Category: Prisoners

Sajjad Iman-Nejad Receives an Eleven-Year Prison Sentence

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News, Prisoners
diya, Mohammad-Reza Amuzad, moharebeh, Sajad Iman-Nejad, Sajjad Iman-Nejad, Tehran

The Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Sajjad Iman-Nejad to eleven years in prison for his alleged involvement in the 2022 nationwide protests. In addition, he has been ordered to pay a wergild (Diya) of 2.7 billion tomans (approximately 54,000 dollars).

The ruling, issued by Judge Mohammad-Reza Amuzad, who presided over the court, is as follows: ten years of imprisonment in exile in Iranshahr County for “enmity against God (Moharebeh)” and one year in prison, including the detention period, for “assault with a cold weapon.” Iman-Nejad is also required to pay a 2.7 billion tomans wergild to seven plaintiffs, all of whom are police officers.

A source close to Iman-Nejad’s family has revealed that three out of the seven plaintiffs confessed that Iman-Nejad never physically assaulted them, but they are unwilling to withdraw their complaints.

“Iman-Nejad is suffering from a lumbar disc issue, for which he had to be hospitalized several times during detention. However, he did not receive medical care in the hospital under the excuse of a lack of available beds. Currently, prison officials have refused to transfer him to an external hospital. The lumbar disc problem has made enduring incarceration extremely challenging for him.”

Iman-Nejad, a 32-year-old resident of Tehran originally from Ardabil and a graduate in architecture, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on October 8, 2022, and subsequently transferred to the Great Tehran Penitentiary. After some time, he was relocated to Evin Prison.

Political Prisoner Zohreh Sarv Survives Suicide Attempt in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, irgc, Theran, Zohreh Sarv

On December 12, Zohreh Sarv, a political prisoner confined in Evin Prison, made a suicide attempt using 30 Alprazolam pills. Following the incident, she received medical care at an external hospital before being returned to prison a few hours later.

Sources close to her family revealed that Sarv, already in poor health due to an ongoing hunger strike since November 23, was distressed by pressures and threats from prison officials. Despite her deteriorating health, she continues to be denied release on probation and medical furlough.

Currently serving a six-year sentence in Evin Prison, Sarv faces health issues, including knee injuries and potential breast cysts, requiring essential medical treatments such as sonography and MRI tests. Her requests for hospital transport have been denied by prison officials, despite approval from the prison infirmary’s head.

Sarv’s legal troubles began in September 2021 when she was arrested by security forces and initially held in IRGC ward A-1. Following a month of interrogation, she was transferred to Evin Prison. The Tehran Revolutionary Court later issued a seven-year sentence, citing charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.” The sentence is enforceable for six years.

It is important to note that Sarve has a history of previous arrests and convictions related to her activism. Prior to her arrest, she was actively engaged on social media platforms.

Three Female Political Prisoners Facing Charges of Armed Rebellion (Baghi)

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News, Prisoners
Baghi, Evin Courthouse, Evin Prison, Forough Taghipour, Marzieh Farsi, Nasim Gholami Fard, Tehran

On December 9 at Evin Courthouse, political prisoners Forough Taghipour and Marzieh Farsi, along with Nasim Gholami Fard, were indicted on charges of “armed rebellion (Baghi),” potentially carrying severe consequences. Their alleged collaboration with a political opposition party has been presented as evidence for this charge.

Former political prisoners Taghipour and Farsi were arrested by security forces in Tehran on August 21, while Gholami was apprehended in Tehran on accusations of collaborating with a political opposition party and subsequently detained in Evin Prison. The extent to which their legal cases are interconnected remains unclear.

During her incarceration, Gholami initiated a hunger strike, which concluded after receiving promises from authorities. Notably, in Iran’s legal system, the charge of Baghi carries potential penalties such as the death penalty, amputation of the right hand and left leg, and exile.

Both Taghipour and Farsi have a documented history of prior arrests and convictions related to their activism. The severity of the charges underscores the challenges faced by political prisoners in Iran’s judicial landscape.

Eight Protestors Remain in Detention Amid Legal Uncertainty

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Alireza Barmarz Pournak, Alireza Kafaie, Amir-Mohammad Khosh Eghbal, Arman Aliverdi, Ekbatan, Hossein Nemati, Mehdi Imani, Milad Armoon, Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini, moharebeh, Navid Najaran, Qezel Hesar Prison, Salavati

Milad Armoon, Alireza Kafaie, Amir-Mohammad Khosh Eghbal, Alireza Barmarz Pournak, Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini, Hossein Nemati, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Najaran are detained in Qezel (Ghezel) Hesar Prison with an uncertain legal status.

