Tag: Tehran

Nasrin Shakarami Arrested in Khorramabad

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Freedom of Expression, News
Khorramabad, Nasrin Shakarami, Nika Shakarami, Tehran

On October 16, Nasrin Shakarami, the mother of Nika Shakarami—who was killed during the 2022 nationwide protests—was arrested in Khorramabad.

Her daughter, Aida Shakarami, confirmed the arrest but stated that the reason for the detention and any charges against Nasrin remain unclear. As of now, Nasrin’s location is also unknown.

Nika Shakarami, a 17-year-old from Khorramabad, lost her life during the 2022 protests in Tehran. Behesht Zahra Cemetery later attributed her death to “multiple injuries caused by blunt force trauma.”

Attorney Mehdi Karimi Farsi Sentenced to One Year in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Mazloumi, Tehran, Tehran Revolutionary Court

Seyed Mehdi Karimi Farsi, an attorney, has been sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Based on a ruling issued by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Seyed Ali Mazloumi, and communicated to the attorney today, he has been sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

On February 5, 2024, a court hearing was held for Mr. Karimi Farsi and two other attorneys in the same court.

Previously, he had been summoned to the court after receiving a notice to defend himself against the charge.

Karimi Farsi, an attorney and member of the Central Bar Association, gained widespread attention in August 2023 when he staged a protest march through a lengthy route in Tehran to advocate for the independence of the Bar Association. His demonstration resonated strongly with attorneys across Iran, sparking significant discussion and support within the legal community.

Appeals Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Mohammad Habibi

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
mohammad habibi, Ramin Safarnia, Shahriar Revolutionary Court, Tehran

Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals upheld the six-month and one-day prison sentence of Mohammad Habibi, spokesperson for the Teachers’ Union, leaving the original verdict unchanged.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the court reaffirmed Habibi’s sentence, which had been issued by Branch 2 of the Shahriar Revolutionary Court. He was convicted on charges of “propaganda against the regime.”

Habibi’s defense attorney, Ramin Safarnia, stated: “Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals rejected our appeal and confirmed the sentence of my client, Mohammad Habibi, handed down by Branch 2 of the Shahriar Revolutionary Court for propaganda against the regime.”

The initial trial for this case took place on June 29, 2023.

On April 5, 2023, Habibi was arrested at his workplace in Tehran by security agents due to his protest posts regarding the serial poisoning attacks on schools across the country. He was eventually released on May 20 of the same year from Ward 209 of Evin Prison after posting bail.

It is worth noting that this spokesperson for the Teachers’ Trade Association was previously arrested by security forces in Tehran on April 30, 2022, ahead of Teacher Appreciation Week in Iran and a protest gathering of educators. He was released from Evin Prison on February 8 of the following year.

In October 2022, he was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to three years and seven months in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” a two-year ban on activities and membership in groups, and a travel ban.

Habibi has a history of arrests and convictions due to his activities.

Motahareh Goonehi Arrested and Transferred to Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Ardabil University, Mahdi Hadizadeh, Motahareh Goonehi, Tehran

Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, has announced the arrest and imprisonment of Motahareh Goonehi, a student activist.

The report indicates that her arrest and imprisonment were prompted by content she posted on social media.

On the previous day, Ms. Goonehi had received an electronic summons ordering her to appear before Branch 9 of the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office for Media and Culture.

The Deputy Minister for Culture and Student Affairs at the Ministry of Health also announced that Goonehi’s right to continue her studies has been revoked, and a disciplinary file has been opened against her at the university.

Recently, the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office pressed charges against Goonehi, a suspended student from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, citing her “online posts” regarding Iran’s recent military actions.

Earlier, Ms. Goonehi had announced her transfer to Ardabil University. She and her husband, Mahdi Hadizadeh, also a student at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, had previously been temporarily suspended and transferred to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences by the Central Committee of the Ministry of Health.

On May 1, 2024, Goonehi was detained by IRGC Intelligence agents in Tehran after being summoned. She was taken to Evin Prison but was released on bail after several days of detention.

In July, Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to one year in prison.

Goonehi, a dentistry student and former political secretary of the Islamic Association of Students at the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences, had also been detained by security forces during the nationwide protests of 2022.

Mohammadreza Faghihi Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison and Additional Punishments

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Freedom of Expression, News
Mohammadreza Faghihi, Tehran, Zahra Minooie

Mohammadreza Faghihi, a defense attorney, has been sentenced by Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court to five years in prison. Additionally, he has been sentenced to a two-year travel ban, a two-year prohibition from practicing law, and a two-year ban on membership in political parties and groups.

Zahra Minooie, Mr. Faghihi’s defense attorney, announced: “My client was sentenced by Branch 15 of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court to five years in prison on charges of ‘collusion and assembly with the intent to commit a crime against national security.’ As additional punishment, he has also been banned from leaving the country for two years, from practicing law, and from membership in political parties and groups for two years.”
The court session addressing the charges against this lawyer was held on September 11 of this year.

