Student Activist Motahareh Goonehi Arrested

HRANA News Agency – On Saturday, June 14, student activist Motahareh Goonehi (Gounei) was arrested by security forces in Tehran.

The arrest took place earlier today, but no information has been released regarding the reasons for her detention, the charges brought against her, or her place of custody.

Goonehi is a dental student and the former political secretary of the Islamic Association of Students at the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences. She has previously faced arrest and security-related pressures due to her activism. She was released from Evin Prison on March 16, 2025, after completing her prison sentence.

Student Activist Hamid Bidar Begins Prison Sentence in Evin

HRANA News Agency – Hamid Bidar, a former student activist and graduate of Iran University of Science and Technology, has been transferred to Evin Prison to begin serving his prison sentence.

According to information obtained by HRANA, Bidar was recently arrested and taken to Evin Prison to serve an 11-year sentence. The Tehran Revolutionary Court also imposed supplementary punishments, including 74 lashes, a ban on online activity, confiscation of his mobile phone, and a monetary fine.

The sentence was issued on charges including blasphemy, insulting the Supreme Leader, and propaganda against the regime. The initial verdict was handed down by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court and was recently upheld in full by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Houzan. According to judicial procedures, five years of the total prison sentence are enforceable.

A source close to Bidar’s family told HRANA that the complainant and arresting authority in the case was the IRGC Intelligence Organization in Tehran.

Hamid Bidar, a computer engineering graduate, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on September 1, 2024. According to the Amirkabir Newsletter, his arrest was linked to his public support for Mahmoud Momtazpour, a dismissed assistant professor at Amirkabir University of Technology.

Bidar has previously faced disciplinary action. In 2013, he was suspended from university for two semesters by the university’s disciplinary committee, with the suspension counting toward his academic record.

Law Student Fahimeh Soltani Arrested to Serve Prison Sentence

HRANA News Agency – Fahimeh Soltani, a law student at the University of Isfahan, was arrested by security forces on Wednesday, May 28, and transferred to Dolatabad Prison in Isfahan to begin serving a one-year prison sentence.

Amirkabir Newsletter, reporting the arrest, stated that she was detained for the enforcement of her one-year prison sentence and subsequently transferred to Dolatabad Prison.

Soltani’s sentence, initially issued by Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Mohammad Tavakoli—one year of mandatory imprisonment and two years suspended—was recently upheld by the Court of Appeals and finalized by the Supreme Court. Among the charges brought against her was “encouraging war and bloodshed.”

Soltani, who was previously arrested on April 6, 2024, after being summoned to the IRGC Intelligence Office in Isfahan, had been released on bail from Dastgerd Prison on April 29, 2024.

She has a history of previous arrests due to her activism and was also suspended from her studies for two and a half semesters in May 2023 by the University of Isfahan’s disciplinary committee.

HRANA’s report shows that in 2024, Iranian regime courts—both primary and appeals courts—issued a total of 33,574 months of prison sentences (equivalent to 2,797 years) against Iranian citizens for their political and civil activities. This total represents more than a 1.5-fold increase compared to the previous five-year period.

Student Soroush Nourbakhsh Arrested by IRGC Intelligence

HRANA News Agency – On Saturday, February 1, Soroush Nourbakhsh, a student at the University of Tehran, was arrested by security forces after being summoned to the IRGC Intelligence Office in Mahabad, according to Kolbar News.

According to the report, Mr. Nourbakhsh was detained after being summoned to the IRGC Intelligence Office in the city. His family’s attempts to obtain information about his condition have so far been unsuccessful.

Nourbakhsh, 25 years old, is a native of Mahabad, and a music student at Tehran University of Arts.

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

Revolutionary Court Sentences Student Activist Leila Hosseinzadeh to Prison

Leila Hosseinzadeh, a student activist, has been sentenced in absentia to prison by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. The charges stem from her appearing unveiled at the University of Tehran during her thesis defense.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Hosseinzadeh was convicted on charges of appearing in public without a hijab and “propaganda against the regime.” In a personal statement, she revealed that she was sentenced without prior notice and is unaware of the details. She added, “I have no expectations of appeal or any legal process. I’ll wait for the case to be referred to the enforcement office.”
Hosseinzadeh has faced several legal cases over the years. Most recently, a forensic medical commission confirmed her permanent inability to endure incarceration. As a result, her remaining five-year prison sentence from a 2019 case was converted to a fine of 100 million tomans, which she paid to conclude the case.
Leila Hosseinzadeh was first arrested during the 2017–2018 Iranian protests, detained for 16 days, and released on bail. On June 24, 2019, Branch 36 of Tehran’s Court of Appeals sentenced her to 30 months in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security” and an additional year for “propaganda against the regime,” along with a two-year travel ban. Charges included attending a birthday gathering for Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam, a Gonabadi Dervish imprisoned near Sharif University, and singing protest songs.

On July 28, 2019, she began serving her sentence but was released early due to a judicial directive.

In a separate case, Hosseinzadeh was sentenced in February 2021 to five years in prison and a two-year ban from online activities for “assembly and collusion with intent to act against national security” by Branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court. The sentence was upheld by Branch 36 of the Appeals Court in December 2021.

She was arrested again on August 20, 2022, after being beaten by security forces outside her home. She was released on bail from Evin Prison on January 9, 2023.

