Tag: Zahra Kazemi

HRA Highlights Sixty-Nine Dual and Foreign Nationals Detained by Iran From 2003 to Present 

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Abbas Adalat, Abdolrasoul Dori Esfahani, Afarin Nisari, Afshin Shafei, Ahmad Reza Jalali, Akbar Lakestani, Amir Mirza Hekmati, Anousheh Ashury, aras amiri, Australian, Bahareh Amidi, Baqer Namazi, Benjamin Breyer, Canadian Residence, Chinese-American, Clotilde Rees, Croatian-Swedish, Death in prison, Disappeared, Donald Klein, Emad Sharghi, Fariba Adelkhah, Farzad Khosravi Rudsari, French, French Residence, German-American, Habib Asiud, Haleh Esfandiari, Hamid Ghasemi Shal, Hassan Rastegari Majd, Homa Hodfar, Hossein Derakhshan, Iranian - British, Iranian - English, Iranian - Swedish, Iranian-American, Iranian-Canadian, Iranian-Dutch, Iranian-French, Iranian-German, Iranian-Norwegian, Israel, Jamshid Sharmahd, Jason Rezaian, Josh Fattal, Kamil Ahmadi, Kamran Ghaderi, Karen Vafadari, Kavous SeyeD-eMAMI, Kian Tajbakhsh, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, Lebanese-American, Masoud Karami, Matthew Troitic, Maziar Bahari, Meymant Hosseini Chavoshi, Michael White, Morad Tahabaz, Mostafa Azizi, Murder in prison, Nahid Taghavi, Nazanin Zaghari Ratklif, Neli Erin, Nizar Zaka, Nusratullah Khosravi Rudsari, Reza Eslami, Reza Shahini, Robert Levinson, Robin Shahini, Roxana Saberi, Roya Saberi Nejad Nobakht, Ruhollah Zam, Saeed Abedini, Saeed Malekpour, Sania Bobnehovich, Sara Shourd, Shin Bauer, Siamak Namazi, Slovakia, Spy, Stephanie Larbieh, Tavakoli, Turkish citizen, Yulia Yuzik, Zahra Kazemi, Zi Yu Wang

HRANA – HRA has compiled a list of sixty-nine dual and foreign nationals detained by Iran since 2003. The list illustrates a deeply flawed judiciary plagued with the ongoing use of arbitrary detention fueled by an extraordinary lack of due process. It is noteworthy that in recent years a number of these arrests have been made by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is overwhelmingly clear that Iran continues to use dual and foreign nationals as political bargaining chips, often charging individuals in connection with espionage and citing national security concerns—with an alarming lack of evidence. HRA has documented extensive evidence of unfair trials, often conducted in a language the accused does not understand, with the denial of legal counsel, disproportionate sentencing, prolonged solitary confinement, and interrogations marred with torture leading to forced and sometimes televised confessions. The list goes on. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has commented on Iran’s trend of detaining dual nationals confirming that a number of those detained were targeted based on their “nationality or social origin”. 

The detention of dual and foreign nationals is seemingly targeted and systematic and it must be widely condemned. Iran cannot be allowed to use human beings as players in its political chessboard. Despite the foreign ministries’ November 2021 guarantee vowing the safety of dual nationals traveling to Iran, the continued practice and failure to release those currently detained sends a starkly opposite message to Iranians that enjoy dual nationality. A message that it is not safe to return to Iran without a well-founded fear of detention. There is no secret that Iran views dual nationals in this way. The case of Nazanin Zarcari Radcliffe is an unfortunate example of just how serious Iran takes the game. They view Nazanin as ransom for a four-hundred million pound debt owed by the United Kingdom daring back to a 1979 arms deal. It has become clear that Nazanin’s freedom hinges on the payment of said funds. She is not alone. There must be sustained international pressure to release Nazanin and all dual and foreign nationals currently detained by Iran. It’s a dangerous game when politics become more important than the very lives politicians were elected to serve. 

In a letter written from prison, currently detained dual national, Siamak Namazi said Iran’s continued use of hostage diplomacy was like “sprinkl[ing] salt on the wound of distrust.” This is surely a shared sentiment in numerous diplomatic circles attempting to tackle the issue.  

The following list documents sixty-nine dual and foreign nationals detained by Iran from 2003 to the present day. A number of those detained were released prior to the completion of their sentence–illustrating the arbitrariness of the practice. Some were never fortunate enough to return home and ultimately faced execution at the hands of their abductors. While several have been released a number still await a strategic move on the chessboard that has, unfortunately, become their reality. American, British, and Canadian citizens account for the highest number of detentions among dual nationals–the highest number of detentions occurring in 2016. It is worth noting that the actual number of detentions may be higher than reported. Dual national detentions significantly outnumber that of foreign nationals reaffirming the widespread distrust in Iran’s commitment to the safety of dual nationals wishing to “return home”.

(*) denotes the individual remains imprisoned in Iran or otherwise has been denied the ability to return home.

