Tag: HRANA

Baha’i Citizen Hooshidar Zarei Sentenced to Six Years Imprisonment

Posted on by . .
News, Religious Minorities
Adelabad Prison, Baha'i citizen, Hooshidar Zarei, HRANA, Shiraz

The Shiraz Revolutionary Court has sentenced Baha’i citizen Hooshidar Zarei to six years in prison, along with additional penalties, including a two-year travel ban, a fine, and other social restrictions. If the verdict is upheld on appeal, Zarei will serve five years of his sentence under house arrest, monitored by an electronic tag.

Zarei received a one-year sentence for “propaganda against the regime” and five years for “sectarian propaganda in favor of anti-regime groups.” He will serve his sentence at his residence, with the limitation of movement within a one-kilometer radius from his house.

According to a reliable source close to Zarei’s family who spoke to HRANA, he has also been subjected to additional penalties, including social restrictions for five years, a ban on engaging in online social activities, a two-year travel ban, and a fine of 500 million Rial.

Zarei was arrested on April 29, 2023, by security forces in Shiraz and was released after 22 days of detention on a 1.2 billion Tomans bail from Adelabad Prison. Zarei, who is approximately 43 years old, is a Judo Coach and a resident of Shiraz.

 

Sajad Pirfalak, Kian Pirfalak’s Uncle, Arrested in Izeh

Posted on by . .
News
HRANA, Izeh, Kian Pirfalak, Mahmonir Molaie-Rad, Sajad Pirfalak

Sajad Pirfalak, the uncle of Kian Pirfalak who tragically lost his life during the nationwide protests in 2022, was apprehended by security forces in Izeh on June 17, 2023. He was subsequently taken to the detention facility of the Ministry of Intelligence.

According to reports, Ministry of Intelligence agents were responsible for Pirfalak’s arrest, which took place on a street in Izeh. The exact reasons behind his detention and the specific allegations against him remain undisclosed at this time.
Today, June 18, a reliable source told HRANA that Mahmonir Molaie-Rad, Kian Pirfalak’s mother, has also been summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence office in Izeh.
HRANA will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.

During the protest in Izeh on November 16, 2022, there was a regrettable loss of life as at least seven individuals, including Kian Pirfalak, were fatally shot by regime forces.

Background on the 2022 Nationwide Protests

The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hejab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. Protesters came to the streets with the central slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” in protest against the performance, laws and structure of the regime. During the nationwide protests, thousands of people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.

 

Writer and Translator Taimaz Afsari Arrested in Tehran

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, HRANA, Taimaz Afsari

HRANA, Human Rights Activists News Agency- On June 17, 2023, Taimaz Afsari, a writer and translator, was arrested by security forces in Tehran and taken to Evin Prison.

A reliable source told HRANA that, Afsari was apprehended violently at his residence.

The reasons for his arrest and the allegation against him are currently unknown. According to an unverified report, the agent have search his house and confiscated some of his electronic belonging.

13 Baha’i Citizens Sentenced to Over 40 Years in Prison Combined

Posted on by . .
News, Religious Minorities
Afif Naimi, Alborz province, Baha'i citizens, Bita Momtazi, Elham Shareghi Arani, HRANA, Kamyar Habibi, Karaj, Mahsa Tirgar, Nakisa Rezaie, Negin Rezaie, Rameleh Tirgarnejad, Sabin Yazdani, Sadaf Sheikhzadeh, Sahba Adyani, Saman Ostovar, Shahrzad Mastouri

The Court of Appeals in Karaj has issued a combined sentence of 40 years and seven months, along with additional punishments, for 13 Baha’i citizens.

The verdicts state that Afif Na’imi (Naeimi) will serve seven years, while Saman Ostovar and Kamyar Habibi will each serve five years. Rameleh Tirgarnejad, Elham Shareghi Arani, and Sabin Yazdani have been sentenced to three years. Mahsa Tirgar, Shahrzad Mastouri, Sadaf Sheikhzadeh, Negin Rezaie, Nakisa Rezaie, Sahba Adyani, and Bita Momtazi will serve two years and one month. Additionally, all individuals have been fined, prohibited from leaving the country, and restricted from residing in Alborz Province, along with other social deprivations.
They have been convicted of multiple charges such as “insulting and propaganda against Islamic Sharia, forming and running groups to act against national security through preaching Baha’i faith to children in Kindergartens, promoting against Islamic Sharia through holding coaching courses.”

