Five Sanandaj Residents Sentenced to Total of 20 Years in Prison

The Revolutionary Court of Kurdistan sentenced five residents of Sanandaj city to a total of 20 years in prison and 25 months of suspended imprisonment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kolbar News, the revolutionary Court sentenced Fardin Rahimi, Aliollah Veisi, Mehdi Seyfi, Sirvan Abdollahi, and Marzieh Morad-Veisi each to four years in prison and five months floating imprisonment on the charges of “propaganda against the regime, collaboration with one of the anti-regime parties, and forming illegal groups”.

These individuals were arrested in May 2021 and later released on bail after interrogation.

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place this week in Iran. Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations

Saturday, May 28

A number of farmers gathered in front of the governorate building of Lorestan in Khorramabad City to demand their water portion. In recent years, drought has affected the livelihood of many farmers. Additionally, poor water supply infrastructure, officials’ water mismanagement and incompetency have exacerbated the situation.

A number of students of Payame Noor University gathered and protested before the main entrance of the university. They asked for taking exams online instead of in person. They said that the university management has not informed the students adequately and on time about the way exams will be given.

Sunday, May 29

A group of nurses working for the Social Security Organization gathered before this organization in Tehran to ask for increasing pensions as allocated for hard and hazardous jobs in accordance with labour law.

The Social Security pensioners held protests in the cities of Qazvin, Ahvaz, Sush, Tabriz, Kermanshah and Mashhad. They chanted slogans against the irresponsibility of the government towards their demands. These pensioners demanded raising their pension to stand above the poverty line, addressing the supplementary insurance issues, the end year bonuses.

 

Tuesday, May 31

A number of teachers of Sanandaj City gathered and protested in front of the Ministry of Education. They chanted, “Imprisoned teacher should be released.”

In Zanjan, a group of pensioners of the Social Security Organization protested before the Planning and Budget Organization office. They asked for increasing wages and pensions.

A number of students of Payame Noor University protested before the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology office in Tehran.

A number of the Sugarcane Agro-Industry Complex of Shushtar gathered before this company to ask for the removal of the CEO. Despite the ministry of Justice’s order for deposing the CEO due to hoarding sugar, he has not yet been removed from the office.

Personnel and faculty members of the Islamic Azad University West Tehran Branch gathered before the entrance to protest against low wages.

A group of students of the Amirkabir University of Technology gathered on campus to ask for their demands.

Wednesday, June 1

A number of farmers from Khorramabad County in Lorestan Province gathered before the County building to protest against not receiving the water portion from the Eyvashan Dam.

For the third consecutive day, pensioners of the Social Security Organization protested in Zanjan. They gathered in front of the governorate building to ask for raising pension and wages in accordance with the Labor Council enactment.

At the same time, Social Security pensioners of Gilan also held a protest before the Central Selection Board of this organization in Rasht.
Iranian Retirement Council also reported a similar protest before the Social Security Organization in Tabriz.

 

A group of retirees and working personnel of Zanjan Telecommunication Company gathered before the management office of this company to protest against not receiving the wage for last month.

The workers of the Agro-Industry Company Karoon Shushar gathered for the second consecutive day in front of the company office building.

The workers said, “Yesterday, in protest gathering, we heard nothing but hollow promises. Therefore, we had to come here again for our denied labor rights.”

Among other demands, the workers ask for the modification of job contracts from temporary to official and closing wage disparities.

A group of workers of AzarAb Industries Company held protests at factory premises for the second consecutive day. They protested against two months’ delays in payment and the suspension from work.

The members of the housing cooperative of the Zanjan University of Medical Sciences gathered before the governorate building of Zanjan Province to ask for their demands.

A group of personnel of the Ilam Telecommunication Company gathered before this company office in Ilam City to protest against unpaid wages and other livelihood issues.

Thursday, June 2

The workers of Tabriz Azar Glass Industries Company held a protest in front of the company to demand several months’ unpaid wages.

Teacher Union Activist Majid Karimi Arrested in Sanandaj

On Tuesday, May 31, 2022, security forces arrested teacher union activist Majid Karimi in Sanandaj City and transferred him to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, teacher union activist Majid Karimi was arrested. Reportedly, he and several others had gathered before the IRGC Intelligence Office to inquire about detained teacher union activist Masoud Farhikhteh, when several IRGC agents came out and took him to an unidentified location.

