Category: News

Faramarz Se-Dehi Sentenced to One Year in Prison

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Behbahan, Faramarz Se-Dehi, Khuzestan

HRANA – Faramarz Se-Dehi, a poet and member of the Iranian Writers’ Association, has been sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 104 of the Behbahan Criminal Court.

Farshteh Tabanian, Mr. Se-Dehi’s lawyer, wrote in a post regarding this case that he was sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of “insulting sacred values.”

Earlier, a court hearing addressing Faramarz Se-Dehi’s charge had been held in Branch 104 of the Behbahan Criminal Court (Second).

In April 2024, in a separate case, Faramarz Se-Dehi had also been sentenced to over 22 months in prison by Branch 1 of the Mahshahr Revolutionary Court.

Mr. Se-dehi was formally charged on February 17, 2025, by the Second Branch of the Behbahan Prosecutor’s Office and released on bail.

Faramarz Se-Dehi, a poet from Khuzestan and a member of the Iranian Writers’ Association, has previously faced convictions related to his activities.

Two prisoners executed in Sepidar Prison of Ahvaz

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
ahvaz, Sepidar Prison

HRANA – Yesterday, October 28, the death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted of murder were carried out in Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz.

The two prisoners, who had been sentenced to death on charges of murder, were hanged. Further details, including the identities of those executed, are still being investigated by HRANA.

At the time of this report, the executions have not yet been announced by prison officials 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.

Supreme Court’s Retrial Leaves Behfar Lalezari’s Five-Year Prison Sentence Unchanged

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Behfar Lalezari, Evin Prison, HRANA, بهفر لاله زاری

HRANA – The prison sentence of Behfar Lalezari, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, remained unchanged after the Supreme Court accepted his request for a retrial and referred the case to an equivalent branch. Branch 21 of the Tehran Court of Appeals has again sentenced him to five years in prison in its new ruling.

Based on information received by HRANA, after the Supreme Court accepted the retrial request, Branch 21 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, acting as an equivalent branch, reissued Mr. Lalezari’s previous five-year prison sentence.

A source close to the family of this political prisoner confirmed the news to HRANA and said: “This new ruling has been issued even though the judge of Branch 39 of the Supreme Court had declared in his opinion that no actual criminal act had taken place in this case. The individuals involved merely exchanged views and conversations opposing the political system. He emphasized that the appropriate charge in this case would only be ‘propaganda against the regime,’ punishable by three months to one year in prison. The charge of ‘assembly and collusion against national security’ was deemed unlawful.”

It should be noted that during the past year, two previous requests for retrial by this political prisoner had been rejected.

Mr. Lalezari had previously been sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to four years in prison for “assembly and collusion against internal security” and one year for “propaganda against the regime,” totaling five years of imprisonment. The verdict was fully upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals.

Behfar Lalezari was arrested by security forces at his private residence on September 18, 2023. After seven days in solitary confinement in the Security Police’s detention cells, he was transferred to Evin Prison.

This political prisoner, who suffers from multiple health problems, has so far submitted nine requests for medical furlough, all of which have been denied by prison authorities.

Pardon and Sentence Reduction Granted to 115 Security Prisoners

Posted on by . .
News, Other
Asghar Jahangir, HRANA

HRANA – The spokesperson for Iran’s Judiciary announced that the Supreme Leader has agreed to the conditional pardon and sentence reduction of 115 individuals convicted on security-related charges. According to the spokesperson, this process will continue until late December, when the final number of pardoned individuals will be officially announced.

According to HRANA, quoting IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting), the Judiciary’s spokesperson provided details regarding the number of prisoners granted conditional pardon and sentence reductions.

On Tuesday, October 28, Asghar Jahangir stated that Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, had so far approved the conditional pardon and commutation of sentences for 115 security prisoners on the occasion of the birth anniversaries of the Prophet of Islam and the sixth Shia Imam.

Mr. Jahangir added that this process will continue until the end of December, when the final figures will be made public. He also promised that with the inclusion of additional cases, a greater number of security prisoners will benefit from this pardon.

Earlier, in September 2025, state media reported that the Supreme Leader had approved the Judiciary Chief’s proposal for the pardon and reduction of sentences for certain convicts. Official news agencies clarified that this pardon only applies to prisoners in so-called “security” cases whose sentences were issued at least five years ago and who have not engaged in any “anti-security” activities or statements during that time. Furthermore, the person’s sentence must not yet have been fully executed, a condition that effectively excludes many political and ideological prisoners.

