Category: Prisoners

Labor Activist Morteza Seydi Goes on Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, HRANA, Hunger Strike, Morteza Seydi, مرتضی صیدی

HRANA News Agency –Morteza Seydi, a labor activist imprisoned in Evin Prison, began a hunger strike yesterday, March 25, 2025.

According to information obtained by HRANA, in the final days of the previous Iranian year, Evin Prison officials attempted to transfer Seydi from Ward 8 to Ward 7. Seydi resisted the transfer, after which prison authorities punished him by moving him to the quarantine ward. In protest, he launched a hunger strike.

Morteza Seydi was arrested on November 5, 2024, after appearing at Branch 3 of the Enforcement Unit of the Shahr-e Qods Prosecutor’s Office to begin serving his sentence. He was subsequently transferred to Evin Prison.

In June 2024, Branch 2 of the Shahriar Revolutionary Court sentenced Seydi to two years in prison on charges of “forming a group under the name of a labor union with the intent to disrupt national security.”

Previously, on April 15, 2022, Seydi was arrested along with several other labor activists by security forces. He was released on bail on May 9, 2022.

Morteza Seydi has faced repeated judicial prosecution over his labor activism.

Political Prisoner Behfar Lalehzari Awaits Supreme Court Review of Retrial Request After 14 Months in Limbo

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News, Prisoners
Behfar Lalehzari, Evin Prison, HRANA, Iman Afshari

HRANA News Agency– Behfar Lalehzari, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been waiting more than 14 months for the Supreme Court of Iran to review his retrial request. Despite repeated follow-ups, his case remains unresolved.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the Supreme Court has yet to process Lalehzari’s retrial petition.

A source close to the prisoner’s family confirmed the prolonged delay, telling HRANA: “During a visit by a judicial official to Ward 4 of Evin Prison, Behfar Lalehzari raised his protest over the lack of progress on his retrial request pending in Branch 39 of the Supreme Court. The official responded by claiming the case file had been ‘lost’ and that the branch currently has no file to review.”

In protest, Lalehzari launched a hunger strike on February 11, 2025, demanding action on his case. He ended his strike in late March after prison authorities promised to address his demands.

Lalehzari first submitted his retrial request to the Supreme Court in February 2024. Despite suffering from multiple health conditions, he has filed nine requests for medical furlough to date—each denied by prison officials.

On September 18, 2023, security forces arrested Behfar Lalehzari at his home. After seven days in solitary confinement at the Security Police detention facility, he was transferred to Evin Prison.

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

Christian Convert Naser Navard Goltapeh Denied Medical Care Amid Ongoing Detention in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Evin Prison, Joseph Shahbazian, Naser Navard Goltapeh, Tehran, ناصر نورد گل تپه

HRANA News Agency – Naser Navard Goltapeh, a Christian convert imprisoned in Evin Prison, has been denied access to specialized medical care. He was recently transferred to a hospital due to deteriorating health but was returned to prison without receiving adequate treatment.

According to HRANA, quoting Article 18 News Outlet, on the 35th day of his hunger strike, Goltapeh was transferred to a hospital with symptoms suggesting a possible stroke. Following initial examinations, doctors suspected either a mild stroke or a minor heart attack. He experienced impaired movement in his left arm and leg. Despite the attending physician’s recommendation for physiotherapy and continued medical treatment, he was returned to prison without receiving adequate care.

The report states that no action has been taken so far to address his case or hold a trial. Although bail has been set, his release remains impossible.

On February 6, 2025, Goltapeh was arrested along with another Christian citizen, Joseph Shahbazian, in Tehran and transferred to Evin Prison.

At the time of this report, no information has been made available regarding the charges brought against him.

Goltapeh, a Christian convert residing in Tehran, has previously been arrested and imprisoned for his religious activities.n July 2016, he was detained during a private gathering and was ultimately sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of “establishing a house church.” He served his sentence in Evin Prison from 2017 without any furlough, and multiple requests for a retrial or conditional release were denied. After serving more than half of his sentence, he was released in October 2022.

