Journalist Kimia Fathizadeh Receives Six-Month Sentence and Further Penalties

In a recent development, the Criminal Court in Sirjan, Kerman province, has imposed a six-month prison sentence and additional penalties on Kimia (Zahra) Fathizadeh, a journalist based in Tehran.

According to the verdict issued on February 21, 2024, Fathizadeh was found guilty of “disseminating false information to cause harm and disturbing public opinion.” In addition to the six-month imprisonment, she is required to pay a fine and is prohibited from engaging in journalistic activities for two years.

Confirmation of Fathizadeh’s conviction comes from a reliable source close to the journalist who disclosed to HRANA that the legal action was initiated due to a report in which Fathizadeh criticized the head of the Intelligence Protection Organization and the former prosecutor of Sirjanو, who subsequently filed a complaint against her.

It is noteworthy that Fathizadeh, 50, experienced a raid on her residence in Tehran on August 27, 2023, conducted by Cyber Police. During the operation, several of her digital devices were confiscated.

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.

 

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, many of which were continuations of ongoing movements.  Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations.

 

Saturday, November 20

A number of workers and retirees assembled in the Worker House in Tehran. In this gathering, the workers showed their protest against a plan laid out in parliament, whereby wages can be wholly determined by a consensus between employee and employer.

“This plan will increase rural-to-urban migration and hence affect negatively the ecology”, Hassan Sadeghi, one of the workers’ representatives, commented about the plan. “It
reinforces informal employment and decreases demands in the market. In this plan, employers will be able to pay insurance contribution of just 10 days rather than 30 days.”



A group of workers of Abadan Petrochemical Complex assembled at company premises in front of the central factory building. They asked for the establishment of an Islamic Labor Council as a worker organization, pointing out that the government increases only the salary base in accordance with inflation each year, while other benefits remain the same.

Personnel of the medical treatment department of Elam University of Medical Sciences assembled on campus in protest.

A number of workers in Yazd Province assembled at the Worker House in Yazd City. They asked that the disparity in wages be closed, and that labor codes and regulations regarding worker housing be implemented.

“Considering the 47% (annual) inflation, a 20 to 30% increase in wages is never enough. Therefore, we are planning to address this issue in a session with workers’ organizations as
well as through Parliament,” the member of Parliament of this city, Mr. Jokar, commented. “Among other things, addressing the temporary contracts which undermine job security, productivity and motivations for labor force have to be prioritized.”

Sunday, November 21

In Shahrekord City, hundreds of people assembled in front of the municipal building of this Province and then marched through the streets of Shahrekord in protest against water shortages
and water mismanagement.

Families of the victims of Ukrainian International Airlines flight 752, which was hit by two regime missiles on January 8, 2020, resulting in the death of the 176 people on board, assembled and demanded that the court-martial convene and hold low-ranking military officers responsible for the incident accountable. Carrying placards and pictures of the victims, protesters called for justice.

A group of the retirees of the Fulad Company’s pension fund protested in Isfahan and Khuzestan before the building of this fund. They asked for the fortification of their pensions to stand
above the poverty line, the closing of disparities in pensions, and that the issues of supplementary insurance be addressed.

For several consecutive days, a group of workers of Abadan Petrochemical Complex assembled and protested at the premises of this complex. They demanded increased wages and that a workers’ organization be established.

Monday, November 22

In Shahrekord City, for a second consecutive day, dozens of citizens marched to protest against water shortage and water mismanagement in the province.

Recently-dismissed workers of the Aq-Dareh gold mine assembled at their former workplace to protest mass layoffs. They have stated that, as seasonal workers, they can hardly earn their livelihood during the winter months.

In Sirjan City, a number of workers of the edible oil company FRICO demanded their several-months-delayed wages.

Tuesday, November 23

A group of workers of Asminon Mine assembled on the road connecting Manoojān to Bandar-Abbas to protest against not addressing their issues. Reportedly, this was their fourth day of the protest.

Workers of the vegetable oil factory Nina, located in the Sirjan industrial zone, assembled in front of the municipal building to ask for their wage demands and determine their job  conditions. One of the workers said that the employer’s neglect towards workers’ demands has weakened their work motivation. He also mentioned that it is about three months that the factory is temporarily closed due to the lack of raw materials.

Wednesday, November 24

Hundreds of people in two squares of Shahrekord City, in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, assembled and marched to protest against water shortages, ineffective water management policies and poor resource mismanagement. They demanded, in particular, shutting down a water transfer project which extracts water from the Province through two canals, exacerbating the current water shortage. Reportedly, currently, 96.1% of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province is facing drought.

In Isfahan, for several consecutive days, the farmers assembled in the dried up stretches of the river Zayandeh-rud. They demanded their water portion and the revival of this river.

Several patients with the blood disorder Thalassemia assembled in front of the headquarter of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. According to these protestors,  the worsening quality of its medicines has endangered the health of patients. They asked for the removal of all poor-quality medicines from the market.

A number of the victims of the financial fraud of the “King Money” cryptocurrency network assembled in front of the building of the Baadraan Universal Trading company.

