Tag: Evin Prison

Imprisoned Civil Rights Activist Behnam Moosivand Goes on Hunger Strike

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Behnam Moosivand, Evin Prison, Rajai Shahr Prison

On August 31, 2022, Behnam Moosivand who is imprisoned in Rajai-Shahr Prison went on hunger strike since he is kept in solitary confinement.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on August 31, 2022, Behnam Moosivand went on a hunger strike to protest against being held in solitary confinement.

An informed source close to Moosivand’s family told HRANA that he suffers from several diseases, but prison officials refuse to send him out of the prison to receive care. 

Moosivand had gone on hunger strike in April 2022 to protest assault by prison guards.

Moosivand is currently serving a five-year sentence. On June 14, 2020, he was taken to Evin Prison, but later was sent to Rajai-Shahr Prison in Karaj.

Forough Taghipour Denied Medical Care in Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Forough Taghipour, Nasim Jabbarian

Authorities at Evin Prison refused to send political prisoner Forough Taghipour to a hospital outside prison despite her urgent need for medical care.

 
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on August 30, 2022, political prisoner Forough Taghipour was denied access to medical care after she refused to be sent with handcuffs.

An informed source told HRANA that despite the physicians’ approval, prison officials refused to send Taghipour out without handcuffs.

On February 24, 2020, security forces arrested Taghipour and her mother, Nasim Jabbarian, in Tehran and transferred them to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Taghipour’s mother was released on bail, but she was relocated to Qarchak prison in Varamin.

The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Taghipour and her mother to five and three years respectively on the charges of “membership in an anti-regime party (the Mujahedin-e-Khalq)”, “assembly and collusion against national security”, and “propaganda against the regime”. Jabaraian was exonerated from all charges on appeal but Taghipourr’s verdict was upheld.

In an open statement, Taghipour and two other political prisoners, Zahra Safai and Marzieh Farsi, informed the public that they faced a new case and were sentenced each to one year and three months in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”.

Update on Arash Ganji’s Condition in Evin Prison 

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Arash Ganji, Evin Prison, Iranian Writers Association

Writer, translator and a member of the Iranian Writers Association (IWA), Arash Ganji is currently serving a five-year sentence in Evin Prison. He has been imprisoned since October 2022.

On December 22, 2019,  security forces raided Gaji’s home, arrested and transferred him to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. 

Ganji was released in January 2019 on the bail amount of 450 million tomans.

During the first court session on June 14, 2020, the judge increased the bail to 3 billion tomans, and he was arrested and transferred to Evin Prison and was later released on bail on June 21, 2020.

In December 2020, the court, headed by judge Mohammad-Reza Amoozad, sentenced Gangi to five years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security”, one year on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”, and five years on the charge of “membership and collaboration with one of the anti-regime groups”.In February 2021, this verdict was upheld by the court of appeals of Tehran for 11 years imprisonment.

Trade Union Activist Reza Shahabi still in Detention

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Reza Shahabi, Trade Union Activist

Trade Union Activist Reza Shahabi had been detained in Ward 209 of Evin Prison for the past 100 days. Shahabi is a board member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Trade Union Activist Reza Shahabi is still in detention for the past 105 days, awaiting processing.

An informed source told HRANA that Shahabi suffers from several illnesses, but the prison officials have not provided proper medical care.

On May 12, 2022, security forces arrested Shahabi at his house in Tehran and transferred him to Evin Prison.

On June 13, Shahabi started his hunger strike in protest against his prolonged detention, which he has ended.

Teachers Union Activist Mohammad Habibi still in Detention

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Ali Akbar Baghani, and Jafar Ebrahimi, Evin Prison, mohammad habibi, Rasoul Bodaghi

Teachers Union Activist Mohammad Habibi is still in temporary detention. He was arrested on April 30, 2022, and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. On July 31, he was relocated to the Public Ward of this prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Mohammad Habibi, the spokesperson of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, has been in detention for three months.

An informed source told HRANA that generally, temporary detentions do not exceed three months, but the authorities have extended Habibi’s detention for the fourth month, without access to a lawyer.

