Tag: HRANA

Seven Defendants Humiliated by Police through Shame-Parading in Tehran

Posted on by A MN
News, Other
HRANA, IRIB News Agency, Mortezagard village, Shame-Parading, Tehran

In Tehran, the police paraded seven detainees through the streets for humiliation and public shaming. In recent years, Iran’s law enforcement officers have occasionally used shame parading as a punishment tool against both suspected and convicted offenders. 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IRIB News Agency, the police paraded seven defendants from the Mortezagard village in Tehran County for the purpose of humiliation and public shaming.

A video circulated on social media showed the police forced these defendants to humiliate themselves in public.

Shame Parading is a  blatant violation of both domestic laws, human rights treaties and human dignity.

 

 

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Hormozgan Province, HRANA, Iran housing cooperatives, Iranian pensioners, Melli Bank heist, Nikdasht village, Parand City, Shush Municipality workers, Social Security Organization, teachers union activists

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place this week in Iran. Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations

Thursday, June 2

A number of the residents of the Nikdasht village in Hormozgan Province gathered in front of the governorate building in the city of Bashagard.

They protested against the lack of facilities in schools and gas cylinder supply.

Friday, June 3

A group of shareholders of the housing cooperatives of the Justice Administrative Court office held a protest in a district in Tehran. Ten years ago, the cooperative sold them pieces of land, which have not yet been delivered.

Monday, June 6

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization held protests in the cities of Shiraz, Isfahan, Sari, Urmia, Bojnurd, Khorramabad, Arak, Ardabil, Ahvaz, Karaj, Mashhad, Dezful, Kerman, Zanjan, Bandar-Abbas, Shiraz, Rasht, Qazvin and Kermanshah, Shush, Shushtar and Tehran. They gathered in front of either the Social Security Organization’s building or the governorate building or the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare. In Tehran, a number of pensioners also gathered before the parliament.

The pensioners protested against the government’s decision to increase the pensions by only 10 per cent which falls below the amount that the Supreme Labor Council has enacted.

In Tabriz, about a thousand pensioners gathered before the Social Security organization and then they rallied in the streets toward the governorate building. They chanted “Pensioners are awake and know his rights”, “living costs in dollar, wages in rials”, “inflation 100%, increase in wages 10%”, “incompetent Minister! Step down”, “Lying president! what happened to your promises.”

A group of personnel of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad gathered before the governorate building in Ilam City to ask for their demands.

A group of workers of the Municipality of Shush gathered before the governorate building in this city. They said that the governor, the mayor and city council members have not yet fulfilled their promises and the workers have not yet received their wages.

A number of residents of Parand City in Tehran Province protested against water outages and the lack of accountability from the local authorities.

 Tuesday, June 7

The social security pensioners held protests in Rasht, Arak, Tabriz, Bandar-Abas, Isfahan, Zanjan, Kermanshah, Karaj, Borujerd, Shush, Dorud, Kerman, Ilam, Ardabil, Qazvin, Yazd and Ahvaz. These pensioners ask for raising pensions in accordance with inflation. However, the government has not increased the pensions as much as the Supreme Labor Council has enacted.

For the second consecutive day, a number of workers of the Shush Municipality gathered before the governorate building to ask for their demands.

The personnel of the Islamic Azad University gathered before the University Central Organization to ask for their wages and close wage disparities.

In Tabriz, a group of firefighters and the Municipal safety service workers held protests before the Municipal building to ask for increasing wages. According to them, a 10 per cent annual increase in wage cannot catch up with more than 40 per cent inflation.

A group of citizens who have pre-purchased apartments from a construction project known as Arya protested for not receiving their apartments.

Wednesday, June 8

The Social Security Organization pensioners continued their protests in Tehran Ahvaz, Shush, Yazd, Kermanshah, Arak, Mashhad, Karaj, Khorramabad and Kerman. They chanted slogans against the government and the Social Security Organization.

In this regard, in an open statement, the Tehran Retirement Centre asked the government to increase the pensions in compliance with the Supreme Labor Council’s enactment.

A number of citizens, who have lost their money in the recent robbery of Iran Safe Deposit Boxes of Melli Bank, protested in front of the Iran Ministry of Roads & Urban Development in Tehran.

This protest turned violent by police interference.  

