Category: News

Ahmed Shahid: in the past two years, more than 300 Christians have been arbitrarily arrested and detained in Iran

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Freedom of Expression
Ahmed Shahid, Youcef Nadarkhani

HRANA News Agency – Two United Nations Special Rapporteurs have expressed in the past two years, more than 300 Christians have been arbitrarily arrested and detained in Iran.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA),The Special Rapporteurs welcomed the recent release of Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who had received the death sentence on a charge of apostasy. The experts highlighted however the arrest and detention of hundreds of Christians over the past two years and called on the Iranian authorities to “ease the current climate of fear in which many churches operate.”

The conviction of apostasy and death sentence for Pastor Nadarkhani – who was born to Muslim parents but converted to Christianity at the age of 19 – sparked strong condemnation from governments, organizations and religious leaders around the world. Earlier this month, Pastor Nadarkhani’s charge was reduced to “evangelizing Muslims,” and his sentence to three years, which he was credited with having already served.

“Iran possesses the basic legal framework to guarantee Christians, as a group, the right to freedom of religion, and should ensure that this right is granted in practice as well,” said Dr. Bielefeldt, who noted that “the right to conversion in this context is an inseparable part of freedom of religion or belief.”

He also called for the protection of Baha’is and other religious minorities who are not recognised in Iran’s Constitution.

Two Afghani Citizens Killed in West Azerbaijan

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Ethnic Minorities
Azerbaijan, Turkey

HRANA News Agency – Iranian security forces opened fired on a number of Afghani citizens in the border region between Iran and Turkey and killed two of them.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on Sunday, August 7, 2011, Iranian security forces killed two Afghani citizens when a group of immigrants were attempting to leave Iran through the border region in Salmas County, West Azerbaijan Province.During this incident which occurred in the border region close to Baroshkhoran village, two other Afghani citizens were severely injured.The wounded are currently in critical condition.
Since the Islamic Republic of Iran announced a decision to return Afghani refugees to Afghanistan, large number of them have been crossing the border illegally to seek asylum in Turkey.

 

A Message to Eighteen Brave Prisoners on Hunger Strike

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Prisoners
Haleh Sahabi, Mohsen Dikmechi

HRANA – The following message has been released by Mothers of Park Laleh and addressed to eighteen political prisoners on hunger strike in Evin Prison.

“Not everyone must be executed.”

These words were uttered by the Prosecutor General of Tehran after the political prisoner Mohsen Dikmechi died in Evin Prison.The recent deaths of Haleh Sahabi and Hoda Saber have proven that the government of Iran insists on fulfilling such a plan.

The brave and beloved children of Iran, from behind Evin’s soaring prison walls, the news of your hunger strike in protest to Haleh Sahabi and Hoda Saber’s deaths have reached our ears.You are the free-hearted individuals who don’t give up fighting for freedom and liberty even in shackles and bondage.

The courageous children of Iran, our mother land needs you, the daring souls.You are the promise of future bliss and hope for this land.

Therefore, we, the Mothers of Park Laleh, ask you to end your hunger strike before this regime’s wicked intentions bound to eliminate the existence of those pure in heart is realized.

With the hopes of victory and liberty for Iran and longing for the day that there will be no prison walls in the world,

Mothers of Park Laleh
June 24, 2011

 

Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Hojat Kalashi and Eight Political Activists Arrested

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Freedom of Expression
Amin Karimi, Farhad Baghbani, Hojat Kalashi, Milad dehghan, Ovzan Akbari, Zahed Khalafi

HRANA News Agency – Following a threatening phone call against the members of Pan Iranist Party’s Youth Organization, armed intelligence agents raided a gathering and arrested nine members of this party.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on Wednesday, June 22, 2011, intelligence agents in Khuzestan Province contacted two members of Pan Iranist Party of Iran by phone and verbally threatened them.

Two party members, Zahed Khalafi and Ovzan Akbari, were warned by phone not to hold the youth gathering in the city of Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province.Otherwise, all individuals attending the meeting would be arrested.Zahed Khalafi is in charge of the Pan Iranist Party in Mahshahr and Sarbandar, and Ovzan Akbari is an activist from Ahvaz.

Despite this threat, on Friday, June 24, 2011, the monthly meeting of the Pan Iranist Party with the presence of Hojat Kalashi, the youth organization’s leader, was held.Since then, no one has received any news from any of the attendees including Hojat Kalashi, Ovzan Akbari, Milad Dehghan, Farhad Baghbani, Zahed Khalghi, Amin Karimi and three other individuals.  An informed source has reported to HRANA that at least nine members of this party were arrested during this gathering.

