Javad Lari was Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

Javad Lari, former political prisoner, was sentenced to six years in prison by the Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on February 12, 2019 led by Judge Moghiseh. He was arrested on July 6, 2017 by security agents and was released on bail two month later from Even prison. For the charge of “Assembly and collusion against the national security”, he was sentenced to five years in prison; and for the charge of “propaganda against the state”, he was sentenced to one year in prison. According to the Article 134 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, he has to serve the charge with the highest penalty which is 5 years of imprisonment.

Lari was arrested earlier in September 2009 and was sentenced to death by the Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran led by Judge Salavati. His case was referred later to the Supreme Court and was returned to the Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran led by Judge PirAbbasi for further investigations. His death sentenced was reduced to two years imprisonment. Upon finishing his term, he was released in 2011. He was also imprisoned for 10 years in the 1980’s.

Amir Salar Davoudi was sentenced to 30 years in prison

The wife of Amir Salar Davoudi confirmed that he was sentenced to 30 years in prison of which the highest penalty is 15 years imprisonment for the charge of “establishing a channel in the Telegram app”. Davoudi has been detained since November 2018 on the charges of “insulting officials”, “propaganda against the state”, “cooperating with enemy states through interviewing with Voice Of America (VOA) television channel”, and “forming a group to overthrow the state”. Tannaz Kolahchian, Davoudi’s wife, wrote on her personal page that he has been sentenced at Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court to 30 years in prison for several charges which according to the Article 134 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, he should serve the sentence for the charge with the highest penalty which is 15 years in prison on the charge of “establishing a channel in the Telegram group app”. He has decided not to appeal this sentence.

Agents of the judiciary’s security and intelligence center arrested Davoudi—a 27-year-old lawyer and civil rights activist who has been retained as counsel by several detainees held on politically motivated charges in Iran—in his office on November 20, 2018. The security agents also searched Davoudi’s home and office and took away some of his personal belongings. He had been taken in for questioning on previous occasions and had been warned not to inform the public about his clients’ politically sensitive cases. The second session of his trial was held on May 4, 2018 at Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court.

Iranian Medical Insurances Do not Cover the Charges Related to “Gender Reassignment Surgery”

Vice president of social relations of the state’s Welfare Organization stated that gender reassignment surgeries are considered a cosmetic operation and thus are not covered by medical insurances. He added that his organization helps the patients with some charges of the surgery but are not significant compared with the actual costs of the surgery.

HRAI Iran Annual Human Rights Report – 2018

This leaflet contains the 2018’s analytical and statistical annual report on the human rights in Iran, prepared by the Department of Statistics and Publications of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI). This statistic analysis report presented by HRAI, is the result of the daily efforts of this organization and its dedicated members as part of a daily statistic and census project that started in 2009 by this organization. 

This annual report on human rights violations in Iran (2018) is the collection, analysis, and documentation of 3677 reports concerning human rights, gathered from various news sources during 2018. Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has gathered and reported 35%, official or close to the Iranian government sources 58% and other human rights news agencies 7% of all the reports analysed in this Annual Report.

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The following 42-pages includes statistical overviews and related charts on various sections regarding women’s rights, children’s rights, prisoners’ rights, etc. Based on this report, despite the 6% increase in human rights violations reports in provinces other than Tehran, compared to the last year’s annual report, there is still a major concern on lack of proper reporting and monitoring of the human rights by the civil society in the smaller cities.

This report is the result of endeavors made by courageous human rights activists in Iran who pay a very high cost for the realization of their humanitarian believes. However, for obvious reasons (i.e. existing governmental limitations and ban on the free exchange of information and government preventing the existence of human right organizations in the country), this report by no means is free of errors and cannot alone be a reflection on the actual status of human right in Iran. Having said that, it should be emphasized that this report is considered as one of the most accurate, comprehensive, and authentic reports on the human rights conditions in Iran and it can serve as a very informative source of information for human rights activists and organizations working on Iran, to better understand the challenges and opportunities that they may face.

