Tag: Tehran

Political Prisoner Abdul Rasoul Mortazavi Sentenced to 2 Additional Years

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Abdul Rasoul Mortazavi, Ayatollah Khamenei, Evin, Evin Prison, Hashem Khastar, Karaj, Khamenei, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, Mohammad Nourizad, Mortazavi, Rajai Shahr Prison, Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, Tehran

Political prisoner Abdul Rasoul Mortazavi was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran to two additional years in prison in a new case recently opened against him.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the new charges against Mortazavi include “propaganda against the regime” and “disturbing public order”.

Mortazavi, who lost his leg during the Iraq-Iran war, was transferred from Evin Prison in Tehran to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj in early April. During the move, prison authorities took his prosthetic leg and did not return it.

Under the pretext of finally giving back his leg, officials then transferred Mortazavi to solitary confinement in Rajai Shahr on April 20th, where he is currently being held. He has been denied requests for sick leave and denied the right to make phone calls while in solitary confinement. His leg has still not been returned.

In mid-August 2019, Abdol Rasoul Mortazavi and 13 civil society activists published an open letter and requested the resignation of Ayatollah Khamenei. He was subsequently sentenced to 26 years in prison, from which 11 years are enforceable.

Mohammad Nourizad, Hashem Khastar, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri and several other signatories to the statement are also currently serving prison sentences.

Khaled Pirzadeh Sent on Sick Leave After a 15-day Hunger Strike

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Greater Tehran Prison, Hunger Strike, Khaled Pirzadeh, Pirzadeh, Pirzadeh hunger strike, Tehran

Political prisoner Khaled Pirzadeh was sent on sick leave on the 15th day of his hunger strike.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the political prisoner had been on a hunger strike since May 31 in the Greater Tehran Prison.

Earlier this year, Pirzadeh went on a hunger strike following the failure of authorities to fulfill their promise to agree to parole. Pirzadeh ended his hunger strike in March after authorities promised that his demands would be met, but they did not follow through.

Pirzadeh reportedly told prison officials that this time he would end his hunger strike only when he is with his wife and child.

This demonstration, Pirzadeh’s second hunger strike of the year, was in response to prison officials’ denial of visitations and leave in the 25 months since his imprisonment.

Political Prisoner Reza Sarvelaiti Serving out Sentence in Greater Tehran Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Greater Tehran Penitentiary, Greater Tehran Prison, Judge Ahmad Zargar, Judge Amouzad, November 2019 nationwide protests, November 2019 Protests, Protests of 2019, Reza Sarvelaiti, Sarvelaiti, Tehran

Political prisoner Reza Sarvelaiti is currently enduring his sentence in the Greater Tehran Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Sarvelaiti is one of the detainees of the November 2019 nationwide protests.

In September 2020, Branch 24 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Amouzad, sentenced Mr. Sarvelaiti to 10 years imprisonment on charges of burning public property, insulting the supreme leader, and disrupting the public order. Branch 36 of the Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Ahmad Zargar, later reduced the sentence to eight years.

Reza Sarvelaiti was sent to Tehran prison to endure his 8-year sentence, in November 2020.

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, Students
Ahvas ABFA, Cryptoland exchange, Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry, HRANA protest recap, iran protests, Izeh, Karun city, Khuzestan, Kut Abdullah Municipality, Mansoureh village, protest, Protest rallies, Shadegan district, Shush city, Tehran, Tehran City Council, Water Supply and Sewerage of Khuzestan

Sunday, June 6

 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Workers’ union, on June 6, workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry went on strike for the fifth day in a row to protest the non-payment of their wages for the past two months and the detention of three of their colleagues.

 

Monday, June 7

 

On Monday,  group of workers of Kut Abdullah Municipality protested wage arrears in front of Karun city court. Several Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers gathered in front of Shush city governor’s building. Shareholders of Cryptoland exchange protested in front of Economic Crimes Court building in Tehran. Teachers of Izeh primary schools protested in front of the Khuzestan governor’s office in Ahvaz. A group of residents of Mansoureh village of Shadegan district gathered in front of the city governor building in protest of frequent water shortages. Ahvas ABFA workers held rallies in front of the office building of the General Administration of Water Supply and Sewerage of Khuzestan.

