Fereydoun Soltani Arrested in Takab

Today, November 22, 2024, Fereydoun Soltani was arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in the city of Takab, West Azerbaijan province, and transferred to an undisclosed location.

A source close to Soltani’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Mr. Soltani was arrested today following his summons to the Ministry of Intelligence office in Takab and has been transferred to an unknown location.”

As of this report, no information has been disclosed about the reasons for his arrest or the charges against him.

Fereydoun Soltani, a native of Takab, resides in Tehran.

Two Prisoners Executed in Karaj and Gorgan

At dawn on Wednesday, August 14, the execution of two prisoners, previously sentenced to death on charges related to drug offenses and murder, was carried out in Gorgan Prison and the Central Prison of Karaj.

According to Iran Human Rights Organization, Elias Rezaie, approximately 40 years old was executed in Gorgan Prison. This prisoner had been previously arrested on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by the judiciary.

Additionally, on that day, the execution of another prisoner identified as Naser Shafiee, 37 years old, from Takab and residing in Tehran, was carried out in the Central Prison of Karaj. This prisoner had been arrested about four years ago on charges of murdering his wife and was subsequently sentenced to death.

As of the time of this report, the executions of these prisoners have not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions. In 2023, 66% of HRANA’s reports on executions lacked official announcements by judicial authorities and went unreported by media inside Iran, highlighting a troubling lack of transparency in due process.

According to the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran, in 2023, at least 767 citizens, including 21 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the executions of 7 individuals were carried out in public. Additionally, during this period, 172 others were sentenced to death, with 5 of them sentenced to public execution. It is worth noting that during the same period, the initial death sentences of 49 other individuals were also upheld by the Supreme Court.

Asa’d Kakeh Arrested by Security Forces in Takab

On Tuesday, July 16, Asa’d Kakeh, a resident of Takab in West Azerbaijan province, was arrested by security forces in this city, according to Kurdpa.

His identity has been reported as “Asad Kakeh, born in 1994.”

According to this report, Mr. Kakeh was arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence on one of the streets in Takab without a judicial warrant.

So far, there is no information on the reasons for his arrest, his whereabouts, or the charges against him.

Six Citizens Including Three School Students Arrested in Different Cities

Recently, related to nationwide protests, security forces arrested six citizens, including three school students in Kuhdasht, Takab, Tehran and Bushehr.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, six individuals, including three school students, were arrested by security forces in different cities.

HRANA has identified the students as Milad Jahangiri, Sirvan Malekian and Behzad Iranpour, all residents of Takab, West Azerbaijan Province.

Three other citizens have been identified as Amir Mohammadi in Tehran, Mohsen Teymoori in Kuhdasht (Lorestan Province) and Mehdi Omrani in Bushehr.

Mohammadi has been jailed in Great Tehran Penitentiary. The five other individuals’ whereabouts are still unknown.

 

At Least 100 Workers Laid Off in the Aq-Dareh Gold Mine Complex

Earlier this Monday, November 22, at least 100 workers were laid off in the mining sector of the Aq-Dareh Gold mine complex in Takab County in West Azerbaijan Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ILNA, many of these laid-off workers have over 15 years of experience. The employer has reportedly stated that the mass layoffs were necessary due to the reduced available work during winter months, but several workers claim that the weather is not yet cold enough to hinder their work.

Apart from these laid-off workers, 150 to 170  seasonal workers who have a temporary contract by late December have not received confirmation that they will get back to work in spring of next year.

Each year, as the workers in this report said, about 60% of workers get laid off and the remaining 200-220 are those who work in guarding, maintenance, equipping of machines and office work. Approaching winter each year, they face uncertainty over whether they will be among the laid off.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!