Download the full report in PDF format

Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI)

Department of Statistics and Publications

January 2019

[email protected]

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for February 10, 2019

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on February 10th, 2019 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

(1) More than three protests were organized across the country on February 10, 2019. The depositors of Caspian Finance and Credit Institution in Rasht, the workers of Kermanshah municipality, and peddlers in Abadan held separate protest demanding their requests to be fulfilled.

(2) The Department of Environment of Golestan province announced that a poacher was arrested in Aliabad-e Katul city. Meanwhile, according to the head of the Department of Environment of Amol, two poachers were arrested in Mazandaran. In a similar incident, two others were Arrested in the Kerman province, as confirmed by the head of the Environment Department of Jiroft.

(3) Abbas Lesani, Azerbaijani Turkic minority rights activist, has been in limbo after being transferred to the quarantine in the Ardabil prison. He is on hunger strike and is banned from visiting his family. He was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment.

(4) After being arrested for three weeks, the whereabouts of Atousa Ahmadaei, Baha’i citizen, is still unknown. She is allegedly being kept in a solitary confinement the ward 241 of the Evin prison and has not had any family visits.

(5) The attorney of Amir Hossein Miresmaili, a reporter with the Jahane Sanat daily who is sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the charged of “insulting the sacred”, confirmed that an appeal was filed but the appeal court’s date has not been set yet.

(6) Shahin Barzegar, an Azerbaijani Turkic minority rights activist, who began his three-months imprisonment sentence in the Tabriz prison on January 31st, was pardoned and released ahead of his term.

(7) The residences and workplaces of five Azerbaijani Turkic minority rights activists have been searched by the security forces in Ardabil with ties to banners and slogans written on the walls of this city supporting Abbas Lesani. These activists are identified as Morteza Parvin, Mehdi Doostdar, Rahim Norouzi, Ali Vaseghi, and Mazaher Mali.

(8) A mine worker died in the Mazandaran province because of negligence in the oversight of safety conditions in their workplaces. Iran ranked 102 in the workplace safety among other countries.

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A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for February 9, 2019

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on February 9th, 2019 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

(1) Two workers were injured in Tehran and Alborz provinces and one worker was killed in Kurdistan province because of negligence in the oversight of safety conditions in their workplaces. Iran ranked 102 in the workplace safety among other countries.

(2) In an open letter, Anvar Khezri, Kurdish Sunni political prisoner in Rajaee Shahr prison, explained the torture, abuse, mistreatment, and the agony he has endured throughout his nine years in prison since 2009.

(3) Isa Azari, Sunni cleric, was arrested on Wednesday February 6th, 2018 in Urmia and transferred to an unknown place. Also, two detained citizens of Piranshahr, Shirko Ali-Mohammadi and Kamal Azad Davar were released on bail.

(4) Along with the mass arrest of the citizens in Khuzestan, four others were arrested in the last three days. Mostafa Shater Al-Kathir, Saeed Fazel Manabi, Salman Obiyat, and Abbas Hojjati were arrested and transferred to an unknown place.

(5) After the coast guards opened fire to a fishing boat suspecting she contains smuggled fuel, a Baloch fisher sailor, Walid Mallahi, was killed in Hormozgan province. The police force kills dozens of Baloch citizens in the southern provinces annually.

(6) Several Baloch Basij members were arrested with ties to the attack on a Basij paramilitary base in Nikshahr carried out on February 2nd in which one was killed and five others were injured.

(7) The attorney of Kiyumars Marzban, author and satirist, confirmed that the court session date for his client has been set on March 4th, 2019. His charges are “propaganda against the state” and “insulting the sacred”.

(8) An 11-year-old girl was married off to a 50-year-old man as his second wife in Ilam. The bride’s father received 1500 dollars in return. In the last nine months, 98 child marriages were registered in Ilam.

