Political Prisoner Majid Tavakoli Faces Upheld Six-Year Sentence Following Retrial

Branch 54 of the Court of Appeal in Tehran has affirmed a six-year sentence for political prisoner Majid Tavakoli.

A source close to his family confirmed to HRANA that Tavakoli was sentenced to six years in prison, along with internet and social media usage restrictions for two years, a two-year ban from residing in Tehran, and a travel ban for two years.

Tavakoli received notification of this verdict on January 29.

Previously, the Supreme Court accepted Tavakoli’s request for a retrial, transferring the case to another court branch. Notably, Tavakoli, a student activist and former political detainee, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on September 23, 2022, during the Mahsa Amini Protests. He was released on bail on December 19, 2022.

Subsequently, Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court imposed a six-year sentence, which was upheld on appeal. On October 7, 2023, Tavakoli commenced serving his sentence in Evin Prison.

Tavakoli’s history of arrests and convictions is rooted in his activism.

Two Political Prisoners Face Execution in Zahedan Prison

Mohammad Zeineddine and Adham Narui, currently incarcerated in Zahedan Prison, are under the threat of execution following the confirmation of their death sentences by Iran’s Supreme Court in November 2023.

In March 2023, the Criminal Court of Zahedan sentenced Zeineddine and Narui to the death penalty for “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through armed action.” On November 20, 2023, this verdict was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Security forces apprehended Zeineddine in September-October 2020 and Narui on May 25, 2021, in Lashar, Sistan and Baluchestan Province. After completing the interrogation process in a security detention facility, they were transferred to Zahedan Prison and are currently held in Ward 9.

Subsequently, they were accused of killing three security forces, an allegation they consistently denied throughout the trial.

A reliable source close to the family of one of the prisoners has confirmed to HRANA: “Mohammad and Adham are innocent, and the charges against them are unfounded. Earlier, during a confrontation with security forces in the Sirchah region, several relatives of Mohammad were killed, resulting in the death of three security personnel. In this confrontation, the individual who had shot at these three officers was also killed. However, these two individuals, who had no involvement in this incident, were arrested.”

The source further added that the families of these prisoners have been subjected to verbal insults by judicial officials during their inquiries about the well-being and condition of their sons.

Women’s Rights Advocate Tina Deljoo Commences Sentence in Lakan Prison, Rasht

On January 30, 2024, women’s rights advocate Tina Deljoo initiated her one-year sentence at Lakan Prison in Rasht.

The Revolutionary Court of Rasht imposed the sentence, alleging “propaganda against the regime,” citing Deljoo’s activities on her Instagram page as evidence during the trial.

Deljoo was initially arrested in Rasht and later released on bond from Lakan Prison, where she has now begun serving her sentence.

As per HRA’s annual report for 2023, 44 women were arrested for their involvement in activities related to women’s rights. Moreover, a total of 20 activists received sentences amounting to 182 months of imprisonment, coupled with fines totaling seventeen million six hundred thousand Iranian Rials. These sentences encompass 152 months of actual imprisonment and 30 months of suspended imprisonment, with appellate courts issuing 64 months of these sentences. Additionally, two individuals were sentenced to 222 lashes.

Political Prisoner Mohammad-Javad Vafaie at Risk of Death Penalty

Political prisoner Seyed Mohammad-Javad Vafaie, currently held in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, is facing the threat of execution. The Revolutionary Court of Mashhad handed down a death sentence after a retrial in July 2023.

Vafaie, a 28-year-old boxing coach, was arrested by security forces in Mashhad in March 2020 and subsequently incarcerated in Vakilabad Prison. In January 2020, Babak Paknia, Vafaie’s lawyer, revealed that his client had been convicted of “spreading corruption on earth through arson and intentional destruction of public property, including the penitentiary building.” However, the Supreme Court later overturned the initial verdict, leading to a retrial in another branch.

Despite the retrial, the Revolutionary Court once again sentenced him to death. Notably, following the verdict, Vafaie was granted a substantial bail, which he was unable to afford.

The reissuance of the death sentence after the retrial has raised serious concerns about the potential imminent execution of Mohammad-Javad Vafaie.

