Five Protestors Sentenced to a Total of 21 Years Imprisonment

Recently, the Urmia Revolutionary Court sentenced Sarina Gherabat, Faezeh Javadi, Shiva Kianfar, Parsa Dastmalchi and Sonia Sotoodeh to a total of 21 years in prison for participating in protests.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, in Urmia, the Revolutionary Court sentenced five citizens arrested at protests to a total of 21 years imprisonment.

According to these verdicts, Sarina Gherabat and Faezeh Javadi were sentenced to five years, Shiva Kianfar and Parsa Dastmalchi to four years, and Sonia Sotoodeh to three years. All these individuals were charged with “assembly and collusion to act against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.”

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, over 18000 people, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read HRANA’s comprehensive report here.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On Sunday, August 28, 2022, at least seven protests took place in Iran.

A number of workers and personnel of Kuhdasht Municipality, Lorestan Province, gathered before the Governor’s office to ask for their demands.

In Urmia, a number of chauffeurs protested against three-month unpaid wages and other issues before the city hall.

A group of school service workers gathered before the Ministry of Education in Khuzestan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Provinces to ask for equal wages.

A number of the applicants for the nationwide university entrance exam protested in Tehran against a recent enactment of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.

A group of personnel of the petrochemical company Bonyan Tose Rastin assembled and protested at their workplace in Bandar Imam Khomeini.

A group of truck drivers held a protest at Border terminal Nordooz located in East Azerbaijan Province. These drivers have been waiting for passage permits for five days at the border crossing with Armenia.

 

Sa’ada Khadirzadeh Commited Suicide in Urmia Prison

On August 18, 2022, Sa’ada Khadirzadeh attempted suicide in Urmia Prison. According to unverified sources, she has also tried to kill her infant child with pills before committing suicide. Two days earlier, she was interrogated by intelligence agents. 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on August 18, 2022, Sa’ada Khadirzadeh committed suicide in Urmia Prison.

Currently, she and her infant child are under treatment in the prison infirmary.

Khadirzadeh tried to hang herself with her scarf. She also tried to kill her infant child with pills, which HRANA cannot verify independently.

On October 14, 2021, security forces arrested Khadirzadeh in Piranshahr.

On June 20, 2022, she conceived a child at a hospital in Urmia.

The reason for her arrest and the charges are still unknown.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On Sunday, July 31, at least 16 protests took place in Iran.

In Tehran, Kermanshah, Shahrekord, Karaj, Tabriz, Urmia, Isfahan, Ahvaz, Bojnurd, and Sanandaj, the pensioners of the state-owned Iran Telecommunication Company held protests against the non-payment and reduction of their benefits. In Tehran, the police dispersed the protest gathering and several pensioners were arrested.

 

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization continued their protests in front of this organization in Rasht and Kermanshah.

In Ahvaz, the pensioners held a protest together with Ahvaz National Steel Industrial Group workers and the nurses of a hospital in front of the Ahvaz Governor-General Building.

 

The workers of the detergent manufacturing company Darugar continued their protests in front of the factory entrance to ask for five-month delayed wages and insurance payments.

 

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On Tuesday, July 12, 2022, at least 18 protests took place in Iran.

The retirees of the Telecommunication Company of Iran held protests in front of the company headquarters in Tehran, Khorramabad, Qazvin, Shiraz, Hamedan, Javanrud, Shahrkurd, Yazd, Urmia, Tabriz, Ahvaz, Rasht, Sari and Arak.

The retirees protested against low and unpaid benefits, delays in payments and not complying with recruitment regulations.

Continuing their protests against low pensions, Iranian pensioners held a protest in front of the Governor-General Building in Shush.

A group of workers of the Tabriz Petrochemical Company gathered in front of the company’s entrance to demand closing disparities in wages and elimination of discrimination.

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Imprisoned Valeh Zamani’s Condition Raises Concern

Workers’ rights activist Valeh Zamani is still in detention in Ward 240 of Evin Prison after 43 days. Despite suffering from acute liver disease, he is denied the required medical treatment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, workers’ rights activist Valeh Zamani is detained for over 40 days in Evin Prison.

An informed source told HRANA that Zamani suffers from hepatitis C and liver disfunction.  However, Zamani cannot receive medicine and undergoes hours of interrogation.

On May 30, 2022, intelligence agents arrested Zamani in Urmia and transferred him to Evin Prison.

The reason for his arrest is still unknown. 

Five Years Prison Sentence of Mohammad-Khaled Hamzehpour Upheld by Court of Appeals

Recently, the Court of Appeal of West Azerbaijan Province upheld the verdict against Mohammad-Khaled Hamzehpour. Earlier, Hamzepour had been sentenced to five years imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court of Oshnavieh.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Center of Democracy and Human Rights in Kurdistan, the five years sentence against Mohammad-Khaled Hamzehpour, a resident of Oshnavieh, was upheld on appeal.

Hamzehpour and four others had been charged with “membership in an anti-regime group.”

On December 14, 2020, security forces arrested Hamzehpour and took him to a detention facility in Urmia. On December 24 of that year, he was released on bail.

During detention, these individuals were denied access to a lawyer and family visits. 

Individual Arrested for Writing Anti-regime Slogan on Wall

An individual was arrested for writing slogans on the Ministry of Intelligence’s wall and setting his own car on fire in Azerbaijan Province’s Urmia City. A video circulated on social media showed a security agent pointing a gun at him.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, a citizen was arrested for writing a slogan on the wall and setting his vehicle on fire. 

As an act of protest, this unidentified individual first set his vehicle which was parked by the Ministry of Intelligence on fire in Urmia and then began to write slogans on the wall of the ministry’s office.

 The media outlets inside Iran and officials have not reacted to this incident so far. Yet, a video showing a security agent pointing a gun toward the protestor from about a short distance has become viral on social media.

Omar Sharifi Bukani Arrested in Tehran and Transferred to Unknown Location

On Thursday, November 11, security forces arrested Tehran resident Omar Sharifi Bukani and then transferred him to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, security forces arrested 70-year-old Sharifi Bukani without a warrant at his home in Tehran.

Mr. Sharifi Bukani was reportedly arrested once previously, in 1992, on a charge of “membership in one of the opposition political parties” and then sentenced to seven years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Mahabad City. He was released in 1998 after serving out his sentence in Urmia Prison.

The reasons for yesterday’s arrest, along with Mr. Sharifi Bukani’s current whereabouts, are unknown as of this writing.

Man Shot Dead by Regime’s Military Forces in Border Area of Urmia County

Earlier this Tuesday, November 2, a man was shot dead by military forces in border areas of Urmia county.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, the victim has been identified as Veisi Badini, a resident of the village Soorkan. Badini was married and has two children.

Military forces reportedly began to shoot directly towards Veisi Badini, who was pasturing livestock, without any warning beforehand. In the aftermath of their shooting, the forces did not allow any medical treatment, which led to his death from bleeding. As of yet, they have refused to deliver the body to Badini’s family.

HRANA’s annual human rights report has specifically documented cases in which military forces’ use of live ammunition against citizens has led to their injury or death.

According to the 2020 report, 36 cross-border laborers (kolbars), 5 cross-border fuel carriers (sukhtbar) and 33 other citizens have been shot dead by military forces and border guards in the last year. In addition, 130 people have been injured of which 109 are kolbars, 5 are sukhtbars, and 16 are citizens.