Nina Golestani Arrested in Rasht

HRANA News Agency – On Tuesday, March 11, IRGC Intelligence agents arrested Nina Golestani, a writer and resident of Rasht, and transferred her to Lakan Prison in the city.

Her husband, Seyed Javad Sajjadi Rad, stated that on the morning of March 11, 2025, IRGC Intelligence agents disguised themselves as electricity company employees to gain entry into her parents’ home. After presenting an arrest warrant, they detained Golestani and searched the house. She was then taken for interrogation.

Later that day, at 5:30 PM, after a judge set bail, she was transferred to Lakan Prison. However, when her husband visited Branch 4 of the Prosecutor’s Office the following day, the judge deemed the bail insufficient and insisted on re-interrogating her before proceeding with the case.

As of the time of this report, the charges against Nina Golestani remain unknown.

Golestani, a writer from Rasht, has previously faced arrest and legal action due to her activities.

Six Months of Detention Without Trial: Ongoing Uncertainty for Peyman Farah-Avar in Lakan Prison

HRANA News Agency – Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar, a political detainee and poet from Gilan, has been detained for over six months and remains in Lakan Prison in Rasht without a trial or formal charges.

HRANA has learned that more than 180 days have passed since Farah-Avar’s arrest, and he is facing charges including “propaganda against the regime,” “armed rebellion (baghi),” and “enmity against God (moharebeh).” However, his case remains in legal limbo, and no court hearing has been scheduled yet. His detention order has been extended until May 2025.

Farah-Avar was arrested in September 2024 by security forces and, after completing interrogation at the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, was transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht.

Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar is a father to a 10-year-old son and a resident of Rasht. He has been arrested in the past due to his activism.

After Supreme Court Overturns Verdict, Death Sentence Reissued for Sharifeh Mohammadi

HRANA News Agency – Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist imprisoned in Lakan Prison in Rasht, has once again been sentenced to death by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht. Her initial death sentence had previously been overturned by the Supreme Court, and the case was referred to a parallel court for retrial.

Based on the ruling issued by Judge Darvish Goftar of Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht, which was delivered to her lawyers today, Mohammadi has been sentenced to death on charges of “armed rebellion (baghi) through membership in an opposition group.”

Mohammadi was sentenced to death on July 4, 2023, on charges of baghi (armed rebellion) due to her alleged membership in an opposition group. This sentence against the female labor activist triggered widespread public outcry.

Her trial, held on June 8, 2023, revolved around multiple charges, including propaganda against the regime, actions against national security, and baghi through her supposed affiliation with the group.

Mohammadi was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence at her home in Rasht on December 5, 2023. Later that month, she was transferred from Lakan Prison to Sanandaj Prison on December 30, only to be sent back to Lakan after some time.

A source close to her family told HRANA: “Sharifeh was a member of the Association of Labor Organizations until 2013, which has no ties to the Komala group. The charge of baghi is based on her alleged membership in this group, which is not true.”

Two Prisoners Executed in Dastgerd Prison for Drug-Related Crimes

HRANA News Agency – On January 30, 2025, the death sentences of two prisoners, previously convicted in separate cases on drug-related charges, were carried out in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan.

Iran Human Rights have been identified these hanged prisoners as Mahdi Salehzadeh, 35, from Rasht, and Abdollah Khademi, 41, from Urmia, a father of three who resided near Tabriz.

According to the report, both individuals had been arrested in separate cases on drug-related charges and were sentenced to death by the judiciary. Their executions were carried out without a final visit with their families.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and relevant institutions have not officially announced the executions.

According to data compiled by HRANA, 52.69% of all executions in Iran in 2024 were related to drug-related charges. Notably, only 6% of the executions were officially announced, highlighting a significant lack of transparency. For a detailed analysis of these executions and the associated statistics, see HRANA’s full report.

Political Prisoner Manouchehr Fallah Sentenced to Death on Moharebeh Charges

HRANA News Agency – Manouchehr Fallah, a political prisoner held in Lakan Prison in Rasht, has been sentenced to death by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht on charges of Moharebeh (enmity against God).

The verdict, issued by Judge Darvish Goftar, was formally communicated yesterday to his defense attorneys, Ms. Khorsandi and Ms. Khojasteh. Fallah was convicted of Moharebeh for allegedly acting against national security.

A source close to Fallah confirmed the ruling to HRANA, stating, “Since the beginning of his legal proceedings, Mr. Fallah has been denied access to a lawyer.” His trial took place on December 11, 2024, via video conference.

Fallah was arrested in June 2023 by security forces at Rasht Airport and transferred to Lakan Prison.

In December 2023, in a separate case, he was sentenced by Branch 3 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court to one year, three months, and one day in prison for insulting the Supreme Leader, as well as seven months and 16 days for propaganda against the regime. After accepting the verdict, one-quarter of his sentence was reduced, and he completed his prison term for this case in May 2024.

Before his arrest, Manouchehr Fallah, a tattoo artist, resided on Kish Island.

