Gholamhossein Kalbi, Political Prisoner in His 24th Year of Life Sentence, Denied Medical Care Amid Deteriorating Health

Political prisoner Gholamhossein Kalbi is now in his 24th year of a life sentence at Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz. He suffers from multiple health conditions, yet has been denied specialized medical care and transfer to treatment centers.

As per HRANA’s information, Mr. Kalbi suffers from a hernia, ear and dental infections, and has recently contracted a fungal infection that has caused severe toe infections. Despite his worsening condition and repeated transfers to the prison infirmary, he has only received basic examinations and minimal medication due to limited medical resources. Kalbi urgently needs specialized medical care, which has yet to be approved.

According to a source close to the case, the Ministry of Intelligence, overseeing Kalbi’s file, recently rejected his request for transfer to a prison near his home in Mahshahr. “He is held in Sheiban’s security ward, where he lacks any area for exercise and lives in overcrowded conditions, with twice the capacity in his cell,” the source told HRANA.

Kalbi was arrested on January 8, 2001, along with Saeed Masouri, in Dezful, on charges of membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran. In 2002, he was sentenced to death by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of “enmity against God” (Moharebeh). His death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.

After his arrest, he spent 14 months in solitary confinement at the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Ahvaz before being transferred to Ward 209, and later to Ward 350 of Evin Prison. Following his sentencing, he was moved to Mahshahr Prison and later to Karun Prison in Ahvaz. After the closure of Karun Prison in February 2016, he was transferred along with other prisoners to Sheiban Prison.

In October 2016, his brother, the last remaining member of his family, suffered a stroke and passed away while en route to the prison for a face-to-face visit with him—a visit he had managed to secure after five years of effort. The judicial authorities denied Mr. Kalbi leave to attend his brother’s funeral.

The troubling case of Kalbi underscores a broader pattern of neglect within Iranian prisons. In 2023, the Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 1,390 instances of denial or neglect of medical care for prisoners, highlighting a systemic issue that urgently demands attention.

Zeinab Khenyab Pour Faces Imprisonment and Fine for Photos Without Hijab

The Appellate Court in Khuzestan Province sentenced Zeinab Khenyab Pour, a resident of Behbahan, to four months in prison and paying a fine, for the publication of photos without hijab.

Initially, Khenyab Pour was handed two years in prison by the Behbahan Criminal Court.

In a separate legal development overseen by the Mahshahr Revolutionary Court, Khenyab Pour had previously received a three-month sentence. This verdict was upheld on appeal.

The legal proceedings stem from Khenyab Pour’s participation in a general strike supporting nationwide protests on December 5, 2022. In response to the closure of her garment shop, she sought clarification from judicial authorities and was subsequently detained for six days in Sepidar Prison, located in Ahvaz. The case has ignited discussions about freedom of expression and the legal consequences individuals may face for their involvement in civic actions.

 

Update on the Health and Legal Situation of Political Prisoner Mehran Gharabaghi in Sheiban Prison

Mehran Gharabaghi, a 31-year-old political prisoner, is serving his sentence in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz. Despite facing deteriorating health and the urgent need for medical treatment, he has not been transferred to a hospital outside the prison.

According to a source close to his family who informed HRANA, Gharabaghi is suffering from heart disease. Despite receiving medical confirmation of the necessity for hospital treatment two weeks ago, prison officials have refused to facilitate his transfer to a hospital.

On September 20, 2023, the Criminal Court of Behbahan sentenced Gharabaghi to three years and six months for a legal case initiated against him while imprisoned. The charges include “destruction of public property (setting fire to a women’s seminary in Behbahan),” and an additional 45 lashes for “disturbing public order.” Of this sentence, two years have been suspended for five years.

In a previous legal case, Gharabaghi had received a 10-year and one-month sentence along with additional penalties from the Revolutionary Court of Mahshahr. Additionally, he has been handed a three-year imprisonment, with a two-year prison term enforceable by another Revolutionary Court branch. The concerning state of his health emphasizes the need for immediate attention and appropriate medical care.

Supreme Court Rejects Retrial Plea for Death-Row Inmate Abbas Deris

The Supreme Court has dismissed Abbas Deris’s plea for a retrial. Deris, arrested during the 2019 nationwide protests (Aban Protests), faced a death sentence, with his arrest linked to charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh).”

Despite significant flaws in the legal case and the initial verdict, the Supreme Court of Iran rejected the retrial request, as confirmed by Deris’s lawyer, Fereshteh Tabanian. The legal team has now invoked Article 477 of Iran’s Criminal Procedure Code, which allows for a retrial if a final verdict is deemed inconsistent with Islamic law.

Having initially filed the retrial request in July 2023 to Branch 9 of the Supreme Court, Deris saw a temporary suspension of the verdict. However, in the subsequent month, Tabanian announced that Branch 39 of the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence, disregarding the acknowledged flaws in the case.

Abbas Deris, currently incarcerated at Mahshahr Prison, was accused of firing shots at security forces during the protests, leading to the death of Police Captain Reza Sayyadi. His coerced confession during interrogation by the IRGC was later broadcast by Iran-state TV. However, during the trial, Deris admitted to participating in the protests but denied any involvement in shooting at security forces.

It is noteworthy that Deris’s brother, also a co-defendant, was acquitted of all charges. Both were arrested on December 8, 2019. Abbas Deris, aged approximately 49, is a father of three children.

Background on Aban Protests:

In November 2019, a surge in fuel prices triggered widespread protests across numerous cities in Iran. The Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission reported 7,000 arrests during these protests. Human rights organizations documented hundreds of deaths at the hands of the security apparatus.

