Continued Detention of Child Labor Activist and Bahai Citizen Afshin Heyratian

HRANA- Child labor activist and Bahai citizen from Tehran Afshin Heyratian has been in detention since his arrest on June 3, 2010.

According to the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, Heyratian was arrested in a park near his home. Security forces then entered his home without a warrant. Afshin Heyratian was active in a group working to better the plight of child laborers. It is believed that several other group members have been arrested.

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Video Report: Three Prisoners Hanged in Public

HRANA News Agency – This morning, July 19, 2011, three prisoners were hanged publicly in Kermanshah’s Azadi Square on charges of kidnapping and adultery.These prisoners identified by their first names were Milad Q. (son of Shirali), Javad A. (son of Sultan) and Javad A. (son of Habib).  Although the prisoners’ exact age was not released, Iranian authorities indicated that the prisoners’ average age was 21 years and two months.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on May 14, 2011 the Criminal Court of Western Eslamabad issued the death sentence, and on June 21, 2011, the Iranian Supreme Court, Branch 32, upheld this verdict.Finally, the executions occurred this morning.The entire legal process from the trial to the appeal and eventually the execution took two months and five days.

HRANA has released the video report of the hanging on YouTube.

 

Political Prisoners Denied Outside Recreation

HRANA News Agency – In an effort to increase pressure on political prisoners, since Sunday, July 17, 2011, outside recreation time has been cancelled in Rajai-Shahr Prison.

According to a report by Jaras News, prison officials have not allowed political prisoners to go to the prison yard for fresh air since yesterday.In Rajai-Shahr Prison, political prisoners were previously given four hours every day for outside recreation contrary to the Department of Corrections’ regulations giving inmates the right to have access to fresh air all day.

In response to this decision, political prisoners refused to participate in the daily roll call.It has also been reported that living conditions inside Rajai-Shahr Prison are very poor.Political prisoners suffer from poor nutrition and have no access to the prison telephone.

 

Iranian Christians Arrested in Mashad

HRANA- A number of followers of the Christian faith in Mashad were arrested by state security and intelligence forces. There is no word on the fate of two of those arrested.

HRANA has learned that on Thursday July 8, 2010 a group of fifteen Iranian Christians were arrested by state security and intelligence forces in Mashad as they were departing for a meeting with Christians from the city of Bojnourd.

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Zanyar Moradi Condemned to Death and Denied Medical Care

HRANA News Agency – Prison officials have refused to provide medical care for Zanyar Moradi, a Kurdish political prisoner sentenced to death on charges of killing the Friday Prayer Imam in the city of Marivan, Kurdistan Province.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Zanyar Moradi is suffering from inguinal hernia and has requested medical care several times.However, prison officials have ignored his needs thus far.

Inguinal hernias are bulges in the scrotum or thigh.Zanyar Moradi also suffers from testicular pain caused by severe physical torture.

Zanyar Moradi and Laqman Moradi are two Kurdish prisoners charged with the assassination of the Friday Prayer Imam in the city of Marivan.While behind bars in Rajai-Shahr Prison, these two political prisoners have denied the charges and written a letter to declare their innocence.

 

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An Elderly Man Sentenced to Death in Retribution

HRANA News Agency – Citing the Islamic Law of Retribution, Judge Noorollah Aziz Mohammadi presided over Tehran Province Criminal Court, Branch 71, and sentenced an elderly man identified by the name “Saman” to be hanged for the killing of his wife, Nahid.

According to a report by Fars News Agency, two years ago, when an old man was ordered to pay his wife’s mahrieh, he stabbed her twenty times, causing her death.[Mahrieh is an amount of money designated at the time of marriage to be paid by a groom to his bride whenever she demands it.] Tehran Province Criminal Court has sentenced this elderly man to be hanged.It has been reported that at the time of his arrest, he confessed to killing his wife.

On the day of the trial, the victim’s daughter addressed the court and said, “My parents were separated for two years but not divorced.My mother wanted to get a divorce, and for this reason, she had gone to the family court.”

