Baha’i Mother and Son Interrogated in Isfahan Following Intelligence Raid

Arman Bahrami and his mother, Elham Siadat, two Baha’i citizens in Isfahan, were summoned and interrogated by the Ministry of Intelligence following a search of their home.

According to a source close to the family, the two appeared at the Ministry’s office in Isfahan on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, where they were interrogated for nine hours before being released. Their summons came days after agents searched their home on May 28, during which several personal belongings — including cash, gold, and electronic devices — were seized. The source noted that the search warrant did not authorize the confiscation of property, and that damage was done to household items during the raid.

“The agents explicitly said their aim was to harass,” the source told HRANA. “They mentioned they are trying to fabricate a case by locating a private complainant and threatened that if the matter is publicized, more serious charges would follow.”

At the time of this report, no information has been released about the interrogation details or potential charges.

Bahrami and Siadat have previously faced security-related pressures from Iranian authorities due to their religious beliefs.

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.

Report on the Latest Status of Detained Truckers Amid Ongoing Strikes

HRANA News Agency – Since the start of nationwide truckers’ strikes in Iran on May 22, more than 40 truck drivers, supporters, and other citizens have been arrested in various cities. The strikes emerged in protest of rising costs, reduced freight rates, difficult living conditions, and the government’s neglect of truck drivers’ professional demands.

Since the strikes began, reports have confirmed the arrest of over 40 people in different cities. The identities of seven detainees have been confirmed as: Farzad Rezaei from Divandarreh, Zanko Rostami in Dehgolan, Rezgâr Moradi, Sediq Mohammadi, and Ata Aziri from Sanandaj, Alireza Faghfoori from Behbahan, and Shahab Darabi in Eslamabad-e Gharb. Among them, Shahab Darabi has recently been released.

Following the start of the strikes, the Union of Iranian Truckers and Drivers’ Associations reported the arrest of 11 drivers in Kermanshah and several others in Sanandaj.

Additionally, a citizen was arrested by IRGC Quds forces in Gilan province for supporting the nationwide truckers’ strikes in Rasht.

The Public Relations and Propaganda Division of the Khuzestan IRGC also announced the arrest of two citizens in Bandar Imam Khomeini for supporting the strikes. A video of the two individuals’ “forced confessions” was later published by state media.

In another case, the police chief of Bandar Lengeh stated that a citizen had been arrested for encouraging participation in the strike. According to him, the individual had produced and shared a video clip on social media encouraging heavy vehicle drivers to join the strike, which was later shared with foreign-based media outlets.

In addition, the prosecutor of Shiraz confirmed the arrest of several protesting drivers, accusing them of disrupting transportation. Without specifying the number of detainees, he claimed the individuals were “purposefully and systematically disrupting the transport system.”

In a related development, state media reported that nine citizens had been arrested and transferred to prison in Qazvin province for their involvement in the truckers’ strike.

Two citizens were also arrested in Bahar County, and five more in Khuzestan and Hamadan provinces, all in connection with activities related to the strike.

It’s worth noting that HRANA has recently published a detailed report covering the past week of truckers’ strikes. The report comprehensively addresses the causes of the protests, their expansion, the government’s response, and the status of the detainees.

Student Activist Hamid Bidar Begins Prison Sentence in Evin

HRANA News Agency – Hamid Bidar, a former student activist and graduate of Iran University of Science and Technology, has been transferred to Evin Prison to begin serving his prison sentence.

According to information obtained by HRANA, Bidar was recently arrested and taken to Evin Prison to serve an 11-year sentence. The Tehran Revolutionary Court also imposed supplementary punishments, including 74 lashes, a ban on online activity, confiscation of his mobile phone, and a monetary fine.

The sentence was issued on charges including blasphemy, insulting the Supreme Leader, and propaganda against the regime. The initial verdict was handed down by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court and was recently upheld in full by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Houzan. According to judicial procedures, five years of the total prison sentence are enforceable.

A source close to Bidar’s family told HRANA that the complainant and arresting authority in the case was the IRGC Intelligence Organization in Tehran.

Hamid Bidar, a computer engineering graduate, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on September 1, 2024. According to the Amirkabir Newsletter, his arrest was linked to his public support for Mahmoud Momtazpour, a dismissed assistant professor at Amirkabir University of Technology.

Bidar has previously faced disciplinary action. In 2013, he was suspended from university for two semesters by the university’s disciplinary committee, with the suspension counting toward his academic record.

Prisoner Executed in Malayer Prison

HRANA News Agency – The death sentence of a prisoner who had previously been convicted of murder was carried out at dawn on Monday, June 2, in Malayer Prison, Hamedan Province.

Hamadan province. HRANA has identified the prisoner hanged at dawn on Monday, June 2, 2025, as Afshin Yari.

