Two Teenagers Arrested by Security Forces in Mahabad

On Tuesday, December 31, Rezgar Moloudi and Kamyar Izadi, two teenagers from Mahabad, were arrested after being summoned to Ministry of Intelligence Office in this city and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Urmia.

According to HRANA, citing Kurdpa, the two teenagers, both 17 years old and residents of a village in Mahabad County, were detained on December 31.

The report also mentions that security forces raided Rezgar Moloudi’s family home on Monday, searching the premises.

As of now, no information is available regarding the reasons for their arrest or the charges against them.

Oshnavieh: Four Citizens Arrested by Security Forces

Yesterday, December 26, four citizens from Oshnavieh, identified as Morad Abdollah Omari, Nouraddin Molla-Alizadeh, Tawfiq Amini, and Mohammad Behroozi, were arrested by security forces in this city and transferred to a security detention facility in Urmia.

Kurdpa identified the detainees as Morad Abdollah Omari, Nouraddin Molla-Alizadeh, and Tawfiq Amini, and Mohammad Behroozi, 28 years old and father of one child.

The report indicates that the arrests were carried out at their homes, without presenting a judicial warrant, and involved physical violence. The detainees were subsequently transferred to a security detention facility in Urmia.

As of now, no information is available regarding the reasons for the arrests or the charges against these individuals.

In 2024, HRANA documented 561 cases of human rights violations in West Azerbaijan Province, including Oshnavieh, placing it third among all provinces in Iran for reported violations.

Four Prisoners Executed in Different Prisons Across Iran

In recent days, four prisoners were executed in prisons in Kermanshah, Urmia, Shiraz, and Birjand on charges related to murder and drug offenses.

At dawn on Saturday, December 21, Hamid Moradian, a resident of Firuzabad, Lorestan, was hanged in Kermanshah Prison. According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Moradian had previously been arrested on murder charges and sentenced to death by judicial authorities.

On Monday, December 23, a prisoner convicted of drug-related offenses was executed in Urmia Prison following a Revolutionary Court ruling. HRANA has identified the individual as Loghman Shangeh, a resident of Naqadeh.

Today, December 24, HRANA reported that “Amin Farahmand” was executed in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz, on drug-related charges.

Finally, Haal Vsh reported today the execution of 28-year-old Davood Ghaljaie, a father of one, in Birjand Prison. He was arrested in 2019 on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Birjand. According to the report, his execution was carried out without a final family visit.

As of the time of this report, none of these executions have been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant officials.

According to latest HRANA’s annual report over between October 10, 2023, and October 8, 2024, at least 811 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, rising to 23.06% compared to the same period last year. Of these executions, four were carried out in public. Many of the defendants were denied a fair trial.

727 Days of Silence: The Ongoing Detention of Osman Mameh

Osman Mameh, a 55-year-old resident of Bukan, has been held in detention for 727 days without any clear explanation from authorities. The prolonged lack of communication about his condition has left his family and relatives deeply concerned.

A source close to Mameh’s family told HRANA: “Despite nearly two years since his arrest and continuous efforts by his family to seek answers from security and judicial authorities in cities such as Bukan, Urmia, Karaj, and Tehran, no clear information has been provided. Mr. Mameh has not been allowed any contact with his family since his detention, which has only intensified their fears. Security officials have merely stated that he is alive and that the family would have been informed if he had died.”

Mameh was arrested by security forces on November 18, 2022, in Bukan.

As of this report, no details have been disclosed about the reasons for his arrest, the location of his detention, or the charges brought against him.

Individual Sentenced to Death in Urmia On Charges of “Espionage”

The judiciary’s news agency, Mizan, has reported that a citizen in Urmia has been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court on charges of “espionage for Israel.” Just a day earlier, the judiciary spokesperson announced that three others in Urmia had also been sentenced to death in a separate case on similar charges.

According to the judiciary’s media center, the accused had been under investigation for alleged “espionage for Israel and collaboration with the Mossad intelligence agency.” Following an indictment, the case was submitted to the Revolutionary Court in Urmia, where the defendant ultimately received a preliminary death sentence. The report did not disclose the identity of the accused.

In the separate case, the judiciary spokesperson claimed that, beyond “espionage,” the three other individuals were allegedly involved in “transferring assassination equipment” intended for a senior Iranian nuclear program official, under the cover of alcohol smuggling.

Although espionage charges are not classified as human rights violations, such accusations are often met with skepticism due to Iran’s history of leveraging espionage allegations against political dissidents, especially in cases where legal proceedings and case details remain opaque.

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Nayeb Askari Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison and Heavy Fine After Death Sentence Overturned

Nayeb Askari, a political prisoner detained in Urmia Prison, has been re-sentenced by Branch 2 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court to 15 years in prison and a fine of 900 million tomans, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn his prior death sentence and refer his case for retrial.

