Category: News

Sereen Curtis Sentenced to Over 9 Years in Prison and Additional Penalties

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Freedom of Expression, News
Iranian-New Zealand citizen, Karaj Revolutionary Court, New Zealand, Sereen Badiei, Sereen Curtis

Sereen Curtis (Badiei), known as “Shahzadeh Sereen,” a dual Iranian-New Zealand citizen, has been sentenced by Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court to 9 years, 1 month, and 16 days in prison, according to Emtedad. He also received a two-year ban on leaving the country and engaging in social media activities.

His lawyer, Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani, stated that Mr. Curtis was sentenced to 66 months in prison for the charge of “provoking impurity and indecency,” 36 months for “insulting religious sanctities,” and 7 months and 16 days for “propaganda against the regime,” totaling 109 months and 16 days in prison. Additionally, he was sentenced to a two-year ban on leaving the country and engaging in social media activities as supplementary penalties.

Sharifzadeh Ardakani announced in late July that Mr. Curtis’s court session for the mentioned charges was held in Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court. He added that Sereen Curtis brought several assets, including jewelry and cash (dollars), to Iran, which have been confiscated. As a result, his client has faced financial difficulties while in prison, a situation they have reported to some of his acquaintances and the New Zealand Embassy.

Noting that the New Zealand Embassy is aware of his client’s case, Sharifzadeh Ardakani emphasized that his client was hospitalized for two weeks at Roozbeh Hospital in Tehran and is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. They requested that he be re-evaluated by a three-member forensic medical commission, given his bipolar disorder, which is considered a type of schizophrenia and occasionally causes sudden insanity.

Sharifzadeh Ardakani expressed hope that considering these points to prove his client’s mental instability, the issued sentence will be thoroughly reviewed by the judges in the Karaj Court of Appeal.

Sareen Curtis (Badiei), a 51-year-old dual Iranian-New Zealand citizen who also holds US residency, was arrested by security forces in Karaj on March 25 of this year. Shortly after his arrest, he was transferred to a solitary cell in Ward 12 of the Central Prison of Karaj and eventually moved to Ward 15 of the same prison in June.

Hekmat Amiri Sentenced to Imprisonment

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Freedom of Expression, News
Dehgolan, Hekmat Amiri, حکمت امیری

Hekmat Amiri, a resident of Dehgolan in Kurdistan province, was sentenced to forty-two months in prison by the Revolutionary Court of this county, as reported by Kurdpa.

Based on a ruling issued by Branch 1 of the Dehgolan Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Rostami Ahghar, and communicated to Mr. Amiri in late July, he was sentenced to forty-two months in prison on charges of propaganda against the regime”” and “collaboration with anti-regime groups and organizations.” Thirty-six months of the sentence have been suspended.

Hekmat Amiri is a resident of Dehgolan who is active in the fields of environmental protection and addiction treatment.

Prisoner Executed in Sabzevar Prison

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Executions, News
Akbar Gohari, Sabzevar

At dawn on Tuesday, August 6, a prisoner who had previously been sentenced to death on charges of murder was executed in Sabzevar Prison in Razavi Khorasan province, according to Iran Human Rights Organization.

The identity of this prisoner has been reported as “Akbar Gohari, approximately 40 years old and the father of one child.”

The report states that Mr. Gohari was arrested about three years ago on charges of murder and was sentenced to death by the judiciary.

As of the time of this report, the execution of this prisoner has not been announced by prison officials or relevant authorities.

According to the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran, in 2023, at least 767 citizens, including 21 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the executions of 7 individuals were carried out in public. Additionally, during this period, 172 others were sentenced to death, with 5 of them sentenced to public execution. It is worth noting that during the same period, the initial death sentences of 49 other individuals were also upheld by the Supreme Court.

Mehrdad Bakhtiari Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News
Manouchehr Bakhtiari, Mehrdad Bakhtiari, Pouya Bakhtiari, Rajai Shahr Prison

Mehrdad Bakhtiari, the paternal uncle of Pouya Bakhtiari, one of the victims of the November 2019 protests, was arrested by security forces and transferred to an unknown location on August 7, 2024.

His sister, Saba Bakhtiari, announced this news and stated that the agents beat Mehrdad Bakhtiari during his arrest. The reasons for his arrest and his whereabouts are currently unknown.

In March 2024, Mr. Bakhtiari was sentenced by the Karaj Revolutionary Court to five years in prison, a two-year travel ban, and two years of exile to Shahrekord.

It is noteworthy that in April 2023, a court session was held in Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court to address other charges against Mehrdad Bakhtiari. He was acquitted of the charges in that case.

