The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on December 6th, 2018 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Continue reading “A Daily Overview of Human Rights Violations in Iran for December 6, 2018”
Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) – Iranian citizens and legal residents, once placed behind bars or accused of a crime, have seen their lawful rights and dignities abruptly revoked. Below are a few of their stories.
Sardar Osman Bakr, a Sunni Kurdish prisoner serving a five-year sentence in Urmia Central, has been charged with “propaganda against the regime” and will now be serving six.
An Iraqi national who has held legal residence in Iran for the past 10 years, Bakr was arrested, charged, and sentenced in 2016 on charges of “membership in anti-regime groups with religious ideologies.” He was held in solitary confinement for 10 days in a Ministry of Intelligence Detention Center earlier this year, before being transferred back to Urmia Central Prison to be interrogated on the “propaganda against the regime” charge.
Branch 3 of Urmia Revolutionary Court convicted Bakr of the new charge in September 2018, compounding his prison term by an additional year. He is currently being held in Ward 12 of Urmia Central.
On November 10th, Azerbaijani activist Ulduz Ghasemi was sentenced in absentia to one year in prison by Urmia Revolutionary Court Branch 1.
Ghasemi is from Urmia, in Iran’s northwest. Read more about Ghasemi’s activism and legal ordeals here.
West Azerbaijan Appeals Court Branch 13 has upheld a five-year prison sentence for Sunni prisoner Eslam Mostafaie, of Mirabad. He has been in Urmia Central Prison for the past three months.
Charged with “membership in Salafi groups,” a close source said, Mostafaie was denied a lawyer throughout judicial proceedings that ended with his August 2018 conviction in Urmia Revolutionary Court Branch 2.
According to the source, he was held in solitary confinement in a Ministry of Intelligence detention center for 17 days after his arrest and is now being held in Ward 12 of Urmia Central.
Mirabad is a city in West Azerbaijan Province.
Judge Ali Sheikhloo of Urmia Revolutionary Court Branch 2 has denied the conditional release request of political prisoner Azad Mohammadi, currently being held in Ward 12 of Urmia Central prison. The court’s decision was dictated to Mohammadi on Tuesday, November 13th.
Mohammadi had previously stopped hunger striking when prison authorities verbally engaged to negotiate with the Judiciary for his conditional release. Mohammadi was among a group of prisoners swayed to end their coordinated hunger strike on October 23rd by similar promises from prison authorities.
Upon his arrest in 2015, Mohammadi spent three months in an IRGC Intelligence detention center. Without ever having access to a lawyer, he was sentenced to five years in prison for “Cooperation with the Kurdistan Democratic Party.” He was subsequently transferred to Urmia Prison.
Mohammadi’s sentence was reduced by 15 months when he chose to not protest the charges. He is scheduled to be released in seven months.
Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA)- Dejected at the Judiciary’s broken promise to return him to his native Turkey, ailing 70-year-old prisoner Hatam Ertoghlu declared hunger strike November 9th.
Currently held in Urmia’s Ward 4-3, Ertoghlu has been behind bars for the past nine years on drug-related charges. According to a close source, he has had multiple hospital admissions for various ailments, not least of which was a heart attack.
“Last year, per court order, he gave prison authorities 12 million tomans [approximately $2,800 USD] to cover the fees for his transfer back to Turkey,” a close source said. “Yet despite the consent of Turkish authorities, that transfer never took place.”
Undeterred by his physical distress, old age, and cardiac disease, Ertoghlu is now starving himself in protest.
Ertoghlu initially faced a sentence of life in prison, which was commuted to 24 years in 2017.
HRANA News Agency – Security forces prevented the spontaneous gathering of people of Urmia who declared their sympathy with the victims of the recent terrorist attack in Turkey in front of the Turkish Consulate in this city.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), around 7 pm, a group of Urmia residents spontaneously tried to rally in front of the consulate in Urmia to show their solidarity and sympathy with the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in Turkey but this was stopped by the security forces. Continue reading “Security Forces Prevent People from Gathering in Sympathy with the Victims of Istanbul”
HRANA News Agency – On Saturday, September 3, 2011, protestors in Tabriz and Urmia demonstrated in streets again to save Lake Urmia.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Iranian security forces were on alert since early Saturday morning throughout Tabriz and Urmia to confront protestors.As a result, clashes broke out in both cities.
