In two isolated incidents, three citizens were sentenced to death in Tehran, all on charges of murder.
According to the HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna news, death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court for two defendants who were sentenced under the Qisas (loosely translated as eye-for-an-eye) principle of Shariah Law.
The sentence was issued after 37-year-old Meysam, a shopkeeper, was stabbed to death in Varamin in Tehran.
In a separate incident, according to the Javanonline News, a defendant was sentenced to death for murder under the Qisas principle by the criminal court in Tehran province.
The victim’s wife and two murder suspects, all suspected of orchestrating the killing, were also sentenced to prison time.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least seven protest rallies were held on May 21, and 22. Several employees of the offshore platforms of the South Pars Oil and Gas Company rallied at their workplace. A group of nurses and medical staff members of the Health Cooperative rallied in front of the Judiciary in Tehran. Several workers of Pajen Dairy Company rallied in front of Nasimshahr Governor’s Office. Workers of Izeh’s Water and Sewerage Company rallied in front of the city water supply building demanded their unpaid wages. Street cleaners in Chabahar rallied in front of the city building; a group of workers of IGC in Assaluyeh rallied in their workplace, and truck drivers parked their vehicles in one of Mashhad’s highways protesting the neglect of their problems by the authorities. All the groups of protestors called for their demands to be addressed.
Workers of IGC in Assaluyeh:
Medical staff members of the Health Cooperative’ rally:
Cleaners and sweepers in Chabahar:
Workers of Izeh’s Water and Sewerage:
Sunday, May 23
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least 10 protest rallies were held on May 23. A group of employees of Tehran Metro Operation Company rallied in front of the Islamic parliament in Tehran; Retirees of Isfahan Steel Industry rallied in front of the Retirement Fund building in Isfahan; School janitors rallied in front of their provincial education department in Lorestan and Qazvin provinces; a group of Shiraz Telecommunication Company retirees rallied in front of the governor’s office in the city, a group of preschool teachers from different cities rallied in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly; teachers working in non-profit schools in Sistan and Baluchestan, Kerman, and East Azerbaijan provinces protest rallies called for their demands to be addressed.
Employees of Tehran Metro:
Retirees of Isfahan Steel Industry:
Teachers working in non-profit schools in Sistan and Baluchestan, Kerman, and East Azerbaijan:
Janitors rallied in in Lorestan and Qazvin provinces:
Telecommunication Company retirees in Shiraz:
Preschool teachers rally:
Monday, May 24
According to HRANA, the News Agency of Human Rights Activists, at least seven protests took place on Monday, May 24. Employees of the Ministry of Oil rallied in front of this ministry building in Tehran; a group of truck drivers held a rally and parked their vehicles in front of the municipality building in Mashhad; Security and maintenance workers of line 5 of Tehran city train held a rally on-site; several retired employees of Iran Air airline rallied in front of the airline building in Tehran; a group of faculty members of the Azad University of Tabriz and Ahvaz held rallies in their cities; retirees of health department held a rally in front of the building of the Program and Budget Organization in Tehran.Protesters called on their demands to be addressed.
Truck drivers held a rally in Mashhad:
Employees of Iran Air airline rallied in front of the airline building in Tehran:
Retirees of health department held a rally in front of the building:
Tuesday, May 2
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least thirteen protest rallies were held on Tuesday, May 25. Stakeholders of Azovico company who lost money held a rally in the streets around the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade in Tehran. Several workers from the Ministry of Oil in the Persian Gulf Holding rallied in Petrochemical Special Economic Zone in Bandar Imam Khomeini. Workers at Pegah Milk Factory of Tehran held a rally in front of the Judiciary building. A group of teachers and several temporary employees of the Ministry of Oil rallied in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly building. A group of employees and retirees of Imam Khomeini Hospital held a rally in front of the Municipal Organization of Alborz Province. Residents of Barangerd village, farmers of the rural part of Gamboueh, and a group of employees of Khuzestan Rural Water and Sewerage Company held rallies in Khuzestan Province. Several students of Estahban Higher Education Center protested in this educational center. A few retirees of Pars Metal factory rallied in front of Ghanoon daily newspaper office in Tehran. Shareholders of the stock market rallied in front of the Stock Exchange Organization in Tehran, and a group of farmers in Isfahan held protest rallies in this city and called on their demands to be addressed.
