One Kolbar Killed, Two Injured in Direct Shooting 

On September 16, 2022, the military forces killed a kolbar (cross-border carrier of goods) and injured two others in a  direct shooting incident at the Nowsud border area In Kurdistan Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on September 16, 2022, the Iranian military shot a kolbar identified as Esmail Abdi, 32 at the border area. Two other kolbars identified as Mokhtar Fattahi, 36, and Hamid Ahmadi were seriously injured.

According to an informed source, Ahmadi was injured in the neck and Fattahi in the arm and both were hospitalized in Kermanshah. Abdi’s body has not yet been delivered to his family.

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place this week in Iran. Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations

Saturday, May 23

A group of workers and retirees of the Sugarcane Agro-Industry Company Haft-Tappeh gathered in front of the governorate building in Shush City. Recently, these protestors who are living in corporate houses of this company have received an eviction notice. They said that “we will evict the houses, but we have to receive beforehand the renovation expenses. Since these houses are too old, we have spent a lot on renovation”.

A group of poultry farmers assembled in front of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad in Tehran. They protested against a 600% increase in livestock inputs. According to these farmers, the subsidiary companies of the Ministry sell the livestock inputs illegally on the black market.

A group of personnel of the Ministry of Petroleum who have temporary contracts gathered before this Ministry in Tehran to protest again low wages. According to these protestors, a 10 per cent increase in wages can not keep up with current inflation.

A number of workers of the Municipality of Ahar City walked off the job and went on strike to protest unpaid wages.

Sunday, May 23

A group of pensioners of the Social Security Organization gathered in front of the Planning and Budget Organization in Tehran. In Karaj, Ahvaz, Tabriz, Kerman, Rasht, and Kermanshah, the pensioners held protests before the building of the Social Security Organization in each city.

These pensioners demanded raising their pension to stand above the poverty line, addressing the supplementary insurance issues, the end year bonuses.

 

 

 

A group of workers of the Municipality of Yasuj gathered before the governorate building to protest against 5-month delays in payments. One of the workers complained: “we work 12 hours. However, we cannot even afford the travel expenses so we have to walk to work. If we protest, they threaten us with termination.”

A group of citizens, who have not lost their money by the fraudulent acts of Negin Khordo and Irtoya, held protests before Tehran Public Prosecutor’s Office. They asked for transparency and responsibility from the judiciary in examining the legal case against these companies.

 

Monday, May 23

Following the collapse of a tower in Abadan, dozens of people rallied and protested. 27 people died in this accident. On that day, at least 80 people were still trapped under rubble.

In Tehran, a number of taxi drivers working for taxi app Snapp protested against low fares, lack of insurance coverage and other issues.

Tuesday, May 24

A group of students of Allameh Tabataba’i University protested against the suppression of students and prison sentence against Hasti Amiri, one of the law students at Allameh Tabataba’i University.

Recently, the Court of Appeals upheld a one-year sentence against Hasti Amiri.

Similarly, a group of students of the Babol Noshirvani University of Technology gathered on campus to protest against the prison sentence against Hasti Amiri as well as other imprisoned civil activist Farhad Meysami and jailed teachers Mohammad Habibi and Esmail Abdi.

In Abadan, hundreds of residents gathered and protested before the collapsed tower known as Metropol. They chanted slogans against the incompetency of officials and shortcomings in rescue operations and equipment. At least 26 people died in this accident. The experts of the Abadan Engineering Organization had already warned about the construction defect of this unfinished building.

A group of workers of the Ministry of Petroleum, who have temporary contracts gathered before this Ministry in Tehran. They said that a 10 per cent increase in wages is less than the minimum wage enacted by the Ministry of Labor. Also, they have not received yet the end year bonuses.

A number of ranchmen brought some of their livestock in front of the governorate building in Mehran city to protest against the shortening of forage for livestock.

