Category: News

Eight Economic Defendants Sentenced to Lashes in Tehran

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News
Abolfazl Maleki Shamsabadi, Alireza Alaei Rahmani, cruel punishment, Marjan Shaykh-ol-Eslami, Mohsen Ahmadian, Mostafa Tehrani, Reza Hamzeh-Lou, Sam Hamed Sa’edian, Samimi Na’eb, Zabihollah Khodaeian

Recently, eight economic defendants in Tehran were sentenced to imprisonment and lashes.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the IRIB, part of the case is still under process in court.

Based on this report, Zabihollah Khodaeian, the spokesman of the Judiciary, announced that Reza Hamzeh-Lou, Abbas Samimi Na’eb, Alireza Alaei Rahmani, Mostafa Tehrani, Mohsen Ahmadian, and Marjan Shaykh-ol-Eslami received the same charges and sentences.

According to Khodaeian, they were charged with “participating in major disruptions in the economic system through manipulation in the distribution of 6 billion and 656 million euros, earned from the export of petrochemical products”, and each were sentenced to 20 years in prison, 74 lashes, financial penalties, and permanent deprivation of any government services.

Khodaeian added, “Also, Sam Hamed Sa’edian and Abolfazl Maleki Shamsabadi were each sentenced to 15 years in prison, 74 lashes in public, and deprivation of any government services along with financial punishment on charges of participating in major disruptions in the country’s economic system.”

According to Khodaeian, these rulings are final and unable to be appealed unless by retrial.

Iran is one of the few countries that has continued to use humiliating punishments despite the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights explicit prohibition of the use of inhumane and degrading punishments, including the death penalty and flogging.

Azerbaijani Turk Activist Ali Shahi Arrested by Security Forces in Ardabil

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Ali Shahi, Ardabil, Azerbaijani Turk activist Ali Shahi, Citizen arrest, Citizen arrested, Citizen detained, Home search without warrant, Security forces

On Friday, September 3, Azerbaijani Turk activist Ali Shahi was arrested by security forces and taken to an unknown location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, security forces searched Shahi’s home in Ardabil and confiscated some of his belongings, including his cell phone and computer.

As of this writing, the reasons for his arrest, the charges against him, and his whereabouts are unknown.

60% of Workers in Iran are Uninsured, a New Statistical Report Says

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Labor and Guilds, News
employee benefits, Fathollah Bayat, insurance, Islamic Consultative Assembly, Keyhan, Union of Contract Workers, worker's rights

A statistical report published by the Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly shows that 60% of the country’s workers are uninsured.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Keyhan, this means that the employed person is not only deprived of insurance benefits but the years he or she worked will not be counted as part of his or her working records.

As a result, the worker will be deprived of both unemployment insurance and retirement benefits when they need them.

Mentioning that the insurance status of workers is not acceptable at all, Fathollah Bayat, chairman of the Union of Contract Workers, said, “The government can identify uninsured workers in various ways, including self-declaration.”

“The government must provide a registration system for uninsured workers to identify these people and must think of a plan to insure them,” Bayat added. “If a worker is not insured, s/he has no future, and in case of work accidents, disability, or retirement s/he will have no income.”

Prisoner who was Sentenced to Death Based Solely on Qassameh (Swearing) in Imminent Danger of Execution

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News
Ali Mardan Boland Gerami, Death Penalty, Death sentence, Execution, Gerami, Islamic Law, Qassameh, Sharia law, Yasuj, Yasuj Central Prison

Ali Mardan Boland Gerami, a citizen of Yasuj, is on the verge of execution despite a clear lack of sufficient evidence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Gerami’s sentence is based only on “Qassameh”.  Qassameh is an accepted form of proof of guilt within Iran’s legal system based solely on relatives’ oaths.

Mr. Gerami was sentenced to death for murdering his wife while the court did not find adequate evidence, it made the ruling based on the swearing of the family of the wife.

After filing the appeal request, the case was referred to a court of equal rank where the death sentence was confirmed. The Supreme Court also upheld the sentence. Mr. Gerami’s case has been transferred to the Judgment Enforcement Unit and now he is on the verge of execution.

“Six days ago, the death sentence was supposed to carry out, but the family was able to get more time,” an informed source said. “This opportunity will end tomorrow and he may be executed at any moment.”

