Category: Freedom of Expression

Family Members of Killed Protester Detained in Bukan

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ahmad Hassanzadeh, Bukan, Mahsa Amini, Mohammad Hassanzadeh, Solmaz Hassanzadeh

In a recent development reported by Kolbar News, on September 5, 2023, authorities from the Ministry of Intelligence in Bukan took into custody Ahmad Hassanzadeh (56) and Solmaz Hassanzadeh (29), the father and sister of the late Mohammad Hassanzadeh.  Mohammad tragically was killed by regime forces during the nationwide protests in 2022.

They were reportedly arrested following an appearance at the Ministry of Intelligence office.

Mohammad Hassanzadeh, 28 years old at the time, met a fatal end when he was shot by government forces during the protests in Bukan on November 16, 2022.

In a related development, with the anniversary of the Mahsa Amini protests drawing near, security institutions have intensified their pressure on the families of victims, resulting in the detention of many.

Background on the 2022 Nationwide Protests

The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hijab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. Protesters came to the streets with the central slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” in protest against the performance, laws, and structure of the regime. During the nationwide protests, thousands of people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students, and civil rights activists, were arrested.

 

Safa Aeli, Mahsa Amini’s Uncle, Taken into Custody

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Mahsa Amini, Safa Aeli, Saqqez, Zhina Amini

On September 5, 2023, Safa Aeli, the uncle of Mahsa Amini, was apprehended by security forces and subsequently transported to an undisclosed location.

A source informed HRANA that today, at approximately 13:00, ten intelligence agents in three vehicles came and arrested Aeli at his residence. Additionally, this source provided details regarding the mounting pressure and threats faced by Mahsa Amini’s family from security institutions.

Presently, the specific grounds for Aeli’s detention and his current whereabouts are unknown. Safa Aeli is a Saqqez resident and the maternal uncle of Mahsa Amini.

Background on the 2022 Nationwide Protests

The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hijab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. Protesters came to the streets with the central slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” in protest against the performance, laws, and structure of the regime. During the nationwide protests, thousands of people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students, and civil rights activists, were arrested.

Former Political Prisoner Masoumeh Yavari Detained

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Freedom of Expression, News
Golpayegan, Isfahan, Masoumeh Yavari

In Golpayegan, Isfahan province, on September 4, 2023, security forces apprehended Masoumeh Yavari, a former political prisoner, and subsequently transported her to an undisclosed location.

According to a source with close ties to her family, agents from the Ministry of Intelligence arrested Yavari at her residence. During the operation, these agents conducted a search and confiscated various items belonging to her and her family.

As of now, the reasons behind Yavari’s arrest and her current whereabouts remain unknown.

Teacher Union Activist Soleiman Abdi Receives Eight-Month Prison Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Saqqez, Soleiman Abdi, Teacher union activist, Ziviyeh

Soleiman Abdi, a member of the Teachers’ Trade Association in Saqqez and Ziviyeh, has been handed an eight-month prison sentence by the Saqqez Revolutionary Court, according to reports from Kurdpa.

Abdi was found guilty of “propaganda against the regime.”
In a separate legal case, the Criminal Court of Saqqez convicted him of “disrupting public order and safety,” resulting in an initial sentence of eight months in prison and 70 lashes. However, this sentence was later commuted to 720-hour community service, with the flogging punishment suspended for two years.

On March 19, 2023, security forces apprehended Abdi at his residence, and he was subsequently released on bail from Saqqez prison on April 10, 2023.
Soleiman Abdi has faced prior arrests related to his activities as a teacher union activist.

Marketing Manager Sepehr Alikhani Arrested Due to Advertisement Featuring Unauthorized Song

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Freedom of Expression, News, Other
Sepehr Alikhani, Seylaneh Sabz, Talk Down

On September 3, 2023, Sepehr Alikhani, the marketing manager of the Dafi brand under the cosmetic company Seylaneh Sabz, was apprehended by security forces at his workplace, as reported by Modara.

Alikhani’s arrest occurred at his workplace, with the specific reasons and charges surrounding his detainment remaining undisclosed at this juncture. However, the events leading up to his arrest stem from a recent statement by the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, in which the public was informed about the initiation of a legal case against a cosmetic company for featuring an illicit and vulgar song in their advertisements.

Notably, just one day prior to Alikhani’s arrest, Iranian singer Talk Down, whose song had been utilized in the aforementioned company’s advertisement, was briefly detained for questioning.

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Eight Individuals Sentenced to Prison and Public Flogging for Blasphemy and Public Order Disruption

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Freedom of Expression, News
Abolfazl Khoran, Arak, Majid Nik-Ahd, Maryam Bostani, Mehdi Nik-Ahd, Mehrshad Shahidi, Mohammad Soltani, Mohammad-Reza Asadi, Mostafa Kamani, Public Flogging, Ramtin Edrisi, Vahid-Reza Arabi

The Criminal Court of Arak in Markazi Province has issued a collective sentence of 48 years in prison and 925 public lashes for eight individuals: Mohammad Soltani, Majid Nik-Ahd, Mehdi Nik-Ahd, Abolfazl Khoran, Vahid-Reza Arabi, Ramtin Edrisi, Mostafa Kamani, and Mohammad-Reza Asadi.

As per these judgments, each person has been condemned to five years of imprisonment on charges of blasphemy, in addition to one year and 74 lashes for “disrupting public order.” The flogging sentences will be carried out publicly in a mosque in Arak following Friday prayers.

