Category: Prisoners

Continued Detention: An Update on Hossein Shanbehzadeh’s Situation

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News, Prisoners
Ardabil, Hossein Shanbehzadeh, حسین شنبه زاده

Hossein Shanbehzadeh, a writer, editor, and resident of Tehran, remains in a state of uncertainty over a month after his arrest. His detention has recently been extended.

Abbas Shanbehzadeh, his brother, shared an update on his current situation, stating: “Hossein Shanbehzadeh’s detention has been extended, and we are allowed to visit him twice a month.”

Shanbehzadeh was arrested by security forces on June 4, 2024, in Ardabil. Following his arrest, Tasnim News Agency, close to security agencies, reported, citing the Ardabil Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor, that Hossein Shanbehzadeh was arrested on charges of espionage for Israel. Jalal Afaqi, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Ardabil, claimed that “Hossein Shanbehzadeh was in contact with high-ranking officers of Mossad through a social network and gathered information needed by Mossad under the guise of editorial activities.”

Shanbehzadeh was previously arrested for his activities on the social network X (formerly Twitter) and was released on bail later.

The trial of Hossein Shanbehzadeh on these charges was held on September 12, 2020, in Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. He was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for “blasphemy,” eighteen months for “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and ten months for “propaganda against the regime.” This verdict was upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals.

In June 2022, Shanbehzadeh posted on his page on social media that he was summoned to begin serving his sentence in Evin Prison. Shanbehzadeh was ultimately released from prison in April 2023.

Prisoners Deprived of Water Access in Ghezel Hesar Prison

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News, Prisoners
Ghezel Hesar prison, HRANA, Qezel Hesar

For the past twenty days, prisoners in Ghezel (Qezel) Hesar Prison in Karaj have faced significant issues with accessing clean water. During this period, the inmates have only had access to safe drinking water for seven hours a day, putting their health at serious risk. The prison officials’ failure to promptly address this health issue could lead to the outbreak and spread of various diseases.

For several days, prisoners in this prison have experienced frequent water outages. This situation has further endangered the health of the inmates. On Wednesday, July 10, the family of one prisoner confirmed this issue in a call with HRANA, stating: “For about twenty days, prisoners’ access to clean water has been limited. Every day from 5 to 8 AM, 1:30 to 3:30 PM, and 9 to 11 PM, tap water is available to the prisoners. However, even during these hours, the water pressure is very low.”

According to information received by HRANA, the frequent water outages in recent days have prevented prisoners from regularly using the showers. Additionally, the lack of water has made it difficult for prisoners to use the restrooms. Given the hot season and the absence of water, the prison’s sanitary facilities are kept in a very dirty condition, further endangering the prisoners’ health.

Family members of another prisoner told HRANA: “The frequent water outages on these warm days are causing the spread of diseases such as tuberculosis, skin diseases, and other illnesses in the prison. A water tank has been set up for use during water outages, but it is only suitable for washing hands and faces. Prisoners who can afford it are forced to buy water from the prison shop at high prices, but not all prisoners have the financial means to do so.”

HRANA had previously reported on frequent water outages in The Central Prison of Karaj as well.

It is worth mentioning that imprisonment, defined as the restraint of a person’s liberty against their will, should not infringe on human dignity. Prisoners’ access to adequate food and water, healthcare, and legal advisers is affirmed in both domestic laws and international regulations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The conditions of the prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, which endanger their health and fail to meet their basic needs, are repeated violations of domestic and international laws.

Othman Mameh Detained for Over 600 Days

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News, Prisoners
Bukan, HRANA, Othman Mameh, عثمان مامه

Othman Mameh, a resident of Bukan in West Azerbaijan province, has been detained for over 600 days. The lack of information about his condition has heightened the concern of his family and acquaintances.

A source close to Mameh’s relatives confirmed this news to HRANA: “Despite 600 days passing since Mr. Mameh’s arrest and the family’s follow-ups with security and judicial authorities, the relevant officials refuse to provide a clear answer regarding his status. Mameh has not had any contact with his family since his arrest, which has added to the concerns of his family and acquaintances. The only response from security agencies is that if he had died, they would have been informed.”

Mameh, 55, was arrested by security forces in Bukan on November 18, 2022.

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

Manouchehr Bakhtiari Sentenced to Over 13 Months in Prison on Appeal

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News, Prisoners
Bakhtiari Province, Choobindar Prison, Manoochehr Bakhtiari, Qazvin

The thirteen months and fifteen days prison sentence for Manoochehr Bakhtiari, a political prisoner held in Choobindar Prison in Qazvin, has been upheld by Branch 1 of the Court of Appeal of Qazvin Province. This case was filed against him during his imprisonment.

Based on this ruling, issued on July 1 by Branch 1 of the Court of Appeal of Qazvin Province, communicated to this political prisoner’s lawyer on Sunday, July 7, Mr. Bakhtiari has been sentenced to thirteen months and fifteen days in prison for the charge of “spreading false information.”

