Category: News

Death Sentence of Abbas Deris Overturned by the Supreme Court

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Abbas Deris, Fereshteh Tabanian, Mahshahr Prison

HRANA – The death sentence of Abbas Deris, one of the detainees from the November 2019 protests, has been overturned by the Supreme Court of Iran, and his case has been referred to a parallel branch for retrial.

On October 21, attorney Fereshteh Tabanian announced that the Supreme Court’s First Branch had accepted Deris’s request for retrial, thereby overturning his conviction on the charge of moharebeh (enmity against God). His case will now be reviewed again in a branch of equal standing.

Deris, who is currently held in Mahshahr Prison, had previously been sentenced to death by the Mahshahr Revolutionary Court on the charge of moharebeh. That verdict was upheld in July 2023 by the Supreme Court’s 39th Branch. Following the registration of a retrial request with the Supreme Court’s 9th Branch, an order to halt the execution was issued. After several months, the Supreme Court ultimately accepted the retrial, nullifying his death sentence.

In June 2025, the Supreme Court rejected Deris’s appeal in another part of his case, making his 10-year prison sentence final and forwarding it to the Sentence Enforcement Unit. In that part of the case, the Khuzestan Province Criminal Court (Branch One) had sentenced him to 14 years in prison on charges of murder and possession of a firearm. The most severe punishment, i.e., 10 years in prison, was deemed enforceable.

Abbas Deris was arrested on December 8, 2019, along with his brother Mohsen, by agents of the Abolfazl Abbas Base Intelligence Division.

Deris, aged approximately 52, is the father of three children. While he acknowledged taking part in the November 18, 2019 protests in Chamran Town, he has denied any involvement in burning tires or blocking roads.

After 20 Years in Prison, Ali Halafi Granted Medical Furlough

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News, Prisoners
Ali Halafi, HRANA, moharebeh, Sheiban Prison

HRANA – After 20 years in prison and years of being denied adequate medical care, political prisoner Ali Halafi was granted a seven-day medical furlough today from Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, after posting bail.

According to HRANA, political prisoner Ali Halafi was temporarily released from Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz for medical treatment after serving two decades behind bars. Halafi suffers from gastrointestinal and pulmonary diseases, bleeding hemorrhoids, and knee problems, and has long been deprived of proper medical care. His temporary medical leave was granted upon posting bail of 51 billion rials for a period of seven days.

He was arrested in 2005 in connection with the “Ahvaz Salman Farsi Street explosion” case. Although he was not among the main defendants, he was convicted of “enmity against God (moharebeh)” and sentenced to 30 years in prison, a verdict later upheld on appeal.

Halafi had previously been transferred among several prisons, including Karun Prison in Ahvaz, Gonabad Prison, Masjed Soleiman Prison, and Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz. Due to his deteriorating health, he has now been granted a short-term release from custody.

Ali Halafi, approximately 59, is the father of three daughters and one son. HRANA has previously published a detailed report on his imprisonment conditions and case.

Updated Report: Number of Executions in Qom Prison Rises to Two

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Javad Naeimi, Qom prison, Sadegh Nik-Ravesh

HRANA – At dawn on Saturday, October 18, alongside the execution of Javad Naeimi, a prisoner previously sentenced to death on espionage charges, another prisoner was also executed in Qom Prison. The latter had been sentenced to death for murder.

Earlier, the head of the Qom Judiciary and the province’s Judicial Council had announced the execution of a man convicted of “spying for Israel.” HRANA has since identified this individual as Javad Naeimi. In addition to Naeimi’s execution, another prisoner, identified as Sadegh Nik-Ravesh, was also executed that same day in Qom Prison.

According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Nik-Ravesh had previously been arrested on murder charges and later sentenced to death by the Criminal Court.

As of the time of this report, the execution of Sadegh Nik-Ravesh has not been officially announced by prison authorities or other responsible institutions.

From the beginning of this year until the end of September, the Islamic Republic of Iran has carried out 1,028 executions, reflecting an unprecedented surge compared to previous years.

Two Prisoners Executed in Yazd Prison

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Executions, News
Azim Dastavar, HRANA, Yazd Prison

HRANA – At dawn on Tuesday, October 21, the death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted of murder were carried out in Yazd Prison.

HRANA has identified one of the executed individuals as Azim Dastavar. Based on information received by HRANA, the prisoners had been arrested earlier on murder charges and later sentenced to death by the Criminal Court.

Further details, including the identity of the second executed prisoner, are under investigation by HRANA.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially announced by prison authorities or other responsible institutions.

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.

Drug-Related Charges: Two Prisoners Executed in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz

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Executions, News
Adelabad Prison, Alireza Keshavarz, HRANA, Nader Abdi, Shiraz

HRANA – At dawn today, Wednesday, October 22, the death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted on drug-related charges were carried out in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz.

HRANA has identified the executed prisoners as Nader Abdi and Alireza Keshavarz, who were hanged early this morning.

According to information received by HRANA, the two men had been arrested earlier on charges related to drug offenses and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, prison officials and relevant authorities have not publicly announced these executions.

According to HRANA’s statistics, in 2024, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz witnessed the execution of 92 inmates — an 88% increase compared to the previous year. This sharp rise places Adelabad as the second deadliest prison in Iran after Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

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Mohsen Parish Arrested in Meshkindasht

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Meshkindasht, Mohsen Parish

HRANA – Mohsen Parish, a resident of Meshkindasht, Karaj, was arrested yesterday, October 21, by security forces in front of his home and transferred to Karaj Central Penitentiary.