1. Zahra “Ziba” Kazemi-Ahmadabadi

Date of Arrest: June 24, 2003
Date of Release: Killed by Iranian officials following her arrest
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Photographing restricted areas
Conviction: N/A

 

2. Stephane Lherbier

Date of Arrest: November 6, 2005
Date of Release: January 2007
Nationality: French
Charges: Unknown
Conviction:Unknown

 

3. Donald Klein

Date of Arrest:  November 6, 2005
Date of Release: January, 2007
Nationality: German
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 

4. Robert Alan Levinson

Date of Arrest: March 2007
Date of Release: Disappeared on March 9, 2007 on Kish Island, Iran
Nationality: American
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 

5. Haleh Esfandiari

Date of Arrest: May 8, 2007
Date of Release: August 21, 2007
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges:  Acting against national security and acting to overthrow the regime
Conviction: Unknown

 

6. Hamid Ghasemi Shal

Date of Arrest: 2008
Date of Release: October 2013
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Espionage. In retrial, the charge was changed to assembly and collusion against national security
Conviction: Initially sentenced to death. Later, the verdict was reduced to 5 years imprisonment

7. Saeed Malekpour

Date of Arrest: October 2008
Date of Release: Released from prison before the end of his sentence
Nationality: Iranian-Resident of Canada
Charges: Cybercrime (Pornography)
Conviction: Life imprisonment

 

8. Hossein Derakhshan

Date of Arrest: November 1, 2008
Date of Release: November 19, 2015
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Collaboration with hostile countries, propaganda against the regime, advocating for anti-regime groups, blasphemy, setting up and directing websites with obscene content.
Conviction: 19 years and 6 months imprisonment, five year prohibition from membership and activity on social media

9. Roxana Saberi

Date of Arrest: January 31, 2009
Date of Release: May 11, 2009
Nationality: American
Charges: Espionage and gathering confidential and classified documents
Conviction: 2 years suspended imprisonment

 

10. Maziar Bahari

Date of Arrest: June 1, 2009
Date of Release: October 13, 2009 
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Assembly and collusion to act against national security, gathering and holding confidential and classified documents, propaganda against the regime, offensive statements against the Supreme Leader of Iran and the President, disturbing public order
Conviction: 13 years and six month imprisonment and 74 lashes

* 11. Fariba Adelkhah

Date of arrest: June 6, 2009
Date of release: Unknown
Citizenship: Iranian-French
Charges: Propaganda against the regime and collusion against national security
Sentence: 6 years and 6 months imprisonment

 

12. Clotilde Reiss

Date of Arrest: July 1, 2009
Date of Release: August 2009
Nationality: French
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 5 years imprisonment, later changed to a fine when she left Iran on May 16, 2016

 

13. Kian Tajbakhsh

Date of Arrest: July 2009
Date of Release: March 13, 2010
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: 5 years imprisonment

 

14. Sarah Shourd

Date of Arrest: July 30, 2009
Date of Release: September 14, 2010
Nationality: American
Charges: Illegally entering the country and espionage
Conviction: Released on bail. She left Iran after her release.

 

15. Vahik Abramian

Date of Arrest: February 20, 2010
Date of Release: March 2011
Nationality: Iranian-Dutch
Charges: Preaching Christian beliefs
Conviction: One year in prison. He returned to the Netherlands after release.

 

16. Shane Bauer

Date of Arrest: September 14, 2010
Date of Release: December 27, 2011
Nationality: American
Charges: Illegally entering the country and espionage
Conviction: 8 years imprisonment

 

17. Josh Fattal

Date of Arrest: September 14, 2010
Date of Release: December 27, 2011
Nationality: American
Charges: Illegally entering the country and espionage
Conviction: 8 years imprisonment

 

18. Amir Mirza Hekmati

Date of Arrest: December 7, 2011
Date of Release: January 2016
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: Initially sentenced to death, later reduced to 10 years imprisonment. He was released through a prisoner swap with the U.S. Government

19. Masoud Karami

Date of Arrest: February 14, 2012
Date of Release: Unknown
Nationality: Iranian-Norwegian
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 

20. Saeed Abedini

Date of Arrest: September 2012
Date of Release: Mid-January 2016
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Holding underground church services with the purpose of acting against national security
Conviction: 8 years in prison

 

21. Afshin Shafei

Date of Arrest: December 16, 2012
Date of Release: January 2013
Nationality: Iranian-Norwegian
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Released on bail and left the country

 

22. Roya Saberi Nejad Nikbakht

Date of Arrest: September 28, 2013
Date of Release: Unknown
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: Blasphemy and offensive statements against the heads of three branches of government.
Conviction: 4 years imprisonment

 

23-30. Seven Unidentified Slovak Citizens

Date of Arrest: July 2013
Date of Release: September 2013
Nationality: Slovak
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: Unknown

 

31. Jason Rezaian 

Date of Arrest: July 22, 2014
Date of Release: January 2016
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Espionage and acting against national security
Conviction: Released though a prisoner swap. In return, the U.S. government released three Iranian prisoners.

* 32. Hasan Rastegari Majd

Date of Arrest: October 27, 2014
Date of Release: Imprisoned in Urmia Prison
Nationality: Iranian-Turkish
Charges: In the first case, “propaganda against the regime through collaboration with an anti-regime group”. In the second case, “offensive statements and propaganda against the regime”. In the third case, “causing unrest in prison and clashing with prison guards”.
Conviction: 15 years imprisonment and revocation of Iranian citizenship for his first case. 2 years imprisonment for the second case and one year for the third.

33. Nosratollah (Farzad) Khosravi-Roodsari

Date of Arrest: 2014
Date of Release: January, 2016
Nationality: Iranian- American
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Released through a prisoner swap with the U.S. Government.

