Category: Prisoners

Citizen Summoned and Arrested by Marivan Intelligence Office

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News, Prisoners
City of Marivan, Kurdpa, Marivan, Marivan city, Marivan Intelligence office, Mohammad Rasaei, Sardush

On Thursday, August 26, 26-year-old Mohammad Rasaei, a resident of the village of Sardush in the city of Marivan, was arrested.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Rasaei was arrested after being summoned to the city’s intelligence office.

The report quoted an informed source saying Mr. Rasaei was summoned to the Marivan Intelligence Office by telephone.

As of this writing, no information is available on the reasons for Mr. Rasaei’s arrest or the charges against him.

Suspected Criminals in Naqadeh in West Azerbaijan Province Humiliated by Police

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News, Prisoners
cruel punishments, harassment, humiliation of citizens, Naqadeh, Naqadeh City, Rasoul No'ei, West Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan Province

On Saturday, August 28, police humiliated three suspected criminals in the middle of the streets in Naqadeh on the order of Rasoul No’ei, the prosecutor of Naqadeh City.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, this action is contrary to the conventions on human rights, domestic law, and human dignity.

The citizens had been arrested on charges of harassment, disturbing public security, and damaging vehicles.

Elmira Habibi goes on a Hunger Strike in Urmia Prison

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News, Prisoners, Women
Elmira Habibi, financial crimes, Habibi, Hunger Strike, unfair trial, Urmia, Urmia prison, Womens ward of Urmia Prison

On Saturday, August 28, a defendant named Elmira Habibi went on a hunger strike in the women’s ward of Urmia Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, 33-year-old Elmira Habibi,  a native of Urmia, was imprisoned after being convicted of financial crimes.

Ms. Habibi has been on a hunger strike to protest her unfair trial and the lack of accountability from officials.

Two Citizens Detained by Security Forces in Oshnavieh in West Azerbaijan Province

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News, Prisoners
Citizen arrests, Citizens arrested, Citizens detained, Citizens detained without warrant, Heydar Alizadeh, Narziveh, Narziveh village, Qazanbad, Shirzad Mamandi, West Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan Province

On Sunday, August 29, two citizens from Oshnavieh were detained by security forces and taken to an unknown location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, the identities of these citizens are Heydar Alizadeh from the village of Qazanabad, and Shirzad Mamandi a native of Narziveh village in Oshnavieh.

The report states that the arrests were made without a court order, and that security forces searched the homes of detainees, confiscated some of their belongings, including their cell phones.

As of this writing, no information is available on the reasons for the arrests, the charges against them, or the whereabouts of these citizens.

Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence of Prisoner

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Capital Punishment, Citizen death sentence, citizen executions per-capita, Death Penalty, Death row, Death sentence, Rokna, Secret executions, Supreme Court

The Supreme Court recently upheld the death sentence of a young man named Ehsan.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna news, the man had previously been sentenced to death for murder by the Second Branch of the First Criminal Court in Tehran.

Iran ranks first in the world in citizen executions per capita, according to international organizations. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported that between January 1 and December 20 of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed.
One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders.

An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death. According to the same report, more than 72% of executions in Iran are not reported by the government or the judiciary, which human rights organizations call “secret” executions.

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Christian Converts Amin Khaki, Milad Goodarzi, and Alireza Nourmohammadi Sentenced to a Total of 9 Years in Prison

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Alborz Court of Appeals, Alireza Nourmohammadi, Amin Khaki, Christian converts, Islamic Law, Karaj, Milad Goodarzi, Religious persecution

On Sunday, August 22, Branch 12 of the Alborz Court of Appeals sentenced Amin Khaki, Milad Goodarzi, and Alireza Nourmohammadi, three Christian converts, to a total of nine years in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Mohabbat News, in their first trial in June this year, Amin Khaki, Milad Goodarzi, and Alireza Nourmohammadi were each sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and fined 40 million Tomans, by the Fourth Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj, on charges of propaganda and catechizing deviant against the holy Sharia of Islam.

Despite the fact that Christians are recognized as a religious minority under Islamic law, the security services nevertheless pursue the issue of Muslims converting to Christianity with particular sensitivity and deal harshly with activists in this field.

The Iranian regime targets Christian converts despite Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which state that every individual has the right to freedom of religion and belief and freedom to express it openly or secretly.

Baha’i Citizen Ali Ahmadi Sent to Ghaemshahr Prison to Endure Sentence

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Ali Ahmadi, Baha'i arrests, Baha'i citizens, baha'i citizens arrested, baha'i in iran, Ghaemshahr, Ghaemshahr Prison, Ghaemshahr Revolutionary Court

On Thursday, August 26, Ali Ahmadi, a Baha’i citizen and native of Ghaemshahr, was arrested and transferred to prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Ahmadi was sent to Ghaemshahr Prison to endure his one-year prison sentence.

