Lawyer Mohammad Najafi Sentenced to Three Years and Paying a Fine

The Criminal and Revolutionary Courts of Arak have sentenced lawyer Mohammad Najafi to a total of three years in prison and a fine for two parts of a legal case.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Mohammad Najafi, an attorney at law, was sentenced to three years and paying a fine for a legal case opened against him while he was in prison.

Najafi stated that he was sentenced to two years in prison and a 15-million-toman fine by Branch 106 of the Arak Criminal Court for “spreading falsehood” and to one year in prison by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court for “propaganda against the regime”.

Najafi clarified that he did not attend the court and did not object to the verdict nor submit a plea of no contest for any part of the legal case. He stated that the reason for this legal case was due to his submission of a voice recording in prison showing support for the nationwide protests, which led to charges against his sister and brother as well.

Najafi has faced several other legal cases on prior occasions. In his last legal case, for the first part, he received three years in prison for insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran and four months for spreading falsehood. In December 2018, for the second part of this legal case, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for “propaganda against the regime,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and “collaborating with hostile foreign countries by giving interviews with the Voice of America and Persian BBC.”

For the first part, he was pardoned and released from jail under a “pardon and commute” directive approved by Iran’s Supreme Leader. However, four days later, he was re-arrested and jailed in Arak Prison for the second part of this case.

In another legal case, Najafi received two years in prison and a fine for spreading falsehood to disturb public opinion after writing an open letter addressing Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. This verdict was upheld on appeal. He was given this sentence while he had already been sentenced to one year in prison for the same charges in December 2018.

Furthermore, in February 2020, Najafi received six months in prison for attending and giving a speech at a ceremony in commemoration of Sattar Beheshti, a blogger who was tortured and killed in custody.

Ultimately, from all the above charges, Najafi received 10 years in prison for the charge of “collaboration with hostile foreign countries by giving interviews with the Voice of America and Persian BBC,” which was the charge with the severest punishment. This sentence was later reduced to four years and six months.

 

 

 

Three Family Members of Sattar Beheshti Arrested Approaching Anniversary of his Death

On Wednesday, November 3, approaching the anniversary of Sattar Beheshti’s death, three members of Beheshti’s family were arrested.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Sahar Eshghi, Gohar Eshghi and Mostafa Eslami were arrested by security forces. Security agents reportedly also searched Sattar’s mother’s house and confiscated several of the family’s belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, security forces arrested Sattar Beheshti’s mother, Gohar Eshghi, his sister Sahar Eshghi and his brother-in-law, Mostafa Eslami. Reportedly, Mostafa Eslami was beaten by security agents during the arrest.

Sattar Beheshti was a blogger and worker who was tortured to death in a detention center. He had been arrested by the Iranian Cyber Police (FATA) for his civil and political activities on the Internet.

Seven Political Activists Arrested in Robat Karim County

On Wednesday, November 3, seven political activists were arrested by security forces in Robat Karim County at Sattar Beheshti’s burial place.

The activists have been identified as Heshmatullah Tabarzadi, Esmaeel Moftizadeh, Parviz Safari, Arash Soleymani, Mohammad-Reza Khosravi, Ali Rostami and Yasamin Hanifeh

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, these political activists were arrested after gathering to visit Sattar Beheshti’s grave and to mark the anniversary of his death in Imamzadeh Mohammad-Taghi Cemetery in Robat Karim County.

Sattar Beheshti was a blogger and worker who was tortured to death in a detention center. He had been arrested by the Iranian Cyber Police (FATA) for his civil and political activities online.

The specific reason for the arrests is unknown as of this writing.

