Category: Prisoners

Fatemeh Sepehri Transferred from Vakilabad Prison to Hospital

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News, Prisoners
Hossein Sepehri, Mashhad, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, Vakilabad prison, فاطمه سپهری

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, Fatemeh Sepehri, a political prisoner, was transferred from Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad to a hospital in the city due to poor physical health.

Ali Sepehri, Fatemeh Sepehri’s brother, stated that his sister was transferred to Shariati Hospital on Wednesday, May 14. According to him, the transfer was made due to severe heart palpitations, chest pain, and low blood pressure.

Mr. Sepehri added that Fatemeh Sepehri had also been transferred to a hospital some time ago by order of the prison infirmary. She was returned to prison just one day later after undergoing an echocardiogram.

In June of 2024, Sepehri and her brothers, Mohammad-Hossein Sepehri and Hossein Sepehri, were sentenced to a total of 18 years and six months in prison. The charges against her included “assembly and collusion against national security,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and “propaganda against the regime,” as well as an additional charge of “supporting a hostile government (Israel).”

Sepehri is currently serving a sentence from a prior case in Vakilabad Prison. She was temporarily released on medical leave on October 16, 2023, but was re-arrested at her home in Mashhad just three days later, and returned to prison.

In February 2023, the Mashhad Criminal Court sentenced her to an additional one year of imprisonment and a fine of 20 million tomans for “spreading falsehoods and disturbing public opinion.” She was also arrested on September 21 of that year at her home and transferred to Vakilabad Prison.

Fatemeh Sepehri is one of the signatories of a letter calling for the resignation of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the initial trial, Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced her to five years of imprisonment, later reduced to three years and six months on appeal. In May, 2023, this sentence was conditionally suspended for five years, leading to her temporary release.

Mir-Yousef Younesi Goes on Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Aida Younesi, Ali Younesi, Evin Prison, Mir-Yousef Younesi, Shahrud

HRANA News Agency – Mir-Yousef Younesi began a hunger strike yesterday, May 13, in protest of his transfer to Ward 7 of Evin Prison.

His daughter, Aida Younesi, shared in a statement: “My father began a hunger strike today, Tuesday, May 13, in protest of new pressures, his unlawful transfer to Ward 7, and the inhumane conditions in that ward. A week has passed since his transfer, and despite protests, letters, and promises from prison officials to return him to Ward 4, nothing has changed. He was arrested on political charges, which are not compatible with placement in Ward 7. He is deprived of basic facilities, and his access to fresh air and phone calls has been severely restricted. Even the officials of Ward 7 said from the start that this ward is not suitable for my father, an elderly and ill man, and that the transfer would last only two to three days.”

Mr. Younesi had previously been sentenced in January 2024 to five years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

His trial was held on December 31, 2023. According to his daughter, Aida, he was not brought to the courtroom for refusing to wear a prison uniform, and the judge did not allow the lawyers to defend him.

One of Mr. Younesi’s children stated that he lost hearing in one ear during his detention, and the other ear has also become impaired, while he has consistently been denied proper medical care.

Younesi was arrested in Shahrud on December 28, 2022. After 107 days of solitary confinement in Wards 240 and 209, and later being held in closed multi-person cells in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, he was transferred to the general ward of Evin.

Mir-Yousef Younesi is the father of Ali Younesi, a student currently imprisoned in Evin. Ali Younesi won a silver medal in Iran’s National Astronomy Olympiad in 2016 and a gold medal in 2017. He also earned first place by winning a gold medal at the 12th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics held in China. He and another detained student from the same university, Amirhossein Moradi, are currently serving their prison sentences in Evin.

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.

Supreme Court Rejects Second Retrial Request for Hatem Ozdemir

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News, Prisoners
Hatem Ozdemir, HRANA, Khoy, Urmia prison

HRANA News Agency – The Supreme Court has rejected a second request for retrial filed on behalf of Hatem Ozdemir, a Turkish national and political prisoner sentenced to death and currently held in Urmia Prison.

This marks the second time Iran’s highest judicial authority has denied a retrial for Ozdemir. His initial request was rejected in March 2025. Earlier, in September 2024, the Supreme Court had upheld his death sentence.

Ozdemir was arrested by security forces in Maku in early summer 2019. After two months, he was transferred to the political ward of Urmia Prison. On September 18 of that year, he was moved to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Urmia, and shortly thereafter returned to Urmia Central Prison.

In late winter 2022, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Khoy sentenced Ozdemir to death on charges of baghi (armed rebellion). The ruling was officially delivered to him on March 15, 2022. The Supreme Court later overturned this verdict and referred the case to an equivalent court for reconsideration.

