Category: Prisoners

Eight Street Booksellers Arrested by Security Police of NAJA

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Cultural, Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
booksellers detained, Citizen arrests, Citizen detention, Citizens arrested, Citizens detained, IBNA, NAJA, NAJA police, Security police of NAJA, Tehran, Tehran Province

On Saturday, October 2, Tehran’s Security Police of NAJA arrested eight street booksellers for allegedly selling illegal books.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IBNA, the police confiscated some of the books.

One of the members of the Workgroup for Protecting the Rights of Publishers and Booksellers called these detained booksellers “distributors of illegal and smuggled books”.

The member claimed that part of these confiscated books is the works of the supporters of the restoration of the monarchy in Iran as well as illegal books and unpermitted hard copies of bestselling books.

Ghasem Bahrami still Detained in Unknown Location

Posted on by A MN
Cultural, Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
artist suppressed, arts and culture, Bahrami, censorship, Citizen arrested, Citizen detained, freedom of expression, Ghasem Bahrami, Mashhad

Sixteen days after his arrest in Mashhad, the whereabouts and situation of critical poet Ghasem Bahrami remain unknown.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Mr. Bahrami was arrested by security forces on September 15, and then transferred to an unidentified location where he has since been held incommunicado.

Bahrami is known for expressing political views through his poetry. There is still no concrete information about the reason for his arrest or the charges against him, but is said that his arrest is related to the publicizing of videos and lyrics retrieved from his poems.

Civil Activist Arsham Rezai in Transferred to Quarantine Ward of Rajai Shahr Prison after Positive COVID-19 Test

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Arsham Rezai, Civil activist Arsham Rezai, Coronavirus, COVID, COVID in Iran, COVID-19 in Iran, Karaj, Rajai Shahr Prison, Rajai-Shahr

HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, has confirmed that yesterday, September 29, civil activist Arsham Rezai was relocated to the quarantine section of Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj after testing positive for COVID-19.

The COVID-19 surge in Iran’s prisons has been a major threat to the health and safety of their inmates, who frequently do not receive timely or adequate medical care from authorities.

Arsham Rezai was arrested on January 7 of 2019 by the regime’s intelligence and security forces. On November 13 of that year, he was released on bail for 2 billion Rial (approx. 8000 dollars).

On February 26, 2019, the Islamic Revolutionary court sentenced Mr. Rezai, without informing the defendant’s attorney that the court session was taking place, to eight years and six months imprisonment on the charges “propaganda against the regime”, ” collusion against national security”, and ” offensive statements against the supreme leader of Iran”. Grounded on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, from the charges, the severest punishment of 5 years was enforceable.

To serve his sentence, on October 18, 2020, he was arrested and transferred to a solitary confinement cell in Rajai Shahr Prison. Finally, he was relocated to a public section of this prison on December 19 2020.

On January 20 of this year, on new charges, the revolutionary court sentenced him to an additional 15 months imprisonment (which was later reduced to 11 months on appeal) and 4 months penal labor.

Salah Hossein-Panah Detained in Baneh

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News, Prisoners
Baneh, Citizen detained, Citizen detained in Baneh, Citizen taken to unknown location, Hossein-Panah, Kurdpa, Panah, Salah Hossein Panah, Security forces, unknown location

On Wednesday, September 22, Salah Hossein-Panah was arrested by security forces and taken to an unknown location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Hossein-Panah is from Baneh City in Kurdistan Province.

According to this report, the security forces searched Mr. Hossein-Panah’s house and confiscated some of his belongings.

As of this writing, the whereabouts of the detainee and the charges against him are unknown.

Baha’i Citizen Sheida Taeed Arrested in Ghaemshahr

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Babol, Babol Prison, Baha'i arrest, Baha'i citizen detained, Farideh Taeed, Ghaemshahr, Mazandaran, Mazandaran province, Security forces, Sheida Taeed, Taeed

On Thursday, September 23, Sheida Taeed, a Baha’i citizen living in Ghaemshahr in Mazandaran Province, was arrested in her home by security forces.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Taeed  was taken by security forces to an unknown location following the arrest.

Security forces also raided her home and confiscated a number of her belongings, including her mobile phone, electronics, books, photographs, and manuscripts.