(9) Hamzeh Darvish and Tohid Ghoreishi, Sunni political prisoners of Rajaee Shahr prison, are on a hunger strike from Wednesday. They are in a poor physical health and are denied medical care after being beaten and held in solitary confinement cells.

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for February 8, 2019

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on February 8th, 2019 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

(1) A number of Kulbars (Kurdish back carriers) have been shot by border patrol in Sardasht and Baneh in West Azerbaijan province. Saman Bakhshi, Mehdi Faroughzadeh, and Arman Felahati were injured. In 2018, 152 Kulbars were killed or injured in Iran.

(2) Two alleged poachers have been arrested in Khomeyn on Thursday, February 7th. The Khomeyn county has 11 natural habitat and is located in Markazi province.

(3) Omran Gholam Khosravi was executed in Maragheh on January 29th. According to Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad’s prison chief, 11 prisoners accused of murder have been spared from hanging on gallows by consent of next of kin in this province, in 2018.

(4) Prison guards beat prisoners and used tear gas in the Shahr e-Rey prison (Gharchak). The unrest began when some prisoners protested the fact that their names were not on a list of the pardoned prisoners for the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

(5) Four people were sentenced to prison in Piranshahr and Quchan on the charge of “cooperation with a Kurdish opposition group”. Mansour Farajzadeh, Soleiman Mohammadnejad, Bapir Barzeh, and Ahmad Ghalatehrash were sentenced to two and a half year, combined.

(6) A detained Lebanese citizen, Nazar Zaka, who was held in the solitary confinement of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Detention Center began a hunger strike to protest his illegal arrest. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and paying 200 thousand dollars fine on espionage-related charges.

(7) A labor activist, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, has been detained for two months, although his family provided his bail bond which has been set for 200 million Toman [approximately 20 thousand USD]. He was apprehended “en route to assist survivors of the Kermanshah earthquake.” He had been released from prison last year after finishing his seven years sentence.

(8) Esmail Bakhshi’s lawyer, Farzaneh Zilabi, was summoned to Shush Revolutionary Court. Bakhshi spoke out about abuse and torture he suffered in detention. He has been rearrested and is at risk of torture.

(9) A Kurdish poet, Hossein Bagheri known as Jakan Baran’s court was in session on Monday, February 4th. He was charged with ‘propaganda against the state and blasphemy’. He is unable to walk and lost his right kidney.

(10) Several residents of Molashiyeh and Shadegan were arrested in Khuzestan province, during the last week. HRANA has been able to obtain the identities of 27 of them: Abdolrahman Shilavi, Habib Badr Mansouri, Malek Jial Heydari, Hamoud Shalibavi, Ghazi Shalibavi, Yousef Shalibavi, Heyar Shalibavi, Rasoul Shalibavi, Ali Shalibavi, Taleb Shalibavi, Hakim Doris, Jasem Khanafri, Syed Khalil Taheri Mousavi, Abdolazim Acharsh, Risan Shalibavi, Abdolnabi Shalibavi, Rasoul Al-bokhanafi, Rasoul Al-bokhazir, Salman Albokhazir, Seyed Ebrahim Taheri Mousavi, Mohammad Jonami, Saad Shadverdi, Taleb Shalibavi, Adel Maniavi, Ali Maniavi, Javad Shouiji, and Kazem Shouiji.

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for February 7, 2019

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on February 7th, 2019 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

(1) More than four protests were organized across the country on February 7, 2019. Teachers and educators in Isfahan, the investors of Padideh Shandiz in Mashhad, the teachers of Esfarayen in the Ghazvin province, the workers of Karaj municipality, have held protests to request their demands.

(2) Two workers were injured in Gotvand city in Khuzestan province because of negligence in the oversight of safety conditions in their workplaces. Iran ranked 102 in the workplace safety among other countries.

(3) The CEO of Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation confirmed that 50 million Iranians reported to live below the poverty line.