A source close to his family confirmed the news to HRANA, saying: “Mr. Parish was arrested this Tuesday in front of his residence in Meshkindasht, Karaj. The agents used violence during the arrest. After being detained, he was taken to Branch 6 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Meshkindasht. A few hours later, following the formal announcement of charges, he was transferred to Karaj Central Penitentiary.”

According to information obtained by HRANA, after Parish’s arrest, agents prevented his family from entering the courthouse. When he was transferred to prison, visible injuries were observed on his elbow and neck. His mobile phone was also confiscated by agents from the Ministry of Intelligence. The prosecutor in charge of his case has reportedly set bail at 750 million tomans.

As of the time of this report, the exact charges against this citizen remain unknown.

Mohsen Parish has previously been arrested and faced judicial proceedings due to his activism. He was among those injured during the November 2019 protests and was arrested again in 2020. In a two-part case, he was convicted on charges including “insulting the Prophet,” “insulting sacred values,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “acting against national security through calling for anti-regime demonstrations.” He was sentenced to imprisonment and flogging. Parish was eventually released under a general amnesty in early 2023.

Drug-Related Crimes: Three Afghan Nationals Executed in Taybad Prison

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Executions, News
HRANA, Taybad Prison

HRANA – At dawn on Monday, October 20, the death sentences of three Afghan nationals previously convicted on drug-related charges were carried out in Taybad Prison.

All three individuals, who were Afghan nationals, were hanged at dawn on Monday. They had previously been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court on charges related to drug offenses.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, two of the prisoners were convicted in a joint case, and one of them was known inside the prison by the alias “Khaled.”

Further details, including the identities of the executed individuals, are still being investigated by HRANA.

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

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.

Execution of Two Prisoners in Shahr-e Kord

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Executions, News
Moslem Soleimani Dehkordi, Samad Azizi, Shahr-e Kord

At dawn on Sunday, October 19, two prisoners were executed in Shahr-e Kord Prison.

HRANA has identified one of the executed prisoners as Samad Azizi, while Iran Human Rights has identified the second as Moslem Soleimani Dehkordi, aged 40 and a resident of Shahr-e Kord.

Both prisoners had been sentenced to death on murder charges.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially announced by prison or judicial authorities.

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.

Execution of Two Prisoners, Including a Juvenile Offender, in Sepidar Prison, Ahvaz

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Freedom of Expression, News
ahvaz, Ali Aghajeri Peyvand, Behbahan, Sajad Shokri, Sepidar Prison

HRANA – At dawn on Monday, October 20, the death sentences of two prisoners, including a juvenile offender, were carried out in Sepidar Prison, Ahvaz. Both individuals had previously been convicted of murder.

HRANA has identified the executed prisoners as Ali Aghajeri Peyvand, a resident of Behbahan, and Sajad Shokri.

According to information obtained by HRANA, five years ago, when Aghajeri was 17 years old, he was arrested following a group altercation over farmland that led to one person’s death. He was subsequently sentenced to death by a criminal court.

A source close to the prisoner’s family confirmed the execution, noting that despite years of efforts by Aghajeri’s family to obtain the victim’s family’s consent and pay blood money (diya), these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.

Based on HRANA’s findings, Mr. Shokri had also been arrested on a murder charge and later sentenced to death by a criminal court.

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

Baháʼís in Iran: Nine Homes Raided and Seven Citizens Arrested in a Single Day

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News, Religious Minorities
Adib Rahmani, Armaghan Enayati, Baháʼí community, Fahim Agahi, Hengameh Sharifi, HRANA, Matin Agahi, Negar Misaghian, Shakib Farzan

HRANA – In a new wave of security and judicial pressure against members of the Baháʼí community in Iran, on Monday, October 20, the homes of at least nine Baháʼí citizens in Tehran, Shiraz, Semnan, Zahedan, and Sari were raided by security forces.

Seven Baháʼí citizens, identified as Fahim Agahi, Matin Agahi, Hengameh Sharifi, Adib Rahmani, Negar Misaghian, Shakib Farzan, and Armaghan Enayati, were arrested.

According to HRANA, security forces carried out coordinated operations targeting Baháʼí citizens across several cities. In addition to the seven arrests, the homes of Saman Eslami in Zahedan and Aruna Kowsari in Tehran were also searched.

Security agents reportedly conducted full searches of the residences, seizing electronic equipment, communication devices, books, and personal belongings. Eyewitnesses said the raids were carried out in an atmosphere of intimidation and fear.

According to HRANA’s earlier report, Negar Misaghian and Mahboob Habibi were transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility (Plaque 100) in Shiraz following their arrest. The location of the other detainees remains unknown.

The reasons for the arrests and the charges against these seven Baháʼí citizens have not yet been disclosed, and HRANA continues to investigate.

Negar Misaghian and Mahboob Habibi have previously faced arrest and judicial harassment for their faith and related activities. Armaghan Enayati and Adib Rahmani were previously expelled from Iranian universities due to their Baháʼí beliefs.

These raids and arrests come amid an ongoing pattern of systematic persecution of Baháʼí citizens across Iran. In recent months, Baháʼís in various cities have faced repeated waves of arrest, property confiscation, business closures, and social exclusion under vague and recurring accusations such as “propaganda against the regime,” “acting against national security,” and “membership in an illegal group.”

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.