Category: News

Abbas Vahedian Shahroudi Detained by Security Forces in Rezvanshahr

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News
Abbas Vahedian Shahroudi, Activist arrested, civil activist arrested, Mashhad, Rezvanshahr, Security forces, Vahedian Shahroudi, Vakilabad prison, Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad

At noon on Wednesday, September 1, writer, teacher, and civil activist Abbas Vahedian Shahroudi was arrested by intelligence agents in Rezvanshahr and taken to an unknown location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, meanwhile, Vahedian’s daughter’s home in Mashhad was searched and inspected by security forces and some personal belongings were confiscated.

Mr. Vahedian has previously been arrested and convicted for his writings and activistm. He was arrested in Mashhad in October 2018 and later charged by Branch 903 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad with “acting against national security”, and “attempting to overthrow the regime”. He was released on bail of 350 million tomans from Vakilabad prison in Mashhad in December 2018.

Shortly after his interrogation, in August 2019, Vahedian was again arrested and transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad . He was one of the 14 signatories of a letter of request for the resignation of Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader. Mr. Vahedian was released on bail from Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad in July 2020.

The Return of Genghis Khan the Mongol is one of Abbas Vahedian Shahroudi’s published books.

Amir Abbas Azarmvand Arrested by Security Forces in Tehran

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Amir Abbas Azramvand, Azramvand, Citizen arrest, Citizen arrested, Citizen arrests, Citizen detained, detention, Labor activist, Tehran

Yesterday morning, Wednesday, September 1, Amir Abbas Azarmvand was arrested by security forces at his home in Tehran and taken to an unknown location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Azarmvand is a journalist and labor activist who has previously been detained for his activities. He was briefly detained by security forces in December 2019 and December last year.

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

Mohammad Sadeghzadeh Executed in Ardabil Prison on Charge of Murder

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Ardabil, ardabil prison, Citizen executed, Citizen execution, Death Penalty, Death row, Death sentence, Mohammad Sadeghzadeh, Secret executions

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, 30-year-old Mohammad Sadeghzadeh was executed in Ardabil Prison on the morning of this Wednesday, September 1.

Sadeghzadeh, whose identity has been verified by HRANA, had previously been sentenced to death for murder.  Mr. Sadeghzadeh was arrested about four years ago and had since been held in Ardabil Prison.

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.

Mr. Sadeghzadeh’s execution has not been announced by Iranian media or official sources as of this writing.

HRA Joins 10 Other Human Rights Groups in Calling on UN Representatives to Protect Human Rights

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News

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, several rights organizations have written a statement calling for increased accountability from UN representatives in Iran

Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) has joined 10 other organizations in urging UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, UN Resident Coordinator Stefan Priesner, and a number of county directors of UN agencies in Iran to uphold the UN’s promise to prioritize human rights and commit to “use all leverages they have to promote and protect human rights in the framework of their fieldwork activities in Iran”.

The statement demands that, in order to ensure accountability from UN representatives, the signatory organizations be directly involved in the oversight process, and outlines the ways in which current endeavors to work with the Islamic Republic have failed to sufficiently highlight human rights.

“We regret that the current UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), signed between the Islamic Republic of Iran and 15 UN agencies in 2015, had marked the UN system’s failure to acknowledge and address core human rights issues as part of its activities in Iran,” the statement reads.

The letter concludes that the first step towards adhering to the above values is to “consult, involve, and listen to the input from independent human rights monitors both within and outside the country”.

You can read the full letter here .

 

 

Citizen Detained by IRGC intelligence in Ardabil Province

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News, Prisoners
Ardabil, Ardabil Province, Citizen arrested, Citizen arrests, freedom of expression, ILNA, intelligence forces of the Revolutionary Guards, irgc, judicial official

IRGC intelligence agents recently arrested a citizen in one of the cities of Ardabil Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ILNA, the citizen was arrested for what is being called “insulting Islamic sanctities”, “disturbing the public mind”, and “publishing [disappointing] content to blacken [catastrophize] the situation in the country”.

The citizen was transferred to prison by order of a judicial official. The report does not mention the identity of the detainee, the name of the city he was detained in, or the prison where he is being held.

