Annual Analytical and Statistical Report on Human Rights in Iran for the year 2023

HRANA – In a comprehensive report spanning from January 1, 2023, to December 20, 2023, HRA has meticulously gathered, examined, and compiled 9,656 reports on the human rights situation. Set to be released in both summary and detailed formats, complete with charts and graphs, the report will provide in-depth analysis of the human rights landscape, including the imposing of over 33,335 months of imprisonment sentences for critics, the sentencing of citizens to 6,551 lashes despite international condemnation, and the execution of at least 746 individuals. This significant document serves as a detailed overview of the human rights conditions in Iran, backed by extensive statistical data.

Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), through the dedicated efforts of its Department of Statistics and Publications, publishes its annual Gregorian calendar-based analytical and statistical report on the human rights situation in Iran for the one-year period (January 1, 2023, to December 20, 2023). This report is the culmination of the organization’s daily endeavors in recent years, forming part of a daily statistical project that began in 2009. It provides an analytical-statistical overview of human rights in Iran.

This annual report on human rights violations in Iran represents a synthesis of 9,656 human rights reports, gathered from 111 legal and news sources within the past calendar year. HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency) contributed 40% of the reports utilized in this publication, with 22% originating from official or government-affiliated Iranian sources, and the remaining 38% from other news or human rights sources.

In this 77-page report, various aspects such as women’s rights, workers’ rights, children’s rights, prisoners’ rights, etc., are briefly examined and statistically analyzed, accompanied by relevant charts for enhanced reader comprehension. According to this report, the focus of human rights monitoring in Iran, in comparison between the capital and other areas, remains unequal. This long-standing inequality shows that in the last year, reporting from non-central areas has decreased by 27% compared to the capital. This situation continues to indicate the lack of adequate monitoring of other areas of the country relative to the center by civil society.

Although this report predominantly reflects the extensive efforts of courageous human rights defenders in Iran, who bear significant costs in pursuit of their humanitarian ideals, it inevitably has limitations. These include restrictions on the activities of human rights organizations by the Iranian government and governmental impediments to the free flow of information. Consequently, while this report strives for accuracy, it cannot be considered entirely error-free or a complete reflection of the human rights situation in Iran. Nevertheless, it stands as one of the most precise, comprehensive, and well-documented reports on human rights violations in Iran, offering valuable insights for organizations and defenders of human rights to better understand the human rights situation in Iran, its challenges, and potential opportunities.

Full report is available for download in PDF format. Click here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

▪️ MONITORING 
▪️ ETHNIC RIGHTS 
▪️ RELIGIOUS RIGHTS
▪️ FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
▪️ TRADE UNIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS
▪️ ACADEMIA/ RIGHT TO EDUCATION 
▪️ RIGHT TO LIFE (DEATH PENALTY) 
▪️ CULTURAL RIGHTS 
▪️ WORKERS’ RIGHTS
▪️ CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
▪️ WOMEN’S RIGHTS
▪️ PRISONERS’ RIGHTS
▪️ SECURITY FORCES’ VIOLENCE AND CITIZENS’ SAFETY
▪️ SENTENCES
▪️ ARRESTS
▪️ ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS
▪️ SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITIES
▪️ HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS
▪️ HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATING ENTITIES
▪️ INDIVIDUAL HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS 

MONITORING

To observe the extent of reporting by human rights organizations and media from different provinces of the country, which directly correlates with the capabilities of civil society, refer to the map below.

The highest number of reports were published in August, while the lowest number of reports published occurred in December.

40% of reports analyzed came from sources gathered and reported by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), while 22% came from official Iranian government sources or sources close to the government. 38% of reports came from other human rights news agencies.

In 2023, there were at least 2,021 instances of protest gatherings organized by citizen groups across all 31 provinces due to unmet demands and claims. Of these, 1,266 were union gatherings, 320 were workers’ rallies, 117 times involved citizens primarily known as market or stock market losers, 246 were related to the realm of thought and expression, 44 were student union gatherings, 8 were in the women’s sector, 11 were religious minority gatherings, and 9 were environmental gatherings. In addition to these gatherings, there were also 111 labor strikes, 32 union strikes, and 2 non-union strikes.

As indicated in the distribution map, there exists a major discrepancy between the capital Tehran, and other parts of the country in terms of the number of published reports. This is while the census of 2021 reported a population of 9,039,000 in Tehran, compared to a population of 75,016,000 in the rest of the country.

Statistics indicate that the focus or ability to report of the human rights reporters has been 20% in Tehran and 80% in the other parts of the country.

Categories of human rights violations based on the number of reports in 2023
To study categories of human rights violations in Iran, it is important to initially compare the categories based on the number of reports made in each category in the past year.

ETHNIC RIGHTS

In the category of ethnic and nation rights in 2023, a total of 329 reports were recorded by the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA). According to these reports, 324 citizens were documented as being arrested, with 156 of these arrests occurring without a judicial warrant. Although the charges against 316 of the arrested individuals remain unclear, signs and past actions of the security institutions in the referred areas suggest that these arrests fall under the classification of ethnic rights violations. Furthermore, 19 individuals were sentenced to a total of 984 months of imprisonment, comprising 468 months of actual imprisonment and 516 months of suspended imprisonment. Additionally, 4 individuals were fined fifty-five million Iranian Rials. Also, 61 people were summoned to security-judicial institutions. Moreover, one individual was sentenced to 32 months of exile.
Apart from these, there were 16 court trials and 14 interrogations in security-judicial institutions, 10 instances of travel bans, 17 cases of assault, 20 house searches, 9 instances of civil registry offices opposing the naming and identity registration of children, and 6 instances of imprisonment sentences being carried out.
In the area of national minorities, the arrest of citizens increased by 44%, sentences of imprisonment based on the number of people tried by the judiciary rose by 58%, and the issuance of prison sentences compared to 2022 increased by 31%.
The monthly comparison of violations of ethnic-national rights, shows that the highest number of violations reports in this category were published in August, with the most significant decline in the number of reports observed in December.

TOLERANCE AND RELIGIOUS RIGHTS

In this category, in the past year, 211 reports were registered by the Department of Statistics of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA). According to these reports, 142 citizens were arrested, of which 15 arrests were made without a judicial warrant. Additionally, there were 57 summons to security and judicial institutions, and 1 case of educational deprivation. Also, there were 94 instances of house raids, 27 cases of economic activity obstruction, 2 instances of prevention of body burial, 17 cases of imprisonment execution, 23 travel bans, 5 instances of assault, 1 case of prevention of religious practices, 11 gatherings, 1 prevention of gathering, 72 trials, and 6 interrogations in security-judicial institutions recorded.

Notably, 115 individuals from religious minorities were sentenced by judicial institutions to a total of 5,113 months of imprisonment. This includes 5,059 months of actual imprisonment and 54 months of suspended imprisonment, with 1,837 months of these sentences being issued by appellate courts. Furthermore, 38 individuals were fined one billion and nine hundred and seven million Iranian Rials, and 17 individuals were deprived of social rights. A total of 50 lashes were executed on 1 individual. In addition, 1 person was sentenced to 24 months of exile.

In the realm of religious minorities, the arrest of citizens increased by 1.4%, and the issuance of prison sentences by the judiciary rose by 45%, with an overall 48% increase in prison sentences compared to the previous year.

The highest number of violations have been reported in November, while the lowest occurred in December.

In the category, 85.24% of human rights reports regarding violations against religious minorities related to violations against Baha’is, 10.87% to Sunnis, 1.94% to Yarsans, 1.17% to “Others”, 0.58% to Dervishes and 0.19% to Christians. Note that reports labeled as “Other” are those that did not belong to a specific group of religious minorities.

FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION

In the category of freedom of thought and expression in 2023, a total of 2,380 reports were registered by the Department of Statistics. Based on the analysis of these reports, 3,130 individuals were arrested, with at least 116 of these arrests made without a judicial warrant. There were 881 summons to judiciary and security authorities, 3 instances of publication bans, and 9 publications being declared criminal. Additionally, reports of trials of a total of 42 individuals in judicial institutions were published. Also, there were 116 instances of interrogations in security institutions, 79 travel bans, 87 imprisonment sentence executions, 85 house searches, 18 cases of communication disruption, 95 citizen beatings, 22 forced retirements, 58 dismissals and layoffs, 300 sealings of organizations and offices, 4 instances of speech or event disruptions, 1 execution of a whipping sentence, 246 gatherings, and 29 instances of gathering prevention in the area of thought and expression.

In 2023, for this domain, at least 25,124 months of prison sentences were issued for 556 individuals by judicial bodies. This includes 23,720 months of actual imprisonment and 1,404 months of suspended imprisonment. It is noteworthy that 3,190 months of these sentences were issued by appellate courts and 288 months by the Supreme Court. Moreover, 72 individuals were fined nine billion four hundred and fifty-four million Iranian Rials, 58 individuals received 3,381 lashes, 36 individuals were sentenced to 2,112 months of exile, and 48 individuals were deprived of social rights. Additionally, a total of 80 lashes were executed on 1 individual.

In the realm of thought and expression, reports of citizen arrests increased by 86%, and issuance of prison sentences by the judiciary increased by 68% compared to the previous year. However, there was a 21% decrease in the number of people tried.

TRADE UNIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS

In 2023, a total of 1,700 reports were registered by the Department of Statistics and Publications concerning the rights of trade unions and associations. From these reports, 31 trade union activists were arrested, including 1 arrest made without a judicial warrant. Additionally, there were 56 summons to judiciary-security institutions, 3,056 cases of closures of facilities, 28 trials in judicial institutions, 122 dismissals and layoffs, 124 forced retirements, at least 85 months of deferred wages, 12 travel bans, 1 suicide, 4 house searches, and 12 instances of imprisonment.

