Category: Other

Student Ehsan Faridi Arrested in Tabriz

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News, Other, Students
Ehsan Faridi, Tabriz, احسان فریدی

On March 8, 2024, security forces apprehended Ehsan Faridi, a student pursuing Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Tabriz, in Tabriz. He was transferred to an undisclosed location.

The reasons for Faridi’s arrest, his whereabouts, and the charges against him remain unknown.

The lack of transparency surrounding Faridi’s arrest is emblematic of a broader issue within the Iranian regime’s security apparatus. Arbitrary arrests, often conducted without clear justification or due process, continue to be a source of concern for human rights advocates.

Qom Seminary Lecturer, Mohammad-Taghi Akbarnejad, Arrested by IRGC Intelligence

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News, Other
IRGC Intelligence, Mohammad-Taghi Akbarnejad, Qom, Qom Seminary

In a recent development, Mohammad-Taghi Akbarnejad, a lecturer at Qom Seminary, has been arrested by IRGC Intelligence agents in Qom and taken to an undisclosed location.

The grounds for his arrest and the specific location of Akbarnejad’s detention remain unknown.

It is worth noting that Akbarnejad has previously faced legal scrutiny for his activism, adding a layer of complexity to the current situation.

Mohammad Narui Receives 12-Year Prison Sentence for Alleged Membership in Anti-Regime Groups

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Freedom of Expression, News, Other
Mohammad Narooie, Mohammad Narui, Zahedan

The Revolutionary Court of Zahedan has sentenced Mohammad Narui (Narooie) to twelve years in prison, as reported by Haal Vsh.

Narui received this verdict on the grounds of alleged “membership in anti-regime groups,” although the specific actions leading to this charge remain undisclosed.

Narui, aged 22, a resident of Zahedan, was apprehended by the Ministry of Intelligence on April 8, 2023. During his detention in the Ministry’s facility, he was denied access to legal representation.

After Narui’s arrest, security-affiliated media released a video featuring his coerced confession. While the circumstances surrounding the video remain unclear, Narui is portrayed as a member of a militia group. However, the group promptly dismissed the regime’s claim, labeling it as baseless and untrue.

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) documented 80 cases of forced confessions, highlighting violations of prisoners’ rights by security and judicial authorities.

Five Individuals Detained by Security Forces in Salas-e Babajani

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News, Other
Aryan Khal-Khal, Barzan Yousefi, HRANA, Mazyar Ahmadi, Osameh Ayazi, Salas-e Babajani, Shahin Rahmani

On January 31, 2024, Osameh Ayazi, Mazyar Ahmadi, Shahin Rahmani, Aryan Khal-Khal, and Barzan Yousefi were apprehended by security forces in Salas-e Babajani county, Kermanshah province. They were subsequently transported to the Ministry of Intelligence facility in the county.

A source close to one of the families confirmed this development to HRANA, disclosing that these individuals, aged between 18 to 20, were taken into custody by Ministry of Intelligence agents and are currently held in a detention facility.

As of now, the specific reasons for their arrest and the charges against them remain undisclosed.

Two Individuals Detained by Security Forces in Oshnavieh

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News, Other
Kani Rash, Oshnavieh, Shahram Ebrahimi, Soran Bangini

On January 23, 2024, security forces reportedly apprehended Soran Bangini and Shahram Ebrahimi in Oshnavieh, taking them to an undisclosed facility, as reported by Kurdpa.

Both aged 20, Bangini and Ebrahimi hailed from Kani Rash village in Oshnavieh County. Despite family inquiries with IRGC’s intelligence offices in Oshnavieh, there has been no response. Allegedly, no arrest warrant was presented by the agents. The reasons for their arrests and the charges against them remain unknown at this time.

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Arrest of Swedish National in Iran Raises Concerns Amidst String of Arbitrary Detentions

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News, Other
Foreign Ministry, Hamid Nouri, Iran-Sweden, irgc, Johan Floderus, The Swedish Ministry

The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disclosed the recent arrest of a Swedish national in Iran within the past two weeks.

The detainee, whose identity remains undisclosed, was apprehended in the early days of the new year and is currently held in custody. The Ministry revealed that the individual is a resident of the central regions of the country.

“The embassy in Tehran is in contact with local authorities. The Foreign Ministry is in contact with relatives in Sweden,” as reported in an email statement to Reuters.

