Category: Prisoners

Political Prisoner Sayeh Seydal Hospitalized Amid Ongoing Hunger Strike

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Evin Prosecutor, Iman Afshari, Mahvash Seydal

HRANA News Agency – Mahvash (Sayeh) Seydal, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, is now on the eighth day of her hunger and medication strike. Despite a serious decline in her health that led to her transfer to the hospital last night, she was returned to prison in poor physical condition.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Sayeh Seydal continues her hunger and medication strike in Evin Prison for the eighth consecutive day.

On the night of June 1, Seydal was transferred from prison to a hospital due to worsening health. Medical tests revealed the presence of a hemorrhagic cyst. She refused to take prescribed medication and, despite her critical condition, was returned to prison.
Seydal began her hunger and medication strike on May 26, 2025, in protest against the lack of adequate medical care in prison.

On March 10, 2025, Seydal was formally charged in Branch 3 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office in connection with a new case opened during her incarceration, facing accusations of property damage and disturbing public order.

She had been granted furlough on February 3, 2025. During that time, she posted on Instagram that upon reporting to Branch 1 of the Sentence Enforcement Office at Evin Prosecutor’s Office, she was physically assaulted and insulted by a security officer for refusing to wear a chador. Seydal stated that when she attempted to file a complaint, the prosecutor refused to register it.

Seydal was first arrested on October 6, 2024, by security forces and transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.

Following a new conviction, her previously suspended sentence was converted into an enforceable one. She was prosecuted in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges including “spreading falsehoods” and was sentenced to two years in prison and paying a fine. One of the charges related to her reposting news about the wave of poisonings targeting schoolgirls.

In November 2023, the same court under Judge Iman Afshari had previously sentenced her to one year in prison and a fine for “spreading falsehoods with the intent to disturb public opinion,” though the prison sentence had been suspended for five years.

Seydal was initially arrested on June 21, 2023, along with several other Clubhouse activists in Tehran, reportedly due to her activity on the platform. She was released on bail from The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility (Ward 209 of Evin Prison) on July 23, 2023.

HRANA’s data from the past decade shows that during this ten-year period, over 2,050 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Iran prisons have been forced to go on hunger strike in protest of various abuses—including prolonged detention, being held in legal limbo, unfair trials, poor prison conditions, and being held in solitary confinement or alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes.

Mahvash Seydal Begins Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, HRANA, Hunger Strike, Iman Afshari, Mahvash Seydal

HRANA News Agency – Mahvash (Sayeh) Seydal, a political prisoner and holder of a PhD in international law, has gone on hunger and medication strike in protest against inadequate medical care.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Seydal, currently held in Evin Prison, began her strike due to what she describes as the authorities’ failure to provide proper medical attention.

On March 10, 2025, Seydal was formally charged in Branch 3 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office in connection with a new case opened during her incarceration, facing accusations of property damage and disturbing public order.

She had been granted furlough on February 3, 2025. During that time, she posted on Instagram that upon reporting to Branch 1 of the Sentence Enforcement Office at Evin Prosecutor’s Office, she was physically assaulted and insulted by a security officer for refusing to wear a chador. Seydal stated that when she attempted to file a complaint, the prosecutor refused to register it.

Seydal was first arrested on October 6, 2024, by security forces and transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.

Following a new conviction, her previously suspended sentence was converted into an enforceable one. She was prosecuted in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges including “spreading falsehoods” and was sentenced to two years in prison and paying a fine. One of the charges related to her reposting news about the wave of poisonings targeting schoolgirls.

In November 2023, the same court under Judge Iman Afshari had previously sentenced her to one year in prison and a fine for “spreading falsehoods with the intent to disturb public opinion,” though the prison sentence had been suspended for five years.

Seydal was initially arrested on June 21, 2023, along with several other Clubhouse activists in Tehran, reportedly due to her activity on the platform. She was released on bail from The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility (Ward 209 of Evin Prison) on July 23, 2023.

HRANA’s data from the past decade shows that during this ten-year period, over 2,050 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Iran prisons have been forced to go on hunger strike in protest of various abuses—including prolonged detention, being held in legal limbo, unfair trials, poor prison conditions, and being held in solitary confinement or alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes.

