Category: Women

Political Prisoner Narges Adibi Denied Medical Leave from Evin Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners, Women
Adibi, Evin, Evin Prison, Judge Babaei, Judge Mashallah Ahmadzadeh, Mashallah Ahmadzadeh, Narges Adibi, Political prisoner Narges Adibi, Women's Ward of Evin Prison

Political prisoner Narges Adibi has been denied medical leave from Evin Prison despite having numerous medical problems.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Ms. Adibi suffers from bronchitis, asthma, and severe joint pain.

Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mashallah Ahmadzadeh, sentenced Adibi to 8 years in prison on charges of conspiracy, insulting the leadership, insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic, and propaganda against the regime.

Branch 54 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Babaei, reduced the sentence to 3 years and 6 months in May of last year.

58-year-old Narges Adibi is the daughter of Hussein and mother of two children. She was arrested in July of last year and transferred to Evin Prison to serve out her sentence, where she has been held since.

 

Baha’i Citizens Sina Kamali Sarvestani and Dorsa Dehghani Arrested in Shiraz

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Prisoners, Religious Minorities, Women
Baha'i, Baha'i arrests, Baha'i arrests in Iran, Baha'i citizens, baha'i citizens arrested, baha'i in iran, Dehghani, Dorsa Dehghani, Fars Province, Sarvestani, Shiraz, Sina Kamali Sarvestani

On June 14, Baha’i citizens Sina Kamali Sarvestani and Dorsa Dehghani were separately arrested by security forces and taken to an unknown location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, officers reportedly searched Sarvestani and Dehghani’s homes in Shiraz and confiscated all electronic devices including phones, laptops, and books.

More than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, according to unofficial sources, 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 violation 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.

As of this writing, no information is available on the detention facility or the status of Sarvestani and Dehghani.

5 Activists and Family Members of Afkari Brothers Beaten and Temporarily Detained by Adelabad Officials

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners, Women
Adelabad Prison, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, Afkari brothers, Fars Province, November 2019 nationwide protests, November 2019 Protests, Pouya Bakhtiari, Protests of 2019, Taghi Rahmani, Vahid and Habib Afkari

Prison authorities reacted violently to a gathering of social activists and relatives of political prisoner brothers Vahid and Habib Afkari in front of Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists (HRA), several participants, including the Afkari brothers’ mother and sister, were beaten and detained by security forces for several hours.

Narges Mohammadi, Jafar Azim Zadeh, Pouran Nazemi, Nahid Shirpisheh (Mother of Pouya Bakhtiari, who was shot killed in 2019 nationwide protests) and Sakineh Ahmadi (mother of Ebrahim Katabdar, a protester who was killed in 2019 nationwide protest) were also identified as among the arrested by Ms. Mohammadi’s husband Taghi Rahmani.

On June 12, Saeed Afkari, the brother of Vahid and Habib Afkari, released a statement on the incident.

“Officers severely beat my mother, my sister, my father, my aunts, and others. The cell phones were confiscated, my sister and one of the women were arrested,” Saeed wrote. “They were released a couple of hours later.”

Frank Jamshidi Transferred to Correction and Rehabilitation Center in Sanandaj

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners, Women
First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj, Frank Jamshidi, Jamshidi, Judge Saeedi, Kurdistan Province, Sanandaj

Frank Jamshidi, a resident of Sanandaj in Kurdistan Province, was transferred to the city’s correctional center to serve out her prison sentence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Jamishidi is facing a charge of “membership in an opposition party”.

In February 2020, a hearing on her case was held in the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj, presided over by Judge Saeedi, and Ms. Jamshidi was sentenced to four years in prison. The sentence was later reduced to one year in prison by Branch 4 of the Court of Appeals of Kurdistan Province.

Ms. Jamshidi was arrested by security agents in June 2020 and was released on a bail after 4 months of detention.

 

Political Prisoner Shakila Monfared Beaten by Inmates in Qarchak Prison

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Prisoners, Women
Bushehr prison, Monafared, Prison conditions, Punitive transfer, Qarchak Prison, Qarchak Prison in Varamin, Shakila Monfared, Varamin

On Monday, June 7, political prisoner Shakila Monfared was beaten by several prisoners in Qarchak Prison in Varamin after being held in a section that houses prisoners of violent crimes–a violation of the UN principle of separation of prisoners based on crime.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, per an informed source, several prisoners of disparate crimes severely insulted and beat Monfared with the sharp lid of a can of tuna after the instigation of a member of prison staff.

This is yet another case of the widespread practice of Iranian prison officials punitively orchestrating situations in which inmates sentenced for violent crimes assault political prisoners–particularly in women’s wards. This allows the prisons to effectively impose physical assault as punishment without officially claiming responsibility for the damage.

In January of this year, the joint court trial of Shakila Monfared, Arsham Rezaei, and Mohammad Abolhassani was held in Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. 27-year-old Monfared was sentenced to 6 years in prison and 4 months of probation work in the Agricultural Jihad on charges of “propaganda activities against the system and insulting the sanctities of Islam”.

Monfared was arrested by IRGC intelligence agents after the court hearing and was transferred to Bushehr prison. Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals later reduced the sentence to 4 years and two months in prison. She had previously been transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin from Bushehr Prison on May 12.

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Women’s Motocross Champion and Baha’i Citizen Shahrzad Nazif Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison

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Prisoners, Religious Minorities, Women
Baha'i, Baha'i arrests, Baha'i arrests in Iran, baha'i citizens arrested, Nazifi, Shahrzad Nazifi, women's motorcross

Women’s motocross champion and Baha’i citizen Shahrzad Nazifi was recently sentenced to 8 years in prison, 3 months’ probation in a center for mental handicaps, and a 2-year ban from leaving the country.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists,  Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, issued the sentence in the absence of both Nazifi and her lawyer.

