A source with ties to her family shared the news of Moradi’s arrest, which reportedly took place at her residence in Tehran. The reasons behind her arrest and the specific allegations against her are currently undisclosed.
Moradi is known for her work with the art-cultural magazine Bukhara in Tehran.
Presided over by Judge Mazloum from Branch 29, the court convicted Momeni of “spreading propaganda against the regime,” ordering the seizure of his cell phone and other electronic devices.
During the trial, a speech delivered by Momeni at a conference on political issues was presented as evidence for the aforementioned charge.
Intelligence agents arrested Momeni at his residence in Tehran on April 27, 2023, taking him to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is controlled by the Ministry of Intelligence. After three days, he was released on bail.
Momeni, a prominent former student activist and former spokesperson for the Alumni Association of Iran (Advar-e Tahkim Vahdat) organization two decades ago, had previously served a five-year sentence and was released from Evin Prison in March 2014.
Among the hanged inmates, Ebrahim Narui (Narooie), aged 42 and hailing from Sistan and Baluchestan Province, was identified. Narui had been sentenced to death for drug offenses by the Naeen Revolutionary Court. The other three inmates were residents of Tehran, Rasht, and Isfahan.
As of the time of this report, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided information regarding these executions.
According to data compiled by the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, a total of 659 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, representing a 24% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Seven of these executions were conducted publicly. Concerningly, many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.
In a verdict issued on November 1, 2023, Bakhtiari was convicted and sentenced to an additional six months in prison for “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran.” This adds to his ongoing imprisonment.
At present, Bakhtiari is serving a three-year, six-month sentence in Qazvin Prison. His wife, Sara Abbasi, has expressed concerns about his health, citing multiple diseases, and claims he is being denied access to medical treatment and furlough.
Bakhtiari’s legal woes began on April 29, 2021, when he was forcefully arrested by security forces at his residence in Tehran. Subsequently, the Revolutionary Court sentenced him to three years and six months in prison, coupled with a two-year, six-month exile and a two-year travel ban. Bakhtiari commenced serving this sentence in July 2021.
In a tragic and related turn of events, Bakhtiari’s son, Pouya, at the age of 27, was fatally shot by regime forces during the 2019 protests, also known as the Aban Protests, in Karaj. According to his sister and mother, Pouya succumbed to his injuries in the hospital after being shot in the head during the second day of the protest’s eruption.
Rezaie has been accused of “disrupting prison order” and “making threats and insults towards prison officials.”
On October 18, 2023, Rezaie spent approximately six days in a psychiatric center, following an order from the Evin prison’s head.
On July 15, Rezaie was arrested by security forces at his residence in Tehran and subsequently transferred to Evin Prison. He was later sentenced to one year in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court, a sentence that was subsequently reduced to nine months after he entered a no-contest plea. In addition to his prison term, he was also ordered to perform four hours of daily community service for three months and attend an eight-hour mandatory emotional management and control class.
Presiding over Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Judge Ali Mazloum has pronounced six-year sentences for Yazdani, Abhar, Khozuei, and Shakoor, while Ebrahimi and Sefidi have been each sentenced to four years and five months.
The charges against these individuals are as follows:
Should these verdicts withstand the appeals process, Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code will mandate the enforcement of a five-year prison term for Yazdani, Khozuei, Shakoor, and Abhar. Ebrahimi and Sefidi, on the other hand, would serve three years and five months in prison.
HRANA’s annual report has highlighted a concerning trend where, in 2022, 64.63% of reported human rights violations against religious minorities are directed toward the Baha’i community.
The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.
According to Dideban Iran, Mousavi is accused of committing blasphemy in her satirical videos that were shared on social media.
Mousavi is widely recognized for her portrayal of the parody character known as the Empress of Kuzcoo. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time she has faced legal issues, as she was previously arrested by security forces in Qom on October 12, 2022. She was subsequently released on bail the following month. During her detention, Mousavi spent 25 days in solitary confinement.
HRANA learned of this incident through a source with close connections to his family. Despite their repeated inquiries, judicial and security officials have yet to disclose Bashang’s whereabouts or condition.
Bashang had previously been arrested by security forces during the 2022 nationwide protests, spending five months in detention as a result.
As of now, the cause behind Bashang’s recent arrest, his current location, and the specific charges levied against him remain veiled in uncertainty, deepening concerns over his well-being and the transparency of the legal process.
A source close to Rahmani’s family informed HRAHA that at 6:00 a.m., the intelligence agents went to Rahmani’s residence and arrested him. They also searched the house and confiscated some items including cell phones belonging to his and his family.
The motive behind Rahmani’s arrest and the specific allegations against him remain undisclosed at this time. In December 2022, Rahmani and two other physicians were arrested by security forces on their trip from Tehran and Khorramabad to Mahabad. All their medical equipment and public aid collected for the people of Mahabad were seized by security forces.
Rahmani was released on bail from Mahabad Prison on January 18, 2024. After a while, Rahmani Rad was indicted of “assembly and collusion against national security” of which he was acquitted.
In this ruling, Sadeghi has been sentenced to three years and seven months for “assembly and collusion against national security,” in addition to eight months for “spreading propaganda against the regime.” Pursuant to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the three-year and seven-month portion of the sentence will be enforceable.
Earlier in January 2023, Sadeghi had been initially sentenced to five years and eight months, alongside other penalties. A retrial was conducted on April 11, 2023, following an objection raised by Sadeghi’s legal counsel.
Arrested by security forces during the nationwide protests of 2022 on October 12, 2022, Sadeghi was subsequently taken to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. On January 21, 2023, he was granted release on bail.
It’s worth noting that Sadeghi has a history of previous arrests and convictions.
Background on the 2022 Nationwide Protests
The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hijab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. Protesters came to the streets with the central slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” in protest against the performance, laws, and structure of the regime. During the nationwide protests, thousands of people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students, and civil rights activists, were arrested.
