Tag: Kerman

Five Baha’i Citizens Arrested in Kerman

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News, Religious Minorities
Behnam Pour-Ahmadi, Foad Shaker, HRANA, Kerman, Paridokht Shojaei, Shahram Fallah, Yekta Fallah

On July 12, 2023, in a concerning development, security forces in Kerman apprehended and detained five Baha’i citizens.

The detainees, identified as Foad Shaker, Shahram Fallah, Yekta Fallah, Behnam Pour-Ahmadi, and Paridokht Shojaei, were subsequently transferred to an undisclosed location. During the arrest, agents conducted a search of the house and their vehicles and seized some of their personal belongings.

The exact reasons behind the arrests and the specific location of their detention remain unknown, deepening concerns about potential human rights violations. One reliable source, who spoke to HRANA revealed that these individuals were apprehended at the residence of Shahram Fallah, where they were guests.

According to unofficial sources, it is estimated that more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian Constitution recognizes only Islam as the official religion, in addition to Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Bahai faith is not considered legitimate by the authorities, and the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.

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.

 

Sahand Nourmohammadzadeh’s Sentence Confirmed by Supreme Court

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Freedom of Expression, News
Hamed Ahmadi, Kahnuj, Kerman, moharebeh, Sahand Nourmohammadzadeh

Shargh Newspaper reports that Sahand Nour-Mohammadzadeh’s lawyer, Hamed Ahmadi, has disclosed that the Supreme Court has upheld a six-year prison sentence and ten years of exile for his client. Nourmohammadzadeh’s initial death sentence was commuted to imprisonment following a retrial.

Ahmadi explains that the enforcement of ten years of exile will depend on the application of Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code. Otherwise, Nourmohammadzadeh will serve the entirety of his prison sentence.

Nourmohammadzadeh has been exiled to Kahnuj, Kerman province, for charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh).” Additionally, he has been sentenced to five years in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security” and one year in prison for “disturbing public order.” The Supreme Court overturned the initial death sentence and referred the case to Branch 26 for review.

Execution of Four Inmates Carried Out at Kerman Prison

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Executions, News
Gholam Mir, Kerman, Mohammad Sepahi, Yousef Ghofran

According to a report by Haal Vsh, on June 18, 2023, four inmates who had been separately convicted of drug-related crimes were executed at Kerman Prison.

Among the executed prisoners, three have been identified as Gholam Mir, Mohammad Sepahi, and Yousef Ghofran.

Sepahi had been convicted of drug offenses six years ago by the Kerman Revolutionary Court.

At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.

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.

 

Four Inmates Executed in Karaj and Kahnuj 

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Executions, News
Arya Parvizi, Ashkan Sohrabi, Hassan Nourollahi, Hossein Roosta, Kahnuj, Karaj, Kerman, Rajai-Shahr

HRANA, Human Rights Activists News Agency –On May 31, 2023, Rajai Shahr Prison officials carried out the execution of two inmates who were convicted of murder.

HRANA has identified them as Hassan Nourollahi and Hossein Roosta.

Additionally, two inmates, Ashkan Sohrabi and Arya Parvizi, were executed in Kahnuj, Kerman Province, on June 1, 2023, for their involvement in drug-related crimes three years ago, as reported by the Baloch Activists Campaign.

At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.

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.

 

 

Eight Inmates Executed in Kerman and Khorramabad

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Executions, News
Amrollah Adish, Dehdasht, Kambiz Davarpanah, Kerman, Khorramabad

HRANA, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, reported on May 13, 2023, that six inmates in Kerman prison and two in Khorramabad prison were executed for drug-related crimes.

HRANA has identified two of the six inmates executed in Kerman prison as Kambiz Davarpanah and Amrollah (Shamal) Adish, both coming from Dehdasht.

According to an informed source who spoke to HRANA, Davarpanah had been sentenced to death five years ago, and his body has not yet been returned to his family.
On the same day, Khorramabad Prison officials carried out the execution of two inmates convicted of drug-related crimes.
HRANA is working on identifying these executed inmates.