Notably, while Christianity is officially recognized as a minority religion in Iran, security agencies view the conversion of Muslims to Christianity as a highly sensitive matter and respond with severe crackdowns on those involved in religious activism.

The persecution of Christian converts in Iran persists despite Article 18 of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which affirm every individual’s right to freedom of religion, including the right to change their faith and to practice it openly or privately, alone or in community with others.

Ongoing Detention of Political Prisoner Mahnaz Tarah in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
HRANA, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Mahnaz Tarah

HRANA News Agency – Mahnaz Tarah, a political prisoner, is currently serving the 16th month of her sentence in Evin Prison. Recently, her request for furlough was denied.

A source close to her family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating that her recent furlough request was rejected following interference from the IRGC Intelligence Organization. An agent named Esmail Shafiee, affiliated with IRGC Intelligence, is directly in charge of Ms. Tarah’s case.

In January of this year, Mahnaz Tarah’s request for a retrial was denied by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Ghasem Mazinani. Earlier, in November, 2024, her request for conditional release had also been rejected by the IRGC Intelligence.

Mahnaz Tarah was violently arrested by security forces on November 13, 2023, on a street in Tehran. She was eventually transferred from the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison, to the public ward of the prison on November 23 of the same year.

In January of 2024, she was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to three years and eight months in prison for “assembly and collusion to act against national security” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.” Her sentence was reduced to two years and nine months following a plea of no contest.

Mahnaz Tarah has had previous encounters with judicial and security authorities.

French Citizen Olivier Grondeau Released After 887 Days in Iranian Prison

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News, Prisoners
Olivier Grondeau, Shiraz

HRANA – French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the release of Olivier Grondeau, a French citizen who had been imprisoned in Iran. Grondeau has now returned safely to France.

According to HRANA, quoting Iran newspaper, Grondeau’s release was confirmed earlier today. President Macron welcomed his return and reaffirmed France’s commitment to defending its citizens.

Meanwhile, the French Foreign Minister revealed that Grondeau spent 887 days in Iranian prisons.

Olivier Grondeau was arrested in October 2022 in Shiraz and later sentenced to five years in prison on national security-related charges. His family has repeatedly rejected these accusations, emphasizing that Grondeau traveled to Iran on a tourist visa due to his passion for Persian poetry.

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Christian Convert Amirali Minaei Beaten by Prison Guard in Evin

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News, Prisoners
Amirali Minaei, Christian convert, Evin Prison, Tehran

HRANA News Agency – Amirali Minaei, a Christian convert currently serving his prison sentence in Evin Prison, was recently assaulted by one of the prison guards. Following the incident, Mr. Minaei experienced chest pain and heart-related issues but has been denied proper medical care.

Based on a report of Article 18, Mr. Minaei was recently beaten by a guard named Mehdi Salim. The guard directly struck Mr. Minaei’s chest and heart area. Despite his deteriorating condition, the authorities prevented his transfer to the prison clinic or examination by a cardiologist.

Mr. Minaei, who suffers from heart problems, was under a doctor’s care before his imprisonment. However, since the start of his sentence, all his requests for medical visits or referral to a specialist have been repeatedly denied.

Amirali Minaei, a 31-year-old Christian convert, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on December 7, 2023. He was later released on bail set at 600 million tomans.

In March 2024, he was sentenced to 3 years and 7 months of discretionary imprisonment and deprivation of social rights on charges of propaganda against the regime through his activities and establishing a house church.

On April 29, 2024, Mr. Minaei was transferred to Ward 8 of Evin Prison to begin serving his sentence.

Moslem Alipour Detained by IRGC Intelligence in Masjed Soleyman

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News, Prisoners
HRANA, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Masjed-Soleyman, Moslem Alipour, مسلم علیپور

HRANA News Agency – Moslem Alipour, a resident of Masjed Soleyman, was arrested five days ago by IRGC Intelligence agents and is currently being held in Masjed Soleyman Prison.

