Category: News

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Hormozgan Province, Iranian pensioners, poultry farmers, Sepahan Oil Company, Social Security Organization, telecommunication employees

On Saturday, August 13, and Sunday, August 14, 2022, at least eighteen protests took place in Iran.

Sunday, August 14

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization demonstrated in Ahvaz, Kermanshah Shush, Karkheh, Haft-Tappeh, Rasht, Bojnurd, Ardabil and Babol in protest against the insufficient increase in pensions.

A group of poultry farmers demonstrated before the Parliament in Tehran to protest against the low fixed chicken price and the supply shortage of livestock inputs.

A number of shareholders of Sepahan Oil Company gathered before the company building in Tehran and protested against mismanagement and not addressing their issues.

 

The telecommunication staff gathered before this organization in Urmia to protest against the seven-month non-payment of premiums and other issues.

A group of oil industry employees protested against low salaries, unfair working hours and high taxes by publishing their pictures with placards in their hands at their workplace. They also demanded the calculation of their salaries based on article 10 of the Duties and Responsibilities Laws for oil industry employees.

In Sanandaj, the green maintenance workers protested in front of the municipality to protest against poor living conditions and unpaid wages and end-of-year bonuses.

For the second consecutive day, a group of truck drivers demonstrated before the Governor’s office in Sirik county, Hormozgan Province. Reportedly, the fuel portions of these drivers have been cut due to adjusting a new fuel portion scheme.

 

Saturday, August 13

A number of workers of the Abadan Oil refining Company protested before the central building of this company to protest against the delay in payments and the increase in taxes.

A number of citizens with disability (muscular dystrophy) protested against the medicine shortage in front of the Presidential Administration Office in Tehran.

A number of employees of Water and Wastewater Companies in Hormozgan Province gathered before the Governor-General Office to demand three-month unpaid wages.

Two Inmates Executed in Saveh Prison

Posted on by A MN
Executions, News
Hossein Bagherpour Sarabi, Milad Badrkhani

On August 10, 2022, two inmates who were convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in Saveh Prison, Markazi Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Iran Human Rights Organization, on August 10, 2022, in Saweh Prison, officials executed two inmates identified as Hossein Bagherpour Sarabi, age 38, and Milad Badrkhani, age 25.

These prisoners were arrested and convicted in 2019.

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

 

Sunni Prisoner Hamzeh Darvish Assaulted in Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Hamzeh Darvish, sunni prisoner

Sunni Prisoner Hamzeh Darvish was beaten violently by prison guards and relocated to an unknown location in Lakan Prison in Rasht.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on August 8, 2022, prison officials assaulted Sunni Prisoner Hamzeh Darvish.

Darvish suffered from heart problems and ear infections. According to an informed source close to Darvish’s family, he had asked the prison officials to take him to the prison infirmary. They refused and instead, ordered several guards to beat him with iron bars. They threatened him to death and took him to an unknown location.

“Since then, his family inquiries about Darvish’s whereabouts and his condition have remained unanswered,” said the source.

On August 25, 2020, Darvish had been beaten by intelligence agents in prison prior to this incident.

Darvish is currently serving a 15-year sentence in Lakan Prison. In March of 2022, while he was in prison, judicial authorities opened a new legal case against him and sentenced him to an additional two years and one month in prison.

Four Inmates Executed in Arak Prison

Posted on by A MN
Executions, News
Mehdi Noor-Ghadami, Mehdi Noor-Karami

On August 10, 2022, prison officials executed four inmates in Arak Prison.

Earlier, HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, had reported the execution of one of these inmates identified as 37-year-old Mehdi Noor-Karami (Variation: Noor- Ghadami).

According to HRANA, four inmates were executed in Arak Prison.

HRANA has identified one of the inmates as Mehdi Noor-Karami (Noor-Ghadami), age 37.

An informed source close to Noor-Karami’s family told HRANA that in 2018, Noor-Karami was arrested for drug-related crimes and sentenced to death. 

Prior to execution, these inmates were not granted phone calls or family visits. 

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

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Bazargan, Isfahan farmers, water shortage, West Azerbaijan Province

On Thursday, August 11, at least three protests took place in Iran.

A number of truck drivers gathered at the Bazargan border crossing in West Azerbaijan Province to protest against the frequent blackouts of the Customs’ electronic systems and officials’ incompetency.

