Category: News

Tabriz: Maryam Bayramian Sentenced to Two Years in Prison

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News, Prisoners
Ebrahim Raisi, Maryam Bayramian, Tabriz, Tabriz Prison, مریم بایرامیان

Maryam Bayramian, a prisoner held in Tabriz Prison, has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Tabriz.

According to a verdict recently issued by the Revolutionary Court of Tabriz and delivered to this imprisoned citizen, Ms. Bayramian has been sentenced to two years in prison on charges of “insulting officials and acting against national security.” Bayramian was arrested by security forces on June 8, 2023, during a speech by the late President Ebrahim Raisi in Tabriz and transferred to the Prison of this city.

Maryam Bayramian, a 45-year-old resident of Tabriz, is a mother of two.

Three Workers’ Rights Activists Sentenced to a Total of Six Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Mohammad Iran-Nejad, Morteza Seydi, Nasrollah Amirloo

Mohammad Iran-Nejad, Nasrollah Amirloo, and Morteza Seydi, labor activists, were each sentenced to two years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Shahriar.

According to a verdict recently issued by branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Shahriar and delivered to these workers’ rights advocates on June 22, they were each sentenced to two years in prison for “forming a group under the title of a labor union with the intent to disrupt national security.” The court session to address these charges was held on May 26th of the previous year in the aforementioned branch.

Iran-Nejad, Amirloo, and Seydi, along with several other labor activists, were arrested by security forces on April 15, 2022. Amirloo and Seydi were released on bail on May 2 and May 9 of the same year, respectively, and Iran-Nejad was released after about a month.

Mohammad Iran-Nejad was sent to Evin Prison on June 26, 2022, to serve his sentence of two years and nine months for another case. Following the fire incident in Evil Prison on October 15, 2022, he and several other prisoners were transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison. He was released from this prison in February-March 2024.

Supreme Court Overturns Death Sentence Against Protest Rapper Toomaj Salehi

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Executions, News
Amir Raisian, Isfahan, Toomaj Salehi

Amir Raisian, the lawyer for protest rapper Toomaj Salehi, announced that Branch 39 of the Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence against his client. The case will now be referred to another court branch for further review.

“In a precise verdict, the Supreme Court not only overturned the death sentence but also affirmed that even the previous sentence of six years and three months stands at odds with Article 131 and the rules of multiplicity of charges,” Raisian clarified.

In mid-May, Raisian announced the registration of his appeal to the Supreme Court, stating, “One day after this announcement about the initial verdict against my client, prison officials banned Salehi from making phone calls and even imposed restrictions on in-person visits.”

In April, the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan sentenced Salehi to death for “spreading corruption on earth.” At the time, Raisian commented on the ruling, stating, “Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court issued an unprecedented verdict by disregarding the Supreme Court’s resolution from 2022, labeling it as an ‘advisory verdict,’ and upheld the initial death sentence for ‘spreading corruption on earth.’”

Salehi’s legal saga began in late October 2022 when he was initially detained by security forces during nationwide protests. Subsequently, the Isfahan Revolutionary Court sentenced him to six years and three months in prison, among other penalties. However, he secured release on bail after the Supreme Court overturned the verdict.

Nevertheless, Salehi’s freedom was short-lived as he was re-arrested in Babol on November 30, just twelve days after being bailed out from Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. The Judiciary spokesperson cited Salehi’s post-release statement as grounds for this subsequent arrest.

It’s worth noting that Salehi has a prior conviction from January 12, 2022, where he received a six-month prison term and a fine, with the imprisonment suspended for one year.

Journalist Hadi Kasaie Zadeh Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Hadi Kasaie-Zadeh, Tehran, هادی کسایی زاده

Hadi Kasaie Zadeh, a journalist, has been arrested by security forces and transferred to an unknown location, as reported by Didban Iran.

The report does not specify the security institution responsible for Kasaie Zadeh’s arrest, the place of detention, or the charges against this journalist.

In May of this year, Kasaie Zadeh was charged with “publishing details about the death of Nika Shakarami.” at the Evin Prosecutor’s Office in Tehran.

Additionally, in another case, this journalist was sentenced to three months in prison by Branch 2 of the Tehran Criminal Court for the charge of “disseminating false information.” The sentence has been suspended for two years. According to information received by HRANA, this conviction was related to the publication of material concerning the judicial case of Reza Saghafi, the former head of the Gilan Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

Hadi Kasaie Zadeh Mahabadi has a history of judicial confrontations due to his activities as a journalist.

