Category: News

Businessman Saeed Mohammadi Doraki Held in Legal Limbo in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, HRANA, Isfahan, Saeed Mohammadi Doraki

HRANA News Agency – Saeed Mohammadi Doraki, a 61-year-old businessman from Isfahan, remains in a state of legal limbo in Evin Prison more than a year after his arrest.

A source close to his family told HRANA: “Mr. Doraki has been held in Evin Prison for over a year without any clear judicial process. In protest of this indefinite detention, he is currently on a hunger strike.”

Doraki was arrested on April 21, 2024, upon arrival at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport after returning to Iran.

It is noteworthy that he had previously written a letter from prison claiming to offer solutions for improving Iran’s economic and social conditions. Some close to him believe these activities may have contributed to the continuation of his detention.

Saeed Mohammadi Doraki, a businessman originally from Isfahan, had been residing in Turkey prior to his arrest.

Retired Teacher Zina Fereydounian Sentenced to Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Fereydounian, HRANA, Qorveh, Zina Fereydounian, زینا فریدونیان

HRANA News Agency – Zina Fereydounian, a retired teacher from Qorveh, has been sentenced by the city’s Revolutionary Court to over 13 months of prison and an additional three years of suspended imprisonment in two separate cases.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Fereydounian was sentenced to 10 months in prison for “propaganda against the regime.” In a separate case, she was sentenced to 91 days of discretionary imprisonment and an additional three years of suspended prison time. The court also imposed a travel ban on her.

Following the court’s refusal to allow her to serve her sentence under electronic monitoring outside prison, the 10-month sentence was referred to the sentence enforcement unit.

A source close to Faridounian’s family told HRANA: “In Qorveh, she supported vulnerable groups by covering wedding and living expenses. Her prison sentence stems solely from her criticism of social conditions.”

Revolutionary Court Sentences Two Retired Workers in Ahvaz to Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
ahvaz, Ahvaz Revolutionary court, Farzaneh Zilabi, Mohammad-Zaman Kamrava, Morad Zohrabi

HRANA News Agency – Mohammad-Zaman Kamrava and Morad Zohrabi, two retired Social Security Organization workers from Ahvaz, have each been sentenced to two years in prison by Branch 2 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, citing The Independent Iranian Workers Union, the ruling was issued on June 7, 2025, and has been formally communicated to the defendants. Both Kamrava and Zohrabi were convicted of “assembly and collusion to act against national security” and “propaganda against the regime,” with each receiving a two-year prison sentence.

The charges stem from their participation in retiree protests held in front of the Ahvaz Social Security office during February 2022, part of the nationwide Sunday demonstrations by retirees.

It’s worth noting that in late-April 2024, Kamrava was arrested by security forces following another retiree protest in Ahvaz and was later released.

Both men are residents of Ahvaz and retired from the Social Security Organization. Their legal representation is currently being handled by attorney Farzaneh Zilabi.

Appeals Court Upholds Sentences for Creators of My Favourite Cake

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Freedom of Expression, News
Behtash Sanaeeha, Iman Afshari, Maryam Moghaddam, My Favourite Cake

HRANA News Agency – The prison and financial penalties for Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam, directors of the film My Favourite Cake, along with the film’s producer Gholamreza Mousavi, have been upheld in full by Branch 36 of the Tehran Appeals Court. In the initial ruling, the three were sentenced to a total of five years and four months in prison and ordered to pay monetary fines.

As per the ruling issued on May 27, 2025, the defendants were collectively sentenced to five years and four months in prison and fined 1.4 billion rials.

In the lower court ruling, issued by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam were each sentenced to 14 months in prison and fined 400 million rials for “propaganda against the regime through spreading falsehoods to disturb public opinion.” Their prison terms were suspended for five years. Additionally, Sanaeeha, Moghaddam, and Mousavi were each sentenced to one year in prison—also suspended for five years—and had their equipment confiscated for “collaboration in producing obscene content.”

Separately, Judge Iman Afshari convicted all three of “screening the film without a license,” ordering them to pay 200 million rials in fines and to forfeit all related equipment.

On March 1, 2025, a hearing for the three filmmakers, along with three other defendants—two actors and a cinematographer—was held in the same court.

The indictment for the filmmakers was issued in February 2025.

