Tag: Yazd Prison

A Woman and 10 Men Executed in Zahedan and Yazd Prisons

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Citizen executed, Yazd Prison, Zahedan Prison

Yesterday, December 15, the death sentences of 11 prisoners, including a woman, were carried out in the prisons of Zahedan and Yazd. The individuals had previously been convicted on separate charges related to drug offenses and murder.

According to HRANA, quoting Haal Vsh, four prisoners were executed early Sunday morning, December 15, 2024, in Zahedan Prison.

The identities of the executed in Zahedan are as follows:

  • Mohammad-Vazir Roudini, 45, married, father of four, from Zahedan.
  • Alireza Galebacheh, 37, married, father of three, from Zabol.
  • Elias Tardast (Shahoozahi), 22, known as “Elia,” from Zahedan.
  • Yaghoub Barahooie Moghadam, married, from the village of Sefidabeh in Nimrouz County.

These individuals had been arrested in recent years in various cities on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by judicial authorities.

In addition, Haal-Vash reported the execution of seven prisoners, including a woman, in Yazd Prison.

The identities of six of the men executed in Yazd are as follows:

  • Mohammad-Ali Kharkouhi (Barahooie), 36, married.
  • Reza Kharkouhi (Barahooie), 43, married, father of four, and the brother of Mohammad-Ali, both from Zahedan.
  • Salah Rahimi, approximately 37, from Sanandaj.
  • Abdolbaset Tootazahi, 38, father of two, from a village in Nosratabad, Zahedan.
  • Abdolnaser Tootazahi, 38, father of eight, from a village in Nosratabad, Zahedan.
  • Ne’matollah Tootazahi, 33, from Zahedan.

The identity of the seventh individual, a woman executed on murder charges, has not been disclosed. The six other prisoners in Yazd were convicted on drug-related charges.

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.

Three Prisoners Executed in Yazd Prison

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Citizens executed, Yazd Prison

According to Haal Vsh, three prisoners were executed at Yazd Prison at dawn on Thursday, November 28, 2024.

The report states that Davood Mohammadi Takht-Shah (Dahmardeh) and Othman Dahmardeh, previously sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Yazd Revolutionary Court were executed. The third prisoner has been identified as Esmail Barakzaie, approximately 18 years old and an Afghan national residing in Yazd. He was arrested for murder in Meybod, Yazd, and subsequently sentenced to death by the judiciary.

Haal Vsh also reported that Esmail Barakzaie was about 17 years old at the time of the murder.

As of this report’s publication, the execution of these three prisoners has not been officially announced by prison authorities or responsible institutions.

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.

Eight Prisoners Executed in Various Prisons Across Iran

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Adelabad Prison, Dariush Saeedi, Hamed Mehraban, Hamedan prison, Kahnuj Prison, Mansour Rastakhiz, Mohammadreza Sotoodeh, Mohsen Nejadi Moghaddam, Yazd Prison

On November 4 and 5, eight prisoners were executed in the prisons of Kahnuj, Hamedan, Yazd, and Adelabad in Shiraz.

According to HRANA, on November 4, Mansour Rastakhiz was executed in Kahnuj Prison on a murder charge. That same day, Alireza Jamshidi from Shiraz and Mohammadreza Sotoodeh from Fasa were executed on drug-related charges in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz.

Additionally, in the early hours of November 5, the death sentences of Dariush Saeedi and Hamed Mehraban, both convicted of murder, were carried out. Dariush Saeedi, 32, had been detained five years earlier for a murder committed during a group conflict and was sentenced to death by the judiciary. He was also sentenced to death in a separate case for allegedly killing another inmate during a prison altercation. Hamed Mehraban, 38, was arrested six years ago for the murder of his wife and later sentenced to death by the judiciary.

According to Haal Vsh, three more prisoners were executed at dawn today, November 5, in Yazd Prison. One of the executed individuals was identified as “Mohsen Nejadi Moghaddam (Sabaki),” 30, married with two children, and a resident of Rigan.

The report states that Mr. Nejadi Moghaddam was arrested in 2021 in Yazd on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in Yazd. On Sunday, he and two other prisoners had been transferred to solitary confinement in Yazd Prison in preparation for their executions.

Prisoner Executed in Yazd Prison for Drug Offenses

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Manan Brahui, Yazd Prison, Zabol

At dawn September 19, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted on drug-related charges was carried out in Yazd Prison, according to a report by Haal Vsh.

