Mojgan Kavousi Sentenced to One Year in Prison

Mojgan Kavousi, a former political prisoner, has been sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 2 of the Sari Revolutionary Court after her request for retrial was accepted by the Supreme Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, Mojgan Kavousi has been sentenced to imprisonment.

Maziar Tataei, Ms. Kavousi’s defense attorney, announced on his personal page: “Following the acceptance of the retrial by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, the sentence of my client, Ms. Mojgan Kavousi, which was originally 61 months, has been reduced to 12 months by Branch 2 of the Sari Revolutionary Court.”

On July 30, Kavousi’s request for retrial was accepted by the Supreme Court, and her case was referred to an equivalent branch for reconsideration.

In December 2022, Kavousi was sentenced by Branch 1 of the Sari Revolutionary Court to eight months in prison for “propaganda activities against the regime,” 18 months for “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and 39 months for “assembly and collusion against national security.”

In December 2023, she was sent to Tonekabon Prison to serve her sentence. In late June this year, her prison sentence was converted to a suspended sentence, and she was released from Tonekabon Prison.

Kavousi has previously been arrested and imprisoned for her activism. She was arrested during the November 2019 protests and was sentenced to imprisonment. She was eventually released from Kachooie Prison in Karaj in January 2022 after serving 20 months.

Mojgan Kavousi Sentenced to Five Years and Five Months in Prison

The Sari Revolutionary Court sentenced former political prisoner Mojgan Kavousi to five years and five months in prison. Kavousi was arrested over recent protests.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Mojgan Kavousi was sentenced to 39 months for “assembly and collusion,” 18 months for “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran,” and 8 months for “propaganda against the regime.” She was acquitted of the charge of “spreading corruption on earth.”

If the verdict is upheld on appeal, applying article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, 39 months for “assembly and collusion” as the severest punishment will be enforceable.

On September 22, 2022, security forces arrested Kavousi at her home in Noshahr and transferred her to Tonekabon Prison on October 27 after completing interrogation. On December 16, 2022, she was relocated to Qaem Shahr Prison.

Kavousi faced other arrests and convictions on prior occasions.

Mojgan Kavousi Faced Charge of Spreading Corruption on Earth

On Tuesday, December 20, 2022, Mojgan Kavousi’s first court hearing was held for the charge of “Spreading Corruption on Earth” by the Sari Revolutionary Court. Kavousi is currently jailed in Qaem Shahr Prion. Her detention has been recently extended.

An informed source told HRANA that Nowshahr Prosecutor’s Office accused her of “provoking people to depravity by publishing posts on social media” as an example of this charge.

On September 22, 2022, security forces arrested Kavousi at her home in Noshahr and transferred her to Tonekabon Prison on October 27 after completing interrogation. On December 16, 2022, she was relocated to Qaem Shahr Prison.

Kavousi faced other arrests and convictions on prior occasions.

 

 

 

 

A Comprehensive Report of the First 82 days of Nationwide Protests in Iran

  HRANA – Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old young woman, was arrested by the morality police for the crime of improper hijab. Her arrest and death in detention fueled nationwide protests in Iran. Protesters came to the streets with the central slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” in protest against the performance, laws, and structure of the regime. The following 486-page report is dedicated to the statistical review, analysis, and summary of the first eighty-two days of the ongoing protests (September 17 to December 7, 2022). In this report, in addition to the geographic analysis and the presentation of maps and charts, the identity of 481 deceased, including 68 children and teenagers, an estimated of 18,242 arrested along with the identity of 3,670 arrested citizens, 605 students and 61 journalists or activists in the field of information is compiled. In addition, the report includes a complete collection of 1988 verified video reports by date and topic. The report examines protests across 1115 documented gatherings in all 31 provinces of the country, including 160 cities and 143 universities.

Summary

Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a young 22-year-old woman from Saqqez, Kurdistan was visiting Tehran, when she was taken into custody on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, by the Morality Police officers at the Haqqani metro station in Tehran. The reason for her arrest: not properly observing the strict Islamic dress code. Mahsa/Zhina was taken to the infamous detention center of Moral Security Police known as Vozara.
Shortly after Mahsa’s arrest, she went into a coma with level three concussion, and her partially alive body was transferred to the intensive care unit of Kasra Hospital. Given the track record of the police and Guidance Patrols in mistreating the arrestees and similar previous incidents, with the believe that Mahsa was beaten during the arrest people were outraged.

Download full report in PDF format

Unpersuasive explanations given by the Central Command of the Islamic Republic Police Force (FARAJA) in defense of its actions regarding the death of Mahsa, the past performance of the police force, along with widespread dissatisfaction with the existence of a body called the Moral Security Police, fueled widespread protests in Iran.
The widespread protests sparked at the time Mahsa Amini was announced dead in front of Kasra Hospital on Argentina Street in Tehran, and then quickly spread to the streets despite the intimidating presence of Iran’s security forces. The protests intensified after Mahsa’s burial in a Saqqez cemetery. To the extent that after eighty-two days of nationwide protests between September 17, 2022, to December 7, 2022, they have spread to Iran’s all 31 provinces, 160 cities, and 143 major universities.
The protests did not stay limited to Mahsa’s death, it rather, quickly targeted the Iranian government’s political and ideological foundations. These protests were violently quashed by the anti-riot police and Iran’s militia force (Basij). teargas, pellets, and live ammunition were used in the repression of protestors. This widespread crackdown has led to the death of dozens of people and the wounding of hundreds of protestors.
Despite sever communication restrictions imposed by the Islamic Republic, this report attempts to give a clearer picture of the first 82 days of the protests between September 17, to December 7, 2022. It’s worth mentioning at the time of this report the protests are still ongoing in various forms.

