Political Prisoner Ahmadreza Haeri Arrested in Tehran

On June 27, 2022, security forces arrested political prisoner Ahmadreza Haeri in Tehran.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Emtedad News, on Monday, June 27, 2022, security forces arrested political prisoner Ahmadreza Haeri. The arrest was ordered by Branch 3 of the Interrogation Office of Evin Court.

Last week, IRGC agents raided and searched Haeri’s house and confiscated some of his personal belongings. During the search, Haeri was verbally instructed to appear at Evin Courthouse.

In October of last year, he was summoned to the Cybercrime Court of Tehran following a complaint from the Prisons Security and Corrective Measures Organization of Tehran Province (PSCMO).

Earlier, Ahmadreza Haeri had faced other arrests and convictions. On April 17, 2014, dozens of political prisoners in Ward 350 of Evin Prison were beaten brutally by security agents. In protest against this incident which is called “The Black Thursday of Evin Prison”, prisoners’ families and other individuals held protests in front of the Parliament and Judiciary, which led to the arrest of several protestors including Ahmadreza Haeri. One month later, he was sentenced to 42 months in prison by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran.

This initial verdict was upheld on appeal. However, following his lawyer’s objection, Haeri’s verdict was revoked and this time the case was undertaken by Branch 54 of the court of appeals, which sentenced him to six months in prison and 74 lashes. 

On July 25, 2020, Haeri endured the flogging by the Intelligence and Public Security Police of NAJA and was sent to the Greater Tehran prison to serve his six-month sentence. On October 8, 2020, he was released on probation from the Greater Tehran prison.