With placards in their hands, a number of employees, working in the oil industry, protested to demand higher wages and the enforcement of enacted regulations regarding working hours and taxation.

In Isfahan, a number of farmers gathered before the Water and Waste Water Company of Isfahan Province and protested against water shortage.

 

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Imprisoned Baha’i Hanan Hashemi Pressured to Make Forced Confession

Posted on by A MN
News, Religious Minorities
Bahais, Bahyeh Manavipour, Elhan Hashemi, Hanan Hashemi, Misagh Manavipour, Niloofar Hosseini

In a phone call, Imprisoned Baha’i individual Hanan Hashemi informed her family that she is under pressure by the interrogators to make a forced confession. She is currently at a detention facility belonging to the Ministry of Intelligence in Shiraz.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Baha’i individual Hanan Hashemi is in custody and under pressure to make a  confession.

An informed source told Hrana that Hashemi told her family during a phone call that interrogators have told her that her release from prison will only happen if she makes a confession as they instruct. 

On July 19, 2022, security forces arrested Hashemi and four other Baha’is, Niloofar Hosseini, Misagh Manavipour, Bahyeh Manavipour, and Elhan Hashemi in Shiraz, of which Niloofar Hosseini and Elhan Hashemi have been released on bail.

The charges against these individuals are unknown so far.

Eight Members of Erfan-e-Halgheh Association Arrested

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Religious Minorities
Al-Qadir, Erfan-e-Halgheh, mystical group, Yazd

The public relations representative of the IRGC in Yazd (Al-Qadir) has announced the arrest of eight members of a mystical group known as Erfan-e-Halgheh. These individuals have not been identified.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IRIB News Agency, the IRGC has arrested eight members of a mystical group Erfan-e-Halgheh Association.  

In a statement, IRGC’s public relations office claimed that the spiritual psychic healing methods that Erfan-e-Halgheh is using are against the law. This IRGC  called Erfan-e-Halgheh a “deviant group” and claimed their activities “cause mental and emotional injuries and the collapse of families.”

Reza Salmanzadeh Sentenced to Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Reza Salmanzadeh

The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Reza Salmanzadeh to three years and eight months in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Reza Salmanzadeh to one year on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”, and two years and eight months on the charge of “membership in an unlawful group to act against national security”.

If the verdict is confirmed on appeal, two years and eight months for the second charge will be enforceable based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Cod.

On May 12, 2022, security forces raided Salmanzadeh’s house and took him to Ward 209 of Evin Prison.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Arak, Babol, Dariab, Iran Air, Iranian pensioners, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorramabad, Lorestan province, Rasht, truck drivers

On Wednesday, August 10, at least 10 protests and one labour strike took place in Iran.

The retirees of Iran Air (The National Airline of Iran) gathered before this Airline pension fund in Tehran to protest against the merger of the fund and the Civil Servants Pension Organization.

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization continued their protest in Khorramabad, Kermanshah, Babol, Rasht, Arak and Kerman. During their rally in Kermanshah, three pensioners were arrested but released after a few hours.

 

 

The residents of the village Dariab in Lorestan Province protested against the pollution of their village by the sewage of an industrial town. As a protest, they blocked the road connecting this industrial town to the village.

In Kermanshah, truck drivers went on strike in protest against their poor living conditions, low fares, expensive auto parts and fuel shortage.

 

Two Inmates Executed in Arak and Qom Prisons

Posted on by A MN
Executions, News
Arak prison, Hossein Alizadeh, Langerud Prison, Mehdi Noor-Ghadami, Qom prison

On August 10, 2022, an inmate convicted of drug-related crimes was executed in Arak Prison and another was executed in Langerud Prison in Qom.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists,  prison officials at Arak Prison executed an inmate who was convicted of drug-related crimes.

HRANA has identified the individual as Mehdi Noor-Karami (Ghadami), 37. 

Haal Vsh also reported the execution of an Afghan nation identified as Hossein Alizadeh, age 21, in Langerud Prison in Qom. Alizadeh was convicted of murder.

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

The most recent report from the Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) states that between January 1 of 2021 and December 20 of 2021, at least 299 citizens, including four juvenile offenders, were executed. In addition, 85 citizens were sentenced to death in this period. 

As the report points out, Iran’s judicial authorities do not publicly announce over 88% of executions. These unreported executions are known as “secret executions” by human rights organizations.