Ali Ahmadi, who suffers from the underlying conditions of diabetes and heart disease, is being forced to serve out this prison sentence during the peak of the coronavirus crisis in Iran.

Mr. Ahmadi had been detained and imprisoned before. He was arrested by security forces and transferred to the Kachuei Detention Center in Sari, in November 2018. He was released on bail in January 2019.

Ghaemshahr Revolutionary Court sentenced Mr. Ahmadi to a total of 11 years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime and the administration of the Baha’i organization”. This sentence was upheld by the appeal court without holding a trial. Eventually, the Supreme Court accepted the request for retrial and sent the case to the Branch 28 of the Mazandaran Court of Appeals, where Mr. Ahmadi’s sentence was reduced to 1 year in prison.

According to unofficial sources, more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Because their faith is not considered legitimate by authorities, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have beeen systematically violated for years.

This deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a violation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.

Aman Mohammad Khojamli Tried in the Revolutionary Court of Gonbad Kavous

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Ahmad Moradpour, Aman Mohammad Khojamli, Gonbad Kavous, Gonbad Kavous Prison, Gonbad Kavous Revolutionary Court, Judge Teymouri, Khojamli

On Tuesday, August 24, the first session of the trial of journalist Aman Mohammad Khojamli was held.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Ulkamiz news website, the trial was held in the Gonbad Kavous Revolutionary Court, and presided over by Judge Teymouri.

According to Ahmad Moradpour, Mr. Khojamli’s lawyer, the journalist was charged with “establishing and running a Telegram social media channel with the intention of disrupting national security”.

Mr. Khojamli was arrested by security forces on Jun 23 and released on a bail from Gonbad Kavous Prison 12 days later.

Previously, Mr. Khojamli was sentenced to pay a fine of 4 million tomans by Branch 102 of Gonbad Kavous court in August 2020 for “publishing lies”. This sentence was reduced to a fine of 2 million tomans after appeal.

“There Are Other Tortures that are not Recorded on Camera”: Political Prisoners in Evin Prison Give Statement on Released Footage

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Environment, News, Prisoners
Adalat Ali, Andarzagah, Evin, Evin Prison, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, prison accountability, Prison conditions, prisons in iran

Following the broadcast of videos from Evin Prison surveillance cameras, a group of political prisoners in Andarzagah 8 of Evin Prison have written a statement in response.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the statement calls for serious and immediate attention to the situation of prisoners in Iran.

“There are other tortures that are not recorded on any camera,” the prisoners write in the statement. “The psychological and mental torture of prisoners in solitary confinement (white torture) and interrogation rooms; fathers, mothers, wives, and children who become more tired of pursuing cases of their loved ones in the maze of [judiciary and prisons] offices every day without seeing their loved ones, and lack of accountability of officials and their humiliating behaviors with the prisoner and their families are noteworthy.”

Recently elected head of the judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Eje’i , has ordered an immediate investigation into the officers’ treatment of prisoners following the release of the video by the hacker group Adalat Ali.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the parliament, in response to the request of the representatives to deal with the publishers of these videos, said that a Commission, with the collaboration of the prosecutor’s office is following up the whole issue.

Whether the investigation will lead to meaningful reform or increased accountability remains to be seen.

Ebrahim Sedigh Hamedani Facing Medical Negligence in Urmia Prison; Family is Concerned

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Environment, News, Prisoners
Ebrahim Sedigh Hamedani, Hamedani, medical neglect, medical negligence, Urmia, Urmia prison, Urmia Revolutionary Court

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, political prisoner Ebrahim Sedigh Hamedani is currently facing medical negligence from authorities in Urmia Prison.

On Wednesday, August 25, a source close to Hamedani’s family told HRANA, “Mr. Hamedani has diabetes and, despite passing two months (without medical care), he has been denied access to his medicines, and is in poor physical condition.”

According to this informed source, doctors in Urmia Prison have been on strike and have been refusing to attend the prison for about a month. Ebrahim Sedigh Hamedani, along with his son and daughter Salar and Maryam, was arrested in February 2019. They were transferred to the city’s central prison in late April after two months of interrogation, where Maryam released on a bail.

Branch 2 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court sentenced Ebrahim and Salar Sedigh Hamedani to 16 years each in prison on charges of “acting against national security through membership in an opposition organization,” and “propaganda activities against the regime”.

During interrogation, a new case was open against the two political prisoners. They were charged on “propaganda activities against the regime in prison” and sentenced by the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia to 11 additional months in prison.

It is said that Ebrahim Sedigh Hamedani was arrested earlier in 2005 on charges of “collaborating with an opposition organization” and was sentenced to six years in prison. After serving two years, he was released on parole.