(4) Human Rights Watch announced that Iran’s authorities are violating fair trial standards in the case of eight environmentalists; “Iranian authorities should open a transparent investigation into the torture allegations the accused have raised during the trial.”

(5) Ehsan Karami was banned from appearing on Iran national television. He is a singer, actor, and television host.

(6) The Special Forces attacked Sunni prisoners’ ward in Rajaee Shahr prison because a prisoner, Tohid Ghoreishi, refused to attend the court session. Tohid Ghoreishi, Hamzeh Darvish, Marivan Karkuki, and Namegh Deldel were severely beaten and injured

(7) A number of Ahwazi Arab citizens were arrested by intelligence agents in Hamidiyeh in Ahvaz. Nabi Saedi, Ahmad Saedi, and Shahab Sayahi were arrested on Wednesday, February 6th. No further information was available on their location or the reason for their arrests.

(8) AbuBakr Rostami, a political prisoner on death row in Zahedan prison, began hunger strike after being transferred to the quarantine ward for an unknown reason. He was a medical student at Zabol University of Medical Sciences and spent the past three years in prison on the charges of “acting against national security by collaborating with anti-regime groups” and “Moharebeh” (enmity against God).

(9) A converted Christian, Sina Moloudian, was released on bail on Monday, February 4th. Iranian security officials raided his home and confiscating his belongings in Isfahan on January 23, 2019.

(10) Maryam Mombeini, the wife of Kavous Seyed-Emami, is still barred from leaving the country. Seyed-Emami was the Iranian-Canadian environmentalist who died in prison after being accused of spying.

(11) The Iranian government arrested, imprisoned or executed at least 860 journalists over 30 years frpm 1979 to 2009, according to documents leaked to Reporters Without Boarders (RSF) and at least four journalists were executed.

(12) More than 500 workers have been laid off in Ghazvin province while two workers of Pars Tire Company in Saveh were laid off after the wage protest.

(13) The Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, pardoned or reduce the sentences of a large number of convicts on the 40th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution which is commemorated in Iran.

(14) Five homeless people died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning in Fardis in Alborz province.

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for February 6, 2019

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on February 6th, 2019 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

(1) The third court hearing of eight environmentalists on the espionage-related charges will be on February 12. Moreover, five of the detained environmental activists were charged with “corruption on earth”.

(2) A prisoner accused of murdering his brother-in-law, was sentenced to death in Tehran. Meanwhile, another prisoner was spared from hanging on gallows by consent of next of kin in Damavand after being imprisoned for five years.

(3) More than three protests were organized across the country on February 6, 2019. The customers of SAIPA, an Iranian automaker in Tehran, the shareholders of Caspian financial institution in Kermanshah, and the members of Controlsazeh Zayanderud Company who are applicants of the Mehr Affordable Housing project in Fuladshahr in the Isfahan province have held separate protests to request their demands.

(4) Meisam Bahramabadi was arrested by security forces on the charge of “propaganda against the state” by chanting and writing anti-governmental slogans on a wall in Tehran on January 30.

(5) The appeals court hearing of Davoud Razavi, a member of the Syndicate of the Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Drivers was on Tuesday. He is accused of “collusion and assembly to act against national security” by participating in the minimum-wage demonstrations and publishing photos from these demonstrations.

(6) More than 40 workers of Abezhdan municipality, in Andika county in Khuzestan have eight months of unpaid wages. The retired employees of Iran Customs Administration are demanding their lands from the housing corporation since 1991.

(7) The prison officials have denied the transfer of Hamidreza Amini, the detained admin of a telegram channel, to a hospital for his urgent medical care. He was arrested in 2017 and was sentenced to 11 years in prison on the charge of “blasphemy”.

(8) The roof of a high school in Lakan district in Rasht went up in flames on February 5, 2019 and forced students and staff to evacuate.

(9) Two students died after a school bus crashed into a truck in Omidiyeh-Mahshahr highway in Khuzestan province.