Previously, Hojat Kalashi, Milad Dehghan and Farhad Baghbani had been arrested and charged with the membership in the Pan Iranist Party and propaganda against the regime.Following this arrest, they were released on bail and were waiting for the ruling by the Revolutionary Court in Ahvaz.Furthermore, in recent years, Zahed Khalghi has been under enormous pressure at work and has been summoned to and interrogated by Iran’s Intelligence Agency in Khuzestan Province multiple times.

 

Commemorating May 9th in Sanandaj’s Schools

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Freedom of Expression
Farzad Kamangar

HRANA News Agency – Teachers and students from different grade levels throughout the city of Sanandaj [Kurdistan Province] commemorated the first anniversary of Farzad Kamangar’s execution on May 9, 2011.

 

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), in response to a call issued by Teachers’ Union of Kurdistan to reject violence and defend the right to live, a number of schools in Sanandaj honored Iran’s beloved teacher, Farzad Kamangar, on May 9, 2011.

 

On this day, a significant number of students in Sanandaj attended schools with candles in order to light them in their classrooms.  Similarly, many teachers devoted their lessons to discussions about rejecting violence and defending the right to live and dedicated time to introduce Farzad Kamangar further to their students.  In addition, in several schools, Farzad Kamangar’s letters were read in classrooms.  According to local HRANA reporters, although no particular problem occurred, a number of schools were dismissed earlier than usual.

 

It must be noted that in the last few days, many civil and political activists have issued a collective call in support of Teachers’ Union of Kurdistan and have named May 9th “Liberal Teachers’ Day.”

 

 

 

 

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Five Engineers of Jam Petrochemical Complex in Assaluyeh Arrested

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Labor and Guilds
Mohammad Jahromi

HRANA News Agency – Five engineers who were working for Jam Petrochemical Complex in Assaluyeh [Southern Iran, Bushehr Province] have been arrested by Iranian security officers.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the arrests took place at the beginning of the current Persian month of Farvardin [March 21- April 20, 2011].  The reason for the arrest and the whereabouts of five engineers are unknown.

Jam Petrochemical Complex is located at the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone and produces 1,321,000 tons of ethylene annually.  This petrochemical company also manufactures olefin, high density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene glycol / ethylene oxide, and butadiene.

[Following Ahmadinejad’s victory in 2005 presidential election, the 9th government of Iran after the revolution was established.]  Since the designation of Assaluyeh as a free trade zone by Mohammad Jahromi, Iran’s labor minister in the ninth government, workers and laborers in this region have been denied minimum protection under labor laws and social security benefits.  Instead, the entire workforce in the free trade zone is only subject to employers’ rules and regulations.

Earlier, the closure of manufacturing units and industrial crisis in Assaluyeh resulted in the dismissal of 52,000 workers in this region. 

 

Dr. Matin Fattahian Arrested

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Ethnic Minorities
Matin Fattahian

HRANA – Dr. Matin Fattahian, a Kurdish citizen residing in Tabriz, has been arrested by security forces.
Based on reports received by HRANA, a Kurdish doctor residing in Tabriz by the name of Matin Fattahian has been arrested over the past week by the security forces in this city and has been taken to an unknown location.
Reports indicate that security forces raided the doctor’s residence and in addition to searching the home, confiscated some of his personal belongings.
 

 

Two Executions in Urmia Prison, Iran

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Executions
Fahim M, Ghorbanali P

HRANA News Agency – Two prisoners were executed in Urmia prison on Friday, 16 November 2012.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), quoted  from Mukerian News Agency, two prisoners: Ghorbanali P. from Gojin and Fahim M. from Band, Urmia, were hanged on Friday morning.

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Prisoner committed suicide in Mahabad’s prison

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Prisoners
Mahabad's prison

HRANA News Agency – A prisoner convicted of murdering committed suicide by hanging himself.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Shouresh Aldo, 35, from Mahabad who had been arrested 4 months ago on charge of murdering, committed suicide on Saturday, November 10, 2012.
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After 1,000-plus days in jail, Iranian pastor Nadarkhani freed

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Religious Minorities
Youcef Nadarkhani

HRANA News Agency – Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been acquitted of apostasy and released, ending a saga that drew international attention and saw him spend more than 1,000 days in jail in the face of a death sentence — simply for being a Christian.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) (Sept. 8)  Nadarkhani, in jail since 2009, was acquitted of apostasy — that is, converting from Islam to Christianity — but found guilty of evangelizing Muslims.  Nadarkhani was sentenced to three years in prison for the latter charge but was released due to time already served.