According to information received by HRANA, Mr. Yari had been arrested on murder charges and was later sentenced to death by a criminal court.

As of the time of this report, the execution has not been officially announced 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.

Two Prisoners Executed in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Monday, June 2, two prisoners who had previously been sentenced to death in a joint case on drug-related charges were executed in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan.

The identities of the prisoners have been reported by Iran Human Rights as Habib Almasi, approximately 35 years old and father of two children, and Jabrail Hashemzadeh, 30 years old, both residents of Birjand.

According to the report, the two prisoners, who were related (maternal and paternal cousins), were arrested four years ago in a joint case on drug-related charges and were subsequently sentenced to death by the judiciary.

As of the time of this report, the execution of these individuals has not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

According to HRANA’s statistics, in 2024, 61 inmates were hanged in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan — a 74% increase compared to the previous year. This sharp rise reflects a disturbing escalation in executions at this facility.

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Prisoner Executed in Qom Prison

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Sunday, June 1, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted on drug-related charges was carried out in Qom Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the executed individual has been identified as Shahriar Khalafi.

Based on information received by HRANA, Khalafi was arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and official bodies have not publicly announced the execution.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, over 52 percent of executed prisoners had been convicted on drug-related charges. Over the past ten years, individuals convicted of drug trafficking have accounted for 40 percent of all executions. Unfortunately, HRANA’s statistics show no progress in reducing executions for drug-related offenses.

Family Concern Grows Over Incommunicado Detention of Farhad Kadkhoda-Ghaderi

HRANA News Agency – Farhad Kadkhoda-Ghaderi, a resident of Mahabad, was arrested on Saturday, May 31, by intelligence agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and taken to an undisclosed location. His continued incommunicado detention has raised serious concerns among his family and loved ones.

The arrest was carried out violently and without a judicial warrant. Despite five days passing since his detention, his family’s efforts to obtain information about his condition and whereabouts have been unsuccessful, heightening their concerns.

As of the time of this report, the reasons for Kadkhoda-Ghaderi’s arrest and any charges against him remain unknown.

Farhad Kadkhoda-Ghadri is a resident of Sarchenar village, located in the Mahabad region.

Arbitrary arrests, transferring detainees to undisclosed locations, and leaving families in the dark about the fate of their loved ones are routine practices of the Iranian regime’s security agencies, such as the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Unit. This pattern of behavior stands in clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

Oshnavieh: Majid Daryaei Sentenced to One Year in Prison

HRANA News Agency – Majid (Najm al-Din) Daryaei, a resident of Oshnavieh, has been sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 101 of the Oshnavieh Criminal Court II.

According to Kurdpa, Daryaei was convicted on charges of “propaganda against the regime in favor of opposition groups.”

His interrogation session took place on Wednesday, April 9, at Branch 1 of the Oshnavieh Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office. He was released on bail following the charges being formally announced.

Daryaei has previously faced arrest and judicial proceedings over his activism.

Although Article 302 of Iran’s Code of Criminal Procedure designates Revolutionary Courts as the proper venue for charges like “propaganda against the regime,” in smaller cities such cases are often heard in criminal courts due to the absence or limited capacity of Revolutionary Courts. While this practice lacks legal conformity, it has become common in areas with limited judicial infrastructure.

Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence of Political Prisoner Azad Shojaei

HRANA News Agency – The Supreme Court of Iran has upheld the death sentence of Azad Shojaei, a political prisoner currently held in Urmia Prison. Shojaei, a resident of Sardasht, was initially convicted by Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court on charges of “spying for Israel” and “transferring equipment used in the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.”

According to information received by HRANA, the ruling was recently confirmed by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court.

The case dates back to early 2024, when Shojaei was arrested along with two others, Edris Ali and Rasoul Ahmad Mohammad, by security forces and transferred to Urmia Prison. In November of the previous year, a judiciary spokesperson announced that all three had been sentenced to death.

Judiciary official Asghar Jahangir claimed that the men had transported equipment used in Fakhrizadeh’s assassination “under the guise of alcohol smuggling” and also accused them of espionage.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a senior figure in Iran’s nuclear program, was killed in November 2020 in an ambush involving a car explosion and gunfire between his security team and unknown assailants.

Omid Fathi Arrested in Mashhad

HRANA News Agnecy– On Tuesday, June 3, Omid Fathi, a resident of Mashhad, was arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Fathi was detained yesterday by security agents. As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding the reasons for his arrest or his current whereabouts.

Omid Fathi has previously faced security-related pressures and encounters due to his activism.

Between late 2019 and the end of 2024, the number of arrests made by Iran’s security forces for peaceful expression nearly doubled compared to the preceding five-year period (2015–2019), reflecting an intensifying pattern of repression following major protest movements.