On July 11, 2022, Mehrdad Bakhtiari was arrested by security forces and transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj after publishing a video about the arrest of Ms. Shirpisheh, Pouya Bakhtiari’s mother, and posting images of the broken lock on her house. He was released on bail on September 3 of the same year.

Previously, Manouchehr Bakhtiari, Pouya Bakhtiari’s father, announced that his 27-year-old son was shot and killed during the November 2019 protests in Mehrshahr district, Karaj. According to him, Pouya, along with his sister and mother, joined the protesters on the second day of the demonstrations against the increase in gasoline prices when he was shot in the skull and died before reaching the hospital.

Meysam Basir Tavana Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News
Fuman, HRANA, Mehran Basir Tavana, Meysam Basir Tavana

On Tuesday, August 6, Meysam Basir Tavana, the brother of Mehran Basir Tavana, who was killed during the nationwide protests in 2022, was arrested and transferred to an unknown location.

Based on reports received by HRANA, so far, the efforts of his family and relatives to find out his whereabouts and latest status have been unsuccessful.

In April of this year, Meysam Basir Tavana, along with two other family members, was arrested and released a few hours later.

In January of 2024, Basir Tavana was summoned to the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Fuman.

On November 19, 2022, 29-year-old Mehran Basir Tavana was killed by regime forces’ gunfire during a protest in Someh Sara, Gilan Province.

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Baha’i Citizen Matin Fahandej Saadi Arrested by Security Forces

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News, Religious Minorities
Kerman, Matin Fahandej Saadi

On August 5, 34 years old Matin Fahandej Saadi, a Baha’i citizen residing in Kerman, was arrested by IRGC intelligence of the city and transferred to an unknown location.

A source close to the family confirmed this news to HRANA and said: “Matin Fahandej Saadi was arrested at his father’s workplace by the IRGC intelligence forces of Kerman. The security forces then went to his business, a pet boarding house, searched the place, and confiscated some personal belongings and CCTV cameras.”

The source added: “Despite the family’s efforts to follow up on Matin’s status at the local police station, Kerman’s Judicial Branch No. 5, and the IRGC intelligence office in Kerman, they have not received any information regarding the reasons for his arrest or his whereabouts. Judge Hadi Khalooie is in charge of this Baha’i citizen’s case and has issued a 48-hour detention order. The Kerman prosecutor’s office informed the family that they need to wait until August 10 for the case to be registered and then follow up on Matin Fahandej Saadi’s status. Matin has only had one brief phone call with his family since his arrest.”

Baha’is are subjected to violations of their religious rights, comprising 82% of reports on infringements against religious minorities, according to HRA’s 2023 annual report.

The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.

Twenty-Two Prisoners Executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj

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Executions, News
Abdollah Shahnawazi, Esmaiel Sharafi, Ghezel Hesar prison, HRANA, Karaj, Mohammad Gholami, Shahab Maleki

Today, August 7, 2024, the execution of twenty-two prisoners, previously sentenced to death for non-political crimes including murder, drug-related offenses, and rape, was carried out in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj.

The identities of six of these prisoners, who were sentenced to death for drug-related offenses, have been confirmed by HRANA as Esmaiel Sharafi, Mohammad Gholami, Abdollah Shahnawazi, Shahab Maleki, Rasoul (last name unknown), and (first name unknown) Ghanbari.

Seven of these prisoners were previously sentenced to death for drug-related offenses, four prisoners for murder, three Afghan nationals for rape, seven Sunni prisoners and one other individual with unspecified charges.

In the past few days, these prisoners had been transferred to solitary confinement in Ghezel Hesar Prison in preparation for their execution. HRANA had reported the imminent danger of these 22 executions yesterday.

Further details on this matter are being investigated by HRANA.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially announced by prison authorities or responsible organizations.
According to the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran, in 2023, at least 767 citizens, including 21 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the executions of 7 individuals were carried out in public. Additionally, during this period, 172 others were sentenced to death, with 5 of them sentenced to public execution. It is worth noting that during the same period, the initial death sentences of 49 other individuals were also upheld by the Supreme Court.

Report on Violent Arrest of Teenage Girls in Tehran Over Mandatory Hijab

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Children, News, Women
Hijab, mandatory hijab, Morality Police, Noor plan, Tehran

On June 21, on a street in Tehran, two teenage girls were violently assaulted and arrested by agents enforcing a plan to impose hijab known as the “Noor Plan,” as reported by Ensaf News.