Despite My Favourite Cake receiving awards at international festivals—including the Silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival—Sanaeeha and Moghaddam, who are also a married couple, were unable to attend due to a travel ban.

The film was produced without censorship or enforcement of the mandatory hijab for its female actors. It drew significant criticism from officials at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

It’s worth noting that My Favourite Cake, a drama released in 2024, won the Silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival and attracted public attention after its online release.

Three Prisoners Executed in Malayer, Arak, and Zanjan

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News
Arak, HRANA, Khondab, Malayer, zanjan

HRANA- Over the course of Monday and Tuesday, three prisoners were executed in the prisons of Malayer, Arak, and Zanjan.

According to HRANA, at dawn on Monday, June 9, Mostafa Hajibabaei was executed in Malayer Prison, Hamedan Province, on a murder charge. He had previously been arrested and later sentenced to death by a criminal court for the alleged killing.

HRANA also reported another execution on Tuesday, June 10, in Zanjan Prison. The prisoner has been identified as Mirza Morad Rezaei, a resident of Kuhdasht. Based on information received by HRANA, he had been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

That same day, a prisoner named Ali Rezaei—a father to one daughter and a resident of Khondab—was executed in Arak Prison. He had been arrested approximately six years ago on a murder charge and sentenced to death by a criminal court.

As of the time of this report, none of these executions have been officially confirmed by prison authorities or responsible institutions.

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.

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Six Baha’i Women in Hamedan Sentenced to a Total of 38 Years and 11 Months in Prison

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News, Religious Minorities
Atefeh Zahedi, Bahais, Farideh Ayoubi, Hamedan, HRANA, Neda Mohebi, Noora Ayoubi, Zarrindokht Ahadzadeh, Zhaleh Rezaei

HRANA – six Baha’i women residing in Hamedan—have been collectively sentenced to 38 years and 11 months in prison by Branch 2 of the Hamedan Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the sentences were recently issued and formally communicated to the defendants. The charges include “membership in the Baha’i community” and “teaching and promoting activities deemed contrary to Islamic principles.”

The details of the verdict for each individual are as follows:

  • Neda Mohebi was sentenced to five years in prison for teaching and promoting the Baha’i faith, and an additional two years and eight months for membership in the Baha’i community. Three years of her sentence have been suspended for five years.

  • Atefeh Zahedi, Farideh Ayoubi, Noora Ayoubi, Zarrindokht Ahadzadeh, and Zhaleh Rezaei were each sentenced to two years and eight months for Baha’i community membership, and three years and seven months for promoting activities against Islamic law. For Noora Ayoubi, Ahadzadeh, and Rezaei, two years of their prison sentences were suspended for five years.

All six were previously released on bail in December 2023 after being detained by security forces on November 7, 2023. They were held in The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Hamedan. Security forces also searched the homes of Zhaleh Rezaei and Farideh Ayoubi following their arrests.

Over the past decade, the Iranian Bahá’í community has been disproportionately targeted by Iran’s security forces and judiciary—more than any other minority group. In the past three years, an average of 72 percent of the reports on religious rights violations collected by HRANA have documented the Iranian regime’s repression of the Bahá’í community.

Three Prisoners Executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison

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Executions, News
Ardeshir Soltanabadi, Ghezel Hesar prison, Harsin, HRANA, Karaj, Masoud Naseri, Nourabad, Sajad Moradian

HRANA – At dawn today, Wednesday, June 11, the death sentences of three prisoners previously convicted of drug-related offenses were carried out in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

HRANA has identified the individuals executed this morning as: Ardeshir Soltanabadi from Harsin, Masoud Naseri from Kermanshah, and Sajad Moradian from Nourabad.

According to information received by HRANA, the three had been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, prison officials and responsible authorities have not officially announced the executions.

According to HRANA’s statistics, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj carried out the highest number of executions among all Iranian prisons, with 150 inmates hanged. This figure has nearly doubled compared to the previous year — a deeply alarming increase that underscores the escalating use of capital punishment in Iran.

Mojahed Korkor Executed

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Executions, News
Abbas Korkor, Kian Pirfalak, moharebeh, Mojahed Korkor, Sheiban Prison, عباس کورکور, مجاهد کورکور

HRANA – The Judiciary’s Media Center announced today, Wednesday, June 11, that Abbas (Mojahed) Korkor (Korkori), a prisoner held in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, has been executed.