Stakeholders of Azovico company:
Workers from the Ministry of Oil in the Persian Gulf Holding:
Residents of Barangerd village:
Residents of Gamboueh village:
Students of Estahban Higher Education:
Retirees of Pars Metal:
Employees of Rural Water and Sewerage in Khuzestan:
Wednesday, May 26
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Wednesday, May 26, official employees of the oil industry held rallies in 9 different cities and locations including Bahregan, Lavan, Ahvaz, Gachsaran, Abadan, Assaluyeh, Tehran, Mahshahr, and Bushehr. The employees called their demands on payment of arrears, equipment upgrade, correct and complete implementation of Article 10 and 112, resolving problems of employees’ transfer to needed sections and some other demands. Several employees of Rural Water Supply and Sewerage gathered in front of the government buildings in the Khuzestan Province. A group of technical protection and safety consultants gathered in front of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare in Tehran rallied to pressure authorities to address their demands.
Protest of employees of the oil industry in 9 cities:
In Tehran:
In Lavan:
In Bahregan :
in Mahshahr :
in Ahvaz:
in Bushehr:
Employees of Rural Water Supply and Sewerage in the Khuzestan Province:
Thursday, May 27
According to HRANA, at least three protest rallies were held on May 26. Khuzestan Rural Water Supply and Sewerage staff for the third day in a row in front of the governor’s office in Ahvaz. Medical staff at Bu Ali Hospital rallied at their workplace in Tehran, and a group of citizens of Behbahan held a rally at the Friday prayers center in the city, in Khuzestan, and called on their demands be addressed.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists (HRA), quoting ROKNA news, 30-year-old Sohrab was sentenced to death for raping a teenage girl in Tehran.
Two other young men, Reza and Farhad, were sentenced to 10 years in prison each as they did not try to prevent the assault.
According to ROKNA news, in a separate story, a defendant in Tehran was sentenced to death for murder.
Alireza Farshi Dizaj Yekan, an Iranian Azerbaijani Turk activist, was sentenced by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Ahmad Zargar, to four years and two months in prison.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Yekan is serving a two year sentence under charges from his previous conviction for participating in World Mother Language Day.
Farshi is charged with additional sentences including three years and six months in prison on charges of “Conspiracy and collusion against national security”, eight months in prison for “Propaganda against the regime”, “2 years of deprivation of membership in factions, parties, and groups” and a “2 months and 4 hours probation in the recycling department of Tehran Municipality”.
Baha’i citizens Mahvash Adalati Aliabadi, Sepideh Keshavarz, and Farid Ismaili, residents of Tehran, were sentenced by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals to a total of 10 years and 9 months in prison.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Ms. Aliabadi, Ms. Keshavarz, and Mr. Ismaili were each sentenced to three years and seven months in prison on a charge of “Acting against national security through administering the Baha’i organization”.
In their first hearing in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, presided by Judge Mohammad Reza Amouzad, Aliabadi, Keshavarz, and Ismaili, had been sentenced to 3 years and 7 months in prison on the same charge, in addition to eight months on charges of “Propaganda activities against the regime through the promotion of Baha’ism”.
According to unofficial sources, more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Because their faith is not considered legitimate by authorities, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.
This deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a violation of 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 HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least 26 protests took place across the country this week, 6 of them today. The unassociated protests and their participants’ demands varied greatly, but all related, in one way or another, to political and economic institutions’ disregard for citizens’ needs. Here is a quick breakdown.
Pensioners Protest in 5 Cities
On May 16, retirees protested in at least 5 cities, including Tehran, Karaj, Khorramabad, Mashhad, and Kermanshah.
