Tag: Mashhad

Execution of Six Prisoners Carried Out in Mashhad

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Executions, News
Mahmoud Shahraki, Majid Ghadiri, Mashhad, Mohammad-Reza Davar, Vakilabad prison, Zaher Safari

At dawn on November 5, six prisoners convicted of non-political offenses, primarily drug-related, were executed at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, according to Haal Vsh.

Four of the executed prisoners have been identified: Mahmoud Shahraki and Mohammad-Reza Davar, both from Zabol; Zaher Safari, an Afghan national; and Majid Ghadiri from Mashhad. All four had been sentenced to death on drug-related charges.

The identities and charges of the two remaining prisoners remain unknown.

As of this report, prison authorities and relevant institutions have not publicly confirmed the executions.

According to latest HRANA’s annual report over between October 10, 2023, and October 8, 2024, at least 811 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, rising to 23.06% compared to the same period last year. Of these executions, four were carried out in public. Many of the defendants were denied a fair trial.

Two Inmates Executed in Mashhad and Tehran

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Executions, News
Mashhad, Vahid Nowruzi, Vakilabad prison

In the early hours of October 2, the execution of a prisoner sentenced to death for murder was carried out at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. The prisoner has been identified as 32-year-old Vahid Nowruzi.

According to the Iran Human Rights Organization, Mr. Nowruzi was involved in a fatal altercation two years ago, which led to his conviction and death sentence. However, as of the time of this report, prison authorities and relevant institutions have not officially confirmed the execution.

On the same day, Rokna reported that a female prisoner, convicted of murdering her husband in Tehran, was also executed. She had been sentenced to death by the Criminal Court after being found guilty of killing her husband with the help of her lover, following family disputes.

According to the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran, in 2023, at least 767 citizens, including 21 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the executions of 7 individuals were carried out in public. Additionally, during this period, 172 others were sentenced to death, with 5 of them sentenced to public execution. It is worth noting that during the same period, the initial death sentences of 49 other individuals were also upheld by the Supreme Court.

After a Retrial: Mohammad-Javad Vafaie Thani Sentenced to Death for the Third Time

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Babak Paknia, Mashhad, Mohammad Javad Vafaie Thani, Vakilabad prison

Seyed Mohammad-Javad Vafaie Thani, a political prisoner detained in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, has been sentenced to death for the third time by the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad. Vafaie Thani had previously been handed two death sentences by different branches of the Revolutionary Court, both of which were overturned by the Supreme Court, leading to a retrial in a parallel branch.

Babak Paknia, Vafaie Thani’s defense attorney, revealed in a social media post that a majority of the judges, rejecting the Supreme Court’s arguments, sentenced him to death once again on charges of “spreading corruption on earth.” The ruling remains subject to appeal.

Mohammad-Javad Vafaie, a 28-year-old boxing coach, was arrested in Mashhad in March 2020 and has been imprisoned since. His initial death sentence was based on charges of “corruption on earth through deliberate acts of destruction.” However, this ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court. Following a retrial, he was again sentenced to death, but this second sentence was also overturned in June 2023, and the case was referred to another court. Although the court set a substantial bail for his temporary release, he has remained in detention due to his inability to post bail.

Writer Arash Ramezani Arrested in Mashhad

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Freedom of Expression, News, Other
Arash Ramezani, Fatemeh Noorani, Mashhad, آرش رمضانی

On Saturday, September 14, Arash Ramezani, a writer and social activist, was arrested after being summoned to the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Mashhad. He was then taken to an undisclosed location.

His wife, Fatemeh Noorani, reported the incident in a statement: “Yesterday, we went to the prosecutor’s office in response to a summons my husband had received. While we were still seeking information about the reason for his detention and the bail conditions, a security agency arrived and took him away. After 24 hours, he called us to inform us of his situation but did not know the reason for his arrest.”

There is still no information regarding Ramezani’s current location or the charges against him.

Mr. Ramezani has previously faced arrests and legal actions due to his activities.

Arash Ramezani has published two novels and is an active member of the literary community.

Ramin Haeri Sentenced to Sixteen Months in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Javad Haeri, Mashhad, Ramin Haeri, Vakilabad prison

Ramin Haeri, a political prisoner held in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, has been sentenced to sixteen months in prison by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in this city.