The prison sentences for Majid Nik-Ahd, Mehdi Nik-Ahd, and Vahid-Reza Arabi have been suspended for five years.

Maryam Bostani, another defendant in the case, has been acquitted of all charges.

Previously, as part of their legal proceedings, these individuals had each received eight-month sentences from the Arak Revolutionary Court for “spreading propaganda against the regime.”

In August of this year, these individuals were arrested following attending a memorial ceremony for Mehrshad Shahidi, who was tragically killed by government forces during the nationwide protests of 2022 in Arak.

Aram Gohari Detained in Miandoab

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Freedom of Expression, News
Aram Gohari, HRANA, Miandoab

Aram (Hossein) Gohari, a former political prisoner and one of the individuals arrested during the 2022 nationwide protests, was apprehended by security forces in Miandoab on August 31. He was subsequently taken to the local Ministry of Intelligence office.

According to a source who spoke to HRANA, Gohari had been previously summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence but had refused to comply. Subsequently, authorities arrested him and brought him to the Ministry of Intelligence office.

The specific reasons for his arrest and the allegations against him remain unknown at this time.

In June 2022, Gohari was released on probation, having served the second year of his five-year sentence. However, during the 2022 nationwide protests, he was arrested twice by security forces.

Background on the 2022 Nationwide Protests

The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hijab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. Protesters came to the streets with the central slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” in protest against the performance, laws and structure of the regime. During the nationwide protests, thousands of people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.

Journalist Nazila Maroufian Sentenced to One Year in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Iman Afashari, Nazila Maroufian, Qarchak Prison, Tehran, Varamin

The Tehran Revolutionary Court has issued a one-year prison sentence to journalist Nazila Maroufian.

Presiding over the court, Judge Iman Afashari found Maroufian guilty of “spreading propaganda against the regime,” resulting in a one-year imprisonment and a fine of 15 million tomans.

Maroufian’s ordeal began on October 30, 2022, when she was initially apprehended by security forces and confined to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Later, she was transferred to Qarchak Prison but was eventually released on temporary bail after paying 600 million tomans (approximately $12,000 USD).

In January 2023, the Tehran Revolutionary Court imposed a two-year suspended prison sentence on Maroufian. This sentence was related to charges of “disseminating propaganda against the regime and spreading false information to manipulate public opinion through an interview with Mahsa Amini’s father.” In addition to the suspended sentence, she was fined and received a five-year travel ban.

On July 4, security forces conducted a search and raid at her residence, subsequently summoning her to Evin Courthouse. Four days later, she was re-arrested and returned to Evin Prison following her appearance at the courthouse. After some time, she was charged with “propaganda against the regime.”

On August 14, she was once again arrested and held for two days in Qarchak Prison in Varamin. Then, on August 30, security forces apprehended her at her residence in Tehran, during which she experienced physical mistreatment.

Nazila Maroufian, a journalist and student at Allameh Tabatabai University, hails from Saqqez and currently resides in Tehran. With a notable career in media, she has contributed to outlets such as Didban Iran and Rouydad24.

Civil Rights Activist Sepideh Gholian Receives One Year and Three Months Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ameneh-Sadat Zabihpour, Dezful, Evin Prison, HRANA, Sepideh Gholian, Sepideh Qolian, Shamseddin Jalili Piran

The Tehran Criminal Court has handed down a one-year-and-three-month sentence to civil rights activist Sepideh Gholian (Qolian).

Presiding over the court, Judge Shamseddin Jalili Piran sentenced Gholian for her alleged involvement in “removing hijab, facilitating indecency, and persisting in committing criminal acts.” The detention period served prior to the trial will be deducted from her prison term.

The court session took place behind closed doors on August 22, 2023. The case was initiated following a complaint filed by Ameneh-Sadat Zabihpour, an Iran-state TV reporter with connections to security agencies as an interrogator.

It is worth noting that Gholian has a history of previous arrests and convictions related to her activism. In her most recent legal case in May 2023, the Tehran Revolutionary Court convicted Gholian of “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran,” resulting in a two-year sentence that included a period of custody. Alongside her imprisonment, she faced restrictions that included a ban on joining political or social groups, limitations on cell phone usage, and a two-year prohibition from entering Tehran and its neighboring provinces.

Following her release from Evin Prison, Gholian was re-arrested on March 15, 2023, while traveling from Tehran to Dezful. Initially detained in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, she was subsequently transferred to the Women’s Ward within the facility four days later.

Ramin Ghashghaie Receives Six-Year Prison Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News
Choobindar Prison, Nik Shahr, Qazvin, Ramin Ghashghaie, Ramin Ghashghaie Garbachi

Ramin Ghashghaie Garbachi, a resident of Qazvin, has been sentenced to six years in prison by the Qazvin Revolutionary Court. The sentence also includes a travel ban and mandatory residence in Nik Shahr, Sistan and Baluchestan province, for two years.

The verdict stipulates that Ghashghaie is given five years for “assembly and collusion to act crime and against national security,” and an additional year for “propaganda against the regime.” If the verdict stands after appeal, Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code will enforce the five-year imprisonment.

If the verdict is upheld on appeal, five years imprisonment as per Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code will be enforceable.

Ghashghaie was apprehended by security forces in Qazvin on March 12, 2023, and spent approximately two months in detention at Choobindar Prison before being released on bail.