Furthermore, 53 individuals were sentenced to 1,230 months of imprisonment, including 1,212 months of actual imprisonment and 18 months of suspended imprisonment. Additionally, 562 months of these sentences were issued by appellate courts. Two individuals were sentenced to 24 months of exile, 74 lashes, and 13 individuals were deprived of social rights. Fines amounted to one billion, one hundred and twenty-seven million, seven hundred thousand Iranian Rials for 13 people, and 72 lashes for 1 person.

In 2023, there were at least 1,266 trade union protests, 4 instances of protest suppression, and 32 union strikes. These protests primarily related to wage demands, poor economic conditions, and ineffective management of government institutions. Reports in this domain showed an 89% decrease in arrests and a 112% increase in sentences issued by the judiciary compared to the previous year, with a 30% increase in prison sentences.

The highest number of rights violations in this area occurred in November, while the lowest was in January.

ACADEMIA/ RIGHT TO EDUCATION

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publications of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 416 reports related to academic rights violations. This total includes 14 instances of prevention of higher education. Additionally, at least 217 individuals were sentenced to 290 terms of suspension from studies. There were 13 summons to security-judicial institutions, 3,067 summons to university disciplinary committees, 11 expulsions from universities, 2 expulsions from dormitories, 10 student exiles, 23 interrogations in security-judicial institutions, and 44 student gatherings.

Regarding student rights, there were 3 cases of physical punishment and over 6,000 cases of poisoning. Last year, at least 929,798 students were unable to continue their education. Of these, 175,114 cases were in primary education, including 78,912 girls and 96,202 boys. In lower secondary education, 197,690 cases of dropout were recorded, encompassing 99,723 girls and 98,271 boys. Additionally, in upper secondary education, 556,994 cases of dropout existed, including 261,893 girls and 295,101 boys.

The monthly comparison of violations of basic rights in academic environments shows indicates that the highest number of rights violations in this area occurred in March, while the lowest number of reports was observed in December.

RIGHT TO LIFE (DEATH PENALTY)

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 640 reports concerning the right to life. This encompassed the sentencing of 155 individuals to death, including 4 sentenced to public execution, and the execution of 746 individuals. Out of these, 6 were carried out in public. Among the executed individuals whose genders were identified, 597 were male and 20 were female. Additionally, 2 juvenile offenders, defined as individuals under the age of 18 at the time of their alleged crimes, were also executed.

According to these reports, 56.43% of the executions were related to drug-related charges. Furthermore, 34.72% of the executions were for murder charges, 2.55% for sexual crimes, and 2.55% were executed with unknown charges. Additionally, 1.07% were executed on charges of Moharebeh (non-political), another 1.07% on charges of Moharebeh-Baghi (political-security), 0.94% for Corruption on Earth, 0.40% for ideological-political-religious reasons, 0.13% for security-related offenses (espionage, terrorism, bombing), and 0.13% for adultery and types of consensual sexual relations.

The execution of death sentences across Iran’s provinces in 2023, Alborz province with 19.97% of all the cases that is due to its two populated and important prisons., followed by Kerman ranking with 9.25% of all the death sentences issued,

Ghezel Hesar prison and Zahedan Prison held the highest number of death sentences.

Of those executed in 2023, 3% were female, and 80% were male, while the gender of the other 17% is unknown.

These executions are reported by independent sources and human rights associations, indicating that 66% of executions are carried out in secret or without any public notice.

Executions carried out in 2022 compared to 2021 increased by 88%. The number of death sentences issued increased by 8%.

CULTURAL RIGHTS

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran recorded 17 reports related to violations of cultural rights. These reports included the arrest of 15 individuals and 10 cases of employment prohibition. Additionally, there was 1 instance of preventing the execution of a program or speech and 1 case of a judicial sentence being carried out. Moreover, 4 individuals were sentenced to 24 months of suspended imprisonment, with 12 months of these sentences issued by appellate courts.

In the realm of cultural rights, there was a 114% increase in citizen arrests compared to the previous year. The monthly comparison of cultural rights violations shows that the highest number of violation reports in this category occurred in August and September. The lowest number of reports was observed in January, March, November, and December.

WORKERS’ RIGHTS

The Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 1056 reports of violations of workers’ rights in 2022. This included 53 arrests. 36 workers activists or workers were sentenced to 117 months

In 2023, a total of 1,085 reports were collected in the field of workers’ rights, according to statistical analyses by the Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran. Based on these reports, a total of 64 individuals were arrested, with at least one case of arrest without a judicial warrant recorded. Additionally, 29 labor activists or defenders of workers’ rights were sentenced to 654 months of imprisonment, which includes 568 months of actual imprisonment and 86 months of suspended imprisonment. Notably, 356 months of these sentences were issued by appellate courts. Moreover, 17 individuals were sentenced to a total of 1,258 lashes and fined forty-two million five hundred thousand Iranian Rials. Two individuals were also sentenced to 48 months of exile.

Furthermore, there were 19 summonses to judicial and security authorities, along with 43 court trials and 12 interrogations in security-judicial institutions, 4 worker suicides, 5 instances of assault, 2 travel bans, 1 house search, and 4 imprisonment executions.

In the fiscal year 2023, reports of delayed or unpaid wages to workers amounted to at least 943 months, 2,891 layoffs or dismissals, 3,409 instances of unemployment, 119 months of lack of work-related insurance for 1,764,016 workers, 5 factory closures, and 2,621 workers left in limbo regarding their employment status. Additionally, at least 1,252 individuals were killed in work-related accidents, and 4,018 cases of physical injuries to workers on the job were reported. Iran ranks 102nd globally in terms of workplace safety standards, which is considered a very low ranking.

The monthly comparison of violations of workers’ rights, shows that the highest number of rights violations reports in this domain were published in November, with the most significant decrease in reports occurring in March.

According to the reports gathered by the Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran, in 2023, 22.08% of work-related accidents were due to falls from heights, 21.67% were fire incidents, 11.04% were construction accidents, 8.13% were caused by hard object impacts, 7.50% occurred in factories, 7.08% were drilling (well) accidents, 6.25% were due to electrocution, 4.38% were traffic accidents, 4.17% happened in mines, 2.92% were gas poisonings, 2.50% occurred in petrochemical and refinery industries, 0.63% were agricultural accidents, 0.63% were poisonings, 0.63% were drownings, 0.21% were heat strokes, and 0.21% were avalanche falls.

In 2023, there were at least 320 worker protests, 1 instance of suppression of assembly, and 111 worker strikes. Most of these protests were related to wage demands. The reports indicate a 20% increase in the arrest of workers and a 19% decrease in the issuance of judicial sentences based on the number of people tried, compared to the previous year. Additionally, the issuance of prison sentences increased by 458% compared to the previous year.

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

In 2023, the Department of Statistics gathered 245 reports related to children’s rights violations. Due to the silence of families and governmental institutions, accurate statistics on child abuse cases are not available. However, at least 32 cases of rape and sexual abuse of children, 45 child murders, 6 cases of honor killings, 48 child suicides, and 35,000 instances of child labor were reported. In 2020, there were 56,343 registered marriages of individuals under 18 years old, which decreased significantly to 50,127 in 2021, indicating an 11% decrease in total child and adolescent marriages. The total number of divorces in this age group was 1,646 in 2020, increasing to 1,663 in 2021, reflecting about a 1% increase in child and adolescent divorces in Iran. Additionally, over 929,798 children were deprived of education in this year, an increase from 911,272 in the previous year. Many students in the country have been denied education due to lack of access to virtual learning facilities, early marriages, poverty, cultural issues, population dispersion, etc.

It’s noteworthy that this year, the Welfare Organization or relevant statistical authorities have not published data on child abuse. As mentioned in the execution section of this report, at least 2 juvenile offenders were executed in Iran last year. Precise statistics on the arrest of children are not available, but according to accessible reports, at least 130 individuals under 18 years old were detained by security institutions.

The monthly comparison of violations of children’s rights shows the highest number of violation reports in January and the lowest in December.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS

In 2023, a total of 363 reports were collected in the category of women’s rights, as per the Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran. These reports included at least 26 cases of rape and sexual assault, 82 instances of women’s murders, 28 cases of honor killings including 4 men, 1 case of self-immolation, 6 suicides, 7 acid attacks, 24 summonses to judicial and security institutions, 3,176 instances of improper hijab, 3 travel bans, 8 court trials, 1 house search, 8 gatherings related to women’s rights, and 9 instances of discrimination in social settings.

According to the report, 44 women were arrested for activities related to women’s rights. Additionally, at least 20 activists were sentenced to a total of 182 months of imprisonment and fined seventeen million six hundred thousand Iranian Rials. This includes 152 months of actual imprisonment and 30 months of suspended imprisonment, with 64 months of these sentences issued by appellate courts. Furthermore, 2 individuals were sentenced to 222 lashes.

The monthly comparison of violations of women’s rights, shows that the highest number of rights violation reports in this domain were published in April, with the most significant decrease in reports observed in December.

