Category: Prisoners

Mohammad Nourizad Released From Evin Prison; Ali Nourizad Returned to the Greater Tehran Prison at End of Leave

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News, Prisoners
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On Wednesday, November 17, civil activist Mohammad Nourizad was released from Evin Prison after being granted an early release order. The day before his release, his son Ali Nourizad returned to The Greater Tehran Prison at the end of his furlough.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, political prisoner Mohammad Nourizad was released from Evin Prison after obtaining an early release order. The day before, Nourizad’s lawyer, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, tweeted that the Supervisory Judiciary of Evin Prison had informed him in a phone call that the prosecutor agreed to end the prison sentence.

It is worth mentioning that Nourizad suffers from myriad health conditions, including asthma, heart problems and unstable blood pressure. Earlier, in protest against not receiving medical treatment, during a family visitation, he wounded his face and stated, “Each day I make this wound deeper to make my death happen sooner if they want me dead.”

In an open statement from that time, UN human rights experts expressed their serious concern over his conditions in prison. “We are seriously concerned at the mistreatment of Mohammad Nourizad and his continued imprisonment for expressing his opinion,” the statement read. “Furthermore, his continued detention despite medical professionals finding he cannot stay in prison given his serious health condition, and the resulting denial of adequate medical care, may amount to torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.”

Mohammad Nourizad is a 63-year-old filmmaker, writer, director and journalist from Iran. He was considered an outspoken and religious journalist who in recent years became one of the active critics of the Islamic Republic. He has been arrested and imprisoned many times.

Mohammad’s son Ali Nourizad was arrested by security forces in Tehran in January 2020 for protesting a rally against the downing of a Ukrainian plane by the IRGC, and for expressing sympathy with the victims’ families.  He was released on bail a month later. The Tehran Revolutionary Court eventually sentenced him to 3 and a half years in prison. This sentence was upheld by the Tehran Court of Appeals. He has been serving out his sentence in Greater Tehran since October of last year.

Chia Agha-Beygpour Sentenced to Imprisonment, Fines and Flogging

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News, Prisoners
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Recently, the Revolutionary Court of Bukan sentenced Bukan resident Chia Agha-Beygpour to one year and two months in prison, 70 lashes and paying a fine.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Chia Agha-Beygpour was charged with “propaganda against the regime in favour of one of the opposition political parties”. He was denied access to an attorney and phone calls during his detention.

On July 29, 2021, security forces arrested and held him in a detention center at the disposal of the Ministry of Intelligence in Bukan. On September 6, he was released on bail until the end of legal proceedings.

 

Prisoner of Conscience Soheil Arabi Released From Rajai Shahr Prison

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News, Prisoners
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On Tuesday, November 16, prisoner of conscience Soheil Arabi was released from Rajai Shahr Prison after completing his sentence and sent to Borazjan to await the court decision about his two-year exile sentence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Soheil Arabi was sent to Borazjan City accompanied by a police guard. It is yet to be decided whether he should stay in exile in Borazjan, and if so, how long. Because Arabi’s prison term was longer than the sentence required, either the difference will be subtracted from the current exile period, or the charge will be dropped altogether.

Arabi has been imprisoned since November 7, 2013, and never been granted leave. On January 21, 2020, he was relocated from Evin Prison to the Greater Tehran Prison.

While serving out the seven and a half year sentence, Soheil Arabi was convicted on charges from two new cases. In the first case, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced him to five years imprisonment on the charge of “blasphemy, propaganda against the regime and an offensive statement against the Supreme Leader”. For the second case, he was sentenced to two years imprisonment, two years of exile in Borazjan City, and paying a fine of 4 million tomans on a charge of “spreading lies in the purpose to disturb public opinion and propaganda against the regime”, and one year and eight months on the charge of “the destruction of public property”.

On September 18, 2020, Arabi was punitively relocated from the Greater Tehran Prison to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj. On October 20, 2020, after being held for 33 days in a solitary confinement cell, in a phone call to his family, he informed them about his relocation to the detention center at the disposal of IRGC, known as Ward 2 A of Evin Prison. On November 8, 2020, he was sent back to a solitary confinement cell in Rajai Shahr Prison. After 9 days, he was sent to the public ward of this prison.