On April 30, 2022, one day before the nationwide teachers’ protests, security forces arrested Habibi and three other members of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, Ali Akbar Baghani, Rasoul Bodaghi, and Jafar Ebrahimi and transferred them to Ward 209 of Evin prison.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Political Prisoner Masoumeh Askari Assaulted in Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
Evin Prison, Masoumeh Askari, Qarchak Prison

Retired teacher and political prisoner Masoumeh Askari was beaten by the prisoners of violent crime in Kachooie Prison. The prison officials purposely hold political prisoners in the same ward as the prisoners of violent crime, which is a violation of prison rules and exposes the political prisoners to life-threatening violence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, political prisoner Masoumeh Askari was beaten by eight prisoners of violent crime.

An informed source told HRANA that about four days ago, eight prisoners of violent crimes assaulted Askari. She suffers from psychiatric diseases, kidney, liver and diabetes. Prison officials refused to send her to a healthcare facility to assess her condition.

On August 2, 2018, security forces arrested Askari in Tehran and transferred her to Qarchak Prison in Varamin. After a few days, she was released on bail.

Askari was arrested in December of 2018 and was detained for one month in Ward 209 of Evin Prison and later transferred to the public ward. The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced her to five years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion.” This verdict was upheld on appeal. 

Askari is a retired teacher and single mother.

Journalist Vida Rabbani Sentenced to Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Blasphemy, Evin Prison, HRANA, the Union of Islamic Iran People Party, Vida Rabbani

The Court of Appeal of Tehran sentenced Vida Rabbani to ten years and four months imprisonment and additional punishments. 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Vida Rabbani, journalist and a member of the Union of Islamic Iran People Party, was sentenced to ten years and four months in prison.

According to this verdict, she has been sentenced to five years in prison on the charge of “blasphemy”, four years for “assembly and collusion to act against national security”, eight months for “propaganda against the regime”, and eight months for “disrupting public order”. Based on article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, five years for the first charge will be enforceable.

Rabbani has also been banned from practising journalism and engaging in political activities.

On November 22, 2020, Rabbani was arrested and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. She was released on bail later on December 20, 2020.

Two Student Activists Kaveh and Yashar Daroshafa Imprisoned

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Black Thursday, Evin Prison, Kaveh Daroshafa, Yashar Daroshafa

Two student activists Kaveh and Yashar Daroshafa were taken to Evin Prison to sever their sentences. Previously, judicial authorities had sentenced Kaveh and Yashar Daroshafa to 10 and 15 years respectively.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, two student activists Kaveh and Yashar Daroshafa were taken to Evin Prison for sentencing.

Security forces arrested these brothers during the nationwide Aban protests in 2019. After a few days, there were released on bail. During the arrest, Yashar Daroshafa’s broken foot was infected.

On a prior occasion in 2014, Daroshafa brothers were arrested for the protest against the assault of political prisoners in Ward 350 of Evin Prison, known as “Black Thursday”.

Reza Salmanzadeh Sentenced to Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Reza Salmanzadeh

The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Reza Salmanzadeh to three years and eight months in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Reza Salmanzadeh to one year on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”, and two years and eight months on the charge of “membership in an unlawful group to act against national security”.

If the verdict is confirmed on appeal, two years and eight months for the second charge will be enforceable based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Cod.

On May 12, 2022, security forces raided Salmanzadeh’s house and took him to Ward 209 of Evin Prison.

Jafar Panahi and Amirsalar Davoudi Contracted Covid-19 in Prison 

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Amirsalar Davoudi, covid-19, Evin Prison, Jafar Panahi

Following a new outbreak of Covid-19 in Evin Prison, film director Jafar Panahi and lawyer Amirsalar Davoudi have contracted Covid-19 in captivity.

Panahi is currently held in the Quarantine Section of Evin Prison. Prison officials denied his request to be sent to a hospital and similarly,  did not grant him access to a lawyer after three weeks of detention.

Panahi was arrested on July 11 in Tehran.

Similarly, Amirsalar Davoudi has fell ill with Covid-19 symptoms, but the prison infirmary has refused to test him and provide proper medical care.

On June 26, 2022, Davoudi was taken to prison to serve a ten-year sentence. Earlier, Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals sentenced him to 14 years in prison, of which, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, ten years is enforceable.