Tag: Evin Prison

Iranian-British national Nasrin Roshan Released from Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Nasrin Roshan, نسرین روشن

HRANA News Agency – Today, May 20, dual Iranian-British national Nasrin Roshan was conditionally released from Evin Prison.

HRANA has learned that her release took place earlier today under conditional terms from Evin Prison.

Ms. Roshan had previously been tried by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. She was sentenced to four years in prison for “assembly and collusion” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.” Her total sentence was later reduced to three years after she accepted the verdict.

A source earlier told HRANA that the charges against Ms. Roshan, who had lived in the UK for many years, stemmed from her participation in overseas protests related to the death of Mahsa Amini.

Ms. Roshan, aged around 62, was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison on January 1, 2024, after being held in Ward 209—the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility—for interrogation.

Security forces arrested her on November 16, 2023, at Imam Khomeini Airport while she was attempting to leave the country.

According to HRANA’s 2024 report, Iman Afshari, the presiding judge of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, tops the list of human rights–violating judges in Iran, having issued at least 84 verdicts that constitute clear instances of human rights violations.

Majid Roshannejad in Prison: Details of His Current Situation

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, HRANA, Majid Roshannejad

HRANA News Agency – Political prisoner Majid Roshannejad (Roshan-Nejad) is serving his sentence in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary without being held separately from inmates convicted of violent crimes, in violation of the principle of separation of prisoners based on their charges. He was previously sentenced to six years in prison and 74 lashes in connection with the case known as the Evin Prison fire.

A source close to the prisoner’s family confirmed to HRANA: “Mr. Roshannejad is serving his sentence related to the Evin Prison fire case. On the night of the incident, he was shot in the knee. He was then held in solitary confinement for two months, before being transferred to a hospital. However, he was returned to prison the next day without receiving adequate medical treatment.”

On June 19, 2024, verdicts were issued for the defendants in the Evin Prison fire case, just one day after the court session was held. The trial took place in Branch 1148 of Tehran’s Criminal Court No. 2.

In this case, Roshannejad was sentenced to six years in prison and 74 lashes for “destruction of property.” He also received 16 months in prison and 74 lashes for “disrupting prison order,” and an additional 16 months for “disobeying officers’ orders.” The verdict was later upheld in full by the Tehran Provincial Court of Appeals.

It is worth noting that this case, initiated by the Prisons Organization, resulted in prison sentences for 39 other defendants in addition to Roshannejad. A separate lawsuit has also been filed by the General Directorate of Prisons, seeking damages related to the fire.

On May 3, 2023, Roshannejad was transferred from Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj to the Greater Tehran Penitentiary.

On the night of October 15, 2022, after tensions rose in Evin Prison, fire was seen above the prison, and sounds of gunfire and explosions were heard. Despite officials claiming to have controlled the fire and clashes, gunfire continued for several hours. As a result, several prisoners were injured and killed, and some were transferred out of the prison.

Taher Haji Ghorbani Sentenced to Over 14 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Taher Haji Ghorbani, Tehran

HRANA News Agency – Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Taher Haji Ghorbani, a resident of Tehran, to 14 years and 2 months in prison, a monetary fine, and additional restrictions. Judge Iman Afshari presided over the case.

According to information obtained by HRANA, the court convicted Ghorbani on the following charges:

5 years and 6 months for “assembly and collusion to commit a crime against internal and external security,”
6 years for “blasphemy,”
8 months for “propaganda against the regime,”
2 years for “spreading falsehoods,”
and imposed a fine of 500 million rials (50 million tomans).

The court also handed down supplementary punishments, barring him for two years from living in Tehran Province and adjacent regions, traveling abroad, and joining political or social groups.

Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, only the severest sentence—six years in prison—will be enforceable.

Authorities cited Ghorbani’s online activities as grounds for the charges. The court issued the verdict on May 2, 2025, and delivered it to him in prison. His trial had taken place earlier that month in the same court.

In February 2025, the court set bail at 3.5 billion tomans, but judicial officials refused to accept it, effectively blocking his release.

Security forces arrested Ghorbani at his Tehran residence on February 2, 2025, and transferred him to Evin Prison.

Ongoing Detention of Mehdi Farahi Shandiz; Reports of Assault During Arrest

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Labor and Guilds, News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Farahi Shandiz, Mehdi Farahi Shandiz

HRANA News Agency – Mehdi Farahi Shandiz, a former contract teacher, remains in legal limbo in Evin Prison more than two weeks after his arrest. He was reportedly beaten by security forces at the time of his detention for chanting protest slogans.

A source close to his family told HRANA: “During the arrest, inside the van, Farahi Shandiz was beaten by security agents for chanting protest slogans. One officer applied intense pressure by sitting on his abdomen, causing physical injury.”

