Category: News

An Instagram Blogger Arrested in Qazvin and His Account Blocked

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Freedom of Expression, News
Maryam Ghalibaf, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Vahid Nemati

On June 28, 2024, Vahid Nemati, an Instagram blogger, was summoned and arrested by security forces in Qazvin for allegedly “publishing criminal content.”

Nemati, known for creating humorous videos in response to current events, was detained by a security agency in Qazvin. The content on his Instagram and Facebook pages, which had about 90,000 followers, was deleted, and an image stating “By order of the honorable judicial authority, this page has been blocked due to the publication of criminal content” was posted.

Recently, Nemati released a video in which he criticized the remarks of Maryam Ghalibaf, daughter of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and a candidate in the 2024 presidential election in Iran, using humorous rap music. This video went viral, being viewed and shared millions of times on social media.

As of the time of this report, no information is available about Nemati’s whereabouts or the charges against him.

Women’s Rights Advocate Atefeh Rangriz Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Atefeh Rangriz, Damghan, HRANA, Semnan, Shahroud

Atefeh Rangriz, a women’s rights activist, was arrested on Saturday, June 29th, after a court session addressing her charges and was transferred to Shahrud Prison.

A source close to the family of this women’s rights activist confirmed the news to HRANA, saying: “Ms. Rangriz was arrested after a court session addressing her charges in Branch 1 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Damghan and was transferred to Shahrud Prison.” She had recently been summoned to the mentioned branch to defend herself against charges of “forming a group aiming to disrupt national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “disseminating falsehoods on the Internet to disturb public opinion.”

Rangriz’s initial arrest dates back to September 10, 2023, when she was arrested by security forces in Damghan and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Semnan. After completing the interrogation process, she was moved to Shahrud Prison. She was finally released on bail from Shahrud Prison on October 21, 2023.

Rangriz has previously been arrested and sentenced due to her activities.

Farhad Sheikhi Sentenced to Imprisonment and Additional Penalties

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News
Alborz, Divandarreh, Farhad Sheikhi, Hashtgerd, Karaj, Karaj Central Prison, Musa Asif al-Hosseini, فرهاد شیخی

Farhad Sheikhi, a workers’ rights advocate, has been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Karaj to one year in prison, a two-year travel ban, two years of mandatory residence in Divandarreh, and a two-year ban on living in Alborz and Tehran provinces.

Based on a verdict recently issued by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj, presided over by Judge Seyed Musa Asif al-Hosseini and communicated to Mr. Sheikhi, he has been sentenced to one year in prison, two years of exile to Divandarreh in Kurdistan province, and a two-year travel ban for the charge of “propaganda against the regime.” Additionally, after the period of exile, he is prohibited from living in Alborz and Tehran provinces for two years. His court session regarding this charge was held on June 19th of this year.

Farhad Sheikhi was arrested by security forces at his home in Hashtgerd on May 28th of 2023 and was subsequently transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.

Mr. Sheikhi was eventually released on June 13th of the same year from Karaj Central Prison on a bail of 100 million Tomans after being formally charged at the Hashtgerd Prosecutor’s Office.

This workers’ rights advocate has previously been arrested and sentenced due to his activities. He was released from prison on February 7, 2023, as per a pardon directive.

A Prisoner Executed in Qaen Prison

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Executions, News
Naser Rahimi, Qaen, South Khorasan province

On Wednesday, June 26, a death-row inmate convicted of charges related to drug offenses was executed in Qaen Prison, South Khorasan province, as reported by Haal Vsh.

The identity of the prisoner has been reported as “Naser Rahimi (Rakhshani), 32 years old, from Zahedan and residing in Mashhad, married and father of one child.”

The report states: “In 2021, Naser was arrested in the city of Qaen on charges related to drug offenses and was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of this city. He was transferred to the quarantine section of the prison one day before the execution of the sentence. The execution of this prisoner was carried out without informing his family and relatives.”

No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of this execution at the time of writing.

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.

 

Iranian-Swedish Dual National Ahmad-Reza Jalali on Fourth Day of Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Ahmad Reza Jalali, Evin Prison, Hamid Nouri, Johan Floderus, moharebeh, Tehran, Zabihollah Khodaeian

Ahmad-Reza Jalali, a dual-national death-row political prisoner currently held in Evin Prison, began a hunger strike on June 25th in protest of not being included in the recent prisoner exchange between Iran and Sweden.

Vida Mehrannia, Mr. Jalali’s wife, announced on her personal page: “My husband, who faces imminent execution by the Islamic Republic, started a hunger strike on Tuesday, June 25th, in protest of not being included in the recent prisoner exchange between Iran and Sweden.”

Mrs. Mehrannia added: “He has endured nearly 3,000 days in the notorious Evin Prison. The UN and many human rights organizations have declared my husband innocent, confirming that he was arbitrarily detained and used as a pawn in Iran’s cruel hostage diplomacy. They have called for his unconditional release.”

Recently, the Swedish Prime Minister announced the exchange of Hamid Nouri with Saeed Azizi and Johan Floderus, a Swedish diplomat.

Mr. Jalali was arrested by security forces in May 2016 and sentenced to death on charges of espionage. This sentence was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in December 2017.

On May 10, 2022, former Judiciary spokesperson Zabihollah Khodaeian stated in a press conference that Ahmadreza Jalali’s death sentence was final. He also claimed that there was no connection between the cases of Ahmadreza Jalali and Hamid Nouri, asserting, “The exchange of these two individuals is not under discussion.” However, Amnesty International issued a statement indicating that Iranian authorities aimed to exchange Jalali by threatening his execution.
Professor Jalali, invited to Iran by the University of Tehran in May 2016, was arrested on charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through espionage for Israel.” The Tehran Prosecutor accused him of “transferring information about confidential projects in research, military, defense, and nuclear fields in exchange for citizenship for him and his family from Sweden.”