Based on a recent verdict issued by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad and communicated to this political prisoner in prison, Mr. Haeri was sentenced to sixteen months in prison on charges including “propaganda against the regime” and “disturbing public opinion.”

A source close to the political prisoner’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, adding, “Mr. Haeri is also facing another case on the charge of insulting the Supreme Leader, for which no court hearing has yet been held.”

Haeri was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents at his home in Mashhad on February 27, 2024, and was taken to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in the city.

He was eventually transferred to Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, on March 28, 2024. He is currently being held in Ward 104 of this prison, alongside violent crime offenders, without regard for the principle of separating different types of crimes.

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Hamid Haji Abdolpour Sentenced to Prison after Retrial

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Amirkabir University of Technology, Hamid Haji Abdolpour, Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Vakilabad prison

The six years, seven months, and sixteen days prison sentence of Hamid Haji Abdolpour, a graduate of Amirkabir University of Technology, has been fully upheld by Branch 20 of the Appeals Court of Razavi Khorasan Province.

After the acceptance of Mr. Haji Abdolpour’s request for a retrial by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, his case was sent to a parallel branch. Recently, Branch 20 of the Appeals Court of Razavi Khorasan Province upheld his sentence of six years, seven months, and sixteen days in prison.

Haji Abdolpour was initially sentenced by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad to six years in prison for the charge of “forming a Telegram group with the intent of disrupting national security,” and eight months for the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

In June-July 2023, Branch 4 of the Appeals Court of Razavi Khorasan Province reduced his sentence for propaganda against the regime by 14 days, resulting in a final sentence of six years, seven months, and sixteen days in prison. Finally, in late November of last year, after spending 46 days in solitary confinement at the IRGC’s detention facility in Razavi Khorasan Province, he was transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad to serve his sentence.

In separate letters to the Office of the Supreme Leader’s Representative in Universities, the Judiciary’s Intelligence Protection Unit, and the General Inspection Organization of the IRGC, Haji Abdolpour revealed the mistreatment he suffered during interrogations, aimed at extracting forced confessions.

He recently submitted a request for a retrial to the highest judicial authority in the country. After the Supreme Court accepted his request for a retrial and he was temporarily released on bail, the president of Amirkabir University expressed support for him in a letter to the head of the Judiciary in Razavi Khorasan Province. However, these efforts were unsuccessful, and after the case was reviewed again, Mr. Haji Abdolpour was sentenced to prison by the Appeals Court of Razavi Khorasan Province.

Death Sentences for Six Prisoners Upheld by the Supreme Court

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Abdolhakim Azim Gorgij, Abdolrahman Gorgij, Farhad Shakeri, HRANA, Isa Eidmohammadi, Malek Ali Fadaie-Nasab, Mashhad, Taj Mohammad Khormaly, Vakilabad prison

Branch 39 of  the Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences of Malek Ali Fadaie-Nasab, Farhad Shakeri, Isa Eidmohammadi, Abdolhakim Azim Gorgij, Abdolrahman Gorgij, and Taj Mohammad Khormali, political prisoners held in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

In early July 2023, Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced each of these prisoners to death on the charge of “armed rebellion (Baghi)” after a retrial in a joint case.

A source close to the family of one of these political prisoners confirmed the news to HRANA, stating that the Supreme Court’s 39th Branch had upheld their death sentences.

In 2019, Branch 1 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mahmoud Davoodabadi, sentenced these prisoners to death on charges of “armed rebellion through membership in the Salafi group Hizb al-Furqan and membership in the National Solidarity Front of Sunni Muslims of Iran.”

Subsequently, Branch 4 of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Ali Razini, overturned their death sentences and referred the case to a another court branch for retrial. In July 2023, Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Ahmadian Salami, re-issued death sentences for these prisoners after a retrial.

After the death sentences were issued, the case was referred back to Branch 39 of the Supreme Court for further review.

A source close to the families of these prisoners previously informed HRANA that “this case is fraught with fundamental flaws, and there is insufficient evidence to convict these individuals of the charges against them. The use of pepper spray against one of the prisoners is an example of the torture inflicted upon them. The effects of such torture remain on their bodies even after several years.”