 

Kut Abdullah Municipality workers:

Crypto-land exchange shareholders:

 

Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers in Shush:

 

Izeh primary school teachers:

 

 

Mansoureh villagers in Shadegan:

 

Tuesday, June 8

 

This Tuesday, several owners of addiction clinics and associations (rehabs) protested in front of the Food and Drug Administration in Tehran. Members of the Islamic Labor Council of the Bus Company rallied in front of Tehran City Council. A group of shareholders of crypto exchange protested for the second day in a row in front of the Economic Crimes Court in Tehran. Teachers from non-governmental schools and remote education schools protested in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly in Tehran, and a number of Khuzestan rice farmers protested in front of the Khuzestan governor’s office in Ahvaz.

 

Addiction clinic and rehabilitation center owners:

 

 

 

Islamic Labor Council of the Bus Company members:

 

Shareholders of crypto-land exchange:

 

Teachers from non-governmental schools and remote education:


 

Khuzestan farmers:

 

 

Wednesday, June 9

 

A group of workers from the Ahvaz Pipe Company in front of the governor’s office, several Stalak landowners of the new town of Pardis stationed in front of the Judiciary building in Tehran, and a group of health stations workers in front of the Ministry of Health building in Tehran all held protest rallies this Wednesday.

 

Ahvaz Pipe Company workers:

 

Stalak landowners:

 

Health station workers:

Thursday, June 10

 

According to HRANA, quoting Asr-e-Jonub News, a group of farmers from the Shavur section of Karkheh city gathered this Thursday to protest the ban on summer planting.

Political Prisoner Sasan Niknafs buried after Death in Greater Tehran Prison

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Prisoners
Greater Tehran Penitentiary, Greater Tehran Prison, medical neglect, medical negligence, Medical treatment, Niknafs, Political Prisoner, Sasan Niknafs, Tehran

The body of Sasan Niknafs, a political prisoner who died in Greater Tehran Prison on Monday, was buried.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the Tehran Prisons Organization claims that the place of death was Firoozabadi Hospital in Tehran. However, an informed source stated that in reality, Niknafs’ body was taken to a hospital outside the prison after his death.

Sasan Niknafs was suffering from myriad mental and physical health problems, such as diabetes, fatty liver, gastritis, high blood pressure, and severe depression. By most definitions, Niknafs was unfit to serve time in prison, but his mother’s efforts to obtain a certificate of intolerance were unsuccessful until after his death. Moreover, despite the clear urgency of his condition, Prison officials significantly delayed sending Niknafs to a properly-equipped hospital outside the prison. He died on June 7.

 

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Khaled Pirzadeh on Day 9 of Hunger Strike in Greater Tehran Prison

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Prisoners
Greater Tehran Penitentiary, Greater Tehran Prison, Hunger Strike, Khaled Pirzadeh, medical negligence, Mohammad Moghiseh, Pirzadeh, Pirzadeh hunger strike, Tehran

Khaled Pirzadeh has been on a hunger strike since May 31 in the Greater Tehran Prison.  This demonstration, Pirzadeh’s second hunger strike of the year,  is in response to prison officials’ denial of visitations and leave in the 25 months since his imprisonment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Pirzadeh has suffered from low blood pressure, digestive problems, and severe pain in his muscles, joints, and eyes as a result of the hunger strike.

Earlier this year, Pirzadeh went on a hunger strike following the failure of authorities to fulfill their promise to agree to parole. Pirzadeh ended his hunger strike in March after authorities promised that his demands would be met, but they did not follow through.

In May of 2019, the political prisoner was sentenced by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, to 5 years in prison, and an additional 2 years for “insulting the leadership”.  According to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, of the 7 total years, 5 can be enforced on Pirzadeh on the charge of “conspiracy and collusion”.