PRISONERS’ RIGHTS

In 2023, a total of 1,386 reports of violations of prisoners’ rights were registered. These included 27 cases of physical assault on prisoners, 1,390 instances of denial or neglect of medical care, 342 illegal transfers to solitary confinement, 114 attempted hunger strikes, 415 cases of forced transfer or exile of prisoners, 4,140 instances of threats and pressure on prisoners, 66 cases of denying prisoner visitation rights, 34 cases of psychological and physical torture, 7 deaths due to illness, 12 suicides, 1 case of self-immolation, 4 murders of prisoners, 208 instances of lack of access to legal counsel, 4,197 reports of prisoners being kept in unsuitable conditions, 80 cases of forced confession, 290 instances of non-segregation of crimes, 78 denials of medical leave, and 101 denials of the right to contact.

Additionally, in the realm of detainee rights, 438 cases of uncertainty and 1,286 cases of indefinite detention were reported. Furthermore, a sentence of 40 lashes was executed on 1 individual in prison.

The monthly comparison of violations of prisoners’ rights shows indicates that the highest number of reports occurred in January, while the lowest number of reports was observed in March.

SECURITY FORCES’ VIOLENCE AND CITIZENS’ SAFETY

Death of civilians

In 2023, there were a total of 402 incidents involving civilians being shot by military forces. Out of these incidents, 120 civilians lost their lives, including 20 Kolbars (border carriers), 37 fuel carriers, and 63 other civilians. Additionally, 282 people were injured due to indiscriminate military fire, which comprised 228 Kolbars, 31 ordinary civilians, and 23 fuel carriers.
Furthermore, 9 Kolbars were affected by environmental factors such as extreme cold and falls from heights, resulting in 3 injuries and 6 deaths. Also, 11 fuel carriers were involved in accidents following pursuits by military forces, leading to 7 deaths and 4 injuries

Victims of landmines and explosions

The landmines left from the war threaten the lives of civilians living in border cities each year. The Iranian government continues to manufacture and plant anti-personnel mines against international agreements, arguing that the use of these type of landmines is the only effective way to keep its vast borders safe.

Based on reports, at least 4 civilians in the past year have lost their lives to landmines in border areas, while 9 other civilians have been injured.

Floggings

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) strictly prohibits inhuman or degrading punishments like flogging. However, in 2023, flogging sentences were executed for at least 6 accused, amounting to a total of 330 lashes. This includes 2 cases where the accused, previously sentenced to 160 lashes, were publicly flogged. Additionally, at least 125 individuals were sentenced to a total of 6,551 lashes by the Iranian judiciary.

Intervention in personal affairs of civilians

In 2023, at least 558 civilians were arrested for organizing or participating in private gatherings and parties.

Financial Loser Protests

In 2023, groups of citizens organized protests on at least 117 occasions. These individuals, primarily victims of financial and investment frauds, held protests in 31 provinces due to unmet demands and claims. The provinces of Tehran, Qazvin, and Hormozgan saw the highest number of these protests.

The monthly comparison of reports related to violence from security forces and citizens’ safety shows indicates that the highest number of reports occurred in November, while the lowest number was in March.

JUDICIAL SENTENCES IN VARIOUS CATEGORIES

In the past year, the Iranian judiciary, encompassing both primary and appellate courts, issued a total of 33,335 months of imprisonment. The breakdown of these sentences across various categories is as follows: 984 months for ethnic minorities, 5,113 months for religious minorities, 25,124 months for freedom of expression, 1,230 months for trade unions, 654 months for workers, 182 months for women’s rights, 24 months for children’s rights, and 24 months for cultural rights. (It is important to note that these statistics only include sentences where specific details or information about the verdicts were made public.)

Additionally, these citizens were collectively fined eleven billion six hundred and three million and eight hundred thousand Iranian Rials and sentenced to a total of 6,551 lashes.

The monthly comparison of these convictions shows indicates that the highest number of reports was published in January, while the lowest number was observed in April.

ARRESTS

In the past year, security forces in Iran arrested 4,472 citizens due to their engagement in civil, ideological, or political activities. The breakdown of these arrests across various categories is as follows: 31 arrests in trade unions, 324 in ethnic minorities, 142 in religious minorities, 3,130 in freedom of expression, 130 in children’s rights, 34 in environmental rights, 15 in cultural rights, and 64 in labor rights.

Additionally, 44 women were subjected to legal prosecution due to their activities and the promotion of their lifestyle choices. Furthermore, 558 citizens were arrested for organizing or participating in private gatherings.

The monthly comparison of these arrests shows indicates that the highest number of reports occurred in January, while the lowest number was in December.

In 2023, there was an overall decrease of 86% in the number of arrests related to civil activities compared to the previous year. However, the pattern varied significantly across different categories:

🔘 Ethnic Minorities: Arrests increased by 44%.

🔘 Cultural Sector: Arrests increased by 114%.

🔘 Religious Minorities: Arrests increased by 1.4%.

🔘 Trade Unions: Arrests decreased by 89%.

🔘 Women’s Rights: Arrests decreased by 86%.

🔘 Lifestyle-related Arrests: A significant increase of 771%.

🔘 Environmental Rights: Arrests increased by 47%.

🔘 Children’s Rights: Arrests decreased by 22%.

🔘 Workers’ Rights: Arrests increased by 20.04%.

🔘 Freedom of Expression: Arrests decreased by 86%.

ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

In 2023, 340 reports were gathered related to environmental rights, leading to the arrest of 34 activists in this field. Out of these arrests, 3 were made without judicial warrants. Additionally, there was 1 summons to security institutions, 52 instances of failure to protect natural resources, at least 284 reports of various types of environmental pollution including air, surface water, and groundwater pollution, 21 cases of improper exploitation of natural resources, 813 instances of animal abuse, and 9 protests recorded.

It is also noteworthy that in the past year, 53 officers from the Natural Resources Protection Unit were involved in accidents. This includes 1 park ranger’s death, injuries to 21 environmental wardens, 1 park ranger, and 30 forest rangers.

In the environmental sector, there was a 47% increase in the arrest of citizens compared to the previous year.

Based on the number of reports per month, the highest number of reports in the environmental sector occurred in December, and the lowest in May

SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITIES

Prior to 2021, reports concerning the rights of sexual and gender minorities in Iran were processed under other categories in the annual reports of Human Rights Activists in Iran. The primary reason for this was the limited number of reports available in this area, which did not facilitate detailed analysis.

Creating an independent category, despite the small number of reports, signifies an effort to enhance the monitoring of the status of these community members. The rights of sexual and gender minorities in the country are systematically violated in various ways. Criminalization of same-sex relationships and non-recognition of transgender individuals’ gender identity prior to gender reassignment surgery are two examples. These violations occur irrespective of the blatant spreading of hatred against members of this community.

Cultural taboos, legal barriers, and the weakness of civil institutions in monitoring and reporting violations against them have become serious problems. The government’s policy towards sexual minorities in Iran has blurred the line between being a sexual minority and moral corruption, exacerbating the vulnerability and oppressive atmosphere for these individuals. In some instances, security and law enforcement agencies themselves admit to detaining and harassing members of this community. For example, in July of this year, an incident involving a person advocating for moral policing on the dress code of several transgender citizens in the Afsariyeh neighborhood of Tehran led to a confrontation and the arrest of 5 transgender individuals. Security-affiliated media published a video of the “forced confessions” of these five individuals. Contrary to popular belief, transgender citizens face legal issues in addition to cultural ones when changing their identification documents or obtaining exemption from mandatory military service. This situation arises from the pathologization of transgender identity in the laws of the National Conscription Organization, at a time when the World Health Organization, in its latest 2019 guidelines (ICD-11), classified transgender status under sexual health conditions, moving away from its previous classification as a disorder.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS

In a detailed and alarming report prepared by the Spreading Justice and the Human Rights Activists Statistics Center in Iran, a widespread pattern of human rights violations in Iran has been documented over a one-year period (from January 1, 2023, to December 20, 2023). The data, carefully categorized, emphasize the severity and extent of these violations across various sectors of the government.

From the perspective of their position in the power structure and the direct chain of command, the reports are divided among three main actors based on the available information: the Judiciary, the Executive, and the Leadership Authority.

Out of a total of 4399 reported cases gathered, there were identifiable officials or entities involved in the human rights violations related to the report. Among these reports, the Judiciary leads with 2654 cases, followed by the Executive with 1317 cases, and the Leadership with 428 cases.

For a better understanding, refer to the adjacent pie chart, which represents the distribution of human rights violations based on the number of reports in the last year.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATING ENTITIES

In the collected reports that contained information about human rights violators, 668 legal entities (institutions) from various branches of the government were identified. The following list names the top ten institutions with the most human rights violation reports in the past year:

1- Ministry of Intelligence: 685 cases of human rights violation reports

2- FARAJA Intelligence Organization: 444 cases

3– Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: 392 cases

4- Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court: 193 cases

5- Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court: 105 cases

6- Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court: 101 cases

7- Cyber Police (FATA): 81 cases

8- Branch 36 of the Tehran Appeals Court: 80 cases

9- Evin Prosecutor’s Office: 75 cases

10- Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court: 57 cases

INDIVIDUAL HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS 

Furthermore, 241 individuals (natural persons) have demonstrated behavior considered as direct human rights violations.