In addition, a wide range of offenses, including “security-related crimes,” espionage, and collaboration with hostile states,” were explicitly excluded from eligibility for the pardon.

A Prisoner Executed in Gorgan Prison

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Citizen execution, Gorgan Prison, Saeed Hadadian, گرگان

HRANA – Today, October 28, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted on drug-related charges was carried out in Gorgan Prison.

HRANA has identified the prisoner, who was hanged at dawn on Tuesday, October 28, as Saeed Hadadian. Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Hadadian had earlier been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

At the time of this report, the execution has not been announced by prison authorities or other official bodies.

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.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Heavy Prison Sentences Issued for Six Residents of West Azerbaijan Province

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Bukan, Hassan Mamil Azar, Heyman Mam Ghaderi, Mahabad, Mansour Karbalaie, Miandoab, Salar Bayazidi Azar, Yousef Mam Ghaderi

HRANA – Six citizens from the cities of Mahabad, Bukan, and Miandoab, Yousef Mam Ghaderi, Heyman Mam Ghaderi, Salar Bayazidi Azar, Mansour Karbalaie, Hassan Mamil Azar, and Salar Seyed Rahimi, were each sentenced to ten years in prison by Branch 1 of the Mahabad Revolutionary Court.

According to Kurdpa, on Saturday, October 25, the preliminary verdicts for these six residents of West Azerbaijan Province were issued. Presided over by Judge Ahad Siyami, Branch 1 of the Mahabad Revolutionary Court sentenced each of them to ten years and one day in prison on charges including acting against national security and membership in one of the opposition parties to the Iranian government.

According to the same report, in connection with this case, a death sentence in absentia was issued for another defendant, Kavis Abdollahzadeh Aghdam, on the charge of “baghi” (armed rebellion). He reportedly left Iran after being temporarily released, and no further details are available about his legal proceedings.

Yousef Mam Ghaderi and Heyman Mam Ghaderi, both residents of Bukan, Salar Bayazidi Azar from Mahabad, and Mansour Karbalaie, Hassan Mamil Azar, and Salar Seyed Rahimi, all from Miandoab, were arrested by security forces between June 25 and June 30, 2022.

After their arrests, they were transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Urmia for interrogation, and later moved to Bukan Prison. They were eventually released on bail after the investigation phase was completed.

Prison Sentences for Three Azerbaijani-Turk Activists Upheld by the Supreme Court

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Araz Aman Zeinabad, Ayaz Seifkhah, Azerbaijani Turk activists, Bagher Hajizadeh

HRANA – The prison sentences of Azerbaijani-Turk activists Ayaz Seifkhah, Araz Aman Zeinabad, and Baqer Hajizadeh Mazraeh have been upheld by the Supreme Court. The three had previously been sentenced by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to a combined total of 40 years in prison.

According to HRANA, the sentences were confirmed by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Kuhkamari. Based on the ruling of the country’s highest judicial authority, Ayaz Seifkhah was sentenced to 14 years in prison, while Araz Aman and Baqer Hajizadeh were each sentenced to 13 years in prison.

The prison terms issued against these three political defendants were previously upheld in January 2024 by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals.

The three were tried in October 2024 by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati. According to the verdict, Ayaz Seifkhah was sentenced to nine years in prison for espionage and five years for “assembly and collusion against national security.” Araz Aman and Bagher Hajizadeh were each sentenced to eight years for espionage and five years for “assembly and collusion against national security.”

In addition, all three were sentenced to two years of deprivation from membership in political parties, media activity, and social media presence, as well as a two-year travel ban as complementary punishments.

Hearings on their cases, along with several other political defendants, were previously held at the same court, during which they defended themselves against the charges.

All these Azerbaijani-Turk activists were arrested in February 2024 by security forces and later transferred to Evin Prison.

Execution of Fourteen Prisoners in Various Prisons

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Aligudarz Prison, Borujerd, Dastgerd Prison, Gilan province, Isfahan, Lakan prison, Rasht, Tabriz, Zanjan Prison

HRANA – In recent days, fourteen prisoners were hanged in different prisons across Iran.