Wednesday, May 25

A group of physicians held protests in front of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Tehran. With placards in their hands, they protested that the government and insurance take as high as 70 per cent of their revenue.

A number of residents of a district in Fanuj City gathered at their district to protest against Natural Resources Office’s attempt to confiscate their lands to construct a mine. They also warned about the irreparable damage this mine will bring to the environment.

Thursday, May 26

In protest against the incompetency of officials led to the collapse of a tower and the death of 26 people, hundreds of people in Abadan rallied. Also in Ahvaz and Shahinshar, people rallied in support of Abadan’s protest. People chanted anti-government slogans and the police shoot tear gas into the crowd in order to scatter them.

On May 23, 2022, the unfinished 10-story Metropol building collapsed and dozens of people were killed, injured or trapped in the debris.

 

 

 

 

Teacher Union Activist Esmail Abdi Hospitalized on Sixth Day of Hunger Strike

Teacher union activist Esmail Abdi was hospitalized after the sixth day of the hunger strike. Since last Sunday, May 1, Esmail Abdi, who is currently imprisoned in Kachooie Prison, has been on hunger strike in protest against “convictions against teacher union activists and suppression of imprisoned teachers and workers’ families.”

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association’s Telegram channel, Esmail Abdi was hospitalized due to deteriorating health conditions after six days of hunger strike.

On June 27, 2015, when Abdi went to Evin Courthouse to enquire about the reason for being banned from leaving the country, he was arrested and interrogated for many hours. After six months in detention, in March of that year, he was sentenced to six years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on the charges of “propaganda against the regime and assembly and collusion against national security”, of which, five years was enforceable.

Earlier, Abdi was sentenced to ten years of suspended imprisonment which was supposed to last for five years. However,  while serving the last months of his five years sentence, this suspended sentence was reactivated by the court order.  

Two Teachers Imprisoned at Evin Pen Statement of Support for Farhad Meysami

Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) – Mahmoud Beheshti Langroudi and Esmail Abdi, two teachers imprisoned at Evin, have demanded in a letter to Judicial authorities that their ward mate Farhad Meysami–who is now in the 54th day of his hunger strike–be transferred to an outside treatment facility to avert an impending health crisis.

Meysami has dropped 30 pounds since he started starving himself on August 1st to protest both his detention and authorities’ refusal to appoint the lawyer of his choosing. In addition to his 18-year history of ulcerative colitis, Meysami experienced a steep drop in blood pressure on Saturday, September 8th, prompting the prison doctor to recommend more aggressive treatment. Notwithstanding the doctor’s orders, prison authorities refuse to clear his transfer to a different facility for treatment.

In a letter, Langroudi and Abdi, two imprisoned teachers held with Meysami in Ward 8 of Evin Prison, urge authorities to approve Meysami’s transfer to a medical treatment facility, to “prevent a possible calamity from occurring.”

The full text of their letter, translated into English by HRANA, is below:

“In the name of the God of wisdom and life,

Fifty days have passed since Dr. Farhad Meysami, civil activist and political prisoner, declared his hunger strike. His strike was a response to unjust legal proceedings, and authorities’ hindrance of his effective defense by refusing him the right to choose an attorney. He is now in a critically weakened condition. It is said that the doctors at Evin Prison insisted he be hospitalized, yet judicial authorities refuse to issue the order to have him transferred to a prison more materially equipped to treat him.

Because this civil activist suffers from ulcerative colitis and has lost 30 pounds over the course of his hunger strike, his blood pressure, pulse, and other vital signs have dipped into gravely abnormal ranges. As of last week he stopped accepting intravenous treatment, leaving us more concerned than ever that a calamitous outcome might be imminent.

We, the undersigned, thus put on guard the relevant judicial authorities, that they express their agreement to transfer Dr. Meysami to a proper hospital without delay, to prevent a possible calamity from occurring.