This arrest is part of a concerning trend of arbitrary detentions of foreign citizens by the Iranian regime. It comes in the wake of the trial and life sentence conviction of former IRGC official Hamid Nouri in Sweden for his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988. Notably, another Swedish national, Johan Floderus, was arrested by the Iranian regime in April 2022 and is presently on trial, facing espionage charges. The situation underscores growing international apprehension regarding the safety of foreign nationals in Iran.

Swedish National Johan Floderus Faces Fourth Court Session While in Detention

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News, Other
Iman Afshari, Johan Floderus, Mizan

On January 14, 2024, Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, reported that Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, led by Judge Iman Afshari, conducted the fourth court session addressing the charges against detained Swedish citizen Johan Floderus.

The court session included the board of judges, the prosecutor’s representative, defense attorneys, an interpreter, and the Chargé d’affaires of the Swedish Embassy. Floderus is accused of various charges, including “spreading corruption on earth” and “espionage.”

After previously refuting the charges in the last session, Floderus responded to questions from the prosecutor’s representative during this court meeting.

Mizan reported that the proceedings focused on Floderus’ communications, including “documented” emails from his cell phone, his associations with the Swedish Ministry of Defense and Army, as well as his meetings with intelligence agents from several European countries. The defendant was also questioned about his motive for learning Farsi.

Furthermore, the prosecutor’s representative stated that no new charges or re-interrogations would be introduced.

In April 2022, Floderus visited Iran. As he was departing Iran on April 16, 2022, he was detained by the Ministry of Intelligence at the airport on charges of espionage.

In July, the Ministry of Intelligence issued a statement asserting that Floderus had made multiple trips to Iran. During his last visit, he was allegedly on a mission to uncover the identity of another spy who had been apprehended in Iran. Intelligence agents monitored his communications and, after accumulating evidence, arrested him under a warrant issued by the judiciary.

It is worth noting that on May 6, 2022, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed his detention in Iran. The Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet described his arrest as a retaliatory move by Iran’s regime in response to the trial of Hamid Nouri, a prominent figure involved in the 1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners. Nouri had been arrested in November 2019 in Sweden and subsequently convicted of crimes against humanity.

Spanish National Santiago Sanchez Released, Reunites with Family in Madrid

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News, Other
2022 nationwide protests, Doha, Santiago Sanchez, Spanish national, Tehran

On Sunday, December 31, 42-year-old Spanish national Santiago Sanchez was freed from prison in Iran, as reported by Shargh Newspaper.

Although specific details remain undisclosed, Mr. Sanchez has been released and returned to Madrid after being handed over to the Spanish Embassy in Tehran.

Sanchez was initially detained by security forces during the 2022 nationwide protests.
Known for his passion as a football fan, he embarked on a journey on foot across various countries, intending to reach Doha, the host city of the 2022 Football World Cup. His whereabouts became unknown, and social media updates ceased on October 1, 2022, when he entered Iran, the final country on his journey before reaching Doha.

Three Individuals Detained in Zahedan Without Clear Explanation

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News, Other
Mehdi Shah Bakhsh, Mehrollah Shah Bakhsh, Saeed Shah Bakhsh, Zahedan

On Tuesday, December 19, security forces apprehended Mehrollah Shah Bakhsh (23), Saeed Shah Bakhsh (24), and his brother, Mehdi Shah Bakhsh (22), at their residence in Zahedan. The individuals were taken to an undisclosed location, according to Haal Vsh.

No arrest warrants were presented by the agents during the arrests. As of now, the reasons behind their detention, the location where they are being held, and the charges against them remain unknown.

At Least Ten Individuals Detained by Security Forces in Pishin

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Freedom of Expression, News, Other
Baluchestan, I'tekaf, Pishin, Sistan and Baluchestan

Pishin, Sistan and Baluchestan province—On December 18, 2023, security forces took into custody a minimum of ten individuals during a religious observance held in a mosque, as reported by Haal Vsh.

Following the morning prayer, a group of plainclothes personnel reportedly conducted a raid on a mosque in Pishin, apprehending at least ten citizens. These individuals were in the midst of their second week of I’tekaf, a period of Islamic practice involving a stay in a mosque.

As of now, the rationale behind their detentions, the identities of those arrested, and the location where they are being held remain undisclosed. Authorities have yet to provide information on these critical aspects of the incident.