Tag: Vakilabad prison

Khosrow Alikordi, Attorney, Arrested and Jailed in Vakilabad Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Abolfazl Adinehzadeh, Khosrow Alikordi, Khosrow Alikurdi, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

Khosrow Alikordi, an attorney at law, has been arrested and incarcerated today in Vakilabad Prison following his presence at the Mashhad Courthouse.

According to a reliable source, who spoke to HRANA, the prosecutor’s office investigator denied bail after arraignment, resulting in Alikordi’s imprisonment.

The charges against Alikordi include “spreading falsehood and breach of confidentiality.” He was also previously indicted for “propaganda in favor of anti-regime groups” and was released on a 150-million-toman bail in early July.

It’s important to note that Alikordi has been actively handling the legal case of Abolfazl Adinehzadeh, a minor who was allegedly killed by regime forces during the 2022 nationwide protests.

Baha’i Citizen Rouya Malakooti Arrested, Eight Others Summoned in Mashhad

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News, Religious Minorities
Azita Foroughi, Fardieh Moradi, Golnoosh Nasiri, HRANA, Mashhad, Nasim Sabeti, Nooshin Mesbah, Rouya Malakooti, Roya Ghaneh-Ezabadi, Shohreh Salekian, Soheila Ahmadi, Vakilabad prison

On July 29, nine Baha’i women were separately summoned to appear at Mashhad Courthouse, with one among them, Roya Malakooti, ending up arrested after hours of interrogation.

The other eight citizens, Roya Ghaneh-Ezabadi, Shohreh Salekian, Golnoosh Nasiri, Azita Foroughi, Nooshin Mesbah, Soheila Ahmadi, Fardieh Moradi, and Nasim Sabeti, have had the addressing of their legal cases postponed until further notice.

The specific allegations against these individuals remain undisclosed, leaving uncertainty surrounding the reasons behind the summoning and the subsequent arrest. According to a reliable source who spoke to HRANA, the Prosecutor’s office investigator issued a one-month detention order for Roya Malakooti, and she was subsequently transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

As the case unfolds, the fate of the other eight Baha’i women remains uncertain, and their legal proceedings are set to be addressed in the coming days.

According to HRANA annual report, from the total human rights reports regarding the violation of religious minorities’ rights, 64.63% belonged to the violation of the rights of Baha’is.

The deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a breach 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.

Imprisoned Teacher Hashem Khastar Receives Additional Sentence for Activism

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News, Prisoners
Ali Khamenei, Doostali Makki, Hashem Khastar, Mashhad, Nikshahr, Vakilabad prison

Hashem Khastar, a teacher and civil rights activist currently incarcerated in Vakilabad Prison, was sentenced to two years and six months by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court.

Khastar’s lawyer, Doostali Makki, received verbal notification of the court’s decision, which cited multiple charges including “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran” and “propaganda against the regime” as the basis for the extended imprisonment.

Reliable sources close to Khastar’s family disclosed that the new sentence stems from his dissemination of 30 open letters and six voice messages from within the prison walls, further exacerbating the charges against him.

The ordeal began on August 11, 2019, when Khastar and 13 fellow civil rights activists were apprehended by security forces following the publication of an open letter demanding the resignation of Ali Khamenei. The initial ruling from the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced Khastar to 16 years in prison, three years of exile in Nikshahr (located in Sistan and Baluchestan province), and a travel ban for three years. He faced a litany of charges, including “insulting both the former and current Supreme Leader of Iran,” “disturbing public opinion,” “collaboration with foreign media,” and “participation in unauthorized gatherings.”

Although the court of appeals reduced the three-year exile and travel ban, the prison sentence remained unchanged.

French Citizen Benjamin Briere Released from Iranian Prison

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News, Prisoners
Benjamin Briere, Bernard Phelan, Catherine Colonna, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

French citizen Benjamin Briere has been released from prison in Iran. Catherine Colonna, the French foreign minister, attributed the freedom of Briere to diplomatic negotiations between Iran and France.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ISNA News Agency, French citizen Benjamin Briere was released from prison.

Today, Irish-French citizen Bernard Phelan was also released from prison. In a separate statement, Colonna revealed that she spoke with Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian about their release, and Brier and Phelan are on their way back to France.

In May 2020, Briere was arrested by security forces. According to Figaro, he was arrested for flying a small drone in a deserted area in Iran.

On January 25, 2022, after being detained for over 600 days in detention at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad City, Briere was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison for “espionage and propaganda against the regime” by Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad. Two other charges of “spreading corruption on earth” and “alcohol drinking” was dismissed by the court. In July of the last year, this verdict was upheld on appeal.

French-Irish Citizen Bernard Phelan Freed from Jail in Iran

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Freedom of Expression, News
Bernard Phelan, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

French-Irish citizen, Bernard Phelan, has been released from prison in Iran after being held in custody for several months. The Iranian embassy in Ireland has confirmed that his release was the result of diplomatic negotiations between Ireland and Iran.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IRNA news agency, jailed French-Irish citizen Bernard Phelan was released from jail in Iran.

The Iranian embassy in Ireland stated that Phelan’s release was due to amnesty for humanitarian reasons and for showing goodwill in diplomatic relations between Iran and Ireland.

Phelan, who is 64 years old, was arrested by Iranian security forces during his last trip to Iran on October 3, 2022. He was later identified by the Irish Times as being held in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad.

Phelan’s sister has previously stated that he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison for allegedly “providing information to another country,” among other charges.

