Category: News

Four Christian Converts Arrested in Neyshabur

Posted on by A MN
News, Religious Minorities
Mashhad Prison, Neyshabur Prison, Reza Radmanesh

On July 17, 2022, four Christian converts were arrested by security forces in Neyshabur City.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Mohabat News, IRGC has arrested four Christian converts in Neyshabur City.

Security forces raided a home church gathering and arrested 12  of the 16 in attendance. Eight individuals were released after signing a letter of commitment and four others remained detained.

Three of the individuals informed their families that they have been transferred to Neyshabur Prison. However, one individual identified as Reza Radmanesh, age 65, was transferred to Mashhad Prison.

The persecution of Christian converts stands in blatant violation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which state that every individual has the right to freedom of religion and belief and freedom to express it openly or secretly.

Update on Khosro Sadeghi Boroujeni’s Condition in Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners

Writer and journalist Khosro Sadeghi Boroujeni is currently serving his five-year sentence in Evin Prison. Although one-third of the sentence term has passed, his request for release on probation is denied.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, writer and journalist Khosro Sadeghi Boroujeni was serving his five-year imprisonment in Evin Prison.

Boroujeni suffers from acute back pain and recently his request for an early release has been denied.

Sadeghi Boroujeni was arrested and interrogated after he was summoned to the Branch 2 of Evin’s prosecutor’s office on May 8, 2019. He was later temporarily released from Evin Prison on a bail amount of 300 million tomans.

Boroujeni’s trial was on July 28, 2019. According to the verdict ordered by the Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, which was presided over by judge Mohammad Moghiseh, Boroujeni was sentenced to five years imprisonment on a charge of “assembly and collusion with an intention to commit a crime against national security”, one year imprisonment for the charge of “propaganda against the regime”, and two years imprisonment on a charge of “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic”, adding up to a total of eight years. This sentence was later reduced to seven years after the charge of “propaganda against the regime” was dropped upon appeal.

Twelve Individuals Arrested in Tabriz, Naqadeh and Urmia

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Emrahim Azaroghlu, Hakimeh Ahmadi, Hamid Akbarzadeh, Hamid Pourvali, Hooshang Taghizadeh, Jalal Dehghani, Masoud Abbaszadeh, Michael Gholipour, Reza Akarzadeh, Reza Etebari Rad, Yunes Gholizadeh, Yunes Mahmoodi

On July 16, 2022, security forces arrested twelve individuals in Tabriz, Naqadeh and Urmia.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, security forces arrested Hakimeh Ahmadi (an Azerbaijani Turk Activist), Yunes Gholizadeh (an Azerbaijani Turk Activist), Jalal Dehghani, Hamid Pourvali,  Yunes Mahmoodi, and Emrahim Azaroghlu in Tabriz, Masoud Abbaszadeh in Naqdeh, and Hooshang Taghizadeh, Michael Gholipour, Hamid Akbarzadeh and Reza Akarzadeh and Reza Etebari Rad, in Urmia.

The reason for these arrests and the individuals’ whereabouts are unknown so far.

Yunes Gholizadeh and Hakimeh Ahmadi had previously been arrested and convicted for their civil activities. 

Four Citizens Arrested in Miandoab

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Jalal Kudarilu, Mostafa Dolatkhah, Nader Amani, Naser Heshmati, Vali Zohrabi

On July 16, security forces arrested four residents of Miandoab, West Azerbaijan Province, and transferred them to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, On Saturday, July 16, 2022, Jalal Kudarilu, Mostafa Dolatkhah, Nader Amani, and Naser Heshmati were arrested in Miandoab County.

 Another resident of Miandoab Vali Zohrabi had also been arrested.

The reason for these arrests, the individuals’ whereabouts and the charges are unknown so far.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
ahvaz, Arak, interns, Kermanshah, Ministry of Roads & Urban Development, pensioners, Shush, transport workers

On Sunday, July 17, 2022, at least 10 protests took place in Iran

The Iran telecommunication Company’s staff held protests in Yazd, Bojnurd and Ahvaz. They protested against the non-payment of their benefits for four months. They had held a protest also yesterday.

 

For the second consecutive day, the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences interns gathered on campus to demand their unpaid wages.

The Social Security Organization’s pensioners again went to the streets and cried out for an increase in pensions in Arak, Ahvaz, Kermanshah and Shush.

 

A group of transport workers gathered in front of the Ministry of Roads & Urban Development in Tehran to protest against increases in the costs of vehicle registration plates.