In recent days, dozens of safe deposit boxes from Melli Bank were stolen by some burglars.

A group of citizens who have pre-purchased apartments in a housing construction project known as Mehr, assembled in front of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development in Tehran. After 11 years, they still have not received their apartments.

In Gilan Province, a group of retirees held a protest to ask for raising pensions in accordance with Supreme Labor Council’s enactment.

In Kermanshah, working and retired teachers protested against the arrest of several teachers union activists. They also showed their concerns about detained teachers health conditions, who are on hunger strike and asked them to end the strike.

Thursday, June 9

For the fourth consecutive day, the pensioners of the Social Security Organization held protests in the cities of Karaj, Zanjan, Arak and Rasht. The protestors chanted slogans reflecting their poor living conditions and their frustration over inflation and the authorities’ incompetency.

The pensioners demand the 38% increase as it has been enacted by Supreme Labor Council.

A number of farmers from Lenjan in Isfahan Province protested in front of the governorate building to ask for their water portion.

A number of the residents of the Esfarjan village in Isfahan Province gathered and protested against a mining construction in the vicinity of their neighbourhood.

 

Teacher Union Activist Jabbar Doosti Arrested in Mariwan

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Jabbar Doosti, Mariwan, Teacher union activist

On Tuesday, June 7, 2022, security forces arrested teacher union activist Jabbar Doosti at his house in Mariwan and transferred him to an unidentified location. During the arrest, the agents searched his house and confiscated some of his personal belongings, including his laptop and cell phone.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, teacher union activist Jabbar Doosti was arrested by security forces at his house in Mariwan.

The reason for his arrest and the charges are unknown so far.

In recent months, teachers have organized nationwide rallies all across the country. In return, security and judicial authorities have repeatedly harassed, arrested and convicted teacher union activists.

Prisoners’ Living Conditions at Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary, HRANA

Prisoners who are housed in Ward 1, Type 2 in the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary are held in poor conditions, including frequent and prolonged water outages, poor sanitation, overcrowding and lack of proper air conditioning.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the inmates of the Closed Ward of the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary are held in poor living conditions.

An informed source told HRANA, “the inmates jailed in this ward face frequent and prolonged water outages. Sometimes, the water flow is completely cut off for a couple of days. Inmates are living in poor conditions and prison officials do nothing to resolve these issues.”

During the summer season, water flow for sanitation needs and cooling systems is critical.  

An informed source close to an inmate’s family told HRANA, “Ward 1, Type 2 of this prison is overcrowded. In this hot season, there is no air conditioning system.”

According to this source, the lack of air conditioning and healthy drinking water increases the risk of disease outbreaks.

Earlier, prison officials beat several political prisoners and relocated them to Ward 1. One day later, Mohammad Mehdi Haj Mohammadi, Iran’s head of Prisons Organization, confirmed this battery and the relocation on his social media page.

Report on Current Nationwide Protests: Hundreds Arrested; Dozens Killed and Injured

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
ahvaz, Andimeshk, Ardabil, Babaheydar, Borujerd, Cholicheh, Dehdasht, Dezful, Dorud, Farsan, Fashafouyeh, Golpayegan, Hafshejan, Hamidieh, HRANA, HRANA's report on nationwide protests, Izeh, Jarahi Town Mahshahr, Junaqan, Karevan Town, Khorramabad, Mahshahr, Masjed Soleiman, nationwide protests, Neyshabur, Pordanjan, Rasht, Shadegan, Shahrekord, Suq, Surshjan, Susangerd, Yasuj, Yazd

During the last two weeks, triggered by food price hikes, nationwide protests erupted in more than 31 cities across 10 provinces. HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, has recorded 53 demonstrations so far. 

According to HRANA, on Friday, May 6, 2022, following the government’s decision to cut subsidies on essential food items such as dairy products, flour, cooking oil, chicken, and eggs leading to soaring prices, the call for rallying against soaring prices went viral on social media. In the following days, several protests broke out in Khuzestan Province and soon swept through numerous cities across the country.

Prior to these protests, a series of protests and gatherings of teachers, labor workers and the retirees who had lost their pensions due to the government’s risky financial decisions had been sweeping across the country leading to dozens being arrested.

The new rounds of protests sparked initially in Susangerd City and other neighboring cities in Khuzestan Province. In the following days, at least 30 Arab-speaking citizens were arrested by security forces.