The top ten individuals, all affiliated with the Judiciary, who had the most human rights violation cases based on individual performance are as follows:

1Iman Afshari– Position: Judge -Institution: Revolutionary Court – Affiliation: Judiciary – Place of Activity: Tehran – Number of Reported Cases: 142 cases
2Abolghasem Salavati Position: Judge -Institution: Revolutionary Court – Affiliation: Judiciary – Place of Activity: Tehran – Number of Reported Cases: 80 cases
3Mohammadreza Amouzad– Position: Judge -Institution: Revolutionary Court – Affiliation: Judiciary – Place of Activity: Tehran – Number of Reported Cases: 56 cases
4Mohammad Moghiseh Position: Judge -Institution: Revolutionary Court – Affiliation: Judiciary – Place of Activity: Tehran – Number of Reported Cases: 49 cases
5Seyed Ali Mozloom– Position: Judge -Institution: Revolutionary Court – Affiliation: Judiciary – Place of Activity: Tehran – Number of Reported Cases: 43 cases
6Amin Vaziri Position: Deputy Prosecutor -Institution: Security Court – Affiliation: Judiciary – Place of Activity: Tehran – Number of Reported Cases: 31 cases
7Seyed Ahmad Zargar– Position: Judge -Institution: Revolutionary Court – Affiliation: Judiciary – Place of Activity: Tehran – Number of Reported Cases: 27 cases
8Hossein Saeedi Position: Judge -Institution: Revolutionary Court – Affiliation: Judiciary – Place of Activity: Sanandaj – Number of Reported Cases: 28 cases
9Seyed Mahmoud Sadati– Position: Judge -Institution: Revolutionary Court – Affiliation: Judiciary – Place of Activity: Shiraz – Number of Reported Cases: 20 cases
10Ali Sheikhloo– Position: Judge -Institution: Revolutionary Court – Affiliation: Judiciary – Place of Activity: Urmia – Number of Reported Cases: 18 cases

The legal and human rights implications of the documented cases indicate a systematic pattern of human rights violations at different levels of the Iranian government. The high number of cases attributed to judicial authorities, especially in revolutionary courts, raises serious concerns about justice and impartiality in the judicial process. Extensive intervention by intelligence and security organizations, including the Ministry of Intelligence and IRGC Intelligence Organization, reflects a coordinated approach to suppress opposition and control the population.

Prison management, especially in prominent centers like Evin and Rajai Shahr, shows disregard for the rights and welfare of prisoners. Individual accountability of high-ranking judicial officials like Iman Afshari questions the role of specific actors in perpetuating these violations.

For a better understanding of the published reports on human rights violations, refer to the following chart which categorizes them according to their affiliation in the division of powers.

This is the brief version and the full report is available for download in PDF format.

_________________________

For more information please contact Skylar Thompson, Director of Global Advocacy and Accountability at Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) skylar[at]hramail.com

Annual Analytical and Statistical Report on Human Rights in Iran for the year 2022

This leaflet contains the Annual Analytical and Statistical Report on Human Rights in Iran for the year 2022. The report, prepared by the Department of Statistics and Publications of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), is the result of daily effort on the part of the organization and its members, and as part of a daily statistic and census project that started in 2009 by this organization.
This annual report on human rights violations in Iran is the result of collection, analyzation, and documentation of 13342 reports concerning human rights, gathered from 267 news sources during 2022 [January 1st to December 20th]. 55% of reports analyzed came from sources gathered and reported by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), while 13% came from official Iranian government sources or sources close to the government. 32% of reports came from other human rights news agencies.

This is the brief version and the full report is available for download in PDF format. Click here

The following 62-pages include statistical overviews and related charts regarding women’s rights, children’s rights, prisoners’ rights, etc. Despite a 128% increase in reports of human rights violations from provinces other than Tehran when compared to last year’s Annual Report, yet data from this year still indicates that smaller cities lack adequate reporting and monitoring of human rights.
This report is the result of the work of courageous human rights activists in Iran who pay a very high cost for striving to enact their humanitarian beliefs. However, for obvious reasons (i.e. existing governmental limitations, bans on the free exchange of information and government interference with the existence of human rights organizations in the country), this report by no means is free of errors and cannot solely reflect the actual status of human rights in Iran. Having said that, it should be emphasized that this report is considered one of the most accurate, comprehensive, and authentic reports on human rights conditions in Iran. It serves as an informative resource for human rights activists and organizations working on Iran who seek to better understand the challenges and opportunities that they may face.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

▪️ MONITORING 
▪️ ETHNIC RIGHTS 
▪️ RELIGIOUS RIGHTS
▪️ FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
▪️ TRADE UNIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS
▪️ ACADEMIA/ RIGHT TO EDUCATION 
▪️ RIGHT TO LIFE (DEATH PENALTY) 
▪️ CULTURAL RIGHTS 
▪️ WORKERS’ RIGHTS
▪️ CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
▪️ WOMEN’S RIGHTS
▪️ PRISONERS’ RIGHTS
▪️ SECURITY FORCES’ VIOLENCE AND CITIZENS’ SAFETY
▪️ SENTENCES
▪️ ARRESTS
▪️ SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITIES

MONITORING

The following map illustrates the number of reports per province made by human rights organizations and news agencies. This is a direct reflection of each province’s civil rights capacities in 2022.

The highest number of reports were published in November, while the lowest number of reports published occurred in April.

55% of reports analyzed came from sources gathered and reported by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), while 13% came from official Iranian government sources or sources close to the government. 32% of reports came from other human rights news agencies.

In 2022, at least 3046 protests were held across 31 provinces. Of these, 1,289 were union rallies, 266 were workers’ rallies, 149 were rallies related to economic hardship, 1297 were rallies against the suppression of freedom of expression, and were 26 union student demands rallies, 1 gathering in the field of children and 18 gatherings in the field of the environment. In addition to the rallies, there were also 94 labor strikes and 225 union strikes, and 344 non-union strikes as well.

As indicated in the distribution map, there exists a major discrepancy between the capital Tehran, and other parts of the country in terms of the number of published reports. This is while the census of 2021 reported a population of 9,039,000 in Tehran, compared to a population of 75,016,000 in the rest of the country.
Statistics indicate that, the focus or ability to report of the human rights reporters has been 20% in the Tehran and 80% in the other parts of the country.

Categories of human rights violations based on the number of reports in 2022
To study categories of human rights violations in Iran, it is important to initially compare the categories based on the number of reports made in each category in the past year.

ETHNIC RIGHTS

In the field of ethnic and national rights, a total of 205 reports was registered by the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) in 2022. According to these reports, at least 225 people were arrested, 73 of whom were arrested without a legal arrest warrant. It should be noted that, even though the charges against 164 of these detainees remain unknown yet based on other indications and precedent cases they have been considered in this category.
A total of 12 people were sentenced to 751 months in prison, which breaks down to 726 months of imprisonment and 25 months of suspended imprisonment. A total of 68 individuals were summoned by the security and judicial institutions. In addition, 3 people were fined two hundred and seventy million Rials.
In addition, the following reports have been registered; Trial of 8 people in security-judicial institutions, 1 case of travel ban outside the country, 16 cases of beatings, 33 cases of house searches, and 2 cases of carrying out imprisonment sentences.
Compared to the previous year there has been a 49% decrease in the arrest of ethnic minorities and an 80% decrease in prison sentences.
The highest number of violations occurred in the month of July while the lowest occurred in the month of November

RELIGIOUS RIGHTS

In this category, 199 reports have been registered by the Department of Statistics in 2022. These reports include 140 arrests, 102 summons by judicial and security institutions, 64 cases of deprivation from education, and 94 cases of police home raids.
More so, there has been 2 cases of demolition of religious sites, 39 cases of imprisonment, 51 issuances of travel bans (which violate of freedom of movement,) and 11 cases of individuals brought to trial for their religious beliefs.
79 members of religious minorities were sentenced by judicial institutions to a total of 3432 months of imprisonment (1921 months of imprisonment and 11 months of suspended inprisonment) and 888 months of exile. In addition, 23 people were fined three billion five hundred and ninety million Rials, 1 person was sentenced to 74 lashes, and 10 people were deprived of social rights.
The number of citizens arrested in the category of religious minorities has Increase by 145% in 2022 compared to 2021, and the prison sentences issued by the judiciary have Decrease by 2%

The highest number of violations have been reported in August, while the lowest occurred in March.
From the total human rights reports regarding the violation of religious minorities rights, 64.63% belonged to the violation of the rights of Baha’is, while 20.84% of the reports indicated violation of the rights of Christians, 8.84% Yarsanis, 4.63% Sunnis, and 0.63% “Others”, 0.42% Dervishes. Note that reports labeled as “Other” are those that did not belong to a specific group of religious minorities.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

6311 reports of violations against freedom of thought and expression have been registered by the Department of Statistics in 2022. These violations included 22655 individuals arrested, 331 summons to judiciary and security authorities, 2 reports of publications banned, and 12 convictions for publications.
In this category, reports of the 201 trials were published including; 31 travel bans issued, 65 carrying out prison sentences, 34 house searches, 94 internet disruption, 140 beatings, 1297 assembly, 344 strikes.
In 2022, 711 arrestees were sentenced to at least a total of 14,896 months of imprisonment. This breaks down to 9720 months in prison and 376 months of suspended prison terms. It should be noted that 1815 months of this amount have been issued by the Court of Appeal.
Also, 62 people were sentenced to five billion and five hundred and ninety million Rials in fines, 35 people were sentenced to 1,824 lashes and 37 were deprived of social rights. Additionally, 2 people received a total of 99 lashes. Compared to 2021, reports regarding violations of freedom of expression have increased by 2000%, sentences issued by the judiciary have increased by 230% based on the number of people tried, and prison sentences increased by 46%.