 

34. Mostafa Azizi

Date of Arrest: February 1, 2015
Date of Release: April, 2016
Nationality: Iranian-Resident of Canada
Charges: Assembly and collusion against national security, propaganda against the regime, offensive statements against the Supreme Leader of Iran.
Conviction: 3 years and a fine

35. Nizar Zakka

Date of Arrest: 2015
Date of Release: June 11, 2019
Nationality: Lebanese citizen, US resident
Charges: Espionage and collaboration with hostile countries
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment and a fine of 4.2 million dollars

* 36. Siamak Namazi

Date of arrest: October 2015
Date of release: N/A
Citizenship: Iranian-American
Charges: Collaborating with a hostile government (U.S.A.)
Sentence: 10 years imprisonment

 

37. Matthew Trevithick

Date of Arrest: December 8, 2015
Date of Release: January 2016
Nationality: American
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: Unknown

 

38. Sanya Bobnevich

Date of Arrest: December 13, 2015
Date of Release: January 2016
Nationality: Croatian-Swedish
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Released on bail

 

39. Kamran Ghaderi

Date of arrest: December 2015
Date of release: N/A
Citizenship: Iranian-Austrian
Charges: Espionage
Sentence: 10 years imprisonment

 

* 40. Bagher Namazi

Date of Arrest: March 2016
Date of Release: Spring 2019. Released due to need for medical treatment.
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Collaboration with a hostile country (U.S.A.)
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment

 

* 41. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Date of Arrest: April, 2016
Date of Release: First case, March 2021. Second case, pending removal of travel ban restrictions.
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: First case, Collusion against the State. Second case, Propaganda against the regime.
Conviction: First case, 5 years imprisonment. Second case, 1-year imprisonment and 1-year travel ban

* 42. Ahmadreza Jalali

Date of Arrest: April 2016
Date of Release: N/A
Nationality: Iranian-Swedish
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: Executed

 

43. Homa Hoodfar

Date of Arrest: June 6, 2016
Date of Release: October 2016
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 

44. Reza (Rabin) Shahini 

Date of Arrest: July 15, 2016
Date of Release: April 2017
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Collaboration with Voice of America news channel (VOA) and appearance in their TV programs, propaganda against the regime in favor of anti-regime groups, membership in anti-regime groups such as the proponents of the re-establishing the monarchy in Iran, instigating people to disturb national security and offensive statements against former and current Supreme Leader of Iran.
Conviction: 18 years imprisonment, of which 9 years is enforceable. He was released on bail of 200 million tomans.

45. Afarin Neysari

Date of Arrest: July 20, 2016
Date of Release: Mid-July, 2018
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 16 years imprisonment. Released on bail of 40 billion tomans

 

46. Karan Vafadari

Date of Arrest: July 20, 2016
Date of Release: Mid-July, 2018
Nationality: Iranian- American
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 27 years imprisonment. Released on bail of 40 billion tomans

 

47. Xiyue Wang 

Date of Arrest: Summer 2016
Date of Release: November 2019
Nationality: Chinese-American
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment. Released through a prisoner swap with the U.S. government in exchange for an Iranian Prisoner.

 

48. Abdolrasoul Dorri-Esfahani

Date of Arrest: August, 2016
Date of Release: Unknown
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Espionage and collaboration with the British Intelligence Service
Conviction: 5 years imprisonment

 

49. Anoosheh Ashoori

Date of Arrest: 2017
Date of Release: N/A
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: Spying for Israel and acquisition of illegitimate property
Conviction: 12 years imprisonment and fine of 33 thousand euros

 

* 50. Morad Tahbaz

Date of Arrest: January 24, 2018
Date of Release: Jailed in Evin Prison
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment

 

51. Kavous Seyed-Emami

Date of Arrest: January 2018
Date of Release: Died in prison
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: Unknown

 

52. Aras Amiri

Date of Arrest: March 2018
Date of Release: July 2021
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment

 

53. Bahareh Amidi (Wife of Emad Sharghi)

Date of Arrest: April 4, 2018
Date of Release: 2018 (likely shortly after arrest)
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 

54. Abbas Edalat

Date of Arrest: April 15, 2018
Date of Release: January, 2019
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 

55. Michael White

Date of Arrest: July 1, 2018
Date of Release: June 4, 2020
Nationality: American
Charges: Offensive statements against the Supreme Leader of Iran and doxing.
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment

 

56. Kylie Moore Gilbert

Date of Arrest: Fall 2018
Date of Release: November 25, 2020
Nationality: Australian-British
Charges: Acting against national security
Conviction: 10 years imprisonment

 

57. Nelly Erin-Cambervelle

Date of Arrest: October 21, 2018
Date of Release: February 24, 2019
Nationality: French
Charges: Allegedly signing an illegal mining contract
Conviction: Unknown

 

 

58. Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi

Date of Arrest: November, 2018
Date of Release: January, 2019
Nationality: Iranian-Australian
Charges: Collaboration with foreign countries, assembly and collusion against national security through conducting research on the decrease in birth rate
Conviction: 5 years imprisonment

59. Kamil Ahmadi

Date of Arrest: August 11, 2019
Date of Release: November 18, 2019
Nationality: Iranian-British
Charges: Acquisition of illegal wealth through collaboration with institutions hostile to the regime.
Conviction: 9 years imprisonment and a fine of 600,000 euros

 

60. Akbar Lakestani

Date of Arrest: September 28, 2019
Date of Release: November 13, 2019
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Propaganda against the regime
Conviction: Released on bail. He left the country after his release.

 

61. Ruhollah Zam

Date of Arrest: October 2019
Date of Release: Executed
Nationality: Iranian-Resident of France
Charges: Spreading corruption on earth, launching and managing the Telegram channel “Amadnews” and “Sedaye Mardom” to disturb national security, spying for Israel and another country in the region, spying for the French intelligence service, collaborating with the U.S. government, assembly and collusion to act against national security, propaganda against the regime, membership in news outlet “Saham News” to with intent to disturb national security, instigating people, gathering classified information, spreading lies, Instigating military forces of the regime to revolt and disobey, blasphemy, and acquisition of illegal properties
Conviction: Death penalty

 

* 62. Yulia Yuzik

Date of Arrest: October 3, 2019
Date of Release: October 10, 2019
Nationality: Russian
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: Detained for one week. Left Iran immediately following her release.