Tehran resident Shahrzad Nazifi, daughter of Ali, was born in 1971. Nazifi and her daughter Nora Naraghi are among the pioneers of women’s motocross in Iran. In May 2019, HRANA reported that Shahrzad Nazifi, Mehrshad Naraghi, and their children, were all barred from entering and using motorcycling tracks without a court order.

Nazifi has been charged with “managing illegal groups and factions with the aim of disrupting the security of the country” and with “bad motives and internal desire to destroy the religious system”.

According to unofficial sources, 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 violation 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.

Married Couple Executed in Qazvin Prison on Drug-Related Charges

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Executions, Prisoners, Women
citizen executions per-capita, Citizens executed, Death Penalty, death penalty in iran, Pirastvan, secret execution, Secret executions, Yousef Pirastvan

On May 30, two prisoners were executed in Qazvin prison on drug-related charges.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Iran Human Rights (IHR), Mr. Yousef Pirastvan and Ms. Pirastvan (first name unknown) were a married couple at the time of their arrest.

An informed source said that Mr. and Ms. Pirastvan were arrested 7-8 years ago on the Qazvin-Karaj highway on charges of carrying 380 kilograms of drugs and were sentenced to death in their first court session.

According to international organizations, Iran ranks first in the world in citizen executions per-capita. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) reported that between January 1st and  December 20th of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed. One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders. An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death.

More than 72% of executions in Iran are not reported by the government or the judiciary. Human rights organizations call these “secret executions.”

At the time of writing, their execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Benjamin Berier Indicted on Charges of Espionage and Spreading Propaganda Against the System

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, Prisoners, Women
Benjamin Berier, Berier, Drone, Figaro, Mashhad, UAV, Vakilabad prison

Benjamin Berier, arrested last May and held in Vakilabad Prison in the city of Mashhad since, has been indicted more than two months after giving his last defense to the Mashhad Prosecutor’s Office.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Berier’s lawyer Saeed Dehghan wrote in a note on his social media that Benjamin Berier has been found guilty on charges of spying and spreading propaganda against the system. His other two charges of drinking and spreading depravity were dropped.

According to Dehghan, photographing forbidden areas, and asking the question “Why is the hijab mandatory in the Islamic Republic but optional in other Islamic countries?” are the reasons for the accusation of spying and propaganda against the regime.

Berier’s lawyer previously told HRANA, “Despite the ambiguities and contradictions in his charges against Mr. Berier, his case has not been allowed access to a lawyer thus far, which is a catastrophe.”

Mr. Dehghan also told HRANA that translational errors from a particular French publication have exacerbated the suspicion among officials.

“In a news story published by the French newspaper Figaro, Berier’s use of the common word “drone” has been misinterpreted as a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle)–Mr. Berier is a tourist who used a ‘helicam’ for photography,” Dehghan said. “The use of this word by the newspaper Figaro has caused this misconception by some media. Figaro also reported Mr. Berier is a French Iranian citizen while he actually is a French citizen.”

Six Baha’is Were Sentenced to a Total of 73 Years and Six Months in Prison

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Prisoners, Religious Minorities, Women
Baha'i, Baha'i arrests in Iran, baha'i citizens arrested, Borhan Ismaili, Dorna Isma’ili, Frank Sheikhi, Hayedeh Ram, Maryam Bashir, Minoo Bashir

Six Baha’i citizens, one man and five women, were sentenced to a total of 73 and a half years in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, On May 19, the Revolutionary Court of Borazjan, presided over by Alireza Kiani, issued the verdict.

Borhan Ismaili, Maryam Bashir, Frank Sheikhi, Hayedeh Ram, Minoo Bashir, and Dorna Ismaili are residents of Shiraz city in the Fars Province and Borazjan city in the Bushehr Province.

Borhan Ismaili was sentenced to 11 years in prison as a first-degree defendant on charges of “propaganda activities against the regime” by spreading Baha’i beliefs and “acting against the security of the country” by disseminating and propagating the Baha’i faith.

Maryam Bashir, Frank Sheikhi, Hayedeh Ram, Minoo Bashir, and Dorna Ismaili each were sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison on charges of “assisting in propaganda activities against the regime by spreading Baha’i beliefs, producing and publishing vulgar images in cyberspace and social networks, and acting against the security of the country through publication”.

Based on this verdict, all documents, pamphlets, books, pictures, videos, and CDs related to the Baha’i faith that were taken by the Bushehr provincial IRGC Intelligence Organization during the search of the house will be confiscated.

The court has issued this sentence based on (what the court called) “membership in the hostile and anti-regime Facebook website, and also referred to the educational activities related to Bahai’s’ children”.

According to unofficial sources, 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 violation 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.

 

Mojgan Kavousi Ends Hunger Strike After 10 Days

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Prisoners, Women
Even Prison, Hunger Strike, hunger strike prisoner, Kavousi, Kavousi Hunger Strike, Mojgan Kavousi, Women's Ward of Evin Prison

On the evening of May 25, political prisoner Mojgan Kavousi ended her hunger strike in Evin Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Kavousi had been on hunger strike since May 16 in protest of prison officials’ arbitrary behavior sending prisoners on leave during the outbreak of COVID-19.

Kavousi has been incarcerated for more than a year without leave. Her family has traveled from out of town to visit her but have been denied in-person visits and has only been permitted to meet through a cabin, behind glass.