Category: Freedom of Expression

Student Activist Motahareh Goonehi Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Evin Prison, HRANA, Motahareh Goonehi, Motahareh Gounei, مطهره گونه ای

HRANA News Agency – On Saturday, June 14, student activist Motahareh Goonehi (Gounei) was arrested by security forces in Tehran.

The arrest took place earlier today, but no information has been released regarding the reasons for her detention, the charges brought against her, or her place of custody.

Goonehi is a dental 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 security-related pressures due to her activism. She was released from Evin Prison on March 16, 2025, after completing her prison sentence.

Masoumeh Shahnavaz Arrested by Intelligence Ministry Agents in Sabzevar

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Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Masoumeh Shahnavaz, Sabzevar, Shahram Sadidi

HRANA News Agency – On Friday, June 13, Masoumeh Shahnavaz, a resident of Sabzevar, was arrested by Intelligence Ministry agents at her home and taken to an undisclosed location. During the arrest, security forces searched her home and confiscated several of her and her family’s personal belongings.

Shahram Sadidi, Ms. Shahnavaz’s son, reported that his mother was violently arrested by Intelligence Ministry agents at her home in Sabzevar. During the arrest, agents searched the house and confiscated personal items belonging to his mother and their family.

He added that the arrest was in response to her reaction to Israeli airstrikes. According to Sadidi, Masoumeh Shahnavaz has undergone open-heart surgery twice and her life is at risk. Her whereabouts remain unknown as of the time of this report. Masoumeh Shahnavaz is a retired schoolteacher living in Sabzevar.

It is worth noting that Shahram Sadidi, who now resides outside Iran, has previously been arrested and faced legal action due to his activism.

Retired Teacher Zina Fereydounian Sentenced to Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Fereydounian, HRANA, Qorveh, Zina Fereydounian, زینا فریدونیان

HRANA News Agency – Zina Fereydounian, a retired teacher from Qorveh, has been sentenced by the city’s Revolutionary Court to over 13 months of prison and an additional three years of suspended imprisonment in two separate cases.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Fereydounian was sentenced to 10 months in prison for “propaganda against the regime.” In a separate case, she was sentenced to 91 days of discretionary imprisonment and an additional three years of suspended prison time. The court also imposed a travel ban on her.

Following the court’s refusal to allow her to serve her sentence under electronic monitoring outside prison, the 10-month sentence was referred to the sentence enforcement unit.

A source close to Faridounian’s family told HRANA: “In Qorveh, she supported vulnerable groups by covering wedding and living expenses. Her prison sentence stems solely from her criticism of social conditions.”

Revolutionary Court Sentences Two Retired Workers in Ahvaz to Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
ahvaz, Ahvaz Revolutionary court, Farzaneh Zilabi, Mohammad-Zaman Kamrava, Morad Zohrabi

HRANA News Agency – Mohammad-Zaman Kamrava and Morad Zohrabi, two retired Social Security Organization workers from Ahvaz, have each been sentenced to two years in prison by Branch 2 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, citing The Independent Iranian Workers Union, the ruling was issued on June 7, 2025, and has been formally communicated to the defendants. Both Kamrava and Zohrabi were convicted of “assembly and collusion to act against national security” and “propaganda against the regime,” with each receiving a two-year prison sentence.

The charges stem from their participation in retiree protests held in front of the Ahvaz Social Security office during February 2022, part of the nationwide Sunday demonstrations by retirees.

It’s worth noting that in late-April 2024, Kamrava was arrested by security forces following another retiree protest in Ahvaz and was later released.

Both men are residents of Ahvaz and retired from the Social Security Organization. Their legal representation is currently being handled by attorney Farzaneh Zilabi.

Appeals Court Upholds Sentences for Creators of My Favourite Cake

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Freedom of Expression, News
Behtash Sanaeeha, Iman Afshari, Maryam Moghaddam, My Favourite Cake

HRANA News Agency – The prison and financial penalties for Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam, directors of the film My Favourite Cake, along with the film’s producer Gholamreza Mousavi, have been upheld in full by Branch 36 of the Tehran Appeals Court. In the initial ruling, the three were sentenced to a total of five years and four months in prison and ordered to pay monetary fines.

As per the ruling issued on May 27, 2025, the defendants were collectively sentenced to five years and four months in prison and fined 1.4 billion rials.

