Category: Prisoners

Unresolved Detention: Bijan Kazemi Still Held in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Bijan Kazemi, HRANA, Kuhdasht, بیژن کاظمی

HRANA News Agency – Bijan Kazemi, a resident of Kuhdasht,  remains in limbo in Evin Prison more than four months after his arrest.

Kazemi has been in detention for over four months and remains in an uncertain state. A source informed HRANA that Kazemi has been denied visitation rights and access to his lawyer. No legal proceedings have taken place regarding his case thus far.

Bijan Kazemi was transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison, on January 22, 2025. He was initially arrested by Intelligence Ministry agents in Kuhdasht, Lorestan province, on January 19, 2025.

As of the time of this report, the reasons for his arrest and the charges against him remain unknown.

Kazemi has previously faced legal action due to his activism.

Businessman Saeed Mohammadi Doraki Held in Legal Limbo in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, HRANA, Isfahan, Saeed Mohammadi Doraki

HRANA News Agency – Saeed Mohammadi Doraki, a 61-year-old businessman from Isfahan, remains in a state of legal limbo in Evin Prison more than a year after his arrest.

A source close to his family told HRANA: “Mr. Doraki has been held in Evin Prison for over a year without any clear judicial process. In protest of this indefinite detention, he is currently on a hunger strike.”

Doraki was arrested on April 21, 2024, upon arrival at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport after returning to Iran.

It is noteworthy that he had previously written a letter from prison claiming to offer solutions for improving Iran’s economic and social conditions. Some close to him believe these activities may have contributed to the continuation of his detention.

Saeed Mohammadi Doraki, a businessman originally from Isfahan, had been residing in Turkey prior to his arrest.

Death Row Inmate Aydin Shari’atmadar Killed During Escape Attempt

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News, Prisoners
Aydin Shari’atmadar, Ghezel Hesar, HRANA, آیدین شریعتمدار

HRANA – Aydin Shari’atmadar, a death row prisoner held for nearly two decades in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, was fatally shot by police on Saturday, June 7, during an attempted escape from Imam Ali Hospital.

According to the HRANA, Shari’atmadar had been transferred to the hospital due to internal bleeding. While hospitalized, he reportedly overpowered the accompanying officers with the help of armed individuals believed to be his relatives and attempted to flee. Police opened fire after issuing a warning, killing him at the scene.

News of Shari’atmadar’s death sparked protests among inmates at Ghezel Hesar. Dozens of prisoners reportedly chanted slogans such as “Freedom or death,” and for several hours, they prevented the prison yard gates from being closed.

The protest prompted a heightened security presence inside the facility. Unconfirmed reports also suggest limited clashes between inmates and prison guards, though no official statements have been released regarding the incident.

Ongoing Detention of 19 “Yamani” Followers in Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Alireza Salim Kaviani, Amin-Akbari, Amir Zohan, Amir Zorami, Emad Eftetahi, Ghasem Hatami, Hamed Nejad-Nik, HRANA, IRGC forces, Mashhad, Mohammad Hossein Nazarnajhad, Mohammad Kazem Fathi, Mostafa Tavana, Reza Ghiasi, Sajjad Rezvan, Seyed Ali Hosseini, Seyed Yahya Tarrahomi, Vakilabad prison, Yamani

HRANA News Agency – Nineteen individuals affiliated with the “Yamani” religious movement, remain in legal limbo in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, one week after their arrest.

These detainees are Amir Zorami, Amin Akbari, Reza Ghiasi, Amir Zohan, Seyed Yahya Tarrahomi, Hamed Nejad-Nik, Emad Eftetahi, Alireza Salim Kaviani, Ghasem Hatami, Seyed Ali Hosseini, Sajjad Rezvan, Mohammad Hossein Nazarnajhad, Mostafa Tavana, Mohammad Kazem Fathi, and five others.

Based on information received by HRANA, these individuals were arrested by IRGC forces while attending a religious gathering.