In May of this year, Bakhtiari received this conviction from Branch 110 of the Criminal Court 2 of Qazvin Province for a case filed against him during his imprisonment.
The court session for examining Manoochehr Bakhtiari’s charges was held on April 16 of this year via video conference in the aforementioned branch.

Bakhtiari’s initial arrest occurred on April 29, 2021, when he was taken by security forces from his home in Tehran. The Revolutionary Court subsequently sentenced him to three years and six months in prison, with an additional two years and six months of exile and a two-year travel ban, starting in July 2021.

On November 1, 2023, while still serving his sentence, Bakhtiari received a six-month prison term for “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran,” a conviction that was confirmed on appeal.

Furthermore, in January of this year, Judge Seyyed Mousavi Asef-Al-Hosseini of Branch 1 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court delivered a significant ruling against Bakhtiari. He was sentenced to ten years for “assembly and collusion to act against national security, and for forming and running groups on the Internet to disturb national security.” Additionally, Bakhtiari received five years for “collaboration with anti-regime groups,” two years for “propaganda against the regime and disturbing public opinions,” and one year plus 74 lashes for “disseminating false information.” However, the Appellate Court later overturned these convictions and remanded the case back to the court for further review.

In a tragic and related turn of events, Bakhtiari’s son, Pouya, at the age of 27, was fatally shot by regime forces during the 2019 protests, also known as the Aban Protests, in Karaj. According to his sister and mother, Pouya succumbed to his injuries in the hospital after being shot in the head during the second day of the protest’s eruption.

Soheil Habibi Arrested by Ministry of Intelligence

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News, Prisoners
HRANA, Salmas, Soheil Habibi, Soheil Habibi Kohneh Shahri

Soheil Habibi Kohneh Shahri, a resident of Salmas in West Azerbaijan province, was arrested on Friday, July 5, after being summoned to The Ministry of Intelligence’s office in the city.

Based on the information received by HRANA, Habibi, who had been previously summoned by phone to the Salmas Ministry of Intelligence, was arrested on Friday, July 5, after appearing at the aforementioned institution and was transferred to an unknown location.
A source close to the family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Soheil was a member of one of the candidates’ campaign teams during the presidential election. It is likely that his summons and arrest were due to his comments regarding one of the candidates and the previous government.”

Habibi had also been previously arrested in November 2022 for his activities.

As of the time of this report, the charges and the whereabouts of this citizen remain unknown.

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A Report on the Current Status of Zeynab Jalalian in Yazd Prison in the Seventeenth Year of Imprisonment

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News, Prisoners
moharebeh, Yazd Prison, Zeinab Jalalian, Zeynab Jalalian, زینب جلالیان

Zeynab Jalalian, a political prisoner, is serving her seventeenth year of a life sentence in Yazd Prison. Despite numerous physical ailments, she has been denied proper medical care and hospital transfer.

In violation of prison rules that dictate housing prisoners according to the nature of their offenses, she has been held in the same ward as those convicted of violent crimes.

Ms. Jalalian suffers from pterygium (an eye disease) as well as kidney and gastrointestinal diseases. Recently, due to pain in her right side, she was transferred to the prison infirmary. She was examined by the prison doctor, but no specialized treatment was provided. This political prisoner requires hospitalization and specialized care, yet the relevant authorities continue to prevent her transfer.

Zeynab Jalalian was arrested in 2008 and in 2009 was sentenced to death for “moharebeh” (enmity against God) due to her membership in opposition groups. Additionally, she received one year in prison for illegal exit from the country. Her death sentence was upheld by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court but was later commuted to life imprisonment.

Ms. Jalalian has reported being subjected to various forms of torture during her detention, including flogging on the soles of her feet, punches to the stomach, head banging against the wall, and threats of sexual assault.

Her physical condition and deprivation of appropriate treatment have raised serious concerns about her health. This situation not only highlights the human rights violations against her but also reveals the alarming conditions of political prisoners in Iran.

Seyed Mohammad Taghavi Detained for Over Four Months Facing Political Charges

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Maku Prison, Seyed Mohammad Taghavi, سید محمد تقوی

Seyed Mohammad Taghavi, who is accused of Baghi (armed rebellion), remains in legal limbo in Evin Prison more than four months after his arrest. Since Monday, July 1st, this political detainee has been moved to solitary confinement in the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison, as a punitive measure ordered by Judge Iman Afshari.

A source close to his family confirmed this news to HRANA, stating: “Mr. Taghavi had previously protested against the fabricated charges against him and did not attend the court session due to the lack of a lawyer. On Monday, July 1st, he was punitively transferred to one of the solitary cells in Ward 209 of Evin Prison by the order of Judge Iman Afshari, the head of Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran.”

On February 23, 2024, security forces arrested Taghavi in Chaldoran in West Azerbaijan Province and transferred him to Maku Prison. He was then moved to Evin Prison after seven days.