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) documented 2,380 cases in which citizens, including journalists and civil rights activists, faced legal and security consequences for exercising their freedom of expression and thought. These incidents resulted in the arrest of 3,130 individuals.

Journalist Vahid Ashtari Starts Serving 14-Month Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News
Babol, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Vahid Ashtari, وحید اشتری

On Thursday, June 20, Vahid Ashtari, a journalist, was arrested and transferred to prison to serve his fourteen-month sentence, according to Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency.

Vahid Ashtari was initially sentenced to 24 months in prison, which was later reduced to 14 months by the Court of Appeals. This case was referred to another branch in the Court of Appeals of Tehran Province in November-December 2023 following the Supreme Court’s order for retrial. However, the judges of that branch rejected the retrial and confirmed the verdict issued by the Tehran Court of Appeals.

Mizan reported that this conviction is related to a case initiated after Mr. Ashtari reported the assault against him by a soldier in Babol, Mazandaran province.

This journalist has faced several other charges and convictions due to his activities as a journalist. He is also known for exposing the trip of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s family, the current Speaker of the Parliament of Iran, to Turkey, leading to a scandal known as the “baby layette Gate” for Ghalibaf.

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Isfahan: Sentencing of Two Bahai Citizens from Imprisonment to Confiscation of Property

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News, Religious Minorities
Arshia Rouhani, Bahais, Hamid Monzavi, Isfahan, ارشیا روحانی, حمید منزوی

Arshia Rouhani and Hamid Monzavi Joshaghani, Bahai citizens residing in Isfahan, were sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of this city to five years in prison each, fines, confiscation of property, and additional punishments.

Based on the verdict issued by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, presided over by Mohammadreza Tavakoli, each of these Bahá’í citizens was sentenced to five years of imprisonment, a fifty million toman fine, and a two-year ban on social media activity and leaving the country. Additionally, several copy machines, laptops, mobile phones, external storage devices, and scanners previously seized from these citizens’ places of business were confiscated.

The charges against these citizens were “propaganda against the regime” and “membership in groups or associations formed within the country to undermine national security.”

In September of 2023, two business units belonging to these Bahá’í citizens in Isfahan were sealed by the Intelligence Ministry officers for one month. Simultaneously with the sealing of their business premises, several personal and work items of these citizens were seized by security forces. They were subsequently summoned and arrested on October 30, 2023, to the Isfahan Prosecutor’s Office and released after one day on a bail of three hundred million tomans (approximately 6,000 dollars).

Arshia Rouhani has previously faced judicial action due to his beliefs.

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.

29 Arrested in Shirvan County for Alleged Satanism

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Freedom of Expression, News
North Khorasan province, satanism, Shirvan

The chief police of  North Khorasan province announced the arrest of twenty-nine citizens in Shirvan County, in accusation of “Satanism” and possession of alcoholic beverages and drugs, as reported by IRNA.

The Police official accused these individuals of Satan worship and said their arrest occurred while they were gathered in a villa.

Saeed Motahhari-Zadeh further claimed: “A quantity of alcoholic beverages, Satanic paraphernalia, and various hallucinogenic substances were discovered at the location of these individuals.” Without referring to the identities of these individuals, he stated that most of these citizens were non-locals.

The report does not mention the location where these individuals are being held.

This incident adds to ongoing criticisms of Iran’s regime for its intrusive practices into the private lives of its citizens and violations of privacy rights.

Evin Prison Fire Case: Four Defendants Sentenced to Prison and Flogging

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Luqman Aminpour, Majid Roshannejad, Meysam Dehbanzadeh, Reza Salmanzadeh

Luqman (Lughman) Aminpour, Meysam Dehbanzadeh, Majid Roshannejad, and Reza Salmanzadeh, four defendants in the so-called Evin Prison Fire case, were sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison and 518 lashes by Branch 1148 of the Tehran Criminal Court.