Iranian-British national Nasrin Roshan Released from Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Nasrin Roshan, نسرین روشن

HRANA News Agency – Today, May 20, dual Iranian-British national Nasrin Roshan was conditionally released from Evin Prison.

HRANA has learned that her release took place earlier today under conditional terms from Evin Prison.

Ms. Roshan had previously been tried by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. She was sentenced to four years in prison for “assembly and collusion” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.” Her total sentence was later reduced to three years after she accepted the verdict.

A source earlier told HRANA that the charges against Ms. Roshan, who had lived in the UK for many years, stemmed from her participation in overseas protests related to the death of Mahsa Amini.

Ms. Roshan, aged around 62, was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison on January 1, 2024, after being held in Ward 209—the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility—for interrogation.

Security forces arrested her on November 16, 2023, at Imam Khomeini Airport while she was attempting to leave the country.

According to HRANA’s 2024 report, Iman Afshari, the presiding judge of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, tops the list of human rights–violating judges in Iran, having issued at least 84 verdicts that constitute clear instances of human rights violations.

Mashallah Karami’s Sentence Reduced to 3 Years and 7 Months After Sentence Consolidation

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News, Prisoners
Alborz province, Karaj, Mashallah Karami, Mohammad-Mehdi Karami, Ruhollah Ajamian

HRANA News Agency – Mashallah Karami, father of Mohammad Mehdi Karami, a protester executed in connection with the 2022 nationwide protests, has had his combined prison sentence reduced to three years and seven months following the approval of a request for sentence consolidation. He had previously been sentenced to a total of five years and three months across two separate cases.

His lawyer, Ali Sharifzadeh, announced that with the acceptance of this request, Karami’s prison term was officially reduced to three years and seven months. Given that he has already served more than half of this time, he is now eligible for conditional release. A request for his conditional release has been submitted to the judicial authorities.

Mr. Karami is currently held in Karaj Central Penitentiary. In the previous rulings, he had received a total of five years and three months in prison across two separate cases.

On January 22, 2025, the Alborz Province Court of Appeals sentenced him to one year in prison and confiscation of his house and vehicle on charges of money laundering and acquiring illicit property. This came after an earlier ruling in August 2024 by Branch 102 of the Nazarabad Criminal Court, which had sentenced him to eight years and ten months in prison, a fine of 1.9 billion tomans, and confiscation of his assets on the same charges.

In another part of his case, in September 2024, the Alborz Appeals Court sentenced Karami to three years and seven months for “assembly and collusion” and to eight months for “propaganda against the regime.” Previously, on May 21, 2024, the Karaj Revolutionary Court had sentenced him to five years for “assembly and collusion against national security” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.”

Karami was transferred from The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility to Karaj Central Penitentiary on October 28, 2023. After three months in quarantine, he was moved to Ward 15 of the prison. He was originally arrested by security forces on August 23, 2023. At the time of his arrest, security agents confiscated all electronic devices and blocked the family’s bank cards.

It is worth noting that at dawn on Saturday, January 7, 2023, Mohammad Mehdi Karami—Mashallah Karami’s son and one of the detainees from the nationwide protests—was executed in connection with the case known as the “killing of Basij member Ruhollah Ajamian.”

Majid Roshannejad in Prison: Details of His Current Situation

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, HRANA, Majid Roshannejad

HRANA News Agency – Political prisoner Majid Roshannejad (Roshan-Nejad) is serving his sentence in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary without being held separately from inmates convicted of violent crimes, in violation of the principle of separation of prisoners based on their charges. He was previously sentenced to six years in prison and 74 lashes in connection with the case known as the Evin Prison fire.

A source close to the prisoner’s family confirmed to HRANA: “Mr. Roshannejad is serving his sentence related to the Evin Prison fire case. On the night of the incident, he was shot in the knee. He was then held in solitary confinement for two months, before being transferred to a hospital. However, he was returned to prison the next day without receiving adequate medical treatment.”

On June 19, 2024, verdicts were issued for the defendants in the Evin Prison fire case, just one day after the court session was held. The trial took place in Branch 1148 of Tehran’s Criminal Court No. 2.

