Category: News

Two Kurdish Prisoners on Hunger Strike – Day 24

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Prisoners
Farshad Kamangar, Hassan Akhtar Samand

HRANA News Agency – Despite physical weakness and fatigue, two Kurdish prisoners continue their hunger strike while locked up in Bijar Prison.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Hassan Akhtar Samand, Farshad Kamangar and two other prisoners who were transferred to Bijar Prison on July 25, 2011 began their hunger strike upon their arrival in protest to being exiled to Bijar.Hassan Akhtar Samand is a political prisoner.

Since their hunger strike began 24 days ago, these prisoners have been denied access to phone, and their families have not been able to see them.Consequently, concerns regarding their health and safety have increased.

 

Baha’i Citizen Arrested in Karaj

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Religious Minorities
Ruhollah Zibahi

HRANA News Agency – On Wednesday, May 12, 2011, after being summoned and arraigned by Karaj’s Revolutionary Court, Ruhollah Zibahi, a Baha’i citizen from Karaj, was transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison.

 

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), in December 2010, Ruhollah Zibahi’s house was searched, and he was told not to leave town until his arraignment.  He has been charged acting against national security.

 

Although Ruhollah Zibahi’s family has posted his bail in the amount of approximately $50,000, he hasn’t been released so far.

Security Forces Raided the Home of a Baha’i Citizen in Yazd

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Religious Minorities
Majid Islamiof

May 7, 2010

HRA News Agency –On 29 April 2010, the home ofMr. Majid Islamiof Yazd was searched by Intelligence Ministry agents and his personal belongings, including his computer, and Bahá’í books and material were confiscated.

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Four Rapists Were Hanged Today

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Executions
Esfahan, Khomeini Shahr

HRANA News Agency – On Wednesday, October 12, 2011, four individuals convicted of rape were publicly hanged in Khomeini Shahr’s Behesht Park.After the death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court, four rapists were hanged today while the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Esfahan Province and other local officials attended the event.

According to a report by Fars News Agency, the following individuals were hanged today after being convicted of charges of rape in Khomeini Shahr:

 

  • Abbas (single, 24 years old, with prior convictions for kidnapping and inappropriate relations in 2004 and 2008)
  • Rajab Ali (single, 23 years old, with prior convictions for consumption of alcohol, bullying and intimidation with a dagger and inappropriate relations)
  • Asghar (single, 20 years old, with prior convictions for bullying and intimidation with a knife, consumption of alcohol and inappropriate relations)
  • Mansor (single, 25 years old, with prior convictions for kidnapping in 2005)


On May 24, 2011, a group of women at a private party were abducted and gang raped at knife point in Khomeini Shahr.

More pictures of the public hanging can be seen here.

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Abdolreza Ghanbari’s Death Sentence Referred to the Enforcement Unit

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Executions, Freedom of Expression
Abdolreza Ghanbari

HRANA News Agency – After the Amnesty and Clemency Commission rejected Abdolreza Ghanbari’s plea for reprieve, his case has been referred to the Revolutionary Court’s Enforcement Unit tasked to carry out the verdict.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Abdolreza Ghanbari is a high school teacher in Varamin County and holds a PhD degree in Literature and Persian language.He was arrested on December 27, 2009 during Ashura protests and charged with participating in and videotaping the demonstrations and sending the videos to opposition groups.

After his arrest, Abdolreza Ghanbari was denied the right to legal counsel and was not informed of his basic rights.On January 30, 2010, after a month and few days following the events of Ashura protests, he was tried, found guilty of all charges and sentenced to death by Judge Salavati who presided over the Revolutionary Court, Branch 15.

According to legal proceedings, the death penalty verdict then had to be sent to the Supreme Court.Instead, the case was referred to the Provincial Appeals Court, Branch 36, where Judge Zargar presided over the trial and upheld the death sentence.

It has been over a year since Abdolreza Ghanbari’s wife sent a letter to the Amnesty and Clemency Commission to ask for reprieve. Since the clemency request for Abdolreza Ghanbari has been turned down, the death penalty verdict has been sent to the Revolutionary Court’s Enforcement Unit to be carried out.

 

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Shutting Down Baha’i Citizen’s business in Abadan

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Religious Minorities
Hedayatollah Rezaei

HRANA – By a notice from ” Union of Retail workers & Manufacturers , Gold & Silver & Clock & Glasses” the business of a Baha’i citizen in Abadan was shut down.

According to the HRANA reporters, News Organization for  Human Rights Activists in Iran, following continuous pressure on the Iranian Baha’i citizens, the business of a Baha’i  citizen called “Hedayatollah Rezaei” living in Abadan ,(an optic shop), was shut down by a verdict and he was prohibited from working.