Finally, on May 14th of this year, Mr. Taghavi, along with five other political detainees, was charged in a joint case by Branch 5 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Tehran, presided over by Investigator Alizadeh, on suspicion of membership in one of the opposition groups and accused of Baghi.

On Monday, June 24th of this year, Taghavi and other defendants in this case were summoned to Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. However, he was not sent to court by the order of the head of Evin Prison due to his refusal to wear prison clothes at the court.

Seyed Mohammad Taghavi, 57, is a former political prisoner from the 1980s, holding a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Tehran University, and has a history of previous convictions and imprisonment.

Reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of HRA in 2023 indicate a total of 193 cases in which Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, has been involved in issuing verdicts that infringe upon the human rights of defendants.

Ruhollah Kavousi Remains Detained for Over 300 Days, Facing Political Charges

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News, Prisoners
ahvaz, HRANA, Izeh, Ruhollah Kavousi, Sheiban Prison

Ruhollah Kavousi, a political detainee, has been held in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, for over 300 days without resolution. Despite his poor health, he has been denied proper medical care and transfer to medical facilities.

A source close to Kavousi’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Mr. Kavousi has developed kidney and liver diseases, affecting his physical health. Nonetheless, he has been denied transfer to external medical facilities and proper medical care.”

Based on HRANA’s information, despite 306 days passing since his arrest, Kavousi remains in limbo in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz. His case is under review by the second branch of the Izeh Prosecutor’s Office. He faces charges including “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.”

Kavousi, from Izeh, was arrested by security forces in Ahvaz on September 1, 2023, and subsequently transferred to Sheiban Prison in the city.

Political Prisoner Jamal Ameli Denied Medical Care in Evin Prison

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Prisoners
Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Jamal Ameli, Tehran

Jamal Ameli, a political prisoner, is serving his sentence in Ward 8 of Evin Prison. Despite his poor health, he has been denied proper medical care and transfer to medical facilities outside the prison.

A source close to the prisoner’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Mr. Ameli suffers from an autoimmune disease, and the lack of access to necessary medications and regular visits to a doctor has led to spinal complications and other consequences of this illness. Despite his poor health, he has been denied proper medical care and transfer to medical facilities outside the prison.”

Based on HRANA’s reports, Mr. Ameli’s deprivation of new tests and timely and continuous treatment has led to more skin wounds and other severe problems, increasing the concerns of Mr. Ameli’s relatives and family regarding his physical health.

Jamal Ameli, a Tehran resident, was arrested on April 6 after appearing at the Evin Prosecutor’s Office and was transferred to Evin Prison to serve his one-year prison sentence. He had previously been summoned to this judicial branch to serve his sentence.

In February of last year, he was sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, on charges of “assembly and collusion to commit a crime against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.”

Mohammad Ali (Jamal) Ameli, a Tehran resident, has a history of arrests and judicial encounters due to his activities. On October 30, 2012, he was arrested and later summoned for further explanations.

Iranian-Swedish Dual National Ahmad-Reza Jalali on Fourth Day of Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Ahmad Reza Jalali, Evin Prison, Hamid Nouri, Johan Floderus, moharebeh, Tehran, Zabihollah Khodaeian

Ahmad-Reza Jalali, a dual-national death-row political prisoner currently held in Evin Prison, began a hunger strike on June 25th in protest of not being included in the recent prisoner exchange between Iran and Sweden.

Vida Mehrannia, Mr. Jalali’s wife, announced on her personal page: “My husband, who faces imminent execution by the Islamic Republic, started a hunger strike on Tuesday, June 25th, in protest of not being included in the recent prisoner exchange between Iran and Sweden.”

Mrs. Mehrannia added: “He has endured nearly 3,000 days in the notorious Evin Prison. The UN and many human rights organizations have declared my husband innocent, confirming that he was arbitrarily detained and used as a pawn in Iran’s cruel hostage diplomacy. They have called for his unconditional release.”

Recently, the Swedish Prime Minister announced the exchange of Hamid Nouri with Saeed Azizi and Johan Floderus, a Swedish diplomat.

Mr. Jalali was arrested by security forces in May 2016 and sentenced to death on charges of espionage. This sentence was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in December 2017.

On May 10, 2022, former Judiciary spokesperson Zabihollah Khodaeian stated in a press conference that Ahmadreza Jalali’s death sentence was final. He also claimed that there was no connection between the cases of Ahmadreza Jalali and Hamid Nouri, asserting, “The exchange of these two individuals is not under discussion.” However, Amnesty International issued a statement indicating that Iranian authorities aimed to exchange Jalali by threatening his execution.
Professor Jalali, invited to Iran by the University of Tehran in May 2016, was arrested on charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through espionage for Israel.” The Tehran Prosecutor accused him of “transferring information about confidential projects in research, military, defense, and nuclear fields in exchange for citizenship for him and his family from Sweden.”