Category: Women

Women Rights Activist Avin Rasti Arrested

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News, Religious Minorities, Women
Avin Rasti, Keyvan Mousavi, Leila Abbasi, Nazanin Jalil, Neda Mousavi, Samku Mohammadian, Sooran Mohammadian, Yamin Daneshi

Security forces arrested women rights activist Avin Rasti and transferred her to an unidentified location on September 20, 2022, for her participation in protests after the death of Mahsa Amini.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, women rights activist Avin Rasti was arrested in Mariwan, Kurdistan Province.

Since the nationwide protests began after the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16, numerous individuals have been arrested.

So far, HRANA has identified several individuals who have been arrested, including Mehdi Hamidi Shafigh in Tabriz, Shoja Roushan in Sanandaj, Nazanin Jalil, Neda Mousavi, Keyvan Mousavi, Yamin Daneshi in Yasuj, Sooran Mohammadian, and Samku Mohammadian in Divandarreh, and Leila Abbasi in Bijar.

Additional 19 individuals have been arrested and jailed in Saqqez Prison, and the deputy police chief of Gilan Province announced the arrest of 22 protestors in Rasht.

Melika Gharagozlou Sentenced 

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Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Allameh Tabatabaei University, HRANA, Melika Gharagozlou

The Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Melika Gharagozlou, a student of journalism at Allameh Tabatabaei University, to four years and four months in prison and additional penalties.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Melika Gharagozlou was sentenced to four years and four months in prison.

According to this verdict, Gharagozlou was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion”, eight months on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”, and pay a fine of 8 million tomans. If the verdict is upheld on appeal, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, three years and eight months for the first charge will be enforceable to her.

As additional punishment, the court has also banned Gharagozlou from leaving the country and membership in political groups.

On July 13, 2022, security forces arrested Gharagozlou after she published a video of herself without a headscarf.

Gharagozlou faced arrests and convictions for her civil activities in 2019.

­­Masha Amini Died in Hospital at Moral Police Custody 

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Iran's Morality Police, Mahsa Amini

On September 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-woman who was hospitalized following being arrested by the police for her improper hejab, died at a hospital. Her death sparked widespread condemnation on social media and the reactions of numerous public figures, athletes and artists.

Amini was visiting Tehran from the Kurdistan region with her family. She was stopped by the Morality Police in Tehran and taken to the Vozara Station, where she underwent a stroke for unknown reasons.

An informed source told HRANA that during the arrest, the police told Amini’s brother that she would be released in an hour. However, she was taken to Kasra Hospital after a few hours. Some eyewitnesses leaving the detention facility stated that the detained women’s families who were present at the place and witnessing Amini’s condition began to protest. The police used violence and pepper spray to silence them.”

The Morality Police has a history of mistreating the individuals it collects from the streets. Therefore, people speculate that Amini is a victim of police brutality. Amnesty International has also called Amini’s death suspicious.

Earlier, the Greater Tehran police chief had claimed that Amini was taken to a police station where during an educational class, she suddenly had a heart attack, which her family denied.

Woman in Coma in Custody by Hejab Enforcement Causes Uproar in Iran

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Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Mahsa Amini, Tehran's Morality Police

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was visiting Tehran from the Kurdistan region was hospitalized due to brain and heart stroke when she was in the custody of Tehran’s Morality Police. The police took her into custody for what they deemed improper hejab. In response to the widespread public reaction on social media, the Greater Tehran police chief claimed that Amini was taken to a police station where during an educational class, she suddenly had a heart attack.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists,  Amini was hospitalized after being assaulted and apprehended by Tehran’s Morality Police.

An informed source told HRANA that Amini is  22 years old and a resident of Saqqez. She had travelled to Tehran with her family to visit a relative. A few days ago, while she and her brother were passing through a street, she was stopped by the Morality Police. They beat her and took her to Vozara Police Station. They told her brother that she would be released after one hour. The police, however, beat her again in the police station and after a few hours, transferred her from the police station to a hospital.

Kurdpa has reported that Amini has undergone a grade 3 concussion and is in a coma. 

In recent months, Tehran’s Morality Police has increased their activities in the streets. 

Sepideh Rashno Released on Bail

Posted on by A MN
News, Women
HRANA, Sepideh Rashno

On August 30, 2022, Sepideh Rashno was released on an 800-million-tomans bail after being indicted. 

According to #HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, artist Sepideh Rashno was indicted and then released on bail until the end of the legal proceeding.

On August 29, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court indicted Rashno on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security”, “propaganda against the regime”, and “promotion of impurity and indecency.”

On July 16, security forces arrested Rashno after a quarrel on a city bus with a woman who harassed and assaulted her for what she deemed as improper hejab. Such incidents are on the rise in public places as the government has tightened the hejab enforcement. 

On July 30, Official media outlets inside Iran released a forced confession video of Rashno. HRANA revealed that prior to this confession, Rashno had been hospitalized due to the risk of internal bleeding indicating she had been tortured to make the confession.