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Four Rapists Will be Hanged on Wednesday

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Executions
Mohammad Reza Habibi

HRANA News Agency – Mohammad Reza Habibi, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Esfahan Province, has announced that four individuals convicted of rape in Khomeini Shahr will be publicly hanged on Wednesday, October 12, 2011.On May 24, 2011, a group of women at a private party were abducted and gang raped at knife point in Khomeini Shahr.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Mohammad Reza Habibi confirmed that the Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty against four inmates convicted of rape in Khomeini Shahr.

Pointing out that these important rape cases were processed by the Supreme Court in the shortest amount of time possible, the Prosecutor added, “The Supreme Court examined these cases in less than 45 days and upheld the verdicts.The final ruling has now been given to Esfahan Judiciary.”

Confirming the death penalties, Mohammad Reza Habibi said, “On Wednesday, the verdicts will be carried out.”Stating that the exact location of hangings has not been determined yet, he added, “They will be hanged publicly in one the main squares in Khomeini Shahr.”

In relation to other defendants arrested for the same crime, the Prosecutor explained, “Since a few other suspects related to this case are still at large, we have suspended verdicts against other individuals charged with the same crime until more investigations are completed.”

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Two Kurdish Political Prisoners Amongst Dangerous Criminals

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Prisoners
Hadi Amini, Ramzan Saeedi

HRANA News Agency – On August 11, 2011, Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini were transferred to a ward housing some of the most dangerous criminals in Rajai-Shahr Prison.Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini are two Kurdish political prisoners who have recently arrived at Rajai-Shahr Prison from Evin’s Ward 350.

According to a report by Kalame News, a few weeks ago, Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini requested to be transferred to the ward housing political prisoners in Rajai-Shahr Prison.However, prison officials decided to house them in Ward 6 where some of the most dangerous criminals including murderers are kept.In Rajai-Shahr Prison, Ward 6 has some of the worst sanitary conditions; the majority of prisoners have no place to sleep and spent their nights slumbering in corridors.

Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini have been sentenced to five years in prison, and during the last three years of their incarceration, they have been denied furlough.While ordinary prisoners only spend one day in the quarantine ward of Rajai-Shahr Prison in order to determine whether they are addicted to narcotics or not, Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini spent 50 days in the same ward which lacks basic health and sanitary conditions.After this time, they were transferred to Ward 6 of Rajai-Shahr Prison instead of the political prisoners’ cell block.

Mahdi Foroutan, a newly turned Christians, was temporarily released from Evin prison

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Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Farshid Fathi, Mahdi Foroutan

Hrana – On the evening of Saturday 20 April, Mahdi Foroutan a new Christian was temporarily released on bail after 105 days of detention in Evin prison.

According to HRANA Reporters, Human Rights News Agency of Iran, Mahdi Foroutan, was released by providing his house ownership, worth 50 million Toman, as bail to the judiciary and thereafter the letter of his release to Evin prison authorities.

In the early hours of Sunday 5 Day 1389 Mahdi Foroutan had been arrested by four Militia men at his father’s house.

Meanwhile, while arresting him security forces had searched the house thoroughly and seized a number of his personal belongings such as computers, books, CD’s which none of them were returned after his release.

It is important to mention that another New Christian called “Farshid Fathi” who was arrested at the same time as Mahdi Foroutan along  several other new Christians in Iran is still detained in Evin prison.

Apparently the judicial authorities have issued a very high bail for his release and based on his family’s inability to pay the bail; he has to stay in detention.

It should be mentioned that there are two people with similar names as “Mahdi Foroutan”, which one of them belongs to a Dissident religious groups (Non-Trinitarians), whose court was held along with some other people of his group in Shiraz during last few days.

Political Prisoner Aziz Khakzad Hanged Secretly in Kerman

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Executions
Aziz Khakzad

HRANA News Agency – On Tuesday morning, October 4, 2011, political prisoner Aziz Khakzad was secretly hanged in Kerman Central Prison on charges of Waging War Against God (Moharebeh).He was a resident of Salmas County in Kurdistan Province and was exiled to Kerman to serve his prison term.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Aziz Khakzad was a 29 year old political activist arrested in 2007.The Revolutionary Court in Khoy County sentenced him to death on charges of Waging War Against God and helping opposition groups.As a result of efforts made by his family and friends, the Appeals Court had reduced the death sentence to 5 years in prison and exiled him to Kerman.

Last night, Aziz Khakzad was unexpectedly transferred from the general prison population to solitary confinement and was hanged in Kerman Prison this morning.Aziz Khakzad’s family received the news of his execution this morning but Iranian government officials have yet to confirm the report.

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