Supreme Court Rejects Retrial Plea for Death-Row Inmate Abbas Deris

The Supreme Court has dismissed Abbas Deris’s plea for a retrial. Deris, arrested during the 2019 nationwide protests (Aban Protests), faced a death sentence, with his arrest linked to charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh).”

Despite significant flaws in the legal case and the initial verdict, the Supreme Court of Iran rejected the retrial request, as confirmed by Deris’s lawyer, Fereshteh Tabanian. The legal team has now invoked Article 477 of Iran’s Criminal Procedure Code, which allows for a retrial if a final verdict is deemed inconsistent with Islamic law.

Having initially filed the retrial request in July 2023 to Branch 9 of the Supreme Court, Deris saw a temporary suspension of the verdict. However, in the subsequent month, Tabanian announced that Branch 39 of the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence, disregarding the acknowledged flaws in the case.

Abbas Deris, currently incarcerated at Mahshahr Prison, was accused of firing shots at security forces during the protests, leading to the death of Police Captain Reza Sayyadi. His coerced confession during interrogation by the IRGC was later broadcast by Iran-state TV. However, during the trial, Deris admitted to participating in the protests but denied any involvement in shooting at security forces.

It is noteworthy that Deris’s brother, also a co-defendant, was acquitted of all charges. Both were arrested on December 8, 2019. Abbas Deris, aged approximately 49, is a father of three children.

Background on Aban Protests:

In November 2019, a surge in fuel prices triggered widespread protests across numerous cities in Iran. The Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission reported 7,000 arrests during these protests. Human rights organizations documented hundreds of deaths at the hands of the security apparatus.

 

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Concerns Rise as Khaled Pirzadeh Hospitalized in Evin Prison

Political prisoner Khaled Pirzadeh has been hospitalized since January 19, 2024, due to a deteriorating health condition.

A reliable source close to Pirzadeh’s family confirmed the news, stating, “Last week, Pirzadeh was admitted to Loghman Hospital in Tehran due to heart arrhythmia. He is currently in the ICU with a bound chain on his ankle.”

Earlier this year, Pirzadeh was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court for “assembly and collusion against national security” and an additional eight months for “propaganda against the regime.”

In September 2023, security forces arrested Pirzadeh in Ahvaz, and he was subsequently transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran. On October 15, he was moved to Ward 6 within the same prison.

It is noteworthy that Pirzadeh has a history of previous arrests and convictions related to his activism.

Narges Mohammadi Faces Additional Penalties While Incarcerated

Renowned human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has recently been handed down a sentence of imprisonment, exile, travel restrictions, and additional penalties by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court imposed a 15-month prison term on Mohammadi for “propaganda against the regime.” Additionally, she received a two-year ban on residing in Tehran and neighboring provinces, a two-year travel restriction, a two-year prohibition from joining political/civil groups, and limitations on smartphone usage for the same duration.

The verdict was issued on December 19, 2023, during an in-absentia court session prompted by a complaint from the Ministry of Intelligence, according to Mrs. Mohammadi’s social media page.

Currently incarcerated in Evin Prison, Mohammadi continues to face additional penalties for her activism.

In October 2020, she was released from Zanjan Prison after enduring approximately five and a half years of imprisonment. However, her ordeal persisted as she faced another legal case, culminating in a sentence of 30 months of imprisonment, 80 lashes, and two fines.

On November 16, 2021, Mohammadi was arrested once again during a commemorative event honoring Ebrahim Ketabdar, who had lost his life during the November 2019 protests in Karaj. Subsequently, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court handed down a staggering eight-year prison sentence, accompanied by seventy-four lashes, two years of exile, and various social restrictions.

Adding to her ordeal, Mohammadi received an additional one-year prison sentence in early August, stemming from a new case initiated during her incarceration.

Female Journalists Elahe Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi Released from Evin Prison

Journalists Elahe Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi were granted release on bail from Evin Prison on January 14, 2024. They were detained for reporting on news surrounding the tragic death of Mahsa Amini.

Elnaz Mohammadi disclosed that her sister secured bail with 10 billion tomans, equivalent to approximately 200,000 dollars.

