Tag: Varamin

Iran Protests: Samaneh Asghari Sentenced to over 18 Years

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Kharazmi University, Qarchak Prison, Samaneh Asghari, Varamin

The Tehran Revolutionary Court recently sentenced jailed student Samaneh Asghari to 18 years and 3 months in prison. If the verdict is upheld on appeal, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, six years and three months for one charge will be enforceable.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, student Samaneh Asghari was sentenced to eighteen years and three months imprisonment.

In January 2023, Asghari’s lawyer, Erfan Karam-Veisi, stated that the Shahr-e-Rey Public and Revolutionary Court pressed multiple charges against her client, including “assembly and collusion against national security,” “disturbing public order and peace,” “inciting people to wage war,” “propaganda against the regime,” “going in public without a hijab,” “membership in groups to act against national security,” and “spreading falsehood.” Karam-Veisi also stated that the court refused her temporary release on bail.

On October 11, 2022, amid nationwide protests, Asghari, an industrial engineering student at Kharazmi University, was arrested by security forces and jailed in Evin Prison. After a while, she was relocated to Qarchak Prison in Varamin.

About Iran Nationwide Protests 2022
The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her alleged improper hejab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. During these protests, at least about 19760 people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.

Two Instagram Bloggers Sentenced to a Total of 21 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Amir Mohamad Ahmadi, Astiaj Haghighi, Evin Prison, Instagram Bloggers, Qarchak, Varamin

The Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Instagram bloggers Astiaj Haghighi and Amir Mohammad Ahmadi, to a total of 21 years in prison and additional punishments.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Astiaj Haghighi and Amir Mohammad Ahmadi were sentenced to imprisonment and additional punishments.

According to this verdict, each of them received ten years and six months for “promotion of impurity and indecency, assembly and collusion against national security, and propaganda against the regime.” They have also been banned from social activities on the Internet and leaving the country for two years.
An informed source told HRANA that they were denied access to a lawyer during legal proceedings.

On November 1, 2022, security forces arrested this couple violently at their home in Tehran. This arrest occurred after they published a video on social media showing them dancing in a city square.

A while after their arrest, Mrs Haghighi was relocated from Evin Prison to Qarchak Prison in Varamin.

 

Iran Protests: Parisa Nikkhoo Sentenced to Two Years

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Freedom of Expression, News
Parisa Nikkhoo, Qarchak Prison, Varamin

The Tehran Court of Appeals sentenced Parisa Nikkhoo to two years in prison. Initially, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to five years in prison. She is currently jailed in Qarchak Prison in Varamin.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Parisa Nikkhoo, arrested at recent protests, was sentenced to two years in prison on appeal.

An informed source told HRANA, “Nikkhoo did not have a right to choose a lawyer. She was charged with assembly and collusion against national security and disturbing public order. The judicial authorities promised her a release on bond if she pleaded guilty.”

“The judge granted a 600 million-toman bail, but she cannot afford this bail.”

On September 24, 2022, Nikkhoo, age 36, was arrested at protests in Tehran and taken to a police station and then to Qarchak Prison. The informed source said she had bruises on her body during custody at the police station.

 

Iran Protests: Saeedeh Mohammadi Sentenced Five Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Qarchak Prison, Saeedeh Mohammadi, Varamin

The Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Saeedeh Mohammadi to five years in prison and banned her from leaving the country for two years. In late September, she was arrested at protests by security forces and jailed in Qarchak Prison in Varamin.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Saeedeh Mohammadi was sentenced to five years in prison.

Mohammadi is still jailed since she cannot afford to pay bail.

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, over 18400, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read the latest HRANAs comprehensive report here.

Golrokh Iraee Still in Detention after 52 Days

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News, Prisoners
golrokh iraee, Qarchak Prison, Varamin

Former political prisoner Golrokh Iraee is still in detention in poor conditions in the quarantine section of Qarchak Prison. A while ago, she was briefed on her charges.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Golrokh Iraee is still detained, awaiting further legal proceedings after 52 days.

