Iran Protests: Six Individuals Arrested

In recent days, related to nationwide protests, security forces arrested six people in Mariwan, Sanandaj and Mamasani.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on November 6, 2022, Masha’al Alamdari, a resident of Mamasani, was arrested by security forces.

An informed source told HRANA that, in recent weeks, Alamdari was walking in streets without a headscarf. After a few days, she was arrested and charged with writing protest slogans on city walls and protest activities. They transferred her to a detention facility in Shiraz, but we are unaware of her exact whereabouts.

Moreover, Kurdpa reported the arrest of five protestors in Sanandaj and Marivan. These individuals have been identified as Rahmat (last name unknown), Esmail (Last name unknown), Jamal Karami and Shahoo Karami in Sanandaj, and Shakhawan Khavari in Mariwan.

 

Teachers Eskandar Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah Arrested

On October 8, 2022, security forces arrested Lotfi and Masoud Nikkhah, the members of the Teachers’ Trade Association of Mariwan and one day later transferred them from Mariwan to Evin Prison in Tehran.

These teachers union activists were arrested at their houses in Mariwan.

On May 1, 2022, Lotfi and Nikkhah were also arrested by security forces and then released on bail on August 20.

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

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On Thursday, September 8, 2022, at least two protests took place in Iran.

The families of prisoners presently on death row in Ghezel Hesar Prison and Karaj Central Penitentiary protested before the Judiciary building in Tehran. These protestors held placards asking to stop executions.

Residents of Mariwan held a protest demanding security for women, following Shalir Rasouli’s death at a hospital, a woman who threw herself out of the window of her apartment to escape an assailant.

 

Navid Kohnehpushi Arrested in Mariwan

On August 3, 2022, agents arrested Navid Kohnehpushi after his appearance at the Ministry of Intelligence office in Mariwan.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Navid Kohnehpushi was arrested in Mariwan.

 Kohnehpushi informed his family that he was detained in a detention facility controlled by the Ministry of Intelligence.

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

Navid Kohnehpushi, age 31, is an environmental activist and a resident of a village in Mariwan, Kurdistan Province.

Police Shot Dead Two Children near Khorramabad 

On July 31, 2022, two minors were killed by the police’s unruly shooting toward a vehicle on a road leading to Khorramabad. The police arrested the children’s injured parents and transferred them to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, at a checkpoint in Firoozabad, the police shot at a vehicle, killing two children. 

The victims have been identified as two brothers, Mehdi and Matin Rashedi Manesh, ages 9 and 13, from a village in Mariwan County.

According to an informed source, no warning was given to stop the vehicle when the police fired at the vehicle. The two adults are severely injured and in critical condition.

According to HRANA’s annual report, in 2021, 242 citizens were targeted by unruly shootings by regime military forces, of which 94 were killed. This includes 23 kolbars (cross-border carriers) and 31 sukhtbars (cross-border fuel porters). 148 people have been injured, including 81 kolbars and 51 sukhtbars.

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Update on Detained Teacher Union Activist Eskandar Lotfi

Teacher Eskandar Lotfi, who was detained since May 30, 2022, has been transferred to a location unknown to his lawyer and family.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Eskandar Lotfi, a detained teacher and a member of the Mariwan Teachers’ Trade Association, has been transferred to a location unknown to his lawyer and family.

Eskandar Lotfi has been on hunger strike since his arrest in protest against the unlawful arrest and interrogators’ pressure to make forced confessions.

An informed source close to Lotfi’s family told HRANA that his case has been handed to the Evin Courthouse.

Mr Lotfi’s lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht wrote on social media, “My client, Eskandar Lotfi is on hunger strike for nine days and recently was transferred from Mariwan to an unknown location and his life is in danger.”

Three weeks ago, in a report, a state-controlled TV channel tried to connect the recent detention of two French citizens, Cécile Kohler and her husband, to nationwide teachers’ protests and the teachers’ activists. In response, in a statement, the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association condemned these attempts to make such connections and allegations. 

On Sunday, May 1, in response to a call by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, the retired and active teachers in 45 cities assembled in front of the building of the Ministry of Education. In Mariwan and Bushehr, these protests were attacked and several protestors were arrested. 

Teacher Union Activist Jabbar Doosti Arrested in Mariwan

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.

Seven Arrested Teachers Released, Four Teachers’ Detention Extended

On Monday, May 2, 2022, seven teachers who had been arrested during teachers’ protests in Bushehr were freed, while four teachers’ pretrial detentions were extended by 72 days.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, seven teachers who were arrested during the teachers’ protest in Bushehr last Sunday were released and four teachers’ detention was extended by 72 days.

Reportedly, these released teachers have been identified as Hamid Khojasteh, Mohammad-Reza Akbari, Ardeshir Sayyadi, Yousef Sayyadi, Fereydoun Shafiee, Mohammad Melaki and Naser Zendeh-boodi. The detentions of four teachers identified as Reza Amanifar, Asghar Hajeb, Mohsen Omrani and Mahmood Melaki were extended by72 days by the order of the prosecutor’s office.

These teachers had been arrested by the police in Bushehr last Sunday.