Based on the verdict issued by Judge Jabbar Javadi Rami of Branch 1148 of the Tehran Criminal Court, and communicated to these prisoners on Wednesday, June 19th, Aminpour, Dehbanzadeh, and Roshannejad were each sentenced to six years in prison and 74 lashes for the charge of “property destruction”, sixteen months in prison and 74 lashes for “disrupting prison order”, and sixteen months for “disobeying and resisting orders from officials.” Additionally, Reza Salmanzadeh was sentenced to five years in prison and 74 lashes for “property destruction”, one year for “disrupting prison order”, and one year in prison for “disobeying and resisting orders from officials”.

The court session that was held yesterday addressed the charges against 40 prisoners. Further details regarding the sentences of other defendants in this case are still under investigation by HRANA.

Following the fire on the night of Saturday, October 15, 2022, at Evin Prison, a case was opened against these prisoners based on a complaint from the Prisons Organization.

Previously, a source close to one of the prisoners’ families told HRANA, “During the court session, the judge prevented the defendants’ lawyers from being present. Ramin Safarnia, the defense lawyer for these four defendants was expelled from the court by the judge. Despite the defendant’s objection, the judge insisted on expelling the defendants’ lawyer from the court session and only accepted written defenses from the defendants.”

On the night of October 15, 2022, after tensions rose in Evin Prison, fire was seen above the prison, and sounds of gunfire and explosions were heard. Despite officials claiming to have controlled the fire and clashes, gunfire continued for several hours. As a result, several prisoners were injured and killed, and some were transferred out of the prison.

Four Protestors Remain in Detention Amid Legal Uncertainty

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News, Prisoners
Alireza Barmarz Pournak, Alireza Kafaie, Amir-Mohammad Khosh Eghbal, Ekbatan, Hossein Nemati, Mehdi Imani, Milad Armoon, moharebeh, Navid Najaran, Seyed Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini

Milad Armoon, Seyed Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Najaran, four defendants in the so-called “Ekbatan Township” case, remain in indefinite detention for over a year.

These individuals were transferred from Ward 2-A of Evin Prison, which is under the control of IRGC Intelligence, to Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj in mid-June of this year, after completing the interrogation process. Their case is still in Branch 4 of the Criminal Court Prosecutor’s Office of District 27 in Tehran and has not yet been referred to Branch 13 of the Tehran Criminal Court. According to the defense attorney for one of the defendants, their transfer to the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center was for completing court-requested investigations.

In early November 2022, amid nationwide protests, at least 50 young residents of Ekbatan Township were arrested by security forces for their alleged involvement in an incident that resulted in the death of a Basij member named Arman Aliverdi.

Indictments were issued for 14 of them. In April 2023, the Judiciary spokesman announced charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through the use of cold weapons and actions against national security” for three defendants. According to the issued indictment, these citizens are accused of charges including “assisting in intentional murder,” and “disruption of public order and peace.”

In late September 2023, after four court hearings, the court did not refer their case for further investigations and Branch 13 of the Tehran Criminal Court intervened to expedite the process and determine the status of the defendants. Another part of their case has been referred to Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati.

Of the eight defendants, Hossein Nemati, Alireza Barmarz Pournak, Alireza Kafaie, and Amir-Mohammad Khosh-Eghbal were released on bail from Qezel Hesar Prison in February of last year.

Previously, defense attorney Payam Derafshan confirmed that four individuals face the charge of ‘Moharebeh.’

In April of this year, the case was returned to the Prosecutor’s Office for what was described as addressing a “confidential deficiency.”

Below are the details and arrest dates of the defendants in the so-called “Ekbatan Township” case who remain in detention and uncertainty:

  • Milad Armoon – aged 25 – Arrest Date: November 2, 2022
  • Seyed Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini – aged 25 – Arrest Date: December 6, 2022
  • Mehdi Imani – aged 29 – Arrest Date: December 15, 2022
  • Navid Najaran – aged 32 – Arrest Date: Unknown

Student Ehsan Faridi Arrested and Jailed in Tabriz Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News, Other
Ehsan Faridi, Tabriz

Ehsan Faridi, a student at Tabriz University, was arrested and transferred to Tabriz prison on Tuesday, June 18th, after being summoned to the General and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in this city.

Based on reports received by HRANA, after appearing at this judicial institution, Faridi was arrested and transferred to the city’s prison. As of now, the charges against him remain unknown.

Ehsan Faridi is a 21-year-old student of Manufacturing Engineering at Tabriz Technical College. He was previously arrested on March 9th, 2023, and transferred to Tabriz prison. He was eventually released on bail on March 19th of the same year.