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Seven Inmates Executed in Yazd, Mashhad and Birjand

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Executions, News
Abdolbasir Bazhm, Amir Rameshk, Birjand, Haal Vsh, Jaber Aminifar, Mashhad, Nour-Ahmad Zavarzahi, Saboor Shah-Bakhsh, Vakilabad prison, Yazd

HRANA, Human Rights Activists News Agency-Haal Vsh reports the execution of seven inmates on May 4, 2023, across three different prisons in Iran: five in Yazd prison, one in Birjand, and one in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

Among the five executed in Yazd, three have been identified as Saboor Shah-Bakhsh (23), Amir Rameshk (34), and Abdolbasir Bazhm (29). These prisoners were convicted of drug-related crimes in recent years. The identities of the other two inmates remain unknown, but it is reported that one was convicted of drug-related crimes and the other of murder.

Additionally, on the same day, an inmate named Nour-Ahmad Zavarzahi from Zahedan was executed in Vakilabad prison, Mashhad. He had been sentenced to death for drug offenses two years ago.

On April 29, Birjand Prison officials executed an inmate identified as Jaber Aminifar without notifying his family. He was imprisoned for several years.

None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported these executions at the time of writing.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

 

Civil Rights Activist Fatemeh Sepehri Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Khamenei, Asghar Sepehri, Fatemeh Sepehri, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

The Court of Appeals of Razavi Khorasan Province sentenced civil rights activist Fatemeh Sepehri to 18 years in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the 18-year sentence against civil rights activist Fatemeh Sepehri was upheld on appeal.

Earlier, the Mashhad Revolutionary Court Sepehri sentenced Sepehri to ten years for “collaboration with hostile foreign governments,” five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.” This verdict has been upheld on appeal.

Applying Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, ten years in prison for the first charge will be enforceable.

It is worth noting that according to her brother, Asghar Sepehri, the judicial officials did not accept her lawyer’s power of attorney letter.

On September 21, 2022, security forces arrested Sepehri at her house in Mashhad and jailed her in Vakilabad Prison.

In another case, in January 2023, the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced her to one year and a 20-million-tomans fine for “spreading falsehood, disturbing public opinions through social media activities and presence in media outside Iran.”

On prior occasions, as one of the signatories of a letter asking Ali Khamenei to resign, Sepehri faced other arrests and convictions.

French Tourist’s Sentence Upheld by Court of Appeals

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News, Prisoners
Benjamin Briere, French Tourist, Ukraine Flight 752, Vakilabad prison

Branch 7 of the Court of Appeals of Khorasan Razavi Province upheld the sentence of French Tourist Benjamin Briere. Initially, Briere was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the prison sentence against Benjamin Briere was upheld on appeal.

Confirming this sentence in an interview with HRANA, Briere’s lawyer, Saeed Dehghan commented that in this verdict, France was considered hostile to Iran and statements such as expressing condolences to the families of the victims of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, which was shot down by the IRGC, was presented as evidence for this conviction. Also, Briere’s information technology background and the possession of more than one hard drive and cell phone were considered by the court as evidence for the conviction.

In January of last year, Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad sentenced Briere to eight years and eight months in prison on the charges of “espionage” and “propaganda against the regime”. Two other charges of “spreading corruption on earth” and “drinking alcohol” were dismissed by the court.

In May 2020, Briere was arrested by security forces and has since been kept in Vakilabad Prison. He has been in pre-trial detention for more than 600 days.

Update on Abdolbaset Orsan’s Condition in Vakilabad Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Abdolbaset Orsan, forced confessions, Mashhad, solitary confinement, Sunni, sunni prisoner, Torbat-Jam, Vakilabad prison

Sunni prisoner Abdolbaset Orsan is currently spending the fifth year of his sentence in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad City. He has hardly seen his family due to their distance from the prison, the high costs of travel and COVID-related restrictions.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Orsan has been deprived of family visitation. An informed source elaborated that in, “the ward where he is housed, under pretext of COVID-19 regulations, family visitation has long been stopped. The prisoners in other wards, however, can have visitations. Since [Orsan] was the sole breadwinner of his family, his family can hardly afford [to support themselves]”.

On October 8, 2017, Ministry of Intelligence agents arrested and held him for 12 months in solitary confinement in one of their detention centers.

In 2019, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad sentenced him to 15 years in prison and fined him 55 million tomans (13090 USD) on the charge of “spreading corruption on earth through acting against national security and collaboration with terrorist groups”. He was acquitted from charges of “armed insurrection against the regime (Baghi)”. In 2020, this verdict was upheld on appeal.

In July, Orsan, along with eight other Sunni prisoners in Vakilabad prison, wrote a letter to Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran. The open letter both requested that their cases be investigated and mentioned that their confessions have been extracted under torture and pressure upon their families.

Orsan is a Sunni citizen and a resident of Torbat-Jam. He is married and the father of three children.

Nosrat Beheshti Released on Bail From Vakilabad Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
Hunger Strike, Mashad, Nosrat Beheshti, Vakilabad prison, Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad

Civil activist and retired educator Nosrat Beheshti was released from Vakilabad Prison on bail of 1 billion tomans (237,955 USD). Her release is temporary, extending from Tuesday, November 30 until the end of legal proceedings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Beheshti has been in detention since her August 4 arrest. She was tried by Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Mansourim, on the charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “acting against national security”. She was sentenced to 5 years in prison on November 14.

On October 24, Beheshti began a hunger strike to protest prison officials’ refusal to send her to an outside hospital to treat her kidney pain. The strike lasted four days, and was resolved when she was dispatched to a hospital for treatment.

She has previously faced arrests due to her civil activities.