Eyewitnesses in Urmia reported that Motahari and Taleghani streets were blocked by protestors, and a motorcycle was set on fire.Furthermore, clashes were reported in Atahie Street.
Other reports indicate that demonstrations have begun in Tabriz, and hundreds of protestors have poured into streets throughout the city.Clashes have been reported from Mohammadi Bazaar and Raste Alley, and fighting has spread into Qongha Bashi, Golestan Garden, Sayat Qabaghi.
Eyewitnesses have told HRANA that anti riot forces have shot tear gas canisters and rubber bullets at people in both cities in order to disperse the crowd.
HRANA News Agency – Peaceful demonstrations by Azerbaijani citizens turned violent when Iranian security forces interfered with a gathering to save Lake Urmia.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), anti-riot police in the city of Tabriz shot tear gas directly at the crowd and injured a number of the protestors.
Oddly enough, plain cloth agents broke the windows of shops and public phone booths in Tabriz.Previously, this behavior had also been observed multiple times in Tehran.
Eye-witnesses have reported that the clashes are still on-going in front of the Constitution House of Tabriz (Khaneh Mashrouteh).Demonstrators are shouting slogans such as “Rise up and cry out Azerbaijan. Give life back to Lake Urmia” and “Lake Urmia dies. Congress orders its demise.”During the clashes with the police, a large number of citizens have been injured.
While the clashes in the city of Urmia are spreading to Ykaneyan Bazaar, Agh Dash and Shapour Gate, the number of those injured are significantly increasing.
HRANA correspondents report that Iranian security forces have stormed the Motahari Hospital to arrest those injured during street clashes.
HRANA News Agency – Iranian regime has executed 33 prisoners within the last 12 days of 2012, most of them are unreported.
According to the reports by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Iranian regime has executed 33 prisoners across Iran within 12 days: one prisoner in Sari, convicted of drug trafficking, five public execution of prisoners convicted of rape in Yasouj, one Afghan citizen convicted of drug trafficking in Damghan, four prisoners convicted of rape in Yazd, at least two prisoners convicted of rape in Urmia, four prisoners convicted of drug trafficking in Ghezelhesar Prison, six Salafi prisoners convicted of assassination, 10 prisoners convicted of drug trafficking in Taybad.
Continue reading “Iran: at Least 33 Executions within the last 12 days of 2012”
HRANA News Agency – Iranian security and anti riot forces have attacked an indoor market on Mosom Street and destroyed public property.Earlier, this bazaar had been closed because of demonstrations.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Iranian security and anti riot forces entered the indoor market on Mosom Street and intentionally destroyed public property while this bazaar had been shut down earlier, and there was no reason for the security forces to enter the grounds.
Another report indicates that detained demonstrators from today’s protests in Urmia have been taken to the Police Station #11 located at Modares Square, Peleh Dentention Center #9, and Intelligence Agency’s Detention Center on Imam Musa Sadr Alley.
Today, thousands of demonstrators poured into streets of Tabriz and Urmia to protest against Lake Urmia drying up. During the majority of these protests, clashes broke out when security forces interfered with the demonstrations and confronted the crowds.
Furthermore, Tehran is under tense military and security measures, and police forces have been present heavily in a number of main squares throughout the capital including Baharestan Square and streets around the Parliament.
HRANA News Agency – The Supervising Committee of Student Publications has banned two Kurdish student newspapers in Urmia University after two issues were released by these periodicals.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on Tuesday, June 9, 2011, the officials at Urmia University Student Affairs summoned the editors of two Kurdish newspapers and informed them that their periodicals have been banned by the Supervising Committee of Student Publications.These two student publications, Herewez and Bojan, were the only Urmia University student newspapers published in Kurdish.
Last year, two other student publications named Rwanga and Jino were also banned.These periodicals were published in Kurdish and Farsi.
HRANA News Agency – Early this morning, Sunday, May 22, 2011, three inmates were hanged on prison grounds in the city of Urmia, [West Azerbaijan Province], by the order of judicial authorities.
According to a report by Mukrian News Agency, two of the inmates were from Shiraz, and the other one was from Urmia. All three individuals were charged with and convicted of drug-related crimes.
Yesterday, these three inmates were transferred to the Quarantine Ward in preparation to carry out the execution orders.