Rashno, age 28, is a student of Tehran University and a resident of Khorramabad.

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Political Prisoner Masoumeh Askari Assaulted in Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
Evin Prison, Masoumeh Askari, Qarchak Prison

Retired teacher and political prisoner Masoumeh Askari was beaten by the prisoners of violent crime in Kachooie Prison. The prison officials purposely hold political prisoners in the same ward as the prisoners of violent crime, which is a violation of prison rules and exposes the political prisoners to life-threatening violence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, political prisoner Masoumeh Askari was beaten by eight prisoners of violent crime.

An informed source told HRANA that about four days ago, eight prisoners of violent crimes assaulted Askari. She suffers from psychiatric diseases, kidney, liver and diabetes. Prison officials refused to send her to a healthcare facility to assess her condition.

On August 2, 2018, security forces arrested Askari in Tehran and transferred her to Qarchak Prison in Varamin. After a few days, she was released on bail.

Askari was arrested in December of 2018 and was detained for one month in Ward 209 of Evin Prison and later transferred to the public ward. The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced her to five years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion.” This verdict was upheld on appeal. 

Askari is a retired teacher and single mother.

Sepideh Rashno Hospitalized Prior to Forced TV Confession

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Women
hejab, Sepideh Rashno, Taleghani hospital

An informed source has revealed to HRANA that detained artist Sepideh Rashno had been hospitalized due to the risk of internal bleeding, which raised the question as to whether she was tortured to make confession aired on July 30. 

On July 16, security forces arrested Rashno after a quarrel on a city bus with a woman who harassed and assaulted her for what she deemed improper hejab. 

The informed source told HRANA, “Overnight, a lot of agents took Rashno to the Taleghani Hospital in Tehran for a possible internal bleeding caused by assault.”

A few days after the hospitalisation, Iran’s State TV broadcast Rashno’s forced confession. A picture on social media showing Rashno’s paled face and circles around her eye raised concern about her health condition. So far, she has been denied access to a lawyer and the charges against her are unknown.

Rashno is in custody for her resistance and confrontation against an individual who was enforcing the hejab code in public transportation, a practice which is praised by the Iranian authorities.

IRGC Detained Artist Sepideh Rashno 

Posted on by A MN
News, Women
hejab, IRGC detention facility, Khorramabad, Sepideh Rashno

Artist and student Sepideh Rashno is still held at an IRGC detention facility known as Ward A-1. On July 16, security forces arrested Rashno after a quarrel on a city bus with a woman who harassed and assaulted her for what she deemed as improper hejab. Such incidents are on the rise in public places as the government has tightened the hejab enforcement. 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Artist and student activist Sepideh Rashno is held at an IRGC detention facility awaiting further legal proceedings.

So far, she has been denied access to a lawyer and phone calls in prison.

The charges against Rashno are unknown so far.

Last week, a video circulated on social media showing a woman harassing another and blaming her for an improper hejab. After publishing the video, security forces arrested  Rashno, who is an artist and a resident of Khorramabad.

The Iranian regime encourages citizens to get involved in the enforcement of the Islamic code in public as a religious duty, which demonstrates how significant compliance with these rules is for the government.

Two Documentary Filmmakers Mina Keshavarz and Firoozeh Khosravani Arrested

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Women

On Tuesday, May 10, 2022, security forces arrested two documentary filmmakers Mina Keshavarz and Firoozeh Khosravani.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, two documentary filmmakers Mina Keshavarz and Firoozeh Khosravani were arrested in their homes in Tehran. The agents searched their houses and confiscated their personal belongings.

Firoozeh Khosravani was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence agents and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin prison in Tehran. The entity which is responsible for the arrest of Mina Keshavarz remains unknown.

Prison Sentence of Asal Mohammadi Upheld by Court of Appeals

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Asal Mohammadi, Iman Soleimani, white torture

Branch 36 of the Court of Appeals upheld one year and eight months imprisonment sentence for Asal Mohammadi. Initially, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran had convicted Mohammadi on the charges of “propaganda against the regime and assembly and collusion against national security.”

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the Court of Appeals upheld one year and eight months imprisonment sentence against workers’ rights activist Asal Mohammadi.

Mohammadi’s lawyer, Iman Soleimani, told HRANA, “During the detention, Mohammadi did not have access to a lawyer. During the trial process, I took her case but was not allowed to study the case documents or attend court sessions, which is a violation of Article 48 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Mohammadi was in poor mental condition. Contrary to what the law explicitly states, she had been interrogated without the accompaniment of a lawyer during the interrogation.”

On January 24, 2022, the trial was held and during the trial, participation in online campaigns such as “white torture” or membership in Marxist groups was used as evidence for the charges.

On November 6, 2021, the security forces arrested Mohammadi and Hirad Pirbodaghi in an aggressive manner.

Five days later, on November 11, Mohammadi was transferred to Public Ward 209 of Evin Prison and was released on bond on November 22, 2021.