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Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Karim Esmaeil-Zadeh Receives Six-Month Imprisonment

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Ethnic Minorities, News
Abdullah Ansari, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Ebrahim Rezaie, Karim Esmaeil Zadeh, Tabriz Prison

The Tabriz Revolutionary Court has sentenced Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Karim Esmaeil Zadeh to six months in prison. Co-defendants Abdullah Ansari and Ebrahim Rezaie have been acquitted of charges in this legal case.

The verdict finds Esmaeil-Zadeh guilty of “inciting people to violence on the Internet,” with the detention period to be subtracted from the overall prison term.

On August 16, 2023, security forces arrested these individuals as they entered a football stadium in Tabriz. Three days later, they were released on bail from Tabriz Prison. Subsequently, Esmaeil-Zadeh was re-arrested on August 27 in Tabriz, only to be released on a second bail from the city’s prison.

Execution of Three Prisoners for Drug Offenses in Isfahan

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Executions, News
Reza Keshavarzi, Saman Mogooye, Shirali Saeedi

Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan has executed three death-row prisoners convicted of drug offenses in separate legal cases, according to the Iran Human Rights Organization.

The executed inmates are identified as Shirali (Shir-Ali) Saeedi (36), Saman Mogooye (31), and Reza Keshavarzi. Reza Keshavarzi faced execution on December 15, while Shirali Saeedi and Saman Mogooye were executed on December 23.

At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have covered these executions. The absence of official information raises concerns about transparency and accountability in the execution process.

These executions bring attention to the controversial issue of capital punishment for drug-related offenses in Iran. According to data compiled by the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, a total of 659 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, representing a 24% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Seven of these executions were conducted publicly. Many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.

 

Supreme Court of Iran Upholds Death Sentence for Reza Rasaei

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Executions, News
diya, Gholamreza Rasaei, HRANA, irgc, Kermanshah province, Nader Beyrami, Reza Rasaei, Reza Rasaie, Sahneh County, Yarsan follower, رضا رسایی

The Supreme Court of Iran has recently affirmed the death sentence for Reza Rasaei (Rasaie), arrested in connection with the 2022 nationwide protests.

In October of this year, Rasaei was condemned to death for his alleged involvement in the killing of Nader Beyrami, the head of IRGC Intelligence, during the protests in Sahneh County, Kermanshah province.

A family member of Rasaei, who spoke to HRANA, confirmed that Judge Barani presided over the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the death sentence. Notably, the court’s ruling appears to have been influenced by a confession obtained under duress during Rasaei’s detention.

In addition to the capital punishment, Rasaei faces other charges, including non-fatal injury, threatening with a knife, and disturbing public order by causing unrest. Initially, he received additional penalties such as Diya (wergild), a year sentence, and 74 lashes.

Rasaei was apprehended on November 24, 2022, by the police and subsequently detained in Sahneh County. Following the completion of the interrogation process, he was transferred to Dizel-Abad prison in Kermanshah.

Several other protesters involved in the November 18, 2022 demonstration are also confronting charges related to their alleged role in the death of the IRGC’s intelligence officer. This protest resulted in the deaths of several protestors at the hands of police and security forces.

Reza (Gholamreza) Rasaei, aged 34, is known as a Yarsan follower and resides in Sahneh County.

Execution of Two Inmates in Khorramabad Prison for Drug-Related Crimes

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Executions, News
Hossein Musivand, Khoda-Karam Lorestani, Khorramabad, Khorramabad Prison, prisoner executed, خرم آباد

On Saturday, December 23, Khorramabad Prison executed two individuals convicted of drug-related offenses, as reported by the Iran Human Rights Organization.

The executed prisoners have been identified as Khoda-Karam Lorestani, aged 50, and Hossein Musivand, known as Papi, aged 40. Both individuals reportedly originate from Borujerd, Lorestan province.

Musivand and Lorestani received death sentences for separate drug-related cases, five and four years ago, respectively. The executions took place amid ongoing concerns surrounding the application of capital punishment for drug offenses.

No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these executions at the time of writing. The lack of official information raises concerns about transparency and accountability in the execution process.

According to data compiled by the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, a total of 659 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, representing a 24% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Seven of these executions were conducted publicly. Many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.

 

Activist Couple Laleh Zari and Ahmad-Khan Beigi Receive Combined 10-Year Prison Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News
ehfar Laleh Zari, Evin Prison, ezvaneh Ahmad-Khan Beigi, Iman Afshari, Qarchak Prison, بهفر لاله زاری, رضوانه احمدخان بیگی

In a recent development, the Tehran Revolutionary Court has handed down a five-year sentence to each of Behfar Laleh Zari and Rezvaneh Ahmad-Khan Beigi, a couple currently held in Evin Prison.

Presiding over the court, Judge Iman Afshari issued this ruling, sentencing each member of the couple to four years for “assembly and collusion against national security” and an additional year for “propaganda against the regime.” If the verdict is upheld on appeal, Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code mandates that the four-year sentence for the first charge will be enforceable.

