Category: News

Teacher and Union Activist Asghar Amirzadegan Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Asghar Amirzadegan, Firouzabad Prison, اصغر امیرزادگان

HRANA News Agency – Asghar Amirzadegan, a teacher and member of the teachers’ union in Fars province, has been sentenced in absentia to three years in prison by the Criminal Court of Firouzabad County.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Branch 101 of the Firouzabad Criminal Court issued the verdict on February 11, 2025. Amirzadegan was sentenced to two years for “insulting the Supreme Leader” and “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic” and an additional one year for “propaganda against the regime,” bringing his total prison term to three years.

This is not the first time Amirzadegan has faced imprisonment. In June 2023, Branch 1 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court sentenced him to five years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security.” This sentence was later upheld by Branch 37 of the Fars Province Court of Appeals.

He began serving his five-year sentence in November 2023 at Firouzabad Prison but was released in January 2024 after his appeal was accepted and his sentence was suspended.

However, in March 2024, he was convicted in a separate case and sentenced by the Firouzabad Revolutionary Court to one year in prison for “propaganda against the regime,” following a complaint by the Firouzabad prosecutor.

Earlier this month, Amirzadegan was arrested again and transferred to Firouzabad Prison to serve his latest sentence.

A long-time advocate for teachers’ rights, Amirzadegan has been repeatedly arrested and sentenced due to his activism.

British Couple Arrested in Kerman Identified as Craig and Lindsay Foreman

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News, Other
Craig Foreman, HRANA, Kerman, Lindsay Foreman

HRANA News Agency – The identities of a British couple previously arrested in Kerman have been confirmed for the first time. The two individuals, Craig and Lindsay Foreman, are currently in detention on security-related charges.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the couple’s family released a statement yesterday confirming their identities and expressing concern for their well-being. They also stated that they are cooperating with the UK government to ensure their safety and secure their return home.

Last Thursday, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Kerman province announced in a statement that Hugo Shorter, the UK ambassador to Iran, had met with these security-related detainees at the prosecutor’s office in Kerman.

The couple, both in their early 50s, had entered Iran as part of a worldwide motorcycle trip and had planned to travel to Pakistan after a short stay.

No details regarding the charges against the two British citizens have been disclosed so far.

In recent years, Iranian authorities have arrested multiple foreign nationals on charges such as espionage or collaboration with hostile governments. Some of these detainees have been released following political negotiations. Human rights organizations and several Western governments have accused Iran of using such arrests as leverage in diplomatic disputes—an allegation Iranian authorities have consistently denied.

Mohammad-Bagher Bakhtiar Arrested during Protest in Front of Tehran University

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Freedom of Expression, News
Hanieh Bakhtiar, irgc, Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mohammad-Bagher Bakhtiar, Zahra Rahnavard, محمد باقر بختیار

HRANA News Agency – Mohammad-Bagher Bakhtiar, an injured veteran of the Iran-Iraq war and a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was arrested during Thursday’s protest in Tehran against the continued house arrest of three political figures. His whereabouts remain unknown.

His daughter, Hanieh Bakhtiar, stated that while most detainees have been released, her father remains in custody, and the family has no information on his location.

She highlighted her father’s 70 months of service on the frontlines during the Iran-Iraq war and his war-related health issues, including lung damage from mustard gas exposure, neurological conditions caused by blast waves, and diabetes. She emphasized that he requires regular medication and continuous medical care, but since his arrest, he has been denied access to his medication, putting his physical and mental health at serious risk.

Despite a heavy security presence, a protest was held yesterday in front of Tehran University to oppose the continued house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi. Several demonstrators were arrested during the gathering.

It is worth noting that Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi have been under house arrest since February 2011.

Two Months After Arrest at Mehrabad Airport: Amirhossein Mousavi Still in Limbo

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News, Prisoners
Amirhossein Mousavi, Reza Shafakhah

HRANA News Agency – Reza Shafakhah, a defense attorney, has announced that his client, Amirhossein Mousavi, was arrested nearly two months ago at Mehrabad Airport and remains in an uncertain situation.

Reza Shafakhah stated that Mousavi’s account on the social media platform X had been monitored for about six months, leading to his identification and subsequent arrest. He was detained on December 18 at Mehrabad Airport while preparing to travel to Kish Island. He has now been held in temporary detention for nearly two months, and his family is deeply concerned about his situation.

As of the time of this report, there is no information regarding the reasons for his arrest, the charges against him, or his place of detention.

Amirhossein Mousavi, 40 years old, was active on X under the username “James Bi Din (a play on ‘Irreligious James’)” before his arrest.

Arrests During Protest in Front of Tehran University

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Freedom of Expression, News
Akbar Danesh Sararoudi, Hossein Mousavi, Javad Dordkeshan, Mahmoud Dordkeshan, Mehdi Karroubi, Naser Daneshfar, Rahim Ghomeishi, Soleimani Ardestani, Zahra Rahnavard

HRANA News Agency – During the past two days, several protesters were arrested in front of Tehran University during a gathering against the continued house arrest of three political figures.

Despite a heavy security presence, a gathering took place yesterday in front of Tehran University to protest the ongoing house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi. Reports indicate that several individuals were arrested at the protest, following the detention of at least six political activists yesterday. These activists, most of whom are veterans of the Iran-Iraq war, were arrested in connection with calls to attend the demonstration.