As of the time of this report, no information has been released regarding the charges brought against these citizens.

Every year in Iran, individuals are arrested merely for claiming a connection to the Shi’a messianic figure, the Hidden Imam. The “Yemeni” movement, led by Ahmad al-Hasan Yamani, operates based on messianic claims related to Mahdism.

Iran’s security apparatus—particularly the Ministry of Intelligence—maintains dedicated divisions tasked with confronting religions, spiritual groups, and ideological-religious communities that do not align with the state’s official ideology.

Parivash Moslemi on Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Mahsa Amini, Parivash Moslemi, Qarchak Varamin, پریوش مسلمی

HRANA News Agency – Parivash Moslemi, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been on a hunger strike since Saturday, June 7, in protest against the opening of a new judicial case against her.

Based on information received by HRANA, Moslemi began her hunger strike on Saturday, June 7. The protest is in response to the opening of a new case against her, in which she is charged with “spreading falsehoods.” This charge relates to a time before she had reported to prison to serve her sentence.

A source close to her family confirmed the news to HRANA and stated: “Ms. Moslemi was initially promised conditional release, but was later informed of a new case filed against her. She began the hunger strike in protest against this abrupt change in legal proceedings and the authorities’ broken promise.”

It is worth noting that Moslemi, who suffers from multiple health conditions, had previously gone on hunger strike to protest the lack of medical attention for her condition.

Moslemi had previously been arrested by security forces in April 2024 in the city of Noor and was released three days later from a security detention facility in the city. She was re-arrested on July 7, 2024, after reporting to the Evin Prosecutor’s Office and was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.

Moslemi was sentenced by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on August 20, 2024, to a total of three years and eight months in prison. She received two years for “assembly and collusion,” one year for “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.”

She was also arrested in September 2023, during the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, by security forces and released a month later from Qarchak Varamin Prison after posting bail.

HRANA’s data from the past decade shows that during this ten-year period, over 2,050 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Iran prisons have been forced to go on hunger strike in protest of various abuses—including prolonged detention, being held in legal limbo, unfair trials, poor prison conditions, and being held in solitary confinement or alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes.

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Family Concern Grows Over Incommunicado Detention of Farhad Kadkhoda-Ghaderi

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News, Prisoners
Farhad Kadkhoda, HRANA, irgc, Kadkhoda-Ghaderi, Mahabad, فرهاد کدخدا قادری

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.

Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence of Political Prisoner Azad Shojaei

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Azad Shojaei, Edris Ali, HRANA, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Rasoul Ahmad Mohammad

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.

Political Prisoner Sayeh Seydal Hospitalized Amid Ongoing Hunger Strike

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Evin Prosecutor, Iman Afshari, Mahvash Seydal

HRANA News Agency – Mahvash (Sayeh) Seydal, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, is now on the eighth day of her hunger and medication strike. Despite a serious decline in her health that led to her transfer to the hospital last night, she was returned to prison in poor physical condition.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Sayeh Seydal continues her hunger and medication strike in Evin Prison for the eighth consecutive day.

On the night of June 1, Seydal was transferred from prison to a hospital due to worsening health. Medical tests revealed the presence of a hemorrhagic cyst. She refused to take prescribed medication and, despite her critical condition, was returned to prison.
Seydal began her hunger and medication strike on May 26, 2025, in protest against the lack of adequate medical care in prison.

On March 10, 2025, Seydal was formally charged in Branch 3 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office in connection with a new case opened during her incarceration, facing accusations of property damage and disturbing public order.

She had been granted furlough on February 3, 2025. During that time, she posted on Instagram that upon reporting to Branch 1 of the Sentence Enforcement Office at Evin Prosecutor’s Office, she was physically assaulted and insulted by a security officer for refusing to wear a chador. Seydal stated that when she attempted to file a complaint, the prosecutor refused to register it.

Seydal was first arrested on October 6, 2024, by security forces and transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.