 

* 63. Benjamin Briere

Date of Arrest: May 2020
Date of Release: N/A
Nationality: French
Charges: Espionage and propaganda against the regime
Conviction: 8 years imprisonment

 

* 64. Reza Eslami

Date of Arrest: May 10, 2020
Date of Release: Imprisoned
Nationality: Iranian-Canadian
Charges: Collaboration with hostile countries (U.S.A.) against the Islamic Republic of Iran through participation in educational courses about the Rule of Law in Czech Republic.
Conviction: 7 years imprisonment, prohibited from teaching and leaving the country.

* 65. Jamshid Sharmahd

Date of Arrest: August 2020
Date of Release: Unknown
Nationality: Iranian-German
Charges: Unknown
Conviction: Unknown

 

* 66. Nahid Taghavi

Date of Arrest: October 16, 2020
Date of Release: N/A
Nationality: Iranian-German
Charges: Participation in forming unlawful groups and “propaganda against the regime.
Conviction: 10 years and 8 months imprisonment

 

67. Emad Sharghi

Date of Arrest: Fall 2020
Date of Release: N/A
Nationality: Iranian-American
Charges: Espionage and gathering military intelligence
Conviction: 9 years imprisonment and a fine of 600,000 euros

 

68. Tavakoli

Date of Arrest: Unknown
Date of Release: Unknown
Nationality: Dual Nationalities
Charges: Espionage
Conviction: 8 years and 6 months imprisonment

 

* 69. Habib Chaab

Date of Arrest: November 2021
Date of Release: Unknown
Nationality: Iranian-Swedish
Charges: Spreading corruption on earth, leading an anti-regime group, attemptign to sabotage public and private places and planning terrorism operations, destruction of public property
Conviction: Unknown

_________________________

For further inquiries please contact Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) at [email protected]

Mothers of Park Laleh: Human Rights Violations Reaching Record High in Iran

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Abbas Badfar, Abdoul Reza Ghanbari, Abdoullah Momeni, Abdoullah Sarvarian, Abdualfatah Soltani, Abdulreza Rajabi, Abolfasel Aabdini-Nasr, Adnan Hassanpour, Ahmad Daneshpour Moghadam, Ahmad Shaheed, Ahmad Zeydabadi, Akbar Mohammadi, Alburz Ghasemi, Ali Akbar Mohammad Zadeh, Ali Akrami, Ali Malehi, Alihe Eghdamdoost, Amir Hussein Heshmatsaron, Amir Javadifar, Amir Reza Mir Siafi, Anvar Rostami, Arash Saghar, Aziz Mohammadzadeh, Bahareh Hedayat, Behnam Ebrahim Zadeh, Behnam Ganji, Behroz Javid Tehrani, Ebrahim Lotfollahi, Ebrahim Yazdi, Emad Bahavar, Farah Vazehan, Faranak Farid, Fareshteh Shirazi, Farhad Sadeghi, Fatemeh Rahnama, Habibollah Golparipour, Habibollah Latifi, Hadi Afarideh, Hadi Reza Zadhe, Halleh Sohabi, Hamed Rohinejad, Hamid Ghasemi, Hamid Haeri, Hamid Mozani, Hasem Ramzani, Hashem Khastar, Hassan Nahid, Hassan Talehi, Henghameh Shahidi, Heshmatollah Tabarzadi, Heva Botimar, Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi, Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, Hussein Forheideh, Iraj Mohammadi, Issa Saharkhiz, Jafar Panahi, Javad Lari, Jilla Karamzadeh Makvandi, Kamran Mortezahie, Katayon Shahbani, Kaveh Azizpour, Keyvan Samimi Behbahani, Koyar Godarzi, Lila Safe Allahei, Loghman Moradi, Mahbobeh Karami, Mahdieh Golroo, Mahmoud Badavam, Mahnaz Mohammadi, Majid Dori, Majid Tavakoli, Mansoureh Behkish, Maryam Akbari-Monfared, Maryam Majad, Marzihe Vafamehr, Masoud Bastani, Masoud Shafihi, Mehdi Afsharneek, Mehdi Ghiasi, Mehdi Karroubi, Mehdi Mahmoudian, Mir Hussein Mousavi, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, Mohammad Amin Abdoullahi, Mohammad Kamrani, Mohammad Malaki, Mohammad Rajabisani, Mohammad Sadigh Kabodvand, Mohammad Safezadeh, Mohammd Haydari, Mohsen Daneshpour Moghadam, Mohsen Doghmechi, Mohsen Hakimi, Mohsen Mir Damadi, Mohsen Moghadam, Mohsen Rohollahmeni, Mohsen Shahnazdar, Mojtabah Mir Tahmasab, Mostafa Salimi, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Motahereh Bahrami Haghighi, Motahereh Haghighi, Nahal Sohabi, Narges Mohammadi, Naser Safarian, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Noshin Khadem, other1, Parvin Mokhtareh, Payman Aref, Pegah Ahangarani, Ramin Aghazadeh Ghahramani, Ramin Parchami, Rashid Akhandi, Rasoul Badaghi, Reyaz Sobhani, Roonak Safazadehe, Saied Masouri, Saied Matinpour, Sakina Ashtiani, Saleh Soltanzadeh, Samihe Tohidlo, Sayed Jamal Mohammadi, Sayed Sami Husseini, Shabnam Madadzadeh, Shahnam Bazdar, Shahrokh Zamani, Shirko Maarefi, Shiva Nazar Ahari, Sohrab Solamani, Vahid Mahmoudi, Valiollah Feyz Mahdavi, Yoness Aghayan Mirza, Yosef Nadarkhani, Zahra Bani Yaghoub, Zahra Kazemi, Zahrah Rahnavard, Zainab Bayazdi, Zanyar Moradi, Zeinab Jallalian