On Tuesday, October 21, Fardin Vafaipour, 43, father of two and a resident of Borujerd, was executed in the city’s prison. According to Iran Human Rights, Mr. Vafaipour had been arrested four years ago on charges related to drug offenses and was later sentenced to death by the judiciary.

On Wednesday, October 22, Marouf Fattahi, 30, from Tabriz, was hanged in the city’s prison, Iran Human Rights reported. According to the report, Mr. Fattahi was arrested five years ago on a murder charge stemming from a street fight and was subsequently sentenced to death by a criminal court.

According to HRANA, on Saturday, October 25, Lakan Prison in Rasht, Gilan Province, witnessed the execution of three prisoners on drug-related charges. HRANA has identified one of them as Farhad Hatami.

That same day, Iran Human Rights reported the execution of two prisoners in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan. The identities of the prisoners were reported as Farhang Taheri and Ammar Pourmansouri, both residents of Ahvaz. The two were executed in a joint case on charges related to drug offenses.

On Sunday, October 26, Mehrdad Moradi was executed in Arak Prison on drug-related charges. He had been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

On the same day, another prisoner named Manouchehr Mahaki was hanged in Aligudarz Prison. According to information received by HRANA, Mr. Mahaki had previously been arrested on a murder charge and later sentenced to death by a criminal court.

Also on Sunday, three prisoners were executed in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz. HRANA has identified one of them, known only by the surname Dehghani. According to HRANA’s information, Mr. Dehghani had been arrested earlier on a murder charge and later sentenced to death by a criminal court. The other two prisoners had been separately arrested on drug-related charges and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

Additionally, Haal Vsh reported the execution of another prisoner named Mohammad Omar Zardkouhi, 28, in Zahedan Prison.

Finally, on Monday, October 27, a prisoner named Hamid Rafiei was executed in Zanjan Prison on a murder charge.

At the time of this report, the executions of these prisoners have not been announced by prison officials or relevant authorities.

Two Prisoners Executed in Hamedan Prison on Drug-Related Charges

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Asghar Manafi, Hamedan prison, Mohsen Davarpanah

HRANA – At dawn on Saturday, October 25, 2025, the death sentences of two prisoners previously convicted on drug-related charges were carried out in Hamedan Prison.

HRANA has identified the executed prisoners as Asghar Manafi and Mohsen Davarpanah.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Manafi and Mr. Davarpanah had been arrested earlier on charges related to drug offenses and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Courts.

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

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.

Supreme Court Overturns Death Sentences of Five Protest Detainees from the 2022 Nationwide Protests

Posted on by . .
Executions, Freedom of Expression, News
Kaveh Salehi, Pejman Soltani, Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, Salimi Babamiri, Teyfour Salimi Babamiri

HRANA – The Supreme Court has overturned the death sentences of Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, Pejman Soltani, Ali (Soran) Ghasemi, Kaveh Salehi, and Teyfour Salimi Babamiri, five individuals arrested during the 2022 nationwide protests, whose execution verdicts had previously been issued by the Urmia Revolutionary Court.

Following the ruling, the cases of these individuals have been referred to the Mahabad Revolutionary Court for retrial. It is worth noting that Salimi Babamiri, after being temporarily released, has since left Iran.

These five individuals were tried in a joint case by Branch 1 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court and sentenced to death and imprisonment. The charges against them included “armed rebellion (baghi),” “enmity against God (moharebeh),” and “leadership and formation of an armed insurgent group.” According to the original verdicts, four of them had been sentenced to death more than once. The verdicts were delivered to their defense attorneys on Monday, July 7, 2025.

Specifically, Ghasemi, Soltani, and Salehi were each sentenced to death three times on the charges of baghi, moharebeh, and forming and leading an insurgent group; Rezgar Bigzadeh Babamiri was sentenced to death twice; and Tifour Salimi Babamiri received one death sentence for forming and leading an insurgent group. In addition, eight other defendants in the same case were sentenced to prison terms and fines.

Currently, Soltani, Rezgar Babamiri, Salehi, and Ghasemi are being held in Urmia Prison. These individuals had previously been sentenced respectively to death, 15 years in prison, and 10 years in prison on the charge of “killing a security agent.”

They were arrested in April 2023, while Tifour Salimi Babamiri was detained in March 2023. Salimi Babamiri was released approximately 18 months after his arrest.