Two Political Prisoners Face Execution in Zahedan Prison

Mohammad Zeineddine and Adham Narui, currently incarcerated in Zahedan Prison, are under the threat of execution following the confirmation of their death sentences by Iran’s Supreme Court in November 2023.

In March 2023, the Criminal Court of Zahedan sentenced Zeineddine and Narui to the death penalty for “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through armed action.” On November 20, 2023, this verdict was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Security forces apprehended Zeineddine in September-October 2020 and Narui on May 25, 2021, in Lashar, Sistan and Baluchestan Province. After completing the interrogation process in a security detention facility, they were transferred to Zahedan Prison and are currently held in Ward 9.

Subsequently, they were accused of killing three security forces, an allegation they consistently denied throughout the trial.

A reliable source close to the family of one of the prisoners has confirmed to HRANA: “Mohammad and Adham are innocent, and the charges against them are unfounded. Earlier, during a confrontation with security forces in the Sirchah region, several relatives of Mohammad were killed, resulting in the death of three security personnel. In this confrontation, the individual who had shot at these three officers was also killed. However, these two individuals, who had no involvement in this incident, were arrested.”

The source further added that the families of these prisoners have been subjected to verbal insults by judicial officials during their inquiries about the well-being and condition of their sons.

Dual Execution in Hamedan Prison for Drug-Related Crimes

On January 21, 2024, Hamedan Prison officials carried out the execution of two inmates convicted of drug-related offenses.

HRANA has identified the individuals as Salman Salimi from Kermanshah and Ahmad Haeri.

As of the current writing, there have been no reports on these executions from official sources or domestic media outlets within the country.

The reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists for the year 2023 reveal a concerning prevalence of executions for drug offenses in Iran, constituting 56.4% of the total executions. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

 

Inmate Executed by Hanging in Ilam Prison for Murder

On January 16, 2024, authorities at Ilam Prison carried out the hanging execution of an inmate convicted of murder.

The executed individual has been identified as Mohsen Mehri, originally from Ilam County.

As of the time of writing, there have been no reports from official sources or domestic media outlets within the country regarding this execution.

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered the execution of  746 individuals. Out of these, 6 were carried out in public. Among the executed individuals whose genders were identified, 597 were male and 20 were female. Additionally, 2 juvenile offenders, defined as individuals under the age of 18 at the time of their alleged crimes, were also executed. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s annual report.

Sasan Chaman-Ara Detained in Ilam; Family Residences Searched

On January 17, 2024, security forces arrested Sasan Chaman-Ara in Ilam, transporting him to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in the city. Concurrently, his father’s and sister’s residences were subjected to searches by the agents.

Confirming the arrest, a source close to Chaman-Ara’s family informed HRANA that three agents from the Ministry of Intelligence detained him on a street in Ilam. Subsequently, they conducted comprehensive searches at his family members’ homes, seizing some belongings. Eventually, he was taken to the Ministry of Intelligence’s office.

“Since then, Chaman-Ara has been denied the opportunity to make a phone call to his family,” the source added.

Chaman-Ara’s initial arrest by security forces occurred in September-October 2022, and he was released on bail from Great Tehran Penitentiary in January 2023.

Following this, the Tehran Revolutionary Court issued a five-year prison sentence for “assembly and collusion against national security and propaganda against the regime,” a verdict upheld on appeal.

Execution of Three Inmates in Ghezel Hesar Prison for Drug Offenses

On January 17, 2024, Ghezel Hesar Prison executed three inmates convicted of drug-related crimes.

HRANA has identified two of them as Iman Sha’abani and Bahman Fathollahzadeh. The third inmate is an Afghan national whose name remains undisclosed.

Sha’abani and Fathollahzadeh received the death penalty in a legal case. Another co-defendant, Bamyar Fathollahzadeh, met the same fate last month.”

No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these executions at the time of writing. The lack of official information raises concerns about transparency and accountability in the execution process.