The following statement has been released by Mothers of Park Laleh on the International Day Against Death Penalty, October 10, 2011:

The Nobel and Honorable People of Iran:

How can we believe the government when there is so much evidence to the contrary?Since the Islamic Republic of Iran came to power, human rights violations began.Mass killings in Kurdistan, the Cultural Revolution, the dismissal of large numbers of students and professors from universities, the oppression of political parties and the imprisonment of their members, barbaric and violent tortures, the mass executions of prisoners, the continuation of a destructive war with large numbers of fatalities and disabled veterans, the dismissal of bright and intelligent individuals from their places of employment, the Chain Killings in Iran and abroad, orchestrated attacks against dormitories and murdering college students, driving the country’s gifted and talented scientists abroad, opening fire on crowds in the streets, attacking gatherings of women, workers, teachers, students and funeral processions in homes and cemeteries and thousands of other human rights violations which can’t be mentioned here one by one.So what must be done?

No individual or organized voices of dissent are allowed in Iran.Everyone including those with connections to the regime are killed or imprisoned once they dare to express the smallest amount of dissatisfaction.Religious convictions and laws have been turned into an excuse for the officials to get rich.The current situation has reached such dire proportions that even attorneys don’t feel safe to practice their profession because they are accused of serious crimes, pressured by security forces and imprisoned.

Hasn’t the time come to protest widely against these blatant violations of human rights?As mothers to all Iranian children, we, Mothers of Park Laleh, raise our voices against brazen violations of human rights in Iran.

Dr. Ahmad Shaheed and human rights organizations across the globe, be aware that human rights violations have reached a record high in Iran.

To prove this point, we submit the following data representing only the names and information related to a small number of individuals either imprisoned or killed in the last ten years, excluding those officially executed in prisons or gunned down in the streets during the same period of time.We do so with the hopes that everyone is reminded what our obligations are and how a solution must be reached to end this injustice.

Human Rights Organizations and Attorneys:

  • Narges Mohammadi was arrested on June 10, 2010 and sentenced to 11 years in prison.She is currently free on bail.
  • Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested on September 4, 2010, sentenced to 6 years in prison and banned from practicinglaw and leaving the country for 20 years.
  • Mohammad Safezadeh’s current condition is unknown.On April 22, 2011, his family was informed that he was being held in Urmia Central Prison.He has been sentenced to 2 years in prison and banned from practicing law and teaching for 10 years.
  • Mohammad Ali Dadkhah was arrested on June 28, 2009 together with some of his colleagues.He has been sentenced to 9 years in prison and banned from practicing law for 10 years.Additionally, his law business has been closed down.
  • Abdualfatah Soltani was arrested on September 10, 2011 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Masoud Shafihi was the attorney defending American hikers arrested in Iran.On October 2, 2011, he was detained while he was trying to leave the country.Consequently, his passport was seized, and he has been banned from leaving the country.

Women’s Rights Activists:

  • Alihe Eghdamdoost was arrested on January 29, 2009 and sentenced to 3 years in prison.
  • Zainab Bayazdi was arrested on November 15, 2008 and sentenced to 4 years in prison.
  • Mahbobeh Karami was arrested on May 15, 2011 and sentenced to 3 years in prison.
  • Roonak Safazadehe was arrested on October 9, 2007 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.
  • Faranak Farid was arrested n September 3, 2011 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Fareshteh Shirazi was arrested on September 3, 2011 in the city of Amol and is currently in a legal state of limbo.

Supporters of Mourning Mothers:

  • Lila Safe Allahei was arrested on February 8, 2010 and was released on bail after 36 days.She has been sentenced to 4 years in prison and has appealed her conviction.
  • Jilla Karamzadeh Makvandi was arrested on February 8, 2010 and was released on bail after 36 days.She has been sentenced to 4 years in prison and has appealed her conviction.
  • Mansoureh Behkish has been summoned and subsequently arrested by the security forces multiple times.The most recent arrest occurred on June 12, 2011.She was released on bail after 28 days and is currently waiting to appear in the 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court on October 10, 2011.Her passport was confiscated on March 17, 2010 while she was trying to leave the country.Since then, she has been banned from leaving Iran.

Student Activists:

  • Ali Akbar Mohammad Zadeh was arrested on February 14, 2011 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.
  • Majid Tavakoli was arrested on December 7, 2009 and sentenced to 8 ½ years in prison.
  • Majid Dori was arrested on July 9, 2009 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.
  • Mahdieh Golroo was arrested on December 2, 2009 and sentenced to 2 years in prison.
  • Bahareh Hedayat was arrested on December 31, 2010 and sentenced to 9 ½ years in prison.

Labor Activists:

  • Shahrokh Zamani was arrested on June 7, 2011 and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
  • Behnam Ebrahim Zadeh was arrested on June 12, 2010 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.He is currently in a legal state of limbo.

Teacher Activists:

  • Rasoul Badaghi was arrested on September 2, 2009 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.He has been banned from participating in any form of social activism for a period of 5 years.
  • Hashem Khastar was arrested on June 25, 2009.He was transferred to Ward 102 in Vakilabad Prison in the city of Mashhad on May 23, 2011.This ward is where inmates who are on death row are kept.Eventually, he was released on September 10, 2011.