Pensioners carrying banners chanted slogans and marched in front of their local Social Security offices. They demanded an increase in pensions following the poverty line increase, implementation of the equalization of salaries law, strict implementation of Article 96 of the Social Security Law, attention to supplementary insurance problems, and payment of end-of-year bonuses.
Teachers protest in Tehran and Tabriz
On May 16, several teachers protested in front of the Parliament Building in Tehran and in front of the Department of Education Building in Tabriz, calling for their demands to be addressed.
Families of the victims of the 2020 Ukrainian plane crash protest in Tehran
On May 16, a group of families of the victims of the 2020 Ukrainian plane crash gathered in front of the Judicial Organization of the Armed Forces in Tehran. The families protested the trial, the rejection of their request to study the case, and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s remarks about “curing the accident” in his leaked tape of the interview.
Municipal workers protest in Lowshan
According to the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), on May 16, workers of the Municipality of Lowshan protested low wages and insurance problems in front of the municipal building for the second day in a row. According to the workers of Lowshan Municipality, on the morning of May 15, the protest broke out after Lowshan’s mayor insulted several service workers in the yard and inside the building.
Kaveh Glass Industrial Group workers protest in front of Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare
According to the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), on May 16, a group of workers from the Kaveh Glass Industrial Group demanded fair working conditions and retirement benefits in front of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare.
Per the report, the workers demanded the right to retire after working 20 continuous years or 25 consecutive years, given the difficulty and high risk of the job.
According to news sources, the workers all have retirement status and have been insured in these difficult jobs for more than 20 years. The workers claim that the employer not only did not help them to retire but also laid them off shortly before the benefits were set to activate. They are currently both jobless and unable to retire.
Teachers and staff of special-needs education schools protest in Khuzestan province
According to the Asr-e-Junub news agency, on May 16, teachers and staff of schools for children with special needs in Khuzestan province protested in front of the General Directorate of Education in Ahvaz. The protestors demanded increased salaries and the resolution of clerical insurance problems.
Literacy movement educators protest in front of Parliament Building
According to the ISNA news agency, on May 16, a group of educators of the literacy movement protested in front of the Parliament Building and requested Parliament representatives’ support, as their employment status is currently shaky.
Residents of Health Boulevard in Saravan protest in Sistan and Baluchestan Province
According to the Baloch Activists Campaign, a group of citizens living in Saravan’s Health Boulevard protested in front of the governor’s office and the office of Islamic Consultative Assembly representative Malek Fazeli on May 17.
The residents protested lack of electricity and poor infrastructure in the area, after numerous attempts to resolve the issue through the electricity department were unsuccessful.
Servants and school caretakers protest in Shiraz
According to the Free Union of Iranian Workers, on May 16, servants and caretakers of Shiraz schools demanded an increase in wages and benefits in front of the city’s education building.
Private school teachers protest in Ilam
According to the Free Union of Iranian Workers, on May 17, teachers and employees of private schools in Ilam protested outside the Department of Education building of the province. According to the report, the protestors have been working for years with very low salaries. They requested a salary raise and benefits increase and called on the elimination of discrimination they have been facing compared to government employees.
Safety Consultants protest outside Ministry of Labor building in Tehran
On May 19, a group of safety consultants from all over the country protested in front of the main door of the Ministry of Labor building in Tehran. They demanded an immediate cessation of the implementation of Technical Protection and Safety Services bylaws, and revision of the bylaws and instructions “in the presence of experts and representatives of real advisors”.
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Water Company workers protest in Gachsaran
According to Kebnanews, on May 18, several members of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Water and Sewerage Company protested not receiving their wages and insurance benefits in front of the Dogonbadan’s Water and Sewerage Office in Gachsaran. All of the protesting workers have been employed for more than 5 years by this company, and have not been paid for three months.