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Alireza Nikzadeh Summoned to Endure his Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Alireza Nikzadeh, Alireza Nikzadeh Damavandi, due process, Gonabadi Darvishes, Gonabadi Dervish, Mohammad Nourizad, Semnan

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Alireza Nikzadeh Damavandi, a Gonabadi dervish, was summoned to the Second Branch of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Semnan to endure his sentence.

According to the notification issued on July 20, Mr. Nikzadeh was asked to appear in the aforementioned branch within 5 days to serve his 6-month prison sentence. He was summoned despite not having been informed that his prison sentence had been finalized, and he was not given a chance to file an appeal.

Regarding the latest situation of Mr. Nikzadeh, an informed source told HRANA, “Mr. Nikzadeh suffers from heart, kidney, and neurological diseases, and the doctors have issued a certificate stating that he is unable to bear the imprisonment. However, agents went to Mr. Nikzadeh’s home and asked him to show up for execution of the sentence.”

Alireza Nikzadeh, born in 1961, has a history of arrest and conviction. In 2018, the First Branch of the Semnan Revolutionary Court sentenced him to three years in prison on charges of propaganda activities against the regime and insulting the leadership. He was released from prison after serving part of the sentence.

Alireza Nikzadeh Damavandi was arrested by security forces on March 30 of this year while holding a poster demanding the release of Mohammad Nourizad, a political prisoner and Gonabadi dervish.

Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence of Man Charged with Murder

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Executions, News, Prisoners
appeals court, Capital Punishment, Death Penalty, Death row, Death sentence, death sentence upheld, First Criminal Court of Tehran Province, Iran death sentence, murder, Secret executions, Shahram, Tehran

Branch 28 of the Supreme Court recently upheld the death sentence of a man named Shahram.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Shargh Newspaper, Shahram had previously been sentenced to death by the Eighth Branch of Tehran’s First Criminal Court on a charge of murder.

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.

Hojatollah Rafei Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison

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News, Prisoners
Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, Fararat village, Hojatollah Rafei, Iman Afshari, Judge Iman Afshari, Shahriar City, Tehran, Tehran Province

Hojatollah Rafei, a native of Shahriar City, was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran to 6 years imprisonment and a two-year ban from leaving the country.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced Mr. Rafei to a total of 6 years in prison, 2 years ban from leaving the country, planting 40 saplings, and writing a research paper about the former regime in Iran.

Hojatollah Rafei is a teacher and a native of Fararat village of Shahriar city in Tehran Province.

If this sentence is upheld at the appeal stage, with the application of Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe punishment that will be enforceable to Mr. Rafei will be 5 years in prison on a charge of “gathering and conspiracy to commit a crime against national security”.

Mr. Rafiei was transferred from the Greater Tehran Prison to Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on August 28 without prior notice. His lawyer was not notified, and the trial took place without the lawyer’s knowledge.

 

Citizen Summoned and Arrested by Marivan Intelligence Office

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News, Prisoners
City of Marivan, Kurdpa, Marivan, Marivan city, Marivan Intelligence office, Mohammad Rasaei, Sardush

On Thursday, August 26, 26-year-old Mohammad Rasaei, a resident of the village of Sardush in the city of Marivan, was arrested.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Rasaei was arrested after being summoned to the city’s intelligence office.

The report quoted an informed source saying Mr. Rasaei was summoned to the Marivan Intelligence Office by telephone.

As of this writing, no information is available on the reasons for Mr. Rasaei’s arrest or the charges against him.

More than 3,000 Nomadic Students in the Country have Dropped out of School

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Environment, News, Students
Access to education, Access to education in Iran, Education in Iran, Kerman, Kerman Province, Lorestan province, Nomadic Education, Seifi

According to the HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ILNA, Seifi, the Director-General of Nomadic Education section in the Ministry of Education, announced the existence of 3,626 students who dropped out of school among students in tribes.

“The highest number of students who dropped out of school is in the provinces of West Azerbaijan with 1,061 students, Lorestan Province with 566 students, and Kerman with 265 students,” Seifi said. “Currently, more than 75,743 nomadic students are deprived of having access to Shad network to use virtual education due to lack of necessary infrastructure. During the last academic year, 72% of our nomadic schools were held in person. Provinces with better infrastructure had the highest rates of virtual classes.”

Seifi further noted, “Nomadic students of West Azerbaijan Province were left out of education due to their inability to purchase textbooks. This province has 32000 nomad students from which a large number of nomadic female students in this province did not enroll in school due to inability to purchase textbooks.”