Human Rights Activists, Journalists, Bloggers, Writers and Translators:

  • Heshmatollah Tabarzadi was arrested on December 28, 2010 and sentenced to 9 years in prison and 74 lashes.
  • Henghameh Shahidi was arrested on February 25, 2011 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.Since May 2011, she has been given furlough to seek medical care.
  • Issa Saharkhiz was arrested on July 3, 2009 and sentenced to 3 years in prison.He has been banned from journalism and other forms of media related activities for a period of 5 years.
  • Saied Matinpour was arrested on July 1, 2009 and sentenced to 8 years in prison.
  • Abolfasel Aabdini-Nasr was arrested on May 3, 2011 and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
  • Keyvan Samimi Behbahani was arrested on June 13, 2009 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.He has been banned from participating in any form of social activism for a period of 15 years.
  • Masoud Bastani was arrested on July 5, 2009 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.
  • Adnan Hassanpour was arrested in November 2006 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
  • Heva Botimar was arrested in November 2006 and sentenced to 8 years in prison.
  • Arash Saghar was arrested on November 22, 2009 and sentenced to 5 years in prison.
  • Mohammad Sadigh Kabodvand was arrested on August 1, 2007 and sentenced to 10 ½ years in prison.
  • Hossein Ronaghi Maleki was arrested on December 13, 2009 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
  • Mehdi Mahmoudian was arrested on September 16, 2009 and sentenced to 5 years in prison.He has also been banned from journalism.
  • Hamid Mozani was arrested on September 27, 2011 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Ali Malehi was arrested on February 9, 2010 and sentenced to 4 years in prison.
  • Shiva Nazar Ahari was arrested on December 20, 2009 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Koyar Godarzi was arrested on December 20, 2009 for the first time and sentenced to one year in prison.He was again arrested on July 31, 2011 together with his mother, Parvin Mokhtareh.They are both currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Ali Akrami was arrested on October 5, 2011 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Mehdi Afsharneek was arrested on October 5, 2011 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Mohammd Haydari was arrested on October 5, 2011 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.

Clergy Opposing the Regime:

  • Ayatollah Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi was arrested on October 8, 2006 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.Additionally, all of his property has been seized.

The Office of Strengthening Unity (Advare Tahkim-e Vahdat):

  • Ahmad Zeydabadi was arrested on June 13, 2009 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.He has been exiled to Gonabad for 5 years.
  • Shabnam Madadzadeh was arrested on February 20, 2009 and sentenced to 5 years in prison.She has been exiled to serve her prison term in Rajai-Shahr Prison.
  • Abdoullah Momeni was arrested on June 21, 2009 and sentenced to 4 years and 11 months in prison.

Artists:

  • Jafar Panahi was arrested on March 2, 2010 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.He has also been banned from making films, writing movie scripts, leaving the country and conducting interviews with any sorts of media inside and outside the country for a period of 20 years.On May 25, 2010, he was released on bail.
  • Hadi Afarideh was arrested on September 17, 2011.
  • Shahnam Bazdar was arrested on September 17, 2011.
  • Naser Safarian was arrested on September 167, 2011.
  • Mohsen Shahnazdar was arrested on September 17, 2011.
  • Mojtabah Mir Tahmasab was arrested on September 17, 2011.
  • Katayon Shahbani was arrested on September 17, 2011.
  • Ramin Parchami is a performer in the cinema and theater. He was arrested on February 14, 2011 and sentenced to 1 year in prison.
  • Pegah Ahangarani is an actress arrested on July 10, 2011.She was released on bail after 17 days.
  • Mahnaz Mohammadi is a documentary film maker and women’s rights activist. She was arrested on June 26, 2011 and released on bail after 1 month.
  • Maryam Majad is a photographer arrested on June 17, 2011 and released on bail after 1 month.
  • Marzihe Vafamehr was arrested in June 2011 and sentenced to 1 year in prison and 90 lashes.

Political Activists:

  • Saied Masouri was arrested in December 2000 and sentenced to life in prison.
  • Hamid Haeri was arrested on December 6, 2009 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
  • Abbas Badfar was arrested in 2009 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
  • Hamed Rohinejad is a college student arrested on May 4, 2009 and was sentenced to death by the lower court.The Appeals Court reduced his sentence to 10 years in prison.He suffers from asthma and has difficulty seeing and hearing.
  • Maryam Akbari Monfared was arrested on December 31, 2009 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.She has been serving her term in Rajai-Shahr Prison.

Individuals Initially Sentenced to Death for Unknown Charges:

  • Farah Vazehan was arrested on December 29, 2009 and sentenced to 17 years in prison.
  • Fatemeh Rahnama was arrested on July 29, 2009 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
  • Iraj Mohammadi was arrested in 2007 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
  • Abdoul Reza Ghanbari is Sakina Ashtiani’s husband arrested on January 4, 2010.His current condition is unknown.

Religious Monitories:

  • Mahmoud Badavam was arrested on May 22, 2010 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Kamran Mortezahie was arrested on May 22, 2010 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Noshin Khadem was arrested on May 22, 2010 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Vahid Mahmoudi was arrested on May 22, 2010 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Farhad Sadeghi was arrested on May 22, 2010 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Reyaz Sobhani was arrested on June 15, 2011 and is currently in a legal state of limbo.
  • Yosef Nadarkhani was arrested on October 12, 2009 and sentenced to death on charges of apostasy and propaganda for Christianity.

The Movement to Free Iran (Nehzat-e Azadi-e Iran):

  • Ebrahim Yazdi was arrested for the first time on December 28, 2009 and then for the second time on October 1, 2010.He was released on March 20, 2011.
  • Emad Bahavar was arrested on March 13, 2010 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.He has been banned from any type of media related activities for a period of 10 years.
  • Mohsen Hakimi was arrested on October 5, 2011.

Religious Activists:

  • Mohammad Malaki was first arrested on July 3, 1981 and spent 5 years in prison.After he was released, he was banned from leaving the country.Since then, he has been arrested a number of times.His last arrest was on August 21, 2009.He was subsequently released on March 1, 2010.

