23, 2024, Pouya Ghobadi and Seyed Mohammad Taghavi were arrested in Chaldoran County and transferred to Maku Prison, before being moved to Evin Prison on March 1, 2024. Akbar Daneshvar had also been previously arrested by security forces and transferred to Evin Prison. These individuals were formally charged in May 2024 in Branch 5 of the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office and were subsequently transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison in the summer of that year.

Seyed Mohammad Taghavi, a political prisoner from the 1980s, as well as Vahid Bani-Amerian, Pouya Ghobadi, and Babak Alipour, all have prior records of arrest and imprisonment related to their activities.

Two Kish Marathon Organizers Arrested Following Women’s Participation with Optional Hijab

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Cultural, Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Kish, Kish Marathon

HRANA – The Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Kish announced the arrest of two main organizers of the Kish Marathon.

According to Mehr News Agency, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Kish stated that two of the main organizers of the event were detained under legal orders in connection with the staging of the two Kish marathons. He added that one of the detainees is an official from the Kish Free Zone Authority, while the second is from the private company responsible for organizing the race. For both individuals, after the charges were formally communicated, bail orders were issued.

The Kish prosecutor continued: in addition to the bail orders, temporary judicial oversight orders were issued for the defendants under Article 247 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Under these orders, the government official is prohibited from employment in government offices, while the private-sector organizer is barred from involvement in sports management and organizing sports events.

On Friday, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Kish had announced the opening of a judicial case against the officials and organizers of the Kish Marathon, alleging “violations of regulations and law.”

On Friday morning, the Kish Island marathon was held with broad participation from women wearing optional hijab. Following the publication of videos and images from the race, media outlets aligned with security agencies reacted negatively.

Fars News Agency, which is close to security institutions, described the participation of women in the event as “non-compliance with Islamic norms” and “improper dress,” framing the marathon as an example of “immorality.” In its coverage, the agency used threatening language toward participating women and emphasized the need for judicial and administrative action.

Additionally, according to published reports, the Athletics Federation had attempted to prevent the event, citing “failure to observe religious standards,” but ultimately was unsuccessful in canceling it.

The identities of the arrested individuals have not been disclosed in this report.

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Mazandaran: Eight Administrators of a Telegram Channel Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News
Chalus, HRANA, Mazandaran

HRANA – The Chief Justice of Mazandaran Province has announced the arrest of eight citizens who administered a Telegram channel. The detainees are facing charges including “participation in forming and operating a network aimed at disrupting national security” and “propaganda activity against the regime.” After cases were opened against them in the Chalus Prosecutor’s Office, they were subsequently transferred to prison.

According to ILNA, the Chief Justice identified the detainees as core members of the Telegram channel “Shikar-e Mozdoor” (Mercenary Hunter) and reiterated the charges of “forming and managing a network allegedly intended to undermine national security and engaging in propaganda activities against the regime”.

Abbas Pouriani further stated that the Telegram channel attributed to these individuals has been blocked, and that investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest additional suspects. He noted that the arrests—carried out in Ramsar, Tonekabon, Chalus, Abbasabad, and Nowshahr—followed nearly ten months of surveillance, after which the individuals were transferred to prison under judicial orders.

No additional details, including the individuals’ identities or the precise dates of their arrests, have been disclosed.

Hossein Amani Arrested in Shabestar

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Freedom of Expression, News
Hossein Amani, Shabestar, حسین امانی

HRANA – Yesterday, Hossein Amani, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist residing in Shabestar, was arrested by security forces in this county and transferred to an undisclosed location.

Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Amani was arrested on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 by security forces at his workplace. This citizen had recently been summoned by security agencies.

As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding his whereabouts, the reasons for his arrest, or the charges against him.

Hossein Amani Nadarli, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, has previously faced arrests and other security and judicial actions due to his activities.

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.