In the lower court ruling, issued by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam were each sentenced to 14 months in prison and fined 400 million rials for “propaganda against the regime through spreading falsehoods to disturb public opinion.” Their prison terms were suspended for five years. Additionally, Sanaeeha, Moghaddam, and Mousavi were each sentenced to one year in prison—also suspended for five years—and had their equipment confiscated for “collaboration in producing obscene content.”

Separately, Judge Iman Afshari convicted all three of “screening the film without a license,” ordering them to pay 200 million rials in fines and to forfeit all related equipment.

On March 1, 2025, a hearing for the three filmmakers, along with three other defendants—two actors and a cinematographer—was held in the same court.

The indictment for the filmmakers was issued in February 2025.

Despite My Favourite Cake receiving awards at international festivals—including the Silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival—Sanaeeha and Moghaddam, who are also a married couple, were unable to attend due to a travel ban.

The film was produced without censorship or enforcement of the mandatory hijab for its female actors. It drew significant criticism from officials at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

It’s worth noting that My Favourite Cake, a drama released in 2024, won the Silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival and attracted public attention after its online release.

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Karim Asghari, a Relative of Varisheh Moradi, Arrested in Sanandaj

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Karim Asghari, Mehraneh Moradi, Sanandaj, Varisheh Moradi

HRANA News Agency – Today, Karim Asghari, the brother-in-law of Varisheh Moradi, a political prisoner sentenced to death, was arrested in Sanandaj by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence, who reportedly beat him during the arrest.

Based on information received by HRANA, at 1 PM today, Sunday, June 8, agents from the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj went to Mr. Asghari’s workplace. After presenting a judicial warrant, they arrested him with physical violence.

A source close to the family confirmed the news and told HRANA: “In recent months, members of Varisheh Moradi’s family—including her sister Mehraneh Moradi and Karim Asghari—have been under increasing security pressure.” According to this source, after Varisheh’s arrest, her family has been summoned multiple times to the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj and has been repeatedly threatened with arrest. The source also reported that Mehraneh Moradi was directly threatened with arrest should she continue to follow up on her sister’s case. She had previously, in 2016, been detained along with Karim Asghari for three months.

The source added: “In recent months, as the family sought to pursue Varisheh’s medical treatment and raised concerns over her being denied visits, Karim Asghari was temporarily detained by plainclothes security forces in front of Evin Prison. He was held in a vehicle for three hours, interrogated, and threatened. The agents explicitly warned that any disclosure of information about the case is prohibited and that media coverage would provoke severe consequences.”

As of the time of this report, there is no information on the reasons for Mr. Asghari’s arrest, his place of detention, or the charges against him.

Varisheh Moradi was arrested by security forces in the outskirts of Sanandaj in August 2023. She was ultimately transferred to Evin Prison on December 26, 2023. In late November 2024, she was sentenced to death by Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, on the charge of baghi (armed rebellion).

Hidi Shadikhah Sentenced to Nearly Two Years on Political Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News
Hidi Shadikhah, Oshnavieh, هیدی شادیخواه

HRANA News Agency – Hidi Shadikhah, a resident of Oshnavieh, has been sentenced to one year and ten months in prison by Branch 101 of the Criminal Court II in the city.

According to HRANA, citing Kurdpa, Hidi Shadikhah was convicted on charges of collaborating with an opposition group.

Shadikhah had previously been released from Oshnavieh prison on February 17, 2025, after posting bail. He was originally arrested by security forces on December 31, 2024.

The Oshnavieh resident has a prior history of arrest and legal prosecution in connection with his activism.

While, under Article 302 of Iran’s Criminal Procedure Code, charges such as “collaboration with opposition groups” fall under the jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Court, in some cities these cases are reviewed by criminal courts due to the structural absence or limitations of Revolutionary Courts in smaller towns. Although this practice does not align with the law, it has become common in areas lacking specialized judicial institutions.

Report on the Latest Status of Detained Truckers Amid Ongoing Strikes

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Alireza Faghfoori, Ata Aziri, IRGC Quds forces, Kermanshah, Rezgar Moradi, Sanandaj, Sediq Mohammadi, Shahab Darabi, Truckers’ Strike, Zanko Rostami

HRANA News Agency – Since the start of nationwide truckers’ strikes in Iran on May 22, more than 40 truck drivers, supporters, and other citizens have been arrested in various cities. The strikes emerged in protest of rising costs, reduced freight rates, difficult living conditions, and the government’s neglect of truck drivers’ professional demands.