Sahar Beheshti Arrested; Additional Information

HRANA News Agency – Following the arrest of Sahar Beheshti and her husband, on the occasion of his dead brother’s birthday (Sattar Beheshti) on August 26, Gohar Eshghi, Sattar’s mother and a group of civil rights activists went to the police station in Robat Karim where Mohammad Mozaffari one of the activists was arrested and interrogated and abandoned after half an hour in the wilderness surrounding area. Sahar Beheshti was questioned by the judge on duty in Parand court.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on August 26, following the announcement of the birth ceremony of Sattar Beheshti, security forces surrounded his father’s house and prevented the attendants of entering the house. Also, Sahar Beheshti, sister of Sattar Beheshti and her husband, Mostafa Eslami have been arrested “while being beaten” and transferred to the police station in Robat Karim. Continue reading “Sahar Beheshti Arrested; Additional Information”

Sahar Beheshti and Her Husband Arrested Violently

HRANA News Agency – On August 26, following the announcement of the birthday ceremony of Sattar Beheshti, security forces surrounded his father’s house and prevented the attendants from entering the house. Also, Sahar Beheshti, Sattar Beheshti’s sister and her husband were arrested “while being beaten” and transferred to an unknown location.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on August 26, following the announcement of the birthday ceremony of Sattar Beheshti, security forces surrounded his father’s house and prevented the attendants from entering the house. Continue reading “Sahar Beheshti and Her Husband Arrested Violently”

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The doctor who visited Sattar Beheshti is arrested

HRANA News Agency – Reza Heidarpour, the doctor of Evin prison who examined the body of Sattar Beheshti has been arrested and transferred to ward 209 on November 10.
 
According to a report by Kalameh website, Sattar Beheshti was sent to the clinic at entry of Evin prison and the reports of beatings and torture was inserted in his case by this doctor. Continue reading “The doctor who visited Sattar Beheshti is arrested”

The testimony of 41 political prisoners in ward 350 of Evin: Sattar Beheshti had been tortured

HRANA News Agency – According to reports published by media outlets, Sattar Beheshti was arrested by the cyber police, a subsidiary of the nation’s security forces on October 30th 2012. On November 6th, Mr Beheshti’s family was reportedly informed of his passing, requesting that his body be collected at the Kahrizak morgue. All along, the family was threatened not to speak to anyone regarding this matter.

Give that Mr. Sattar Beheshti was at Evin’s general ward 350 from October 31st 2012 to November 1st 2012 and the detainees at this ward had therefore witnessed his painful physical and psychological condition first hand, we view it our national and religious duty to inform the honorable Iranian nation of Mr. Beheshti’s background and predicament.

Sattar Beheshti was charged as a result of his criticism of the authorities of the ruling establishment in his personal blog.  He told eye witnesses at Evin’s ward 350 that while in custody at the police headquarters, he had first been severely beaten while hanging from the ceiling and later beaten further while tied to a chair. Sometimes  he was beaten while his hands were tied and at other times he was pushed to the ground and kicked severely in the area of the head and neck by interrogators wearing army boots.  While being tortured, Beheshti was reportedly subjected to the most vulgar curses attacking his honor and his interrogators repeatedly threatened to kill him.

When arriving at Evin’s ward 350, evidence of torture was apparent throughout Sattar’s body and he was in a painful physical and psychological state. His face was scarred, his head was swollen, his wrists and arms were bruised and the effects of hanging from the ceiling were apparent on his wrists.  Bruises were also apparent on other parts of his body such as around his neck, his stomach and his back.

Despite the fact that he was barely able to write as a result of his beatings, Sattar nevertheless filed a short complaint to the authorities of Evin’s ward 350, describing his condition and the manner in which he had been treated at the hands of the security agents, demanding that they follow up on his case.

Given that his physical condition was far from normal, Sattar was taken to the prison infirmary on two occasions where the physician at the infirmary was also able to witness his condition first hand.

On November 1st, 2011, Sattar a young and true activist of the Green Movement was once again transferred from Evin’s ward 350 to the security police headquarters. He was extremely concerned when leaving the ward and told other detainees: “They intend to kill me.”  Four days after his transfer, his family was informed of his death.

Those who claim to be the followers of Imam Ali must be reminded of his response to the news of a Jewish women’s torture under his reign, her legs bruised, when he stated: ” If a victim dies, they are not to blame.”

They witness the cruelty, injustices, atrocities, torture and murder and remain indifferent, without losing even a night’s sleep. In recent years and following the 2009 presidential elections we have repeatedly witnessed this type of torture of detainees at the hands of the security and cyber police. There are individuals currently at Evin’s ward 350 who have personally been subjected to such torture.  We hereby testify that we have witnessed the existence of numerous cases of torture of detainees at the hands of the agents of the security police at Evin’s ward 350.