The Participation Front of Islamic Iran (Jebheye Mosharekate Iran-e Eslami) and the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization:

  • Mohsen Mir Damadi was arrested on June 20, 2009 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.He has been banned from all sorts of political and media related activities for a period of 10 years.
  • Mostafa Tajzadeh was arrested on June 13, 2009 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.He has been banned from political activities for a period of 10 years.

Opposition Figures within the Government:

  • Zahrah Rahnavard has been on house arrest since February 2011.
  • Mir Hussein Mousavi has been on house arrest since February 2011.
  • Mehdi Karroubi has been on house arrest since February 2011.

Rapes:

Reports of rapes in prisons of Iran are not isolated phenomena occurring only recently.In the years immediately following the Revolution, virgin girls under the age of eighteen were first raped before being executed in order to deny them entry into the heaven.After the presidential election in 2009, a number of inmates also alleged to have been raped in prisons of Iran.Witnesses are available and may be interviewed.However, we will not mention their names here.

Tortures and Flogging:

  • Behroz Javid Tehrani was arrested for the first time on July 9, 1999 and released in March 2004.He was arrested again on May 25, 2005 and sentenced to 4 years in prison and 74 lashes.He was flogged on November 10, 2010.
  • Samihe Tohidlo is a sociology PhD student arrested on June 14, 2009 and sentenced to one year in prison and 50 lashes.She then received clemency and was released on bail after 70 days.She was flogged in shackles on September 14, 2009 in Evin Prison.
  • Payman Aref is a student activist and journalist arrested on February 10, 2011.He was sentenced to one year in prison and 74 lashes and banned for life from journalism.He was released on October 9, 2011 after being flogged.

Suspicious Murders Inside and Outside Prisons:

  • Zahra Kazemi was an Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer arrested on June 23, 2003 in front of Evin Prison.She was killed on July 16, 2003.
  • Zahra Bani Yaghoub was a physician arrested in a park on October 12, 2007 and taken to a detention center in the city of Hamadan.After 48 hours, her family was notified of her death.
  • Amir Javadifar was arrested after 2009 presidential elections and killed while locked up in Kahrizak Prison.
  • Mohammad Kamrani was arrested after 2009 presidential elections and killed while locked up in Kahrizak Prison.
  • Mohsen Rohollahmeni was arrested after 2009 presidential elections and killed while locked up in Kahrizak Prison.
  • Ramin Aghazadeh Ghahramani was arrested after 2009 presidential elections and killed while locked up in Kahrizak Prison.
  • Halleh Sohabi was a religious activist arrested in 2009 and sentenced to 2 years in prison.She was on furlough to attend her father’s funeral when she was killed on June 1, 2011.

Death or Suicide of Prisoners Tortured or Placed Under Duress:

  • Alburz Ghasemi was a member of Iran’s armed forces serving in the navy. He died on December 22, 2010 after being denied medical care and furlough when he was in critical condition.
  • Akbar Mohammadi was a political activist. He died in prison on July 30, 2006, and his body was transferred to the medical examiner’s office.Sohrab Solamani, the Chief Warden of prisons in Tehran Province, announced Akbar Mohammadi’s death on July 31, 2006 and claimed that he was on hunger strike.
  • Valiollah Feyz Mahdavi was arrested in October 2001. Evin Prison officials announced his death on September 6, 2006 and claimed that this prisoner hanged himself in his cell and died after he was transferred to the prison’s medical clinic.
  • Ebrahim Lotfollahi was a student activist arrested in Sanandaj on January 6, 2008.Nine days later, the authorities informed his family that he had committed suicide while he was locked up in the Intelligence Agency’s detention center in the city of Sanandaj.The family was also told that his body had already been buried in Sanandaj’s cemetery.
  • Amir Hussein Heshmatsaron was arrested in 2004 and sentenced to 16 years in prison with 8 years suspended.He was the founder of a political party called National United Front of Iran.After 4 years, he died suspiciously in Gohardasht Prison on March 6, 2009.
  • Amir Reza Mir Siafi was a blogger arrested for the first time on April 22, 2008 for insulating the Supreme Leader of Iran in his blog titled “the Reporter.”After 41 days, he was released on bail approximately equivalent to $9,500.In October 2008, the 25th branch of the Revolutionary Court sentenced him to 2 ½ years in prison.On March 18, 2009, Iranian government officials announced his death while he was behind bars in Evin Prison.
  • Mohsen Doghmechi was arrested on Monday, September 7, 2009 and locked up in Ward 209 in Evin Prison.On March 28, 2011, prison officials announced his death.He was 53 years old.
  • Hassan Nahid was a telecommunications engineer arrested in 2004 for revealing classified documents.He was sentenced to 3 years in prison and fined approximately $87,000.In March 2011, Evin prison officials announced his death while he was locked up in Ward 350.
  • Abdulreza Rajabi was a political activist arrested in 2001 and charged with membership in the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI).During his arrest, he was injured by a grenade fragment.Initially, he was sentenced to death, but then this verdict was reduced to life in prison.He spent his prison term in Diesel Abad Prison in Kermansha and also wards 350 and 8 in Evin.On October 28, 2008, after he was transferred from Evin to Gohardasht Prison, his death was announced on the same night.
  • Kaveh Azizpour was a Kurdish political activist arrested in 2006 in the city of Mahabad.He was sentenced to 3 years in prison on charges of helping the opposition groups.In April 2008, he was transferred to the Urmia Hospital and spent 20 days in coma after which he died on May 16, 2008.
  • Hasem Ramzani was a Kurdish citizen arrested in December 2008 in Urmia.After four days, his family was informed that he had committed suicide, and his body could be picked up from the Intelligence Agency’s office in Urmia.
  • Mohammad Rajabisani was arrested on September 29, 2004 after a fight with two other individuals and locked up in Ghezel Hesar Prison.After a few days, he was transferred to a hospital in Rajai-Shahr and subsequently suffered brain death.
  • Hadi Reza Zadhe Saber was a religious activist, journalist and translator arrested in 2000.He was sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison and banned from any form of social activism for 10 years.To protest Haleh Sohabi’s suspicious death, he went on hunger strike and died on June 11, 2011 in Modares Hospital.

