Tag: Evin Prison

Political Prisoner Arezoo Azarm-Sefat Serving Sentence in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Arezoo Azarm-Sefat, Evin Prison

Political prisoner Arezoo Azarm-Sefat is currently serving a three-year, nine-month sentence in Evin Prison, where she was transferred on August 26.

Originally sentenced to five years on suspicion of collaborating with an opposition political group, her sentence was reduced to three years and nine months after she submitted a plea of no contest.

Azarm-Sefat was initially arrested by security forces on May 1. After undergoing interrogation in the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison, she was released on bail on May 20 before returning to prison to begin her sentence.

Narges Mohammadi Transferred from Evin Prison to Hospital

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News, Prisoners
Ebrahim Ketabdar, Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Narges Mohammadi, Taghi Rahmani, نرگس محمدی

Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist, has been transferred from Evin Prison to a hospital.

Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, announced this news yesterday, stating that, after nearly nine weeks of delay by authorities in addressing her medical needs, Narges Mohammadi has finally been transferred from Evin Prison to a hospital.

Ms. Mohammadi suffers from heart disease, a breast mass, and chronic back pain. She had repeatedly been denied transfer to medical centers for angiography and health evaluations.

Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has faced multiple convictions, was sentenced in January of this year by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to fifteen months in prison, two years exile from Tehran and neighboring provinces, a two-year travel ban, a two-year ban on membership in social-political groups, and a two-year ban on using a smartphone for propaganda against the regime.

In October 2020, Mohammadi was released from Zanjan Prison after serving about five and a half years. Shortly after, regarding a case opened against her during her imprisonment, she was sentenced by a Criminal Court in Tehran to thirty months in prison, eighty lashes, and two fines.

In November 2021, during a memorial ceremony for the second anniversary of the death of Ebrahim Ketabdar, one of the victims of the November 2019 protests, she was arrested by security forces in Karaj. Subsequently, Ms. Mohammadi was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to eight years in prison, seventy-four lashes, two years of exile, and other social deprivations.

In October 2022, regarding another case opened against her during her imprisonment, she was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to one year and three months in prison along with other additional punishments. In August of last year, she was also sentenced to one year in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

In 2023, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Narges Mohammadi by the Norwegian Nobel Committee “for her courageous fight for freedom and human rights over three decades.”

Azerbaijani-Turk Activists Saeed Minaei and Aydin Mohammadi Sentenced to Prison

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Ethnic Minorities, News
Aydin Mohammadi, Azerbaijani Turk activists, Bonab, Evin Prison, Saeed Minaei

Azerbaijani-Turk activists Saeed Minaei and Aydin Mohammadi have been sentenced to a total of eight years in prison by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, Judge Salavati of Branch 15 recently issued the verdict, which was communicated to the activists through their attorney. Minaei received a five-year prison sentence on the charge of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security.” Mohammadi was sentenced to three years on similar charges, including “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.” The final court hearing in their case took place on September 8, 2023.

Saeed Minaei (Minaie) was detained on February 5, 2024, after visiting the Ministry of Intelligence office in Bonab. He was initially held in a Tabriz detention center before being transferred to solitary confinement in Evin Prison’s Ward 240, managed by the Ministry of Intelligence. Sixteen days later, he was moved to Ward 209, another intelligence-run facility within Evin Prison, and was released on bail on March 13, 2024.

Aydin Mohammadi was also arrested on February 5, 2024, when security forces detained him at his workplace in Ardabil. He was subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Evin Prison and released on bail in March 2024.

Minaei, a law student at University of Qom, has a history of previous legal encounters related to his activism.

Political Prisoner Golnaz Salah Chin Serving One-Year Sentence in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Golnaz Salah Chin

Golnaz Salah-Chin, a 47-year-old political prisoner and former schoolteacher, is currently serving a one-year sentence in Evin Prison.

Ms. Salah-Chin, the mother of two daughters and head of her household, was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

On October 3 of this year, Ms. Salah-Chin was detained and transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison to begin her sentence. Her legal troubles began in early 2023 when she was summoned to one of Tehran’s prosecutor’s offices, formally charged, and subsequently released on bail.

Golnaz Salah-Chin’s detention and dismissal from her teaching position have placed significant strain on her family. She was a dedicated educator prior to her arrest, and her imprisonment highlights the increasing pressures faced by political activists in Iran.

Reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of HRA in 2023 indicate a total of 193 cases in which Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, has been involved in issuing verdicts that infringe upon the human rights of defendants.

Political Detainee Jila Zehtab Moghaddam Held in Evin Prison with Poor Health and Unclear Legal Status

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Zehtab Moghaddam

Jila (Zhila) Zehtab Moghaddam, a political detainee in poor health, remains in legal limbo in Evin Prison. After completing her interrogation, she was transferred to the women’s ward 14 days ago.

A source close to her family told HRANA that Zehtab Moghaddam was arrested by security forces and transferred to Evin on October 9, 2024. Before her arrest, she had undergone breast cancer surgery, and both breasts were removed. She is currently being held in prison under poor physical conditions, with no clarity regarding her case.

At around 43 years old, Zehtab Moghaddam was charged with “propaganda against the regime,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” “disturbing public opinion,” and “assembly and collusion against national security” by the Evin Prosecutor’s Office. She was recently acquitted of the latter two charges, though her case has not yet been referred to court. The charges against her primarily relate to posts on her personal Twitter (X) account.

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Arsham Rezaei Sentenced to Flogging and a Fine on Appeal

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News, Prisoners
Arsham Rezaei, Arsham Rezaie, Evin Prison, Fardis, flogging, Iman Afshari, Jamal al-Din Yassini, Karaj

Branch 41 of the Tehran Court of Appeals has upheld the sentence of 50 lashes and a monetary fine against Arsham Rezaei, a political prisoner in Evin Prison. The charges stem from a case initiated during his imprisonment.