The arrest of Laleh Zari and Ahmad-Khan Beigi took place at their residence on September 18, 2023. Following seven days of solitary confinement in the detention facility of the Public Security Police, Laleh Zari, a former political prisoner, was transferred to Evin Prison. Meanwhile, Mrs. Ahmad-Khan Beigi was initially detained in Qarchak Prison and later moved to Evin Prison after a few days.

This couple has a history of activism, having faced prior arrests and incarceration. This latest sentencing adds to their ongoing legal challenges in their pursuit of social and political advocacy.

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Executions of Two Inmates Reported in Taybad and Khorramabad Prisons

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Executions, News
Citizen executed, HRA, Khorramabad, Mohammad-Saleh Amini, Razavi Khorasan, Taher Do Abi, Taybad

The Iran Human Rights Organization has reported the execution of two inmates in separate incidents.

Mohammad-Saleh Amini, 35 years old, was executed in Taybad Prison, situated in Razavi Khorasan Province, for his involvement in drug-related crimes, a conviction dating back two years.

Additionally, the organization documented the execution of Taher Do Abi, 43 years old, in Khorramabad Prison, Lorestan province. A resident of Sabzevar and a married father of two, Taher was found guilty of murder three years ago.

No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these executions at the time of writing. The lack of official information raises concerns about transparency and accountability in the execution process.

According to data compiled by the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, a total of 659 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, representing a 24% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Seven of these executions were conducted publicly. Many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.

Three Individuals Detained in Zahedan Without Clear Explanation

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News, Other
Mehdi Shah Bakhsh, Mehrollah Shah Bakhsh, Saeed Shah Bakhsh, Zahedan

On Tuesday, December 19, security forces apprehended Mehrollah Shah Bakhsh (23), Saeed Shah Bakhsh (24), and his brother, Mehdi Shah Bakhsh (22), at their residence in Zahedan. The individuals were taken to an undisclosed location, according to Haal Vsh.

No arrest warrants were presented by the agents during the arrests. As of now, the reasons behind their detention, the location where they are being held, and the charges against them remain unknown.

Civil Rights Advocate Mohammad Abolhassani Faces Imprisonment and Flogging

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News, Prisoners
Choobindar Prison, Evin Prison, Mohammad Abolhassani, Qazvin

Mohammad Abolhassani, a civil rights advocate currently incarcerated in Choobindar Prison, has been handed a sentence of three months and 12 lashes for additional charges incurred during his imprisonment. The prison term has been converted to a monetary fine.

The sentence was imposed on Abolhassani under the allegation of “disturbing public order.”

Presently serving his sentence at Choobindar Prison in Qazvin, Abolhassani is housed among inmates convicted of violent crimes, contrary to prison regulations. Moreover, he has been subjected to limitations when making phone calls, including the mandatory presence of prison guards during these conversations.

In January 2021, Abolhassani while serving his sentence for a previous legal case, was sentenced to 15 months in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court for “propaganda against the regime.” In addition to the prison term, he was assigned four hours of penal labor per day for four months. This ruling was subsequently upheld on appeal.

On January 1, 2022, Abolhassani was transferred to Evin Prison to commence his sentence.
In October 2022, he found himself facing further legal actions, resulting in an additional four-year imprisonment term.
On February 6, 2023, he was violently relocated from Evin Prison to Choobindar Prison in Qazvin.

 

Baha’i Citizen Nafisa Sa’adat Yar Receives Prison Sentence and Social Deprivations

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizen, Golestan, Golestan province, Gorgan, Nafisa Sa'adat, Pouya Amri, نفیسا سعادت یار

The Revolutionary Court in Gorgan, Golestan Province, has sentenced Baha’i citizen Nafisa Saadat Yar to one year of imprisonment and imposed social deprivations.

As of the ruling issued on November 20, 2023, Sa’adat Yar is facing a one-year sentence for “spreading propaganda against the regime” and an additional four years of social deprivations.

Nafisa Sa’adat Yar and her husband, Pouya Amri, were apprehended by security forces in January 2023, later securing their release on a bail of 500 million Tomans (approximately 10,000 Dollars) in August of the same year. Unfortunately, both faced employment termination following pressure from security institutions.

HRANA’s annual report has highlighted a concerning trend where, in 2022, 64.63% of reported human rights violations against religious minorities are directed toward the Baha’i community.

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

Mohammad Maleki Receives Over Ten Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
IRGC intelligence agents, Mohammad Maleki, zanjan

Zanjan resident Mohammad Maleki has been sentenced to ten years and three months by the Zanjan Court of Appeal, with five years of the sentence suspended.

As per the December 11, 2023 verdict, Maleki faced eight months for “propaganda against the regime,” three years and seven months for “assembly and collusion against national security,” and six years for “forming and running a group named the Zanjan neighborhood youth channel to act against national security.”

Maleki was arrested by IRGC Intelligence agents on September 18, 2023, and was granted release on bail on October 18.