NAJA Soldier Saman Dashti Fatally Shoots Himself with Guard’s Gun

On Tuesday, November 23, a soldier who was serving in NAJA committed suicide with a firearm.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna News, the soldier has been identified as Saman Dashti.

“Saman was working in the kitchen and his service in the army had already ended. He was just waiting for the signature of the base commander to leave, ” one of his friends commented. “He seemed very happy that he could see his mother. Unfortunately, on that day, he took the gun of a guard and shot himself.”

According to the regime’s laws, every male citizen above 18 years old is obliged to serve at least two years in the army. The conscripts, however, are allowed to buy off the military obligation, the amount of which is proportionate to the conscript’s education level. These regulations have brought about injustice and discrimination against poor young men who cannot afford to buy off their military service.

According to this report, the reason for Dashti’s suicide are still unknown and the investigation is underway.

Ahmadreza Haeri Summoned to the Cybercrime Court of Tehran

Following a complaint from the Prisons and Security and Corrective Measures Organization of Tehran Province (PSCMO), former political prisoner Ahmadreza Haeri was recently summoned to the Cybercrime Court of Tehran.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, this Friday, October 29, Haeri was summoned on charges of “spreading lies, accusative, insulting and slanderous words”.

One month after the incident known as “Black Thursday of Evin Prison”, when dozens of political prisoners in Evin Prison were beaten brutally by security agents in Ward 350 of Evin prison, Ahmadreza Haeri was sentenced to 42 months in prison by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Judge Salavati.

This initial verdict was upheld by Branch 36 of the appellate court. However, following his lawyer’s objection, the verdict was revoked and this time the case was undertaken by Branch 54 of the court of appeals which sentenced him to six months in prison and 74 lashes.

On July 25, 2020, Haeri endured the flogging by the Intelligence and Public Security Police of NAJA and then was sent to the Greater Tehran prison to serve his six-month sentence. On October 8, 2020, he was released on probation from the Greater Tehran prison.

In this new subpoena from the Cybercrime Court of Tehran, Haeri was instructed to appear there within five days.

Four Baha’i Citizens Released on Bail in Shiraz

On Tuesday, October 27, Baha’i citizens Moeen Misaghi, Negareh Ghaderi, Hayedeh Forootan and her son Mehran Mosala-Nejad were released on bail in Shiraz until the end of legal proceedings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, each of these citizens has been granted a bail of 800 million tomans.

On September 22 and 23, security forces arrested the citizens and transferred them to solitary confinement cells in block 201 of the police detention center in Shiraz City, where were held until their release.

On September 22,  after the inspection of their house, Moeen Misaghi and Negareh Ghaderi were arrested and transferred to an unidentified location. Meanwhile, security forces raided Hayedeh Forootan and her son’s house to arrest them, but they were not at home. The security forces searched the house and confiscated some of their belongings. These citizens were summoned to the Shiraz CID Police of NAJA office to give some explanations. She was arrested upon arrival. Twice before, their house had been searched by security forces. According to an informed source, during the search, the security forces behaved brutally and carelessly so that they caused their two-year old daughter to be burnt by a bowl of hot soup.

According to unofficial sources, it is estimated that more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Because their faith is not considered legitimate by authorities, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.

This deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a breach of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.

Two Participants in July Protests in Khuzestan Arrested in Behbahan

Two participants in this July’s Protests in Khuzestan were arrested this weekend in Behbahan.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Gholam Tayebi and Muhammad Khalili were arrested by security forces and transferred to an unidentified location on Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17, respectively.

In the company of the police of NAJA (Disciplinary Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran), security forces arrested the citizens separately in Behbahan City, where they were forced to flee from their home in Kurdistan Bozorg Village. After the wave of arrests from this village, they did not return home due to the prosecution. According to this report, Ali Tayebi, another resident of this village, has also been arrested.

An informed source told HRANA that most of the arrestees from this village in regards to July protests in Khuzestan are farmers–biggest victims of water resources mismanagement of the government. A while back, an official of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad had informed about the delay in autumn planting due to lowering reservoir levels of dams in this area.

