Tag: Baghi

After Supreme Court Overturns Verdict, Death Sentence Reissued for Sharifeh Mohammadi

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Baghi, HRANA, Lakan prison, Rasht, Sharifeh Mohammadi

HRANA News Agency – Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist imprisoned in Lakan Prison in Rasht, has once again been sentenced to death by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht. Her initial death sentence had previously been overturned by the Supreme Court, and the case was referred to a parallel court for retrial.

Based on the ruling issued by Judge Darvish Goftar of Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht, which was delivered to her lawyers today, Mohammadi has been sentenced to death on charges of “armed rebellion (baghi) through membership in an opposition group.”

Mohammadi was sentenced to death on July 4, 2023, on charges of baghi (armed rebellion) due to her alleged membership in an opposition group. This sentence against the female labor activist triggered widespread public outcry.

Her trial, held on June 8, 2023, revolved around multiple charges, including propaganda against the regime, actions against national security, and baghi through her supposed affiliation with the group.

Mohammadi was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence at her home in Rasht on December 5, 2023. Later that month, she was transferred from Lakan Prison to Sanandaj Prison on December 30, only to be sent back to Lakan after some time.

A source close to her family told HRANA: “Sharifeh was a member of the Association of Labor Organizations until 2013, which has no ties to the Komala group. The charge of baghi is based on her alleged membership in this group, which is not true.”

Death Sentences for Behrooz Ehsani and Mehdi Hasani Upheld by Supreme Court

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Executions, Freedom of Expression, News
Baghi, Behrooz Ehsani, Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Mehdi Hasani, Mehdi Hassani, moharebeh, zanjan

The Supreme Court of Iran has upheld the death sentences for Behrooz Ehsani Eslamlou and Mehdi Hasani, political prisoners held in Evin Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, the lawyers of the two political prisoners were formally notified of the court’s decision.

The two were sentenced to death in late September 2024 by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, on charges of “armed rebellion (baghi),” “enmity against God (moharebeh),” “spreading corruption on earth,” collecting classified information, and collusion against national security. Their alleged membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) was cited as evidence against them.

On Monday, November 28, 2022, Mr. Ehsani was arrested at his home in Tehran and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Mr. Hasani was also arrested on September 9, 2022, while attempting to leave the country in Zanjan and was transferred to Evin Prison. Both individuals spent months in a state of uncertainty and incommunicado detention.

Behrooz Ehsani is 64 years old. Mehdi Hasani, aged around 48, is married and the father of two children. Before his arrest, he was active in the real estate sector.

Prolonged Detention of Gilan Poet Peyman Farah-Avar Without Trial in Lakan Prison

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News, Prisoners
Amin Farah-Avar, Baghi, Gilan, Lakan prison, Ministry of Intelligence, moharebeh, Peyman Farah-Avar, Rasht, پیمان فرح آور

Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar, a poet from Gilan Province, remains in detention at Lakan Prison in Rasht more than five months after his arrest, with no resolution to his case.

A source close to his family confirmed to HRANA: “Mr. Farah-Avar faces charges including ‘propaganda against the regime,’ baghi (armed rebellion), and moharebeh (enmity against God). He has been detained for over five months in a state of limbo at Lakan Prison in Rasht, with no court hearings held to address his charges.”

Mr. Farah-Avar was arrested by security forces in August 2024 and initially taken to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility. After completing the interrogation process, he was transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht.

Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar, a poet from Gilan and the father of a 10-year-old son, has previously been arrested due to his activities.

Political Prisoner Varisheh Moradi Sentenced to Death

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Executions, Freedom of Expression, News
Baghi, Evin Prison, Varishe Moradi, Varisheh Moradi, وریشه مرادی

Political prisoner Varisheh Moradi, currently held in Evin Prison, has been sentenced to death on charges of baghi (armed rebellion) by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. The verdict was issued under the supervision of Judge Abolqasem Salavati.

Ms. Moradi was arrested on August 1, 2023, by security forces near Sanandaj. Following her arrest, she underwent interrogation at The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, referred to as Ward 209 of Evin Prison. On December 26, 2023, after the completion of the interrogation process, she was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.

The legal process in Ms. Moradi’s case has been marked by delays:

  • The first court session, held on June 17, 2024, addressed charges including membership in an opposition group and baghi.
  • A hearing scheduled for August 4, 2024, was postponed due to Ms. Moradi’s absence.
  • Another hearing on August 28, 2024, was canceled because the prosecutor’s representative and Judge Amuzad, serving as an advisor, were not present.

The second court session finally took place on October 5, 2024, during which the death sentence was finalized.

In a separate case involving four other prisoners, Ms. Moradi was recently sentenced to six months of imprisonment by Branch 2 of the Quds Judicial Complex in Tehran. This sentence relates to accusations of “assaulting an officer and defiance” during a protest in the women’s ward of Evin Prison on August 7, 2024.