These girls were then transferred to the Morality Police in a white van. According to the mother of one of the girls, when she visited the Morality Police, she saw her daughter with a bruised face, swollen lips, a bruised neck, and torn clothes. Additionally, they were threatened not to file complaints against the officers.

This incident resulted in injuries to at least one of the girls, Nafas Haji-Sharif, 14 years old. Maryam Abbasi, Nafas Haji-Sharif’s mother, disclosed that on July 1, her daughter was beaten by agents. She provided documents, including a video of the confrontation recorded by CCTV cameras, to Ensaf News. The video released from the time of the girls’ arrest shows that the girls were trying to hide on another street but were attacked by the agents. In the video, one of the girls is seen being severely beaten by the officers. As she resisted arrest, the officers grabbed her hair, dragged her violently on the ground, and forced her into a white van.

Maryam Abbasi said, “The hijab enforcers violently forced my daughter and her friend into the van, and her head was slammed into an electric post. Inside the van, they put their foot on my daughter’s neck and pulled her hair.” She also provided pictures of the injuries on her daughter’s body.

Abbasi mentioned that when she went to the Morality Police, she found her daughter with a bruised face, swollen lips, and a bruised neck. She also claimed that the officers involved in the incident treated her dismissively and ignored her complaint. She stated that the on-duty judge allowed her access to the CCTV footage, but subsequent follow-ups have been unsuccessful. She continues to call on various police and judicial authorities to investigate and address her complaint.

Meanwhile, the Morality Police claim that a female officer’s fingers were broken in the altercation and that the case’s judge threatened them not to file a complaint against the officers. Abbasi said, “In the presence of a lawyer, they told me not to complain against the officers; otherwise, the Intelligence and Security forces would get involved, making it costly for you and out of our control.”

In April this year, Iranian police initiated the “Noor Plan” to crack down on women who do not comply with hijab regulations. Since then, there have been numerous reports of violent confrontations and arrests of women over the hijab.

Three Prisoners Executed in Adelabad Prison for Drug Offenses

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Executions, News
Adelabad Prison, Bandar-Abbas, Javad Amiri, Naghai Ghorbani, Reza Rostami, Shiraz

On Saturday, August 3, 2024, the execution of three prisoners, previously sentenced to death on separate drug-related charges, was carried out in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz.

The identities of these prisoners have been reported as Javad Amiri, 35, Naghai Ghorbani, approximately 40, both from Bandar Abbas, and Reza (Hamid) Rostami, 32, from Shiraz.

According to a source, Javad Amiri and Naghai Ghorbani were arrested about three years ago in Shiraz on a joint case involving drug trafficking and were sentenced to death. Reza Rostami was also arrested about four years ago on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to death.

According to this report, these prisoners were transferred from Pirbano Prison, Shiraz, to Adelabad Prison in the same city a few days before their execution.

As of the time of this report, the execution of these prisoners has not been announced by prison officials or responsible authorities.

The reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists for the year 2023 reveal a concerning prevalence of executions for drug offenses in Iran, constituting 56.4% of the total executions. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

Three Prisoners Executed in Bandar Abbas Prison

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Executions, News
Aminollah Narui, Azad Abdollahi, Bandar Abbas prison, Hamzeh Garavand

Today, August 6, the execution of three prisoners, previously sentenced to death on separate charges of murder and drug-related crimes, was carried out in Bandar Abbas Prison, as reported by Haal Vsh.

The identities of these prisoners are reported as: Aminollah Narui (Narooie), 42 years old, from Iranshahr; Hamzeh Garavand, approximately 28 years old, residing in Kuhdasht, Lorestan Province; and Azad Abdollahi, approximately 45 years old, from Bandar Abbas.

According to the report, Mr. Naroui was arrested in 2021, and Mr. Garavand in 2022, on drug-related charges in Bandar Abbas and were sentenced to death by the judiciary. Additionally, Mr. Abdollahi, along with another prisoner identified as Roozbeh (last name unknown), was arrested approximately 19 years ago on a joint murder charge and sentenced to death by the judiciary.

No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these executions at the time of writing. In 2023, 66% of HRANA’s reports on executions lacked official announcements by judicial authorities and went unreported by media inside Iran, highlighting a troubling lack of transparency in due process.

According to the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran, in 2023, at least 767 citizens, including 21 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the executions of 7 individuals were carried out in public. Additionally, during this period, 172 others were sentenced to death, with 5 of them sentenced to public execution. It is worth noting that during the same period, the initial death sentences of 49 other individuals were also upheld by the Supreme Court.