Tag: HRANA

Maryam Zabihi, a Baha’i Citizen from Qaemshahr, Receives 10 Months in Prison

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News, Religious Minorities
HRANA, Maryam Zabihi, Qaemshahr

HRANA News Agency – Maryam Zabihi, a Baha’i citizen residing in Qaemshahr, has been sentenced to 10 months in prison by the Criminal Court of this city.

Based on a verdict issued by Branch 104 of the Second Criminal Court of Qaemshahr, Mazandaran provinceو this Baha’i citizen was sentenced to 10 months in prison on the charge of “educational activities contrary to and disruptive of Islamic Sharia.” The court session addressing Ms. Zabihi’s charges was held on April 16, 2025, and the verdict was issued the same day.

Holding examination sessions for students of the unofficial Baha’i university of Iran at her private residence was cited as the basis for the charge against Ms. Zabihi.

On Monday, February 12, 2024, Maryam Zabihi’s home was searched by security forces. Officers confiscated all electronic devices, textbooks, laptops, and tablets belonging to five young Baha’is who were guests at her residence.

After Baha’is in Iran were barred from attending public universities due to their religious beliefs, the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) was established by the Iranian Baha’i community in 1987. This unofficial university, operating under highly restricted conditions with the help of volunteer professors, provides opportunities for Baha’i citizens to pursue higher education. Over the years, many professors and administrators associated with this educational system have faced judicial and security pressures.

According to the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between January 1, 2024, and December 20, 2024, a total of 157 reports were recorded in the category of religious and faith-based minority rights. Among these, Baha’is accounted for 67.54% of the reports, ranking as the most observed group in human rights monitoring.

The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both 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.

Arian Shirpisheh in Evin Prison: Details on His Current Condition

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News, Prisoners
Arian Shirpisheh, HRANA, Pouya Bakhtiari

HRANA News Agency – Arian Shirpisheh, the maternal uncle of Pouya Bakhtiari—one of the victims of the November 2019 protests—is currently serving a prison sentence in Evin Prison. In the first part of his case, he was sentenced to 14 months in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

A source close to Shirpisheh’s family confirmed to HRANA: “Mr. Shirpisheh was recently sentenced to 14 months in prison on security-related charges by the Tehran Revolutionary Court. In addition, a hearing on a separate charge of insulting sanctities is scheduled to take place next month.”

Arian Shirpisheh was arrested on September 16, 2024, by Ministry of Intelligence agents at his private residence and transferred to Evin Prison.

Previously, a source familiar with the case told HRANA: “It is likely that his arrest was related to his participation in ceremonies commemorating victims of the protests and his connections with their families.”

Arian Shirpisheh has previously been detained by security agencies.

Pouya Bakhtiari, born on September 10, 1992, was killed during the November 2019 protests in Mehrshahr, Karaj. According to his father, Pouya joined the protesters on the second day of demonstrations against the fuel price hike, accompanied by his sister and mother. He was shot in the head and succumbed to his injuries before reaching the hospital.

Political Prisoner Azar Zangouyi Begins Serving One-Year Sentence in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Azar Zangouyi, Evin Prison, HRANA, آذر زنگویی

HRANA News Agency – Azar Zangouyi, a political prisoner, is currently serving her sentence in Evin Prison. She had previously been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to one year in prison.

According to information received by HRANA, on April 9, 2025, Ms. Zangouyi was arrested after appearing at the Evin Courthouse and was transferred to Evin Prison to begin serving her sentence. She had earlier been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to one year in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime.”

A source close to Ms. Zangouyi’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Azar Zangouyi’s case was opened in 2022. At that time, security forces visited her workplace several times to arrest her, but were unsuccessful. As a result, her conviction was issued in absentia.”

Azar Zangouyi is 29 years old and a resident of Tehran.

Transfer to Solitary Confinement Raises Growing Concerns Over the Imminent Execution of Political Prisoner Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heydaranlou

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News, Prisoners
Baghi, Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heydaranlou, HRANA, Urmia prison

HRANA News Agency – Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heydaranlou, a political prisoner sentenced to death and held in Urmia Prison, has been transferred to solitary confinement. Given his death sentence, the transfer has heightened concerns among his family and close ones.

