Two Inmates Executed in Rasht and Gorgan

On January 11, 2023, an inmate convicted of murder was executed in Lakan Prison, Rasht. HRANA has identified the inmate as Milad Ashoob.

Also, another inmate, identified as Shahram Mortazavi, was executed in Gorgan Prison on the same day. An informed source close to his family told HRANA that he committed murder during a fight.

None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported these executions at the time of writing.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

 

 

 

Three Inmates Executed in Rasht and Karaj

On December 15, 2022, three inmates convicted of murder and drug-related crimes were executed in Lakan Prison in Rasht and the Central Prison of Karaj.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on December 15, 2022, quoting Iran Human Rights Organization, Hassan Amini and Amir Abbasi were executed in Lakan Prison, Rasht, Gilan Province.

These individuals were previously sentenced to death for murder.

Also, an Afghan national identified as Reza Tajik convicted of drug-related crimes was executed in the Central Prison of Karaj.

 

Five Inmates Executed in Gorgan and Rasht

Recently, five prisoners convicted of murder were executed in Gorgan and Rasht Prisons.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Iran Human Rights Organization, on December 13, 2022, Payam Nourollahi, age 33, was executed in Gorgan Prison.

About three years ago, Nourollahi was accused and convicted of killing a Basij Militia force’s son over personal issues.

Also, the execution of two men in Rasht on November 17, 2021, has been reported. These individuals, identified as Abbas Abdollahi and Fariborz Shahbazi, were previously convicted of murder.

On December 1, 2022, two other inmates, Majid Mehdi-Pour and Masoud Effati were executed in Rasht.

None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported these executions at the time of writing.

Nationwide Protests in Iran Continue on Day Sixteen

On October 1, 2022, despite the heavy presence of riot police and plainclothes security agents, Iranian people held demonstrations in many cities including Mashhad, Rasht, Dehgolan, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tehran, Shahrekord, Shahin Shahr, Arak, Bukan, Babol, Karaj. Moreover, on at least 27 universities campus, the students held protests. These protests continued in Tehran, Isfahan, Bushehr and at least 25 universities on the following day, October 2.

The map below shows the geographical distribution of protests across Iran during the last 48 hours.

In most cases, peaceful student protests turned violent by the police as dozens of students were arrested by the security forces. On the University of Isfahan campus, the security agents or the police fired tear gas at the crowd of protesting students.

Last night, the police and security forces surrounded the Sharif University of Technology, chasing and arresting violently the students who left the campus. The police fired tear gas and pellet guns, leading to several students’ injuries. 

According to Iran’s Student Union, several protesting students were trapped in a university building by university security agents and then arrested by the police.

The students chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator”, “don’t call it protests, it is now a revolution”, and “jailed students should be freed.” They also chanted slogans against the Supreme Leader, Khamenei.

On October 2, in Isfahan and Piranshahr, traders and shopkeepers joined the general strike and closed their shops.

Meanwhile, in recent days, the record-breaking hashtag Mahsa Amini (مهسا_امینی#) reached over 200 million times on Twitter.

Like the previous days, most parts of the country, especially Kurdistan, faced internet and mobile phone disruptions and outages.

Last Friday, September 30, in Zahedan, in Sistan and Baluchistan province, the security forces opened fire at the crowd of protestors coming from the Friday prayer. According to Iranian Sunni cleric Molavi Abdul Hamid, at least 40 people were killed in this incident.

The number of people arrested is increasing day on day. HRANA identified 31 arrests alone for yesterday.

Kurdistan police chief claimed that more than 150 people arrested during the “unrest” have been released.

It is estimated that 30 to 40 students at the Sharif University of Technology were arrested.

Anti-riot police and security forces use live ammunition against the protestors. HRANA has identified 150 death tolls, of which some have been verified by HRANA after fact-checking.

Below is the compilation of the videos from the protests in the past 24 hours.

Mahsa Amini’s Death Sparks Nationwide Protests

The death of Mahsa Amini has sparked nationwide condemnation and protests in several cities in Iran. Amini was a 22-year-old woman from Saqqez, Kurdistan Province. She was arrested by Tehran Morality Police at a train station for improper hejab. She fell into a coma where she was in custody and then died in a hospital in Tehran.

Since Amini’s death, hundreds of individuals have organized protests, and businesses in a number of cities were closed in protest. On Saturday, September 17, there were also angry demonstrations during her funeral at her burial and in front of the governorate building in Saqqez, Kurdistan Province. The police used violence against the protestors using tear gas and gunshots. Several people have been injured. Kurdpa has identified Kian Derakhshan as being in critical condition. The video below shows the moment he was injured. 

Another individual identified as Parsa Sehat was injured in the eye and nose and is hospitalized in Tabriz.

The protests continued on Sunday, September 18. In Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, people rallied and chanted slogans against the regime such as “Kurdistan, a graveyard for fascists”, and “Death to Dictator”. The police used the shooting to crack down on the protestors. Sanandaj’s residents have reported internet disruptions. Some videos show the deployment of special guard forces and water cannons. Moreover, several pictures on social media show some citizens have been injured by pellet guns.

