265 Years and Over 5000 Lashes for Defendants in Evin Prison Fire Case

The Criminal Court 2 of Tehran has sentenced the defendants in the Evin Prison Fire case to a cumulative 265 years in prison, 5032 lashes, blood money (Diya) for one individual, and other penalties.

The defendants, convicted on charges including “property destruction,” “disturbing prison order,” “disobeying and resisting orders from officials,” and manslaughter, are as follows:

Majid Roshannejad, Luqman Aminpour, Meysam Dehbanzadeh, Sina Mirzaie, Mohammad-Sobhan Moazzenzadeh, Ayoub Emamizadeh, Ahmadreza Kunani, Sasan Zamani, Mohammad Geravand, Saeed Khodapour, and Alireza Vali each received six years in prison and seven lashes for “property destruction,” 16 months and 74 lashes for “disturbing prison order,” and 16 months for “disobeying and resisting orders from officials.”

Mohammad-Hossein Moradian, Masoud Hosseinzadeh, Reza Haji, Nima Mohammadi, Alireza Aslami, Amir-Hossein Yousefvand, Meysam Moradian, Sobhan Hayatpour, Reza Salmanzadeh, and Seyed-Mohammad Hossein Mousavi each were sentenced to five years in prison and 74 lashes for “property destruction,” one year and 74 lashes for “disturbing prison order,” and one year for “disobeying and resisting orders from officials.” Additionally, Alireza Aslami and Nima Mohammadi were sentenced to expulsion from Iran. Their second nationalities remain unknown.

Five defendants were also charged with manslaughter. Ghasem Mohammadi received six years in prison and 74 lashes for “property destruction,” 16 months and 74 lashes for “disturbing prison order,” 16 months for “disobeying and resisting orders from officials,” and must pay blood money (Diya) for one individual and serve an additional 40 months.

Erfan Zarif Ibn-Kazem, Jalal Narollahi, Gholam-Hassan Hashemi Siavashani, and Masoud Parchami received the same sentences as Ghasem Mohammadi except that they must pay 1/4 of the Diya.

Hamidreza Nazer and Hossein Delkhasteh were sentenced to 42 months in prison and 74 lashes for “property destruction,” one year and 74 lashes for “disturbing prison order,” and one year for “disobeying and resisting orders from officials.”

Mohammad-Ali Delkhasteh, Seyed-Milad Abolvafaye, Mohammad-Khan Mirzaie, Kamran Nadali, Alireza Nazari, and Seyed-Ali Mousavi received 16 months in prison and 74 lashes for “disturbing prison order,” and 16 months for “disobeying and resisting orders from officials.”

Lastly, Hassan Malekshahi, Ashkan Kafi, Omid Astaneh, Rahman Alipour, and Ali Sadeghi Shirsavar were sentenced to one year in prison and 74 lashes for “disturbing prison order,” and one year for “disobeying and resisting orders from officials.”

These individuals are currently serving their sentences for previous convictions in Ghezel Hesar and Great Tehran Penitentiary.

Following the fire on the night of Saturday, October 15, 2022, at Evin Prison, a case was opened against these prisoners based on a complaint from the Prisons Organization.

On the night of October 15, 2022, after tensions rose in Evin Prison, fire was seen above the prison, and sounds of gunfire and explosions were heard. Despite officials claiming to have controlled the fire and clashes, gunfire continued for several hours. As a result, several prisoners were injured and killed, and some were transferred out of the prison.

Multiple Arrests Made at Armita Geravand’s Funeral

During the funeral of Armita Geravand, the 17-year-old girl who fell into a coma and subsequently passed away following an encounter with a hijab enforcement officer, security forces arrested at least 16 individuals. The funeral was held at a cemetery in Tehran.

HRANA has identified sixteen detainees as follows:

1. Hamid Abbaspour
2. Hashem Mehr-Alian
3. Majid Hooshang Kian Pour
4. Mohammad-Reza Fakhim-Avar
5. Mehran Haji Hashemi
6. Asghar Seyed-Faraji
7. Ali Sookhtehza
8. Ramtin Bandeh
9. Iman Miri
10. Siamak Masih Pour
11. Yousef Hooshyar
12. Mohammad Fazlollahi
13. Masoud Zeynal-Zadeh
14. Mohammad Geravand (a teacher and relative of Armita Geravand)
15. Nasrin Sotoudeh
16. Niloofar Mirzaie

Nasrin Sotoudeh, the lawyer among them, has been transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin. The first fourteen individuals in the list are currently being held in the quarantine section of Evin Prison. Iran’s Students’ Union also reported the arrest of Niloofar Mirzaie, a student at Alzahra University, during the funeral.

Notably, Sotoudeh, Masih Pour, Mirzaie, and Zeynal-Zadeh had previously faced arrests and legal challenges due to their activism.

On October 1, 2023, Armita Garavand, a 17-year-old student, sustained a head injury while on her way to school at a metro station in Tehran. She was hospitalized and tragically passed away after 28 days in the hospital. Iranian authorities claim that she suffered a head injury due to a “pressure drop” and falling to the ground. However, some media outlets and human rights groups consider her a victim of harassment and an altercation with a hijab enforcement officer.