Tag: Tabriz

Iran Protests: Arsam Mahmoudi Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Arsam Mahmoodi, Mahsa Amini, Tabriz, Tehran, the 2022 Nationwide Protests

The Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Arsam Mahmoudi, a Tabriz resident, to six years in prison. He was arrested in Tehran amid the 2022 nationwide protests.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Arsam Mahmoudi was sentenced to six years in prison.

Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, gave Mahmoudi five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.” If the verdict is upheld on appeal, the first charge will be enforceable under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code.

Mahmoudi, 31, a civil engineering Master’s graduate, was arrested by security forces in Tehran during the 2022 nationwide protests in Tehran.

About the 2022 Nationwide Protests

The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hejab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. During the nationwide protests, about 19600 people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.

Lawyer Sina Yousefi Sentenced to Imprisonment and Paying a Fine

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Freedom of Expression, News
Azerbaijan Province, Sina Yousefi, Tabriz, Tabriz Prison

Branch 112 of the Tabriz Criminal Court sentenced Sina (Hossein) Yousefi, attorney at law, to 91 days imprisonment and paying a 15-million-toman fine.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, lawyer Sina Yousefi was sentenced to three months imprisonment.

Yousefi received this sentence for “spreading falsehood on the Internet.”

“Giving unrealistic statistics” on arrests over recent protests in a tweet was presented to the court as an example of this charge.

For another part of his legal case, Yousefi has been sentenced to six months and a ban from leaving the country for two years.
Yousefi, who is the vice chairman of the human rights commission of the Azerbaijan Province bar association, clarifies, “Since so many people came to the commission asking for representing the arrestees over protests, we decided to establish a ‘defense committee’… Now, for doing my job, I have faced the charge of forming an illegal group.”

Yousefi, age about 38, was arrested by security forces on October 15, 2022. Twelve days later, he was released on bail from Tabriz Prison.

Poison Attacks on School Students Continue across Iran

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Children, News
Ajabshir, Azarshahr, haharmahal and Bakhtiari, Khuzestan, Marand, Masal, Mianeh, Poison Attacks, Semnan, Sufian, Tabriz

On March 6, 2023, the wave of poison attacks on school students continued across Iran, as 100 school students in Khuzestan, 269 in East Azerbaijan Province, 75 in Semnan Province and several others in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province were poisoned and taken to hospital. Also, the Governor of Masal announced that the number of poisoned students has increased to 43.

According to ILNA, The Director General of Education of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province informed the public about the hospitalization of several students in two schools in Shahrekord.

Quoting the deputy of the Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences, IRNA reported that about 100 school students had been hospitalized due to poisoning in Khuzestan Province. This university official expressed his hope that all these students would be discharged soon.

Aftab News, quoting the dead of East Azerbaijan Emergency, reported the hospitalization of 269 students in the cities of Ajabshir, Sufian, Marand, Azarshahr, Mianeh and Tabriz. “Most of them have been discharged, but there are still 23 students under medical care,” he stated.

Also, IRIB reposted the hospitalization of 75 students from five schools in Semnan Province. Out of these students, seven are still in the hospital.

The Governor of Masal announced that the number of poisoned students has increased to 43, of which 21 students are in the emergency room.

Earlier, a deputy of Iran’s ministry of health stated that with these attacks: “Some want all schools, especially girls’ schools, to be closed down.”

Also, Mohammad-Taghi Fazel Meybodi, a religious scholar and university professor, called these incidents intentional attacks organized by “religious groups.” Moreover, the prosecutor-General of Iran also called these incidents “intentional.”

 

Student Ebrahim Ahmadpour Arrested in Tabriz

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Azerbaijani Turk activist, Ebrahim Ahmadpour, Tabriz

On February 27, Azerbaijani Turk activist Ebrahim Ahmadpour, a student of the University of Tabriz, was summoned and arrested by Public Security and Intelligence Police in Tabriz.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on February 27, 2023, Azerbaijani Turk activist Ebrahim Ahmadpour was arrested in Tabriz.

An informed source told HRANA, “Ahmadpour was summoned to Public Security and Intelligence Police station, where he was beaten and arrested.”

According to this source, three years ago, Ahmadpour was suspended from the university for one semester for his participation in a student protest against a fuel price surge. This suspension order was revoked later.

The reason for his arrest is still unknown.

 

Physician Reza Rezazadeh Sentenced to Six Months Imprisonment

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Freedom of Expression, News
Reza Rezazadeh Parparani, Tabriz

The Tabriz Revolutionary Court sentenced physician Reza Rezazadeh Parparani to six months in prison and banned him from leaving the country for two years.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Reza Rezazadeh Parparani was sentenced to imprisonment.

The charges against Rezazadeh are still unknown.

On December 7, 2022, Rezazadeh was arrested after an appearance at the Public and Revolutionary Courthouse in Tabriz. After a while, he was released on bail.