TRADE UNIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS

2071 reports were registered by the Department of Statistics and Publications related to the rights of trade unions and other associations, that includes arrest of 309 members of trade unions, 123 summons to judicial and security institutions, trials for 37 individuals were held, 10030 individuals were fired or suspended, at least 124 months of wages were deferred, 3 cases of suicide, and 3834 facilities were shutdown.
Also, 25 people were sentenced to 940 months of imprisonment, of which 696 months are imprisonment and 244 months of suspended imprisonment. In addition, 252 months of this amount have been issued by the Court of Appeal. Additionally, A fine of 40 million Rials and 74 lashes has been issued for 1 person.
In 2022, at least 1289 protests and 225 union strikes were held. There were 43 reported instances of prevention of protest gatherings. Most of these protests were related to salary/wage demands from corporations, bad economic conditions, and lack of proper management of corporations.
In reports related to trade unions and associations compared to the previous year, there has been a 1000% Increase in the number of arrests, an 1150% Increase in sentences issued compared, and a 1300% increase in imprisonment sentences.
The highest number of violations occurred in the month of January while the lowest is in September.

ACADEMIA/ RIGHT TO EDUCATION

The Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 126 reports related to violations of academic rights in 2022. Accordingly, 10 students were arrested, and as mentioned in the religious rights section of this report, 64 students were prevented from continuing their education because of their religion. More so, there has been 5 other cases of hindering of education, and one person was sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment and 74 lashes.
In the category of academia and the right to education, there has been a 233% increase in the number of arrests and a 85% decrease in the issuance of prison sentences compared to the previous year.
For the school students there has been, 61 cases of preventing education, 6 cases of physical punishment, 7 cases of rape and sexual abuse, 2 cases of suicide, and 65 cases of poisoning. In addition, in the last year, at least 780,000 students dropped out of school.
The highest number of violations occurred in the month of August while the lowest instance is observed in the month of February.

RIGHT TO LIFE (DEATH PENALTY)

The Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty in 2022. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.
According to these reports, 48.67% of the executions were based on murder charges, while 42.83% were related to drug-related charges, 2.65% were for sexual offenses, and 2.48% of the charges are unknown, 1.77% were executed on charges of Moharebeh (non-political), 1.06% on security charges (espionage, terror, or bombing), 0.53% on charges of Moharebeh or Baghi (political-security) in Iran.
The highest number of violations occurred in July while the lowest number occurred in April.
The following pie chart illustrates the number of death sentences issued and carried out across the country in 2022. The majority of death sentences were based on murder charges (48.67%), followed by drug charges (42.83%).

The execution of death sentences across Iran’s provinces in 2022, Sistan and Baluchestan province with 18.58% has the highest number of executions, followed by Alborz province which has two of the most populated prisons in Iran with 16.11% of the executions.
Rajai Shahr and Zahedan Prisons carried out the most death sentences.
Of those executed in 2022, 2% were female, and 89% were male, while the gender of the other 9% is unknown.
These executions are reported by independent sources and human rights organizations, indicating that 65% of executions are carried out in secret or without any public notice.

Executions carried out in 2022 compared to 2021 increased by 88%. The number of death sentences issued increased by 8%.

 

CULTURAL RIGHTS

The Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 17 reports related to violations of cultural rights in 2022. This included reports of 7 arrests, 27 individuals summoned to judicial and security organizations, 4 trials held, 1 house search, 4 cases of obstruction and interference with publications, 1 case of stopping an event and speech, 2 cases of confiscation of property and belongings.
In this category, arrests have increased by 16% compared to the previous year.
In a monthly comparison, the highest number of violations were reported in May, while the highest increase of number of reports were in January, February, September, October, November, and December.
The number of violations of cultural rights in 2022 compared to 2021.

WORKERS’ RIGHTS

The Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 1056 reports of violations of workers’ rights in 2022. This included 53 arrests. 36 workers activists or workers were sentenced to 117 months in prison, 510 lashes and 51,000,000 tomans in fines, and 31 people were summoned to judicial and security organizations.
Additionally, 14 cases of trials by judicial authorities, 10 cases of suicide, 5 cases of self-immolation, 1 cases of beatings, 12 cases of house searches, and 5 cases of carrying out imprisonment sentences, have been reported.
During 2022, a total of 1048 months of overdue payment of salaries to workers was reported, 8353 workers were laid off or fired, 9038 people reported unemployment, 1720742 lacked work insurance, 9168 workers were waiting for work-related decisions, and 14 factories were shut down.
In addition, 354 people have lost their lives in work-related accidents, and 1497 workers have been injured while at work. On a global scale amongst other counties, Iran ranks 102nd in work safety.
In a monthly comparison of workers’ rights violations in 2022, the highest number of violations happened January and the lowest in November.
Based on collected reports work accidents in the past year have been 17% due to fires, 16% in constructions, 11% in factories, 10% workers falling from heights, 10% accidents, 9% hard object hitting the victim, 8% falling during excavation and in wells, 5% electrocutions, 5% chocking, 4% in mines, 2% in farming, 1% in petrochemical and refineries, 1% heat strokes, 1% frostbites.

In 2022, there were at least 266 worker protests, with 2 reported of preventing the protests, and 96 workers strike took place. The majority of these protests were regarding wages.
Based on these reports, the arrest of workers has decreased by 17% compared to 2021. However, the issuance of prison sentences has increased by 300% compared to the previous year.

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

A total of 434 reports of violations of children’s rights in 2022 were registered by the Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran. However, it should be mentioned because of secrecy regarding these incidents, leading to underreporting, there is no accurate statistic in this field. Reports included at least 21564 cases of child abuse, 23 cases of rape and sexual abuse, 41 murders of children, 5 self-immolation, 54 cases of child suicide, 1 case of honor killing, and 43268 cases of child laborer.
In addition, there were more than 200,000 instances of child marriage and 5 million students are deprived of primary education. Many students in Iran have been deprived of education due to lack of access to e-learning facilities, as well as child marriages, poverty, cultural issues.
As mentioned in the section on the death penalty, at least 5 juvenile offenders have been executed in 2022.
There are no reliable statistics regarding the arrest of minors during the nation-wide protests, however from arrestees whose identities have been confirmed at least 167 were children.
In the monthly comparison in this category, the highest number of violations were reported in November and the lowest number in February.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS

The Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 124 reports of violations of women’s rights in 2022, including; 64 cases of domestic violence, 14 cases of rape and sexual harassment, 32 case of murder, 26 cases of honor killing (including murder of 4 men), 4 self-immolations, 5 cases of acid attacks, 5 cases of suicide, and 1708 cases where women’s rights activists were summoned to judicial and security organizations, 1701 Hijab related cases, 4 cases of imprisonment sentences being carried out and 62 cases of discrimination in social environments.
Based on this report, 322 women have been detained for reasons related to women’s rights. At least 3 women’s rights activists were sentenced to 64 months in prison and a fine of eighty million rials
Based on the number of reports per month, the highest number of reports were in July and the lowest in December.
The number of violations of human rights in the category of women’s rights in 2022 compared to 2021.

PRISONERS’ RIGHTS

The Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 1127 reports of violations of prisoner’s rights in 2022 including; 133 physical assault of prisoners, 4322 of deprivation of medical care, 204 of illegal transfer to solitary confinement, 102 of attempted hunger strikes, 166 of forced transportation or exile, 4983 of threats against prisoners, 46 of banning prisoners from having visitors, 652 of psychological and physical torture, 20 prisoners died due to illness, 2 arrestees were killed by prison authorities, and 14 prisoners committed suicide.
There were also 206 cases where prisoners lacked lawyers, 5977 reports of prisoners being held in unsuitable circumstances, 391 cases of forced confessions, 3523 cases of non-segregation of prisoners based on crimes, 2805 cases of denial of sick leave, and 362 cases of denial of having contact with outside the prison.
In this category, there have also been 405 cases of prisoners kept in an unsure state regarding their sentence and 954 cases of lack of adequate information on the prisoner.
The highest number of reports of violations of prisoner’s rights occurred in December and the lowest in March.

SECURITY FORCES’ VIOLENCE AND CITIZENS’ SAFETY

Death of civilians

This section is dedicated to the killing or injury of civilians by police or military institutions. In 2022, a total of 845 people were shot by military forces. At least 571 of the victims lost their life. This includes 22 Kolbar, 9 fuel carriers, and 540 civilians. 274 people were injured by military forces open fire, including 134 Kolbar, 128 civilians, and 12 fuel carriers.
Additionally, 39 Kolbars were affected by climate and geographic factors such as freezing and falling from heights, 34 of whom were injured, and 5 were killed.

Victims of landmines and explosions

The landmines left from the war threaten the lives of civilians living in border cities each year. The Iranian government continues to manufacture and plant anti-personnel mines against international agreements, arguing that the use of these type of landmines is the only effective way to keep its vast borders safe.
Based on reports, at least 5 civilians in the past year have lost their lives to landmines in border areas, while 32 other civilians have been injured.

Floggings

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) has explicitly banned the use of inhuman or degrading punishments such as flogging. However, based on the reports gathered in 2022, flogging sentences were carried out for at least 9 accused, who were sentenced to a total of 317 floggings.
It should be noted that the judiciary issued at least a total of 12512 flogging sentences in the past year.

