HRANA – Bahram Tasviri Khiabani, a prisoner held in Rajaiee Shahr prison in the city of Karaj, was raped with a baton by two IRGC members (“Pasdar”) guarding the ward.
Based on reports received by HRANA, a regular prisoner in Rajaiee Shahr prison named Bahram Tasviri Khiabani was placed in solitary confinement as punishment for unknown reasons. Due to the lengthy duration of his isolation and prison officials’ refusal to allow him to contact his family, Mr. Khiabani attempted self-immolation in his solitary cell.
Upon seeing the attempted self-immolation on security monitors, prison guards and Pasdars rescued him from death. Thereafter, they began beating him with fire extinguishers, breaking his hands and legs. They then transferred him to another solitary cell where they raped him with a baton.
Bahram was held in solitary confinement for another month before he was transferred to the prison clinic to receive treatment for the severe infection in his broken leg. After receiving minor medical treatment, Bahram was transferred to the prison’s general ward.
Mr. Khiabani’s family have launched a complaint, which has led to the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to increase their pressures and threats against this prisoner.
Category: News
Three prisoners will be hanged publicly today
HRANA News Agency – Thursday morning, January 17th, three prisoners will be hanged in Pakdasht in public.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), it supposed to hanging 3 prisoners in Pakdasht in public on Thursday morning, January 17th.
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85 years old Baha’i prisoner banned of visit and phone call
HRANA News Agency – 85 years old Baha’i citizen, Mohammad Hussein Nakha’i, sentenced to 3 years in prison, is banned of visit and phone call with no reason.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Elderly Baha’i citizen, imprisoned from May 2012 in Birjand Prison, Mohammad Hussein Nakha’i, is being banned of visit and phone call by judiciary authorities with no reason.
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Younes Aghayan on Hunger Strike in Solitary Confinement
HRANA News Agency – Younes Aghayan, ethnic prisoner sentenced to death who was transferred from Mahabad prison to solitary confinement in Urmia prison on Wednesday, December 26, 2012, is on hunger strike from that day.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Younes Aghayan, a follower of the Yari faith (Ahl-e Haq), ethnic prisoner who is sentenced to death, was transferred from Mahabad prison to solitary confinement in Urmia prison. He is on hunger strike from the day he was transferred to solitary confinement. There is fear of his execution.
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Shahoo Hosseini, teacher and journalist fired from his work
HRANA News Agency – Shahoo Hosseini, political activist, journalist, teacher, Civic and Cultural activist was fired from Education Ministry.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Shahoo Hosseini, political activist, journalist, teacher, Civic and Cultural activist and student of M.A. in political science from Mahabad was fired from Education Ministry.
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Amnesty: Iran must immediately release prisoner of conscience Arzhang Davoodi
HRANA News Agency –Writer Arzhang Davoodi, who is facing fresh charges after being imprisoned in Iran for nearly nine years, must be released immediately and unconditionally, Amnesty International said.
Arzhang Davoodi, 60, who has been imprisoned since October 2003, faces a court hearing before Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on 28 August on a new charge of “enmity against God” (moharebeh), which carries a possible death sentence.
The new charge is believed to be linked to his peaceful political activism and writings, including the release of an audio recording in which he called for “freedom and democracy”.
Therecorded messagewas widely distributed on the internet after the Confederation for Iranian Students (CIS), a 7,000-membership independent, pro-western student movement, released the recording in a conference in the United States of America.
Arzhang Davoodi is feared to have been tortured and ill-treated since being transferred on 27 June to Section 209 of Tehran’s Evin Prison which is believed to be under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence.
“Not only is Arzhang Davoodi held solely for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of expression and association in his writings and political activism, but he now faces fresh charges after being in jail for nearly nine years,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director.
“He is a prisoner of conscience and the Iranian authorities must release him immediately and unconditionally.
“The intolerance of dissent of the Iranian authorities is such that they continue to harass Arzhang Davoodi and his family although he is already in jail.
“The Iranian authorities must also protect him from torture or other ill-treatment and provide him with all necessary medical care and allow him immediate access to his family and his lawyer.”
Davoodi has served his sentence in a number of different prisons in Iran since his detention began, including at Bandar Abbas Prison, Hormozgan Prison, 1,500 km south of his home in Tehran; Reja’i Shahr Prison and Evin Prison – including Section 209.
He has also spent lengthy periods of time in solitary confinement in Evin Prison since his arrest and has had no contact with his family since his transfer to Section 209.
Davoodi was arrested in October 2003 for participating in a documentary,Forbidden Iran, in which he spoke out about human rights violations in Iran.
