Category: Prisoners

Reza Kosari in Extended Detention by Ministry of Intelligence in Mashhad

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News, Prisoners
HRANA, Mashhad, Reza Kosari

Reza Kosari, a Mashhad resident, has been detained for over four months at the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention center in Mashhad without a definitive legal status.

According to HRANA, Kosari was apprehended by intelligence agents in Mashhad in February 2024 and placed in solitary confinement. Since his arrest, he has managed only two brief phone calls and one face-to-face visit with his family.

A source close to Kosari’s family relayed to HRANA, “Mr. Kosari, a pharmacist with several pharmacies in Mashhad, had his premises searched by intelligence agents in January this year, allegedly for hoarding medication. His case was subsequently referred to a public court where he received a 30 million tomans fine for possession of some prohibited medications. It appears, however, that his arrest might be more connected to his support for political prisoners and for families of victims and the injured from the nationwide protests of 2022.”

Up to now, the specific accusations against Kosari remain undisclosed.

Civil Rights Activist Atena Farghadani Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

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News, Prisoners
Atena Farghadani, Evin Courthouse, Iman Afshari

Atena Farghadani, a cartoonist and civil rights activist imprisoned in Evin Prison was sentenced to six years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

The verdict, issued on June 10 and communicated to Ms. Farghadani on June 11, was presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. She received a five-year sentence for “blasphemy” and an additional year for “propaganda against the regime.” Ms. Farghadani had previously chosen not to attend the court hearings for these charges.
Atena Farghadani had previously refrained from attending the court to respond to her charges.

On April 13, 2024, in a protest action, she attempted to display one of her paintings on a wall on a street in Tehran. During this act, she was arrested by security forces and transferred to Evin Prison.

Additionally, on June 7, 2023, Farghadani was detained after appearing at the Evin Courthouse and subsequently transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin. Shortly after, Branch 1 of the Evin Courthouse charged her with disturbing public order, and she was later released on bail.

Farghadani has faced previous arrests and convictions related to her activism.

Reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of HRA in 2023 indicate a total of 193 cases in which Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, has been involved in issuing verdicts that infringe upon the human rights of defendants.

Hamideh Zeraei, Opponent of Mandatory Hijab, Begins Hunger Strike in Lakan Prison

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News, Prisoners
Hamideh Zeraei, HRANA, Kachooie Prison, Karaj, Rasht, حمیده زراعی

Hamideh Zeraei, an opponent of compulsory hijab, has initiated a hunger strike to protest her continued detention in Lakan Prison, Rasht. She was detained on June 5 following a court appearance at Branch 13 of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht.

A source close to Ms. Zeraei’s family confirmed her hunger strike to HRANA, stating: “Hamideh had declared that if she was not released by Saturday, June 8, she would start a hunger strike. Today, when her sister attempted to visit her in Lakan Prison, officials barred the visit.”

Zeraei was initially arrested at her home on May 29, 2023, and taken to Kachooie Prison in Karaj.

On November 16, 2023, the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Karaj, led by Judge Musa Asaf Al-Hosseini, sentenced her to one year in prison, two years of exile to Rasht, a two-year travel ban, and a two-year ban from using social media. Following a plea of no contest, her prison term was reduced to nine months. Upon completing her sentence on February 22, 2024, she was released from Kachooie Prison and began her exile in Rasht.

Recently, Ms. Zeraei was summoned to Branch 13 of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht for further inquiries. Last Wednesday, after her court appearance, she was arrested and transferred to Lakan Prison.

The summons was related to her ongoing two-year exile term in Rasht, during which she was required to check in every three days at a local police station. Following several visits, the station’s officers demanded she wear a chador for her appearances—a condition Ms. Zeraei, who opposes mandatory hijab, refused. Subsequently, the police chief instructed her to cease her visits. This led to her being summoned to court once again after she failed to verify her continued residence in Rasht.

Previously, in 2022, Ms. Zeraei was arrested in connection with nationwide protests and was later released from Kachooie Prison on February 7, 2023, following an official pardon.

Iran’s Supreme Court Overturns Death Sentence of Political Prisoner Seyed Mohammad-Javad Vafaie Again

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Mashhad, Mohammad-Javad Vafaie, محمد جواد وفایی

In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of Iran has for the second time overturned the death sentence of Seyed Mohammad-Javad Vafaie, a 28-year-old boxing coach turned political prisoner. His case has now been reassigned to another branch for a new trial.

Babak Paknia, the attorney for Vafaie, confirmed the development to the public.

Vafaie was initially arrested by security forces in Mashhad in March 2020 and has since been detained in Vakilabad Prison.

He was originally sentenced to death in January 2020 on charges of “spreading corruption on earth” by committing arson and deliberately destroying public property, including a penitentiary facility. Despite the Supreme Court overturning this initial verdict, Branch 2 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court reimposed the death sentence in July 2023, necessitating another Supreme Court review which resulted in the recent overturn.

Iranian Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence for Sunni Cleric Mohammad Khezrnejad

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Ali Razini, Asa'ad Rahimi, Mohammad Khezrnejad

Branch 41 of the Iranian Supreme Court, under the leadership of Judge Ali Razini, has upheld the death sentence and additional imprisonment for Sunni Cleric Mohammad Khezrnejad. He was arrested amidst the nationwide protests in 2022, as reported by Kurdpa.

