Tag: Mashhad

Prisoner Executed in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Mashhad, Mohammad Ebrahim Esfandiari, Vakilabad prison

HRANA News Agency – On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted of murder was carried out in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

Iran Human Rights has identified the hanged prisoner as Mohammad Ebrahim Esfandiari, a resident of Mashhad. According to the report, he was arrested four years ago on charges of murder and later sentenced to death by the judiciary.

As of the time of this report, the execution has not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.

Fatemeh Sepehri Transferred from Vakilabad Prison to Hospital

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
Hossein Sepehri, Mashhad, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, Vakilabad prison, فاطمه سپهری

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, Fatemeh Sepehri, a political prisoner, was transferred from Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad to a hospital in the city due to poor physical health.

Ali Sepehri, Fatemeh Sepehri’s brother, stated that his sister was transferred to Shariati Hospital on Wednesday, May 14. According to him, the transfer was made due to severe heart palpitations, chest pain, and low blood pressure.

Mr. Sepehri added that Fatemeh Sepehri had also been transferred to a hospital some time ago by order of the prison infirmary. She was returned to prison just one day later after undergoing an echocardiogram.

In June of 2024, Sepehri and her brothers, Mohammad-Hossein Sepehri and Hossein Sepehri, were sentenced to a total of 18 years and six months in prison. The charges against her included “assembly and collusion against national security,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and “propaganda against the regime,” as well as an additional charge of “supporting a hostile government (Israel).”

Sepehri is currently serving a sentence from a prior case in Vakilabad Prison. She was temporarily released on medical leave on October 16, 2023, but was re-arrested at her home in Mashhad just three days later, and returned to prison.

In February 2023, the Mashhad Criminal Court sentenced her to an additional one year of imprisonment and a fine of 20 million tomans for “spreading falsehoods and disturbing public opinion.” She was also arrested on September 21 of that year at her home and transferred to Vakilabad Prison.

Fatemeh Sepehri is one of the signatories of a letter calling for the resignation of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the initial trial, Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced her to five years of imprisonment, later reduced to three years and six months on appeal. In May, 2023, this sentence was conditionally suspended for five years, leading to her temporary release.

Six Executed in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Abdolghaffar Barahouei, Abdolsamad Gorgij, HRANA, Javid Galleh-Bacheh, Mashhad, Mehdi Azizi, Parviz Dastkaleh, Vakilabad

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Wednesday, April 30, six inmates were executed in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of two of the executed individuals as Mehdi Azizi, a resident of Mashhad, and Javid Galleh-Bacheh.

The Baloch-focused outlet Hasl Vsh has identified three others as, Abdolghaffar Barahouei (Lajei), approximately 47 years old and father of nine, Parviz Dastkaleh (Nouraldin Lajei), around 40 years old and father of three, and Abdolsamad Gorgij (Rigi), 39 years old, father of five, and a resident of Zahedan.

All six prisoners had previously been sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts on drug-related charges.

Details about the sixth executed prisoner, including their identity, are still being investigated by HRANA.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially confirmed by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

According to data compiled by HRANA, 52.69% of all executions in Iran in 2024 were related to drug-related charges. Notably, only 6% of the executions were officially announced, highlighting a significant lack of transparency. For a detailed analysis of these executions and the associated statistics, see HRANA’s full report.

Teachers’ Union Activist Mansoureh Erfanian Sentenced to Prison

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Mansoureh Erfanian, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

HRANA News Agency – Mansoureh Erfanian, a teachers’ union activist, has been sentenced to three months in prison by Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court.

The verdict, issued by Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court, was officially communicated to Ms. Erfanian on Tuesday, April 21, 2025. She was sentenced to three months in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime” through the publication of content on social media. According to the ruling, she was acquitted of the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

Ms. Erfanian was previously arrested by security forces in October 2023 and released a week later from Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad after posting bail.

Mansoureh Erfanian, a teachers’ union activist based in Mashhad, has a prior record of arrest due to her activism.

