Baha’i Citizen Payam Vali Sentenced to 16 Years

The Alborz Revolutionary Court sentenced Baha’i citizen Payam Vali, imprisoned in Ghezel Hesar Prison, to 16 years imprisonment, pre-trial detention included. He was also banned from leaving the country for two years and sentenced to two years in exile in Yasuj.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Baha’i citizen Payam Vali was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

According to this verdict, Vali received ten years for “collaboration with hostile countries,” five years for “inciting people to commit violence,” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.” As additional punishment, he was banned from leaving the country for two years and sentenced to a two-year compulsory residence in Yasuj County.

If the verdict is upheld on appeal, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, ten years in prison for “collaboration with hostile countries”, will be enforceable.

On September 24, 2022, security forces arrested Vali at his house in Karaj, searched the house, and detained him in Rajai Shahr Prison. He was later relocated to Ghezel Hesar prison.

 

 

Three Inmates Executed in Karaj

On February 14, 2023, the Central Prison of Karaj officials executed three inmates convicted of drug-related crimes and murder.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on February 14, 2023, three inmates were executed in the Central Prison of Karaj.

HRANA has identified one of these individuals as Mehdi Doostari, previously convicted of drug offenses. HRANA is working on identifying two other executed prisoners convicted of murder.

None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported these executions at the time of writing.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

Armita Abbasi Released from Kachooie Prison

On February 7, 2023, Armita Abbasi, arrested during nationwide protests, was released from Kachooie Prison, Karaj.

Details on her release are still unknown. However, she was likely released due to the recent pardon for jailed protestors.

In late September 2022, security forces arrested Abbasi in Karaj and jailed her in Kachooie prison.

On January 2, 2023, she and fourteen other female jailed protestors went on a hunger strike.

Her first hearing was held by the Karaj Revolutionary Court on January 29, 2023. According to her lawyer, Shahla Orouji, ” Abbasi faced three charges two of the least serious allegations are propaganda against the regime and assembly and collusion against national security.”

 

17-Year-old Political Prisoner’s Daughter Arrested

On January 30, political prisoner Mehdi Meskinnavaz was relocated from Rajai Shahr Prison to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Meanwhile, intelligence agents arrested his 17-year-old daughter, Asal Meskinnavaz .

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on January 30, 2023, Asal Meskinnavaz was arrested by intelligence agents.

An informed source told HRANA that the prosecutor’s representative, Eliasi, directly ordered Mehdi Meskinnavaz’s relocation to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. The agents also confiscated some of his personal belongings in prison.

On May 5, 2019, security forces arrested Meskinnavaz in Bandar Anzali for “running a Telegram channel advocating the overthrow of the regime.” He was transferred to the public ward of Evin Prison in Tehran after ending the interrogation.

In August 2019, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Meskinnavaz to 13 years for “assembly and collusion to act against national security, insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran, and Propaganda against the regime.” He was also banned from membership in political parties and groups and two-year compulsory residence in exile in Fahraj, Kerman.

On April 20, 2020, he was transferred from Evin to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.

 

 

Six Inmates Executed in Karaj and Hamedan

Monday, January 23, four inmates convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in the Central Prison of Karaj. Moreover, last Tuesday, January 19, Hamedan Prison officials executed two inmates convicted of drug offences.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on January 23, 2023, four inmates were executed in the Central Prison of Karaj. HRANA Has identified three of them as Saman Nabi- Garusi, Abolfazl Baraghani-Nejad, and Sabina Esmailzadeh. All four inmates were previously convicted of drug-related crimes.

HRANA also reported the execution of Ali Jalilvand and Akbar Ahmadi, both married, in Hamedan Prison. Also, on January 22, another death-row inmate, convicted of drug-related crimes, was relocated to solitary confinement awaiting imminent execution.

None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported these executions at the time of writing.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

 

 

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Two Inmates Executed in Ghezel-Hesar Prison

On January 5, 2023, two death-row inmates previously convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in Ghezel-Hesar Prison, Karaj.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, two inmates identified by HRANA as Mehdi Asgari and Rostam Abbaszadeh were executed in Ghezel-Hesar prison.

