Category: News

Political Prisoner Mehran Raouf Released from Evin Prison Under Electronic Ankle Monitoring

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, irgc, Mehran Raouf, مهران رئوف

HRANA – Mehran Raouf, a political prisoner, has been released from Evin Prison under electronic ankle monitor supervision.

According to HRANA News Agency, Mehran Raouf has been released. Based on information received by HRANA, Mehran Raouf was released yesterday from Evin Prison under electronic ankle monitor supervision.

Raouf was arrested in October 2020 by the intelligence unit of the IRGC Intelligence and transferred to the IRGC’s security detention ward, known as Ward 2-A of Evin Prison.

In April 2023, he wrote a letter from prison protesting the rights that had been denied to him due to his status as a dual national and a political prisoner.

In August 2021, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced him to 10 years and 8 months of discretionary imprisonment on charges of participating in the administration of an illegal group and propaganda against the regime. The sentence was ultimately reduced to 7 years and 6 months of imprisonment.

Prisoner Executed in Kashan Prison

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Executions, News
Esmail Ghadiri, HRANA, Kashan prison

HRANA – At dawn on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted of murder was carried out in Kashan Prison.

According to HRANA, citing the Iran Human Rights Organization, a prisoner was executed in Kashan Prison. The prisoner has been identified as Esmail Ghadiri, a 32-year-old native of Kashan.

According to the report, Ghadiri was arrested three years ago on murder charges following a physical altercation and was subsequently sentenced to death by a criminal court.

At the time of writing, the execution has not been officially announced by prison authorities or the relevant government institutions.

According to HRA’s Annual Report, in 2025 at least 2,063 citizens, including 61 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the sentences of 11 individuals were carried out in public. During the same period, 172 other individuals were sentenced to death.

Report on the Arrest of Hossein Alizadeh in Eslamshahr

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Freedom of Expression, News
Eslamshahr, Hossein Alizadeh, HRANA

HRANA – Hossein Alizadeh, a resident of Eslamshahr, was arrested by security forces in the city on Saturday, July 4, 2026, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

According to HRANA, Hossein Alizadeh, a resident of Eslamshahr, has been in detention for six days.

Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Alizadeh was arrested by security forces in front of his home in Eslamshahr on Saturday, July 4, 2026, and transferred to an undisclosed location. Since his arrest, he has made only one phone call to his family, during which he did not disclose his place of detention.

At the time of writing, the reasons for his arrest and any charges brought against him remain unknown.

Hossein Alizadeh, a surveying engineer residing in Eslamshahr, has previously faced arrest and judicial proceedings in 2022 and 2025 on charges including spreading false information, assembly and collusion, and propaganda against the state.

January 2026 Protests: Five Detainees Held in Urmia Prison Sentenced

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Freedom of Expression, News
Behzad Samadzadeh, Farshad Souri, Gholamreza Abdollahzadeh, HRANA, Karim Masoudi, Sardar Pourmirzaei, Urmia

HRANA – Karim Masoudi, Behzad Samadzadeh, Sardar Pourmirzaei, Gholamreza Abdollahzadeh, and Farshad Souri, all detained during the nationwide protests in January 2026 and currently held in Urmia Central Prison, have been sentenced to prison by the Revolutionary Court of Urmia.

According to HRANA, citing Kolbar News, five citizens, arrested during the nationwide protests in January 2026, have been sentenced to imprisonment.

According to the ruling issued by Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, Karim Masoudi and Sardar Pourmirzaei were each sentenced to two years of discretionary imprisonment on the charge of “acting against national security.” Of these sentences, 18 months of Masoudi’s sentence and 17 months of Pourmirzaei’s sentence were suspended. Gholamreza Abdollahzadeh was also sentenced by the same branch to one year of discretionary imprisonment, which was reduced to nine months after he accepted the court’s ruling.

Separately, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, presided over by Judge Doosti, sentenced Behzad Samadzadeh to two years of discretionary imprisonment on the charge of “acting against national security,” with 18 months of the sentence suspended. Farshad Souri was also sentenced by the same branch to one year in prison, which was later reduced to nine months after he accepted the verdict.

The five citizens were arrested by security forces in Urmia on January 8, 2026, during the nationwide protests. After completing the interrogation process, they were transferred to Urmia Central Prison, where they remain in custody.