The protest erupted after inmates learned of the execution of Reza Rasaei, leading to a confrontation with prison guards. This incident resulted in new charges against Ms. Moradi and other prisoners.

Nayeb Askari Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison and Heavy Fine After Death Sentence Overturned

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News, Prisoners
Baghi, HRANA, moharebeh, Naeb Askari, Nayeb Askari, Urmia, Urmia prison

Nayeb Askari, a political prisoner detained in Urmia Prison, has been re-sentenced by Branch 2 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court to 15 years in prison and a fine of 900 million tomans, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn his prior death sentence and refer his case for retrial.

This updated sentence was issued last week by Branch 2 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court. According to HRANA’s sources, the fine was imposed on Askari as compensation for alleged damage to government property.

Initially, on April 15, 2023, Askari was sentenced to death in absentia and without legal representation by Branch 2 on charges of “enmity against God (moharebeh).” After he appealed, the court downgraded the charge from “moharebeh” to “armed rebellion (baghi)” but re-issued a death sentence in late October 2023.

Askari’s alleged membership in a Kurdish opposition party was cited as evidence supporting the charges in his case.

Arrested by IRGC intelligence agents on March 27, 2021, in Urmia, Askari was later moved to a detention facility and, on June 17, 2021, to Urmia Prison.

HRANA’s source reveals another ongoing case accusing Askari of the murder of IRGC member Mostafa Soltani. In 2013-2014, Soltani was injured during a clash with a political opposition party member, passing away six years later from COVID-19. Soltani’s family claims alleged Askari’s involvement in the altercation caused the sustained injury leading to his eventual death.

A new case, opened on July 12, 2021, based on a complaint from the Urmia Prison head, resulted in a three-month imprisonment extension and 50 lashes for “disrupting prison order.”

According to HRA’s annual report, in 2023, Urmia Prison officials executed 29 inmates, positioning this facility as the sixth highest in terms of executions among the ranked prisons.

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Hatem Ozdemir’s Death Sentence Upheld by the Supreme Court

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Baghi, HRANAHatem Ozdemir, Khoy, moharebeh, Najafzadeh

The Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Hatem Ozdemir, a Turkish citizen currently imprisoned in Urmia. In late May of this year, Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia sentenced Mr. Ozdemir to death on charges of “enmity against God” (Moharebeh).

According to HRANA, the Supreme Court recently confirmed Mr. Ozdemir’s death sentence, and this decision has been communicated to his defense attorney.

In late winter 2021, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Khoy initially sentenced Ozdemir to death on charges of “armed rebellion” (Baghi). This verdict was delivered to him on March 15 of that year. However, the Supreme Court later overturned the ruling, sending the case back for a retrial in a parallel court.

Following a re-examination of the case and a new hearing, the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, presided over by Judge Najafzadeh, reaffirmed the death sentence in late May, again on charges of “enmity against God.”

Ozdemir was first arrested by security forces in Maku in the early summer of 2019. After two months, he was transferred to the political ward of Urmia Prison. On September 18 of the same year, he was moved to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Urmia and, shortly afterward, returned to Urmia Central Prison.

Continued Detention and Uncertainty of Nasim Gholami Simiyari in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Ali Harati Mokhtari, Amin Sokhanvar, Amir Shah Velayati, Baghi, Ehsan Ravazjiyan, Evin Prison, Hamidreza Sahlabadi, Hossein Ardestani, Hossein Mohammad Hosseini, Nasim Gholami Simiyari

Nasim Gholami Simiyari, aged 36, facing the charge of armed rebellion (Baghi), remains in an uncertain state in Evin Prison despite 425 days having passed since her arrest.

Based on information received by HRANA, Ms. Gholami has been in detention for nearly fourteen months. Despite a court session held on June 30 in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, no verdict has been issued for her on the charge of “armed rebellion.” Gholami Simiyari remains in an uncertain state in the women’s ward of Evin Prison. She is part of a joint case with seven other defendants: Hamidreza Sahlabadi, Ehsan Ravazjiyan, Amin Sokhanvar, Ali Harati Mokhtari, Hossein Mohammad Hosseini, Amir Shah Velayati, and Hossein Ardestani.

Gholami Simiyari was arrested on May 18, 2023, by IRGC intelligence agents on a street in Tehran. She was transferred to Ward 1-A of the IRGC, held in solitary confinement, and interrogated. After two months, she was transferred to Ward 2-A and eventually to the women’s ward of Evin Prison on September 26, 2023.

After five months in detention, she was charged with “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “armed rebellion (Baghi).”

According to a friend of Ms. Simiyari, “She was subjected to psychological and physical torture during her detention, and forced confessions were obtained from her in front of a camera at the detention facility. The confessions were dictated and forced by the interrogator.”

