Mohammad Boroughani Receives Five-Year Prison Term and Ten Years Exile

The Tehran Revolutionary Court has issued a verdict, sentencing Mohammad Boroughani, a detainee from the 2022 nationwide protests, to five years in prison and ten years of mandatory residence in Naeen County, situated in Isfahan province, as reported by Shargh Newspaper.

Initially facing a death sentence on charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through the use of a cold weapon, altercation with police officers, and setting fire to the Pakdasht governorate building,” Boroughani’s fate took a different turn. The Supreme Court overturned the initial verdict, leading to a retrial in another court branch.

Currently held in Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Boroughani was apprehended during the 2022 protest in Pakdasht, Tehran Province.

Update on Amir-Nasr Azadani’s Current Situation in Dastgerd Prison

Amir-Nasr Azadani, a former soccer player involved in the legal case “Khaneh e Isfahan (Isfahan House),” is presently incarcerated in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan, serving a sixteen-year sentence imposed by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.

A source close to Azadani’s family informed HRANA that in January 2023, he received five years for “membership in illegal groups to act against national security,” five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” and sixteen years for “enmity against God (Moharebeh).” In May of the same year, the Supreme Court accepted his retrial plea, leading to the review of his case by another branch court.

“In the review, the Isfahan Revolutionary Court acquitted him of the first two charges, yet upheld his 16-year prison term for Moharebeh,” the source clarified.

Azadani’s lawyer has submitted a request for a retrial, and the case is currently pending before the Supreme Court.

Amid nationwide protests on November 17, 2022, Azadani was arrested by security forces in connection to the “Khaneh e Isfahan” case. Notably, three other defendants in the same case, Saleh Mir Hashemi (36), Majid Kazemi (30), and Saeed Yaghoubi (37), were executed on May 19, 2023, for charges of enmity against God (Moharebeh).

Protest Singer Toomaj Salehi Released on Bail

In a significant development, influential protest rapper Toomaj Salehi was granted bail on November 18 from Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, after the Supreme Court overturned his verdict.

Amir Raisian, Salehi’s lawyer, informed Shargh News that upon appeal, Branch 39 of the Supreme Court reviewed Salehi’s case, identified defects in the indictment, and subsequently annulled the previous verdict. Consequently, the case was returned to the Isfahan Revolutionary Court.
According to Raisian, Salehi, benefiting from a general pardon, should have been released without the need for bail.

In July of this year, Salehi received a six-year and three-month sentence, along with a travel ban, a prohibition on music production, and mandatory participation in behavior management and knowledge skills courses for two years.

In late October 2022, Salehi was detained by security forces during nationwide protests. Despite official media claims of his attempt to leave the country illegally, individuals close to Salehi contested this narrative.

It is noteworthy that the protest singer has a prior conviction in a separate legal case. On January 12, 2022, he was sentenced to a six-month prison term and fined, with the imprisonment suspended for one year.

Actress Mojgan Khaleghi Taken Into Custody in Isfahan

Mojgan Khaleghi, a movie and theater actress, was apprehended in Isfahan on November 11, according to Shargh Newspaper. The incident unfolded at the Isfahan Courthouse.

The 39-year-old actress had visited the courthouse to reclaim her confiscated belongings. As of now, the grounds for her arrest remain undisclosed, and information regarding her current detention site remains elusive.

Four Inmates Executed in Isfahan Prison

On Thursday, November 2, 2023, Isfahan Prison officials carried out the execution of four inmates, as reported by Haal Vsh.

Among the hanged inmates, Ebrahim Narui (Narooie), aged 42 and hailing from Sistan and Baluchestan Province, was identified. Narui had been sentenced to death for drug offenses by the Naeen Revolutionary Court. The other three inmates were residents of Tehran, Rasht, and Isfahan.

As of the time of this report, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided information regarding these executions.
According to data compiled by the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, a total of 659 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, representing a 24% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Seven of these executions were conducted publicly. Concerningly, many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.

 

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Execution of Four Inmates in Shiraz and Isfahan

Four inmates convicted of drug offenses and murder were executed in Shiraz and Isfahan.

On October 23, Iran Human Rights Organization reported the execution of three individuals at Adelabad prison in Shiraz. The victims were identified as Asghar Jafari (approximately 40 years old), Majid Mosaie (38 years old), and Ali Kheirbin (42 years old). Jafari had received the death penalty for drug-related offenses three years prior, while Mosaie and Kheirbin faced similar charges in the same legal case two years ago.

In a separate incident, an unnamed woman convicted of murder was executed at Dastgerd Prison on October 21. It was reported that she had been transferred from Dolatabad prison to Dastgerd for the execution process.

According to data compiled by the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, a total of 659 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, representing a 24% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Seven of these executions were conducted publicly. Concerningly, many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.

Arrest of 10 Baha’i Women in Isfahan Sparks Concern

On October 23, 2023, security forces in Isfahan arrested ten Baha’i women, raising concerns about their well-being. The detained individuals are identified as Neda Badakhsh, Arezoo Sobhanian, Yeganeh Roohbakhsh, Mojgan Shah Rezaie, Parastoo Hakim, Yeganeh Agahi, Bahareh Lotfi, Shana Shoghifar, Negin Khademi, and Neda Emadi.

According to a Baha’i citizen who shared information with HRANA, Ministry of Intelligence agents conducted searches of the women’s residences and confiscated some of their belongings.

At present, the reasons for their arrest and the specific allegations against them remain undisclosed, raising questions and concerns about their situation.

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.

Execution of Inmate in Isfahan

On October 10, 2023, Isfahan Prison carried out the execution of an inmate who had been convicted of murder, according to a report by Hamshahri Newspaper.

Two years ago, this 25-year-old inmate was sentenced to death for fatally stabbing a friend during a violent altercation. Notably, he voluntarily surrendered to the police just one day after the tragic incident occurred.

According to data compiled by the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, a total of 659 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, representing a 24% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Seven of these executions were conducted publicly. Concerningly, many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.

Mahmood Mehrabi Arraigned on Charge of “Spreading Corruption on Earth”

Mahmood Mehrabi, who is presently held in detention at Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, has been officially indicted on charges of “spreading corruption on earth” by the Mobarakeh Public and Revolutionary Courthouse.

Mehrabi faces a multitude of allegations, including “spreading corruption on earth through the dissemination of false information, propagating anti-regime content on the Internet, inciting military and police personnel to abandon their duties, and encouraging acts of aggression, as well as insulting both the former and current Supreme Leader of Iran.”

On February 1, 2023, security forces apprehended Mehrabi in Isfahan. Although he was temporarily released on bail on March 16, 2023, he was re-arrested shortly thereafter at his residence, reportedly in connection with his social media posts that voiced dissent.

It is noteworthy that Mehrabi has a history of prior arrests and convictions stemming from his activism.

 

Mohammad-Mehdi Vossoughian Arrested in Golpayegan

On September 20, 2023, Mohammad-Mehdi Vossoughian was arrested by security forces in Golpayegan County and subsequently taken to an undisclosed detention facility.

This development comes amid ongoing legal uncertainty surrounding his mother, Masoumeh Yavari, a former political prisoner currently incarcerated in Dolatabad Prison.

According to information provided by a source close to his family to HRANA, Vossoughian, a 21-year-old student pursuing anesthesiology at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, was apprehended at his residence in Golpayegan County, Isfahan Province, by a team of 15 intelligence agents.

The motive behind Vossoughian’s arrest and the specific allegations against him remain undisclosed at this time.