Soon after, the protests spread to other cities and provinces. The videos received from citizen journalists indicate that the protestors chanted slogans against inflation as well as the Iranian regime leaders, including President Ebrahim Raeisi and Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

The map below shows the locations where the protests were.

As the map shows, the protests took place in the following cities: Izeh, Susangerd, Hamidieh, Ahvaz, Mahshahr, Masjed Soleiman, Shadegan, Jarahi Town Mahshahr, Dorud, Andimeshk, Dezful, Shahrekord, Junaqan, Fashafouyeh, Yasuj, Ardabil, Farsan, Khorramabad, Dehdasht, Borujerd, Suq, Yazd, Golpayegan, Cholicheh, Rasht, Neyshabur, Surshjan, Hafshejan, Babaheydar, Karevan Town and Pordanjan.

In total, 53 protests have been recorded. Moreover, 45 times, the attempts to start a protest were foiled due to the heavy presence of police and security forces in the streets. 

The map below shows the locations of 53 protests and the time periods.

During these protests, at least on 22 occasions in 14 cities, the police and security forces used tear gas, warning shots, pellet guns and in some cases heavy weapons against the protestors. In nine cities, tear gas and in 14 cities warning shots were used to scatter the crowds. In eight cities, security forces fired straight toward the crowds. Reportedly, security forces have used pellet guns, Kalashnikov assault rifles and paintball guns to disperse the protestors.

The map below shows the places where crackdowns and unrestrained shootings have been reported.

Since the beginning of the protests on Friday, May 6, the government disrupted the internet in several areas in Ahvaz in an attempt to prevent the protests. In the days that followed, Internet disruption was also reported in at least 10 cities.

In addition to intentional Internet disruption, the press was banned from covering the protests.

According to the reports obtained from local sources, at least 449 individuals were arrested during the protests.

So far, six people have been confirmed dead. These people have been identified as Pishali Ghalebi Hajivand (Dezful), Saadat Hadipour (Hafshejan), Jamshid Mokhtari Junaqani (Junaqan), Omid Soltani (Andimeshk), Hamid Ghasempour (Farsan City), and Behrooz Eslami (Babaheydar). HRANA can only confirm the reports on the death of the first two individuals mentioned above.

From all videos of protests which are circulating on social media, HRANA has verified the authenticity of 30 video reports which compilation you can watch below:

 

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Protests Spread to at least 20 Cities in Iran 

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Other
food protests, HRANA, Iran's protests, Khuzestan province, Shahrekord

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, in recent days, triggered by soaring food prices, protests sparked in at least 20 cities in Iran. Protests took place in Dezful, Shahrekord, Andimeshk, Izeh, Junaqan, Khorramabad, Fashafouyeh, Farsan, Borujerd, Dehdasht, Dorud, Ardabil, Neyshabur, Suq, Rasht, Ahvaz, Yazd, Shadegan, Susangerd, and Yasuj. On Sunday, May 15, 2022, despite the tightening of security measures, the protest continued in several cities.

From the outset, the regime disrupted internet services in several cities in an attempt to prevent the protests.

On Friday, May 6, 2022, following the call on social media for rallying against soaring bread prices, in some cities in Khuzestan Province, the Iranian regime tightened security measures on the streets and disrupted internet and phone services to disrupt protests. Nonetheless, the day after, protests broke out in various cities of Khuzestan Province and beyond. Since then, the protests have continued in more than 20 cities. In most cases, protests turned violent by the police and security forces who used tear gas, warning shots, and pellet guns to scatter the crowds.

During the unrest, dozens of people were arrested. HRANA has obtained the identity of 20 of the individuals who were arrested in Ahvaz, 13 in Susangerd, 7 in Suq, and five in Shawr.

The regime forces have killed at least two protestors during the unrest, of which, one death has been confirmed by the city of Shahrekord’s representative in Iran’s Majles (parliament).

At Least Dozens of Teachers Arrested During Nationwide Protests

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Behnam Asef-Jah, Coordinating Council of the Iranian Teachers’ Union, Hajir Hojjati, HRANA, Khadigeh Mobaraki, Kourush Jalil, Masoud Nikkhakh, Rahim Zare, Saeed Taheri, Sasan Zarghampour, Siamak Chehrazi, Soraya Aghai, teachers' protests, Yaghoub Zare, Yasuj City

On Thursday, May 13, 2022, during the teachers’ protests in various cities across the country, several dozens of protestors were arrested. In Yasuj City, security forces arrested more than 20 protestors.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Thursday, May 13, 2022, more than 20 teachers were arrested during the protests in Yasuj.