Table of Contents

 

 

For further inquiries please contact Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) at [email protected]

Mojgan Kavousi Freed from Kachooie Prison

On January 5, political prisoner Mojgan Kavousi was released on furlough. By the end of her furlough period, she will have completed her sentence and will not return to prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Kavousi was released on furlough from Kachooie Prison in Karaj City.

On November 20, 2019, Kavousi was arrested by security forces in her home in Noshahr amid the nationwide protests that occurred in the fall of that year. After being held in detention for three weeks, she was sent to Noshahr Prison. On December 19, 2019, she was released on bail.

The Revolutionary Court in Noshahr sentenced her to six months in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”, 33 months in prison for “membership in an opposing party” and 30 months in prison for “provocation in order to disturb public order”. During the appeal process, the first sentence was increased from six to seven and a half months due to the influence of the prosecutor. Moreover, she was sentenced to an additional 36 months on a new charge of “agitation in order to disturb public order”. The severest punishment of 36 months for the last charge was enforced, grounded in Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code.

On May 19, 2020, she was arrested and sent to Evin Prison to serve her sentence.

On July 26, 2021, Branch 28 of the Court of Appeals issued an order to relocate her to prison in Alborz Province to serve the rest of her sentence. Therefore, she was transferred from Evin Prison to Kachooie Prison in Karaj City on October 13, 2021.

Mojgan Kavouci is a writer, researcher and follower of Yarsanism.

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Political Prisoner Mojgan Kavousi Transferred Back to Evin Prison from Kachooie Prison

On Wednesday, October 13, political prisoner Mojgan Kavousi was sent back to Evin Prison from Kachooie Prison in Karaj.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Kavousi was relocated to Karaj police detention center a while ago, and from there to Kachooie Prison.

In a phone call with her family, Kavousi informed them about this relocation.  The reason for her transfer to Kachooie Prison is still unknown.

On July 26, 2021, Branch 28 of the appellate court in Mazandaran Province issued an order to transfer the political prisoner to a prison in Alborz Province for the remainder of her sentence.

“Due to  COVID-related restrictions making family visitation difficult, Mrs Kavousi asked for transferring to Noshahr where her family are living,” an informed source told HRANA. “On July 13, 2021, they transferred her to Noshahr but after spending one-night in police detention centre, they sent her back to Tehran. Considering that her family are residing in either Tehran or Noshahr, it is not clear why she should be transferred to a prison in Alborz Province.”

On November 20, 2019, Mojgan Kavousi was arrested by security forces amid nationwide protests in the mid-fall of the year, from her home in Noshahr. After being held three weeks in detention, she was sent to Noshahr Prison. On December 19, 2019, she was released on bail.

The Revolutionary Court in Noshahr sentenced her to 6 months on a charge of “the propaganda against the regime”, 33 months on a charge of “membership in opposition parties” and 30 months on a charge of “provoking to disturb the public order”. During the appeal process, the sentence was increased by seven months due to the influence of the prosecutor.

Mojgan Kavouci is a writer, researcher and follower of Yarsanism.

Mojgan Kavousi Ends Hunger Strike After 10 Days

On the evening of May 25, political prisoner Mojgan Kavousi ended her hunger strike in Evin Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Kavousi had been on hunger strike since May 16 in protest of prison officials’ arbitrary behavior sending prisoners on leave during the outbreak of COVID-19.

Kavousi has been incarcerated for more than a year without leave. Her family has traveled from out of town to visit her but have been denied in-person visits and has only been permitted to meet through a cabin, behind glass.

Mojgan Kavousi Finishes 9th Day of Hunger Strike in Evin Prison

Yesterday, May 24, was the ninth consecutive day of hunger strike for political prisoner Mojgan Kavousi.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Kavousi has been on hunger strike since May 16 in protest of prison officials’ arbitrary behavior sending prisoners on leave during the outbreak of COVID-19.

45-year-old Kavousi is the daughter of Akbar and mother of two girls. Ms. Kavousi is a researcher, translator, and follower of the Yarsan faith.

The activist was arrested by security forces at her home in Nowshahr during the nationwide November Protests of 2019. She was released on a bail and later  sentenced to two years in prison on charges of “inciting the people to disrupt the order and security of the country”.  Ms. Kavousi was banned from leaving the country in September 2019, according to the Nowshahr Intelligence Office.

In May 2020, Kavousi was summoned to the women’s ward of Evin Prison to serve out her sentence, where she has been held since. Kavousi suffers from gastrointestinal disease, hemorrhoids, and cardiac arrhythmias. Given her previous conditions, a hunger strike of this duration could cause permanent damage.