Tag: Quran

Two Prisoners of Conscience Executed in Arak Prison

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Executions, News
Arak, Arak Revolutionary Court, HRANA, Quran, Seyed Sadrollah Fazeli Zare, Yousef Mehrad

On May 8, 2023, Yousef Mehrad and Seyed Sadrollah Fazeli Zare were executed in Arak Prison after being sentenced to death for insulting the Prophet of Islam. Earlier, HRANA had reported on their relocation to solitary confinement for one day which is deemed as a prelude to carrying out the death penalty.

According to Mizan, the judiciary’s news, Fazeli Zare had been accused of “insulting the Prophet of Islam, blasphemy, apostasy, accusing the Prophet of Islam’s mother of adultery, and burning the Quran”, while Mehrad was charged with “insulting the Prophet of Islam and blasphemy.”

The prisoners were among seven individuals arrested for running a Telegram channel named “Criticism of Superstition and Religion,” and had been held in solitary confinement for two months since their arrest.

In the first two parts of their legal case, the Arak Criminal Court sentenced Mehrad and Fazeli Zare to death for insulting the prophet of Islam. In the third part, the Arak Revolutionary Court sentenced Mehrad, Fazeli Zare, and another co-defendant, Farhad Chehrehsa, to eight years for “running groups to act national security.”
Despite an appeal by their lawyers to the Supreme Court, the verdict was upheld.

Mehrad was a resident of Ardabil and the father of a three-year-old child.

Journalists at Tehran-Municipality-Owned Newspaper Asked Probing Personal Questions by New Management

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Cultural, News
freedom of the press, Hamshahri, Hamshahri newspaper, Journalists' Guild Association, Mohsen Zohuri, Quran, Tehran, Tehran Municipality, Tehran Province

Following turnover in the Tehran-Municipality-owned Hamshahri newspaper’s managerial board, the extension of staff members’ contracts is being influenced by answers they give to a set of probing personal questions about their lifestyle and beliefs.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Fararu, employees are being asked questions such as “Why haven’t you married?” and “Why didn’t you vote in the election?”.

“It seems to be very serious,” journalist Mohsen Zohuri, commented. “They held an inquisition meeting for the journalists of Hamshahri and asked the question like ‘Why don’t you go to Congregational prayer?’, ‘Did you vote on such and such election?’, ‘How many chapters of Quran have you memorized?’, “Why did you get divorced?’ or ‘Why haven’t you married?’ ”

Changes in management in Tehran Municipality led to the appointment of a new director at Hamshahri newspaper. The new director has reportedly spearheaded this new procedure for extending contracts, and it is being applied to even the publication’s most tenured reporters.

“The new management in Hamshahri newspaper has set an inquisition meeting for its well-experienced and professional journalists,” a member of the Board of Directors of the Journalists’ Guild Association wrote on his personal page on social media. “They have to answer the irrelevant questions which means nothing but spying on personal lives and has nothing whatsoever to do with their occupation. I hope someone comes forward to explain that.”