Three Arrested in Behbahan for Honoring 2nd Anniversary of Those Killed in November 2019 Protests

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News, Prisoners
ahvaz, Amin Moradi, Behbahan City, Ghanavati, irgc, Mahmood Dashtinia, Mehrdad Dashinia, Mohammad Hashamdar, Mohammad Hossein Ghanavati, Mohsen Ghanavati, Payam Jeyhooni

Behbahan citizens Mohsen Ghanavati, Amin Moradi, and Payam Jeyhooni were arrested by security forces.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the first arrestee was transferred to Behbahan Prison and two others to a detention center at the disposal of the Intelligence Ministry in Ahvaz. During the arrest, security forces confiscated Mohsen Ghanavati’s cell phone, as well as his wife’s.

Mohsen Ghanavati is the brother of Mohammad-Hossein Ghanavati, who was killed in Behbahan City by regime forces during the nationwide protests of November 2019. On November 10, 2021, he was summoned to Branch 3 of the Public and Revolutionary Court in Behbahan to be indicted for charges of “offensive statements against the supreme leader of Iran and revolutionary institutions like IRGC”, “news coverage of the protests and unrest in July 2020” via his Instagram page, and “advocating anti-regime groups and calling people to assembly and protest”.

Regarding these arrests, an informed source told HRANA, “To honor the second anniversary of the victims of the 2019 protests, some citizens decided to gather at victims’ burial place. To deter this gathering, security forces either called or summoned several people and warned them about attending the gathering and threatened them not to reveal it to media.”

In August 2020, Payam Jeyhooni, 33 years old, was arrested during the protest in Behbahan City against  “the poor economic conditions” and “death sentences against those who were arrested during the protest of November 2019”. After spending a while in detention, he was released on a bail of 200 million tomans.

During the protest of November 2019 in Behbahan city, security forces used live ammunition against protestors which led to the death of several protestors including Mehrdad Dashinia, Mahmood Dashtinia, Farzad Ansarifar, Mohammad-Hossein Ghanavati and Mohammad Hashamdar.

Civil Activist and Retired Educator Nosrat Beheshti Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
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Civil activist and retired educator Nosrat Beheshti, a resident of Mashhad, was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, she has been in detention since August 4 of this year.

Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Mansouri, sentenced Nosrat Beheshti to five years in prison on charges such as “propaganda against the regime” and “acting against national security.”

On October 24, Ms. Beheshti who suffers from kidney pain, went on hunger strike in protest against prison officials’ refusal to dispatch her to a hospital outside the prison. Four days later, after being dispatched to a hospital, she ended her hunger strike.

Beheshti was arrested once previously, on December 24, 2019, by intelligence agents at her house in Mashhad.

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Aliyeh Motallebzadeh’s Request for Release on Probation Rejected

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
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Aliyeh Motallebzadeh’s request for release on probation was recently rejected in a written notification by the Tehran prosecutor’s office.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the photographer and women’s rights activist is currently enduring a two-year sentence in Evin Prison in Tehran.

On November 26, 2016, Motallebzadeh was summoned to the office of the ministry of intelligence and subsequently was detained in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. On December 19, 2016, she was released on bail of 300 million tomans.

In 2017, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Motallebzadeh to three years in prison on charges of  “assembly and collusion to act against national security” and “propaganda against the regime”.

This verdict was upheld by Branch 36 of the court of Appeals in Tehran. In the issued lawsuit, “launching and participating in women empowerment workshop in abroad” had been invoked as an example of these charges. Grounded on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, a severest punishment of two years was enforceable for her.

On October 11, 2020, Motallebzadeh arrived at Evin prison to begin her sentence, where she has been held since.

On April 26, 2021, she was punitively deprived of making phone calls after her complaints about the practice of holding detainees in solitary confinements in the prosecutor’s office of this prison.

On July 19, 2021, after contracting COVID, she was granted furlough and went on leave until August 30.

Aliyeh Motallebzadeh is a photographer, women rights activist and a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign for Gender Equality as well as a campaign to protect acid attack victims.

 

Omar Sharifi Bukani Arrested in Tehran and Transferred to Unknown Location

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
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On Thursday, November 11, security forces arrested Tehran resident Omar Sharifi Bukani and then transferred him to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, security forces arrested 70-year-old Sharifi Bukani without a warrant at his home in Tehran.

Mr. Sharifi Bukani was reportedly arrested once previously, in 1992, on a charge of “membership in one of the opposition political parties” and then sentenced to seven years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Mahabad City. He was released in 1998 after serving out his sentence in Urmia Prison.

The reasons for yesterday’s arrest, along with Mr. Sharifi Bukani’s current whereabouts, are unknown as of this writing.