On Sunday, May 1, in response to a call by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, the retired and working teachers in 45 cities assembled in front of the building of the Ministry of Education. In Mariwan and Bushehr, these protests were attacked by the police and several protestors were arrested. 

Three Days of Iran Protests Over Fuel Price Raise

Protests have erupted across Iran after the government unexpectedly announced it is rationing petrol and increasing its price. The protests took place across the country following the decision of the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, at midnight of November 14, 2019, to cut petrol subsidies to raise funds for social assistance to the poor. Petrol price was increased to a minimum of 15,000 Rials per liter, 50% increase from the day before.

Nationwide protests in the last three days were in at least 48 cities such as: Ahvaz, Shooshtar, Dezful, Gachsaran, Abadan, Khorramshahr, Bandar Mahshahr, Rasht, Shiraz, Bandar Abbas, Gorgan, Khorramabad, Qom, Ilam, Karaj, Sanandaj, Dorud, Qazvin, Arak, Mahdi Shahr, Garmsar, Shahroud, Najafabad, Mariwan, Tehran, Tabriz, Ardabil, Urmia, Saveh, Pasargadae, Qods (Qal’eh Hasan Khan), Varamin, Sari, Yasuj, Qaemshahr, Shahrekord, Malek Shahr, Parand, Damavand, Pol Dokhtar, Neyshabur, Sarepol Zahab, Kahnooj, Yazd, Bandar Bushehr, Bahmai, Shahriar, etc. They are still ongoing in several cities.

Peaceful demonstrations turned violent in Sanandaj, Mahshahr, and Shiraz, with online videos purporting to show police officers firing teargas at protesters and mobs setting fires. Several people were injured or killed in the first three days of protests as a result of the police’s direct shots. On November 17, 2019, students of Tehran University and Tabriz University protested inside the university. Shops at Tehran Grand Bazaar went on strike on November 17, 2019.

The protests started on November 15, 2019, and are still ongoing. The arrest of more than 1000 people across the country was confirmed. More than 150 banks and supermarkets were set on fire and a police officer was killed. Two Hawzas -a seminary where Shi’a Muslim clerics are educated- were set on fire in Shiraz and Kazerun. According to unconfirmed reports, at least 36 people were killed in Sirjan, Shiraz, Behbahan, Marivan, Khoramshahr, Isfahan, and Shahriar.

According to Fars News, protests were held in 100 cities and at least 100 banks and 57 supermarkets were set on fire. Based on this report, the number of protesters were 87400 from which 82200 are men and 5200 women. At least 1000 people were arrested. Yazd prosecutor confirmed the arrest of 40 people in the city of Yazd. Bam Prosecutor also confirmed the arrest of 15 people in the city of Bam. The prosecutor of Robat Karim confirmed the arrest of 34 protesters for vandalism. According to Mohammad Reza Amoui, Kermanshah’s chief of Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on November 16, Major Iraj Javaheri was killed fighting with protesters in Kermanshah. A journalist resided in Mariwan, Adnan Hasanpour, reported that security forces shot people directly and at least seven people were killed in Javanrud, one person was killed in Sanandaj, and several people were injured. According to unconfirmed reports, 15 of the killed people are identified as following:

Meisam Adgipour, Khaled Maniat, Ali Ghazlavy, Milad Hamidavi, Ali Boghlani, Hamzeh Savari, Mohammad Asafi Zargani, Ehsan Abdollahnejad, Mehdi Nikouei, Osman Naderi, Mehran Tak, Shahou Validi, Javad Nazari Fathabadi, Mehrdad Dashtizadeh, Mohammad Hossein Ghanavati.

Iran has almost completely shut off access to the internet across the country. On November 16, 2019, by the approval of the National Security Supreme Council, the government has completely blocked Internet access in Iran to stymie protests. Due to the internet shut down and the lack of access to freelance reporters and citizen journalists, confirming news about demonstrations and deaths is difficult. It also caused difficulty for Iranian citizens to have access to news agencies websites. On Monday, November 18, schools are closed in 17 cities across Iran:

Shiraz, Kazerun, Alborz, Fereydun, Fereydun Shahr, Farsan, Kuhrang, Laran, Taleqan, Astara, and Najafabad. In addition, universities are closed in Shiraz.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has backed petrol price increases claiming opponents of the Islamic Republic and foreign enemies were guilty of sabotage and not ordinary people. According to Khabar Online, Mojtaba Zonnour, a parliament member representing Qom, is collecting parliament members signatures to impeach Ali Larijani, the head of parliament. He gathered 50 signatures so far. Mohammad Qasim Osmani, a parliament member representing Bukan, filed his resignation and added that he resigned to announce that he was not involved in this decision [raising petrol price]. Today, with respect to Ayatollah Khamenei’s views, the Ministry of Intelligence announced that the protesters will face harsh punishments. Reportedly, people received threatening text messages in Khuzestan and Karaj from the prosecutor’s offices of their province. People were warned about attending protests and not to disturb public order and facilitate the abuse of opposition groups.

Video reports of the first day protests:

Video reports of the second-day protests

Video reports of the third day of protests: