Category: Freedom of Expression

Judicial Case Filed Against Journalist Mohammad Parsi

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Mohammad Parsi, Nika Shakarami, محمد پارسی

HRANA News Agency – A judicial case has been opened against journalist Mohammad Parsi and referred to Branch 9 of the Culture and Media Prosecutor’s Office.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed to HRANA that yesterday, April 29, 2025, Mr. Parsi received a summons notifying him that a case had been filed against him and referred to Branch 9 of the Culture and Media Prosecutor’s Office. The charges are reportedly linked to content he shared online, including posts on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier, on April 22, security forces searched the journalist’s residence and confiscated electronic devices, including his mobile phone.

In November 2024, Parsi had previously been formally charged with “propaganda against the regime” and “spreading falsehoods.” In another case, he had been fined for writing about the details surrounding the death of Nika Shakarami.

The journalist also faced legal proceedings in July 2024 over posts related to the presidential election.

Mohammad Parsi, editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Kandoo and director of two other media outlets, has a history of judicial confrontations related to his professional activities.

Exiled and Ailing: Protester Manouchehr Jafari Ahmadabadi Denied Access to Medical Care in Ardakan

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Freedom of Expression, News, Other
Ardakan, HRANA, Manouchehr Jafari Ahmadabadi, Savojbolagh

HRANA News Agency – Manouchehr Jafari Ahmadabadi, a protester from the 2022 nationwide demonstrations, has been serving a two-year sentence of exile in Ardakan, Yazd Province, since February 2025. He suffers from Hemophilia A and Hepatitis C, and the lack of access to specialized healthcare in the area has severely impacted his physical and mental health.

According to information received by HRANA, Ardakan lacks facilities equipped to treat hemophilia. Although specialized care is available in the provincial capital, Yazd, Mr. Jafari is barred from traveling there due to the restrictions imposed by his sentence. This medical deprivation, combined with the psychological strain of forced exile and separation from his family, has worsened his health and triggered a recurrence of depression symptoms.

Mr. Jafari Ahmadabadi, 35, is a resident of Savojbolagh County in Alborz Province. He has faced persistent judicial and security harassment since his participation in the 2022 protests and related online activism. His first encounter with security threats occurred in November 2022 while he was volunteering at the Red Crescent in Ardakan. Over time, he was subjected to repeated summonses, threats, attempted arrests, and eventual prosecution.

In February 2023, he was forced to end his cooperation with the Red Crescent due to mounting security pressure. That same month, authorities made two unsuccessful attempts to arrest him without formal notice. He was also pressured to sign a written confession of repentance, which he refused.

Legal proceedings against Mr. Jafari began in May 2023. He was initially released on bail, and his first hearing took place in September 2023 at the Karaj Revolutionary Court. In August 2024, a lower court sentenced him to three years in prison and two years in exile. The appeals court later reduced the sentence in October 2024 to five months of imprisonment and two years of exile.

Mr. Jafari turned himself in to begin serving his sentence in November 2024 and spent 77 days in Karaj Central Prison (Ward 15, designated for political prisoners and prisoners of conscience). In February 2025, he was released with an electronic ankle monitor and transferred to Ardakan to begin his exile. Since then, he has been required to report daily to the police station in Ahmadabad.

Appeals Court: Mojtaba Moghiseh Sentenced to Prison and Exile

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Freedom of Expression, News
Khorasan Razavi, Khour, Mojtaba Moghiseh, Sabzevar

HRANA News Agency – The Appeals Court of Khorasan Razavi Province has upheld the conviction of Mojtaba Moghiseh without any changes. He had previously been sentenced by Branch 1 of the Sabzevar Revolutionary Court to seven months and 15 days in prison and one year of exile.

Based on the verdict issued by the Appeals Court and delivered to him yesterday, he was sentenced to seven months and 15 days in prison and one year of exile to Khour County on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

In March, 2025, Branch 1 of the Sabzevar Revolutionary Court had initially sentenced him to prison and exile.

Another part of his case, on the charge of “insulting sanctities,” is still under review at Branch 103 of the Sabzevar Criminal Court.

Mr. Moghiseh was arrested on December 31, 2024, after being summoned to Branch 7 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Sabzevar and was then transferred to Sabzevar Prison.

On March 6, 2025, Moghiseh was released from Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad after posting a bail of 2 billion tomans. He had previously been transferred from Sabzevar Prison to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad on February 20, 2025.

Mojtaba Moghiseh is one of those arrested during the 2022 nationwide protests in Sabzevar and had previously been arrested and convicted for his activism.

Four Protesters Sentenced to Prison and Flogging

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Freedom of Expression, News
Alireza Barmarz Pournak, Alireza Kafaei, Amir-Mohammad Khosh Eghbal, Hossein Nemati, Iman Afshari, kbatan Complex, Masoud Vazifeh, Milad Armoun, Mojtaba Ebrahimi, Navid Najaran, Sina Maleki, Sohrab Hassan-Khani, Tehran

HRANA News Agency – Masoud Vazifeh, Sohrab Hassan-Khani, Sina Maleki, and Mojtaba Ebrahimi — political defendants — were sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to a total of 9 years in prison, 184 lashes, and paying a fine. These individuals had previously staged a sit-in to protest death sentences issued against defendants in the so-called “Ekbatan Complex” case. They were later released after being arrested.

Based on the ruling issued by Iman Afshari, the presiding judge of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court:

  1. Masoud Vazifeh was sentenced to one year in prison for “propaganda against the regime,” one year in prison and 74 lashes for “disturbing public order and peace,” and two years in prison plus a 50-million-toman fine for “spreading falsehoods.” He did not attend the court sessions, and the verdict was issued in absentia.

  2. Sohrab Hassan-Khani was sentenced to eight months in prison and 40 lashes for “disturbing public order and peace,” and two years in prison along with a 50-million-toman fine for “spreading falsehoods.”

  3. Sina Maleki was sentenced to six months in prison and 30 lashes for “disturbing public order and peace.” His sentence has been suspended for three years. During the suspension period, he is also banned from using a smartphone.

  4. Mojtaba Ebrahimi was sentenced to 14 months in prison and a 30-million-toman fine for “spreading falsehoods,” and eight months in prison and 40 lashes for “disturbing public order and peace” (with time served counted toward the sentence). His sentence has also been suspended for three years, and he is banned from using a smartphone during the suspension period.

Masoud Vazifeh was released from Evin Prison on bail on February 5, Mojtaba Ebrahimi on January 4, Sohrab Hassan-Khani on December 30, 2024, and Sina Maleki during the winter.

These individuals had been arrested by security forces in December 2024 after staging a sit-in to protest the death sentences in the “Ekbatan Complex” case. Following their arrest, they were transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison.

Masoud Vazifeh has previously faced arrest and judicial action due to his activism.

It is worth noting that in November 2024, attorney Babak Paknia reported that death sentences had been issued for Milad Armoun, Alireza Kafaei, Amir Mohammad Khosh-Eghbal, Navid Najaran, Hossein Nemati, and Alireza Barmarz Pournak— all defendants in the “Ekbatan Complex” case. These sentences were issued by Branch 13 of the Tehran Criminal Court.

Hamid Haj Jafar Kashani Arrested in Tehran

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Freedom of Expression, News
Enghelab street, Hamid Haj-Jafar Kashani, Tehran, حمید حاج جعفر کاشانی

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, Sunday, April 27, Hamid Haj Jafar Kashani, a civil rights activist, was arrested by police forces after chanting protest slogans on Enghelab Street in Tehran. Authorities transferred him to an unknown location.

Police officers arrested Mr. Kashani after he chanted slogans critical of the government on Enghelab Street.
As of the time of this report, his whereabouts remain unknown.

Hamid Haj Jafar Kashani has previously faced arrest and judicial action due to his activism.

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Revolutionary Court Sentences Seyed Jafar Foshtanqi to 12 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Sabzevar, Seyed Jafar Foshtanqi, فشتنقی

HRANA News Agency – Branch 1 of the Sabzevar Revolutionary Court has sentenced Seyed Jafar Foshtanqi, a Sabzevar resident, to 12 years in prison.

According to the verdict, Foshtanqi received:

. Five years in prison for “membership in anti-regime groups with the intent to disrupt national security,”
. Two years for “insulting the Supreme Leader and the founder of the Islamic Republic,” and
. Five additional years for “collaborating with hostile states.”