Rezaei’s mother announced that Judge Seyed Jamal al-Din Yassini of Branch 41 confirmed her son’s conviction, which includes both the flogging and a fine of 16 million tomans. Another prisoner had accused Rezaei of insulting him and issuing death threats, which led to this case during his time in prison.

IRGC Intelligence agents arrested Arsham (Mahmoud) Rezaei at his home in Fardis, Karaj, on October 17, 2023, before transferring him to Evin Prison. His trial took place on December 25, 2023, where Judge Iman Afshari of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced him to 15 years in prison, alongside a 15-million-toman fine and other penalties.

Rezaei has a history of imprisonment due to his activism.

Flogging is considered a violation of human dignity, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prohibits inhumane and degrading punishments. However, Iran continues to enforce such sentences despite widespread domestic and international criticism.

Five Female Prisoners Sentenced to 27 Months in Evin Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Mahboobeh Rezaie, Narges Mohammadi, Pakhshan Azizi, Parivash Moslemi, Reza Rasaei, Tehran, Varishe Moradi

Varishe Moradi, Pakhshan Azizi, Mahboobeh Rezaei, Narges Mohammadi, and Parivash Moslemi, all prisoners held in Evin Prison, have been sentenced to a total of 27 months and one day in prison in connection with a recently opened case against them.

The ruling, issued by Branch 2 of the Criminal Court at the Quds Judicial Complex in Tehran, was presided over by Judge Abolfazl Amiri Shahrabi. The verdict was delivered to the prisoners in Evin on Saturday, October 19. Pakhshan Azizi, Mahboobeh Rezaei, Narges Mohammadi, and Varishe Moradi each received six-month sentences, while Pariyoush Moslemi was sentenced to three months and one day. The charges against them included “assaulting officers” and “disobedience.” Ms. Moslemi was acquitted of “disturbing prison order,” and the other defendants were cleared of “property destruction.”

A source close to the family of one of the prisoners confirmed the news to HRANA, noting that “Only Ms. Moslemi attended the court session, while the other prisoners refused to appear in court.”

The case dates back to August 6, when inmates in Evin’s women’s ward protested after learning of the execution of Reza Rasaei, resulting in a clash with prison guards. Following the protest, several female prisoners, including these five, were barred from making phone calls or meeting with their families.

Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Salar Taher Afshar Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

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Ethnic Minorities, News
Abolqasem Salavati, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Behnam Babashpour, Evin Prison, Saeed Jamalzadeh, Salar Taher Afshar, Vadud Asadi

Salar Taher Afshar, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, has been sentenced to five years in prison by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. The sentence was issued based on charges of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security.”

In a recent post on his personal page, Mr. Taher Afshar confirmed that he was informed of his sentence in person.

His trial, along with that of fellow activist Vadud Asadi, took place on May 21, 2023, presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati. Both individuals faced charges in Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Earlier, on April 20, a preliminary hearing was held for Mr. Taher Afshar and three other Azerbaijani-Turk activists—Vadud Asadi, Saeed Jamalzadeh, and Behnam Babashpour—at Branch 5 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office.

Mr. Taher Afshar was arrested by security forces in Urmia on February 6, 2024. He was then transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, a section managed by the Ministry of Intelligence, where he remained in detention for 22 days before being released on bail.

In a previous case, he was sentenced to six months in prison by Branch 2 of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court. After serving part of that sentence, he has been under electronic monitoring with restrictions on his movement outside of prison. Recently, Mr. Taher Afshar was barred from employment with the Snapp platform due to a “disqualification” issued by Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (NAJA).

Report on the Latest Status of Political Prisoner Saeideh Ghorbanali in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, HRANA, Saeideh Ghorbanali, Shahriar, Tehran

Saeideh (Bahareh) Ghorbanali, a political prisoner, is currently serving a two-year prison sentence in Evin Prison, as upheld by the Tehran Court of Appeals. Her transfer to the women’s ward occurred on September 7, 2024, following her arrest to serve this sentence.

According to a source close to Ghorbanali’s family, who confirmed the details to HRANA, Ghorbanali has recently been denied in-person visits with her family by direct order of the prison warden.

Ghorbanali’s legal troubles began in early 2019 when she was first arrested by security forces in Shahriar. Shortly after her initial detention, she was released on bail.

She later faced trial alongside nine others in a joint case at Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. In late 2019, Ghorbanali was sentenced to three years in prison on charges including “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic and the Supreme Leader.”

In May 2020, Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Zargar, upheld her sentence. However, under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, only the severest charge is applied, making Ghorbanali subject to two years of imprisonment.

Update on the Latest Status of Journalist Reza Valizadeh in Evin Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Abolqasem Salavati, Evin Prison, Reza Valizadeh

Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian journalist, has been arrested and transferred to Evin Prison after returning to Iran. Despite his extensive background with various media outlets, Valizadeh has been denied access to a lawyer since his detention.

Having lived abroad for several years, Valizadeh returned to Iran in February-March last year. Upon his arrival, he was interrogated by agents from the IRGC’s Intelligence and the Ministry of Intelligence. Although released after making a formal pledge to appear for future proceedings, it has been reported that several months later, he was rearrested by a security agency roughly one month ago and sent to Evin Prison. Authorities have still not granted him legal representation.

A source close to Valizadeh’s family revealed that his case is currently being handled by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, overseen by Judge Abolqasem Salavati. To date, the specific charges against him remain undisclosed.

Prior to leaving Iran, Valizadeh was arrested in 2007 and later released on bail. He is suspected to hold dual citizenship and has worked with media organizations such as Radio France, Voice of America, Radio Farda, and the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).