 

Zeinab Khenyab Pour Sentenced to Two Years for Publishing Photo without Hijab

The Behbahan Criminal Court has issued a two-year prison sentence to Zeinab (Bahar) Khenyab Pour, a resident of Behbahan, for the publication of photos without hijab.

The announcement of this verdict was made by Sajjad Chatr Sefid, Khenyab Pour’s legal representative. The court session addressing her charges took place on October 9, 2023.

In a separate legal development overseen by the Mahshahr Revolutionary Court, Khenyab Pour had previously received a three-month sentence.

On December 5, 2022, Khenyab Pour’s garment shop was closed following her participation in a general strike in support of nationwide protests. In response to the closure, she sought clarification from judicial authorities and was subsequently detained for six days in Sepidar Prison, located in Ahvaz.

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Navid-Reza Haratian Arrested by Security Forces in Mahshahr

Security forces detained Navid-Reza Haratian in Mahshahr and transported him to an undisclosed facility on December 31.

A source close to his family, confirming Haratian’s arrest, informed HRANA that IRGC Intelligence agents apprehended him at his residence. Haratian has not been granted permission to contact his family, heightening their anxieties.

The grounds for this arrest and Haratian’s current location remain unknown.

Data compiled by the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reveals that IRGC Intelligence has been implicated in 392 cases of human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests.

Hamid-Reza Dorostkar Receives Prison Sentence and Fine

Mahshahr’s Criminal and Revolutionary Courts have sentenced Hamid-Reza Dorostkar to two years and nine months in prison.

According to the verdict issued by the Revolutionary Court on December 25, 2023, Dorostkar was given six months for “insulting the Supreme Court” and one year and three months for “spreading propaganda against the regime.” Notably, he was acquitted of charges related to “inciting people to wage war and cause unrest against national security.”

Additionally, the Criminal Court of Mahshahr sentenced Dorostkar to one year for “blasphemy via publishing insulting media content on the Internet.” He has also been fined 18 million tomans for the charges of “disseminating false information.”

Dorostkar’s arrest occurred during the 2022 nationwide protests, and he remained in detention for four months. Initially sentenced to four years and 74 lashes for multiple charges such as “disturbing public order by participating in and filming unrests to send them to anti-regime media,” “disseminating false information,” and “promoting violence,” he later received amnesty under “the general pardon and commutation,” leading to the closure of his legal case.

Dorostkar, 39 years old, is married and resides in Behbahan, Khuzestan province.

Abbas and Mohsen Deris Sentenced to a Combined 16 Years in Prison

Abbas and Mohsen Deris, arrested during the 2019-2020 protests (Aban Protests), have been collectively sentenced to 16 years in prison by the Criminal Court of Khuzestan Province.

Their lawyer, Fereshteh Tabanian, announced the verdict, stating, “Abbas Deris received a 14-year sentence for ‘murder, holding, and carrying weapons,’ with ten years enforceable if the verdict is upheld on appeal. Mohsen Deris was given a two-year sentence for ‘carrying weapons’ and acquitted of aiding in murder.”

“No evidence supports Abbas Deris’s involvement in the charges presented in this legal case,” Tabanian emphasized.

According to Tabanian, Abbas Deris was recently transferred from Sepidar Prison to Mahshahr Prison.

In a separate legal case, Abbas Deris received a death sentence for “enmity against God” (Moharebeh) from the Mahshahr Revolutionary Court. Although Tabanian had informed that the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence in July, she has now clarified that Deris’s request for a retrial is still pending a response.

Notably, his two brothers, including Mohsen Deris, were acquitted of Moharebeh in this specific case.

Arrested by IRGC Intelligence agents on December 8, 2019, Abbas and Mohsen Deris faced charges related to their participation in the protests. Abbas admitted to involvement but denied specific actions like setting fires and blocking roads. While he initially confessed to shooting at security forces during interrogation, he later disclaimed any responsibility for the death of Capt. Reza Sayadi during the closing arguments.

In November 2019, an increase in fuel prices sparked a wave of protests in dozens of cities across the country. The spokesperson of the Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Seyed Hossein Taghavi, announced that 7000 people were arrested during these protests. According to reports from human rights organizations, hundreds were killed by the security apparatus.

Zeinab Khenyab Pour Receives Three-Month Prison Sentence

The Mahshahr Revolutionary Court has imposed a three-month jail term on Zeinab (Bahar) Khenyab Pour, a resident of Bebahan.

Sajjad Chatr Sefid, Khenyab Pour’s lawyer, confirmed that his client has been found guilty of “spreading propaganda against the regime.” Khenyab Pour is also currently contending with an additional charge, which is under consideration by the Bebahan Criminal Court. The court session for this particular aspect of her legal proceedings took place on October 9, 2023.

Previously, on December 5, 2022, Khenyab Pour’s garment shop was closed due to her participation in the general strike in support of nationwide protests. Following the closure, she sought clarification from judicial authorities and was subsequently detained for six days in Sepidar Prison, located in Ahvaz.

 

Appellate Court Upholds Mohsen Kheirkhah’s Three-Year Sentence

The Appellate Court of Khuzestan Province has upheld a three-year sentence against Mohsen Kheirkhah, a resident of Mahshahr.

On July 22, 2023, the Mahshahr Revolutionary Court handed down a one-year sentence for “propaganda against the regime” and an additional two years for “insulting the Supreme Court of Iran.”

In accordance with Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, which stipulates that the most severe punishment must be enforced in cases involving multiple charges, Kheirkhah is set to spend two years in prison.

Kheirkhah’s arrest took place during the September-October 2022 nationwide protests, and he was initially released from Behbahan Prison after a period of detainment by security forces. Following his release, he faced an additional eight-month prison sentence for “propaganda against the regime.” However, he was granted amnesty under the “pardon and commutation” directive.