Payam Vali Archives

Baha’i Citizen Payam Vali Receives One Year in Prison and Other Punishments

Posted on July 1, 2024 by . .

Alborz Revolutionary Court, Bahais, Ghezel Hesar prison, Payam Vali

Payam Vali, a Baha’i citizen, has been sentenced by the Karaj Revolutionary Court to one year in prison, a two-year travel ban, and a ban on social media use in relation to a case opened against him during his imprisonment. He is currently serving a previous sentence in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

Based on a verdict issued on Saturday, June 29, 2024, by Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Narimani, Vali was sentenced to one year in prison, a two-year travel ban, and a ban on social media use for the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

The hearing for Vali’s charges was held on June 8 this year in the aforementioned branch.

A close associate of Vali told HRANA, “Publishing an open letter from prison was cited as evidence for the charges against him.” In this letter, Vali protested his illegal detention and the charges against him, and copies were sent to several political and judicial leaders of the Islamic Republic.

Vali’s arrest took place on September 24, 2022, when security forces apprehended him at his residence in Karaj and conducted a search of his house. Subsequently, he was detained in Rajai Shahr Prison before being relocated to Ghezel Hesar Prison.

In early February of the same year, Vali was sentenced by Branch 1 of the Alborz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Seyed Mousa Asef Hosseini, to ten years in prison for “collaborating with hostile governments,” five years for “inciting people to war and killing each other,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” with credit for time served, and additional punishments including a two-year travel ban post-imprisonment and two years of compulsory residence in Yasuj with weekly reporting to the Revolutionary Court.

Finally, on May 10, 2023, his sentence was reduced by the Alborz Court of Appeals to nine years and nine months in prison. Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe punishment, six years in prison, will be enforced. Vali’s request for a retrial was denied by the Supreme Court in early January 2024.

The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both 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.

Baha’i Citizen Payam Vali Face New Charge While Imprisoned

Posted on July 15, 2023 by . .

News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities

Baha'i citizen, Ghezel Hesar, Karaj, Payam Vali

Payam Vali, a Baha’i citizen currently serving his sentence in Qezel Hesar Prison, Karaj, is confronted with a fresh legal case.

The Karaj Revolutionary Court has accused Vali of “spreading falsehood on the Internet through the dissemination of unlawful content.” This case has been transferred from the court to a branch of the prosecutor’s office in Karaj, as it reportedly exceeds the jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Court.

On May 10, 2023, the Alborz Court of Appeals sentenced Vali to six years for “collaboration with adversary countries,” three years and one month for “inciting people to commit violence,” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.” According to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the first charge carries an enforceable prison term of six years.

Update on Bahai Citizen Payam Vali’s Condition in Ghezel Hesar Prison

Posted on June 14, 2023June 22, 2023 by . .

News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities

Baha'i citizen, Ghezel Hesar prison, HRANA, Karaj, Payam Vali, Rajai Shahr Prison

Payam Vali, a Baha’i citizen, is currently serving a six-year sentence in Ghezel Hesar Prison, located in Karaj. He has been denied access to make a phone call to his family, as ordered by prison officials.

According to a reliable source who spoke to HRANA, Vali’s phone card has been blocked. He is also prohibitd from purchasing any item from the prison store. The source revealed that this prohibition was imposed after Vali gave a message via phone addressing the speakers of the Iranian Parliament.

In addition, another source close to Vali’s family informed HRANA that since late May, he has only had one visitation with his family. Furthermore, other prisoners have been threatened to refrain from providing Vali with their phone cards.

On September 24, 2022, security forces arrested Vali at his residence in Karaj, subsequently conducting a search of his house and detaining him in Rajai Shahr Prison. He was later relocated to Ghezel Hesar prison.

According to HRANA annual report, from the full human rights reports regarding the violation of religious minorities’ rights, 64.63% belonged to the violation of the rights of Baha’is.

The 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.

Bahai Citizen Payam Vali Sentenced to Nine Years and Nine Months in Prison

Posted on May 18, 2023May 18, 2023 by . .