Khaled Pirzadeh underwent foot surgery in August 2020. His legs and spine were severely damaged during detention and required further surgery and physiotherapy. He was also barred from being hospitalized in December 2020 despite having a heart problem.

Prison officials have now asked Pirzadeh to end his strike and promised to address Mr. Pirzadeh’s demands, as before. Whether Pirzadeh accepts their offer given the dubious precedent they have set remains to be seen.

Reports Indicate the Death of Sasan Niknafs in Prison; The Family is Worried and Waiting for Prison Officials to Respond

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Prisoners
Greater Tehran Penitentiary, Greater Tehran Prison, medical negligence, Niknafs, Political Prisoner, Political prisoner killed, Sasan Niknafs, Tehran

As of Monday, June 7, reports indicate that political prisoner Sasan Niknafs has died in the Greater Tehran Prison due to medical negligence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, prison officials significantly delayed sending Mr. Niknafs to a properly-equipped hospital outside the prison, despite the clear urgency of his condition.

Niknafs has long suffered from diseases such as diabetes, fatty liver, gastritis, high blood pressure, and psychological problems.

The political prisoner was finally transferred to the prison’s health center two days ago where he reportedly died.

Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals sentenced Niknafs to eight years in prison on charges of conspiracy against the country’s security, propaganda against the regime, and insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic and the leadership. 5 years of imprisonment applied to him after applying article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code.

36-year-old Niknafs, father of two girls aged 8 and 9, endured eleven months of incarceration in poor physical and psychological condition. According to his lawyer, during a recent meeting, the effects of self-harm were visible on his hands.

Prison authorities have not officially announced the news of his death at the time of this writing despite repeated inquiries from his family and lawyer.

 

 

 Political Prisoner Soheil Arabi Faced with New Charges

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Arabi, Evin Prison, Greater Tehran Penitentiary, Greater Tehran Prison, Karaj, prisoner of conscience, Rajai Shahr Prison, Shahr-e-Shahri, Soheil Arabi, Tehran

On May 31, Soheil Arabi, a prisoner of conscience in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, was taken to a virtual arraignment hearing on new charges.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Branch 3 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office held the hearing and charged Arabi with “propaganda activities against the regime and disturbing the public opinion”.

Mr. Arabi was accused of creating reports on the poor condition of the Greater Tehran Penitentiary, criticizing the conduct of prison authorities, especially the prison’s assistant prosecutor, going on a hunger strike to support political prisoners deprived of  medical treatment, and writing statements in support of the nationwide protests of November 2019.

Arabi was punitively transferred from the Greater Tehran Prison to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj last September. He was then summoned and acquitted by Branch 8 of the Shahr-e-Shahri Prosecutor’s Office for another lawsuit in December.

Soheil Arabi has been imprisoned since November 2013 and has been deprived of leaves of absence throughout his entire imprisonment.

HRANA Recap: Recent Hunger Strikes in Iranian Prisons

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Freedom of Expression, Prisoners
Abolfazl Ghasali, Evin Prison, Farzad Samani, Greater Tehran Prison, Hossein Hashemi, Hunger Strike, Iraj Hatami, irgc, Khalid Pirzadeh, prison hunger strike, Rajai Shahr Prison, Tehran, tehran prison, Urmia prison

Khalid Pirzadeh on a hunger strike in the Greater Tehran Prison

 

On May 31, political prisoner Khaled Pirzadeh went on a hunger strike for the second time this year in the Greater Tehran Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Pirzadeh has been denied visitations and leave in the 25 months since his imprisonment.

Earlier this year, Pirzadeh went on a hunger strike following the failure of authorities to fulfill their promise to agree to parole. Pirzadeh ended his hunger strike in March after authorities promised that his demands would be met.

In May of 2019, the political prisoner was sentenced by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, to 5 years in prison, and an additional 2 years for “insulting the leadership”.  According to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, of the 7 total years, 5 can be enforced on Pirzadeh on the charge of “conspiracy and collusion”.