In this case, Roshannejad was sentenced to six years in prison and 74 lashes for “destruction of property.” He also received 16 months in prison and 74 lashes for “disrupting prison order,” and an additional 16 months for “disobeying officers’ orders.” The verdict was later upheld in full by the Tehran Provincial Court of Appeals.

It is worth noting that this case, initiated by the Prisons Organization, resulted in prison sentences for 39 other defendants in addition to Roshannejad. A separate lawsuit has also been filed by the General Directorate of Prisons, seeking damages related to the fire.

On May 3, 2023, Roshannejad was transferred from Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj to the Greater Tehran Penitentiary.

On the night of October 15, 2022, after tensions rose in Evin Prison, fire was seen above the prison, and sounds of gunfire and explosions were heard. Despite officials claiming to have controlled the fire and clashes, gunfire continued for several hours. As a result, several prisoners were injured and killed, and some were transferred out of the prison.

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Ongoing Detention of Mehdi Farahi Shandiz; Reports of Assault During Arrest

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Labor and Guilds, News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Farahi Shandiz, Mehdi Farahi Shandiz

HRANA News Agency – Mehdi Farahi Shandiz, a former contract teacher, remains in legal limbo in Evin Prison more than two weeks after his arrest. He was reportedly beaten by security forces at the time of his detention for chanting protest slogans.

A source close to his family told HRANA: “During the arrest, inside the van, Farahi Shandiz was beaten by security agents for chanting protest slogans. One officer applied intense pressure by sitting on his abdomen, causing physical injury.”

Farahi Shandiz has now spent 16 days in Evin Prison without due process, and efforts to release him on bail have so far failed.

He was arrested on May 1, 2025, during a teachers’ protest held in Tehran, coinciding with International Workers’ Day. At the same protest, retired teacher Hossein Ebadian from Malayer (now residing in Shahriar) and Ahmad Heydari were also detained but were later released on bail.

As of the time of this report, no formal charges have been announced against these union activists.

Farahi Shandiz has previously served prison time for his activism.

Over Three Months in Legal Limbo: Arghavan Fallahi’s Case Still Unclear

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News, Prisoners
Arghavan Fallahi, Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, ارغوان فلاحی

HRANA News Agency – Arghavan Fallahi, a Tehran resident, remains in legal limbo in Evin Prison more than three months after her arrest.

A source close to her family confirmed to HRANA: “Ms. Fallahi has been held in Evin Prison for over three months without clarity on her case. She has been under interrogation during this time, and the charges against her remain unknown. She is allowed one phone call with her family per month and has not been granted in-person visits.”

Arghavan Fallahi was arrested by security forces in late January 2025 and transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison.

Fallahi had previously been arrested in November 2022 alongside her father by security forces and later transferred to Evin Prison. She was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to two years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion” and “propaganda against the regime.” She was released after serving her sentence.

In 2024 alone, HRANA published 938 reports of prolonged detention of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience by the Iranian regime’s security and judicial apparatus. These extended detentions are often marked by solitary confinement, withholding information from families about the detainees’ whereabouts and condition, lengthy interrogation periods, and unclear charges and judicial procedures—forming a pattern of systematic abuse and due process violations.

Fatemeh Sepehri Transferred from Vakilabad Prison to Hospital

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News, Prisoners
Hossein Sepehri, Mashhad, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, Vakilabad prison, فاطمه سپهری

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, Fatemeh Sepehri, a political prisoner, was transferred from Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad to a hospital in the city due to poor physical health.

Ali Sepehri, Fatemeh Sepehri’s brother, stated that his sister was transferred to Shariati Hospital on Wednesday, May 14. According to him, the transfer was made due to severe heart palpitations, chest pain, and low blood pressure.

Mr. Sepehri added that Fatemeh Sepehri had also been transferred to a hospital some time ago by order of the prison infirmary. She was returned to prison just one day later after undergoing an echocardiogram.

In June of 2024, Sepehri and her brothers, Mohammad-Hossein Sepehri and Hossein Sepehri, were sentenced to a total of 18 years and six months in prison. The charges against her included “assembly and collusion against national security,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and “propaganda against the regime,” as well as an additional charge of “supporting a hostile government (Israel).”