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Khashayar Sefidi Transferred to Evin Prison to Serve Sentence

On Saturday, November 16, 2024, Khashayar Sefidi, an expelled graduate student from Tehran University of Art, was transferred to Evin Prison to serve a one-year prison sentence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Mr. Sefidi, 32 years old, was detained after reporting to the Sentences Enforcement Branch of the Shahre Qods Prosecutor’s Office.

The Revolutionary Court had sentenced Mr. Sefidi to one year in prison on July 2, 2024, on charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic.” This conviction stemmed from a three-day sit-in protest he staged in solidarity with imprisoned artist Toomaj Salehi at the House of Music.

Earlier this year, Mr. Sefidi was expelled from Tehran University of Art, where he had been pursuing a master’s degree in music. Prior to his expulsion, the university’s disciplinary committee had suspended him for one term.

Female Student Detained After Removing Clothes

This afternoon, November 2, a female student at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, removed her clothes in a public. Student sources report that security forces violently detained her, transferring her to an undisclosed location.

According to Amirkabir Newsletter, the confrontation began when university security officers approached the student aggressively, citing her lack of compliance with hijab regulations. In response to this altercation, she removed her clothing and remained in only her undergarments as a form of protest before being detained with force.

In contrast, Fars News Agency disputed the claims of violent treatment, alleging instead that “the student attended class in inappropriate attire. After university security reminded her of the campus dress code, she undressed and walked around the university grounds unclothed.”

However, some sources have attributed the student’s actions to her mental state, denying any link to the issue of compulsory hijab.

The student’s identity remains unknown. HRANA continues to investigate whether mandatory hijab may have been a factor in this incident and to clarify the student’s possible motivations.

The original report was published on November 2 and was updated with new information on November 4.

Update on the Latest Status of Journalist Reza Valizadeh in Evin Prison

Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian journalist, has been arrested and transferred to Evin Prison after returning to Iran. Despite his extensive background with various media outlets, Valizadeh has been denied access to a lawyer since his detention.

Having lived abroad for several years, Valizadeh returned to Iran in February-March last year. Upon his arrival, he was interrogated by agents from the IRGC’s Intelligence and the Ministry of Intelligence. Although released after making a formal pledge to appear for future proceedings, it has been reported that several months later, he was rearrested by a security agency roughly one month ago and sent to Evin Prison. Authorities have still not granted him legal representation.

A source close to Valizadeh’s family revealed that his case is currently being handled by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, overseen by Judge Abolqasem Salavati. To date, the specific charges against him remain undisclosed.

Prior to leaving Iran, Valizadeh was arrested in 2007 and later released on bail. He is suspected to hold dual citizenship and has worked with media organizations such as Radio France, Voice of America, Radio Farda, and the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

Motahareh Goonehi Arrested and Transferred to Prison

Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, has announced the arrest and imprisonment of Motahareh Goonehi, a student activist.

The report indicates that her arrest and imprisonment were prompted by content she posted on social media.

On the previous day, Ms. Goonehi had received an electronic summons ordering her to appear before Branch 9 of the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office for Media and Culture.

The Deputy Minister for Culture and Student Affairs at the Ministry of Health also announced that Goonehi’s right to continue her studies has been revoked, and a disciplinary file has been opened against her at the university.

Recently, the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office pressed charges against Goonehi, a suspended student from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, citing her “online posts” regarding Iran’s recent military actions.

Earlier, Ms. Goonehi had announced her transfer to Ardabil University. She and her husband, Mahdi Hadizadeh, also a student at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, had previously been temporarily suspended and transferred to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences by the Central Committee of the Ministry of Health.

On May 1, 2024, Goonehi was detained by IRGC Intelligence agents in Tehran after being summoned. She was taken to Evin Prison but was released on bail after several days of detention.

In July, Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to one year in prison.

Goonehi, a dentistry student and former political secretary of the Islamic Association of Students at the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences, had also been detained by security forces during the nationwide protests of 2022.

Hamid Haji Abdolpour Sentenced to Prison after Retrial

The six years, seven months, and sixteen days prison sentence of Hamid Haji Abdolpour, a graduate of Amirkabir University of Technology, has been fully upheld by Branch 20 of the Appeals Court of Razavi Khorasan Province.

After the acceptance of Mr. Haji Abdolpour’s request for a retrial by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, his case was sent to a parallel branch. Recently, Branch 20 of the Appeals Court of Razavi Khorasan Province upheld his sentence of six years, seven months, and sixteen days in prison.

Haji Abdolpour was initially sentenced by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad to six years in prison for the charge of “forming a Telegram group with the intent of disrupting national security,” and eight months for the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

In June-July 2023, Branch 4 of the Appeals Court of Razavi Khorasan Province reduced his sentence for propaganda against the regime by 14 days, resulting in a final sentence of six years, seven months, and sixteen days in prison. Finally, in late November of last year, after spending 46 days in solitary confinement at the IRGC’s detention facility in Razavi Khorasan Province, he was transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad to serve his sentence.

In separate letters to the Office of the Supreme Leader’s Representative in Universities, the Judiciary’s Intelligence Protection Unit, and the General Inspection Organization of the IRGC, Haji Abdolpour revealed the mistreatment he suffered during interrogations, aimed at extracting forced confessions.

He recently submitted a request for a retrial to the highest judicial authority in the country. After the Supreme Court accepted his request for a retrial and he was temporarily released on bail, the president of Amirkabir University expressed support for him in a letter to the head of the Judiciary in Razavi Khorasan Province. However, these efforts were unsuccessful, and after the case was reviewed again, Mr. Haji Abdolpour was sentenced to prison by the Appeals Court of Razavi Khorasan Province.