Previously, on October 12, 2022, Mohammadreza Faghihi was arrested by security forces, along with two other lawyers, during a protest by defense attorneys objecting to the “violation of protesters’ rights and Article 27 of the Constitution” in front of the Central Bar Association in Argentina Square, Tehran. He was eventually released on bail on October 25, 2022.

This attorney has a prior record of arrest and sentencing due to his professional activities.

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Abolfazl Ghadiani Arrested by Security Forces

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Freedom of Expression, News
Abolfazl Ghadiani, Tehran, ابوالفضل قدیانی

Today, September 30, political activist Abolfazl Ghadiani was arrested by security forces in Tehran and transferred to an undisclosed location.

His son announced that the arrest took place around noon at Mr. Ghadiani’s residence by security forces. As of the time of this report, no information has been provided regarding the reasons for his arrest or his whereabouts.

In July 2023, Mr. Ghadiani was sentenced to 10 months in prison by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and had been summoned to Branch 1 of the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office to serve this sentence.

Additionally, he has faced charges of “spreading falsehoods on the Internet” in another case at Branch 1025 of the Criminal Court of the Tehran Government Employees Judicial Complex.

Ghadiani has a history of previous arrests and convictions due to his political activities.

Appeals Court Upholds Prison Sentence and Fine for Environmental Activist Yousef Farhadi Babadi

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Freedom of Expression, News
environmental activist, Tehran, Yousef Farhadi Babadi

The Appeals Court of Tehran Province has upheld the one-year prison sentence and monetary fine imposed on environmental activist Yousef Farhadi Babadi.

In a statement regarding the verdict, Mr. Farhadi Babadi said, “The one-year prison sentence and the fine have been confirmed without providing me the opportunity to defend myself in the Appeals Court, and without my knowledge of which branch issued the verdict.”

In July, Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Mr. Farhadi Babadi to one year in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and an additional year in prison along with a 15 million toman fine for “spreading falsehoods against the Ministry of Intelligence.”

Earlier, at the end of April, Farhadi Babadi was summoned to the First Branch of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office after receiving a summons. The indictment on the aforementioned charges was issued in May. This activist has a prior history of arrest.

Arian Shirpisheh Arrested in Tehran

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Freedom of Expression, News
Arian Shirpisheh, Mona Bakhtiari, Pouya Bakhtiari, Tehran

Arian Shirpisheh, the uncle of Pouya Bakhtiari, one of the victims of the November 2019 protests, was arrested by security forces in Tehran and taken to an undisclosed location.

Mona Bakhtiari, Pouya Bakhtiari’s sister, reported that at 7 a.m. on Monday, several agents from the Ministry of Intelligence raided Shirpisheh’s residence in Tehran and arrested him. During the operation, the agents also confiscated his mobile phones and other electronic devices.

No information has been released regarding the reasons for Shirpisheh’s arrest or his current whereabouts.

This is not the first time Arian Shirpisheh has been detained by security agencies.

Pouya Bakhtiari, born on September 10, 1992, was killed during the November 2019 protests in Mehrshahr, Karaj. According to his father, Pouya joined the protesters on the second day of demonstrations against the fuel price hike, accompanied by his sister and mother. He was shot in the head and succumbed to his injuries before reaching the hospital.

Sajjad Sadeghi Arrested in Tehran

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Freedom of Expression, News
Sajjad Sadeghi, Tehran

Sajjad Sadeghi, a former radio host and expert, was arrested by security forces in Tehran today, Wednesday, and transferred to an undisclosed location.

A source close to Mr. Sadeghi’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “On Wednesday, September 27, several security officers came to Mr. Sadeghi’s residence in western Tehran and arrested him. The officers also searched the premises and confiscated his electronic devices.”

As of the time of this report, there is no information on the reasons for his arrest, the charges against him, or his current whereabouts.

Mr. Sadeghi was previously arrested by security forces in October 2022 during nationwide protests. He was released five months later on bail.

Sadeghi was previously sentenced to three counts of 74 lashes each. The sentence was carried out in July 2020.

Former Iran Chamber of Commerce President Sentenced to Prison and Fine

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Freedom of Expression, News
Hossein Selahvarzi, Tehran

Hossein Selahvarzi, former president of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, has been sentenced to 6 months in prison and a fine by the Tehran Province Appeals Court.

According to HRANA, quoting Mizan, Hossein Selahvarzi was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment and a fine.

Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, reported that Selahvarzi’s case was reviewed by the Tehran Province Appeals Court, and based on legal provisions and the available evidence, he was sentenced to 6 months in prison and a fine for “spreading falsehoods.” This ruling is final and enforceable upon notification.

Previously, the Deputy Prosecutor General of Tehran had issued an indictment against Hossein Selahvarzi on charges of “insulting the Supreme Leader” and “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic.”

In January of 2024, a court session was held in the Tehran Revolutionary Court to address these charges against Selahvarzi.

Selahvarzi, an economic activist, served as the president of the 10th term of the Iran Chamber of Commerce from late June until November of 2023, before ultimately being removed from his position.