The reason for his arrest and his whereabouts are unknown so far.

Seven Citizens Arrested in Baneh City

On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Kurdistan Province’s Baneh City, the security forces arrested seven citizens.  One of the individuals was released after a few hours and the rest were transferred to a detention facility in Sanandaj City.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa News, seven residents of Baneh were arrested, of which six were transferred to a detention facility in Sanandaj.

The arrestees have been identified as Hassan Ezzati, Nishtman Rahmati, Saeed Mohammadi, Parvin Falahi, Omar Soleimani, Afshin Rahmati, and Fateh Majidi. Nishtman Rahmati, Saeed Mohammadi’s wife, was released after a few hours.

Reportedly, during the arrest, the security forces searched their houses and confiscated some of their personal belongings.

The reason for these arrests and the charges are still unknown.

Kiumars Latifi Arrested by IRGC Intelligence Agents in Sanandaj City

On February 15, IRGC intelligence agents arrested Kiumars Latifi, a resident of Sanandaj City.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, they have transferred Latifi, age 41, to a security detention centre in Sanandaj City. He was accused of “collaboration with one of the anti-regime political parties.”

He has had another arrest on his rap sheet. In September of 2019, he was arrested with the same accusation and released on bail on December 26 of that year.

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Fifteen Year Old Girl Dies by Suicide in Sanandaj City

On January 2, a fifteen year old girl in Sanandaj City died by suicide. According to statistics by the Forensic Medicine Organization, 7 percent of those who died by suicide are underage.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the girl was identified as Arnika Jahanbin. Her motivation for suicide is still unknown.

HRANA earlier reported on deaths by suicide from three other underage children over the last month in the Kurdish region of Iran.

Aram Moradian Detained After 37 Days

Aram Moradian, a resident of Tangsir Village in Kurdistan Province, is still in detention after 37 days. On November 14, he was arrested after his appearance at the Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj City.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Moradian has been denied a lawyer and family visitation. He was reportedly allowed to make two short phone calls.

According to an informed source, Aram Moradian was summoned to the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj. During the session, the court issued a detention warrant against him.

On April 27, he was arrested by security forces without a warrant. After being charged with “collaboration with one of the opposition political parties”, he was released on bail of 500 million tomans (approx. 18000 dollars) until the end of legal proceedings.

Three Workers Killed and One Injured Due to Unsafe Workplace Conditions

A total of three workers have been killed and one injured in recent accidents that were brought about by unsafe workplace conditions.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna, on November 2, in three workplace accidents in Qorveh, Mahabad and Hafshejan cities, three workers lost their lives and one more was injured.

Ali Naseri, the head of the fire department in Qorveh announced the death of a worker due to the fire that broke out in a bakery.

“In a bakery in a district in the center city of Qorveh, a gas leak from a gas pipe, which had been branched off illegally to be used for bread baking machine, caused a fire in this bakery,”  Naseri commented. “After the neighbors reported the fire, the fire department dispatched the firefighting team to the spot. The firefighters saved two workers from the fire. One of them had severe burns, who was transferred to the hospital.”

The head of the pre-hospital emergency care unit of Qorveh Shahrokh Mohammadi revealed that the 55-year-old baker died in a hospital in Sanandaj city due to severe burns in several parts of his body.

It is worth noting that many bakeries in both urban and rural areas use off-brand gas lines which are not up to code, and this can lead to gas leaks and fires.

In another workplace accident in Mahabad, a worker was poisoned by carbon monoxide gas.

“Following an emergency call, the Emergency Center of Police 110 sent a team to the spot,” the police commander of Mahabad stated. “Preliminary examination of the emergency team revealed the victim, a 50-year-old man, has died of poisoning due to inhaling carbon monoxide gas while he was asleep.”

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ISNA, two months after a work accident, in a sugar factory in Hafshjan city in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, one worker died from severe injuries. Reportedly, the victim died from a neck fracture after eight heavy sugar bags fell on top of on him.

“The height of the sugar bag piles should not be more than 1.8 meters,” HSE manager of Hafshjan sugar factory Arash Heyday said. “The government has to take action to unload these warehouses. However, because of the delay in unloading and lack of room, we have to make higher stacks which endanger the workers.”

Iran ranks 102 in workplace safety out of 189 countries.