Prisoner Executed in Sari Prison on Drug-Related Charges

HRANA News Agency – On Thursday, February 27, a prisoner who had previously been sentenced to death on drug-related charges was executed in Sari Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the executed prisoner has been identified as Ali Khalili, a resident of Mashhad.

HRANA has learned that Khalili was arrested in 2020 on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, prison officials and relevant authorities have not publicly announced his execution.

According to data compiled by HRANA, 52.69% of all executions in Iran in 2024 were related to drug-related charges. Notably, only 6% of the executions were officially announced, highlighting a significant lack of transparency. For a detailed analysis of these executions and the associated statistics, see HRANA’s full report.

Traditional Singer Hiwa Seyfizadeh Arrested

HRANA News Agency – On the evening of Thursday, February 27, Hiwa Seyfizadeh, an Iranian traditional music singer, was arrested by security forces while performing at a concert in Tehran and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Seyfizadeh, a singer and traditional music instructor, was detained during her performance at “Roo Be Roo” Hall in Tehran.

As of the time of this report, the reasons for her arrest and any charges against her remain unknown.

Hiwa Seyfizadeh, aged approximately 27 years old, is a traditional singer, music instructor, and tombak (an Iranian goblet drum) player, residing in Tehran.

Five Prisoners Executed in Kermanshah Prison

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Wednesday, February 26, at least five prisoners were executed in Kermanshah Prison. HRANA had previously reported the execution of one of these individuals.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of three of the executed prisoners, who had been sentenced to death on murder charges: Behrooz Safari, Milad Moradi, and Mohammad Fereydouni.

Further details, including the identities of the two other prisoners, who were sentenced to death in separate cases on murder and drug-related charges, are still under investigation by HRANA.

As of the time of this report, prison officials and relevant authorities have not publicly announced these executions.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.

Six Months of Detention Without Trial: Ongoing Uncertainty for Peyman Farah-Avar in Lakan Prison

HRANA News Agency – Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar, a political detainee and poet from Gilan, has been detained for over six months and remains in Lakan Prison in Rasht without a trial or formal charges.

HRANA has learned that more than 180 days have passed since Farah-Avar’s arrest, and he is facing charges including “propaganda against the regime,” “armed rebellion (baghi),” and “enmity against God (moharebeh).” However, his case remains in legal limbo, and no court hearing has been scheduled yet. His detention order has been extended until May 2025.

Farah-Avar was arrested in September 2024 by security forces and, after completing interrogation at the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, was transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht.

Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar is a father to a 10-year-old son and a resident of Rasht. He has been arrested in the past due to his activism.

Mother of Killed Protester Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison

HRANA News Agency – Mina Soltani Zare, the mother of Shahriar Mohammadi, who was killed during the nationwide protests of 2022, has been sentenced by a Bukan court to eight months in prison and paying a fine.

Her son, Milad Mohammadi, announced in a statement that the verdict was verbally communicated to Soltani, sentencing her to eight months in prison and a paying a fine.

According to Kurdpa, the Bukan Criminal Court Branch 101 issued the sentence on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “appearing in public without mandatory hijab.”

Mina Soltani was arrested on August 27, 2024, by security forces in Bukan and was released on bail the following month.

Mina Soltani Zare is the mother of Shahriar Mohammadi, who was killed on November 18, 2022, during nationwide protests in Bukan after being shot.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Number of Executions in Ghezel Hesar Prison Rises to Nine

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on February 26, 2025, at least nine prisoners were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. Among them, five were convicted of murder in separate cases, one was sentenced to death for “enmity against God” (moharebeh) due to his role in an armed robbery, and three were executed on rape charges.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of four of the executed individuals: Mosayeb Azizi, Sajad Eghbali, Bahman Hooshmand (from Hamedan), and Alireza Basati-Nia (from Ilam). All had previously been arrested on murder charges in separate cases and were later sentenced to death.

The fifth executed prisoner, whose identity has not yet been confirmed, had been sentenced to death for moharebeh due to his involvement in armed robbery.