The arrest of these individuals during the 2022 nationwide protests links them to a legal case stemming from an incident in Ekbatan town, Tehran, resulting in the death of Basij Militia agent Arman Aliverdi.

According to a source with close ties to one defendant’s family, the Tehran Criminal Court had previously confirmed the release of two detainees on bail. However, Judge Salavati, presiding over Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, rejected their release and asserted control over the entire case. Such discrepancies within Iran’s judicial system contribute to legal insecurity and uncertainty, causing distress for the detainees and their families.

Another source reports that, despite multiple court sessions in October and November of this year, the defendants await a verdict. Earlier, it was revealed that the case had been divided between the Revolutionary and Criminal Courts. The Criminal Court initiated proceedings on October 7, 2023, addressing charges of “assisting in murder, assembly and collusion against national security, and enmity against God (Moharebeh).”

The protests in Ekbatan Town in Tehran in 2022 resulted in the death of Basij Militia agent Arman Aliverdi. Subsequently, in November 2022, police and security forces arrested over 50 young residents of the district, with 14 individuals facing legal action. The indictments detail charges such as “enmity against God” for Azmoon, Hosseini, and Imani, while Kafaie, Khosh Eghbal, Barmarz Pournak, and Nemati face charges of “assisting in murder and disturbing public order.” The charges against Najaran, arrested in Ahvaz, remain unknown.

Report on Abolfazl Pour-Hosseini’s Condition in Central Prison of Karaj

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News, Prisoners
Abolfazl Pour-Hosseini, Abolfazl PourHosseini, Central Prison of Karaj, Erfan-e-Halgheh, HRANA, irgc, Karaj, Qom, ابوالفضل پورحسینی

Abolfazl Pour-Hosseini, a follower of Iranian mysticism known as Erfan-e-Halgheh, has recently been sentenced to three years in prison with an additional two years of suspended imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court. He is currently imprisoned in the Central Prison of Karaj.

A source close to Pour-Hosseini’s family provided HRANA with details about this verdict. Moreover, Pour-Hosseini faces charges of “propaganda against the regime and inciting people to act against national security” in a separate case under review by the Karaj Revolutionary Court.

According to this source, Pour-Hosseini has rejected the charges and declined to sign the charge sheet.

On June 13, 2023, IRGC Intelligence forces in Karaj arrested Pour-Hosseini, detaining him in the Central Prison of the city. According to a statement from one of his friends to HRANA, Pour-Hosseini was distributing a leaflet about Erfan-e-Halgheh at the time of his arrest.

Pour-Hosseini had previously been arrested in 2022 for attending a meeting of this mysticist group in Qom, being released on bond after a period of detention. Aged approximately 47, Pour-Hosseini is the father of one daughter and anticipates becoming a father once again.

Notably, concerns persist about the violation of freedom of religion in Iran, exemplified by cases like Pour-Hosseini’s. This incident adds to ongoing apprehensions regarding the protection of religious rights in the country.

 

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Mohammad Boroughani Receives Five-Year Prison Term and Ten Years Exile

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Ghezel Hesar, Isfahan, Karaj, Mohammad Boroughani, moharebeh, Naeen, Pakdasht, Qezel Hesar Prison

The Tehran Revolutionary Court has issued a verdict, sentencing Mohammad Boroughani, a detainee from the 2022 nationwide protests, to five years in prison and ten years of mandatory residence in Naeen County, situated in Isfahan province, as reported by Shargh Newspaper.

Initially facing a death sentence on charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through the use of a cold weapon, altercation with police officers, and setting fire to the Pakdasht governorate building,” Boroughani’s fate took a different turn. The Supreme Court overturned the initial verdict, leading to a retrial in another court branch.

Currently held in Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Boroughani was apprehended during the 2022 protest in Pakdasht, Tehran Province.

Protest Singer Toomaj Salehi Released on Bail

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News, Prisoners
Amir Raisian, Dastgerd Prison, Iranian singer, Isfahan, Toomaj Salehi, توماج صالحی

In a significant development, influential protest rapper Toomaj Salehi was granted bail on November 18 from Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, after the Supreme Court overturned his verdict.