The individual has been identified as “Manan Brahui (Barahouei)(Nasim Narui), approximately 50 years old, married, a resident of Zabol.”

According to this report, Mr. Brahui was arrested in 2019 on drug-related charges and was subsequently sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Yazd. On Tuesday, he was transferred to the quarantine section of Yazd Prison to await the execution of his sentence.

As of the time of this report, the execution of this prisoner has not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

The reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists for the year 2023 reveal a concerning prevalence of executions for drug offenses in Iran, constituting 56.4% of the total executions. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

Eight Prisoners Executed in Yazd and Adelabad Prisons

Posted on by . .
Executions, News
Abdolraouf Shah-Bakhsh, Adelabad Prison, Ali Salimi, bdolrahman Damani, Heydar Arab, Yazd Prison, Yousef Kazemzadeh

Eight prisoners, previously sentenced to death for murder and drug-related charges, were executed  in Yazd and Adelabad prisons in Shiraz.

Haal Vsh reported that on Monday, August 19, 2024, five prisoners were executed in Yazd Prison. The identities of two of these prisoners, who were sentenced to death in a joint case for drug-related charges, have been reported as “Abdolrahman Damani (Gorgij), 34 years old, married, father of two, and Abdolraouf Shah-Bakhsh (Dahmardeh), 33 years old, married, father of two, both from Zahedan.”
According to the report, another prisoner was executed for drug-related charges, one Afghan national for murder, and one more prisoner for an unspecified charge.

A source familiar with the case stated: “Abdolrahman and Abdolraouf were arrested in a joint case in 2022 at the Khatam checkpoint in Yazd and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.”

Iran Human Rights Organization reporedted execution of three prisoners, previously convicted on drug-related and murder charges, win Adelabad Prison, Shiraz, on August 17.

The identities of these prisoners have been reported as “Heydar Arab, Yousef Kazemzadeh, and Ali Salimi.”

According to the report, “Salimi and Kazemzadeh were transferred from Pir-bano Prison in Shiraz to solitary confinement in Adelabad Prison for the execution. Salimi was arrested about two years ago on charges of transporting over 100 kilograms of heroin. Kazemzadeh was also arrested about four years ago on drug-related charges.”

The report adds: “Heydar Arab, the other executed prisoner, was arrested three years ago for committing murder during a street fight and was later sentenced to death by the judiciary.”

As of the time this report was prepared, the executions have not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

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.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

A Report on the Current Status of Zeynab Jalalian in Yazd Prison in the Seventeenth Year of Imprisonment

Posted on by . .
News, Prisoners
moharebeh, Yazd Prison, Zeinab Jalalian, Zeynab Jalalian, زینب جلالیان

Zeynab Jalalian, a political prisoner, is serving her seventeenth year of a life sentence in Yazd Prison. Despite numerous physical ailments, she has been denied proper medical care and hospital transfer.

In violation of prison rules that dictate housing prisoners according to the nature of their offenses, she has been held in the same ward as those convicted of violent crimes.

Ms. Jalalian suffers from pterygium (an eye disease) as well as kidney and gastrointestinal diseases. Recently, due to pain in her right side, she was transferred to the prison infirmary. She was examined by the prison doctor, but no specialized treatment was provided. This political prisoner requires hospitalization and specialized care, yet the relevant authorities continue to prevent her transfer.

Zeynab Jalalian was arrested in 2008 and in 2009 was sentenced to death for “moharebeh” (enmity against God) due to her membership in opposition groups. Additionally, she received one year in prison for illegal exit from the country. Her death sentence was upheld by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court but was later commuted to life imprisonment.

Ms. Jalalian has reported being subjected to various forms of torture during her detention, including flogging on the soles of her feet, punches to the stomach, head banging against the wall, and threats of sexual assault.

Her physical condition and deprivation of appropriate treatment have raised serious concerns about her health. This situation not only highlights the human rights violations against her but also reveals the alarming conditions of political prisoners in Iran.

Baha’i Citizen Iman Rashidi Remains in Legal Limbo, Detained for Over 140 Days in Yazd Prison

Posted on by . .
News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizen, Iman Rashidi, Yazd Prison

Iman Rashidi, a Baha’i citizen, continues to face a prolonged period of uncertainty as he remains incarcerated in Yazd Prison for over 140 days, according to a source close to Rashidi’s family who spoke to HRANA. Despite the passage of time, authorities have yet to grant him temporary release.