Swearing (Qasameh) is one way, within the Islamic jurisprudence and criminal law in Iran, to prove crimes related to murder and physical injuries when there is no enough evidence against the suspect. In case of premeditated murder, the relatives of a plaintiff must bring 50 relatives to the court to swear an oath that the defendant is guilty. The number is 25 for unpremeditated murder.

Inmate Executed in Vakilabad Prison on Charge of Murder

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Citizen executed, inmate executed, iran death penalty, Iran execution, Karamat, Mashhad, Mashhad Prison, Rokna, Secret executions, Supreme Court, Vakilabad, Vakilabad prison

At dawn on Sunday, September 5, a prisoner named Karamat who had previously been sentenced to death for murder was executed in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

According to  HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna, the sentence was upheld by Branch 31 of the Supreme Court.

Iran ranks first in the world in citizen executions per capita, according to international organizations. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported that between January 1 and December 20 of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed.

One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders. An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death. According to the same report, more than 72% of executions in Iran are not reported by the government or the judiciary, which human rights organizations call “secret” executions.

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University Professor Bijan Abdolkarimi Fired for Defending Pahlavi Monarchy

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News
Bijan Abdolkarimi, Bijan Abdul Karimi, Didban, Didban Iran, Dideban, Dideban Iran, Islamic Azad University, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, Pahlavi Monarchy, Tehranchi

On Saturday, September 4, Bijan Abdolkarimi was fired from his position at the North Tehran Branch of Azad University

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Didban Iran, Abdolkarimi was dismissed from his position as associate professor in the Department of Philosophy for “defending Pahlavi monarchy”.

“He is not qualified to be a member of the faculty of the Islamic Azad University,” a section of the order states. “By this ruling, Bijan Abdolkarimi’s [teaching] code has been annulled since yesterday (Saturday, September 4), and the issued verdict is final and must be enforced.”

Bijan Abdolkarimi has 20 years of teaching experience. He is the director of the Culture Critique press and the translator of several books. According to Didban Iran, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, the President of the Islamic Azad University, has issued a letter ordering a re-examination of Bijan Abdolkarimi’s file.

“The Supreme Board of Appeal examined the issue again and the execution of the sentence should be stopped until the hearing in the board,” Tehranchi said.

Azerbaijani Turk Activist Abbas Nikravan Arrested by Security Forces in Salmas

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Abbas Nikravan, Azerbaijani Turk, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Babak Castle, Citizen arrests, Citizen detention, Salmas, West Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan Province

On Sunday, September 5, Azerbaijani Turk activist Abbas Nikravan was arrested by security forces and taken to an unknown location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Nikravan is a native  of Salmas in West Azerbaijan Province.

Mr. Nikravan has a history of detention. He was arrested in July 2018, during the annual gathering of Babak Castle, and was released on bail a week later.

As of this writing, no information is available on the reasons for his detention, the charges against him, or his whereabouts.

Exclusive Report: The Extra-Territorial Assassination of Mousa Babakhani

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Executions
Babakhani, Erbil, Extra-territorial assassination, Ismail Sharafi, KDP, Kurdistan Democratic Party, Mousa Babakhani, Nazerfard, Sarmad Nazerfard
Human Rights Activists in Iran’s Spreading Justice team (HRA-SJ) has identified and profiled Sarmad Nazerfard as the individual responsible for the assassination of Mousa Babakhani in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Mousa Babakhani was a member of the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), a known opposition party of the Islamic Republic. Nazerfard is believed to have assassinated Babakhani before fleeing to Iran.

 

The Assassination

 

According to sources close to HRA, it is believed Nazerfard was commissioned by the security services of the Islamic Republic, namely the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization.

Erbil police and third party news sources have confirmed that Nazerfard shot and killed Babakhani in an Erbil hotel on August 6th, 2021. An informed source stated to HRA-SJ, “The room where Mousa Babakhani’s body was found is a room registered to Nazerfard, who is also wanted by the Erbil police.”

Sources revealed to HRA-SJ that Babakhani traveled to Erbil to meet with Nazerfard. The two were in contact the night preceding the assasination.

Nazerfard allegedly stayed at the Goli Soleimani Hotel for eight months and had been in contact with Mr. Babakhani for several years, working to gain his trust. According to Ismail Sharafi, a member of the Central Committee, Mr. Babakhani believed that Nazerfard was a friend.