Following a new trial, Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Najafzadeh, reissued a death sentence against Ozdemir in May 2024—this time on charges of moharebeh (enmity against God).

Appeals Court Upholds 15-Year Prison Sentence for Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri

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News, Prisoners
Baghi, Bukan, Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, West Azerbaijan

HRANA News Agency – The 15-year prison sentence for Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, one of those arrested during the 2022 nationwide protests in Bukan, has been upheld in full by the West Azerbaijan Appeals Court.

Zhino Beigzadeh Babamiri, daughter of the political prisoner, announced in a post that her father’s 15-year sentence was fully upheld by the West Azerbaijan Appeals Court. She added that the ruling was recently delivered to Mr. Babamiri in prison by the Urmia Judiciary’s Sentence Enforcement Branch.

Previously, the Criminal Court Branch One of Urmia had sentenced Mr. Babamiri to 15 years in prison for alleged involvement in a murder during the 2022 nationwide protests.

In addition to this case, Mr. Babamiri is also facing other charges, including baghi (armed rebellion), in a separate case currently under review at the Urmia Revolutionary Court.

Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, a farmer residing in Bukan, was arrested in April 2023 in connection with the 2022 protests.

Between late 2019 and the end of 2024, the number of arrests made by Iran’s security forces for peaceful expression nearly doubled compared to the preceding five-year period (2015–2019), reflecting an intensifying pattern of repression following major protest movements.

Report on the Condition of Teacher Union Activist Asghar Amirzadegan in Firouzabad Prison

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News, Prisoners
Asghar Amirzadegan, Fars Province, Firouzabad, HRANA

HRANA News Agency – Asghar Amirzadegan, a teacher and union activist for educators in Fars Province, is currently held in Firouzabad Prison. He was previously sentenced to three years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Firouzabad. His request for retrial was also rejected, citing the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations.

Mr. Amirzadegan was arrested on April 12, 2025. He is facing a judicial sentence, which was upheld in full after the court rejected his retrial request.

On February 11, 2025, Branch 1 of the Firouzabad Revolutionary Court sentenced him to two years in prison for insulting the Supreme Leader and insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic. He also received a one-year prison sentence for propaganda against the regime, amounting to a total of three years in prison.

However, the Iranian Teachers’ Union Council has stated that due to medical issues, he is not physically capable of enduring imprisonment. Despite a bail guarantee being provided, the prosecutor has opposed his release.

Asghar Amirzadegan, a teacher and union activist in Fars Province, has previously been arrested and convicted for his activism.

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Report on the Latest Status of Akbar Bagheri in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj

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News, Prisoners
Akbar Bagheri, Ghezel Hesar, Iman Afshari

HRANA News Agency – Akbar Bagheri, a political detainee, remains in custody at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj more than 177 days after his arrest, with his legal status still unresolved.

Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Bagheri has been imprisoned for nearly six months. He remains in a state of legal uncertainty at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. His court hearing will be held on May 13, 2025, at Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. He is charged with “assembly and collusion to disrupt national security through cooperation with opposition groups.”

Bagheri was transferred from Evin Prison to Ghezel Hesar in mid-February 2024. He is currently held in Ward 4 of the facility.

Mr. Bagheri, who suffers from blood-related hemoglobin disorders, intestinal and liver issues, and hemorrhoids, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on November 10, 2023.

He was previously arrested in 2017 by security forces in Tehran and taken to Evin Prison. In the summer of 2018, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Salavati, sentenced him to nine years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “assembly and collusion.” This sentence was later upheld in the appeals court. Following the events at Evin Prison in October 2022, he was transferred along with several others to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj. He was eventually released on May 8, 2023, under a general pardon directive.

Rasht Revolutionary Court Sentences Poet Peyman Farah-Avar to Death

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Ahmad Darvish Goftar, Amin Farahavar, Baghi, HRANA, Lakan prison, moharebeh, Peyman Farah-Avar, Peyman Farahavar

HRANA News Agency – Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar (Farahavar), a poet from Gilan currently held in Lakan Prison in Rasht, has been sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the sentence was issued by Judge Ahmad Darvish Goftar and is based on charges of “baghi” (armed rebellion against the state) and “moharebeh” (enmity against God).

A source close to Farahavar’s family confirmed the ruling and told HRANA: “The charges are based on his poetry and protest-related activities focused on social justice and civil rights. His trial was held behind closed doors, without access to a chosen lawyer, and the verdict was issued without due process or transparency.”

