Category: News

Five Inmates Executed at Qezel Hesar Prison

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Executions, News
Abbas Anaraki, Ghezel Hesar, hsan Haddad, Qezel Hesar, Sadegh Tajik, Yadollah Foruoughi

In a grim turn of events, on November 1, five inmates were executed in Qezel (Ghezel) Hesar Prison, Karaj.

According to HRANA, the individuals who faced this unfortunate fate were identified as Ehsan Haddad, Abbas Anaraki, Sadegh Tajik (an Afghan national), Yadollah Foruoughi, and Behrooz (last name unknown). Foruoughi had been convicted of drug-related offenses, while Haddad, Tajik, and Anaraki were found guilty of murder. Behrooz was convicted of rape and murder.

Just the day before, HRANA had reported the transfer of eight inmates to solitary confinement as they awaited their impending execution.

At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.

According to data compiled by the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, a total of 659 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, representing a 24% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Seven of these executions were conducted publicly. Concerningly, many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.

 

Sadegh Ghasemi Zilaie Arrested in Ahvaz

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Freedom of Expression, News
ahvaz, Izeh, Sadegh Ghasemi Zilaie

On October 28, 2023, Sadegh Ghasemi Zilaie, a resident of Izeh, was detained in Ahvaz by security forces and subsequently taken to the Ministry of Intelligence’s facility.

A source close to his family disclosed that Ghasemi Zilaie was granted only one phone call to inform his family about his detention. The motives behind his arrest and the specific charges against him remain undisclosed at this time.
Prior to his arrest, Ghasemi Zilaie was actively involved in rap music.

Multiple Arrests Made at Armita Geravand’s Funeral

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Sookhtehza, Armita Geravand, Asghar Seyed-Faraji, Hamid Abbaspour, Hashem Mehr-Alian, Iman Miri, Majid Hooshang Kian Pour, Masoud Zeynal-Zadeh, Mehran Haji Hashemi, Mohammad Fazlollahi, Mohammad Geravand, Mohammad-Reza Fakhim-Avar, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Niloofar Mirzaie, Ramtin Bandeh, Siamak Masih Pour, Yousef Hooshyar

During the funeral of Armita Geravand, the 17-year-old girl who fell into a coma and subsequently passed away following an encounter with a hijab enforcement officer, security forces arrested at least 16 individuals. The funeral was held at a cemetery in Tehran.

HRANA has identified sixteen detainees as follows:

1. Hamid Abbaspour
2. Hashem Mehr-Alian
3. Majid Hooshang Kian Pour
4. Mohammad-Reza Fakhim-Avar
5. Mehran Haji Hashemi
6. Asghar Seyed-Faraji
7. Ali Sookhtehza
8. Ramtin Bandeh
9. Iman Miri
10. Siamak Masih Pour
11. Yousef Hooshyar
12. Mohammad Fazlollahi
13. Masoud Zeynal-Zadeh
14. Mohammad Geravand (a teacher and relative of Armita Geravand)
15. Nasrin Sotoudeh
16. Niloofar Mirzaie

Nasrin Sotoudeh, the lawyer among them, has been transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin. The first fourteen individuals in the list are currently being held in the quarantine section of Evin Prison. Iran’s Students’ Union also reported the arrest of Niloofar Mirzaie, a student at Alzahra University, during the funeral.

Notably, Sotoudeh, Masih Pour, Mirzaie, and Zeynal-Zadeh had previously faced arrests and legal challenges due to their activism.

On October 1, 2023, Armita Garavand, a 17-year-old student, sustained a head injury while on her way to school at a metro station in Tehran. She was hospitalized and tragically passed away after 28 days in the hospital. Iranian authorities claim that she suffered a head injury due to a “pressure drop” and falling to the ground. However, some media outlets and human rights groups consider her a victim of harassment and an altercation with a hijab enforcement officer.

Sakineh Parvaneh’s Prison Sentence Confirmed on Appeal

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Freedom of Expression, News
irgc, Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Sakineh Parvaneh

The Court of Appeal in Razavi Khorasan Province has upheld the seven-year, six-month prison sentence of Sakineh Parvaneh, as reported by Kurdpa.

In early October of this year, the Mashhad Revolutionary Court initially sentenced Parvaneh to seven years and six months in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran.”

Parvaneh was taken into custody in April 2023 by IRGC Intelligence agents after her visit to the burial site of Ali Mozafari, one of the protestors killed during the nationwide protests in 2022, in Quchan. Following 12 days of detention, she was subsequently transferred to Vakilabad Prison.

It is important to note that Parvaneh has a prior arrest and conviction related to her activism. In her previous encounter with the security institutions, she was detained by IRGC Intelligence forces in the winter of 2020. Subsequently, she received a five-year prison sentence and a two-year prohibition from participating in political groups. However, in February 2023, she was granted amnesty and released in accordance with a general “pardon and commutation” directive.