She continued, “The court ordered my father to pay my mother’s mahrieh which was [approximately] $7,000, but my father didn’t want to pay her this money.They fought for this reason, and finally he killed her.”

During the trial, Saman took the stand and addressed the court as well.He said, “On the day of the incident, I went home after a long time.My wife started blaming and scorning me like always.Because of these problems and the mahrieh, we fought and in a split second, I stabbed her.”

Saman added, “I regretted what I had done and wanted to help Nahid.I dragged her body to the street in front of the house.Quickly, I went to a nearby clinic, but when I returned with doctors, her body had vanished.”

At the end, stating that he apologized for what he had done, the defender said, “I would like to ask my children and my wife’s family to forgive me.”

Following Saman’s statement, the court adjourned, and after consulting with advisors, Judge Noorollah Aziz Mohammadi sentenced the defender to die in retribution for the murder he had committed.

 

Inquiries into Personal Lives, Investigations into Financials of Bahai Citizens of Birjand

HRANA- The Ministry of Intelligence has ordered banks in Birjand to audit the accounts and to investigate the financial transactions of its Bahai citizens.

According to HRANA reporters, in addition to the investigations they are visiting the businesses of these citizens and questioning them regarding their income and family members.

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Kurdish Political Prisoner Anvar Khezri on Hunger Strike – Day 40

HRANA News Agency – After forty days of hunger strike in Rajai-Shahr Prison, Kurdish political prisoner Anvar Khezri is in critical condition and alarmingly poor physical health.Meanwhile, prison officials continue to ignore his requests.

According to a report by Kalame News, Anvar Khezri began his hunger strike forty days ago to protest against the conditions under which he has been locked up in Rajai-Shahr Prison, Ward 6, Hall 18.Since two years ago when he was arrested, Anvar Khezri has been in a state of limbo without any formal charges or a trial.Additionally, he hasn’t even been interrogated.

To protest against the uncertainty surrounding his case and also having been locked up amongst ordinary inmates in Rajai-Shahr Prison, Anvar Khezri continues his hunger strike.He refuses to eat any food and only drinks water and tea.

Anvar Khezri has two main demands.First, he has requested to be formally charged and tried after being in a legal limbo behind bars for two years.Second, he has demanded to be transferred to the ward housing political prisoners.

Two other Kurdish political prisoners, Kamran Shakhi and Ebrahim Seyedi, were also on hunger strike but ended it a few days ago.

Anvar Khezri, Kamran Shakhi, Ebrahim Seyedi, Ahmad Kamal Ramzan, Ramzan Saeedi and Hadi Amini are all political prisoners in Rajai-Shahr Prison who have been locked up amongst inmates convicted of violent crimes and also prisoners with dangerous communicable diseases.These six political prisoners have requested to be transferred to the ward housing other political prisoners.

 

Forty Death Sentences for Citizens Charged with Drug Trafficking

HRANA News Agency – The Chief Justice of Ardabil Province has announced that about forty citizens charged with drug trafficking have received the death penalty in this province.

According to a report by Mehr News Agency, on Saturday afternoon, July 2, 2011, while visiting with a group of citizens form Ardabil Province, Gholam Ali Rezai emphasized, “A number of verdicts issued by courts are currently going through the legal process, and the sentences will be carried out before long.”

Pointing out that the people of Ardabil Province will soon witness the execution of Iran’s national enemies of religion, morality, identity and beliefs, the Chief Justice of Ardabil Province added, “The Judiciary Branch will address the concerns of families regarding illegal drugs by hanging the dealers of death.”

 

Sentencing and Detention of Bahai Citizen

HRANA- Soosan Tebianian, a Bahai citizen from Semnan, was summoned by the revolutionary court in Semnan, where she was detained and transferred to Evin Prison.

Soosan Tebianian had been accused of spreading propaganda against the government and membership in a Bahai organization. She was sentenced to one and a half years in prison. She was detained and transferred to Tehran’s Evin Prison on June 30, 2010.

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