Rashidi’s ordeal began on October 5, 2023, when agents from the Ministry of Intelligence arrested him at his residence in Yazd. The arrest was accompanied by a search of his home, during which the authorities confiscated both his and his wife’s cell phones. Subsequently, Rashidi was transferred from a detention facility to Yazd Prison.

In a concerning development, his latest court hearing in February 2024 proceeded without the presence of his legal representation. Rashidi faces charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “propagating against Islamic Sharia.”

This is not Rashidi’s first encounter with law enforcement, as he has previously experienced arrests and convictions. In February 2018, he was released after serving a sentence. The ongoing legal limbo raises concerns about due process and fairness of his current detention.

Baha’is are subjected to violations of their religious rights, comprising 82% of reports on infringements against religious minorities, according to HRA’s 2023 annual report.

The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both 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.

 

 

Political Prisoner Zeynab Jalalian Denied Vital Medical Care, Faces Risk of Blindness

Posted on by . .
News
HRANA, Yazd Prison, Zeynab Jalalian

Zeynab Jalalian, a political prisoner, is currently enduring her sixteenth year of a life sentence at Yazd Prison, where she is housed alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes. Despite grappling with health issues, she continues to be deprived of proper medical attention within the prison.

A credible source disclosed to HRANA that due to pterygium, Jalalian’s eyesight has significantly deteriorated. Information from additional sources further affirms that she is now at a heightened risk of blindness. Additionally, she is suffering from kidney and digestive diseases, yet she remains without adequate medical care.

Jalalian is confined to a ward with inmates convicted of violent crimes, and her location in an exiled city results in infrequent family visits.

In 2007, Iranian intelligence arrested Zeynab Jalalian, leading to a death sentence by the Revolutionary Court on charges of “enmity against God through membership in an anti-regime group” and an additional year for illegal departure from the country. The sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment on appeal.

Throughout her detention, Jalalian has undertaken hunger strikes on multiple occasions. She has endured torture, including flogging on her feet, physical beatings, and threats of sexual violence. The denial of essential medical care adds to the urgent concerns for her well-being.

Update on Zeynab Jalalian’s Condition in Yazd Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
enmity against God, life imprisonment, Yazd Prison, Zeynab Jalalian

Political prisoner Zeynab Jalalian is spending the fifteenth year of her life sentence in exile, in Yazd Prison. During this period, she did not have any furlough and was denied medical treatment despite suffering from several diseases.

An informed source told HRANA, “despite the recommendation of physicians, prison officials refuse to dispatch  Jalalian to a hospital outside the prison and her treatment is restricted to non-specialist examinations in the infirmary.”

Zeynab Jalalian is held in a ward of inmates convicted of violent crimes. Due to the fact that she is kept in an exiled city, she rarely receives family visits.

In 2007, Zeynab Jalalian was arrested by an Iranian intelligence agency. Subsequently, the Revolutionary Court sentenced her to death on the charge of “enmity against God through membership in an anti-regime group.” The verdict was commuted to life imprisonment on appeal.

Zeynab Jalalian went on hunger strike several times. During the detention, she was tortured,  beaten, and received rape threats. 

Baha’i Citizen Amin Zolfaghari Imprisoned in Yazd Prison 

Posted on by A MN
News, Religious Minorities
Amin Zolfaghari, Baha'i citizen, Hiwa Mehdi-Abadi, Mahbooneh Misaghian, Mitra Amir-Abadi, Yazd, Yazd Prison

On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, Baha’i citizen Amin Zolfaghari was transferred to Yazd Prison to serve his eight-months sentence. Earlier, Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Yazd had sentenced Zolfaghari to three years and four months term. On Appeal, this sentence was reduced to 8 months.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, Baha’i citizen Amin Zolfaghari was sent to Yazd Prison to serve his sentence.

On May 21, 2020, the Ministry of Intelligence agents arrested Zolfaghari at his house in Yazd and transferred him to prison. On June 23, 2020, he was released on bail.  

Subsequently, Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Yazd sentenced Zolfaghari and three other defendants, Mitra Amir-Abadi, Hiwa Mehdi-Abadi and Mahbooneh Misaghian, to 2 years and eight months in prison on the charge of “membership in anti-regime groups” and eight months on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

The sentences against all four defendants were reduced to eight months during the appeal process.

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.