On November 19, 2022, Khezrnejad and his son were detained by security forces in Bukan and subsequently incarcerated in Urmia Prison.

Judge Reza Najafzadeh, presiding over the Urmia Revolutionary Court, later found Khezrnejad guilty on multiple counts, including “spreading corruption on earth,” “compromising national security by threatening the country’s integrity or independence,” and “engaging in propaganda against the regime.” He received a combined sentence of death and 16 years in prison. Khezrnejad has consistently refuted the charges, labeling them as unfounded.

The conviction was largely based on coerced confessions extracted during interrogations, where Khezrnejad allegedly confessed to “leading protests in Bukan and affiliating with anti-regime factions.” He has challenged the validity of these confessions.

His arrest followed a speech he gave at the funeral of Asa’ad Rahimi, a protestor killed by regime forces. The arrest also included a physical assault on Khezrnejad.

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Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Milad Jalili Begins Prison Term for Political Rap

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Azerbaijani Turk activist, Milad Jalili, Tabriz Prison

On June 5, 2024, Azerbaijani-Turk activist Milad Jalili commenced his eight-month prison sentence at Tabriz Prison. This sentence was confirmed by Branch 32 of the Appellate Court of East Azerbaijan Province.

In a video on his personal page, Jalili shared that he had begun serving his term. Originally arrested on November 28, 2023, by security forces in Tabriz, where he resides and is known as a rapper, Jalili was initially released on bail on January 29, 2024.

The Revolutionary Court of Tabriz had sentenced him for “propaganda against the regime by performing political rap music in support of convicted secessionists.” However, he was acquitted of the charges related to “acting against national security through inciting people to cause unrest.” The appellate court upheld this verdict.

Update on Sanaz Jahan Tigh’s Imprisonment in Tir Kala Prison, Sari

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News, Prisoners
HRANA, Sanaz Jahan Tigh, Sari, Tir Kala Prison

Sanaz Jahan Tigh, a political prisoner and one of the detainees during the nationwide protests of 2022, is currently serving a two-year and six-month sentence at Tir Kala Prison in Sari.

Jahan Tigh was detained by security forces in late August 2023 and subsequently sentenced on September 9, 2023, to two years and six months in prison by the Sari Revolutionary Court. The charges against her, as reported by HRANA, include “propaganda against the regime” and “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran.”

During her arrest, security agents conducted a search of her residence, confiscating various personal items such as books and manuscripts.

Jahan Tigh, who is about 30 years old and hails from Ghaemshahr, has been arrested twice before for her involvement in the 2021 nationwide protests. She has previously spent time in detention facilities in both Sari and Ghaemshahr, released on bail each time.

Additionally, she had been arrested in connection with earlier protests in Khuzestan and subsequently released after securing bail.

 

Overview of Political Prisoner Reza Mohammad-Hosseini’s Legal Situation in Ghezel Hesar Prison

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News, Prisoners
Ghezel Hesar prison, Reza Mohammad Hosseini, رضا محمد حسینی

Political prisoner Reza Mohammad-Hosseini is currently incarcerated in Ghezel Hesar Prison and has been prohibited from making phone calls to his family since May 10.

The cause of this restriction remains unclear, though it may relate to his recently published audio message. In this recording, he disclosed that the IRGC forces barred him from authorizing his brother to manage exclusive inheritance affairs.

Mohammad-Hosseini was initially detained by security forces at his home on May 1, 2023, and held in Detention A-1, under IRGC Intelligence’s jurisdiction. After a period, he was relocated to the quarantine section of Evin Prison and subsequently moved to Ghezel Hesar Prison upon his indictment.

In January 2024, the Tehran Appellate Court convicted him on multiple charges, resulting in a total sentence of 14 years and six months. He received six years and three months for “membership in anti-regime groups to undermine national security,” the same term for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “spreading propaganda against the regime,” property confiscation on charges of “illegal acquisition of property,” and an additional year for “defying government officers on duty.”

 

Five-Year Sentence for Mohammad-Hassan Sadeghian Confirmed by Appellate Court

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Mashhad, Mohammad-Hassan Sadeghian, Vakilabad prison, محمد حسن صادقیان

The Appellate Court of Razavi Khorasan Province has upheld the five-year prison sentence of Mohammad-Hassan Sadeghian, who was detained during the nationwide protests in 2022. He is currently incarcerated in Vakilabad Prison.

Originally, the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad convicted Sadeghian on several charges, including “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “disturbing public order.”

Sadeghian was arrested at his home on September 25, 2022, and has been held in Vakilabad Prison since his arrest.

Overview of Political Prisoner Elahe Fooladi’s Legal Situation in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Elahe Fooladi, Elaheh Fooladi, Evin Prison, HRANA, Tehran Revolutionary Court, الهه فولادی

Elahe Fooladi, a political prisoner, is currently serving a five-year sentence in Evin Prison, following a conviction by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “assembly and collusion against national security.”

A source close to the Fooladi family informed HRANA that she has been in the Women’s ward of Evin Prison since December 12, 2023.

Fooladi, approximately 46 years old and originally from Khalkhal, has previously experienced imprisonment. In early 2020, she and her husband were detained by security forces and held in Evin Prison until her conditional release later that summer.