According to data gathered by the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj witnessed the highest number of executions in 2023, with Zahedan Prison following closely behind. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

 

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Arrests of Azerbaijani-Turk Activists in Jolfa Raise Concerns

On January 12, 2024, a group of Azerbaijani-Turk activists en route to Jolfa to visit the family of imprisoned Yourush Mehrali Baygloo were arrested. The detainees include Karim Esmaeilzadeh, Ebrahim Asemani, Seyed Mohammad-Reza Movahed, Younes Zareioun, Siamak Kooshi, Habib Negahban, Mohsen Ganji, Mokhtar Ebrahimi, and Hamed Yeganeh Pour, as reported by a source close to one of the detainee’s families.

The motive behind these arrests and the current location of the detainees remain unknown.

Notably, Esmaeilzadeh, Asemani, Zareioun, Kooshi, Negahban, Ebrahimi, and Yeganeh Pour have previously experienced arrests and legal challenges due to their activism.

On November 7, 2023, Azerbaijani-Turk activist Yourush Mehrali Baygloo was apprehended by security forces in Jolfa County and subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Tabriz. The situation is developing, and concerns over the well-being of the activists persist.

Navid-Reza Haratian Arrested by Security Forces in Mahshahr

Security forces detained Navid-Reza Haratian in Mahshahr and transported him to an undisclosed facility on December 31.

A source close to his family, confirming Haratian’s arrest, informed HRANA that IRGC Intelligence agents apprehended him at his residence. Haratian has not been granted permission to contact his family, heightening their anxieties.

The grounds for this arrest and Haratian’s current location remain unknown.

Data compiled by the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reveals that IRGC Intelligence has been implicated in 392 cases of human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests.

Government Seizes Baha’i Lands in Sari County

On January 1, 2024, police agents and forest rangers carried out the confiscation of approximately 60 hectares of Baha’i-owned land in the Ahmadabad Village, adjacent to Sari in Mazandaran Province.

Acting on the orders of the Sari Prosecutor, the agents blocked access to the village and took possession of the lands. Ahmadabad Village is predominantly inhabited by Baha’is, and according to a resident who spoke to HRANA, the police have cordoned off the confiscated lands with barbed wire. Of these lands, 25 are already under wheat cultivation, a practice maintained by Baha’is for decades.

In an interview with IRNA, the Representative of the Mazandaran governor attempted to justify the seizure, citing unauthorized use and construction on the lands. However, HRANA’s sources dispute this claim, asserting that there has been no illegal construction, and the landowners have been cultivating these plots since 1947.

A villager shared with HRANA that a few years ago, a dam construction plan near the village was approved, and the landowners were supposed to receive alternative plots in exchange for the lands submerged by the dam construction. Following this recent confiscation, it appears they will receive no compensation.

This incident is part of a pattern of the government confiscating Baha’i lands and properties. In a similar occurrence in 2021 and 2022, the government seized cultivating lands belonging to Baha’is in Ivel, Roshan Kouh, Sari County.

Nine Individuals Executed for Drug Offenses in Ardabil

Ardabil Province judicial authorities have confirmed the execution of nine inmates in separate legal cases, all charged with drug offenses, within Ardabil Prison, as reported by Fars News Agency.

Following the Supreme Court’s confirmation of their verdicts, three inmates were executed. Additionally, six individuals were hanged in the preceding days, with their identities remaining undisclosed in the report.

The reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists for the year 2023 reveal a concerning prevalence of executions for drug offenses in Iran, constituting 56.4% of the total executions. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

 

Mohammadi Brothers Detained in Sanandaj

On January 1, 2024, the Ministry of Intelligence apprehended Morteza and Ebrahim Mohammadi, residing in Sanandaj, and subsequently transported them to an undisclosed location.

Confirmation of their arrest came from a source closely connected to their family who disclosed to HRANA that on Monday, January 1, Ministry of Intelligence agents arrested Morteza Mohammadi at his residence in Hassan Abad village in Sanandaj County. Ebrahim Mohammadi faced arrest by security forces after presenting himself at the Investigation Office of Sanandaj Revolutionary Court to inquire about his brother.

“The agents forcibly entered the house, breaking doors and windows, and seized some family belongings.”

As of now, the reasons behind these arrests and the current whereabouts of the Mohammadi brothers remain unknown.

Morteza Mohammadi had previously been arrested during the 2022 nationwide protests and was later released on bail.

According to data collected by the Department of Statistics and Publication of HRA in 2023, Kurdistan Province accounted for a disproportionate 8.3% of reported human rights violations, including instances of arbitrary detentions.