Karnameh Sabz’ teachers protest in Tehran
According to the Free Union of Iranian Workers, on May 19, teachers of Karnameh Sabz protested the uncertainty of their employment status in front of the Ministry of Education building in Tehran. Karnameh Sabz teachers are educators who took the Ministry of Education’s recruitment exam (Article 28 exam) and have been selected by officials, but no action has been taken by the ministry since the exam. On the previous day, teachers also protested in front of the Parliament building in Tehran.
Truck drivers protest in Arak
According to the ISNA news agency, on May 19, several truck drivers in Arak protested for the fifth day in a row. They called on their union demands and complained about the failure of officials in the Road Maintenance & Transportation Organization.
Aseminun miners protest in Manujan in Kerman
On May 19, workers of the Aseminun mine in the city of Manujan in Kerman province protested not receiving their wages for the third day in a row of the strike. The
protesters demanded payment of their unpaid wages, the ousting of the current mine owner, and the transfer of ownership to the public sector.
Gardeners protest in Robat Karim
According to the Basi news agency, on May 20, several gardeners from Robat Karim protested in front of the governor’s office. Protestors claimed their right to ownership had been violated by the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad even though they had the proper legal paperwork.
Agents and sellers of Sufi Cement protest in Tabriz
According to the Free Trade Union of Iran, on May 20, several agents and sellers of Sufi Cement gathered in front of the East Azerbaijan Governor’s Office in Tabriz to protest cement shortages.
Shareholders of Samen Coin protest in Tehran
According to the Free Trade Union of Iran, on May 20, 2021, a group of shareholders of Samen Coin protested in front of the Central Bank in Tehran.
Jovein Cement factory workers protest in Khorasan Razavi
According to the Free Trade Union of Iran, on May 20, 2021, workers of the Joven Cement Factory in Khorasan Razavi protested low wages and poor working conditions.
Villagers protest amid continued water shortages in the western suburbs of Karun
According to the IRIB news agency, on May 21, villagers of the western suburbs of Karun gathered in front of the Arvandan Oil and Gas Company refinery to protest authorities’ unfulfilled promises to address the ongoing water crisis in Karun. Twelve villages in the western suburbs of Karun, each with populations of over 6,000, have been experiencing water shortages for nearly four years.
On May 5th and May 6th, several protests broke out that were related, in various ways, to political and economic institutions’ disregard for the safety and wellbeing of their members. High school students in at least 14 cities gathered to protest mandatory physical attendance for their final exams. In Tehran, a group of Tehran Metro workers gathered to demand that their medical and economic demands be met. A group of operators of the West Regional Electricity Company in Kermanshah protested the lack of wage regulation in the new year.
Police beat the protest students
On May 6, 2021, high school students in at least 14 cities including Boroujerd, Tehran, Qazvin, Semnan, Karaj, Shahr-e Kord, Shiraz, Zanjan, Khorramabad, Yazd, Tabriz, Birjand, Ardabil, and Fooladshahr, protested mandatory physical attendance for final exams. To prevent further spread of COVID-19 and to ensure their own and their families’ safety, these students are calling for “final exams to be held virtually /online”.
Below is footage of students protesting in-person exams
The protesting students gathered in front of their respective education department buildings and chanted slogans such as “Do not be afraid, we are all in this together”, and “We do not want to physically attend”.
At some of these demonstrations, police physically assaulted peaceful student protestors. Several student protesters in Yazd and Fooladshahr were reportedly beaten by officers.
Since the Coronavirus outbreak in Iran, conducting exams that require physical attendance has raised concern among students and their families. On the Monday before the protests, the Corona Management Committee in Iran claimed that final exams were to be held in person in large and ventilated places.
Jafar Pashaei, Director General of Education in Tabriz Province responded to the protests. “Holding exams in person for the ninth and twelfth-grade is a national decision,” Pashaei said, “And it will definitely be held under protocols and distancing.”
Despite ongoing demands to be given a remote option, and despite the May 6th protests, education officials have maintained the in-person exam schedule.