Over 5 Executions Per Day on Average: 26 Prisoners Executed Across Iran Since Start of the Week

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
ahvaz, Aligudarz, Bukan, Dezful, Esmail Dahmardeh, Ghezel Hesar, Gonabad, HRANA, Mashhad, Qom prison, Shahram Goodarzi, Shahrud, Shiraz, Taher Shabani, Vakilabad

HRANA News Agency – Since the beginning of this week, Iranian prisons have witnessed a significant surge in executions. Over the past five days, at least 26 prisoners—mostly convicted of murder and drug-related offenses—have been executed across various prisons in Iran. Among them were five prisoners executed on political-security charges.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, executions in Iranian prisons have sharply increased in recent days.

Since the start of the week, at least 26 prisoners have been executed in Ghezel Hesar (Karaj), Shiraz, Kermanshah, Gonabad, Shahrud, Vakilabad (Mashhad), Aligudarz, Bukan, Dezful, Qom, Zanjan, and Sepidar (Ahvaz) prisons. This averages over five executions per day. Vakilabad Prison alone accounted for at least 10 executions in a single day, the highest recorded among these facilities.

On Wednesday, April 9, four prisoners—Bahram Hodavand-Khani, Salar Amir Jalali, Abolfazl Karimi, and another unidentified individual—were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison for separate murder cases. Also on Wednesday, Esmail Dahmardeh, convicted on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court of Gonabad, was executed in Gonabad Prison. Gholamreza Pardakhteh faced a similar fate in Shahroud Prison. Another prisoner, Kambiz Fathi, was hanged in Kermanshah Prison for murder. Two more prisoners, Vahid Ashouri (30) and Afghan national Saud Mirzaei, were executed in Shiraz Prison, both convicted of murder.

On Tuesday, April 8, at least 10 prisoners—including three women—were executed in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad. Five of them—Farhad Shakeri, Abdolhakim Azim Gorgij, Abdolrahman Gorgij, Taj Mohammad Khormali, and Malek Ali Fadaie Nasab—were executed on political-security charges. Four others, including two women, were executed on drug-related charges. HRANA identified two of them as Ahmad Sanaie and Mohammadreza Damideh. Additionally, one woman convicted of murder was also executed at the same facility.

On Monday, April 7, Shahram Goodarzi (36) and Taher Shabani (35) were executed in Aligudarz Prison in separate murder cases. That same day, Seyed Taha Hassani, a prisoner from Bukan, was executed in Bukan Prison, and Hamid Abdouli was hanged in Dezful Prison—both convicted of murder.

On Sunday, April 6, a prisoner named Samir Ghasemi was executed in Qom Prison. He had been sentenced to death by the criminal court for murder.

On Saturday, April 5, Hossein Molazadeh (29), convicted on drug charges, was executed in Zanjan Prison. Simultaneously, Zahir Shamsi (32), a father of a five-year-old girl from Dezful, was executed in Sepidar Prison, Ahvaz. Shamsi had been arrested four years ago for the alleged murder of his cousin.

This recent escalation in executions has sparked serious concerns over widespread violations of the right to life in Iran. Human rights organizations consider Iran’s extensive use of the death penalty to be in stark violation of its international obligations and have called for an immediate moratorium on capital punishment.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Lawyer Javad Alikordi Arrested by Mashhad’s Ministry of Intelligence Forces

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Javad Alikordi, Khosrow Alikordi, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

HRANA – Today, Saturday, March 1, 2025, Javad Alikordi, a defense attorney, was arrested by Mashhad’s Ministry of Intelligence forces and transferred to Vakilabad Prison in the city. Previously, the appeals court revoked the suspension of his prison sentence, ordering its enforcement.

Khosrow Alikordi, also a defense attorney, announced that his brother was detained in Mashhad on March 1, following a decision by Branch 37 of the Khorasan Razavi Appeals Court on February 26 to lift the suspension of his prison sentence.

Alikordi had previously been sentenced in March 2022 to two years in prison for “forming and leading a group with the intent to overthrow the government and disrupt national security,” eight months for “propaganda against the regime,” and one year and five months for “insulting the Supreme Leader.” Additionally, he was banned from teaching, joining political and social groups, and leaving the country for two years as supplementary punishment. After serving part of his sentence and receiving conditional release, his sentence had been suspended for three years.