A source close to the prisoner’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “The transfer of this death row prisoner has increased the family’s and his relatives’ concerns about his situation.”

The political prisoner’s death sentence was recently upheld by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court and was officially communicated to him in Urmia Prison on March 26, 2025.

Mr. Hosseinnezhad was sentenced to death in July 2024 by Branch 1 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Najafzadeh. He was convicted of baghi for alleged membership in an opposition party. After he appealed the ruling, the case was referred to the Supreme Court.

He was arrested on April 13, 2023, by border guards near Chaldoran. After several hours of interrogation, he was transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Urmia. There, he was subjected to psychological and physical torture for 11 months and 10 days to force a confession. He was made to sign pre-written statements.

During his detention at The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, he was only allowed two brief phone calls with his family and was denied access to legal counsel and in-person visits. Due to opposition from the Ministry of Intelligence, he was also denied a chosen lawyer during trial. The court dismissed his defense and sentenced him to death for baghi.

In court, Mr. Hosseinnezhad denied all charges. Kurdpa reported that the Ministry of Intelligence accused him of collaborating with an opposition party without presenting any evidence. The agency claimed he held a grudge against border forces because his brother-in-law, Mostafa Nouri, had been killed by them in 2015. Based on this, he was accused of involvement in an armed clash. Judge Najafzadeh issued the death sentence in a brief hearing, solely based on “the judge’s intuition.”

Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heydaranlou, aged around 40, is a father of three. He is currently being held in Ward 2 of Urmia Prison.

A Prisoner Executed in Qom Prison

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Executions, News
HRANA, Qom prison, Sohrab Heydari, زندان قم, سهراب حیدری

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, a prisoner who had previously been sentenced to death on drug-related charges was executed in Qom Prison.

HRANA has identified the prisoner as Sohrab Heydari, a resident of Rey, Tehran Province.

According to information received by HRANA, Mr. Heydari had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report’s publication, the execution has not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

According to data compiled by HRANA, 52.69% of all executions in Iran in 2024 were related to drug-related charges. Notably, only 6% of the executions were officially announced, highlighting a significant lack of transparency. For a detailed analysis of these executions and the associated statistics, see HRANA’s full report.

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Three Executions Carried Out in Bandar Abbas Prison

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Executions, News
Bandar Abbas prison, HRANA, Kermanshah

HRANA News Agency – On the morning of Tuesday, April 16, three prisoners were executed in Bandar Abbas Prison, according to a report by Iran Human Rights.

Among those executed was Ayoub Berniaei (Sarhadi), who had previously been sentenced to death on drug-related charges. The two other individuals executed were identified as Peyman Naderi, 28, from Kermanshah, and Karim Esmaeili from Eslamabad-e Gharb.

According to the report, Peyman Naderi had been arrested two years ago and sentenced to death for drug-related offenses. Karim Esmaeili had faced similar charges and was sentenced to death following his arrest three years ago.

At the time of this publication, neither the prison authorities nor relevant government institutions have officially confirmed these executions.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.

Minoo Roozehdar Sentenced to Imprisonment and Fine

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, HRANA, Iman Afshari, IRGC Intelligence, Minoo Roozehdar

HRANA News Agency – Minoo Roozehdar , a Tehran resident, has been sentenced to 14 months in prison and paying a fine by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Ms. Roozehdar to 14 months in prison and a 30 million toman fine on charges including propaganda against the regime and spreading false information. Her prison sentence has been suspended for four years.

Minoo Roozehdar had been arrested by security forces on January 20, 2025, in Tehran and transferred to the IRGC Intelligence Detention Facility, known as Ward 1-A. After one week, she was moved to the women’s ward of Evin Prison. She was released on March 4, 2025, after posting bail.

Roozehdar is a Tehran resident and mother of three.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of HRA reported a total of 84 cases where Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, issued verdicts that violated the human rights of defendants.

Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Hamid Abbasi Sentenced to Over 4 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Hamid Abbasi, HRANA, Salmas, حمید عباسی

HRANA News Agency – Hamid Abbasi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, has been sentenced to four years, six months, and one day in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Salmas.

The sentence was issued by Abdolaziz Allah Gholipoor Azar, a judge at the Salmas Revolutionary Court. According to the ruling, Abbasi was sentenced to:

7 months and 16 days for propaganda against the regime,
31 months and 16 days for insulting the Supreme Leader, and
15 months and 1 day for alleged membership in opposition groups.

Following the first hearing on his charges, Mr. Abbasi was released on bail of 700 million tomans. He had previously been arrested by security forces on October 30, 2024, and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Salmas.

According to information received by HRANA, Abbasi was subjected to pressure to extract forced confessions while in detention at the Ministry of Intelligence in Salmas.

A source close to his family confirmed the news to HRANA and added:
“Hamid Abbasi is also facing charges in a separate case at Branch 102 of the Second Criminal Court of Salmas. In that case, he has been sentenced to:

a fine of 50 million tomans for possession of an unlicensed hunting weapon,
21 months and 1 day for spreading false information, and
42 months for unauthorized excavation in search of antiquities.”

In 2024, HRA documented the arrests of 262 individuals from ethnic minority groups or those advocating for ethnic minority rights, including Azerbaijani-Turk activists.

Safa Aeli, Uncle of Mahsa Amini, Arrested and Transferred to Saqqez Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Safa Aeli, Saqqez, صفا عائلی

HRANA News Agency – Safa Aeli, the uncle of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, was arrested by security forces on the night of Friday, April 11, 2025, and transferred to Saqqez Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Aeli was taken into custody by security forces on the evening of April 11. Following his arrest, he was transferred to Saqqez Prison. HRANA has learned that Mr. Aeli is facing a new legal case, which was being processed in the final months of last year.

In 2023, Safa Aeli had already been sentenced by Branch 1 of the Saqqez Revolutionary Court to five years and six months in prison, along with a two-year travel ban.

He was previously arrested by security forces on September 5, 2023, and later released on bail on October 17 of the same year.

12 Lawyers Sentenced to Prison and Fines

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Freedom of Expression, News
Amin Shahla, Amirdokht Bahareh Barzegar, Enayatollah Karamati, Fa’ezeh Seyyedi, Farzaneh Safari, HRANA, Kazem Chezgi, Mehdi Mohammad Hosseinian, Mitra Izadifar, Mohammadreza Yazdani, Rouhollah Hosseini, Sahar Dashti, Sajad Javadi

HRANA News Agency – Branch 5 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court has sentenced 12 defense lawyers to a total of 3 years in prison and a combined fine of 240 million tomans. Of the prison sentences issued, 21 months have been suspended for five years.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the court convicted these 12 lawyers on charges of propaganda against the regime.

Details of the rulings are as follows:

  • Farzaneh Safari, Amin Shahla, and Mohammadreza Yazdani were each sentenced to 1 year in prison. Half of Safari and Shahla’s sentences, and three-quarters of Yazdani’s sentence, were suspended for 5 years.

  • Enayatollah Karamati, Kazem Chezgi, and Sahar Dashti were each fined 20 million tomans as a substitute for 3 months and 1 day of prison.

  • Mehdi Mohammad Hosseinian, Sajad Javadi, and Amirdokht Bahareh Barzegar were each fined 40 million tomans as a substitute for 6 months and 1 day of prison.

  • Rouhollah Hosseini, Fa’ezeh Seyyedi, and Mitra Izadifar were each fined 20 million tomans.

The same court issued a non-prosecution order for another defendant in the case, Sayyedeh Vajih Ghoreishi. Two other lawyers, Ali Asghar Dashti and Seyyed Jafar Saghravanian, were sent back to the prosecutor’s office for further investigation on separate charges including propaganda in favor of the Zionist regime, insulting the Supreme Leader, and spreading falsehoods.
The verdicts are appealable within 20 days of notification at the Khorasan Razavi Court of Appeals.

These lawyers were previously prosecuted in 2022 on charges such as propaganda against the regime, but their case had initially been subject to an pardon directive.