Recently, she has been notified about the charges of “assembly and collusion” and “propaganda against the regime.”

According to an informed source, Iraee is currently held in an ill-equipped, overcrowded ward in Qarchak Prison in Varamin.

On September 26, 2022,  security forces arrested Iraee violently at her house in Tehran.

 

 

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Fariba Asadi Arrested and Sent to Qarchak Prison to Serve One Year Sentence

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News, Prisoners
Fariba Asadi, Masoud Vazifeh, Mehran Delfan-Azari, Meysam Gholami, Varamin

On January 10, Fariba Asadi, resident of Tehran, was arrested at home and transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin City to serve her sentence. She has been sentenced to one year in prison by Shahriar’s Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Asadi was arrested by security forces in February 2021, along with Mehran Delfan Azari, Meysam Gholami and Masoud Vazifeh. They were arrested on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “membership in an anti-regime group”

On October 2, 2021, Branch 2 of Shriar’s Revolutionary Court sentenced Vazifeh to six months on the charge of “abetting in propaganda against the regime” and the three others to one year on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

From them, Asadi was released on bail. The other three were sent to Greater Tehran Prison at the end of legal proceedings. Perviously, Masoud Vazifeh and Meysam Gholami were released from jail after completing their sentences.

Shakila Monfared Denied Access to Medical Treatment in Qarchak Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
Arsham Rezaei, Iman Afshari, medical neglect, medical negligence, Mohammad Abolhassani, Monfared, ORGC, Qarchak Prison, Shakila Monfared, Tehran, Varamin

Political prisoner Shakila Monfared, who suffers from gastrointestinal disease and severe stomach pain, has been denied access to adequate medical treatment in Qarchak Prison in Varamin City.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, prison officials have barred her dispatch to a hospital outside the prison as well as leave on furlough for medical treatment.

“For the fifth time, her request for furlough has been rejected,” an informed source told HRANA. “They mentioned a report from the interrogator and judiciary officers on her interview with one of the media as the reason for this rejection. This claim stands at odd with the fact that she never had any interview and the interrogator refuses to provide any proof regarding this claim.”

On August 31, 2020, security forces arrested Monfared while she was leaving her home. They transferred her to one of the detention centers at disposal of IRGC in Tehran. Reportedly, they did not have a warrant for this arrest.

On September 9, of last year she was relocated to the quarantine section of the women ward of Evin Prison. On September 14, she was released on a bail of 400 million tomans until the end of legal proceedings.

In January of this year, the joint court trial of Shakila Monfared, Arsham Rezaei, and Mohammad Abolhassani was held in Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. 27-year-old Monfared was sentenced to 6 years in prison and 4 months of probation work in the Agricultural Jihad on charges of “propaganda activities against the system” and “insulting the sanctities of Islam”.

Monfared was granted furlough on August 23 of this year and returned to jail on September 7.

Babak Dadbakhsh Asks Prosecutor-General for Re-Examination of His Case

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Uncategorized
ardabil prison, Babak, Babak Dadbakhsh, Dadbaksh, Ministry of Intelligence, Moharebej, NAJA, Varamin

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activist, political prisoner Babak Dadbakhsh, who is currently being held in Ardabil Prison, recently wrote a letter to the Prosecutor General of Iran asking that his case be re-examined.

In regard to the way his trial was conducted, Dadbakhsh wrote, “Just to receive the verdict letter, I accepted not to appeal. However, after three years, I don’t have any indictment letter to know on what charges and based on what evidences I have been condemned. No one responds to me.”

In part of this letter received to HRANA, Babak Dadbakhsh writes, “The prosecutor-general! I am writing to you as a victim of injustice, a prisoner who has been tortured and sentenced to 25 years without having a trial. Just to receive the verdict letter, I accepted not to appeal. However, after three years, I don’t have any indictment letter to know on what charges and based on what evidences I have been condemned. No one responds to me. I hope that the law does not close its eyes and give me my legal right. I have been convicted within one minute without having an attorney. I request re-examining my case, receiving the indictment letter and using retrial. While I’m suffering stress, as forensic medicine and coroners have diagnosed, I am waiting for justice.”