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Iran Protests: Farzad Taghavi Sentenced to Three Years Imprisonment

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Freedom of Expression, News
East Azerbaijan, Farzad Taghavi, IRGC Intelligence, Tabriz

Recently, the East Azerbaijan Court of Appeal upheld Farad Taghavi’s sentence. He was initially sentenced to three years in prison and banned from leaving the country for two years.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Farzad Taghavi, age 31, a resident of Tabriz, was sentenced to three years in prison and banned from leaving the country for two years on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security and disturbing public order.”

Taghavi was violently arrested on September 27, 2022, by IRGC intelligence at protests in Tabriz. He was released on bail after 11 days of detention in one of IRGC’s detention facilities.

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, over 18400, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read the latest HRANAs comprehensive report here.

Iran Protests: Pouria Pour-Hemmati Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
irgc, Pouria Pour-Hemmati, Tabriz

Recently, the Tabriz Revolutionary Court sentenced Pouria Pour-Hemmati to three years and banned him from leaving the country for two years. He was previously arrested in Tabriz on September 20, 2022.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Pouria Pour-Hemmati was sentenced to three years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security.”

On September 20, 2022, Pour-Hemmati was arrested at protests by Basij Militia forces and IRGC intelligence agents. He was detained in one of IRGC’s detention facilities and, after six days, transferred to Tabriz Prison. On October 1, 2022, he was released on a 200-millions-toman bail.

Pour-Hemmati, age 37, is a mechanical engineer and resident of Tabriz.

 

Four School Students Arrested in Bonab and Bushehr

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Children, Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Vali-Mohammadi, Ashkan Javidfar, Azar Badiee, Bonab, Sadegh Zendeh Boodi, Tabriz

Recently, security forces arrested four school students during nationwide protests in Bonab and Bushehr.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, three school students identified as Azar Badiee, Ashkan Javidfar and Ali Vali-Mohammadi in Bonab, East Azerbaijan Province.

According to an informed source, they were arrested for chanting slogans at school. They and beaten by security forces and taken to Tabriz Correctional Center.

The intelligence agents also arrested Javidfar’s father when he quarreled with them over his son.

The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations also reported the arrest of a school student identified as Sadegh Zendeh Boodi. Security forces arrested him before his parents’ house and took him to an unidentified location.

Attorney at Law Amir Mehdi-Pour Arrested in Tabriz

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Freedom of Expression, News
Amir Mehdi-Pour, Evin Prison, Ghasem Baadi, Iran Bar Association, Sina Yousefi, Tabriz

Recently, related to the nationwide protests, security forces arrested attorney-at-law Amir Mehdi-Pour in Tabriz. Mehdi-Pour is a member of the Human Rights Commission of the Bar Association in East Azerbaijan Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, attorney Amir Mehdi-Pour was arrested by security forces in Tabriz and transferred to an unidentified location.

In recent days, also two other attorneys Sina Yousefi and Ghasem Baadi were arrested in Tabriz. According to an informed source, Yousefi has been transferred from a detention facility in Tabriz to Evin Prison in Tehran.

Earlier, on Social media, Yousefi had revealed that over 1700 people were arrested during the nationwide protests in Tabriz.

 

 

Nationwide Protests in Iran Continues on Day Nine

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Freedom of Expression, News
Amol, Babol, Fardis, Fuman, Isfahan, Karaj, Mahsa Amini, Nowshahr, Qaen, Sabzevar, Sanandaj, Shahin-Shahr, Shahr-e-Rey, Shiraz, Tabriz, Tehran, Zahedan

On September 25, the nationwide protests continued nine days after the death of Mahsa Amini. Demonstrations continued in at least 19 cities and universities, as the number of arrests and the individuals injured or killed increased. There were disruptions and outages in internet and phone services and social media was filtered. 

On September 24,25, 2022, despite the heavy presence of riot police and plainclothes security agents, people held demonstrations in many cities, including Shahin-Shahr, Karaj, Shiraz, Amol, Babol, Sanandaj, Tehran, Fardis, Isfahan, Tabriz, Zahedan, Fuman, Sabzevar, Qaen, Shahr-e-Rey, and Nowshahr. 

The Sharif University of Technology and the University of Tehran students held protests on campus, chanting slogans  such as “Death to the dictator”, “Jailed student should be freed”, and “We will fight, we will die, but we will take back Iran.”

The two maps below show the geographical distribution and concentrations of the protests until the seventh day of protests. 

On September 25, the Coordination Council of the Iranian Teachers Trade Association issued a statement asking teachers and students all over Iran to join the general strike.

 It is estimated that many individuals have been arrested, as 450 arrests were reported only in the city of Sari. However, HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, is still working on fact-checking and reviewing the reports independently. HRANA has identified and verified 48 individuals arrested so far.

There were also reports of several individuals killed as a result of the brutality of the security apparatus. The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported 41 deaths, of which HRANA has identified 38.

The map below shows the distribution of the death toll as of the seventh day of protests.

Below is a compilation of the videos gathered on the eighth and ninth days of protests in Iran.