Motahareh Goonehi’s Prison Sentence Upheld on Appeal

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Freedom of Expression, News
Motahareh Goonehi, Tehran, مطهره گونه ای

HRANA – The prison sentence of Motahareh Goonehi, a student activist, has been upheld by the Tehran Province Court of Appeal. She had previously been sentenced by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to 21 months in prison.

She wrote about this ruling: “Student Day’s gift: my sentence in the Court of Appeal was upheld with the explanation of ‘the manner of committing the offense, its harmful consequences, criminal record, and the impact of punishment on the defendant.’”

This student activist was previously sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to 15 months in prison for the charge of ‘propaganda against the Islamic Republic’, and six months in prison for the charge of ‘insulting the Supreme Leader,’ as well as the confiscation of her mobile phone.

Ms. Goonehi was arrested by security forces in Tehran on June 14, 2025, and was released on bail after more than a month. After her release, she published an account of her detention, reporting arrest without a judicial warrant, gunfire being shot inside the enclosed space of her home during the arrest, and her late-night transfer, blindfolded and without shoes, onto the street for release.

Motahareh Goonehi is a dentistry student and the former political secretary of the Islamic Association of Students at the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences. She has previously faced arrest and other security pressures due to her activism. She was released from Evin Prison on March 16, 2025, after completing her prison sentence.

Ebrahim Asemani Arrested in Tabriz

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ebrahim Asemani, Tabriz, ابراهیم آسمانی

HRANA – Ebrahim Asemani, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, was arrested by security forces in Tabriz and taken to an unknown location.

Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Asemani was arrested today by security forces in Tabriz and transferred to an undisclosed location. So far, no information has been obtained regarding his whereabouts, the reasons for his arrest, or the charges against him.

Ebrahim Asemani, aged approximately 61, is married and an Azerbaijani-Turk activist residing in Tabriz. He has previously faced summonses, arrests, and judicial convictions due to his activism.

Attorney Mohammad Najafi Sentenced to 3 Years and Additional Penalties

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Mohammad Najafi, محمد نجفی

HRANA – Mohammad Najafi, an attorney imprisoned in Evin Prison, has been sentenced by the Tehran Revolutionary Court to three years in prison and additional penalties in connection with a case opened against him during his imprisonment.

This verdict was communicated to Mr. Najafi’s lawyers on November 19, 2025, by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. Under the ruling, he has been sentenced to one year in prison for “propaganda against the regime,” and two years in prison plus a 50-million-toman fine for “spreading falsehoods.” Additionally, as part of his supplementary punishment, this political prisoner has been barred from membership in political and social groups and prohibited from leaving the country for two years.

The ruling cites, among other examples, the publication of an audio file titled “Tasmim-e Kobra,” addressed to the Supreme Leader, as grounds for the charges brought against him.

The court session addressing Mr. Najafi’s charges was held on November 5, 2025, in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court; he did not attend the hearing.

Earlier this year, Branch 1 of the High Disciplinary Court for Judges issued a ruling permanently disbarring Mr. Najafi from practicing law.

Mohammad Najafi was transferred from Arak Prison to Evin Prison in April 2023. In 2019, he was released from prison in connection with a previous case, but four days later he was arrested again over another conviction and returned to Arak Prison.

Multiple cases have been opened against this attorney over the years, and he is currently serving his sentences in Evin Prison.

The longest sentence issued against this imprisoned lawyer relates to the charge of “collaboration with a hostile government through interviews with foreign media.” He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, which was later reduced to four years and six months.

In several separate cases, Mr. Najafi has faced fourteen charges and has been sentenced to more than 24 years in prison, with no consolidation of sentences carried out to date. At least six cases have been opened against him during his imprisonment. The “publication of audio files from Arak Prison” was cited as the grounds for one of these cases. Another case, opened following a complaint by the head of Arak Prison, resulted in a four-month prison sentence for Mr. Najafi.

Throughout his imprisonment, despite suffering from various health conditions, this attorney has consistently been denied specialized medical treatment and transfer to a hospital.