In November 2017, Babak Dadbakhsh was arrested by security police of NAJA and handed to the Ministry of intelligence officials. Since then, he has been spending in various detention facilities and prisons.  He was once hospitalized in Razi Educational and Therapeutic Psychiatric Center.

In February 2020, he was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment on the charges of “spreading corruption on earth” and “enmity against God” (Moharebeh). However, in April 2021, on the excuse that not all charges have been considered, his sentence was prolonged to 25 years.

It is said that he is suffering from MDD, bipolar disorder and psychotic symptoms based on the diagnosis of Razi Educational and Therapeutic Psychiatric Center.

Mojgan Keshavarz Granted Leave on Bail from Qarchak Prison in Varamin

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Branch 38, Evin Prison, Mojgan, Mojgan Keshavarz, Qarchak, Qarchak Prison, Section 2A, Tehran, Varamin, Women's Ward of Evin Prison

On Wednesday, October 6, civil activist Mojgan Keshavarz was granted a five-day leave on bail from prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Keshavarz is serving out her five-and-a-half-year prison sentence in Qarchak Prison in Varamin.

On April 25, 2019, intelligence forces raided Keshavarz’s home and arrested her. She was under interrogation in the detention facility of the intelligence unit of the Revolutionary Guards, known as the 2A section of Evin Prison, until May 1, and then transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin. She was relocated to Evin prison on August 12, 2020, and sent back again to Qarchak Prison on December 5, 2020.

Branch 28 of the revolutionary court in Tehran sentenced the civil activist to a total of 22 years in prison. She received 5 years on a charge of “assembly and collusion in the purpose of acting against national security”, 10 years on a charge of “provoking and provision of impurity and indecency”, and 7 years and six months on a charge of ” blasphemy”.  Later the sentence was reduced to 12 years and 7 months on appeal.

According to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the severest enforceable punishment for the charge of ” provoking and provision of impurity and indecency ” is five and half years imprisonment.

Mojgan Keshavarz is 38 years old and a mother of a ten-year-old daughter.

Soheila Hejab Beaten in Garchak Prison While on Hunger Strike

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
Evin Prison, Gharchak, Gharchak prison, Hunger Strike, inmate beaten, irgc, prisoner beaten, prisoners accused of violent crimes, Soheila Hejab, tehran prison, Varamin, Varamin City, women's ward

Several inmates convicted of violent crimes recently beat political prisoner Soheila Hejab while she was on a hunger strike in Gharchak Prison in Varamin.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Hejab had been on a hunger strike since September 19 in protest of the increasing pressure on political prisoners and the intrusion of interrogators and other Judicial officers into court processing. Following promises from authorities, she ended her hunger strike on October 3.

“One of the shift officers on purpose opened the door of section 3 where inmates convicted for robbery are held,” an informed source told HRANA. “Several inmates of this section encroached into the section where she was located and took her to their section. They tore her winding-sheet which she was wearing as a sign of protest and forced her to eat in order to broke her strike. Once she resisted, they beat and took her back to her own section by dragged her on the floor.”

Mrs Hejab was arrested by security forces on June 1, 2019, and then released from Evin Prison in Tehran on a bail of 3 billion tomans on March 14, 2020.

Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court convicted her to 18 years imprisonment on charges of “propaganda against the regime, illegal assembly, incitement of public opinions to riot and organizing unlawful political groups”.

This long imprisonment stands at odds with Article 134 of Iran’s penal code whereupon the severest enforceable punishment is 5 years.

On May 23, 2020, the intelligence unit of the Revolutionary Guards arrested and transferred her to Gharchak Prison in Varamin city to serve out her sentence.

In December 2020, the revolutionary court held a new session for new indictments such as ” propaganda against the regime” and “incitement of public opinions”. Her phone calls while in detention were published online and presented in court as evidence for the above-mentioned charges. Mrs Hejab has been once arrested in Shiraz and released by granting pardon after five-month imprisonment.