Following a new conviction, her previously suspended sentence was converted into an enforceable one. She was prosecuted in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges including “spreading falsehoods” and was sentenced to two years in prison and paying a fine. One of the charges related to her reposting news about the wave of poisonings targeting schoolgirls.

In November 2023, the same court under Judge Iman Afshari had previously sentenced her to one year in prison and a fine for “spreading falsehoods with the intent to disturb public opinion,” though the prison sentence had been suspended for five years.

Seydal was initially arrested on June 21, 2023, along with several other Clubhouse activists in Tehran, reportedly due to her activity on the platform. She was released on bail from The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility (Ward 209 of Evin Prison) on July 23, 2023.

HRANA’s data from the past decade shows that during this ten-year period, over 2,050 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Iran prisons have been forced to go on hunger strike in protest of various abuses—including prolonged detention, being held in legal limbo, unfair trials, poor prison conditions, and being held in solitary confinement or alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes.

Mahvash Seydal Begins Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, HRANA, Hunger Strike, Iman Afshari, Mahvash Seydal

HRANA News Agency – Mahvash (Sayeh) Seydal, a political prisoner and holder of a PhD in international law, has gone on hunger and medication strike in protest against inadequate medical care.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Seydal, currently held in Evin Prison, began her strike due to what she describes as the authorities’ failure to provide proper medical attention.

On March 10, 2025, Seydal was formally charged in Branch 3 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office in connection with a new case opened during her incarceration, facing accusations of property damage and disturbing public order.

She had been granted furlough on February 3, 2025. During that time, she posted on Instagram that upon reporting to Branch 1 of the Sentence Enforcement Office at Evin Prosecutor’s Office, she was physically assaulted and insulted by a security officer for refusing to wear a chador. Seydal stated that when she attempted to file a complaint, the prosecutor refused to register it.

Seydal was first arrested on October 6, 2024, by security forces and transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.

Following a new conviction, her previously suspended sentence was converted into an enforceable one. She was prosecuted in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges including “spreading falsehoods” and was sentenced to two years in prison and paying a fine. One of the charges related to her reposting news about the wave of poisonings targeting schoolgirls.

In November 2023, the same court under Judge Iman Afshari had previously sentenced her to one year in prison and a fine for “spreading falsehoods with the intent to disturb public opinion,” though the prison sentence had been suspended for five years.

Seydal was initially arrested on June 21, 2023, along with several other Clubhouse activists in Tehran, reportedly due to her activity on the platform. She was released on bail from The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility (Ward 209 of Evin Prison) on July 23, 2023.

HRANA’s data from the past decade shows that during this ten-year period, over 2,050 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Iran prisons have been forced to go on hunger strike in protest of various abuses—including prolonged detention, being held in legal limbo, unfair trials, poor prison conditions, and being held in solitary confinement or alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes.

Iranian-British national Nasrin Roshan Released from Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Nasrin Roshan, نسرین روشن

HRANA News Agency – Today, May 20, dual Iranian-British national Nasrin Roshan was conditionally released from Evin Prison.

HRANA has learned that her release took place earlier today under conditional terms from Evin Prison.

Ms. Roshan had previously been tried by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. She was sentenced to four years in prison for “assembly and collusion” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.” Her total sentence was later reduced to three years after she accepted the verdict.

A source earlier told HRANA that the charges against Ms. Roshan, who had lived in the UK for many years, stemmed from her participation in overseas protests related to the death of Mahsa Amini.

Ms. Roshan, aged around 62, was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison on January 1, 2024, after being held in Ward 209—the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility—for interrogation.

Security forces arrested her on November 16, 2023, at Imam Khomeini Airport while she was attempting to leave the country.

According to HRANA’s 2024 report, Iman Afshari, the presiding judge of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, tops the list of human rights–violating judges in Iran, having issued at least 84 verdicts that constitute clear instances of human rights violations.