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On the Fourth Day of His Hunger Strike, Hafez Forouhi Transferred to Lakan Prison’s Infirmary

HRANA News Agency – Hafez Forouhi, a political prisoner in Lakan Prison, Rasht, has entered the fourth day of his hunger strike. On the morning of Thursday, January 30, he was transferred to the prison’s infirmary in poor physical condition due to a drop in blood pressure and blood sugar.

A source close to his family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Mr. Forouhi’s health deteriorated on the fourth day of his hunger strike, and he was taken to Lakan Prison’s infirmary after experiencing a sharp drop in blood pressure and blood sugar.”

Forouhi began his hunger strike on Monday, January 27, in protest of what he describes as an unjust legal process, violations of his legal rights, the issuance of separate sentences for a single case, the failure to apply sentence reduction laws, and authorities’ refusal to consider his legal requests for case consolidation.

Approximately 29 years old, Forouhi was arrested by security forces in Rasht on January 18, 2023, and transferred to Lakan Prison’s Misagh ward the following day.

Late last year, Forouhi, along with Mehdi Mirzaei and Arman Sedghi Sabet, co-defendants in a joint case, was sentenced to three years in prison by the Rasht Revolutionary Court on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “acting against national security.” Their sentences were later upheld by the Gilan Court of Appeals. Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the longest sentence—two years—became enforceable.

In a separate case, Forouhi was sentenced to two years and three months in prison by Branch 1 of the Rasht Criminal Court.

Prolonged Detention of Gilan Poet Peyman Farah-Avar Without Trial in Lakan Prison

Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar, a poet from Gilan Province, remains in detention at Lakan Prison in Rasht more than five months after his arrest, with no resolution to his case.

A source close to his family confirmed to HRANA: “Mr. Farah-Avar faces charges including ‘propaganda against the regime,’ baghi (armed rebellion), and moharebeh (enmity against God). He has been detained for over five months in a state of limbo at Lakan Prison in Rasht, with no court hearings held to address his charges.”

Mr. Farah-Avar was arrested by security forces in August 2024 and initially taken to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility. After completing the interrogation process, he was transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht.

Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar, a poet from Gilan and the father of a 10-year-old son, has previously been arrested due to his activities.

Jalil Kheirkhah Arrested and Transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht

On Sunday, January 5, 2025, security forces arrested Jalil Kheirkhah, a resident of Shaft County in Gilan Province, at his home. Following his arrest, he was transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht.

HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, reported that a source close to Mr. Kheirkhah’s family confirmed the arrest. “Security forces detained him at his residence this morning and later took him to Lakan Prison in Rasht,” the source stated.

According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Kheirkhah faces charges of “propaganda against the regime.”

This is not the first time Mr. Kheirkhah has been targeted by authorities. He has previously been arrested for his activities, highlighting a pattern of ongoing pressure on him.

Fariborz Sebghatollahi’s Detention Exceeds Five Months Without Trial

Fariborz Sebghatollahi, a political defendant from Astara, remains held in Lakan Prison in Rasht. Mr. Sebghatollahi has been in detention for over five months without trial or judicial resolution.

A source close to his family confirmed to HRANA, “It has been over 165 days since Mr. Sebghatollahi’s arrest. He was charged in the Rasht Prosecutor’s Office with alleged membership in an opposition group. However, his case remains in limbo, and no court session has been held to address his charges.”

Sebghatollahi was arrested on July 17, 2024, by Astara Intelligence Ministry agents. He was initially detained at The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Astara for two days before being transferred to the Ministry’s detention center in Rasht. After interrogation, he was moved to Lakan Prison.

Previously, a source informed HRANA: “Sebghatollahi was repeatedly subjected to interrogations, psychological torture, threats against his family, and humiliation while in detention at the Ministry of Intelligence facility in Rasht. During his arrest, his daughter, daughter-in-law, ex-wife, and several friends were also detained but later released.”

Sebghatollahi, approximately 50 years old, resides in Astara.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of HRA recorded significant violations of detainees’ rights, including 81 cases of failure to process lawsuits, 305 instances of prolonged legal uncertainty, and 921 cases of indefinite detention.

19-Year-Old Ehsan Khodayari Imprisoned for Political Charges in Lakan Prison

Ehsan Khodayari, a 19-year-old political prisoner, is serving a one-year sentence in Lakan Prison, Rasht, following a conviction by the Revolutionary Court of this city. Another portion of his case remains under review in the Criminal Court of Rasht.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Mr. Khodayari was arrested by security forces in Rasht and, after two months in detention at Rasht Prison’s Ward 2, was transferred to Lakan Prison in mid-December.

Khodayari faced charges in a case divided into two parts. The Revolutionary Court sentenced him to one year in prison for “propaganda against the regime.”

A source close to his family confirmed to HRANA: “Ehsan’s case was initiated for issuing a call to action on the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death on September 15. Another charge related to possession of incendiary materials is under review by the Criminal Court, with a trial expected soon.”

Ehsan Khodayari, 19, is a resident of Rasht originally from Zanjan.