 

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HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
ahvaz, Arak, Ardabil, Babol, Birjand, Dezful, green maintenance workers, Hamedan, Ilam, Isfahan, Karaj, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorramabad, khorramshahr, Mashhad, Qazvin, Ramhormoz, Rasht, Sari, Shushtar, Sirjan, Tabriz, Tehran, zanjan

On Saturday, July 16, 2022, at least 27 protests took place in Iran

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization protested against low pensions in Karaj, Ahvaz, Isfahan, Arak, Babol, Mashhad, Tabriz, Zanjan, Kerman, Ilam, Khorramshahr, Tehran, Khorramabad, Shushtar, Sirjan, Ardabil, Sirjan, Rasht, Ramhormoz, Sari, Kermanshah, Birjand, Hamedan, Qazvin and Dezful.

In Behbahan, the green maintenance workers of the Municipality gathered to demand their unpaid wages.

Coming from different cities, a number of farmers active in poultry and ostrich farming held a protest in front of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad.

A group of interns of the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences protested before a hospital in Tehran.

 

Three Baha’i Citizens Arrested in Bojnurd

Posted on by A MN
News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizens, Faran Senai, HRANA, Shayan Senai, Sholeh Shahidi

On July 13, three Baha’i individuals, Sholeh Shahidi and her two sons Faran and Shayan Senaei, were arrested in Bojnurd, North Khorasan Province. The agents searched their house and confiscated some of their personal belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on July 13, 2022, Baha’i individuals, Sholeh Shahidi and her two sons Faran and Shayan Senaei were arrested and transferred to an unidentified location.

An informed source told HRANA that another Baha’i citizen’s house, whose identity remains unknown, has also been searched and some of her belongings have been confiscated.

The reason for these arrests, the charges, and the individuals’ whereabouts are unknown so far.

The deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a breach of 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.

Hamid Nouri Sentenced to Life Imprisonment by Swedish Court

Posted on by A MN
News, Other
Hamid Nouri, Rajai-Shahr

A Swedish court sentenced former IRGC official Hamid Nouri to life imprisonment for his role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988. At the time, Nouri was working as the assistant to the Deputy Prosecutor of Rajai Shahr Prison. In 2019, Nouri was arrested upon arrival at the airport in Sweden for committing crimes against humanity under the rules of universal jurisdiction.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on July 15, 2022, Hamid Nouri was sentenced to life in prison by a Swedish court for “crimes against humanity (war crimes) and murder.”

As the assistant to the deputy prosecutor, Nouri had an important role in the execution of thousands of political prisoners between July and September of 1988.

On November 9, 2019, Nouri was arrested upon arrival at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport.

At least 60 witnesses and 12 experts testified in his trial.

In an interview, a former Iranian Judge, who was the head of the so-called Death Committee at that time, justified these atrocities as “a necessary action against conspirators’ plots.”

In 1988, by the direct order of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, a committee (later known as the Death Committee), including current President Ebrahim Raisi, was established to execute thousands of political prisoners.

Five Workers of the Sungun Copper Mine Arrested

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Esmail Ebadi, Kazem Shahi, Mohammad Mahmoodi, Saleh Mohammadi, Sungun copper mine

At least five labor workers of the Sungun copper mine have been arrested for going on strike and transferred to an unidentified location, raising the number of detained workers to eleven.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, in an effort to crackdown on workers’ strike, security forces have arrested five additional workers identified as Kazem Shahi, Saleh Mohammadi, Mohammad Mahmoodi, Esmail Ebadi and Haj Ziad Mahmoodi.

On July 7, 2022, Sungun copper miners went on strike for the third consecutive day to demand closing wage gaps between official and contract employees, and implementation of the Job Classification Plan, among other demands. These protests turned violent by the police.

The charges against these workers are still unknown.

Dutch National Arrested and Sentenced 

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Cécile Kohler, Dutch national, Jacques Paris, Kees Lunenburg, Maciej Walczak, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Olivier Vandecasteele, Polish scientist

HRANA has identified a European national who is jailed in Evin prison. Kees Lunenburg, a Dutch national, is currently serving his five-year sentence in Ward 8 of Evin Prison. Polish Maciej Walczak, who was sentenced to three years, is also housed in the same ward.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Dutch national Kees Lunenburg is currently jailed in Ward 8 of Evin Prison. HRANA has received variants of this individual’s last name and will update its database accordingly. 

The about-mentioned detained Dutch national was sentenced to five years imprisonment on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security.” HRANA is trying to find out new details about his case. 

Polish scientist Maciej Walczak is housed in the same ward. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland has confirmed his arrest.  Iran has claimed that Walczak and three others were arrested as they were collecting soil samples from a restricted site of a missile test. 

The spokesperson of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, has stated that in September of 2021, Walczak and his two colleagues were arrested in Iran. Two university professors were released but Walczak was sentenced to three years in prison.

In recent weeks, Belgian national Olivier Vandecasteele, a 41-year-old aid worker, and two French individuals, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris were also arrested.