According to an informed source, the security forces initially put Farideh Taeed, Sheida’s elderly mother, in the car as well, and dropped her off somewhere along the road.

Ms. Taeed has a history of detention and conviction. She was arrested in the city of Noor in January of 2013 and was finally sentenced to one year in prison in 2015, which she served out in Babol Prison.

According to unofficial sources, it is estimated that more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Because their faith is not considered legitimate by authorities, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.

This deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a breach of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.

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Arman Asadi Arrested by Security Forces in Divandarreh

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News, Prisoners
Arman Asadi, Asadi, Divandarreh, Kurdistan, Kurdistan Province, Sanandaj, Security forces

On Monday, September 27, Arman Asadi was arrested by security forces and transferred to the Sanandaj Intelligence Detention Center.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Asadi, who is a native of Divandarreh in Kurdistan Province, informed his family  yesterday that he had been transferred to this security detention center.

“Mr. Asadi was detained by security forces when he was closing his shop for lunch,” an informed source told HRANA.

The reasons for Asadi’s  arrest and the charges against him are not known as of this writing.

Nine Citizens Arrested in Qom, Alborz, and Tehran Provinces for Supporting Erfan-e-Halgheh

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Alborz, Alborz province, Erfan-e-Halgheh, Qom, Qom Province, Tehran

The IRGC in Qom recently announced the arrest of nine supporters of Erfan-e-Halgheh (Circle of Mysticism).

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Fars, the arrests took pace in the three provinces of Qom, Alborz, and Tehran.

According to Fars, nine “main members of Erfan-e-Halgheh” were arrested and sent to prison with a court order. The report does not mention the identities or whereabouts of these citizens.

Inter-universalism is known  as Erfan–e Halgheh (Circle of Mysticism) in Iran.

Two Citizens Violently Arrested by Security Forces Without a Warrant in Zahedan

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News, Prisoners
arrest without a warrant, Nasin Narouie, Sistan and Baluchestan, Sistan and Baluchestan Procince, Yasin Narouie, Zahedan

On September 26, Yaser Narouie and Yasin Narouie were beaten and arrested by security forces in Zahedan.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Baloch Activists Campaign, the report quoted an informed source as saying, “Agents beat and arrested the two citizens in Khavar mall of Zahedan in Sistan and Baluchestan Province without showing a court order and transferred them to the office of C.I.D Police of NAJA in handcuff and shackles.”

As of this writing, no information is available on the reasons for the detention of these citizens.

Teachers Union Activist Aziz Ghasemzadeh Arrested in Gilan

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Labor and Guilds, News, Prisoners
Aziz Ghasemzadeh, Education in Iran, Gilan, Gilan teachers and education staffs union, Teacher unions, Teachers union activist

On Sunday, September 26, Aziz Ghasemzadeh, the spokesman of the Gilan Teachers and Education Staffs union, was arrested at his father’s house.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Coordination Council of Iranian Education Associations’ channel,  agents searched the house and confiscated Mr. Ghasemzadeh’s personal belongings during the arrest.

As of this writing, the whereabouts of the detainee and the charges against him are unknown.

 

Baha’i Citizens Hayedeh Forootan and Mehran Mosallanejad Arrested in Shiraz

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Baha'i, Baha'i arrests, baha'i citizens arrested, Hayedeh Forootan, Mehran Mosallanejad, Moin Misaghi, Negareh Ghaderi, Shiraz

On Thursday, September 23, two Baha’i citizens were arrested at the office of CID by NAJA police.

According to HRANA, the news agency of human rights activists, the citizens have been identified as Shiraz residents Hayedeh Forootan and her son Mehran Mosala-Nejad.

On Wednesday, September 22, agents searched the home of these citizens and confiscated some of their belongings, however, were not able to detain Ms. Foroutan as she was not home at the time. Ms. Foroutan and her son were summoned to the Shiraz CID Police of NAJA office to give explanations, and were arrested upon their arrival.

On Wednesday, September 22, Moin Misaghi and Negareh Ghaderi, two other Baha’i citizens, were also arrested by security forces and taken to an unknown location.

According to unofficial sources, it is estimated that more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Because their faith is not considered legitimate by authorities, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.

This deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a breach of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.