Additionally, the official news outlet Ivna News reported the execution of four other prisoners.

According to the report, one of the executed individuals had killed his neighbor during an altercation in 2022 and was later sentenced to death by the judiciary. He was hanged at dawn on February 26.

The report does not provide further details regarding the three prisoners executed on rape charges.

According to data gathered by the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj witnessed the highest number of executions in 2024. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

Two Prisoners Executed in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan, on Drug-Related Charges

HRANA News Agency – At dawn today, February 27, two prisoners previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges were executed in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan.

HRANA has identified the executed prisoners as Morteza Jafari and Javad Mohammad Khani.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, both individuals had been arrested on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and relevant institutions have not officially announced these executions.

According to data compiled by HRANA, 52.69% of all executions in Iran in 2024 were related to drug-related charges. Notably, only 6% of the executions were officially announced, highlighting a significant lack of transparency. For a detailed analysis of these executions and the associated statistics, see HRANA’s full report.

Four Citizens Arrested by Security Forces in Kamyaran

HRANA News Agency – On Wednesday, February 28, four residents of Kamyaran, Kurdistan Province—Mohammad Mirza Rahmani, Mousa Tabei, Jabar Ebrahimi, and Himan Ebrahimi—were arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to Kurdpa, the identities of the detainees have been confirmed as follows:

  • Mohammad Mirza Rahmani, a Sunni cleric from Loon Sadat village and a resident of Terroriz village.
  • Mousa Tabei, from Loon Kohan village and a resident of Kamyaran.
  • Jabar Ebrahimi, from Takht Zangi village, a married father of three, residing in Kamyaran.
  • Himan Ebrahimi, married, from Kuredareh village and a resident of Kamyaran.

At the time of this report, no details have emerged regarding the reasons for their arrest, their current whereabouts, or the charges against them.

Among the detainees, Mohammad Mirza Rahmani, the Sunni cleric, has previously faced legal convictions due to his activities.

Mohammad Amin Akhlaghi Attempts Suicide in Vakilabad Prison

HRANA News Agency – Mohammad Amin Akhlaghi Savojbolaghi, one of the defendants in the case known as the “Killing of Basij Member Ruhollah Ajamian,” attempted suicide while serving his prison sentence in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad.

His brother announced in a social media post yesterday that following the suicide attempt, Akhlaghi was kept under inadequate medical care for 24 hours. He emphasized that Akhlaghi is in critical physical and mental condition and is unable to withstand further imprisonment.

Akhlaghi was arrested in Karaj during the 2022 nationwide protests in connection with the case involving the death of Ruhollah Ajamian, a Basij member.

In January 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentences of two defendants in this case while overturning the convictions of 14 others, referring their cases to a parallel court for retrial. On January 7, 2023, the death sentences of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini were carried out.

In late August 2023, following the Supreme Court’s approval of his conviction, Akhlaghi was transferred to Mashhad Prison to serve his sentence. Earlier that year, Branch 1 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court had sentenced him to five years in prison.

Previously, the Chief Justice of Alborz Province had announced that the charges against three defendants in this case—Behrad Ali Kenari, Javad Zargaran, and Reza Shaker Zavardeh—had been revised, leading to their inclusion in a general amnesty and subsequent release.

Over 110 Days in Limbo: Mohammad Loveimi’s Case Remains Unclear

HRANA News Agency – Mohammad Loveimi, a political detainee, has been held in uncertainty at Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz for nearly four months since his arrest, with no clear charges or legal proceedings in sight.

A source familiar with his case confirmed to HRANA: “More than 110 days have passed since Mr. Loveimi’s arrest, yet he remains in legal limbo at Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz. There is still no information about the reasons for his detention or the charges against him, and authorities have not allowed his release on bail.”

According to information obtained by HRANA, Mohammad Loveimi was arrested by security forces in November 2024 and transferred to Ward 5 of Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz.

Earlier in 2024, Loveimi had been released from the same prison after completing a nine-month sentence.