Farahi Shandiz has now spent 16 days in Evin Prison without due process, and efforts to release him on bail have so far failed.

He was arrested on May 1, 2025, during a teachers’ protest held in Tehran, coinciding with International Workers’ Day. At the same protest, retired teacher Hossein Ebadian from Malayer (now residing in Shahriar) and Ahmad Heydari were also detained but were later released on bail.

As of the time of this report, no formal charges have been announced against these union activists.

Farahi Shandiz has previously served prison time for his activism.

Four Months of Uncertainty: Christian Convert Aida Najaflou Held in Evin Prison

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News, Religious Minorities
Aida Najaflou, Evin Prison, آیدا نجفلو

HRANA News Agency – Aida Najaflou, a Christian convert, remains in legal limbo nearly four months after her arrest, currently held in Evin Prison under temporary detention.

A source close to her family told HRANA: “Ms. Najaflou has been held in Evin Prison without resolution for almost four months. A bail of 11 billion tomans (approximately 130,000 dollars) has been set for her temporary release, but her family is unable to afford it.”

The source added: “She is the mother of two children, one of whom is ill and facing serious care issues in her absence. Before her arrest, she underwent spinal disc surgery and suffers from ongoing spinal problems that require continuous medical attention. The lack of proper care in prison has worsened her condition.”

On April 13, 2025, Aida Najaflou was transferred from Ward 209—The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility—to the women’s ward of Evin Prison. She was initially arrested by security forces in February 2025.

As of this report, the reasons for her arrest and the charges against her remain unknown.

Based on about 180 reports compiled by HRANA over the past decade, 11% of all victims of religious minority rights violations by Iran’s security-judicial apparatus were Christians—particularly Christian converts. In 2024 alone, Christians made up over 9% of those targeted.

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Over Three Months in Legal Limbo: Arghavan Fallahi’s Case Still Unclear

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News, Prisoners
Arghavan Fallahi, Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, ارغوان فلاحی

HRANA News Agency – Arghavan Fallahi, a Tehran resident, remains in legal limbo in Evin Prison more than three months after her arrest.

A source close to her family confirmed to HRANA: “Ms. Fallahi has been held in Evin Prison for over three months without clarity on her case. She has been under interrogation during this time, and the charges against her remain unknown. She is allowed one phone call with her family per month and has not been granted in-person visits.”

Arghavan Fallahi was arrested by security forces in late January 2025 and transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison.

Fallahi had previously been arrested in November 2022 alongside her father by security forces and later transferred to Evin Prison. She was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to two years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion” and “propaganda against the regime.” She was released after serving her sentence.

In 2024 alone, HRANA published 938 reports of prolonged detention of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience by the Iranian regime’s security and judicial apparatus. These extended detentions are often marked by solitary confinement, withholding information from families about the detainees’ whereabouts and condition, lengthy interrogation periods, and unclear charges and judicial procedures—forming a pattern of systematic abuse and due process violations.

Mir-Yousef Younesi Goes on Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Aida Younesi, Ali Younesi, Evin Prison, Mir-Yousef Younesi, Shahrud

HRANA News Agency – Mir-Yousef Younesi began a hunger strike yesterday, May 13, in protest of his transfer to Ward 7 of Evin Prison.

His daughter, Aida Younesi, shared in a statement: “My father began a hunger strike today, Tuesday, May 13, in protest of new pressures, his unlawful transfer to Ward 7, and the inhumane conditions in that ward. A week has passed since his transfer, and despite protests, letters, and promises from prison officials to return him to Ward 4, nothing has changed. He was arrested on political charges, which are not compatible with placement in Ward 7. He is deprived of basic facilities, and his access to fresh air and phone calls has been severely restricted. Even the officials of Ward 7 said from the start that this ward is not suitable for my father, an elderly and ill man, and that the transfer would last only two to three days.”

Mr. Younesi had previously been sentenced in January 2024 to five years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

His trial was held on December 31, 2023. According to his daughter, Aida, he was not brought to the courtroom for refusing to wear a prison uniform, and the judge did not allow the lawyers to defend him.

One of Mr. Younesi’s children stated that he lost hearing in one ear during his detention, and the other ear has also become impaired, while he has consistently been denied proper medical care.

Younesi was arrested in Shahrud on December 28, 2022. After 107 days of solitary confinement in Wards 240 and 209, and later being held in closed multi-person cells in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, he was transferred to the general ward of Evin.

