Category: News

Iranian Government Inaction over Human Trafficking Criticized

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Other

HRANA- In its annual report, the United States Department of State criticizes the Iranian government for its lack of cooperation in the implementation and enforcement of the most basic laws to combat forced slavery and human trafficking.

According to Radio Farda, the report names Iran as the center for the trafficking men, women, and children for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. The report states that women are trafficked for the purposes of prostitution and forced marriages.

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One prisoner hanged in Semnan, Iran

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Executions
Mohamad Sadigh Nia

HRANA News Agency – The Judiciary authorities in Semnan said one prisoner convicted of drug trafficking was hanged in Semnan prison on Monday, December 10, 2012.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), quoted from Mehr News agency, Mohamad Sadigh Nia told reporters: ” The prisoner – M. H. – convicted of trafficking 3.750 Kg drugs was executed in Semnan central prison.

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Political prisoner Dr. Assadollah Assadi in grave danger in 10th day of hunger strike

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Prisoners
Assadollah Assadi

HRANA News Agency – Dr. Assadollah Assadi, a political prisoner in Evin is in grave danger due to continuing his hunger strike in protest of his situation.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), This political activist is in hunger strike from Friday, November 16, 2012 in protest of his medical leave rejection by prison’s authorities.
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New wave of the arrest of Baha’i citizens in Golestan Provence, Iran

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Religious Minorities
Kamelia Bidelian, Navid Moalemi, Shahnam Jazbani, Shohreh Samimi

HRANA News Agency – From Wednesday morning, the new wave of the arrest of Baha’i citizens in Golestan Provence of Iran has been began by security forces.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), From Wednesday October 17, security forces arrested several Baha’i citizens in Minoodasht in Golestan Provence, simultaneously.

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Checkpoints & Inspection Stations Throughout Western Provinces

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Ethnic Minorities
Naleh Shakineh

HRANA News Agency – During the last few days, Iranian security and military forces have been placed on alert in different regions of Kermanshah Province and the city of Kamyaran.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), military forces have been positioned in all roads leading into and out of Kermanshah and Kamyaran.Furthermore, checkpoints and inspection stations have been set up between these locations and the neighboring cities. The heavy presence of security forces has created a tense military atmosphere throughout these regions.

Plain clothes agents working for the Intelligence Bureau of IRGC have been stopping vehicles and conducting searches and interrogations in Naleh Shakineh Road, Shamshir Road, the gates leading into the cities of Paveh and Nosod and also along Ghazanchi Highway.
It has been reported that plain clothes agents ambush vehicles at night throughout the region to perform searches and question the passengers.As a result, a tense atmosphere of fear and apprehension hangs over Iran’s western provinces.In several incidents, native Basiji Militia members with concealed faces have harassed and insulted passengers and local residents.

Sahel Ghanbari’s Letter to Her Father

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Freedom of Expression
Abdolreza Ghanbari, Sahel Ghanbari

HRANA News Agency – Abdolreza Ghanbari is a 42 year old high school teacher from the poverty stricken regions of Ghiamdasht in Varamin County and holds a PhD degree in Literature and Persian Language.He was arrested on December 27, 2009 during Ashura protests for participating in and videotaping the demonstrations and subsequently tried on charges of Enmity Against God (Moharebeh).Presiding over the Revolutionary Court, Branch 15, Judge Salavati sentenced him to death, and this verdict was upheld by Judge Zargar during the proceedings in the Provincial Appeals Court, Branch 36.

On Friday, August 12, 2011, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that the Amnesty and Clemency Commission has rejected Abdolreza Ghanbari’s plea for reprieve, and the death penalty verdict has been referred to the Revolutionary Court’s Enforcement Unit to be carried out.

The following letter was written by Sahel Ghanbari on Father’s Day in February 2011:

Dear Daddy:
I hope you’re doing fine.Today is one of those days that you’re not with me.Whenever I miss you, I write a letter or stare at the blue clock that you gave me for my birthday.I want to see high quickly time passes while you’re not beside me.I grow day after day and become taller.

Today is Father’s Day.We celebrated it in your absence and bought you some gifts.It has been six months since you haven’t been here with us.In your place, I put a picture of yours on the table, said congratulations and talked to it.I am hopeful that loving angels will carry my Father’s Day greetings to you.

Dear Daddy, today’s celebration was marred with Mom’s tears.There were lots of television programs for Father’s Day, but I couldn’t watch them because they kept showing kids giving flowers to their fathers and congratulating them.They were all so happy together.No one thought of children like us whose fathers were not with them.For this reason, I became very sad and turned off the television.

My dear Daddy, I have only one wish; that wish is for you to come back and stay with me forever.I am waiting for you so that you come back as soon as possible.