Hamedi, a correspondent for the daily newspaper Shargh, was apprehended at her residence in Tehran by security forces on September 22, 2022. She gained notoriety for being the first journalist to publish a photograph of Mahsa Amini in a coma. In December 2022, she was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin.

Mohammadi, a reporter for the daily newspaper Ham-Mihan, faced arrest on September 29, 2022, following her coverage of the funeral of Mahsa Amini in Saqqez.

Following their arrests, Hamedi and Mohammadi were handed down sentences of 13 and 12 years, respectively, by the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Moreover, both journalists were prohibited from affiliating with political parties and groups, as well as engaging in journalism across media and the Internet.

Political Prisoner Manoochehr Bakhtiari Faces Extended Incarceration and Corporal Punishment

Manoochehr Bakhtiari, a political prisoner held in Qazvin Prison, has recently been handed an additional 18-year prison term and 74 lashes as part of a legal case initiated against him while in prison.

Presiding over Branch 1 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court, Judge Seyyed Mousavi Asef-Al-Hosseini sentenced Bakhtiari to ten years for “assembly and collusion to act against national security, and forming and running groups on the Internet to disturb national security.” Additionally, he received five years for “collaboration with anti-regime groups,” two years for “propaganda against the regime and disturbing public opinions,” and one year along with 74 lashes for “disseminating false information.”

Bakhtiari conveyed this latest sentence to his family in a phone call on January 9, as reported by his wife, Sara Abbasi.

On November 1, 2023, Bakhtiari was also handed an additional six-month prison term for “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran.”

Currently serving a three-year, six-month sentence in Qazvin Prison, Bakhtiari’s wife has raised concerns about his health, citing multiple ailments, and alleges that he is being denied access to medical treatment and furlough. She explained, “He endured a toothache for four months with infections spreading to his ears and eyes. Prison officials delayed his dispatch to a dentist every day until he had to extract his upper row teeth to alleviate the pain.”

Bakhtiari’s legal troubles began on April 29, 2021, when security forces forcibly arrested him at his residence in Tehran. Subsequently, the Revolutionary Court sentenced him to three years and six months in prison, along with a two-year, six-month exile and a two-year travel ban. Bakhtiari began serving this sentence in July 2021.

In a tragic and interconnected series of events, Bakhtiari’s son, Pouya, at the age of 27, was fatally shot by regime forces during the 2019 protests, also known as the Aban Protests, in Karaj. According to his sister and mother, Pouya succumbed to his injuries in the hospital after being shot in the head during the second day of the protest’s eruption.

Update on Fatemeh Sepehri’s Health in Vakilabad Prison

In an open letter addressed to the head of the Judiciary on Thursday, January 4, Khosrow Alikurdi appealed for the release of his client, Fatemeh Sepehri, a political prisoner currently held in Vakilabad Prison. Alikurdi expressed deep concern about Sepehri’s deteriorating health, emphasizing the denial of access to proper medical care.

Alikurdi’s letter detailed, “The use of medications to regulate her high heart rate has led to multiple physical and mental issues, including extended periods of unintentional sleep and depression.” The lawyer urged an end to Sepehri’s imprisonment, advocating for her release to receive essential medical treatment.

Sepehri’s brother, Asghar Sepehri, had previously voiced concerns regarding the inadequate medical care provided to his sister in prison. Despite being granted a one-week medical furlough in October 2023, Sepehri was re-arrested by security forces at her residence on the third day, interrupting her medical treatment.

Imprisoned since September 21, 2023, in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, Sepehri received ten years for “collaboration with hostile foreign governments,” five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” two years for “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.” The ten-year sentence was enforced based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, following an unsuccessful appeal.

Additionally, Sepehri faced convictions from the Mashhad Criminal Court for “disseminating false information to disturb public opinion on the Internet and having interviews with foreign media,” resulting in one year of imprisonment and a fine.

Sepehri, known for her role as one of the signatories of a letter demanding Ali Khamenei’s resignation, has previously experienced arrests and convictions on similar grounds. The plea for her release is grounded in the urgency of addressing her declining health and securing appropriate medical attention.