Mir-Yousef Younesi is the father of Ali Younesi, a student currently imprisoned in Evin. Ali Younesi won a silver medal in Iran’s National Astronomy Olympiad in 2016 and a gold medal in 2017. He also earned first place by winning a gold medal at the 12th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics held in China. He and another detained student from the same university, Amirhossein Moradi, are currently serving their prison sentences in Evin.

HRANA’s data from the past decade shows that during this ten-year period, over 2,050 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Iran prisons have been forced to go on hunger strike in protest of various abuses—including prolonged detention, being held in legal limbo, unfair trials, poor prison conditions, and being held in solitary confinement or alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes.

Appeals Court Upholds Over 5-Year Sentence for Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Vadood Asadi

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Ethnic Minorities, News, Prisoners
Abolghasem Salavati, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Evin Prison, Rasht, Vadood Asadi

HRANA News Agency –The Gilan Province Appeals Court has upheld the five-year-and-six-month prison sentence of Vadood Asadi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist currently detained in Evin Prison. The verdict was confirmed without any changes.

A source close to Asadi’s family told HRANA that the sentence, originally issued by Branch 3 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court, was reaffirmed by Branch 11 of the Gilan Appeals Court. Asadi was convicted on charges of propaganda against the regime, membership in anti-regime groups, and insulting the Supreme Leader.

On March 3, 2025, Asadi was transferred to Evin Prison to begin serving his sentence following an official summons.

In a separate case, Asadi had earlier been sentenced to four years in prison by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, for “assembly and collusion to act against national security.” That sentence was later reduced to one year under a general pardon. After he accepted the verdict, a further reduction was applied, resulting in a final sentence of nine months.

Asadi was initially arrested by security forces in Rasht in February 2024. He was transferred to Evin Prison in March of that year and released on bail several days later.

The activist has a history of facing legal action related to his civil and political activities.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, 20 ethnic minority rights activists were sentenced to a total of 471 months (nearly 40 years) in prison. Over the past decade, the total length of such prison sentences has reached 913 years.

Mahboobeh Rezaei and Reza Mohammad-Hosseini Receives 5 Years in Prison After Retrial

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News, Prisoners
Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani, Evin Prison, Ghezel Hesar, Ghezel Hesar prison, Mahboobeh Rezaei, Reza Mohammad Hosseini, Tehran

HRANA News Agency – The prison sentences of political prisoners Reza Mohammad-Hosseini and Mahboobeh Rezaei have each been reduced to five years following the acceptance of their request for retrial and a re-examination of their cases by Branch 21 of the Tehran Province Court of Appeals. They were previously sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani, their attorney, announced today, Sunday, May 4, that following the Supreme Court’s acceptance of the retrial request in January 2025, their cases were referred to a parallel branch for review. Branch 21 of the Tehran Appeals Court reduced their sentences to five years each.

Mahboobeh Rezaei was arrested by security forces on May 22, 2023, and later transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison. She was ultimately sentenced by Branch 36 of the Tehran Appeals Court to 19 years and 9 months in prison and a fine of eight million tomans on charges including: “membership in anti-state groups with the aim of disrupting national security,” “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” “blasphemy,” “removing hijab and showing the act of depravity on the Internet.”

Reza Mohammad-Hosseini was arrested in May 2023 at his home by security forces. In January 2024, he was sentenced by Branch 36 of the Tehran Appeals Court to 14 years and 6 months in prison and a fine on charges including: “membership in anti-state groups with the aim of disrupting national security,” “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security,” “propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and “disobedience toward law enforcement officers during duty.” He is currently serving his sentence in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

Four Teachers’ Union Activists Held Without Charge After May Day Protest

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Labor and Guilds, News, Prisoners
Ahmad Heydari, Evin Prison, Hossein Ebadian, Mehdi Farahi Shandiz, Vali Mirza Seyedi

HRANA News Agency – Vali Mirza Seyedi, Ahmad Heydari, Hossein Ebadian, and Mehdi Farahi Shandiz, four teachers’ union activists, remain held in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. They were arrested last week during a protest in Tehran on International Workers’ Day.

According to HRANA, quoting the Telegram channel of the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Union Organizations, the four activists are still in custody.
The report states that Vali Mirza Seyedi, Ahmad Heydari, and Hossein Ebadian are retired teachers, while Mehdi Farahi Shandiz is a former part-time teacher. They are currently detained in Ward 209 of Evin Prison without formal charges.

As of the time this report was prepared, no information has been released about the charges brought against these union activists.

Hossein Ebadian, a retired teacher from Malayer and resident of Shahriar, was arrested on Thursday, May 1, during a teachers’ protest in Tehran held in conjunction with International Workers’ Day. Mehdi Farahi Shandiz and Ahmad Heydari were also arrested during the same protest.