Intervention in personal affairs of civilians

In 2022, at least 64 civilians were arrested for attending or hosting personal gatherings and parties.
Victims of credit-financial and investment institutions
In 2022, at least 149 groups of civilians –mostly consisting of those who have lost money due to poor economic conditions, or those whose rights have been violated– have organized protests. These protests took place in 24 provinces. The provinces with the most protests were Tehran, Eastern Azerbaijan, Khuzestan, and Khorasan Razavi.
The highest number of reports related to violence from security forces and citizens’ safety occurred in September and the lowest was in December.
The number of Military violence in 2022 in comparison with 2021

SENTENCES

The judiciary of the Iranian government, including both in initial trial and appeal, issued 17872 months of imprisonment in 2022. These reports included 751 months of imprisonment for ethnic minorities, 3432 months of imprisonment for religious minorities, 14896 months of imprisonment related to freedom of expression, 940 months of imprisonment related to union activity, 117 months of imprisonment for workers, 64 months of imprisonment in women’ rights category, 12 months of imprisonment for students, and 2460 months in prison for Environmental activists were sentenced. Also, these citizens were sentenced to one billion and eleven million Toman in fines and 12512 lashes.
These statistics only include the court sentences that indicated detailed information or characteristics of the verdicts.
The highest number of reports was in December and the lowest in July.
In 2022, the number of convictions of citizens and activists increase by 37%. However, the convictions in the following categories decreased: Religious Minorities by 2%, Ethnic Minorities by 80%, Women’s Rights by 25% and Students by 85%.
The following categories saw an increase in convictions: Freedom of Expression by 230%, Unions by 1150% and, Workers by 300%.

ARRESTS

In 2022, security forces arrested 23977 individuals due to political or civil rights-related activities.
The statistical analysis exhibited 309 cases of arrest in the trade union category, 225 arrests in the category of ethnic minorities, 140 arrests in the category of religious minorities, 22655 arrests in the category of freedom of expression, 167 arrests related to children’s rights, 10 arrests of university students, 7 arrests in the field of cultural rights, 53 arrests in the category of workers’ rights, and 23 arrests in the field of Environment.
324 women were prosecuted for their activities, including the promotion of their desired lifestyle. Also, 64 citizens have been arrested for organizing or participating in a private party.
Based on the number of reports per month, the highest number of reports in this category fell in October and the lowest in March.
In 2022, the number of arrests increased by 1330% in total. Broken into categories, the number of arrests decreased in the Ethnic Minority category by 49%, in Cultural rights increased by 16%, Religious minorities increased by 145%, Unions increased by 1000%, Students increased by 233%, Workers’ Rights decreased by 17%, and Freedom of Expression increased by 2000%.

SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITIES

The rights of sexual and gender minorities have been analyzed in this Annual Report of Human Rights Activists in Iran as a subset of other categories. The main reason for this is that the small handful of reports in this regard do not allow analysis.
Creating an independent categorization, even with a small number of reports, is in fact an attempt to increase surveillance of this group.
The rights of sexual and gender minorities in the country are systematically violated in various ways. The criminalization of homosexuality and the non-recognition of transgender identity before gender reassignment procedures are two of many systematic violations that are codified into domestic law.
There are many obstacles in reporting on this topic, including open hatred against members of the community, cultural taboos, legal barriers, and the weakness of Iranian civil rights organizations in monitoring and reporting violations. The government’s policy in dealing with sexual minority issues in Iran exacerbates the vulnerability of these groups.
Among the few reports published in this area, we can mention 2 cases of assaults and 1 case of suicide, that have directly been linked to the sexual orientation of the victim.
In some cases, security and law enforcement agencies acknowledge the detention and harassment of members of this community. For example, in June of this year, Reza Molouki, head of the FATA police in the east of Tehran Province announced the identification and arrest of a citizen on charges of “corruption on earth”, calling his relationship with a homosexual illegitimate.
Trans citizens face legal problems in addition to cultural issues in the process of changing their identity documents or seeking exemption from conscription. In one report, a citizen living in Tehran, after obtaining a military exemption due to their gender identity, lost their employment and was unable to renew their license as an expert of the Food and Drug Administration.
In 2019, the World Health Organization updated its guidelines on disorders related to sexuality and gender identity in the ICD-11. In doing so, transgender identity was no longer recognized as a “disorder” by the WHO.

This is the brief version and the full report is available for download in PDF format.

 

_________________________

For further inquiries please contact Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) at [email protected]

Iranians celebrate the Persian New Year Despite yet another Gruesome Year of Abuse at the Hands of the Regime

HRANA– As Iranians celebrate the Persian New Year,  HRANA takes a look back at the year 1400 Hijri (March 21, 2021 – March 16, 2022). 

The regime’s security and judicial authorities continued to systematically violate human rights–including the right of freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and the right to discrimination. The regime remained steadfast in its commitment to arbitrarily prosecute and torture human rights activists, execute juvenile offenders after disproportionate and lengthy detentions, it failed to meet obligations to protect women and gender minorities against violence, it took dual and foreign nationals hostage, held prisoners in inhuman conditions, failed to meet obligations to protect the right to health, namely with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, it continued notorious torture of prisoners, imposed cruel corporal punishments such as flogging, deprived prisoners of conscience adequate medical treatment, and imposed harsh, disproportionate sentences on political prisoners. The list goes on. 

 

Arrests

Based on data gathered from 6,722 reports registered by the Statistics and Publication Center of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA):

  • 1,734 people were arrested for their political activities or the expression of their beliefs and opinions. 
  • 141 people were arrested for adopting a lifestyle considered by the regime unacceptable–including for hosting or attending private parties that were deemed to be in violation of Islamic principles. 
  • 11 people were arrested for modeling, dancing, playing/listening to inappropriate music, and other cultural activities.

 

Of those arrested:

  • 1,047 people were detained for expressing their opinion and beliefs, including 22 minors, 117 workers’ rights activists, 92 journalists (and social media) activists, 64 religious minorities, 6 womens’ rights defenders, and 370 ethnic minorities.

*From the latter, the charges against 347 arrestees are unknown. However, considering HRA’s knowledge of the security institutions in any given area, these arrests have been included in the category of ethnic minorities.

The above figures exclude hundreds of people who were arrested and dozens who were killed or injured during the July 2021 Khuzestan protests (over water shortage and mismanagement), The figure also excludes at least 214 arrestees (including 13 minors) during the 2021 Isfahan water protests. The Security forces and police brutally cracked down on protestors using batons, tear gas, and pellet guns.

 

Sentencing 

Across the country, Public and Revolutionary Courts handled a total of 310 legal cases amounting to a combined total of 12,760 months in prison and a combined total of  667,250,000 tomans in fines (approx. 22,241 USD). In addition, the courts handed down a combined total of 556 months of suspended imprisonment for charges related to political activities. 

Iran’s judicial system continued imposing “inhuman” punishments which are at odds with fundamental human rights and dignity. In a gruesome example, the courts ruled for the mutilation of eyes –which was carried out. The courts continued to issue flogging sentences contrary to international obligations. In addition, issued a combined total of 4,081 lashes (a combined total of 397 lashes carried out in the given period). 

 

Child Rights 

Given that many child abuse cases are silenced by families and government institutions, the available statistics do not reflect an accurate depiction of the issue. Nonetheless, at least 7,764 child abuse cases, 16 cases of sexual abuse and rape, 16 cases of juvenile homicide, 4 cases of juvenile honor killings, 3 self-immolations, 92 suicide attempts, 3 acid attacks, 29 cases of child trafficking and sales, and more than 20 thousands child marriages. In addition, 3 million children dropped out of school in the given time period. 

Although there is no accurate data on the number of child laborers due to activities of organized crime institutions and the government’s failure to tackle this issue, the Iranian Scientific Association of Social Work (ISASW) estimates at least seven million children are active in the workforce. 

 

Women’s Rights 

At least 21,594 cases of domestic violence against women were recorded. Considering the flaws in the law system and entrenched gender inequality in society, the real figures are likely much higher. During the given period there were a registered 12 acid attacks, 4 rapes and/or sexual assaults, 15 female homicides, 10 female self-immolations, 4 suicides, and 20 honor killings. 

 

Use of Force (Kolbars and Sukhtbars)

In the given period, a total of 203 citizens were shot by the regime’s military forces. In these incidents, 91 people were shot dead including 26 Kolbars (Cross Border Carriers), 13 Sukhtbar (Fuel Border Carriers), and 52 other civilians. 112 people were injured, of the injured, 82 people were Kolbars, 12 Sukhtbar, and 18 other civilians.

Additionally, 34 Kolbars were affected by climate and geographic factors such as freezing temperatures and falling from heights. In these accidents, 21 Kolbars were injured and 13 ultimately died. 

It is of note that landmine blasts took the life of 25 citizens and maimed 65 others during this year. Most of these landmines are the remnants of the Iran-Iraq War. The Regime still shirks its responsibility to clear these landmines and hence endangers the life of its citizens living in the mine-affected areas.

 

Executions  

Iran has been one of the world’s top executioners. In the given time period, at least 333 people were executed, including 12 women and 3 juvenile offenders who were under the age of 18 at the time of committing the crime. In addition, the courts sentenced 105 defendants to the death penalty.

 

Prisoners Rights 

Based on HRANA reports, 42 prisoners have been victims of physical assault, 248 prisoners were deprived of adequate medical care, 68 prisoners were held in solitary confinement cells, 193 went on hunger strike as a last resort to achieve urgent demands, 93 inmates were forcefully sent to a prison in exile, 207 inmates were threatened or subjected to regime pressure, 15 inmates were deprived of visitation, 17 inmates were tortured physically or mentally, 21 inmates died in prison by diseases, one inmate committed suicide, one committed self-immolation, 5 inmates were killed by prison guards/officials, 93 prisoners were denied access to a lawyer, 1,889 inmates were held in harsh and inhuman conditions, 34 prisoners were subjected to torture as a means of forced confessions, 203 political prisoners were co-housed with the prisoners of violent crimes, and 88 inmates were denied necessary medical furlough.

There have been 199 incommunicado detentions and 270 cases of detainees kept in an unknown state regarding their sentence.