The court held his trial in absentia on April 10, 2025.

In a separate case, authorities tried Foshtanqi on April 22, 2025, at Branch 102 of the Sabzevar Criminal Court on charges of “spreading false information.” He was recently acquitted of these charges.

Security forces previously arrested Foshtanqi on February 19, 2025, after he appeared at Branch 2 of the Sabzevar Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities released him on bail one day later after formally charging him, setting bail at one billion tomans.

Earlier, on January 15, 2025, security agents raided Foshtanqi’s home, seizing personal belongings from him and his family and summoning him for further questioning at the Sabzevar Prosecutor’s Office.

Seyed Jafar Foshtanqi, approximately 34 years old, is married and the father of seven children.

Appeals Court; Physician Bayan Salehian Sentenced to Prison and Fine

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Freedom of Expression, News
Bayan Salehian, HRANA, Urmia, بیان صالحیان

HRANA News Agency – Branch 9 of the West Azerbaijan Province Court of Appeals has upheld the prison and monetary fine sentence against Bayan Salehian, a physician residing in Urmia.

A source close to her family told HRANA, “According to the verdict issued by Branch 9 of the West Azerbaijan Appeals Court and delivered to Ms. Salehian in April, she has been sentenced to five months in prison and a paying a fine for ‘spreading false information with the intent to disturb public opinion on social media.”

Earlier, in January 2025, the Shahid Beheshti Complex’s Second Criminal Court in Urmia had issued the initial verdict sentencing Ms. Salehian to prison and a fine.

In a separate part of this case, the Urmia Revolutionary Court had previously sentenced her to pay a fine for “propaganda against the regime.”

Security forces from the Intelligence Protection Unit of Urmia’s Law Enforcement Command arrested Ms. Salehian in October 2024. They released her after several hours of interrogation and confiscated her mobile phone.

Bayan Salehian, a physician based in Urmia, has a prior record of arrest and conviction.

Appeals Court Upholds 11-Year Prison Sentence for Hamid Bidar

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Freedom of Expression, News
AmirKabir, Hamid Bidar, Mahmoud Momtazpour, Tehran Province Court of Appeals, حمید بیدار

HRANA News Agency – The 11-year prison sentence for Hamid Bidar, a graduate of Iran University of Science and Technology, has been fully upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Province Court of Appeals.

Hossein Taj, Bidar’s attorney, stated that his client received an 11-year prison sentence 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. According to Taj, five years of the sentence are enforceable.

Hamid Bidar, a computer engineering graduate of Iran University of Science and Technology, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on September 1, 2024.

According to the AmirKabir Newsletter, his arrest was linked to his support for Mahmoud Momtazpour, a dismissed assistant professor at Amirkabir University of Technology.

Previously, in 2013, Bidar was also suspended for two semesters by the university’s disciplinary committee, with the suspension counting against his academic years.

Gelareh Abbasi Sentenced to Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Gelareh Abbasi, Iman Afshari, گلاره عباسی

HRANA News Agency – Gelareh Abbasi, a political defendant, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison by Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the court sentenced Abbasi to a total of four years and three months on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.”

Abbasi was arrested on February 16, 2025, at her home in western Tehran by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and transferred to Evin Prison. She was released from Evin Prison on March 28, 2025, after posting a bail of one billion tomans.

Earlier, in a separate case, Abbasi had been sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to two years and six months in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security.” After serving several months, she was released from Evin in February 2023.

Gelareh Abbasi, 48, is the mother of a young daughter and the head of her household.

Summons and Arrest of a Sunni Cleric in Kermanshah

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Freedom of Expression, News, Religious Minorities
Ayat Gholami, HRANA, Kermanshah

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, April 23, Ayat Gholami, a Sunni cleric, was arrested after being summoned to and appearing before the Special Clergy Court in Kermanshah.

According to HRANA, quoting Kurdpa, Ayat Gholami was taken into custody following his appearance at the Special Clergy Court in Kermanshah. As of now, no information has been released regarding the reasons for his arrest, his place of detention, or the charges brought against him.

Ayat Gholami is the former imam of a mosque in Kermanshah and a teacher at a religious school.