The report from Mizan, the Judiciary’s media outlet, states that Korkor had been sentenced to death on three separate counts by the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court. The Supreme Court upheld the verdict. He was convicted on charges including moharebeh (enmity against God) for allegedly brandishing a weapon with intent to kill and intimidate the public; corruption on earth through acts of violence using military-grade firearms; and forming and participating in an armed group opposed to the Islamic Republic.

In late-December 2024, Korkor was sentenced to death for the second time by the Revolutionary Court. A previous death sentence had been overturned by the Supreme Court in early-December 2024 and sent back to a parallel court branch for reconsideration.

Korkor had initially been sentenced to death in April 2023 by Branch 1 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court on charges including moharebeh and corruption on earth.

He had been held in solitary confinement at Sheiban Prison since December 20, 2022, and was later transferred to Ward 8 of the prison in August 2024.

The judiciary accused Abbas Korkor of involvement in the killing of Kian Pirfalak, a child who was fatally shot during the nationwide protests. However, the Pirfalak family has publicly rejected this claim. Kian’s mother stated, “On our way home, officers opened fire on our car.”

Korkor was charged with disrupting public order, inflicting fatal injuries resulting in the deaths of seven individuals including Kian Pirfalak, causing serious damage to public and private property, and forming or joining anti-government groups engaged in armed rebellion against the Islamic Republic.

In January 2023, the prosecutor of Izeh announced that 70 people had been charged in connection with the protests held on November 16, 2022. On that day, at least seven people, including Kian Pirfalak, were fatally shot by security forces.

While authorities continue to describe the events of November 16 in Izeh as a “terrorist attack,” eyewitnesses and the families of victims have presented accounts that contradict the government’s narrative.

Death Row Inmate Aydin Shari’atmadar Killed During Escape Attempt

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News, Prisoners
Aydin Shari’atmadar, Ghezel Hesar, HRANA, آیدین شریعتمدار

HRANA – Aydin Shari’atmadar, a death row prisoner held for nearly two decades in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, was fatally shot by police on Saturday, June 7, during an attempted escape from Imam Ali Hospital.

According to the HRANA, Shari’atmadar had been transferred to the hospital due to internal bleeding. While hospitalized, he reportedly overpowered the accompanying officers with the help of armed individuals believed to be his relatives and attempted to flee. Police opened fire after issuing a warning, killing him at the scene.

News of Shari’atmadar’s death sparked protests among inmates at Ghezel Hesar. Dozens of prisoners reportedly chanted slogans such as “Freedom or death,” and for several hours, they prevented the prison yard gates from being closed.

The protest prompted a heightened security presence inside the facility. Unconfirmed reports also suggest limited clashes between inmates and prison guards, though no official statements have been released regarding the incident.

Death Sentences of 9 Prisoners Convicted of Moharebeh Carried Out

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Executions, News
Baghi, General Pakpour, HRANA, irgc, moharebeh

HRANA News Agency – The death sentences of 9 prisoners who had previously been convicted of moharebeh (enmity against God) through baghi (armed rebellion) and armed uprising were carried out.

According to Mizan, Judiciary’s media outlet, after court sessions were held in the presence of the defendants and their lawyers, the court sentenced these 9 individuals to death. Ultimately, after the Supreme Court upheld the verdict, the executions were carried out.

The case against these defendants, based on charges of moharebeh through baghi and armed uprising and possession of military-grade weapons, had been referred to the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office via judicial delegation. After investigations were completed and an indictment was issued, the case was sent to court.

Regarding the details of the case, the report claims: “In February 2018, the commander of the IRGC Ground Forces announced the dismantling of a team affiliated with ISIS in western Iran. According to General Pakpour, ISIS had planned to carry out several terrorist operations in Iran’s border and central cities by sending its members into the country. In a military operation, several ISIS-linked individuals were killed and others were arrested. Three military personnel were also killed in the operation. A variety of military weapons, ammunition, machine guns, 50 grenades, several thermal cameras, pistols, and a large quantity of bullets and magazines were reportedly seized from the suspects.”

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.