An informed source told HRANA that Abbaszadeh had been released after serving out his sentence for drug offences in 2006. However, when he was arrested for the second time, he received a life sentence after reviewing the first case and a death sentence for the second case.

None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported these executions at the time of writing.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

 

 

 

Iran Protests: Journalist Mehdi Ghadimi Arrested

On January 1, 2023, security forces arrested journalist Mehdi Ghadimi in Karaj and took him to an undisclosed location.

Ghadimi was arrested at his parents’ home in Karaj. The agents searched the house and confiscated some of their belongings.

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

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, about 19200 people, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read HRANA’s comprehensive report here.

 

Three Inmates Executed in Rasht and Karaj

On December 15, 2022, three inmates convicted of murder and drug-related crimes were executed in Lakan Prison in Rasht and the Central Prison of Karaj.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on December 15, 2022, quoting Iran Human Rights Organization, Hassan Amini and Amir Abbasi were executed in Lakan Prison, Rasht, Gilan Province.

These individuals were previously sentenced to death for murder.

Also, an Afghan national identified as Reza Tajik convicted of drug-related crimes was executed in the Central Prison of Karaj.

 

Two Citizens Arrested in Karaj

On October 12, security forces agents arrested two individuals in Karaj in relation to the nationwide protests.

These individuals have been identified as Hossein Akhoondi, 53, and Masumeh Dini. Both are retired and residents of Karaj.

According to an informed source, Mrs. Dini was taken to custody at a police station and Mr. Akhoondi to an IRGC detention facility.

The reason for these arrests and the charges are still unknown.

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, thousands of people, including journalists, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read HRANA’s comprehensive report here.

 

Nationwide Protests in Iran Continue on Day Sixteen

On October 1, 2022, despite the heavy presence of riot police and plainclothes security agents, Iranian people held demonstrations in many cities including Mashhad, Rasht, Dehgolan, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tehran, Shahrekord, Shahin Shahr, Arak, Bukan, Babol, Karaj. Moreover, on at least 27 universities campus, the students held protests. These protests continued in Tehran, Isfahan, Bushehr and at least 25 universities on the following day, October 2.

The map below shows the geographical distribution of protests across Iran during the last 48 hours.

In most cases, peaceful student protests turned violent by the police as dozens of students were arrested by the security forces. On the University of Isfahan campus, the security agents or the police fired tear gas at the crowd of protesting students.

Last night, the police and security forces surrounded the Sharif University of Technology, chasing and arresting violently the students who left the campus. The police fired tear gas and pellet guns, leading to several students’ injuries. 

According to Iran’s Student Union, several protesting students were trapped in a university building by university security agents and then arrested by the police.

The students chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator”, “don’t call it protests, it is now a revolution”, and “jailed students should be freed.” They also chanted slogans against the Supreme Leader, Khamenei.

On October 2, in Isfahan and Piranshahr, traders and shopkeepers joined the general strike and closed their shops.

Meanwhile, in recent days, the record-breaking hashtag Mahsa Amini (Ù…Ù‡ŰłŰ§_Ű§Ù…ÛŒÙ†ÛŒ#) reached over 200 million times on Twitter.

Like the previous days, most parts of the country, especially Kurdistan, faced internet and mobile phone disruptions and outages.

Last Friday, September 30, in Zahedan, in Sistan and Baluchistan province, the security forces opened fire at the crowd of protestors coming from the Friday prayer. According to Iranian Sunni cleric Molavi Abdul Hamid, at least 40 people were killed in this incident.

The number of people arrested is increasing day on day. HRANA identified 31 arrests alone for yesterday.

Kurdistan police chief claimed that more than 150 people arrested during the “unrest” have been released.

It is estimated that 30 to 40 students at the Sharif University of Technology were arrested.

Anti-riot police and security forces use live ammunition against the protestors. HRANA has identified 150 death tolls, of which some have been verified by HRANA after fact-checking.

Below is the compilation of the videos from the protests in the past 24 hours.