The seasonal workers of Haft-Tappeh sugarcane company assembled in Shush city in front of the office of Parliament member Kaab Amir. They asked that their employment contract issues be addressed.

Thursday, November 25

A number of citizens assembled in front of the office of the Cleric Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani in Qom City to protest against the family law–particularly mehrieh (money or
possessions paid by the groom). Many men, who are not able to afford to pay this money in the divorce, are convicted and even jailed.

For a second consecutive day, seasonal workers of Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane company assembled in Shush City in front of the office of Parliament member Kaab Amir.

The workers of the Iran-Khodro Company in Tabriz went on a strike and assembled at their workplace. They demanded closing the disparity in wages and implementing the Job Classification Act. 

Injured protesters are facing life threatening infections

The nationwide protests of November are one of the most significant events of 2019. During the November protests that lasted more than 10 days simultaneously in 719 parts of the country. At least 7133 people were arrested, hundreds died on the streets, and many protesters got gunshot wounds. This report is compiled by HRANA from field investigations of the injured individuals during the last November’s protests. The majority of the injured who are interviewed for this report are living in Karaj, Eslamshahr, Sirjan, Behbahan, Mahshahr, Qods, and Ahvaz. Their ages range between 19 to 30 and were mostly shot in their feet, chest, and upper body.  They are suffering from life-threatening infections.

Alborz and Tehran

An informed source told HRANA that more than 20 days after the protests, a trusted physician agreed to treat seven of the injured in Karaj. They were shot on the same day in Karaj. Two were shot by bird shots and five were shot by rifle bullets. One of the injured was severely shot in his right foot and right shoulder and was bleeding heavily.

Another informed source in Alborz Province told HRANA that some of the victims from Mohammadieh, Shahriyar, and Eslamshahr who were injured between 16 to 18 November did not seek medical help fearing to be arrested: however, they could not afford private medical treatment. Therefore, one of the injured, a 19-year-old, died because of injuries and infection. The others are relying only on antibiotics to fight infections. The bullets are mostly in the chest and face and the upper body of these victims. Ayob Bahramian is one of the victims who left his house in Shahriar for shopping on November 16 and was shot in the thigh while crossing the street. He was hospitalized and went to a coma. He died on December 18, 2019. He was married and father of a four-year-old and a five-month-old baby.

One of the protesters in Qods city was shot in a foot while filming the security forces beating the protesters. His injury was not serious and was later treated by a trusted doctor.

An informed source told HRANA about the condition of the injured in Qods city “the first night of the protest, about 60 to 70 injured protesters were transferred to the hospital by the police vans and were treating under control of the police. Some of these injured were interrogated and released while being treated”.

Khuzestan

Another protester who interviewed with HRANA was shot by tear gas from a very short distance that broke his ribs. Some of the injured in Behbahan who were hospitalized, and their identities were given to the police are as the following:

1- Ardeshir Omidi, shot in both feet

2- Mohammad Kamrani lost his knee to a gunshot wound

3- Ebrahim Sheikhi, from Asad Abad village in Behbahan who was shot in the eye

4- Iman Alafchin, living in Khorasani neighborhood of Behbahan, who was shot in thigh and hand on November 16 was transferred to Ahvaz Hospital. He lost one foot from the knee down due to severe bleeding and medical negligence. The hospital billed him for approx. $2000. He couldn’t afford to pay this bill, so the hospital refused to release him. He is a baker and lives with his brother.

5- Maryam Payab was shot with a rifle bullet in the waist on November 16 and underwent surgery in Shahidzadeh Hospital in Behbahan She was released three days later by paying approx. $250. She was later arrested on December 19, 2019.

Three of the arrested citizens in Behbahan were also injured and have not contacted their families after their arrest. An informed source told HRANA that the security forces did not allow the personnel of Behbahan Hospital to register the injured individuals. They were even present in the operation rooms and took away the injured right after the bullets were removed from them. They even took bodies out of the hospital. Another citizen was shot in the neck and is in a coma in Ahvaz Hospital where he is under 24-hour monitoring of the security forces. The family of this victim is not allowed to visit him.

Meisam Odgipour, a resident of Khoramshahr, Anvar Matroudi, and Abdollah Yamasi, residents of Shadegan who were injured during the last November’s protest were arrested after being transferred to the hospital. Another citizen of Mahshar who was shot is not yet been treated and his life is in danger. Majid Majdam, a resident of Sarband, in Karun county in Khuzestan, was injured and died in the hospital. In addition, Mansour Dorris, son of Sarabad’s Imam of Friday Prayer was killed by gunshot and was buried on November 26, 2019.

Other provinces

Two protesters in Sirjan were treated by a trusted doctor. They were shot in the stomach. In Yasuj and Gachsaran, some of the arrested protesters were beaten severely. Among them, a 30-year old man had a broken wrist as a result of police beating. He was denied medical treatment and was transferred to the prison where he was only given pain killers for his injury before being released on bail.

Ayub Bahramian

 

Infections of the injured protesters