Sepehri is currently serving a sentence from a prior case in Vakilabad Prison. She was temporarily released on medical leave on October 16, 2023, but was re-arrested at her home in Mashhad just three days later, and returned to prison.

In February 2023, the Mashhad Criminal Court sentenced her to an additional one year of imprisonment and a fine of 20 million tomans for “spreading falsehoods and disturbing public opinion.” She was also arrested on September 21 of that year at her home and transferred to Vakilabad Prison.

Fatemeh Sepehri is one of the signatories of a letter calling for the resignation of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the initial trial, Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced her to five years of imprisonment, later reduced to three years and six months on appeal. In May, 2023, this sentence was conditionally suspended for five years, leading to her temporary release.

Mir-Yousef Younesi Goes on Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Aida Younesi, Ali Younesi, Evin Prison, Mir-Yousef Younesi, Shahrud

HRANA News Agency – Mir-Yousef Younesi began a hunger strike yesterday, May 13, in protest of his transfer to Ward 7 of Evin Prison.

His daughter, Aida Younesi, shared in a statement: “My father began a hunger strike today, Tuesday, May 13, in protest of new pressures, his unlawful transfer to Ward 7, and the inhumane conditions in that ward. A week has passed since his transfer, and despite protests, letters, and promises from prison officials to return him to Ward 4, nothing has changed. He was arrested on political charges, which are not compatible with placement in Ward 7. He is deprived of basic facilities, and his access to fresh air and phone calls has been severely restricted. Even the officials of Ward 7 said from the start that this ward is not suitable for my father, an elderly and ill man, and that the transfer would last only two to three days.”

Mr. Younesi had previously been sentenced in January 2024 to five years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

His trial was held on December 31, 2023. According to his daughter, Aida, he was not brought to the courtroom for refusing to wear a prison uniform, and the judge did not allow the lawyers to defend him.

One of Mr. Younesi’s children stated that he lost hearing in one ear during his detention, and the other ear has also become impaired, while he has consistently been denied proper medical care.

Younesi was arrested in Shahrud on December 28, 2022. After 107 days of solitary confinement in Wards 240 and 209, and later being held in closed multi-person cells in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, he was transferred to the general ward of Evin.

Mir-Yousef Younesi is the father of Ali Younesi, a student currently imprisoned in Evin. Ali Younesi won a silver medal in Iran’s National Astronomy Olympiad in 2016 and a gold medal in 2017. He also earned first place by winning a gold medal at the 12th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics held in China. He and another detained student from the same university, Amirhossein Moradi, are currently serving their prison sentences in Evin.

HRANA’s data from the past decade shows that during this ten-year period, over 2,050 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Iran prisons have been forced to go on hunger strike in protest of various abuses—including prolonged detention, being held in legal limbo, unfair trials, poor prison conditions, and being held in solitary confinement or alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes.

Supreme Court Rejects Second Retrial Request for Hatem Ozdemir

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News, Prisoners
Hatem Ozdemir, HRANA, Khoy, Urmia prison

HRANA News Agency – The Supreme Court has rejected a second request for retrial filed on behalf of Hatem Ozdemir, a Turkish national and political prisoner sentenced to death and currently held in Urmia Prison.

This marks the second time Iran’s highest judicial authority has denied a retrial for Ozdemir. His initial request was rejected in March 2025. Earlier, in September 2024, the Supreme Court had upheld his death sentence.

Ozdemir was arrested by security forces in Maku in early summer 2019. After two months, he was transferred to the political ward of Urmia Prison. On September 18 of that year, he was moved to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Urmia, and shortly thereafter returned to Urmia Central Prison.

In late winter 2022, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Khoy sentenced Ozdemir to death on charges of baghi (armed rebellion). The ruling was officially delivered to him on March 15, 2022. The Supreme Court later overturned this verdict and referred the case to an equivalent court for reconsideration.

Following a new trial, Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Najafzadeh, reissued a death sentence against Ozdemir in May 2024—this time on charges of moharebeh (enmity against God).