Protests from Tehran Metro Employees
According to the official channel of railway workers and technical maintenance staff, a group of Tehran Metro personnel gathered in the company courtyard to protest the lack of attention to their demands for fair treatment,
The protesting workers’ main demands are “Expertise allowance, hardship allowance, prioritized COV-19 vaccination, Job title modification, full implementation of labor wage increase based on the decree of Supreme Labor Council, stop the plan of removing the trains’ co-driver, modify the formula for calculating the personnel salary tax, elimination of discrimination between operational and administrative staff as well as the revival and implementation of mandates to provide personal equipment for drivers.”
Protests from West Regional Electricity Company Operators
According to ILNA, on May 5, a group of operators of the West Regional Electricity Company in Kermanshah protested in front of the regional electricity office building in Kermanshah.
The operators said in a statement, “The wage decree of the Ministry of Labor is not being implemented well for us. Our wages and benefits are much lower than those of officials and contractors, and the wage increase has not been properly applied to us in the new year. Our wages are very low considering the inflation and what we do.”
The spokespeople added that what the Regional Ministry of Energy and Regional Electricity Office pay to companies as personnel salaries often do not end up going to the workers. These operators, who carry out dangerous work handling high-voltage electricity, want to sign a contract with the regional electricity itself, rather than the contractors.
On May 12, 2021, civil activist Akbar Gholizadeh (Yashar Tabrizi) was arrested and transferred to the Greater Tehran Prison to serve out a 3 month and 1 day sentence
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Akbar Gholizadeh was arrested on charges of “propaganda against the regime”.
The charge is said to be related to a news report he prepared about working children, the homeless, and grave dwellers (a particular form of homelessness in Iran).
Gholizadeh, son of Baitullah, has served time for his human rights work before. In March of 2018, he was arrested and then temporarily released 12 days later. Gholizadeh was given this latest sentence by the Shahriar Revolutionary Court, which was then upheld by Branch 54 of the Tehran Court of Appeals.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Mohammad Hosseini Ajdadi, a citizen of Lahijan City in Gilan province, was summoned for enforcement of judgment by the executive branch of the Second Criminal Court in Tehran.
In December of 2020, Hosseini Ajdadi was unknowingly sentenced to two years in prison and a substantial fine, after his 2019 case was reopened in connection with new materials published online.
In the summer of 2019, Mohammad Hosseini Ajdadi was arrested by IRGC intelligence agents in Lahijan, on charges of “spreading lies against the country’s officials to disturb the public mind”. He was released on a 200 million Toman bail, paid for by his mother.
In December of that year, Hosseini Ajdadi was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 4 million Tomans by Branch 1037 of Tehran’s Second Criminal Court, but was later acquitted from “insulting the leadership” charges.
All steps of Mr. Hosseini Ajdadi’s latest trial took place without his presence or information. In fact, he only finally became aware of his conviction sentence while checking on the status of judiciary paperwork for his previous summon.
It is worth noting that in 2019, Iran’s Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi, with the support of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, removed a section of Constitution requiring the presence of a defendant, plaintiff, or legal representative at appeal hearings.
Hosseini Ajdadi’s mother was informed by the Lahijan Judiciary on behalf of the Tehran Criminal Court that the bail bond will be confiscated if Mr. Ajdadi does not show up on time.
Protests have erupted across Iran after the government unexpectedly announced it is rationing petrol and increasing its price. The protests took place across the country following the decision of the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, at midnight of November 14, 2019, to cut petrol subsidies to raise funds for social assistance to the poor. Petrol price was increased to a minimum of 15,000 Rials per liter, 50% increase from the day before.
Nationwide protests in the last three days were in at least 48 cities such as: Ahvaz, Shooshtar, Dezful, Gachsaran, Abadan, Khorramshahr, Bandar Mahshahr, Rasht, Shiraz, Bandar Abbas, Gorgan, Khorramabad, Qom, Ilam, Karaj, Sanandaj, Dorud, Qazvin, Arak, Mahdi Shahr, Garmsar, Shahroud, Najafabad, Mariwan, Tehran, Tabriz, Ardabil, Urmia, Saveh, Pasargadae, Qods (Qal’eh Hasan Khan), Varamin, Sari, Yasuj, Qaemshahr, Shahrekord, Malek Shahr, Parand, Damavand, Pol Dokhtar, Neyshabur, Sarepol Zahab, Kahnooj, Yazd, Bandar Bushehr, Bahmai, Shahriar, etc. They are still ongoing in several cities.