At the time of writing, none of the official sources or media outlets in the country has reported these executions.

The alarming trend of executions has been increasing in recent weeks. According to reports obtained by HRANA, at least 57 prisoners, including two women and two prisoners of conscience, have been executed in various Iranian prisons from April 28 to May 9, 2023.

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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Iran Protests: Sahand Nourmohammadzadeh Sentenced to Imprisonment and Exile

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Freedom of Expression, News
Kahnuj, Kerman, moharebeh, Nourmohammadzadeh

Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Sahand Nourmohammadzadeh to six years in prison and ten years of exile in Kahnuj, Kerman Province. This sentence was issued after his death sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Shargh Newspaper, Sahand Nourmohammadzadeh, one of the individuals arrested at the 2022 nationwide protests, has been sentenced to imprisonment and exile.

Nourmohammadzadeh has received ten years of exile for “enmity against God (moharebeh),” five years in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security,” and one year in prison for “disturbing public order.”

Ahmadi expressed disappointment that the judge, contrary to the Supreme Court’s decision, did not dismiss the charge of Moharebeh. Additionally, Ahmadi announced that he would object to this verdict.
Nourmohammadzadeh was initially sentenced to death, but the Supreme Court overturned this decision and sent the case to Branch 26 for review.

About 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. During the nationwide protests, about 19600 people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.

 

Five Inmates Spared from Execution in Kerman and Karaj

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Executions, News
Alborz, Citizen execution, Hamedan, Karaj, Kerman

In Kerman and Karaj provinces, five inmates convicted of murder in separate cases were spared from execution by receiving consent from the victims’ families.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Young Journalists Club, four death-row received consent from victims’ families in Kerman Prison.

Similarly, the General Director of Alborz Prisons Organization announced that in one of the prisons of this province, a death-row inmate convicted of killing his cellmate in Hamedan Prison received amnesty from the victim’s family after 23 years of incarceration.

Update on Political Prisoner Mehdi Meskinnavaz’s Condition

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News, Prisoners
Asal Meskinnavaz, Evin Prison, Fahraj, great tehran penitentiary, Kerman, Mehdi Meskinnavaz, Rajai Shahr Prison

Political prisoner Mehdi Meskinnavaz is currently serving his seven-and-a-half-year sentence at Great Tehran Penitentiary. He has recently faced a new legal case while in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, political prisoner Mehdi Meskinnavaz faced new charges while in prison.

An informed source told HRANA, “this new legal case is related to incidents during his incarceration in Rajai-Shahr Prison. On March 14, the court held a session addressing the charges. Meskinnavaz refused to appear at the court in protest against unfair due process.”

On January 30, 2023, Meskinnavaz was relocated from Rajai Shahr Prison to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Meanwhile, intelligence agents arrested his 17-year-old daughter, Asal Meskinnavaz. After 14 days, Meskinnavaz was transferred to Great Tehran Penitentiary.

On May 5, 2019, security forces arrested Meskinnavaz in Bandar Anzali for “running a Telegram channel advocating the overthrow of the regime.”

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. Applying Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, seven years and six months in prison for one charge was enforceable.

 

17-Year-old Political Prisoner’s Daughter Arrested

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News, Prisoners
Asal Meskin-Navaz, Evin Prison, Fahraj, Karaj, Kerman, Mehdi Meskin Navaz, Rajai-Shahr

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.

 

 

Iran Protests: Seven People Arrested in Kerman

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Freedom of Expression, News
iran protests, IRGC Intelligence, ISNA, Kerman

The public relations office of Kerman IRGC announced the arrest of seven allegedly “protest leaders,” of which several are dual-national.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ISNA, IRGC intelligence arrested seven people in Kerman and accused them of “leading protests.”

This IRGC official claimed that these individuals are members of an organization called Zagros, led by some from England.

This report did not disclose the detainee’s identities and the location they have been held.