Since the strikes began, reports have confirmed the arrest of over 40 people in different cities. The identities of seven detainees have been confirmed as: Farzad Rezaei from Divandarreh, Zanko Rostami in Dehgolan, Rezgâr Moradi, Sediq Mohammadi, and Ata Aziri from Sanandaj, Alireza Faghfoori from Behbahan, and Shahab Darabi in Eslamabad-e Gharb. Among them, Shahab Darabi has recently been released.

Following the start of the strikes, the Union of Iranian Truckers and Drivers’ Associations reported the arrest of 11 drivers in Kermanshah and several others in Sanandaj.

Additionally, a citizen was arrested by IRGC Quds forces in Gilan province for supporting the nationwide truckers’ strikes in Rasht.

The Public Relations and Propaganda Division of the Khuzestan IRGC also announced the arrest of two citizens in Bandar Imam Khomeini for supporting the strikes. A video of the two individuals’ “forced confessions” was later published by state media.

In another case, the police chief of Bandar Lengeh stated that a citizen had been arrested for encouraging participation in the strike. According to him, the individual had produced and shared a video clip on social media encouraging heavy vehicle drivers to join the strike, which was later shared with foreign-based media outlets.

In addition, the prosecutor of Shiraz confirmed the arrest of several protesting drivers, accusing them of disrupting transportation. Without specifying the number of detainees, he claimed the individuals were “purposefully and systematically disrupting the transport system.”

In a related development, state media reported that nine citizens had been arrested and transferred to prison in Qazvin province for their involvement in the truckers’ strike.

Two citizens were also arrested in Bahar County, and five more in Khuzestan and Hamadan provinces, all in connection with activities related to the strike.

It’s worth noting that HRANA has recently published a detailed report covering the past week of truckers’ strikes. The report comprehensively addresses the causes of the protests, their expansion, the government’s response, and the status of the detainees.

Student Activist Hamid Bidar Begins Prison Sentence in Evin

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Evin Prison, Hamid Bidar, irgc, Mahmoud Momtazpour, حمید بیدار

HRANA News Agency – Hamid Bidar, a former student activist and graduate of Iran University of Science and Technology, has been transferred to Evin Prison to begin serving his prison sentence.

According to information obtained by HRANA, Bidar was recently arrested and taken to Evin Prison to serve an 11-year sentence. The Tehran Revolutionary Court also imposed supplementary punishments, including 74 lashes, a ban on online activity, confiscation of his mobile phone, and a monetary fine.

The sentence was issued on charges including blasphemy, insulting the Supreme Leader, and propaganda against the regime. The initial verdict was handed down by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court and was recently upheld in full by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Houzan. According to judicial procedures, five years of the total prison sentence are enforceable.

A source close to Bidar’s family told HRANA that the complainant and arresting authority in the case was the IRGC Intelligence Organization in Tehran.

Hamid Bidar, a computer engineering graduate, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on September 1, 2024. According to the Amirkabir Newsletter, his arrest was linked to his public support for Mahmoud Momtazpour, a dismissed assistant professor at Amirkabir University of Technology.

Bidar has previously faced disciplinary action. In 2013, he was suspended from university for two semesters by the university’s disciplinary committee, with the suspension counting toward his academic record.

Oshnavieh: Majid Daryaei Sentenced to One Year in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Majid Daryaei, Najm al-Din Daryaei, Oshnavieh

HRANA News Agency – Majid (Najm al-Din) Daryaei, a resident of Oshnavieh, has been sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 101 of the Oshnavieh Criminal Court II.

According to Kurdpa, Daryaei was convicted on charges of “propaganda against the regime in favor of opposition groups.”

His interrogation session took place on Wednesday, April 9, at Branch 1 of the Oshnavieh Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office. He was released on bail following the charges being formally announced.

Daryaei has previously faced arrest and judicial proceedings over his activism.

Although Article 302 of Iran’s Code of Criminal Procedure designates Revolutionary Courts as the proper venue for charges like “propaganda against the regime,” in smaller cities such cases are often heard in criminal courts due to the absence or limited capacity of Revolutionary Courts. While this practice lacks legal conformity, it has become common in areas with limited judicial infrastructure.