Peaceful demonstrations turned violent in Sanandaj, Mahshahr, and Shiraz, with online videos purporting to show police officers firing teargas at protesters and mobs setting fires. Several people were injured or killed in the first three days of protests as a result of the police’s direct shots. On November 17, 2019, students of Tehran University and Tabriz University protested inside the university. Shops at Tehran Grand Bazaar went on strike on November 17, 2019.
The protests started on November 15, 2019, and are still ongoing. The arrest of more than 1000 people across the country was confirmed. More than 150 banks and supermarkets were set on fire and a police officer was killed. Two Hawzas -a seminary where Shi’a Muslim clerics are educated- were set on fire in Shiraz and Kazerun. According to unconfirmed reports, at least 36 people were killed in Sirjan, Shiraz, Behbahan, Marivan, Khoramshahr, Isfahan, and Shahriar.
According to Fars News, protests were held in 100 cities and at least 100 banks and 57 supermarkets were set on fire. Based on this report, the number of protesters were 87400 from which 82200 are men and 5200 women. At least 1000 people were arrested. Yazd prosecutor confirmed the arrest of 40 people in the city of Yazd. Bam Prosecutor also confirmed the arrest of 15 people in the city of Bam. The prosecutor of Robat Karim confirmed the arrest of 34 protesters for vandalism. According to Mohammad Reza Amoui, Kermanshah’s chief of Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on November 16, Major Iraj Javaheri was killed fighting with protesters in Kermanshah. A journalist resided in Mariwan, Adnan Hasanpour, reported that security forces shot people directly and at least seven people were killed in Javanrud, one person was killed in Sanandaj, and several people were injured. According to unconfirmed reports, 15 of the killed people are identified as following:
Meisam Adgipour, Khaled Maniat, Ali Ghazlavy, Milad Hamidavi, Ali Boghlani, Hamzeh Savari, Mohammad Asafi Zargani, Ehsan Abdollahnejad, Mehdi Nikouei, Osman Naderi, Mehran Tak, Shahou Validi, Javad Nazari Fathabadi, Mehrdad Dashtizadeh, Mohammad Hossein Ghanavati.
Iran has almost completely shut off access to the internet across the country. On November 16, 2019, by the approval of the National Security Supreme Council, the government has completely blocked Internet access in Iran to stymie protests. Due to the internet shut down and the lack of access to freelance reporters and citizen journalists, confirming news about demonstrations and deaths is difficult. It also caused difficulty for Iranian citizens to have access to news agencies websites. On Monday, November 18, schools are closed in 17 cities across Iran:
Shiraz, Kazerun, Alborz, Fereydun, Fereydun Shahr, Farsan, Kuhrang, Laran, Taleqan, Astara, and Najafabad. In addition, universities are closed in Shiraz.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has backed petrol price increases claiming opponents of the Islamic Republic and foreign enemies were guilty of sabotage and not ordinary people. According to Khabar Online, Mojtaba Zonnour, a parliament member representing Qom, is collecting parliament members signatures to impeach Ali Larijani, the head of parliament. He gathered 50 signatures so far. Mohammad Qasim Osmani, a parliament member representing Bukan, filed his resignation and added that he resigned to announce that he was not involved in this decision [raising petrol price]. Today, with respect to Ayatollah Khamenei’s views, the Ministry of Intelligence announced that the protesters will face harsh punishments. Reportedly, people received threatening text messages in Khuzestan and Karaj from the prosecutor’s offices of their province. People were warned about attending protests and not to disturb public order and facilitate the abuse of opposition groups.
