Category: News

Ahmadreza Haeri Sentenced to Four Years

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Ahmadreza Haeri, Ramin Safarnia

The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced former political prisoner Ahmadreza Haeri to four years and four months in prison.

Ramin Safarnia, Haeri’s lawyer, wrote on social media that Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court notified him of Haeri’s verdict. Haeri has been sentenced to three years and eight months on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security”, and eight months on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”.

If the verdict is upheld on appeal, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, three years and eight months for the first charge will be enforceable.

On June 27, 2022, security forces arrested Haeri in Tehran. In early August, he was released on a bail amount of one billion tomans. During the whole period of detention, he had been denied access to a lawyer.

Police Refuse to Record Transgender Individual’s Complaint

Posted on by A MN
LGBTQ+, News
discrimination, ex reassignment surgery, Iranian Transgender

Tehran police refused to record the complaint of a transgender who was assaulted and beaten by two individuals.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting BBC Persian, a transgender Individual who was assaulted by two was denied justice by the police.

A video published by BBC Persian showed a transgender being assaulted and scolded by a woman at a shopping mall in Tehran. Then, a man assaulted her and crashed her phone.

Despite abundant pieces of evidence, the police refused to file her complaint.

In Iran, transgender individuals are subject to daily discrimination, harassment and violations. Transgender identity is only recognized through state-supported sex reassignment surgery. In some cases, homosexual individuals are pressured to go through sex reassignment surgery to avoid legal and social pressure.

Forough Taghipour Denied Medical Care in Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Forough Taghipour, Nasim Jabbarian

Authorities at Evin Prison refused to send political prisoner Forough Taghipour to a hospital outside prison despite her urgent need for medical care.

 
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on August 30, 2022, political prisoner Forough Taghipour was denied access to medical care after she refused to be sent with handcuffs.

An informed source told HRANA that despite the physicians’ approval, prison officials refused to send Taghipour out without handcuffs.

On February 24, 2020, security forces arrested Taghipour and her mother, Nasim Jabbarian, in Tehran and transferred them to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Taghipour’s mother was released on bail, but she was relocated to Qarchak prison in Varamin.

The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Taghipour and her mother to five and three years respectively on the charges of “membership in an anti-regime party (the Mujahedin-e-Khalq)”, “assembly and collusion against national security”, and “propaganda against the regime”. Jabaraian was exonerated from all charges on appeal but Taghipourr’s verdict was upheld.

In an open statement, Taghipour and two other political prisoners, Zahra Safai and Marzieh Farsi, informed the public that they faced a new case and were sentenced each to one year and three months in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Asalem Municipality, Brick factory Jil, Kerman Province, Ministry of Education, Rafsanjan, SAIPA Company, Tabriz, Telecommunication Company

On Tuesday, August 30, 2022, at least seven protests and one labour strike took place in Iran.

A number of citizens who purchased long ago the pieces of land in the district Golestan in Tehran demonstrated before the municipality building. According to these protestors, 25 five years after purchasing, they have not received any building permits.

A group of school service workers held a protest in front of the Ministry of Education in Tehran. These protestors demand to work in the education section as the Ministry has approved and announced.

A number of employees of the Telecommunication Company held a protest against delays in payments inside the Regional manager’s office in Tabriz.

A group of workers of Brick factory Jil protested against the factory closure before the Governorate building in Karun.

A number of workers of Asalem Municipality gathered to ask for wage and insurance demands before the Municipality.

In Rafsanjan, Kerman Province, a group of citizens who have not received their purchased vehicles from SAIPA Company protested before the Justice building.

The medical staff of a hospital in Tehran protested against the non-payment of six-month salaries.

A group of service workers of Tehran Metro went on strike and marched from their workplace to the Central building of Metro Company in protest against delays in payments.

Sepideh Rashno Released on Bail

Posted on by A MN
News, Women
HRANA, Sepideh Rashno

On August 30, 2022, Sepideh Rashno was released on an 800-million-tomans bail after being indicted. 

According to #HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, artist Sepideh Rashno was indicted and then released on bail until the end of the legal proceeding.

On August 29, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court indicted Rashno on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security”, “propaganda against the regime”, and “promotion of impurity and indecency.”