Following a trial in 2005, he was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment and 75 lashes by the Revolutionary Court on charges related to “spreading propaganda against the system”, “establishing and directing an organization opposed to the government”, being the director of the Parto-e Hekmat Cultural Education Centre in Tehran, participating in the making of the documentary and for his writings on a secular system of governance in Iran.
His flogging sentence has not been implemented.
36 Activists helping refugees of earthquake have been arrested
HRANA News Agency – At least 35 activists Helping refugees of Earthquake were arrested tonight in Haris, Azarbaijan, after their relief camp was attacked by Iranian Security forces. In Addition, one activist was arrested yesterday.
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Majid Tavakoli Deprived of an Education Permanently
HRANA News Agency – Judge Abolqasem Salvati presiding over the Revolutionary Court, Branch 15, has issue an order to deprive Majid Tavakoli from an education permanently.This verdict was delivered in reply to a request filed by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran in 2009.
According to a report by Daneshjoo News, this new order prevents Majid Tavakoli from continuing his education while he is in prison and will deny him the right to enroll in any university throughout the country after he is released.
Following his last arrest on December 7, 2009, Majid Tavakoli was tried in the Revolutionary Court, Branch 15.During that trial, the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran asked Judge Abolqasem Salvati to deprive him of an education for good.After nearly two years since the motion was filed, this request was granted by the presiding judge.
The First Visit After Four Months
Last Thursday, on September 15, 2011, Majid Tavakoli was granted the permission to see his brother, Ali Tavakoli, in prison after nearly four months.Two brothers were allowed extra 5 minutes to be together in addition to the customary 20 minutes allotted for each visit.Last time Majid Tavakoli saw his family in prison was on May 24, 2011.
Since January 2011, when political prisoners in Rajai-Shahr Prison were transferred to a separate ward, they have been denied phone communication with the outside world.The authorities didn’t even allow Majid Tavakoli to phone his family during the Persian New Year celebrations.Despite her repeated requests from the judiciary and prison officials, Majid Tavakoli’s mother has been denied any contact with him.Due to illness, she is unable to travel and has not seen her son since December 7, 2009.
Affirming Last Year’s Message on the Eve of Commencements
Majid Tavakoli has once more emphasized the importance of points mentioned in his letter issued before universities were reopened last year.In this statement, he wrote, “Accordingly, universities have become people’s hope as if there is a covenant bestowed upon them by students:A pledge to keep freedom alive and to bring happiness to each home; a promise to expose violence such that it will be allowed to neither exist nor resurface again; a covenant to tear apart the chains restricting freedom of speech, beliefs and thoughts; an oath to amplify and spread friendship and empathy; a vow to make allowances for each other and respect one another; a pact to attain liberty, justice, democracy, peace, human rights, morality and humanity all at once.”
“People hold an unfaltering covenant in their hands.Although what lies ahead for students is arduous and rigorous, I am confident that success will be achieved with determination, and the people will hold you in high regards for it.Then, even if tyranny flexes its muscles with violence and repression, it will be defeated once more.”
“September has arrived again, and a difficult year is ahead.We will have a bright future if our unity and togetherness based on our achievements and past experiences lead us to frame a covenant that gives meaning to our solidarity for freedom and resistance against tyranny.I know that a legendary saga is about to unfold once more.I know that people’s hopes will materialize.I know that we will stand side by side in liberty’s jubilee and the joy of triumph.And we will begin Septembers kindheartedly.”
Siavash Eslami’s Lashing Sentence Carried Out
HRANA News Agency – Siavash Eslami, a board member of Teachers Union in Sari, received 37 lashes according to a verdict handed down by the Appeals Court.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Siavash Eslami is a union activist who has been charged with acting against national security through participating in the events after 2009 presidential elections.He was initially sentenced to 74 lashes, but the Appeals Court later reduced this verdict to 37 lashes.
Siavash Eslami was flagged on Sunday, July 31, 2011, one day before the month of Ramadan began.It has been reported that Siavash Eslami was fasting when taken to Sari Enforcement Bureau to be flogged.
Siavash Eslami has been a teacher for 24 years and holds a master’s degree in political science.He has been teaching Islamic Studies in various high schools in Sari, the capital of Mazandaran Province.
Attempt to Arrest Babak Ejlali Failed
HRANA News Agency – On Monday, August 1, 2011, Iranian security forces raided and searched Babak Ejlali’s house and summoned him to the Intelligence Agency.During this raid, Babak Ejlali’s computer and personal notes were seized.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Iranian security forces carried an arrest warrant for Babak Ejlali.However, the attempt to arrest him failed because Babak Ejlali was not home at the time of the raid.
Babak Ejlali is the editor of Rasa Online News and a human rights activist.Because of his family ties and connections with the jailed Iranian blogger Hussein Ronaghi, Babak Ejlali has been interviewed by various media outlets for information about Ronaghi’s condition.