Amir Raisian, Salehi’s lawyer, informed Shargh News that upon appeal, Branch 39 of the Supreme Court reviewed Salehi’s case, identified defects in the indictment, and subsequently annulled the previous verdict. Consequently, the case was returned to the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
According to Raisian, Salehi, benefiting from a general pardon, should have been released without the need for bail.

In July of this year, Salehi received a six-year and three-month sentence, along with a travel ban, a prohibition on music production, and mandatory participation in behavior management and knowledge skills courses for two years.

In late October 2022, Salehi was detained by security forces during nationwide protests. Despite official media claims of his attempt to leave the country illegally, individuals close to Salehi contested this narrative.

It is noteworthy that the protest singer has a prior conviction in a separate legal case. On January 12, 2022, he was sentenced to a six-month prison term and fined, with the imprisonment suspended for one year.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Narges Mohammadi Initiates Hunger Strike

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News, Prisoners
Ebrahim Ketabdar, Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize

On November 6, Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a prominent political prisoner detained at Evin Prison, commenced a hunger strike in protest of the prison’s failure to offer her the necessary medical care.

Just last week, Mohammadi was denied access to medical treatment at an outside hospital due to her refusal to adhere to compulsory hijab requirements during the transfer to the medical facility.

It is noteworthy that Mohammadi has a history of prior arrests and convictions linked to 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.

 

Brutal Attack on Abbas Korkori in Prison Leads to Hospitalization

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News, Prisoners
Abbas Korkori, ahvaz, Izeh, Kiran Pirfalak, moharebeh, Mojahed Korkori, Zeinab Molaei-Rad

Abbas (Mojahed) Korkori, currently imprisoned at Sheyban Prison in Ahvaz, has been subjected to a violent assault by prison guards, resulting in his hospitalization. He is currently facing a death sentence.

A source closely connected to Korkori’s family has disclosed to HRANA that Korkori was brutally beaten by prison guards. He has been hospitalized since October 31, and visible bruises and wounds mar his face and body.

The same source has revealed that Korkori is being denied access to make a phone call.

Korkori, a resident of Izeh, has been sentenced to death by the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court on charges of  “enmity against God (Moharebeh)” and “spreading corruption on earth.” Korkori was also convicted of the destruction of private and public properties, forming and participating in anti-regime groups, and armed rebellion against the regime.

The Revolutionary Court claims that Korkori was found guilty based on evidence obtained by CCTV cameras and Criminal Justice expert reports, which testify that the bullets that led to the death of 10-year-old Kian Pirfalak during protests in Izeh, were shot from the gun discovered with the defendant. Additionally, weapons, bullets, and Molotov cocktails were discovered at the defendant’s hideout, and the Governor of Izeh reported damages caused by the defendant and his associates to public and government properties.

“This verdict is not final and can be appealed to the Supreme Court,” the report asserts.

However, Pirfalak’s parents have repeatedly denied these accusations and claimed that their son was killed in a shooting by regime forces. Zeinab Molaei-Rad, Kian’s mother, said during his funeral, “On the way back home, the regime agents opened fire on our car.”

“As Kian’s mother, I will refute any claims that any regular citizen can be the murderer of my son,” his mother said in reaction to the accusations against Abbas Korkori and several others.

During the protest in Izeh, on November 16, 2022, at least seven individuals, including Kiran Pirfalak, were killed in the shooting by regime forces.

 

Civil Rights Activist Majid Rezaie Faces New Charges While Incarcerated

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Majid Rezaie, Tehran

Civil rights activist Majid Rezaie, who is currently serving time in Evin prison, is now confronted with fresh legal charges filed by the Tehran Prisons and Security and Corrective Measures Organization.

Rezaie has been accused of “disrupting prison order” and “making threats and insults towards prison officials.”

On October 18, 2023, Rezaie spent approximately six days in a psychiatric center, following an order from the Evin prison’s head.

On July 15, Rezaie was arrested by security forces at his residence in Tehran and subsequently transferred to Evin Prison. He was later sentenced to one year in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court, a sentence that was subsequently reduced to nine months after he entered a no-contest plea. In addition to his prison term, he was also ordered to perform four hours of daily community service for three months and attend an eight-hour mandatory emotional management and control class.