Khaled Pirzadeh underwent foot surgery in August 2020. His legs and spine were severely damaged during detention and required further surgery and physiotherapy. He was also barred from being hospitalized in December 2020 despite having a heart problem.

 

 

Iraj Hatami on a hunger strike in protest of continued imprisonment in Rajai Shahr Prison 

 

On May 30, Iraj Hatami, currently being held in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, went on a hunger strike to protest his continued imprisonment and the fact that previous time served in detention has not been counted towards his 10 year sentence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists,  Hatami was arrested by security forces in October 2010 and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of “collaborating with a hostile US government”.

Before his arrest, Hatami worked for the Ministry of Defense and spent two years and three months in military detention. Had this time been counted by prison officials, Hatami’s 10 year sentence would have ended last year. Mr. Hatami suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure.

 

 

Farzad Samani on a hunger strike in the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center in Urmia

 

Farzad Samani, a student detained in one of the IRGC intelligence detention centers in Urmia, went on a hunger strike on May 30.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Samani has been on a hunger strike to protest pressure from the IRGC’s intelligence services and the extension of his and Sakar Eini’s imprisonment for the sixth consecutive time.

The undergraduate student was arrested in his dormitory at Kharazmi University in Karaj in December 2020, and was later transferred to the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center in Urmia.

So far, no information is available on the charges against Samani and Eini.

 

 

Hossein Hashemi on a hunger strike in Tehran Prison after his punitive transfer

 

On Tuesday, June 1, political prisoner Hossein Hashemi went on a hunger strike in the Greater Tehran Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists,  Hashemi is one of the detainees from the November 2019 nationwide protests.

Per the report, Hashemi was taken from the ward under the pretext of going to interrogation, but was then transferred to the 4th section of the Greater Tehran Prison, which holds prisoners accused of violent crimes.

It is said that Mr. Hashemi’s transfer took place following a verbal argument with Eliassi, the supervising prosecutor of the Evin court. Eliassi had previously threatened to move Hussein Hashemi to a place where he would regret his actions.

 

 

Abolfazl Ghasali went on a hunger strike in Evin prison in Tehran

Tehran resident Abolfazl Ghasali, currently serving out a sentence in Evin Prison, has been on a hunger strike since May 27.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Ghasali demands to be granted leave of absence during the COVID-19 outbreak, release on parole due to family’s financial problems, and a retrial.

Ghasali has had several nosebleeds since the day he started the hunger strike. The prisoner is also said to have suffered heart and lung problems during his detention due to poor nutrition and poor prison conditions. He also went on a hunger strike in December last year to protest the failure to address his needs.

In 2018, Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided by Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, sentenced Ghasali to a total of 7 years in prison on charges of “Gathering and colluding and disturbing public order with the intention of committing a crime against national security”, and “insulting the Supreme Leader”.

3 years and 6 months of imprisonment are enforceable under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code.

 

Reza Mohammad Hosseini Beaten by Doctor in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj

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Prisoners
Judge Ahmad Zargar, Karaj, Rajai Shahr Prison, Rajai-Shahr, Reza Mohammad Hosseini, Tehran, Tehran Court of Appeals

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists (HRA), Reza Mohammad Hosseini, a political prisoner in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, was beaten by a prison doctor on May 29 after objecting to the lack of medical treatment for fellow prisoner and labor activist Ali Ishaq.

Hosseini, who is serving a seven-year sentence, was beaten, insulted, and humiliated by prison officials for refusing to wear prison uniforms, handcuffs, and shackles last November.

In May of 2019, Reza Mohammad Hosseini was sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran to 16 and a half years in prison on charges of conspiracy, insulting the leadership, illegally leaving the country, illegally entering the country, and disobeying the orders of agents.

The verdict was upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Ahmad Zargar in May 2020.

Based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment will be imposed on him on charges of conspiracy and collusion.