 

Workers Rights 

During the given period, at least 10,669 workers were laid off or fired, 764 killed and 9,441 injured in workplace accidents. Moreover, 993,726 workers went without work insurance. There were also a reported 68 factory closures. In addition, at least 31,672 workers reported delays in payments.

 

Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association

In the given period 2,769 protest rallies were held across 24 provinces. 

Of the 2,769 documented rallies:

  • 610 workers’ rallies
  • 1,769 union rallies
  • 80 rallies against the suppression of freedom of expression
  • 48 student rallies
  • 262 rallies held by the victims of financial frauds or other fraudulent acts 

In addition, there were 392 labor strikes and 368 union strikes.

 

Concluding Note

Iran’s regime does not allow independent human rights organizations to report and collect data freely. As a result, these figures reveal merely the tip of the iceberg of the human rights situation in Iran. Therefore, it is noteworthy to mention that the figures provided in this report are merely based on the reports of civil society organizations like HRANA and its Statistics and Publication Center.

 

_________________________

For further inquiries please contact Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) at [email protected]

Annual Analytical and Statistical Report on Human Rights in Iran for the year 2021

This leaflet contains the Annual Analytical and Statistical Report on Human Rights in Iran for the year 2021. The report, prepared by the Department of Statistics and Publications of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), is the result of daily effort on the part of the organization and its members, and as part of a daily statistic and census project that was started by this organization in 2009.
This annual report on human rights violations in Iran collects, analyzes, and documents 5683 reports concerning human rights, gathered from various news sources during 2021 [January 1st to December 20th]. 38% of reports analyzed came from sources gathered and reported by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), while 38% came from official Iranian government sources or sources close to the government. 24% of reports came from other human rights news agencies.

This is the brief version and the full report is available for download in PDF format. Click here

The following 53-pages include statistical overviews and related charts regarding women’s rights, children’s rights, prisoners’ rights, etc. Despite the 1.5% increase in reports of human rights violations in provinces other than Tehran from last year’s Annual Report, data from this year indicates that smaller cities lack adequate reporting and monitoring of human rights.

This report is the result the work of courageous human rights activists in Iran who pay a very high cost for as they strive to enact their humanitarian beliefs. However, for obvious reasons (i.e. existing governmental limitations, bans on the free exchange of information and government interference with the existence of human rights organizations in the country), this report by no means is free of errors and cannot solely reflect the actual status of human rights in Iran. Having said that, it should be emphasized that this report is considered one of the most accurate, comprehensive, and authentic reports on human rights conditions in Iran. It serves as a very informative resource for human rights activists and organizations working on Iran who seek to better understand the challenges and opportunities that they may face.

MONITORING

The following map illustrates the number of reports per province made by human rights organizations and news agencies. This is a direct reflection of each province’s current capacity for civil rights (2021).

The highest number of reports were published in December, while the lowest number of reports published occurred in April.
38% of reports analyzed came from sources gathered and reported by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), while 38% came from official Iranian government sources or sources close to the government. 24% of reports came from other human rights news agencies.
In 2021, at least 2,300 protest rallies were held across 24 provinces. Of these, 1,261 were union rallies, 618 were workers’ rallies, 301 were rallies related to economic hardship, 77 were rallies against the suppression of freedom of expression, and 43 were student rallies. In addition to the rallies, there were also 339 labor strikes and 192 union strikes.
As indicated in the distribution map, there exists a major discrepancy between the capital Tehran, and other parts of the country in terms of the number of published reports. This is while the census of 2016 reported a population of 13,267,637 in Tehran, compared to a population of 66,658,633 in the rest of the country.

ETHNIC MINORITIES

In the field of violations of rights for national and ethnic minorities, a total of 390 reports were registered by the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) in 2021. According to these reports, at least 445 people were arrested. It should be noted that the charges against 409 of these detainees remain unknown.
A total of 61 people were sentenced to 1348 months in prison, which breaks down to 1171 months of imprisonment and 177 months of suspended imprisonment. A total of 103 individuals were summoned by the security and judicial institutions.
Compared to the previous year there has been a 55% increase in the arrest of ethnic minorities and a 21% decrease in prison sentences.
As the following bar graph illustrates, the highest number of violations occurred in the month of January while the lowest occurred in the month of December.

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES

In this category, 144 reports have been registered by the Department of Statistics in 2021. These reports include 57 arrests, 11 cases where religious minorities were prevented from economic activities, 39 summons by judicial and security institutions, 24 cases of deprivation from education, and 60 cases of police home raids.
Judicial authorities have registered 2 cases of desecration, 4 cases of imprisonment, 5 issuances of travel bans (which violate of freedom of movement,) and 6 cases of individuals brought to trial on the basis of religious belief.
81 members of religious minorities were sentenced by judicial institutions to a total of 4174 months of imprisonment. In addition, 4 people were fined one hundred and eighty million tomans (42840 USD), 1 person was sentenced to 74 lashes, and 10 people were deprived of social rights.
The number of citizens arrested in the category of religious minorities has decreased by 25% in 2021 compared to 2020, and the prison sentences issued by the judiciary have decreased by 17%
The highest number of violations have been reported in April, while the lowest occurred in December.
71.77% of human rights reports regarding violations against religious minorities related to violations against Baha’is, 14.29% to Christians, 7.48% to Sunnis 2.04% to Yarsans 1.02% to Dervishes, 0.34% to Jews, and 3.06% to “Others”. Note that reports labeled as “Other” are those that did not belong to a specific group of religious minorities.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

674 reports of violations against freedom of thought and expression have been registered by the Department of Statistics this year. These violations included 1043 individual arrests, 256 summons to judiciary and security authorities, 2 reports of publications banned, and 21 convictions for publications.
111 cases were tried by judicial authorities. 17 cases involved the issuance of travel bans, 64 involved execution of prison sentences, 34 involved house searches, 17 involved internet disruption, 2 involved telecommunication disruptions, 39 involved beatings, 44 involved harassment in the form of threats and intimidation, 77 involved assembly, and 26 involved preventing assembly.
In 2021, 215 arrestees were sentenced to a total of 10140 months of imprisonment. This breaks down to 9541 months in prison and 599 months of suspended prison terms.
Additionally, 24 people were fined a total of 603,575,000 tomans (143,650.85 USD), 16 people were sentenced to a total 998 lashes, and there were 22 cases of deprivation from civil rights.
Compared to 2020, reports regarding violations of freedom of expression have increased by 12%, sentences issued by the judiciary have decreased by 48% based on the number of people tried, and prison sentences decreased by 54%.
Below are charts highlighting violations of the right to freedom of expression.

TRADE UNIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS

1173 reports were registered by the Department of Statistics and Publications related to the rights of trade unions and other associations. 26 members of trade unions were arrested, and 2 individuals were sentenced to a total of 67 months in prison. There were 8 summons to judicial and security institutions, and 23 cases where facilities were closed.
Also reported were instances where 3 people were fined a total 23,500,000 tomans (5593 USD), 3 people received a total of 74 lashes, as well as 2 cases of suicide, 4 cases of houses searched and 5 cases of harassment in the form of beatings. 4 cases were tried by judicial authorities, 405 cases were dismissed, with 147 months of deferral.
In 2021, at least 1261 protests and 192 union strikes were held. There were 4 reported instances of suppression of assembly. Most of these protests were related to salary/wage demands from corporations, bad economic conditions, and lack of proper management of corporations.
It should be noted that due to the compulsory military service for men in Iran and its classification as a job in the annual budget of the country, this group was also examined. In the past year, at least 4 soldiers committed suicide. Various reasons for this are cited, including conscription itself, the high pressure military environment, forced labor, and denial of human dignity.
In reports related to trade unions and associations there has been a 44% decrease in the number of arrests and an 87% decrease in sentences issued compared to the previous year.

ACADEMIA/ RIGHT TO EDUCATION

The Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 56 reports related to violations of academic rights in 2021. 3 students were arrested, and as, as mentioned in the religious rights section of this report, 24 students were prevented from continuing their education because of their religion.
In the category of academia and the right to education, there has been a 50% decrease in the number of arrests. Per our reports, 7 students were sentenced to 160 months in prison and 74 lashes.
Monthly comparisons of the violation of academic rights based on the number of reports, as the following graph illustrates, reveals the highest number of violations occurred in the month of September while the lowest instance is observed in the month of March.

RIGHT TO LIFE (DEATH PENALTY)

288 reports related to the death penalty were have been registered by the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists Association in Iran in 2021. This included 85 death sentences and 299 executions. Based on the announced identifications of some of the individuals executed, 259 were male and 15 were female.
In addition, 4 juvenile offenders were executed in 2021, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.
According to these reports, 51% of the executions were based on murder charges, while 40% were related to drug-related charges. 4% of individuals executed were charged with “waging war against God” and 3% were charged with rape. For 2% of executions the charges were unknown.
Of those executed in 2021, 5% were female, and 87% were male, while the gender of the other 8% is unknown.
Executions carried out in 2021 compared to 2020 increased by 26%. The number of death sentences issued decreased by 10%.

CULTURAL RIGHTS

23 reports were registered by the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists Association in Iran related to violations of cultural rights in 2021. This included reports of 6 arrests, as well as the report that 2 individuals were sentenced to 84 months of imprisonment. 7 individuals were summoned to judicial and security organizations. 1 license was revoked and 1 person was banned from working.There were also 4 trials by judicial authorities, 1 house search, 4 cases of obstruction and interference with publications, and 1 case of the destruction of a historical site.
In this category, arrests have decreased by 77% compared to the previous year.
In a monthly comparison, the highest number of violations were reported in May, while the lowest were reported in April, October, and December.