Educator and Union Activist Aziz Ghasemzadeh Summoned by Public and Revolutionary Court of Rudsar County

Posted on by A MN
Cultural, Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
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On Saturday, November 6, educator and union activist Aziz Ghasemzadeh was summoned by the Public and Revolutionary Court of Rudsar County.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Aziz Ghasemzadeh received a summons via the online judicial system SENA to appear at the Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rudsar within eight days.

Following nationwide protests of educators all across the country, on September 26, security forces arrested Ghasemzadeh at his parents’ home in Rudsar City. During the arrest, security forces searched the house and confiscated several of Ghasemzadeh’s personal belongings.

The arrest took place the day after working and retired teachers held protests in 36 cities across the country, which were organized by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations. Throughout the detention, he was denied any access to a lawyer, phone calls and family visitations. Finally, on October 11, 2021, he was released on bail.

Ghasemzadeh will need to defend himself against charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “spreading lies”.

 

Abbas Vahedian Shahroudi Sentenced to 10 Years Imprisonment by Revolutionary Court in Mashhad

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News, Prisoners
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Writer, educator and civil activist Abbas Vahedian Shahroudi was recently sentenced to 10 years by Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, after spending 70 days in detention, Vahedian received the verdict, which was finalized after he refused to request an appeal.

In regard to a case which opened against Vahedian in 2019, the court issued this final verdict for the charge of “organizing in purpose to disturb national security” and in accordance with Article 498 of the Islamic Penal Code. During his 70 days in detention and throughout the introduction of the new case against him, Vahedian has been denied access to a lawyer.

Earlier, HRANA reported about his poor health condition in a solitary confinement cell in a Detention Center at the disposal of the Ministry of Intelligence.

On September 1 of this year, intelligence agents arrested Vahedian in Rezvanshahr County. Two days later, in a phone call to his family, he informed them about the opening of a new case  against him on a charge of “acting against national security.” Meanwhile, Vahedian’s daughter’s home in Mashhad was searched by security forces and some personal belongings were confiscated.

Vahedian has previously been arrested and convicted for his writings and civil activities. In one case, he was arrested in Mashhad in October 2018 and later charged by Branch 903 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad with “acting against national security”, and “attempting to overthrow the regime”. He was released on a bail of 350 million tomans from Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad in December 2018.

Shortly after his interrogation, in August 2019, Vahedian was again arrested and transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. He was one of the 14 signatories of a letter of request for the resignation of Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran. Mr Vahedian was released on bail from Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad in July 2020.

IRIB Denies that Khosro Jamalifar’s Suspicious Death in Sanadaj Prison was Result of Guard Brutality

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News, Prisoners
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A few days after HRANA’s report on the death of Khosro Jamalifar due to being beaten by prison officers in Sanandaj Prison, in response, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) claimed in a report that Jamalifar fainted from a sudden headache and died in the hospital. Their statement stands at odds with reports from numerous informed sources.

To support the claim, the report published video footage of a moment when the inmate fell on the floor in his solitary confinement cell. This claim stands at odds with what informed sources reported to HRANA: that Khosro Jamalifar was beaten brutally by prison officers before being taken back to his cell, and died in prison rather than the hospital.

The IRIB also did not mention that following day, his body was buried secretly without waiting for the forensic report and delivering the body to his family. His family was also threatened into silence.

Some eyewitnesses who have seen the injuries on his head told HRANA that, contrary to IRIB’s claim, such wounds cannot be caused by a head collision with a bed frame.

On November 2, 26-year-old Khosro Jamalifar, who had previously been indicted on a murder charge and was awaiting the verdict, died from a strike to the head sustained during the beating.

According to an informed source, Jamalifar became involved in a quarrel with a fellow inmate in the quarantine section of Sanandaj. Thereafter, as an informed source told HRANA, “Prison officers began to beat him with batons which led to his death. In this incident, the failure of the prison nurse, named Abdollahi, to send (Jamalifar) to the healthcare center in a timely manner also played a role in his death.”

In the aftermath of Jamalifar’s killing, Sanandaj inmates are calling for authorities to take accountability and conduct a real investigation.

Iran’s prisons are notorious for their frequent incidents of brutality from authorities.  Acts of violence such as this one are at serious odds with the basic responsibility of prisons to provide for the safety and health of their inmates.  Institutions’ reluctance to conduct thorough investigations into acts of violence from their officials only perpetuates, and often even reinforces, a culture of abuse within Iran’s carceral system.