Tag: Fereshteh Tabanian

Death Sentence of Abbas Deris Overturned by the Supreme Court

Posted on by . .
Executions, News, Prisoners
Abbas Deris, Fereshteh Tabanian, Mahshahr Prison

HRANA – The death sentence of Abbas Deris, one of the detainees from the November 2019 protests, has been overturned by the Supreme Court of Iran, and his case has been referred to a parallel branch for retrial.

On October 21, attorney Fereshteh Tabanian announced that the Supreme Court’s First Branch had accepted Deris’s request for retrial, thereby overturning his conviction on the charge of moharebeh (enmity against God). His case will now be reviewed again in a branch of equal standing.

Deris, who is currently held in Mahshahr Prison, had previously been sentenced to death by the Mahshahr Revolutionary Court on the charge of moharebeh. That verdict was upheld in July 2023 by the Supreme Court’s 39th Branch. Following the registration of a retrial request with the Supreme Court’s 9th Branch, an order to halt the execution was issued. After several months, the Supreme Court ultimately accepted the retrial, nullifying his death sentence.

In June 2025, the Supreme Court rejected Deris’s appeal in another part of his case, making his 10-year prison sentence final and forwarding it to the Sentence Enforcement Unit. In that part of the case, the Khuzestan Province Criminal Court (Branch One) had sentenced him to 14 years in prison on charges of murder and possession of a firearm. The most severe punishment, i.e., 10 years in prison, was deemed enforceable.

Abbas Deris was arrested on December 8, 2019, along with his brother Mohsen, by agents of the Abolfazl Abbas Base Intelligence Division.

Deris, aged approximately 52, is the father of three children. While he acknowledged taking part in the November 18, 2019 protests in Chamran Town, he has denied any involvement in burning tires or blocking roads.

Supreme Court Rejects Retrial Plea for Death-Row Inmate Abbas Deris

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
Abbas Deris, Fereshteh Tabanian, Mahshahr, Mohsen Deris

The Supreme Court has dismissed Abbas Deris’s plea for a retrial. Deris, arrested during the 2019 nationwide protests (Aban Protests), faced a death sentence, with his arrest linked to charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh).”

Despite significant flaws in the legal case and the initial verdict, the Supreme Court of Iran rejected the retrial request, as confirmed by Deris’s lawyer, Fereshteh Tabanian. The legal team has now invoked Article 477 of Iran’s Criminal Procedure Code, which allows for a retrial if a final verdict is deemed inconsistent with Islamic law.

Having initially filed the retrial request in July 2023 to Branch 9 of the Supreme Court, Deris saw a temporary suspension of the verdict. However, in the subsequent month, Tabanian announced that Branch 39 of the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence, disregarding the acknowledged flaws in the case.

Abbas Deris, currently incarcerated at Mahshahr Prison, was accused of firing shots at security forces during the protests, leading to the death of Police Captain Reza Sayyadi. His coerced confession during interrogation by the IRGC was later broadcast by Iran-state TV. However, during the trial, Deris admitted to participating in the protests but denied any involvement in shooting at security forces.

It is noteworthy that Deris’s brother, also a co-defendant, was acquitted of all charges. Both were arrested on December 8, 2019. Abbas Deris, aged approximately 49, is a father of three children.

Background on Aban Protests:

In November 2019, a surge in fuel prices triggered widespread protests across numerous cities in Iran. The Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission reported 7,000 arrests during these protests. Human rights organizations documented hundreds of deaths at the hands of the security apparatus.

 

Amin Ansarifar and Arman Ansarifar Sentenced to Imprisonment and Not Allowed to Leave the Country

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Amin Ansarifar, Arman Ansarifar, Farzad Ansarifar, Fereshteh Tabanian

Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Mahshahr sentenced Amin Ansarifar and Arman Ansarifar each to three years imprisonment and five years ban from leaving the country. Amin and Arman Ansarifar are the father and brother of Farzad Ansarifar who was killed by regime forces during the 2019 nationwide protests.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Amin Ansarifar and Arman Ansarifar were sentenced to three months in prison and five years ban from leaving the country by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Mahshahr.

The Court session had been held on March 14, 2022, via a video conference with their lawyer, Fereshteh Tabanian. Two days after the court session, they were released on bail of 150 million tomans.

On February 19, 2022, Amin Ansarifar was summoned by Behbahan’s Public and Revolutionary Court and arrested when he appeared. The next day, his son, Arman was arrested by security forces at his home in Behbahan city. According to an informed source, Arman has been charged with “propaganda against the regime” and his father with “promotion of anti-regime groups and political parties.” They have been denied family visitation since the arrest.

During the protests of November 2019 in Behbahan City, security forces used live ammunition against protestors, leading to the death of several protestors including Mehrdad Dashinia, Mahmood Dashtinia, Farzad Ansarifar, Mohammad-Hossein Ghanavati,  and Mohammad Hashamdar.