Two Prisoners Executed in Mashhad Prison

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Executions, News
Mashhad, Musa Najjar, Ramazan Gholamian

The death sentences of two prisoners, previously convicted of murder in separate cases, were carried out in Mashhad Prison, as reported by Iran Human Rights Organization.

Their identities have been reported as Ramazan Gholamian, 32, and Musa Najjar, 38, both residents of Mashhad.

The report states that Najjar was convicted and sentenced to death for killing a motorcyclist with a knife during a fight in Mashhad, in July 2021. Additionally, Gholamian’s death sentence was issued approximately two years ago for premeditated murder.

No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these executions at the time of writing.
In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered the execution of 767 individuals. Out of these, 7 were carried out in public. Among the executed individuals whose genders were identified, 21 were female. Additionally, 2 juvenile offenders, defined as individuals under the age of 18 at the time of their alleged crimes, were also executed.

Mohammad Nourizad Receives Five Years for New Case While Imprisoned

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Kamal Jafari Yazdi, Mashhad, Mohammad Nourizad, محمد نوریزاد

Mohammad Nourizad, a civil activist imprisoned in Evin Prison, has been sentenced to five years in prison due to a new case recently opened against him during his incarceration.

A page attributed to this civil activist reported that on Sunday, July 21, 2024, a hearing on Mr. Nourizad’s charges was held via video conference in his absence. Consequently, without having the opportunity to defend himself against the charges, he was sentenced to an additional five years in prison. The release of an audio file from prison has been cited as one of the charges against him.

In February of 2024, Nourizad was sentenced to an additional 61 months in prison due to another case opened against him during his imprisonment.

In July 2023, in yet another case, Nourizad was sentenced to two years in prison by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

On August 11, 2019, Mohammad Nourizad was arrested by security forces in connection with a letter signed by 14 civil activists calling for the resignation of Ayatollah Khamenei and for his presence in front of the building where Kamal Jafari Yazdi’s appeal hearing was held. He was eventually transferred from Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad to Evin Prison in 2020.

Nourizad’s legal ordeal began on August 11, 2019, when he was arrested by security forces for participating in the drafting of an open letter with 13 other civil rights activists, calling for the Supreme Leader of Iran to step down. In the initial case, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, three years of exile in Izeh, and a two-year travel ban. Although the prison sentence was upheld on appeal, the duration of exile and travel ban were reduced to two years.

In late April 2020, Nourizad received an additional one-year imprisonment for expressing support for Baha’i citizens in Eyvanki, Semnan Province.

Concerning the second part of his legal case, the Mashhad Criminal Court sentenced Nourizad to 8 months in prison and 74 lashes, along with exile to Tabas, for “disturbance of public order.” He also received an additional 74 lashes for “spreading falsehood.” This verdict was upheld on appeal as well.

Nourizad was released from Evin Prison on November 17, 2021, based on an early release order. However, on January 23, 2022, he was summoned and re-incarcerated in Evin Prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.

Nourizad has a history of arrests and convictions linked to his peaceful activism. He is a prominent filmmaker, writer, director, and journalist from Iran. While previously known as an outspoken religious journalist, he has become an active critic of the Islamic Republic in recent years.

A Report on the Latest Situation of Ali Pasban in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad

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News, Prisoners
Ali Pasban, Isfahan, Kashan, Mashhad, Political Prisoner, Vakilabad prison, علی پاسبان

Ali Pasban, a political prisoner, is serving his seven-year sentence in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. He is being held in the same ward as prisoners convicted of violent crimes, in violation of prison regulations.

A source close to Mr. Pasban’s family told HRANA, “He is being held in the violent criminals’ ward, Salon 102, Ward 5 of Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, without adherence to the principle of separation of crimes. Recently, after he protested against the inappropriate behavior of a prison official, he was threatened. The guards told him they would hire individuals in that ward to harm him. He reported to his family about ongoing harassment, threats, and the danger to his life, and requested legal assistance.”

This citizen was arrested on August 26, 2021, in Mashhad and transferred to Vakilabad Prison in this city. In January 2022, he was sentenced to seven years in prison by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad on charges of “membership in opposition groups intending to disrupt national security.”
Additionally, in March-April 2022, he was sentenced to one year in prison on charges of “insulting the Supreme Leader.”
Mr. Pasban had previously been convicted and served prison sentences in Isfahan and Kashan in 2018 and 2019 on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.”