In the protest, some of the individuals who were arrested were identified as Yaghoub Zare, Rahim Zare, Hajir Hojjati, Khadigeh Mobaraki, Behnam Asef-Jah, Kourush Jalil, Saeed Taheri, Soraya Aghai, Sasan Zarghampour. Moreover, Masoumeh Dehghan, Masoud Farhikhteh, Jaleh Roohzad and Lotfollah Jamshid in Tehran, Masoud Nikkhakh in Mariwan, and Siamak Chehrazi in Ahvaz were arrested.

On Thursday, in response to the call of the Coordinating Council of the Iranian Teachers’ Union, both retired and working teachers in dozens of cities held protests in front of the Ministry of Education in several cities and across from Iran’s Parliament in Tehran. The protestors chanted slogans in support of the detained teachers.

According to reports obtained by HRANA, many individuals other than teachers had also joined the protests. The government has tightened security measures around the country’s main streets to prevent such protests.

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Bank Day, Coal Mining Galanderoud, Eskandar Lotfi, Gachsaran Petrochemical Company, Haft-Tappeh Complex, HRANA, Iranian pharmacists, Iranian protests against inflation, Iranian ranchmen, Kish Free Zone Organization, Masoud Nikkhah, Sepah Bank, Social Security pensioners, Tabriz Petrochemical Company, Zagros Steel Company

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place this week in Iran. Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations


Saturday, May 7

A group of ranchmen in various cities such as Shahroud, Qazvin, Isfahan, Arak, Qom, Shiraz, Yazd, Kerman and Mashhad gathered and protested before the building of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad in each city. In Shiraz, the protestors rallied in the streets after gathering.

They chanted “livestock in Rials, the expenditures in dollars”, and “ranchmen are bankrupt.” to protest against the high prices of animal and poultry feed.

In response to a call for protest against inflation and surging prices in media, in Khuzestan Province, people in Shadegan, Susangerd and Izeh demonstrated. In this regard, in Susangerd, at least 20 people were arrested by security forces. in Izeh City, The police used tear gas to crack down on the protests.

A group of residents of the village Sheykh Taqqeh in Kurdistan Province held protests in their village against destroying farming lands for setting up factories.

They said: “Instead of using the place of Zagros Steel Company which shut it down under various pretexts, now they want to destroy farmlands to set up a factory. The closed factory location suits best this new factory. It is already equipped with gas and water and is near the railway. We are wondering why they want to build the factory on our farmlands.”

A number of staff of the contractor companies who are working for the Ministry of Energy gathered before the Administrative and Recruitment Affairs Organization in Tehran to demand official contracts with the Ministry. They argued that according to the regulations and enactments, all employees who have been recruited through passing the National recruitment exams should receive official employment contracts with government organizations of the Ministry of Energy.

A group of workers of the Coal Mining Galanderoud in Mazandaran Province held protests before the Iranian Mining Products and Supplies Company in Tehran.

According to the protestors, the employer forces them to come under contract with the contractors rather than the company itself.

The workers of contractor companies who are working as welders in Gas Tank Manufacturing projects as well as the Electrical and instrumentation workers working for Gachsaran Petrochemical Company went on strike. They asked for unpaid wages, the end year bonuses and a work schedule of 20 days on/10 days off.

Sunday, May 8

A number of retired workers of Haft-Tappeh Complex gathered before the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare office in Shush City. They said that after one year of the employer’s failure to meet their demands, they filed a complaint to the Ministry of Labour. But the process goes through very slowly.

The Social Security pensioners gathered and protested before the Social Security Organization’s offices in Ahvaz, Mashhad, Kermanshah, Ardabil, Rasht and Arak.

Some of their demands include raising pensions to stand above the poverty line, implementing an already enacted plan to close wage disparities, addressing supplementary insurance issues, and paying the end year bonuses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A number of workers of the Tabriz Petrochemical Company gathered before the company entrance to protest against the wage gap between the office personnel and workers.