On July 16, security forces arrested Rashno after a quarrel on a city bus with a woman who harassed and assaulted her for what she deemed as improper hejab. Such incidents are on the rise in public places as the government has tightened the hejab enforcement. 

On July 30, Official media outlets inside Iran released a forced confession video of Rashno. HRANA revealed that prior to this confession, Rashno had been hospitalized due to the risk of internal bleeding indicating she had been tortured to make the confession.

Rashno, age 28, is a student of Tehran University and a resident of Khorramabad.

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Update on Arash Ganji’s Condition in Evin Prison 

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Arash Ganji, Evin Prison, Iranian Writers Association

Writer, translator and a member of the Iranian Writers Association (IWA), Arash Ganji is currently serving a five-year sentence in Evin Prison. He has been imprisoned since October 2022.

On December 22, 2019,  security forces raided Gaji’s home, arrested and transferred him to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. 

Ganji was released in January 2019 on the bail amount of 450 million tomans.

During the first court session on June 14, 2020, the judge increased the bail to 3 billion tomans, and he was arrested and transferred to Evin Prison and was later released on bail on June 21, 2020.

In December 2020, the court, headed by judge Mohammad-Reza Amoozad, sentenced Gangi to five years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security”, one year on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”, and five years on the charge of “membership and collaboration with one of the anti-regime groups”.In February 2021, this verdict was upheld by the court of appeals of Tehran for 11 years imprisonment.

Update on Alireza Saghafi’s Condition in Kachooie Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Alireza Saghafi, HRANA, Kachooie Prison

Workers’ rights activist Alireza Saghafi is serving his one-year sentence in Kachooie Prison in the same ward as the prisoners of violent crimes. Despite his poor health condition, he is denied medical furlough.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, workers’ rights activist Alireza Saghafi is held in the same ward as the prisoners of violent crimes in violation of prison rules.

An informed source told HRANA that Sagahafi suffers from high blood pressure. He also suffers from backache and walks with a cane.

Despite two times requests from the prison infirmary, Saghafi has not received proper medical treatment.

Saghafi was arrested in September 2019 and sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Karaj City on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”.

Five Inmates Arrested in Khorramabad, Shiraz, and Bandar-Abbas

Posted on by A MN
Executions, News
Adel-Abad Prison, Bandar Abbas prison, Esmail Bargirzan, Khorramabad Prison, Mojtaba Khademinejad, Omid Ali Gravand, Rahim Ghanbarzehi, Saeed Sabaki

On August 27 and 28, 2022, five inmates convicted of murder and drug-related crimes were executed in Khorramabad, Bandar-Abbas, and Adel-Abad Prisons.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on August 27, the authorities of Khorramabad Prison executed an inmate identified as Omid Ali Gravand who previously was convicted of murder.

According to Haal Vsh, on August 28, two inmates convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in Adel-Abad Prison in Shiraz. These inmates have been identified as Rahim Ghanbarzehi, 40, and an Afghan national Mojtaba Khademinejad, 37.

Haal Vsh also reported the execution of two inmates identified as Saeed Sabaki, 27, and Esmail Bargirzan, 28, in Bandar Abbas Prison. Both individuals were convicted of drug-related crimes in 2018.

These executions have not been reported by official sources and media outlets inside Iran so far.

Azerbaijani Turk Activist Rahim Panahian Arrested in Tabriz

Posted on by A MN
Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Azerbaijani Turk activist, Rahim Panahian, Tabriz

On August 28, 2022, security forces arrested Azerbaijani Turk Activist Rahim Panahian at his father’s house in Tabriz and transferred him to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on August 28, 2022, Azerbaijani Turk Activist Rahim Panahian, age 19, was arrested in Tabriz.

The reason for this arrest, the charges, and his whereabouts are unknown so far.

Students and Reporters Arrested in Tehran Protest 

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
compulsory military service, HRANA, Iranian Public Conscription Organization

On August 27, 2022, students held a protest against compulsory military service before the Iranian Public Conscription Organization in Tehran, which led to the arrest of several students and reporters. 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on August 27, 2022, the police arrested several students and reporters during a protest against compulsory military service.

The identity and whereabouts of these individuals are unknown so far.

The students had previously demanded a response from the General Staff of the Armed Forces.

Two-year mandatory conscription for male individuals above 18 has caused a financial burden on poor families who cannot afford to buy out the conscription.