Jamaran News reported that two of the detainees from yesterday’s protest were Saeed and Saeedeh Montazeri, the children of Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, a senior Shia cleric. Additionally, Didban Iran News Agency confirmed the arrest of Hossein Loqmanian, a former member of Iran’s Sixth Parliament, along with his brother.

On Wednesday, prior to the demonstration, individuals such as Rahim Ghomeishi, Naser Daneshfar, and Akbar Danesh Sararoudi were arrested in connection with calls for participation in the protest. Some state-affiliated media outlets reported yesterday that Mahmoud Dordkeshan, Javad Dordkeshan, and Soleimani Ardestani were also arrested.

Among the detainees, Mahmoud Dordkeshan, Javad Dordkeshan, Hossein Loqmanian, and Saeed and Saeedeh Montazeri were released a few hours after their detention.

It is worth noting that Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi have been under house arrest since February 2011.

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Visualizing Human Rights Violations in Iran: Download HRA’s Infographic Booklet

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News, Uncategorized
Annual report, HRA, infographic booklet

Each year, Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) publishes a comprehensive statistical analysis of human rights violations in Iran. The 2024 Annual Report presents data drawn from 9,487 reports collected from 116 NGOs and news sources, offering an in-depth overview of key areas such as women’s rights, workers’ rights, children’s rights, and prisoners’ rights over the past year.

In addition to this 86-page report, HRA has compiled key statistics into a visual infographic booklet, which you can download here:


The pages of this booklet are also available for separate download:

Prisoners’ Rights

Border Couriers

Capital Punishment

Women’s Rights

Religious/Ethnic Minorities

Labour Rights

Arbitrary Detention

Minoo Roozehdar Still in Limbo 25 Days After Arrest

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Minou Roozehdar, مینو روزه دار

HRANA News Agency – Minoo Roozehdar, a Tehran resident, remains in legal uncertainty in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, 25 days after her arrest. She was recently charged at Evin Prosecutor’s Office.

A source close to her family told HRANA: “She was recently charged at Branch 5 of Evin Prosecutor’s Office with ‘propaganda against the regime’ and ‘insulting the Supreme Leader and the founder of the Islamic Republic.’”

Roozehdar was arrested on January 20, 2025, by security forces in Tehran and taken to the IRGC Intelligence Detention Facility, known as Ward 1-A. After a week, she was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.

Roozehdar is a mother of three and remains in detention without clarity on the next steps in her case.

After Supreme Court Overturns Verdict, Death Sentence Reissued for Sharifeh Mohammadi

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Baghi, HRANA, Lakan prison, Rasht, Sharifeh Mohammadi

HRANA News Agency – Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist imprisoned in Lakan Prison in Rasht, has once again been sentenced to death by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht. Her initial death sentence had previously been overturned by the Supreme Court, and the case was referred to a parallel court for retrial.

Based on the ruling issued by Judge Darvish Goftar of Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht, which was delivered to her lawyers today, Mohammadi has been sentenced to death on charges of “armed rebellion (baghi) through membership in an opposition group.”

Mohammadi was sentenced to death on July 4, 2023, on charges of baghi (armed rebellion) due to her alleged membership in an opposition group. This sentence against the female labor activist triggered widespread public outcry.

Her trial, held on June 8, 2023, revolved around multiple charges, including propaganda against the regime, actions against national security, and baghi through her supposed affiliation with the group.

Mohammadi was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence at her home in Rasht on December 5, 2023. Later that month, she was transferred from Lakan Prison to Sanandaj Prison on December 30, only to be sent back to Lakan after some time.

A source close to her family told HRANA: “Sharifeh was a member of the Association of Labor Organizations until 2013, which has no ties to the Komala group. The charge of baghi is based on her alleged membership in this group, which is not true.”

Political Activists Akbar Danesh Sararoudi and Naser Daneshfar Arrested in Tehran

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Freedom of Expression, News
Akbar Danesh Sararoudi, Naser Daneshfar, Rahim Ghomeishi, Tehran

HRANA News Agency – Security forces in Tehran have arrested Akbar Danesh Sararoudi and Naser Daneshfar, transferring them to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, citing Ensaf News, the two activists were detained after recently calling for a gathering in front of the University of Tehran scheduled for Thursday.

In connection with these events, political activist Rahim Ghomeishi was also arrested by security forces in Tehran yesterday.

As of the time of this report, no information has been released regarding the charges against them or their current whereabouts.

Akbar Danesh Sararoudi, a political and media activist from Isfahan, has previously faced arrests and legal action due to his activism.

Naser Daneshfar, also a political activist, is a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war.

Diako Khezri Arrested by Security Forces in Mahabad

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News, Other
Mahabad, Shaho Khazri

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, February 12, Diako Khezri, the uncle of Shaho Khezri, one of the victims of the 2022 protests, was arrested by security forces in Mahabad and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to Kurdpa, security forces arrested Mr. Khezri at his private residence in Mahabad without presenting a court order.

As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding the reasons for his arrest, his whereabouts, or the charges against him.

Shaho Khezri, 21, was shot and killed on October 27, 2022, during nationwide protests in Mahabad.