The court session took place on June 15, 2023, without notifying their lawyers. The initial sentences have now been upheld and will be enforced within ten days, as confirmed by a reliable source who spoke to HRANA.

These citizens were detained during the summer of the previous year. While the specific grounds for the charges remain undisclosed, they appear to be related to their educational activities for children in Alborz Province, particularly preschool children. The Iranian regime perceives the peaceful activities of Baha’is in providing humanitarian aid and education as a threat to its own ideology.

According to HRANA annual report, from the total human rights reports regarding the violation of religious minorities’ rights, 64.63% belonged to the violation of the rights of Baha’is.

Artist Atena Farghadani Indicted for Alleged Disturbance of Public Order

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Atena Farghadani, Evin Courthouse, HRANA, Qarchak Prison, Varamin

Atena Farghadani, a renowned cartoonist and civil rights activist, has been indicted at Evin Courthouse following her arrest on June 7, 2023.

According to a reliable source who spoke to HRANA, Farghadani is facing charges of “disturbing public order.”

Another source close to her family disclosed that Farghadani has been offered a bail amounting to two billion Rials; however, she has declined to provide the requested bail amount.

On June 7, 2023, security forces arrested Farghadani and subsequently transferred her to Qarchak Prison in Varamin.

It should be noted that Farghadani has previously faced legal consequences for her activism.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Update on Bahai Citizen Payam Vali’s Condition in Ghezel Hesar Prison

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizen, Ghezel Hesar prison, HRANA, Karaj, Payam Vali, Rajai Shahr Prison

Payam Vali, a Baha’i citizen, is currently serving a six-year sentence in Ghezel Hesar Prison, located in Karaj. He has been denied access to make a phone call to his family, as ordered by prison officials.

According to a reliable source who spoke to HRANA, Vali’s phone card has been blocked. He is also prohibitd from purchasing any item from the prison store. The source revealed that this prohibition was imposed after Vali gave a message via phone addressing the speakers of the Iranian Parliament.

In addition, another source close to Vali’s family informed HRANA that since late May, he has only had one visitation with his family. Furthermore, other prisoners have been threatened to refrain from providing Vali with their phone cards.

On September 24, 2022, security forces arrested Vali at his residence in Karaj, subsequently conducting a search of his house and detaining him in Rajai Shahr Prison. He was later relocated to Ghezel Hesar prison.

On May 10, 2023, the Alborz Court of Appeals sentenced Vali to six years for “collaboration with adversary countries,” three years and one month for “inciting people to commit violence,” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.” According to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the first charge carries an enforceable prison term of six years. It is worth noting that Vali had initially been sentenced in February 2023 to ten, five, and one-year terms for the respective charges mentioned above.

According to HRANA annual report, from the full human rights reports regarding the violation of religious minorities’ rights, 64.63% belonged to the violation of the rights of Baha’is.

The deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a breach of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.

Civil Rights Activist Mohammad Abolhassani Brutally Assaulted by Prison Guards

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
Choobindar Prison, Evin Prison, HRANA, Mohammad Abolhassani, Qazvin

On June 12, 2023, Mohammad Abolhassani, a civil rights activist, was subjected to a violent attack by prison guards at Choobindar Prison in Qazvin Province. The assault occurred after Abolhassani voiced his concerns about the deplorable conditions within the prison.

An informed source, speaking to HRANA, disclosed that Abolhassani was confronted by a prison officer, leading to a physical altercation involving the deputy head of the prison and two other guards. The incident resulted in Abolhassani losing consciousness, after which he was taken to the prison infirmary. He later regained consciousness.

Presently serving his sentence at Choobindar Prison in Qazvin, Abolhassani is housed among inmates convicted of violent crimes, contrary to prison regulations. Moreover, he has been subjected to limitations when making phone calls, including the mandatory presence of prison guards during these conversations.