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Astara: Several Citizens Arrested for their Reaction to the Death of Ebrahim Raisi

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Freedom of Expression, News
Astara, Ebrahim Raisi, Gilan province

The governor of Astara, Gilan Province, announced the arrest of several citizens in the city following their reaction to the death of Ebrahim Raisi, according to Mehr news agency.

The governor claimed, “A video clip was published on social media showing people in the border town of Bandar Astara celebrating the helicopter crash of Ebrahim Raisi, which hurt the feelings of the Islamic nation, families of martyrs, and people loyal to the Islamic government in this city.”

Mohammad Reza Shahabzadeh claimed that “these individuals also committed other offenses, such as burning banners of the late President, recording footage, and sharing it on dissident networks with whom they had financial transactions and interactions.”

The report does not disclose the identity, number, or whereabouts of the detained citizens.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of Sunday, May 19th, when a helicopter transporting President Raisi, along with several officials including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, crashed in the Dizmar forest between Varzaqan and Jolfa. Official media confirmed the deaths of Raisi and his companions the following morning after the crash site and wreckage were located. Numerous citizens have since been arrested or subjected to legal proceedings for expressing their opinions on the incident, which the authorities have deemed inappropriate.

Arsalan Rigi Arrested by Security Forces in Khash

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News, Other
Arsalan Rigi, Khash, ارسلان ریگی, خاش

Arsalan Rigi, a resident of Khash in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, was arrested by security forces and taken to an unknown location on June 27, as reported by Haal Vsh.

Rigi, 31 years old, a native and resident of Khash, was arrested on a street in Khash by the Ministry of Intelligence’s forces.

So far, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for his arrest or his place of detention.

According to data collected by the Department of Statistics and Publication of HRA in 2023, Sistan and Baluchestan Province accounted for 5.63% of reported human rights violations, including instances of arbitrary detentions.

Report on the Latest Status of Yavar Fathollahi in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, HRANA, Yavar Fathollahi

Yavar Fathollahi, a political prisoner and one of those arrested during the nationwide protests of 2022 (also known as the Mahsa Amini protests), is serving his sentence in Evin Prison. Mr. Fathollahi was initially sentenced to seventeen years in prison by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, but his sentence was reduced to 80 months following an appeal.

Based on information received by HRANA, this political prisoner was sentenced on January 23, 2024, by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mohammad-Reza Amuzad, to a total of seventeen years in prison. This included eight years for the charge of “destroying public property,” five years for “assembly and collusion with the intent to disrupt national security,” one year for  “disobeying the orders of officers,” and three years for “acting against national security.” Finally, in March of last year, Mr. Fathollahi’s sentence was reduced to 80 months, equivalent to six years and eight months, following an appeal.

A source close to the family of this political prisoner confirmed this news to HRANA and said: “The court session to address Yavar’s charges was held in December of last year. Ultimately, in early April of this year, the mentioned sentence was communicated to the Evin Prosecutor’s Office’s enforcement unit.”

Fathollahi, born on March 25, 1994, and a resident of Tehran, was arrested by IRGC intelligence forces on September 21, 2022, during the nationwide protests. On September 25 of the same year, he was transferred from the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center (Ward 2-A) to the Greater Tehran Prison. Finally, in late March 2023, he was transferred to Evin Prison.

Political Detainee Ramin Haeri Remains in Detention for Over 120 Days of Uncertainty

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News, Prisoners
HRANA, Javad Haeri, Mashhad, Ramin Haeri

Javad (Ramin) Haeri, a political detainee, has remained in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad for nearly four months since his arrest by security forces. He has been co-housed with prisoners of violent crime, which violates prison rules dictating the separation of prisoners based on the nature of their offenses.

According to HRANA, Mr. Haeri continues to be held in uncertainty alongside violent offenders in Ward Five of Vakilabad Prison, despite 121 days having passed since his arrest. Haeri has been charged in Branch 906 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Mashhad with multiple accusations, including “insulting the Supreme Leader,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “disturbing public opinion.” However, no court session has been held for him so far.

Haeri was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents at his home in Mashhad on February 27, 2024, and was taken to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in the city.

He was eventually transferred to Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, on March 28, 2024.

Previously, a source close to the family of this political detainee told HRANA: “Despite providing the bail, the officials at the Prosecutor’s Office of Mashhad are refusing his release.”

Report on the Latest Status of Writer Mehrzad Mousavi in Adelabad Prison

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News, Prisoners
HRANA, IRGC Intelligence, Kerman, Mehrzad Mousavi, Shiraz, Shiraz Revolutionary Court, مهرزاد موسوی

Mehrzad Mousavi, a writer and historian, is serving his sentence in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz. He was previously sentenced by the Shiraz Revolutionary Court to eleven years in prison and two years of exile in Kerman.

Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Mousavi was previously sentenced by Branch 1 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court to five years in prison for the charge of “membership in anti-regime groups,” five years in prison for the charge of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security,” one year in prison for the charge of “propaganda against the regime,” and two years of exile to Bardsir, Kerman.

This writer and historian was arrested by IRGC intelligence agents at his home in Shiraz in early November 2023 and transferred to Adelabad Prison in this city.

Mousavi has made contributions to the realm of literature and historical research, with notable works to his name such as “An Inquiry into Achaemenid Art Antecedents” and “Iran in Two Invasions.”