 

Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Pegah Ahangarani in Custody of Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Agency

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Freedom of Expression
Pegah Ahangarani

HRANA News Agency – On Sunday, July 10, 2011, four men and one woman entered Pegah Ahangarani’s house at 8:00pm, taking her and some of her personal belongings into custody.At the time of her arrest, the actress was home alone.Pegah Ahangarani was initially detained and held by Iran’s law enforcement intelligence apparatus until last night when she was released into the custody of the Intelligence and Security Organization of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Quoting an informed source, Deutsche Welle reported that Pegah Ahangarani contacted her mother briefly and was only able to say that she neither knew where she was nor what her crime was.

Pegah Ahangarani was scheduled to travel to Germany from July 4-12 to observe the events at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in order to write an editorial for Deutsche Welle.

One day before her trip to Germany, Iran’s Intelligence Agency contacted Pegah Ahangarani and warned her not to go to the airport.Otherwise, she would be arrested there.Consequently, Pegah Ahangarani cancelled her plans to travel to Germany.

Pegah Ahangarani’s last contact with her family was on Sunday, July 10, 2011 at about noon.Since then because there was no news from the actress, her family reported her disappearance.

Events Being Repeated

Similar to Pegah Ahangarani’s disappearance, Maryam Majd, an Iranian sports photo-journalist, was arrested in her house the night before her trip to Germany.Maryam Majd was expected to photograph the events at the FIFA Women’s World Cup as well.

In 2009, Deutsche Welle published an article authored by Pegah Ahangarani reporting on the events at Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).At the time before she traveled to Germany to report on Berlinale, threats were made against her in the state sponsored Keyhan newspaper, warning her not to sell out her country when she was abroad.

In addition to being an actress, Pegah Ahangarani is a documentary filmmaker.Her last documentary named “Dehnamakiha” is an unauthorized biography of Masoud Dehnamaki, a conservative Iranian activist and Hezbollah leader turned filmmaker.Dehnamakiha was shown by BBC Persian TV a few weeks ago.At the time of its release, Pegah Ahangarani was quoted to tell her friends that she was interrogated by the Iranian Intelligence Agency because of this documentary.

Manijeh Hekmat, an Iranian film director, is Pegah Ahangarani’s mother who has been silent so far about her daughter’s disappearance and has not granted any interviews.HRANA’s attempts to reach Manijeh Hekmat have been unsuccessful.

 

The Editor of Andisheh Arrested

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Freedom of Expression
Rahman Boozari

HRANA News Agency – Rahman Boozari, a journalist and translator, was arrested Sunday morning on May 29, 2011, after being summoned to the court in Evin Prison.Since he was detained, Rahman Boozari has not contacted his family.

According to a report by Saham News, on Saturday, May 28, 2011, security forces raided Rahman Boozari’s house and after searching the house, confiscated his laptop.

Rahman Boozari is a journalist who has worked for Hammihan, Kargozaran and a few other reformist newspapers.Recently, he has been the editor of Andisheh at Shargh Newspaper and has been translating philosophy books.

Ten-Year Imprisonment for Students Objecting to University Attacks

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Freedom of Expression, Students
Habib Farhzadi

 

HRANA News Agency – Following the investigations and trials to determine what happened during a state-sponsored attack on the dormitories of Tehran University on June 14, 2009, various verdicts ranging from prison term to fines have been issued.  However, these verdicts are all against students objecting to these attacks.  So far, several students of Tehran University have been sentenced to a total of ten years in prison in relation to the on-going trails.

 

According to a report by Daneshjoo News Agency, Judge Farati presided over a military court held by Armed Forces Judicial Organization in order to try and punish the perpetrators of attacks on the dormitories of Tehran University.  During these proceedings, four students have been sentenced to serve time in prison and also pay a fine.  On May 9, 2011, Iran’s Attorney General also announced that verdicts against 40 individuals in relation to these trials have been issued.  So far, only student activists and victims of these attacks have faced punishment and were arrested by Armed Forces Judicial Organization.

 

Daneshjoo News Agency has reported that Avat Rezenia, a Kurdish PhD student in Communications Studies, has been charged with disturbing the peace and public order and sentenced to three months suspended prison term and also 74 lashes which may be substituted by $3,000 fine.  Additionally, Habib Farhzadi has been sentenced to ten months in prison with five months suspended term for a period of four years and 74 lashes which may be substituted by $500 fine. These rulings are preliminary and may be appealed and overturned within 21 days.

 

Meanwhile, there has been no report of verdicts against the perpetrators of dormitory attacks, and only students who objected to these raids have been punished.

 

On June 14, 2009, after the presidential elections in Iran, plainclothes agents together with the riot police and the Special Units of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked the dormitories of Tehran University and arrested more than 100 students.  Additionally, during the last two years while a military court of Armed Forces Judicial Organization has been conducting formal investigations into these attacks, students have been summoned and arrested numerous times.