His ward-mates, Mahmoud Beheshti Langroudi and Esmail Abdi”

A Report about Hunger Strikers in Prisons of Iran

HRANA News Agency – Reza Samiei Monfared, Hengameh Shahidi, Atena Daemi, and Esmail Abdi, four prisoners of conscience at Evin prison have been on hunger strike. At the same time, Seyed Hassan Hoseini, Ali Jahangiri and Hosein Yahyaei, three ordinary prisoners in Rajai Shahr prison, in Karaj have gone on hunger strike since the last week of April, and their condition is not good.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), Reza Samiei Monfared, security prisoner has gone on hunger strike since March 5, Hengameh Shahidi, a journalist and political activist, since March 9, Atena Daemi, human rights defender at women’s ward, since April 8, and Esmail Abdi, a teacher and trade unionist in ward 350 of Evin prison, since April 30, have gone on hunger strike with various demands.  Continue reading “A Report about Hunger Strikers in Prisons of Iran”

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Esmail Abdi and Yusuf Emadi Transferred to Ward 350 of Evin Prison

HRANA News Agency – Esmail Abdi, teachers’ union activist and Yusuf Emadi, artist, both prisoners in ward 7 of Evin prison, were transferred to ward 350 of Evin prison.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), Esmail Abdi, the Board member of ITTA of Tehran, and Yusuf Emadi, composer and Setar player, two prisoners in ward 7 of Evin prison, were transferred to ward 350 of Evin prison, without “prior notice and the prosecutor’s order”, on March 1, 2017. Continue reading “Esmail Abdi and Yusuf Emadi Transferred to Ward 350 of Evin Prison”

Political Prisoners of Ward 7 in Evin Prison Protest against Lack of Medical Treatment

HRANA News Agency – The prisoners of conscience in ward seven of Evin prison have struck to protest against the lack of medical attention for sick prisoners in this ward and signed a letter demanding the dismissal of the head of the infirmary of this ward. Among the ill prisoners in this ward, Mehdi and Hossein Rajabian, and Sohail Arabi have been deprived of medical treatment and being sent to a hospital.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), several prisoners in ward seven of Evin prison, including Mehdi Rajabian, Hossein Rajabian, Esmail Abdi, Soheil Arabi, Omid Alishenas, and Yousof Emadi, by writing a letter to the prison’s authorities have protested against “Ghasem Jafarnejad”, the head of ward seven’s infirmary,  and have demanded his dismissal. Continue reading “Political Prisoners of Ward 7 in Evin Prison Protest against Lack of Medical Treatment”

Rasoul Bodaghi Transferred To Ward 7 Of Evin Prison

HRANA News Agency – Rasoul Bodaghi, imprisoned teacher, has been transferred to ward 7 of Evin Prison.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Rasoul Bodaghi, imprisoned teacher and member of Teachers Union, has been transferred from ward 8 to ward 7 of Evin Prison. Continue reading “Rasoul Bodaghi Transferred To Ward 7 Of Evin Prison”

Esmail Abdi Transferred to Ward 8 of Evin Prison

HRANA News Agency – Esmail Abdi, Secretary General of Teacher’s Union in Tehran, has been transferred to ward 8 of Evin prison.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), Esmail Abdi, Secretary General of Teacher’s Union in Tehran, after more than 50 day of detention, was transferred to ward 8 of Evin prison in Tehran. Continue reading “Esmail Abdi Transferred to Ward 8 of Evin Prison”

Ali Akbar Baghani Transferred to Ward 12 of Rajai Shahr Prison

HRANA News Agency – Ali Akbar Baghani, imprisoned teacher and deputy director of the Teachers’ Union, has been transferred to hall 12, the political-security prisoners’ ward in Rajai Shahr prison, in Karaj.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), this imprisoned teacher was held in the ward of general crime prisoners, in ward 3 of Rajai Shahr prison, in Karaj, before being transferred to hall 12 of this prison. Continue reading “Ali Akbar Baghani Transferred to Ward 12 of Rajai Shahr Prison”