Hotel staff testified that Mousa Babakhani entered the hotel on his own and reported directly to Nazerfard’s room. Nazerfard reportedly confiscated Babakhani’s personal belongings, including  his mobile phone. Sourced believe Nazerfard carried the belongings with him upon fleeing to Iran.

 

Nazerfard Flees to Iran

 

It is believed that Nazerfard entered Iran via the Iraq-Iran border at Khanaqin. According to the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Security Agency, in Erbil, Sarmad Nazerfard travelled to the border town of Khanaqin after leaving Babakhani.

According to the KDP, “Nazerfard was not a member of the Peshmerga or even a member of the party and his relationship with Mousa Babakhani was not a party affiliation at all.” The source continued,  “Sarmad’s name does not exist in any of the party’s organizational records.”

 

Who is Sarmad Nazerfard?

 

Born in Baghdad, Nazerfard, immigrated to Iraq at least four years before fleeing to Iran. Kamal Karimi, a member of  leadership of the KDP, confirmed in an interview with the judiciary that the history of Sarmad Nazerfard’s presence in Erbil dates back at least four years. According to Karimi, “Sarmad Nazerfard, also known as Saman Abdi and Sarmad Abdi in Erbil, had been in friendly relations with Mr. Babakhani after arriving in Erbil and had met him regularly.”

According to Kamal Karimi, Sarmad Nazerfard regularly traveled to Iraq and Khanaqin and always claimed that he was going to Baghdad to visit his father. According to Karimi, Sarmad even told the hotelier when he was about to leave the hotel after Babakhani’s assassination that he had to go to Baghdad immediately to visit his father.

The Role of the IRGC

 

There is a long history of IRGC commission murders in Iraqi-Kurdistan.

A member of KDP leadership stated, “Although we do not have reliable information about Nazerfard’s relationship to Iran’s security agencies, the Revolutionary Guards have previously carried out such work, and through this agency, people from Iran are given missions.” “They have previously come to Kurdistan to carry out sabotage and assassination.” Nazerfard, and those believed to have commissioned his services must be held accountable.

Extra-Territorial Assassinations

 

Extra-territorial targeted killing outside of war is a violation of international human rights law prohibiting the arbitrary deprivation of life. “Iran has long practiced extra-territorial assassinations against dissidents abroad. This illegal practice of state-sanctioned targeted killing must be condemned by the international community and perpetrators must be brought to justice,” said Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator at HRA-SJ.

More information on Nazerfard can be found via this link to his unique Spreading Justice profile. If you have any additional information on Nazerfard you can anonymously submit to HRA-SJ  here. 

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For media inquiries please contact HRA Senior Advocacy Coordinator Skylar Thompson at [email protected]

Husband Confesses to Murder of 14-Year-Old Mobina Souri

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Children, News, Women
child marriages, Domestic Violence, honor killing, honor killings, Islamic Law, Mobina Souri, Sexual Assault, Souri, Violence Against Women, Women

Five days after news broke of the death of 14-year-old Mobina Souri, her husband confessed to having committed the murder. Souri is the victim of  what is classified under Islamic Law as an “honor killing”.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, “honor crimes” or “honor killings” are acts of assault or murder, usually towards women and usually committed by male relatives.

Under Islamic Law, in murder cases where the (usually-female) victim has been accused of “disgracing the family’s honor”, exemptions and sentence reductions are frequently granted to the murderers.

The scope of the ways “disgracing family honor” can be defined is extremely broad; women and girls can be accused for being victims of rape, getting a divorce (even from an abusive husband), committing adultery, or being suspected of having sexual relations before marriage.

14-year-old Mobina was also a victim of child marriage and was married to the young cleric in her village who ultimately killed her. The other suspects were released after the husband confessed.

 

Branch 13 of the Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Citizen executions, citizen executions per-capita, Court of appeals, Death Penalty, Death row, Fifth Branch of the Criminal Court in Tehran, Rokna, Rokna News, Secret executions, Supreme Court, Tehran, Tehran Province

Branch 13 of the Supreme Court recently upheld the death sentence of a man.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna, the defendant had been previously sentenced to death for murder by the Fifth Branch of the Criminal Court in Tehran.

Iran ranks first in the world in citizen executions per capita, according to international organizations. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported that between January 1 and December 20 of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed.

One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders. An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death. According to the same report, more than 72% of executions in Iran are not reported by the government or the judiciary, which human rights organizations call “secret” executions.