Civil Rights Activist Majid Rezaie Faces New Charges While Incarcerated

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Majid Rezaie, Tehran

Civil rights activist Majid Rezaie, who is currently serving time in Evin prison, is now confronted with fresh legal charges filed by the Tehran Prisons and Security and Corrective Measures Organization.

Rezaie has been accused of “disrupting prison order” and “making threats and insults towards prison officials.”

On October 18, 2023, Rezaie spent approximately six days in a psychiatric center, following an order from the Evin prison’s head.

On July 15, Rezaie was arrested by security forces at his residence in Tehran and subsequently transferred to Evin Prison. He was later sentenced to one year in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court, a sentence that was subsequently reduced to nine months after he entered a no-contest plea. In addition to his prison term, he was also ordered to perform four hours of daily community service for three months and attend an eight-hour mandatory emotional management and control class.

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Amir Askari Bajestani Receives One-Year in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Amir Askari Bajestani, Mashhad

Amir Askari Bajestani, a resident of Mashhad, has been sentenced to one year in prison by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. This sentence also includes his detention period.

Askari Bajestani has been convicted of “spreading propaganda against the regime,” with his advocacy for monarchist opposition and membership in related social media groups cited as evidence for this charge.

Notably, Askari Bajestani was previously detained during the 2022 nationwide protests and was subsequently released on bail. However, his case was later declared closed after he received a pardon in accordance with the general pardon and commutation directive.

Shahab Bayat Sentenced to Six Months in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Hamadan, Judge Esmaeili, Shahab Bayat

Shahab Bayat, a former political prisoner and a student at the Islamic Azad University of Hamadan, has been handed a six-month prison sentence by the Hamedan Revolutionary Court.

Presided over by Judge Esmaeili, the court found Bayat guilty of “propaganda against the regime,” with specific reference to his social media posts as evidence.

On May 24, 2023, Bayat was summoned before the Public and Revolutionary Court and subsequently released on bail, amounting to 300 million tomans (approximately 6,000 dollars).

It is worth noting that Bayat had previously received a three-month sentence, alongside a two-year and nine-month suspended prison term, in connection with his involvement in the 2022 nationwide protests. He was released later in the same year from Hamedan Prison.

Two Inmates Executed in Khorramabad for Drug Offenses

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Executions, News
Jalal Vahdati, Khalil Mohammadi, Khorramabad, Parseylun Prison

On October 30, 2023, two inmates were executed for drug-related crimes in Parseylun Prison, situated in Khorramabad, Iran.

The individuals have been identified by HRANA as Jalal Vahdati and Khalil Mohammadi, who had previously been convicted of drug-related offenses.

As of the time of writing, there has been no confirmation of these executions from official sources or within the country’s domestic media outlets.

According to data compiled by the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, a total of 659 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, representing a 24% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Seven of these executions were conducted publicly. Concerningly, many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.

 

Mahsa Yazdani Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Mahsa Yazdani, Masoumeh Yazdani, Mohammad Javad Zahedi, Sari

Masoumeh (Mahsa) Yazdani, the mother of Mohammad-Javad Zahedi, who lost his life during the 2022 nationwide protests at the hands of regime forces, has received a 13-year prison sentence from the Sari Revolutionary Court.

Yazdani’s attorney, Meysam Mousavi, has publicly disclosed the details of her sentencing. She was given a five-year term for  “blasphemy”, an additional five years of “incitement against national security,” two years for “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran,” and one more year for “spreading propaganda against the regime,” culminating in a total of 13 years, with five years to be served without parole.

Mousavi has confirmed that Yazdani was acquitted of the charge of “disseminating false information on the Internet” by the Sari Crimiinal Court.

On August 22, 2023, Yazdani was taken into custody by security forces in Sari. She was granted release on bail after spending 45 days in detention.

Her son, Zahedi, tragically lost his life during the protests on September 22, 2022.

Eight Film and Media Practitioners Face Legal Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News
Hanieh Tavassoli, Hengameh Ghaziani, Maryam Boubani, Milad Alavi, Mojgan Ilanlou, Omid Tousheh, Sadegh Zibakalam, Sahar Valadbeigi, Sara Massoumi, Tahmineh Rezaie Milani, Taraneh Alidoosti

The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office has brought charges against seven film practitioners, including Taraneh Alidoosti, Mojgan Ilanlou, Hengameh Ghaziani, Tahmineh Rezaie Milani, Sahar Valadbeigi, Maryam Boubani, Hanieh Tavassoli, and media activist Omid Tousheh.

They are accused of “disseminating false information on the Internet,” as reported by IRNA.

Notably, just a day before, the Tehran Prosecutor also indicted Sadegh Zibakalam, an Iranian academic and writer, Sara Massoumi, Milad Alavi, and the administrator of a Telegram Channel on the same charge.

Among these eight individuals, Alidoosti, Ilanlou, Ghaziani, Milani, and Tavassoli have previously faced arrests and convictions.