Workers’ Rights Activist Sharifeh Mohammadi Sentenced to Death for Armed Rebellion (Baghi)

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Executions, Freedom of Expression, News
Baghi, HRANA, Komala, Rasht, Sharifeh Mohammadi, Sirus Fathi, سیروس فتحی, شریفه محمدی

Sharifeh Mohammadi, a workers’ rights advocate, imprisoned in Lakan Prison in Rasht, has been sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht on charges of “Baghi” (armed rebellion).

This verdict, issued by Judge Ahmad Darvish Goftar of Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht, was communicated to her husband, Sirus Fathi, today, Thursday, July 4th. Ms. Mohammadi was sentenced to death on charges of “Baghi” due to her alleged membership in an opposition group.
The court session addressing Sharifeh Mohammadi’s charges was held on June 8th, covering accusations of propaganda against the regime, acting against national security, and “Baghi” through membership in an opposition group.

The Ministry of Intelligence apprehended Mohammadi at her Rasht residence on December 5, 2023. Subsequently, she was transferred from Lakan Prison to Sanandaj Prison on December 30, 2023, only to be returned to Lakan Prison later on.

A source close to the labor activist’s family previously told HRANA, “Sharifeh was a member of the Association of Labor Organizations until 2013, which has no connection to the Komala group that she is accused of being a member of, leading to the charge of ‘Baghi’.”

Four Political Detainees Face Armed Rebellion Charges

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News, Prisoners
Abolhassan Montazer, armed rebellion, Babak Alipour, Baghi, Mohammad Taghavi, Pouya Ghobadi, Vahid Bani-Amerian

Pouya Ghobadi, Babak Alipour, Abolhassan Montazer, and Seyed-Mohammad Taghavi have been recently indicted of armed rebellion (Baghi) by the Public and Revolutionary Court of Tehran. This charge which carries the potential for severe penalties, including the death penalty, raises concerns.

On May 14, 2024, these individuals were indicted of “armed rebellion” for allegations of their involvement with an anti-regime group” and “assembly and collusion against national security.”

Earlier HRANA reported that another political detainee Vahid Bani-Amerian has also faced the same charges. He has been reportedly moved from Ward 209 of Evin prison to the quarantine section of this prison, following his indictment.

Under the Islamic penal code, Baghi is a grievous offense that can lead to severe punishments, including execution, amputation of the right hand and left foot, and exile.

Abolhassan Montazer and Babak Alipour were arrested separately in Tehran on December 22, 2023. Pouya Ghobadi was detained by security forces in Chaldoran, West Azerbaijan province, on February 23, 2024, and subsequently transferred to Maku and then Evin prison. Seyed Mohammad Taqavi was also detained by security forces late last year.

Prior Arrest and Conviction:

Montazer, 65, a political prisoner from the 1980s, was arrested in 2018, sentenced to five years, and released from Rajai-Shahr Prison in Karaj under a pardon directive after serving three years of his prison term.

Babak Alipour was also previously arrested with his brother Roozbeh while working at a market in Rasht on November 4, 2018. Sentenced to seven years for “membership in anti-regime groups and insulting the Supreme Leader,” he began his sentence at Lakan Prison in Rasht and was released from Evin Prison last spring.

Pouya Ghobadi, an electrical engineering graduate from the University of Sanandaj, was initially arrested in May 2018, sentenced to eighteen years and exile, and was released in 2022 under a pardon directive.

Seyed Mohammad Taqavi, 57, also a former political detainee from the 1980s, holds a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Tehran University and has previously served a prison sentence.

Vahid Bani-Amerian Charged with “Armed Rebellion”

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News, Prisoners
Baghi, Rajai Shahr Prison, Tehran, Vahid Bani-Amerian, Ward 209 of Evin Prison

Political detainee Vahid Bani-Amerian has been indicted on charges of “armed rebellion (Baghi),” which carries the potential for severe penalties, including the death penalty.

Bani-Amerian was arrested in Tehran on December 22, 2023, by security forces. The Public and Revolutionary Court of Tehran has now formally charged him with “armed rebellion” for allegations of his involvement with an anti-regime group. He is additionally accused of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

According to reports from HRANA, Bani-Amerian is currently held in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which the Ministry of Intelligence manages. Since his arrest, he has been denied legal representation.

HRANA sources also report that Bani-Amerian suffers from several health issues, including irritable bowel syndrome, a compromised immune system, and an acute respiratory tract infection. These health concerns have significantly heightened his family’s worries about his health.

Previously, Bani-Amerian was arrested and convicted in Tehran during April-May 2018. The Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced him to 18 years in prison and exile across two separate cases. However, he was released in March 2023 from Rajai Shahr Prison under a general amnesty.