It should be noted that protests and strikes by shopkeepers and bazaar merchants began in Tehran on Sunday, December 28, 2025, and within two days spread beyond markets and commercial centers. With the participation of students, citizens, and various social groups, these protests became one of the largest protest movements of recent years. Following the crackdown by security and law enforcement forces, thousands were killed or injured, and tens of thousands were arrested or summoned by security agencies. For more information, readers may refer to HRANA’s comprehensive report titled “Crimson Winter,” documenting the first fifty days following the outbreak of Iran’s nationwide protests.

IRGC Intelligence Arrests Two Citizens in Sardasht

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News, Other
HRANA, IRGC Intelligence, Mullah Abu Bakr Yousefi, Sardasht, Younes Mousapour

HRANA – Mullah Abu Bakr Yousefi and Younes Musapour, two residents of the city of Nalas in Sardasht County, have been held for four days after being arrested by agents of the IRGC Intelligence Organization. They are currently being detained at one of the organization’s security detention facilities in Urmia.

According to HRANA, citing Kurdpa, Mullah Abu Bakr Yousefi and Younes Mousapour remain in custody.

According to the report, on the evening of July 5, 2026, agents of the IRGC Intelligence Organization violently arrested the two men in the city of Nalas, part of Rabat District in Sardasht County, and transferred them to one of the IRGC Intelligence Organization’s security detention facilities in Urmia.

Since their arrest, the two detainees have been denied access to legal counsel, family visits, and telephone contact.

As of the time of this report, the reasons for their arrest and the charges brought against them remain unknown.

Mullah Abu Bakr Yousefi, also known as Mullah Abu Bakr Halweh, and Younes Mousapour are both residents of Nalas, a town in the Rabat District of Sardasht County.

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Fatemeh Sepehri Denied Adequate Medical Care in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad

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News, Prisoners
Asghar Sepehri, Fatemeh Sepehri, HRANA, Mashhad, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, Vakilabad prison, فاطمه سپهری

HRANA – Fatemeh Sepehri, a political prisoner held in Vakilabad Prison, has been denied adequate medical care and transfer to medical facilities outside the prison despite suffering from a heart condition and deteriorating health.

According to HRANA, Fatemeh Sepehri continues to be deprived of proper medical treatment.

According to his brother, Asghar Sepehri, despite a prison doctor’s recommendation in March 2026 that Fatemeh Sepehri be examined by a cardiologist, prison authorities failed to arrange the transfer. She was only taken to a heart specialist after her condition significantly worsened on April 22, 2026. He added that the specialist had scheduled a follow-up appointment for May 23, 2026, but that visit has yet to take place. In addition, most of her essential medications have run out, and continuing her treatment depends on another specialist examination and the renewal of her prescriptions.

In March 2025, in a joint case with her brother, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, Branch 5 of the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad sentenced each of them to three years and nine months in prison. The case stemmed from a letter the two political prisoners published from Vakilabad Prison on December 26, 2024.

Previously, in June 2024, Fatemeh Sepehri was sentenced to 18 years and six months in prison in another joint case alongside her brothers, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri and Hossein Sepehri.

Earlier, in January 2023, the Criminal Court of Mashhad sentenced Fatemeh Sepehri to one year of discretionary imprisonment and a fine of 200 million rials on charges of spreading false information and disturbing public opinion.

In a separate case, Fatemeh Sepehri was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of cooperation with hostile states. She also received five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” two years for “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and one year for propaganda against the state. These sentences were upheld on appeal. Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, 10 years of the combined sentence are enforceable.

Fatemeh Sepehri is also one of the signatories of the letter calling for the resignation of Ali Khamenei. In connection with that letter, Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad initially sentenced her to five years of discretionary imprisonment. The sentence was later reduced on appeal to three years and six months. She was subsequently released in early 2020 under a five-year suspended sentence.

Baha’i Photojournalist Artin Ghazanfari Remains in Legal Limbo at Greater Tehran Penitentiary

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News, Religious Minorities
Artin Ghazanfari, HRANA, آرتین غضنفری

HRANA – More than five months after his arrest, Artin Ghazanfari, a Baha’i citizen and photojournalist, remains detained without legal resolution at Greater Tehran Penitentiary.