Monday, May 9

In Mariwan, dozens of teachers and educators gathered before the Ministry of Education in support of two detained teachers Eskandar Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah.

On May 1, 2022, security protests arrested two teachers and members of the Teachers’ Trade Association of Mariwan Eskandar Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah. They went on hunger strike right after the arrest.

A number of citizens who have pre-purchased the apartments from the construction project Damon Darya 2 protested before the Kish Free Zone Organization. These protestors asked the managers to fulfil their commitments and complete the construction project after ten years.

The personnel of Sepah Bank gathered in Isfahan to protest against low wages and other demands.

For the second consecutive day, the workers of the Gachsaran Petrochemical Company went on strike and gathered at work premises. They asked for unpaid wages and other benefits.

 

 

Tuesday, May 10

A group of Administrative staff of Ali-Nasab Hospital in Tabriz gathered at the hospital premises to ask for receiving the extra payments that had been allocated merely to medical staff during Coivd-pandemics.

The green maintenance workers of the Municipality of Shiraz gathered and protested before the City Council Building. They protested against irregularities in payments, low wages and the lack of job security.

A group of the candidates for the residency exam protested to change the exam date.

A number of mini-bus drivers in Bandar-Abbas went on strike to protest against the fuel shortage.

Wednesday, May 11

For the third consecutive day, the workers of Gachsaran Petrochemical Company went on strike and gathered before the headquarters of Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company. One of the protestors told HRANA: “Today in this gathering, we the workers who have temporary job contracts ask for levelling up wages adequately because this 10 per cent increase is less than the annual increase in the minimum wage.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A group of shareholders of Bank Day gathered before the Central Bank in Tehran to ask for their demands. They chanted slogans for resigning the bank managers.

The workers of the contractors who are working for Adish Refinery Company in Kangan, Bushehr Province, joined the 1401 Campaign and went on strike. Many workers in the oil industry have recently launched a protest campaign to ask for raising wages.

A number of pharmacists assembled and protested before Food and Drug Administration in Tehran. They protested against the low wages determined by the Pharmacist Association and not holding elections for this association under the pretext of Coivd-19 pandemics for two years.

The residents of two villages in Shiraz County gathered and protested before the governorate building in Shiraz City. They protested against the poor quality and saline water caused by a salt dome along the river.  Despite frequent requests, the local authorities have done nothing to remove this salt dome.

Thursday, May 12

As a backlash to the new wave of inflation, citizens in several cities such as Shahrekord, Andimeshk, Izeh and Junqan poured into the streets. The police and security forces cracked down on the protests and used tear gas and live ammunition to scatter the protesting crowds.

In response to the call of the Coordinating Council of Iranian teacher Unions, both retired and working teachers in dozens of cities held protests before the Ministry of Education in each city and the parliament in Tehran. The protestors chanted slogans in support of detained teachers.

 

 

Asghar Khani Arrested and Sent to Kazerun Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Asghar Khani, Farashband County, HRANA, Kazerun Prison

On Tuesday, April 3, 2022, in Farashband County located in Fars Province, intelligence agents arrested Asghar Khani at his work and transferred him to Kazerun Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Tuesday, April 3, 2022, Asghar Khani was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence agents in Farashband County.

Khani suffers from respiratory disease, and his detention raises health concerns. An informed source told HRANA: “Asghar Khani suffers from respiratory disease and he has to use a respiratory spray. According to his physician, he has to stay away from stressful situations, prison conditions and interrogation will worsen his disease.”

The reason for this arrest and the charges are still unknown.

Asghar Khani, age 49, is a civil engineer and a father of two children.

Individual Arrested for Writing Anti-regime Slogan on Wall

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Ministry of Intelligence, Urmia, writing slogans

An individual was arrested for writing slogans on the Ministry of Intelligence’s wall and setting his own car on fire in Azerbaijan Province’s Urmia City. A video circulated on social media showed a security agent pointing a gun at him.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, a citizen was arrested for writing a slogan on the wall and setting his vehicle on fire. 

As an act of protest, this unidentified individual first set his vehicle which was parked by the Ministry of Intelligence on fire in Urmia and then began to write slogans on the wall of the ministry’s office.

 The media outlets inside Iran and officials have not reacted to this incident so far. Yet, a video showing a security agent pointing a gun toward the protestor from about a short distance has become viral on social media.