This updated sentence was issued last week by Branch 2 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court. According to HRANA’s sources, the fine was imposed on Askari as compensation for alleged damage to government property.

Initially, on April 15, 2023, Askari was sentenced to death in absentia and without legal representation by Branch 2 on charges of “enmity against God (moharebeh).” After he appealed, the court downgraded the charge from “moharebeh” to “armed rebellion (baghi)” but re-issued a death sentence in late October 2023.

Askari’s alleged membership in a Kurdish opposition party was cited as evidence supporting the charges in his case.

Arrested by IRGC intelligence agents on March 27, 2021, in Urmia, Askari was later moved to a detention facility and, on June 17, 2021, to Urmia Prison.

HRANA’s source reveals another ongoing case accusing Askari of the murder of IRGC member Mostafa Soltani. In 2013-2014, Soltani was injured during a clash with a political opposition party member, passing away six years later from COVID-19. Soltani’s family claims alleged Askari’s involvement in the altercation caused the sustained injury leading to his eventual death.

A new case, opened on July 12, 2021, based on a complaint from the Urmia Prison head, resulted in a three-month imprisonment extension and 50 lashes for “disrupting prison order.”

According to HRA’s annual report, in 2023, Urmia Prison officials executed 29 inmates, positioning this facility as the sixth highest in terms of executions among the ranked prisons.

Prisoner Executed in Urmia Prison

Yesterday, October 15, a prisoner who had been sentenced to death for murder was executed in Urmia Prison.

HRANA has identified the prisoner as Naser Mohammadi Hangravani, from the village of Nichlan in the Sumay-ye Beradust District of Urmia. He had been arrested on murder charges and sentenced to death by a judicial authority.

As of the time of this report, prison officials and relevant authorities have not yet officially announced the execution.

According to the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran, in 2023, at least 767 citizens, including 21 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the executions of 7 individuals were carried out in public. Additionally, during this period, 172 others were sentenced to death, with 5 of them sentenced to public execution. It is worth noting that during the same period, the initial death sentences of 49 other individuals were also upheld by the Supreme Court.

Edris Karsaz Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

Edris (Idris) Karsaz, a resident of Oshnavieh, has been sentenced to three years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of this city, according to a report by Kurdpa.

Based on the verdict recently communicated to Mr. Karsaz, the Oshnavieh Revolutionary Court sentenced him to three years in prison for charges related to “membership and collaboration with an anti-regime group.”

On July 3, 2023, Edris Karsaz was arrested by security forces at his home in Oshnavieh without a judicial warrant and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Urmia. He was eventually released on bail from Oshnavieh Prison on August 21.

Karsaz is 55 years old and a resident of Oshnavieh.

Mohammad Tahmasbi Held Without Charges for Over 50 Days in Ahvaz Ministry of Intelligence Detention Facility

Mohammad Tahmasbi, a 32-year-old resident of Izeh, has been detained in The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Ahvaz for more than 50 days without being formally charged, despite suffering from serious health issues.

A source close to his family confirmed to HRANA, “Mr. Tahmasbi has been held without charges for 50 days in Ahvaz. He suffers from intestinal adhesions and shortness of breath, requiring specialized medical treatment that is unavailable in the detention facility.”

Tahmasbi was arrested by security forces in Urmia on August 13, 2024, before being transferred to Ahvaz. After a month of no contact, he informed his family via a phone call that he was being held in The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Ahvaz.

To date, no details have been provided about the reasons for Tahmasbi’s arrest or any charges filed against him.

Javad Mohammadi-Fard Attempts Suicide in Urmia Prison

Javad Mohammadi-Fard, a political prisoner held in Urmia Prison, attempted suicide by hanging. He was transferred to a psychiatric facility and returned to prison hours later.

A source close to the political prisoner’s family told HRANA: “On Monday, September 23, Mr. Mohammadi-Fard attempted suicide by hanging due to severe stomach illness and the authorities’ refusal to grant him medical leave. Instead of being transferred to a hospital for proper medical treatment, he was sent to the Razi Psychiatric Hospital in Urmia and returned to prison just hours later.”

The source added, “Prison officials did not allow all family members to visit Mohammadi-Fard, and only his brother was granted access. His health condition remains poor.”

Despite suffering from stomach pain and bleeding, suspected by a doctor to be cancer, Mohammadi-Fard has been denied specialized treatment and medical leave.

Javad Mohammadi-Fard was arrested in July 2022 in Urmia and released on bail. In July 2023, he was sentenced by the Urmia Revolutionary Court on national security charges. His sentence was upheld in February 2024, and he was sentenced to four years in prison. He was transferred to Urmia Prison in April 2024 to serve his sentence.