News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities

Alborz province, Baha'i citizen, Karaj, Payam Vali

Bahai citizen Payam Vali has been sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison by the Alborz Court of Appeals, with six years to be served. Previously, he had received a 16-year prison sentence.

The verdict, issued on May 10, 2023, states that Vali was given six years for “collaboration with adversary countries,” three years and one month for “inciting people to commit violence,” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.” The first count carries an enforceable six-year prison term under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code.
Initially, in February 2023, Vali had been sentenced to ten, five, and one-year terms for the aforementioned charges, respectively.

On September 24, 2022, security forces arrested Vali at his house in Karaj, searched the house, and detained him in Rajai Shahr Prison.

According to HRANA annual report, from the full human rights reports regarding the violation of religious minorities’ rights, 64.63% belonged to the violation of the rights of Baha’is.

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

Freedom of 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 practice religion freely, freedom of converting to a religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.

Baha’i Citizen Payam Vali Sentenced to 16 Years

Posted on February 27, 2023February 27, 2023 by . .

News, Religious Minorities

Alborz Revolutionary Court, Ghezel Hesar prison, Karaj, Payam Vali

The Alborz Revolutionary Court sentenced Baha’i citizen Payam Vali, imprisoned in Ghezel Hesar Prison, to 16 years imprisonment, pre-trial detention included. He was also banned from leaving the country for two years and sentenced to two years in exile in Yasuj.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Baha’i citizen Payam Vali was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

According to this verdict, Vali received ten years for “collaboration with hostile countries,” five years for “inciting people to commit violence,” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.” As additional punishment, he was banned from leaving the country for two years and sentenced to a two-year compulsory residence in Yasuj County.

If the verdict is upheld on appeal, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, ten years in prison for “collaboration with hostile countries”, will be enforceable.

On September 24, 2022, security forces arrested Vali at his house in Karaj, searched the house, and detained him in Rajai Shahr Prison. He was later relocated to Ghezel Hesar prison.

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

Posted on December 8, 2022February 6, 2023 by main

News

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.

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.

- ▪️ Unique Features of These Protests
- ▪️ The Protests

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

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Baha’i Citizen Payam Vali Receives One Year in Prison and Other Punishments

Baha’i Citizen Payam Vali Face New Charge While Imprisoned

Payam Vali, a Baha’i citizen currently serving his sentence in Qezel Hesar Prison, Karaj, is confronted with a fresh legal case.

Update on Bahai Citizen Payam Vali’s Condition in Ghezel Hesar Prison

Payam Vali, a Baha’i citizen, is currently serving a six-year sentence in Ghezel Hesar Prison, located in Karaj. He has been denied access to make a phone call to his family, as ordered by prison officials.

Bahai Citizen Payam Vali Sentenced to Nine Years and Nine Months in Prison

Bahai citizen Payam Vali has been sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison by the Alborz Court of Appeals, with six years to be served. Previously, he had received a 16-year prison sentence.

Baha’i Citizen Payam Vali Sentenced to 16 Years

The Alborz Revolutionary Court sentenced Baha’i citizen Payam Vali, imprisoned in Ghezel Hesar Prison, to 16 years imprisonment, pre-trial detention included. He was also banned from leaving the country for two years and sentenced to two years in exile in Yasuj.

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

Summary

Table of Contents

Payam Vali, a Baha’i citizen currently serving his sentence in Qezel Hesar Prison, Karaj, is confronted with a fresh legal case.

Payam Vali, a Baha’i citizen, is currently serving a six-year sentence in Ghezel Hesar Prison, located in Karaj. He has been denied access to make a phone call to his family, as ordered by prison officials.

Bahai citizen Payam Vali has been sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison by the Alborz Court of Appeals, with six years to be served. Previously, he had received a 16-year prison sentence.

The Alborz Revolutionary Court sentenced Baha’i citizen Payam Vali, imprisoned in Ghezel Hesar Prison, to 16 years imprisonment, pre-trial detention included. He was also banned from leaving the country for two years and sentenced to two years in exile in Yasuj.

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Summary

Table of Contents