The court session took place on May 1, 2025, at the mentioned branch. Specific evidence cited in the charges has not been made public.

Farah-Avar was arrested by security forces in September 2024 and taken to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility. He was later transferred to Lakan Prison following the interrogation phase.

A father of a 10-year-old boy, Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar has previously been detained for his activism.

Mehdi Tavakoli Zaniani Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison and Flogging Following Sentence Consolidation

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News, Prisoners
HRANA, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Mehdi Tavakoli Zaniani, Shahr-e Kord, مهدی توکلی زانیانی

HRANA News Agency – Mehdi Tavakoli Zaniani, a political prisoner held in Shahr-e Kord Prison, has been sentenced to eight years in prison and 74 lashes following the consolidation of his sentences.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the sentence was issued by Branch 1 of the Criminal Court One of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province.

A source close to Tavakoli’s family confirmed to HRANA that the verdict was issued on charges of insulting the Prophet of Islam (Sab al-Nabi), insulting the Supreme Leader, insulting sacred beliefs, and propaganda against the regime. He received:

5 years for insulting sacred beliefs
2 years for insulting the Supreme Leader
1 year for propaganda against the regime
74 lashes for insulting the Prophet

Previously, in two separate rulings—both later overturned by the case judge—Tavakoli had been sentenced by Revolutionary and Criminal Courts to 3 years and 10 months in prison and 29 lashes on the same charges.

Tavakoli was arrested on December 20, 2023, by IRGC Intelligence agents in Shahr-e Kord.

He is a specialist in painting and insulation for oil and gas projects.

Appeals Court Upholds Over 5-Year Sentence for Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Vadood Asadi

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Ethnic Minorities, News, Prisoners
Abolghasem Salavati, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Evin Prison, Rasht, Vadood Asadi

HRANA News Agency –The Gilan Province Appeals Court has upheld the five-year-and-six-month prison sentence of Vadood Asadi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist currently detained in Evin Prison. The verdict was confirmed without any changes.

A source close to Asadi’s family told HRANA that the sentence, originally issued by Branch 3 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court, was reaffirmed by Branch 11 of the Gilan Appeals Court. Asadi was convicted on charges of propaganda against the regime, membership in anti-regime groups, and insulting the Supreme Leader.

On March 3, 2025, Asadi was transferred to Evin Prison to begin serving his sentence following an official summons.

In a separate case, Asadi had earlier been sentenced to four years in prison by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, for “assembly and collusion to act against national security.” That sentence was later reduced to one year under a general pardon. After he accepted the verdict, a further reduction was applied, resulting in a final sentence of nine months.

Asadi was initially arrested by security forces in Rasht in February 2024. He was transferred to Evin Prison in March of that year and released on bail several days later.

The activist has a history of facing legal action related to his civil and political activities.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, 20 ethnic minority rights activists were sentenced to a total of 471 months (nearly 40 years) in prison. Over the past decade, the total length of such prison sentences has reached 913 years.

Mahboobeh Rezaei and Reza Mohammad-Hosseini Receives 5 Years in Prison After Retrial

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News, Prisoners
Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani, Evin Prison, Ghezel Hesar, Ghezel Hesar prison, Mahboobeh Rezaei, Reza Mohammad Hosseini, Tehran

HRANA News Agency – The prison sentences of political prisoners Reza Mohammad-Hosseini and Mahboobeh Rezaei have each been reduced to five years following the acceptance of their request for retrial and a re-examination of their cases by Branch 21 of the Tehran Province Court of Appeals. They were previously sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani, their attorney, announced today, Sunday, May 4, that following the Supreme Court’s acceptance of the retrial request in January 2025, their cases were referred to a parallel branch for review. Branch 21 of the Tehran Appeals Court reduced their sentences to five years each.

Mahboobeh Rezaei was arrested by security forces on May 22, 2023, and later transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison. She was ultimately sentenced by Branch 36 of the Tehran Appeals Court to 19 years and 9 months in prison and a fine of eight million tomans on charges including: “membership in anti-state groups with the aim of disrupting national security,” “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” “blasphemy,” “removing hijab and showing the act of depravity on the Internet.”

Reza Mohammad-Hosseini was arrested in May 2023 at his home by security forces. In January 2024, he was sentenced by Branch 36 of the Tehran Appeals Court to 14 years and 6 months in prison and a fine on charges including: “membership in anti-state groups with the aim of disrupting national security,” “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security,” “propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and “disobedience toward law enforcement officers during duty.” He is currently serving his sentence in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.