WORKERS’ RIGHTS

The Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists Association in Iran registered 1474 reports of violations of workers’ rights in 2021. This included 64 arrests. 9 workers activists or workers were sentenced to 276 months in prison, 124 lashes and 23,000,000 tomans (5474 USD) in fines. 42 people were summoned to judicial and security organizations.
The Department also registered 7 cases of trials by judicial authorities, 10 cases of suicide, 7 cases of self-immolation, 9 cases of beatings, 3 cases of house searches, 2 cases of curfew imposition, and 2 cases of imprisonment.
During 2021, a total of 1247 months of overdue payment of salaries to workers was reported. 2073 workers were laid off or fired, 3332 people reported unemployment, 6404884 lacked work insurance, 5434 workers were waiting for work-related decisions. There were also a reported 68 factory closures.
In addition, 616 people have lost their lives in work-related accidents, and 5584 workers have been injured while at work. On a global scale amongst other counties, Iran ranks 102nd in work safety.
In a monthly comparison of workers’ rights violations in 2021, the highest number of violations happened May, with the lowest in December.
In 2021, there were at least 618 worker protests, with 9 reported instances of suppression in this regard, and 339 workers strike took place. The majority of these protests were regarding wages. Based on these reports the arrest of workers has increased by 53% compared to 2020.

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

A total of 186 reports of violations of children’s rights in 2021 were registered by the Department of Statistics. However, it should be mentioned because of secrecy regarding these incidents, leading to underreporting, there is no accurate statistic in this field. Reports included at least 2117 cases of child abuse, 15 cases of rape and sexual abuse of children, 11 murders of children, 1 self-immolation, 54 cases of child suicide, 1 case of honor killing, 2 cases of acid attacks, 29 cases of sale and trafficking of children and 1448 cases of child abuse in economic activity. In addition, there were more than 9000 instances of child marriage.
3 million students are deprived of the right to education.
Many students in Iran have been denied access to education due to lack of access to e-learning facilities, as well as child marriages, poverty, cultural issues.
As mentioned in the section on the death penalty, at least 4 minors were executed for various offenses during 2021.
During the nation-wide protests, 25 children were arrested.
In monthly comparison in this category, the highest number of violations were reported in January and the lowest number in August.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS

The Department of Statistics Registered 90 reports of violations of women’s rights in 2021. At least 43 women reported physical and sexual abuse. There were also 24 cases of honor-killings, 8 self-immolations, 3 cases of acid attacks, and 4 cases where women’s rights activists were summoned to judicial and security organizations. In addition, there were 20,187 cases of domestic abuse against women and 13 murders.
Based on this report, 7 women have been detained for reasons related to women’s rights. At least 4 women’s rights activists were sentenced to 282 months in prison.
As the following bar graph illustrates, based on the number of reports per month, the highest number of reports were in November and the lowest in April and May.

PRISONERS’ RIGHTS

575 reports of violations of prisoner’s rights were registered in 2021. 26 of these reports were of physical assault of prisoners, 232 of deprivation of medical care, 136 of illegal transfer to solitary confinement, 131 of attempted hunger strikes, 77 of forced transportation or exile, 246 of threats against prisoners, 26 of banning prisoners from having visitors, 23 of torture, 20 of deaths by diseases. 5 arrestees were killed by prison authorities and 5 prisoners committed suicide. There were also 68 cases where prisoners lacked lawyers, 495 reports of prisoners being held in unsuitable circumstances, and 1 case of self-immolation.
In this category, there have also been 272 cases of prisoners kept in an unsure state regarding their sentence and 172 cases of keeping prisoner in conditions of indecision.
As the following bar graph illustrates, the highest number of reports of violations of prisoner’s rights occurred in June and September and lowest in November.

SECURITY FORCES’ VIOLENCE AND CITIZENS’ SAFETY

Death of civilians

This section is dedicated to the killing or injury of civilians by police or military institutions. In 2021, a total of 242 people were shot by military forces. 94 of the victims lost their life. This includes 23 kolbar, 31 fuel carriers and 40 civilians. 148 people were injured by military fire, including 81 kolbar, 51 civilians, and 16 fuel carriers.
Additionally, 28 kolbar were affected by climate and geographic factors such as freezing and falling from heights. 16 of these kolbar were injured and 12 were killed.

Victims of landmines and explosions

The landmines left from the war threaten the lives of civilians living in border cities each year. The Iranian government continues to manufacture and plant anti-personnel mines against international agreements, arguing that the use of these type of landmines is the only effective way to keep its vast borders safe.
Based on reports, at least 15 civilians in the past year have lost their lives to landmines in border areas, while 30 other civilians have been injured.

Floggings

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) has explicitly banned the use of inhuman or degrading punishments such as flogging. However, based on the reports gathered in 2021, flogging sentences were carried out for at least 3 accused. These accused were sentenced to a total of 214 floggings.
It should be noted that the judiciary issued a total of 6982 flogging sentences in the past year.

Intervention in personal affairs of civilians

In 2021, at least 68 civilians were arrested for attending or hosting personal gatherings and parties. This number is based on 5 official reports in the country.
In 2021, at least 301 groups of civilians –mostly consisting of those who have lost money due to poor economic conditions, or those whose rights have been violated– have organized protests. These protests took place in 24 provinces. The provinces with the most protests were Tehran, Eastern Azerbaijan, Khuzestan, and Khorasan Razavi.
As the following bar graph illustrates, the highest number of reports related to violence from security forces and citizens’ safety occurred in January and the lowest in August.

SENTENCES

The judiciary of the Iranian government, including both in initial trial and appeal, issued 16531 months of imprisonment in 2021. These reports included 1348 months of imprisonment for ethnic minorities, 4174 months of imprisonment for religious minorities, 10140 months of imprisonment related to freedom of expression, 67 months of imprisonment related to union activity, 276 months of imprisonment for workers, 84 months of imprisonment related to cultural rights, 282 months of imprisonment in women’ rights category, and 160 months of imprisonment for students.
These statistics only include the court sentences that indicated detailed information or characteristics of the verdicts.
As the following bar graph illustrates, the highest number of reports was in January and the lowest in September.
Courts sentenced defendants to a total of 787,875,000 tomans (187,514.25 USD) in fines and 2900 lashes in 2021.
In 2021, the number of convictions of citizens and activists decreased by 44%. Moreover, the convictions in the following categories decreased: Religious Minorities by 4%, Ethnic Minorities by 25%, Freedom of Expression by 54%, Unions by 87%, and Cultural Rights by 67%. The following categories saw an increase in convictions: Workers by 50%, Women’s Rights by 56%, and Students by 62%.

ARRESTS

In 2021, security forces arrested 1676 individuals due to political or civil rights-related activities.
The statistical analysis exhibited 26 case of arrest in the trade union category, 445 arrests in the category of ethnic minorities, 57 arrests in the category of religious minorities, 1043 arrests in the category of freedom of expression, 25 arrests related to children’s rights, 3 arrests of students related to the right to education, 6 arrests in the field of cultural rights, and 64 arrests in the category of workers’ rights.
6 women were prosecuted for their activities, including the promotion of their desired lifestyle. 5 of these women were arrested for modeling, and 1 for activism in this area.
As the following bar graph illustrates, based on the number of reports per month, the highest number of reports in this category fell in November and the lowest in December.
In 2021, the number of arrests increased by 14% in total. Broken into categories, the number of arrests increased in the Ethnic Minority category by 55%, Culture decreased by 77%, Religious minorities decreased by 25%, Unions decreased by 44%, Students decreased by 50%, Workers’ Rights increased by 53%, and Freedom of Expression increased by 12%.

SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITIES

The rights of sexual and gender minorities have previously been analyzed in the Annual Report of Human Rights Activists in Iran as a subset of other categories. The main reason for this was that the small handful of reports in the area did not allow analysis.
Creating an independent categorization, even with a small number of reports, is in fact an attempt to increase surveillance of this group.
The rights of sexual and gender minorities in the country are systematically violated in various ways. The criminalization of homosexuality and the non-recognition of transgender identity before gender reassignment procedures are two of many systematic violations that can seen codified into domestic law.
There are many obstacles in reporting on this topic, including open hatred against members of the community, cultural taboos, legal barriers, and the weakness of Iranian civil rights organizations in monitoring and reporting violations. The government’s policy in dealing with sexual minority issues in Iran exacerbates the vulnerability of these groups.
Of the few reports published in this area, it should be noted that HRANA reported 15 prisoners with uncertain judicial status accused of having homosexual relationships in Wards 2 and 10 of Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.
The detention of these citizens was directly related to having a homosexual relationship.
In some cases, security and law enforcement agencies acknowledge the detention and harassment of members of this community. For example, in June of this year, Reza Molouki, head of the FATA police in the east of Tehran Province announced the identification and arrest of a citizen on charges of “corruption on earth”, calling his relationship with a homosexual illegitimate.
Trans citizens face legal problems in addition to cultural issues in the process of changing their identity documents or seeking exemption from conscription. In another report, a citizen living in Tehran, after obtaining a military exemption due to his gender identity, lost his employment and was unable to renew his license as an expert of the Food and Drug Administration.
In 2019, the World Health Organization updated its guidelines on disorders related to sexuality and gender identity in the ICD-11. In doing so, transgender identity was no longer recognized as a “disorder” by the WHO.

 

This is the brief version and the full report is available for download in PDF format.

 

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For further inquiries please contact Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) at [email protected]