(10) The prison officials have denied the transfer of Alireza Lak, a member of the Sufi mystical sect known as the Gonabadi dervishes, to a hospital for his urgent surgical care. Dervishes were shot with pellet guns in February 2018 and have remained in detention ever since. Through all this time, they have not received treatment for their injuries, which left pellets scattered throughout their bodies.

(11) Two workers died and two others were injured in Yazd, Tehran, and Dezful because of negligence in the oversight of safety conditions in their workplaces. Iran ranked 102 in the workplace safety among other countries.

(12) Kavous Seyed Emami’s family willing to respond to accusations on national television. In a lawsuit filed by them, against the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting regarding a program aired which falsely portrayed him.

(13) The attorney of Esmail Bakhshi reported that he is facing new charges of “propaganda against the state”, “spreading lies” , and “insulting the authorities”. He was rearrested after the broadcast of his confessions on the national television.

A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for February 5, 2019

The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on February 5th, 2019 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

(1) At least eight protests were organized on February 5, 2019 in Iran. The municipality workers of Abezhdan city in Khuzestan province and Towhid city in Ilam province, the shareholders of Caspian financial institution in Kermanshah and Ilam, the workers and employees of Ayson Project in Tabriz, the investors of Sekeh Samen website, the members of the Cooperative Housing Company of the workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, and taxi drivers in Khorramabad have held separate protests to request their demands.

(2) A Baha’i citizen, Roya Hasanzadeh, was arrested at her home in Manjil and transferred to Lakan prison in Rasht. She was released on bail on February 4, 2019. Baha’i is Iran’s largest non-Muslim minority and are systematically persecuted by the government.

(3) During the last nine months, 98 child marriages have been registered in Ilam province according to the head of Welfare Organization of this province, Zahra Hemmati.

(4) Tohid Ghoreishi, Sunni prisoner of Rajaee Shahr prison, refused to attend the court session protesting the insufficient period between him being informed and the session date and also not having access to a lawyer.

(5) A student, Aynaz Hatamian, was transferred to the hospital after being beaten by her teacher in Meshginshahr. Her skull is cracked and her eye and forehead are swollen.

(6) Mohammad Hossein Khalil Ardakani, a Karaj councilman, was released on bail. He was arrested on Monday on the charge of “propaganda against the state” and “insulting the Supreme Leader”.

(7) Tehran council members, Nahid Khodakarami and Seyed Mahmoud Mirlohi, were summoned to the prosecutor’s office. Khodakarami is charged with “promoting de-veiling” and Mirlohi is charged with “disrupting the public mind” and “spreading lies”.

(8) The Sanandaj Revolutionary Court renewed the detention of 10 arrested citizens for another month. Among the arrested are Kurdistan’s environmental activists. They are identified as Hadi Kamangar, Fazel Gheitasi, Reza Asadi, Rashed Montazeri, Hossein Kamangar, Isa Feizi, Amanj Ghorbani, Zaniyar Zamiran, and Farhad Mohammadi.

(9) Jamal Kermani (Mohammad Mobin Mohabbatian), a resident of Mahshad, is serving his one-year prison term in Vakilabad prison. He was arrested during the mass uprisings of January 2018.

(10) The death sentence of Mohiadin Ebrahimi, a political prisoner of Urmia prison, has been canceled and his lawyer has been informed. He had been sentenced to death on the charge of “cooperation with a Kurdish opposition group”.

(11) A man wearing a white shroud (as a symbol of readiness of martyrdom) was arrested while chanting and writing anti-governmental slogans on the wall of Turkish Embassy in Tehran. The target of his slogans were the Supreme leader and other authorities.

(12) Four construction workers were injured in Dezful because of negligence in the oversight of safety conditions in the workplace.

(13) Four poachers were arrested in Tarom and Salas-e Babajani. Tarom county is in Zanjan province and Salas-e Babajani is a city of Kermanshah province.