We believe that if the criminals at Kahrizak prison and the torturers at Evin prison whose accounts of torture have been repeatedly published and are known to the authorities of the ruling establishment, would be punished rather than encouraged and promoted,  such heinous Kahrizak style tortures and cases of murder would no longer be repeated.

It has now been proven to all of us that when it comes to the current ruling establishment our cries will only fall on deaf ears.  While offering our condolences to the family of the late Sattar Beheshti and the oppressed Iranian nation, we remind everyone that the current ruling establishment, whether they like it or not, are responsible for the cruelty, torture and unjust bloodshed of innocent victims.

Signatories:

Mohammad Ebrahimi

Hossein Asadi Zeidabadi

Amir Eslami

Reza Ansari Rad

Ibrahim (Nader) Babai Zeydi

Emaad Bahavar

Seyed Ali Reza Beheshti Shirazi

Amid Behroozi

Amin Chalaki

Siyavash Hatem

Omid Kharazmiyan

Mehdi Khodaii

Mohammad Davari

Amir Khosro Dalirsani

Seyed Mohammad Ali Dadkhah

Ali Reza Rajaii

Mohammad Rezaii

Farzad Rouhi

Hossein Zarini

Abdolfatah Soltani

Adris Seyedin

Pouriya Shahpari

Mohsen (Bahman) Sadeghi Nour

Mohammad Farid Taheri Ghazvini

Bahador Alizadeh

Afshin Karampour

Hamid Reza Karvasi

Amir Garshasbi

Jafar Ganji

Siyamak Ghaderi

Abolfazl Ghadyani

Ali Akbar Ghoti

Farshi Lahouti

Abdollah Momeni

Mohsen Mirdamadi

Mostafa Nili

Mohammad Ali Velayati

Farshid Yadollahi

Mohammad Hassan Youssef Pourseyfi

Mohammad Amin Hadavi

Seyed Ahmad Hashemi

Role of Cyber Police in Blogger’s Death is Obvious

HRANA News Agency – The head of Iran’s Security Forces says police may be guilty of “some level of neglect” in the arrest of Sattar Beheshti but he denied there was any motive to murder the detained blogger, who died in custody earlier this month.

Continue reading “Role of Cyber Police in Blogger’s Death is Obvious”

U.N. experts ask Iran to explain blogger’s death in jail

GENEVA  – U.N. human rights experts called on Iran on Thursday to say how Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti died in police custody.

In a case that sparked international outrage, Beheshti who wrote a blog critical of the government, was arrested on October 30 and died some days later after saying he had received death threats and was being tortured in jail.

“It is imperative that people who are potentially involved in committing such gruesome crimes are investigated and brought to justice, as failure to do so promotes a culture of impunity,” said Ahmed Shaheed, special U.N. rapporteur on human rights in Iran.

Shaheed and other U.N. experts welcomed Iran’s decision to investigate the 35-year-old’s death and said the findings should be made public.

“On 6 November, prison authorities contacted family members of Mr. Beheshti to collect his body. Although the circumstances around his death remain unclear, allegations suggest he might have been tortured to death during his investigation,” they said in a joint statement issued in Geneva.

Christof Heyns, special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions said whenever someone dies as a result of injuries sustained while in custody, “there is a presumption of state responsibility.”

The experts, who report to the U.N. Human Rights Council said there had been several cases reported of detainees dying in custody due to mistreatment or torture, lack of medical attention or neglect.

They called on Iran to release journalists and bloggers jailed in violation of a U.N. treaty on civil and political rights.

Iranian authorities have arrested seven people suspected of involvement in Beheshti’s death, a lawmaker said on Wednesday. The suspects’ identities have not been disclosed.

The Beheshti case has renewed international concerns about human rights in Iran. In October, the European Parliament awarded its human rights prize to Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer who, opposition websites report, is on hunger strike in prison.

-Reuters

HRW – Iran: Investigate Detained Blogger’s Death

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HRANA News Agency – (Beirut) – Iranian authorities should investigate the death of a 35-year-old blogger in custody and immediately provide his family with information about the circumstances of his death. Initial reports suggest that he may have died from ill-treatment or torture.

Continue reading “HRW – Iran: Investigate Detained Blogger’s Death”