A source close to Alipour’s family confirmed the arrest, telling HRANA: “He was taken into custody outside his home in the evening and later transferred to Ward 2 of Masjed Soleyman Prison.”

According to the source, his detention is linked to social media posts in which he expressed dissent.

As of the time of this report, authorities have not disclosed any official charges against him.

Suspicious Death of a Detainee in Hamedan Police Detention Center

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News, Prisoners
Hamedan, Haydar Hassanvand, Haydar Mohammadi, Khorramabad, Nahavand, حیدر محمدی

HRANA News Agency – Haydar Mohammadi (Hassanvand), a 40-year-old resident of Khorramabad, died under suspicious circumstances yesterday while in custody at the detention center of the Hamedan Police Criminal Investigation Department.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Mohammadi was arrested on Wednesday, March 12, by officers from the Nahavand Police Criminal Investigation Department and subsequently transferred to their detention facility in Hamedan. While undergoing interrogation, he mysteriously lost his life.

At the time of this report, no information has been disclosed regarding the reasons for his arrest or the charges against him.

Mohammadi, who was unmarried, had been living in Khorramabad.

It is important to note that in recent years, multiple cases of suspicious deaths or killings of detainees in police, security, or judicial detention centers have been reported. In most instances, investigations have failed to identify those responsible or hold officials accountable.

Political Activist Mohsen Ghashghaei-Zadeh Sentenced to Two Years in Prison

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News, Prisoners
Ghashghaei-Zadeh, Ghashghaeizadeh, HRANA, Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, محسن قشقایی زاده

HRANA News Agency – Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Mohsen Ghashghaei-Zadeh, a political activist currently imprisoned in Evin Prison, to two years in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, the sentence was recently issued by Judge Mohammad Taghi Taghizadeh and formally communicated to Ghashghaei-Zadeh. He has been convicted of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

Ghashghaei-Zadeh was arrested on February 13 during a gathering in front of the University of Tehran, where protesters had assembled to demand an end to the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi. He was detained by security forces and transferred to Evin Prison.

Despite tight security measures, the protest took place, resulting in the arrest of several participants.

It is worth noting that Ghashghaei-Zadeh has a history of previous arrests and convictions related to his political activism.

Civil Rights Activist Raheleh Rahemipour Sentenced to Over Four Years in Prison Following Retrial

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Evin, Evin Prison, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Raheleh Rahemipour, راحله راحمی

HRANA News Agency – The prison sentence of Raheleh Rahemipour, a 72-year-old civil activist currently imprisoned in Evin Prison, has been reduced to four years and two months following the acceptance of her retrial request. The revised verdict was issued by Branch 21 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, lowering her initial sentence of five years and ten months.

According to HRANA, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, the updated ruling was recently issued by Branch 21 of the Tehran Court of Appeals and formally communicated to her defense attorney yesterday. Under the new sentence, Rahemipour has been convicted of:

“Assembly and collusion against national security” – three years, six months, and ten days in prison
“Propaganda against the regime” – seven months and twenty days in prison

Based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, which mandates the enforcement of the most severe sentence in cases involving multiple charges, Rahemipour will serve three years, six months, and ten days behind bars.

Legal Background and Arrest History

Earlier, attorney Payam Dorfeshan had announced that Branch 9 of the Supreme Court had accepted Rahemipour’s request for a retrial and referred the case to an equivalent court for reconsideration.

Rahemipour was arrested in late November 2023 after appearing at the Evin Prosecutor’s Office and was subsequently transferred to Evin Prison to serve her sentence.

Her original conviction was handed down by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, which sentenced her to five years in prison for “assembly and collusion” and ten months in prison for “propaganda against the regime.” This ruling was issued following a trial held on June 16, 2020.

Rahemipour was previously arrested on November 12, 2019, by security forces in Tehran. She was subsequently transferred to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Detention Center, known as Ward 2A of Evin Prison, before being temporarily released.

Given her advanced age, Rahemipour suffers from multiple health conditions and has been consistently denied access to essential medical care.