Confirming the arrest of several protestors, the Deputy Governor of Kurdistan claimed that so far no one has been killed in the past two days.

In Mahabad, The police with a heavy presence attempted to scatter the crowd in order to prevent the protest.   

The University of Tehran students held a protest on campus. Also, in the Gohardasht district of Karaj, Mahabad, Sanandaj, Rasht, and several other cities demonstrations were held, where people chanted “death to the dictator”, “death to Khamanei”, and “woman, life, freedom.” 

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Ali Ensandoost Arrested in Rasht

On August 13, 2022, security forces arrested Ali Ensandoost at his house and transferred him to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on August 13, 2022, former political prisoner Ali Ensandoost was arrested.

The reason for Ensandoost’s arrest, his whereabouts and the charges against him are unknown so far.

Ensandoost had faced arrest and conviction before. On April 28, 2020, security forces arrested him in Rasht for his activities on social media and an interview with opposition media outside the country. He was interrogated in a detention facility until September 2020 when he was transferred to Langerud Prison and held in a ward with prisoners of violent crimes.

The Revolutionary Court of Qom sentenced Ensandoost to eight years in prison on the charges of “collaboration with hostile countries, insulting the Supreme Leader, and propaganda against the regime”.After plea bargaining, the sentence was reduced to four years and six months. On December 26, 2021, Ensandoost was released to serve the rest of his sentence in home detention with an electronic monitoring device.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On Wednesday, August 10, at least 10 protests and one labour strike took place in Iran.

The retirees of Iran Air (The National Airline of Iran) gathered before this Airline pension fund in Tehran to protest against the merger of the fund and the Civil Servants Pension Organization.

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization continued their protest in Khorramabad, Kermanshah, Babol, Rasht, Arak and Kerman. During their rally in Kermanshah, three pensioners were arrested but released after a few hours.

 

 

The residents of the village Dariab in Lorestan Province protested against the pollution of their village by the sewage of an industrial town. As a protest, they blocked the road connecting this industrial town to the village.

In Kermanshah, truck drivers went on strike in protest against their poor living conditions, low fares, expensive auto parts and fuel shortage.

 

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On Sunday, July 31, at least 16 protests took place in Iran.

In Tehran, Kermanshah, Shahrekord, Karaj, Tabriz, Urmia, Isfahan, Ahvaz, Bojnurd, and Sanandaj, the pensioners of the state-owned Iran Telecommunication Company held protests against the non-payment and reduction of their benefits. In Tehran, the police dispersed the protest gathering and several pensioners were arrested.

 

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization continued their protests in front of this organization in Rasht and Kermanshah.

In Ahvaz, the pensioners held a protest together with Ahvaz National Steel Industrial Group workers and the nurses of a hospital in front of the Ahvaz Governor-General Building.

 

The workers of the detergent manufacturing company Darugar continued their protests in front of the factory entrance to ask for five-month delayed wages and insurance payments.

 

Five Inmates Executed in Sanandaj, Bam and Rasht

On July 27 and 28, five inmates convicted of murder were executed in Sanandaj, Bam and Rasht.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on July 28, 2022, two convicts identified as Hiwa Ahmadi and Payam Yazdani were executed in the Sanandaj Central Prison, Kurdistan Province.

A day prior, on July 27, Snanadaj Prison officials carried out the execution of another prisoner identified as Abdollah Rahimi.

Additionally, Rasank News reported the execution of an inmate identified as Mohammad-Reza Shiahaki in Bam Prison in Kerman Province.

Rokna News also reported that an inmate identified by the initials M.F., age 27, was executed in Lakan Prison, Rasht Province. He was arrested last year for killing a police officer.

These executions have not been reported by the official sources and media outlets inside Iran so far.

The most recent report from the Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) states that between January 1 of 2021 and December 20 of 2021, at least 299 citizens, including four juvenile offenders, were executed. In addition, 85 citizens were sentenced to death in this period. 

As the report points out, Iran’s judicial authorities do not publicly announce over 88% of executions. These unreported executions are known as “secret executions” by human rights organizations.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On Saturday, July 16, 2022, at least 27 protests took place in Iran

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization protested against low pensions in Karaj, Ahvaz, Isfahan, Arak, Babol, Mashhad, Tabriz, Zanjan, Kerman, Ilam, Khorramshahr, Tehran, Khorramabad, Shushtar, Sirjan, Ardabil, Sirjan, Rasht, Ramhormoz, Sari, Kermanshah, Birjand, Hamedan, Qazvin and Dezful.

In Behbahan, the green maintenance workers of the Municipality gathered to demand their unpaid wages.

Coming from different cities, a number of farmers active in poultry and ostrich farming held a protest in front of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad.

A group of interns of the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences protested before a hospital in Tehran.