A source close to the family, who confirmed the information to HRANA, said: “Artin Ghazanfari has now been held at Greater Tehran Penitentiary for 170 days without legal resolution. His judicial case remains in limbo, and no court hearing has been held for him to date.”

A previously informed source had told HRANA that Mr. Ghazanfari suffers from several medical conditions, including heart failure, asthma, and high blood pressure, and requires daily medication. Despite repeated efforts by his family to secure his temporary release through judicial authorities, the relevant officials have refused to grant him provisional release.

Mr. Ghazanfari was arrested on January 19, 2026, at his home in Tehran. At the same time, security agents searched both his residence and workplace, confiscating a number of electronic devices, books, and his personal and professional equipment.

As of the time of this report, no information has been made available regarding the charges brought against this Baha’i citizen.

Artin Ghazanfari, a Baha’i citizen and photojournalist, has previously served a prison sentence due to his activities.

Over the past decade, Iran’s Baha’i community has faced more security and judicial persecution than any other religious minority in the country. According HRA’s annual reports, an average of 62.41% of all reported violations of the rights of religious minorities during the past year involved violations of the rights of Baha’is.

Baha’i Citizen Mitra Bandi Amirabadi Sentenced to Prison

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News, Religious Minorities
HRANA, Mitra Bandi Amirabadi, Yazd, میترا بندر امیرآبادی

HRANA – Mitra Bandi Amirabadi, a Baha’i resident of Yazd, has been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Yazd to five years of discretionary imprisonment and a 10-year deprivation of social rights. Three years of the prison sentence have been suspended for a period of three years.

According to HRANA, Mitra Bandi Amirabadi has been sentenced to prison. Under a ruling issued by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Yazd, this Baha’i citizen was convicted on the charge of “deviant propaganda activity contrary to the sacred law of Islam through the promotion of the Baha’i faith,” under Article 500 bis of the Islamic Penal Code. She was sentenced to five years of discretionary imprisonment and a 10-year deprivation of social rights. Three years of her prison sentence have been suspended for a period of three years.

If the verdict is upheld on appeal, Ms. Bandi Amirabadi will be required to serve two years of discretionary imprisonment.

On June 17, 2025, security forces searched the home of this Baha’i citizen. The search was carried out around midnight, and officers confiscated a number of electronic devices, personal belongings, and several religious books.

Mitra Bandi Amirabadi, a Baha’i resident of Yazd, has previously been arrested and convicted because of her religious beliefs.

Sardar Ostad-Ahmadi Arrested in Mahabad

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News, Other
HRANA, Mahabad, Sardar Ostad-Ahmadi

HRANA – Yesterday, Sardar Ostad-Ahmadi, a resident of Mahabad, was arrested by security forces in the city and transferred to an undisclosed location.

According to a report received by HRANA from Kurdpa, Sardar Ostad-Ahmadi was arrested in Mahabad.

Based on the report, security agents arrested him at his home on Tuesday, July 7, without presenting a judicial warrant.

As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding the reasons for his arrest or his whereabouts.

Sardar Ostad-Ahmadi is a native and resident of Mahabad.

Denial of Phone Calls and Family Visits; Azar Yahu’s Detention Continues at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Azar Yahu, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison, آذر یاهو

HRANA – Azar Yahu remains in detention at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad without a clear legal status, despite 125 days having passed since her arrest. Since Sunday, July 5, she has been subjected to a disciplinary ban on phone calls and family visits.

According to HRANA News Agency, Azar Yahu remains in detention at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad without any judicial resolution to her case.

A source familiar with the matter and close to Yahu’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Since Sunday, July 5, Azar Yahu has been deprived of phone calls and family visits as a disciplinary measure and has been transferred to Ward 6 of Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. Prison officials have claimed that the disciplinary action was taken because she had published a statement about her conditions in prison. However, she has not published any such statement.”

The source added that although 125 days have passed since Ms. Yahu’s arrest, no verdict has yet been issued in her case, which remains under judicial review.

Azar Yahu, aged approximately 39, has been charged with “collaboration with Israel.” According to reports received by HRANA, the charge is based on her online activities, including the use of stickers on social media. Authorities have also cited her presence in the streets and dancing on the day of Ali Khamenei’s death as additional reasons for her arrest.

She was arrested in Mashhad by the IRGC Intelligence Organization on March 5, 2026.