However, on December 11, 2024, he was sentenced again to a fine for “propaganda against the regime” and was banned from traveling abroad and engaging in online activities as additional punishment. This new conviction led to the revocation of his prior sentence suspension, converting his suspended punishment into an enforceable prison term.

Javad Alikordi, a lawyer and university professor, was initially sentenced in early 2021 by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court to eight years and seven months in prison, along with a two-year ban on employment and teaching in educational institutions, a travel ban, and a prohibition from joining political and social groups. His sentence was later reduced to four years and one month on appeal, with two years of imprisonment being enforceable under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code. He was ultimately transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad on July 15, 2021, to serve his sentence.

Seven Prisoners Executed in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
HRANA, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

At dawn on Saturday, March 1, 2025, seven prisoners were executed in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

The identities of four of them have been confirmed as Masoud Yagizi (Brahooie), Aref Sedighpour from Kerman, Asieh Ghavi-Cheshm (female), and Jalal Afagh. These prisoners had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court. Ghavi-Cheshm and Afagh had been sentenced to death in a joint case.

The identities and charges of the other three individuals are still under investigation by HRANA.

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

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.

Mohammad Amin Akhlaghi Attempts Suicide in Vakilabad Prison

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
HRANA, Mashhad, Mohammad-Amin Akhlaghi, Ruhollah Ajamian

HRANA News Agency – Mohammad Amin Akhlaghi Savojbolaghi, one of the defendants in the case known as the “Killing of Basij Member Ruhollah Ajamian,” attempted suicide while serving his prison sentence in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad.

His brother announced in a social media post yesterday that following the suicide attempt, Akhlaghi was kept under inadequate medical care for 24 hours. He emphasized that Akhlaghi is in critical physical and mental condition and is unable to withstand further imprisonment.

Akhlaghi was arrested in Karaj during the 2022 nationwide protests in connection with the case involving the death of Ruhollah Ajamian, a Basij member.

In January 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentences of two defendants in this case while overturning the convictions of 14 others, referring their cases to a parallel court for retrial. On January 7, 2023, the death sentences of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini were carried out.

In late August 2023, following the Supreme Court’s approval of his conviction, Akhlaghi was transferred to Mashhad Prison to serve his sentence. Earlier that year, Branch 1 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court had sentenced him to five years in prison.

Previously, the Chief Justice of Alborz Province had announced that the charges against three defendants in this case—Behrad Ali Kenari, Javad Zargaran, and Reza Shaker Zavardeh—had been revised, leading to their inclusion in a general amnesty and subsequent release.

Majid Shia Ali Imprisoned on Political Charges

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Khorasan Razavi Court, Majid Shia Ali, Mashhad, RGC Intelligence, مجید شیعه علی

HRANA News Agency – today, February 4, 2025, Majid Shia Ali, a resident of Mashhad, was arrested and transferred to prison to serve his one-year and six-month sentence.

On January 20, 2025, Branch 991 of the Mashhad Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office ordered this political defendant to report within ten days to serve his sentence.

Previously, in May 2023, the Khorasan Razavi Court of Appeals sentenced him to two years and six months in prison, of which the longest enforceable term—one year and six months—is now being carried out.

In February 2023, the Mashhad Revolutionary Court had initially sentenced Shia Ali to six years and six months in prison on three charges: “membership in a group formed to disrupt national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.”

According to HRANA, his case was opened after he posted content on social media related to the 2022 nationwide protests.

Majid Shia Ali, a PhD student at Mashhad’s Azad University, was first arrested in late November 2022 and was released on bail in mid-February 2023 from Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad. During his 56-day detention, he spent 40 days in solitary confinement at one of the IRGC Intelligence detention facilities in Mashhad.

Prisoner Executed in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Hafez Bani Asadi, HRANA, Kahnuj, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

HRANA News Agency – On February 3, 2025, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted of moharebeh (enmity against God) through armed robbery was carried out in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad.

HRANA has identified the prisoner as Hafez Bani Asadi, a resident of Kahnuj. According to information obtained by HRANA, he had been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court on charges of moharebeh through armed robbery.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and relevant institutions have not officially announced the execution.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.