Death or Suicide of Citizens Under Duress:

  • Behnam Ganji was arrested on July 31, 2011 and subsequently released on August 8, 2011.He committed suicide at midnight on Thursday, September 1, 2011.
  • Nahal Sohabi committed suicide on Thursday, September 29, 2011 following Behnam Ganji’s death.
  • On September 24, 2011, frightened by security forces raiding a gathering in the city of Mashhad, a young girl, while trying to escape, fell from the balcony of an apartment building on the sixth floor and died.

Sentenced to Death:

  • Zeinab Jallalian is a Kurdish activist arrested in 2007.
  • Habibollah Golparipour is a Kurdish activist arrested on April 2, 2010.
  • Anvar Rostami is Kurdish activist arrested in December 2008.
  • Habibollah Latifi is a Kurdish activist arrested on October 23, 2007.
  • Rashid Akhandi is a Kurdish activist arrested in April 2008.
  • Shirko Maarefi is a Kurdish activist arrested on September 30, 2008.
  • Mostafa Salimi is a Kurdish activist arrested in 2003.
  • Sayed Jamal Mohammadi is a Kurdish activist arrested in 2008.
  • Sayed Sami Husseini is a Kurdish activist arrested on June 4, 2008.
  • Aziz Mohammadzadeh is in a legal state of limbo.
  • Abdoullah Sarvarian is in a legal state of limbo.
  • Zanyar Moradi is in a legal state of limbo.
  • Loghman Moradi is in a legal state of limbo.
  • Javad Lari is a political activist arrested on June 15, 2009.
  • Hassan Talehi is a Kurdish activist arrested in 2008.
  • Mohsen Daneshpour Moghadam is Motahereh Bahrami Haghighi’s husband.He was arrested on December 27, 2010.
  • Ahmad Daneshpour Moghadam is the son of Mohsen Moghadam and Motahereh Haghighi.He was arrested on December 27, 2010.
  • Saleh Soltanzadeh is a political activist arrested in 2006.
  • Hussein Forheideh is a Kurdish activist.The date of his arrest is unknown.
  • Hamid Ghasemi’s date of arrest is unknown.
  • Mehdi Ghiasi is a physician and political activist whose date of arrest is unknown.
  • Yoness Aghayan Mirza is a member of a religious minority commonly known as Ahl-e Haqq.He was arrested in 2004.
  • Mohammad Amin Abdoullahi is a Kurdish activist arrested in 2005.
  • Yosef Nadarkhani is a Christian priest arrested on October 12, 2009.

Under such a dire state of affairs and total violations of human rights in the country, Iranian statesmen, while visiting the United Nations, boast about being capable of managing the world as if Iran has turned into a modern and free society where equality rules under their leadership, and now the time has arrived for them to spread democracy, justice and equality to the rest of the world.Perhaps they have forgotten that Iran has been ruined under the reign of Islamic Republic.Let us remind them of the following:

 

  • Iran holds the third highest inflation rate in the world.
  • We are witnessing reports of more embezzlement by government officials every day.
  • Iran holds the first rank amongst the countries of the world in the number of citizens and underage prisoners executed.
  • The number of reported divorces, child abuse, spousal abuse, poverty, prostitution and unemployment has reached an all-time record high.
  • Our natural resources, national treasures and environment such as Lake Urmia, Zayandeh Rood, forests and archaeological sites are being destroyed.
  • We are neither allowed to be happy nor mourn a loss.Citizens are being arrested because of engaging in water sports or a variety of other group activities.Funeral processions and anniversaries in Tehran’s Behesht-Zahra and Khavaran cemeteries are being attacked by security and intelligence agents monitoring these locations around the clock.Furthermore, families of the fallen are harmed and harassed regularly.
  • The number of citizens dying of self-immolation and other forms of suicide, murder, accidents and diseases has reached an all-time record high.Our air, water and food are polluted.
  • It is as if hatred towards human beings is a guiding principle empowering the current regime.During the last 33 years, thousands of Iranian men and women have been executed, killed in the streets, slaughtered in the Iran-Iraq war or murdered in a variety of other ways.Several thousands of individuals suffer from irreparable psychological and mental problems.A large number of gifted and talented young adults have been forced to choose leaving the country while many others are addicted to narcotics.
  • Iranians have no safety whatsoever, and their lives and livelihoods have been threatened now and in the past.In a country where citizens must wait in long lines for months in order to apply for small loans while billions of dollars are embezzled, no one is held responsible to answer why.
  • The officials in the Islamic Republic of Iran claim that holocaust is a myth.We ask whether the killings during the last 33 years have also been a myth.It is possible to claim that these murders have not been less than a holocaust.People in Iran and around the world have reached the conclusion that the time to be patient and tolerant has long ended, and they must stand up against oppression and injustice.Indeed they are standing up proudly; so we wish them success.


On the International Day Against Death Penalty (October 10th), Mothers of Park Laleh demand the abolition of capital punishment and request the following:

 

  • We demand the abolition of capital punishment and the killings of human beings in any way, shape or form.
  • We demand the immediate released of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience without any conditions or exceptions.
  • We demand public and just prosecution and punishment of those responsible for crimes committed by the Islamic Republic of Iran since its inception.

Mothers of Park Laleh
October 10, 2011

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