According to Summary Report from the Khuzestan Protests in 41 Cities published by HRANA, 171 people were arrested in the July protests. The protests erupted on July night 15, 2021 in Khuzestan province to outcry over water shortages and water supply mismanagement. These protests lasted two weeks spreading over 41 cities of the province. Reportedly, dozen people were killed and wounded and hundreds were arrested.

 

Civil Activist Sepideh Gholiyan Arrested by Security Forces in Ahvaz

Civil activist Sepideh Gholiyan, who has been on leave from Bushehr Prison since August 19, was recently arrested by security forces in Ahvaz from her sister’s home to serve the rest of her sentence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, security police confiscated the cell phones of all family members during the arrest.

Confirming Gholiyan’s arrest, an informed source told HRANA, “Thirty male and female security forces entered her sister’s home, arrested Mrs. Gholiyan, and confiscated the cell phones of all family members.”

Before this arrest, on her personal page on social media, Gholiyan had informed that she had been summoned to Bushehr prison and commented “Ten days ago, they called me from Bushehr Prison that I have to return to there. I told them that I am supposed to go to Tehran where the Executive Branch of the Department of Justice would decide to which prison I had to be sent. Seemingly, they are searching to find somewhere worse than Bushehr Prison.”

On November 18, 2018, Sepideh Gholiyan was arrested along with at least 19 others, including members of the Assembly of Representatives of Haft-Tappeh’s workers, several workers’ activists and company personnel and managers by security police of NAJA in Shush city. She was released on bail on December 18, 2018.

After broadcasting her forced confession as well as some other workers’ activists, including Ismail-Bakhshi on national TV channel, they announced that the “confessions” were extracted under torture by security forces. Soon after this announcement, the security police arrested them.

On October 26, 2019, she was released on bail until the end of legal proceedings. On December 14, 2019, she was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment by Tehran appellate court.

On June 21, 2020, she began serving her prison term in Evin prison. On March 10, 2021, she was exiled to Bushehr Prison, where she was held until being granted leave, and to where she is now being transferred back.

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Babak Dadbakhsh Asks Prosecutor-General for Re-Examination of His Case

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activist, political prisoner Babak Dadbakhsh, who is currently being held in Ardabil Prison, recently wrote a letter to the Prosecutor General of Iran asking that his case be re-examined.

In regard to the way his trial was conducted, Dadbakhsh wrote, “Just to receive the verdict letter, I accepted not to appeal. However, after three years, I don’t have any indictment letter to know on what charges and based on what evidences I have been condemned. No one responds to me.”

In part of this letter received to HRANA, Babak Dadbakhsh writes, “The prosecutor-general! I am writing to you as a victim of injustice, a prisoner who has been tortured and sentenced to 25 years without having a trial. Just to receive the verdict letter, I accepted not to appeal. However, after three years, I don’t have any indictment letter to know on what charges and based on what evidences I have been condemned. No one responds to me. I hope that the law does not close its eyes and give me my legal right. I have been convicted within one minute without having an attorney. I request re-examining my case, receiving the indictment letter and using retrial. While I’m suffering stress, as forensic medicine and coroners have diagnosed, I am waiting for justice.”

In November 2017, Babak Dadbakhsh was arrested by security police of NAJA and handed to the Ministry of intelligence officials. Since then, he has been spending in various detention facilities and prisons.  He was once hospitalized in Razi Educational and Therapeutic Psychiatric Center.

In February 2020, he was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment on the charges of “spreading corruption on earth” and “enmity against God” (Moharebeh). However, in April 2021, on the excuse that not all charges have been considered, his sentence was prolonged to 25 years.

It is said that he is suffering from MDD, bipolar disorder and psychotic symptoms based on the diagnosis of Razi Educational and Therapeutic Psychiatric Center.

Eight Street Booksellers Arrested by Security Police of NAJA

On Saturday, October 2, Tehran’s Security Police of NAJA arrested eight street booksellers for allegedly selling illegal books.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IBNA, the police confiscated some of the books.

One of the members of the Workgroup for Protecting the Rights of Publishers and Booksellers called these detained booksellers “distributors of illegal and smuggled books”.

The member claimed that part of these confiscated books is the works of the supporters of the restoration of the monarchy in Iran as well as illegal books and unpermitted hard copies of bestselling books.