In January 2021, Abolhassani while serving his sentence for a previous legal case, was sentenced to 15 months in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court for “propaganda against the regime.” In addition to the prison term, he was assigned four hours of penal labor per day for four months. This ruling was subsequently upheld on appeal.

On January 1, 2022, Abolhassani was transferred to Evin Prison to commence his sentence.
In October 2022, he found himself facing further legal actions, resulting in an additional four-year imprisonment term.
On February 6, 2023, he was violently relocated from Evin Prison to Choobindar Prison in Qazvin.

Citizen Killed by Police during Ceremony Commemorating Kian Pirfalak’s Birthday

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Izeh, Kian Pirfalak, Pouya Molaie-Rad

On June 11, 2023, during a ceremony held to commemorate the birthday of Kian Pirfalak, a minor who lost his life during the nationwide protests in 2022, police fatally shot a citizen. Official media has claimed that a few police officers were also killed in this incident.

The citizen who was tragically killed has been identified as Pouya Molaie-Rad, aged about 20, and he was a cousin of Kian Pirfalak’s mother, according to the report obtained by HRANA.
Confirming the news, IRNA reported that Molaie-Rad succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at the hospital.
Several sources have mentioned the arrest of multiple individuals by the police during the ceremony. These individuals have been taken to an undisclosed location. HRANA is actively working to verify these arrests and ascertain the identities of the detainees.

The Fars news agency, affiliated with security institutions, has claimed that a police officer named Mohammad Ghanbari also lost his life, allegedly after being struck by a car.

During the protest in Izeh, on November 16, 2022, at least seven individuals, including Kiran Pirfalak, were killed in the shooting by regime forces.

Background on the 2022 Nationwide Protests

The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hejab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. Protesters came to the streets with the central slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” in protest against the performance, laws and structure of the regime. During the nationwide protests, thousands of people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.

 

 

Two Inmates Executed for Drug-Related Crimes in Urmia Prison

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Ghobad Farhadpour, HRANA, Jafar Mohammadpour, Kermanshah, Sardasht, Urmia prison

Urmia Prison witnessed the execution of two inmates convicted of drug-related offences on June 9, 2023, as confirmed by HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency).

The individuals identified as Ghobad Farhadpour from Kermanshah and Jafar Mohammadpour, a resident of Sardasht, were subjected to the death penalty following their transfer to solitary confinement.

No official sources or domestic media outlets in the country have reported on these executions at the time of writing.

According to the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran, a total of 457 reports related to the death penalty were registered in 2022. This included 92 death sentences, including six individuals sentenced to public execution. Furthermore, 565 execution sentences were carried out, two of which were carried out publicly. Among the executed individuals, 501 were male, 11 were female, and five were juvenile offenders who were executed despite being under the age of 18 at the time of the crime.

Report on Conditions of Female Prisoners at Ilam Prison

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
HRANA, Ilam prison, Iran's prisons, women ward

The women’s ward at Ilam Prison faces numerous challenges, including overcrowding, inadequate facilities, substandard food quality, cohabitation with violent offenders, restricted communication and family visits.

According to a reliable source interviewed by HRANA, the presence of violent crime convicts in the same ward poses difficulties for political prisoners and those detained in connection with the 2022 nationwide protests. Other issues highlighted include limitations on phone calls and family visitations, intrusive surveillance, compulsory participation in religious ceremonies, neglect of prisoners’ concerns, and verbal abuse by male prison guards towards female inmates.

Overcrowding remains a significant problem, forcing many inmates to sleep on the floor. The outdoor area is also notably small. In case of illness, access to the prison infirmary and necessary medication is severely restricted, with prison officials often dismissing requests for medical care as feigned ailments.

A family member of one prisoner expressed concern, stating that prisoners who refuse to participate in religious ceremonies are subjected to harassment and threats, often with the support of religious extremist inmates. Furthermore, the quality of prison food is poor, and the prison store fails to provide essential items, raising concerns about the health conditions of the inmates.