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Actress Afsaneh Bayegan Receives Suspended Sentence and Travel Ban

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Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Afsaneh Bayegan, Atila Pesyani, compulsory hijab

The Tehran Criminal Court has issued a two-year sentence, suspended for five years, to acclaimed actress Afsaneh Bayegan for alleged non-compliance with Hijab regulations.

Additionally, Bayegan has been subjected to a travel ban and restrictions on her online activities. The court has also mandated her to provide a summary of a book and attend a psychology institute to obtain a health certificate related to the so-called “Anti-family personality disorder.”

Bayegan had previously informed the public about her summons to court for charges of “acting against chastity and public morality.” Notably, the Tehran Police had recently announced legal action against the actress for not wearing Hijab during a ceremony honoring actor Atila Pesyani.

In recent months, the Iranian regime has escalated legal measures targeting citizens to enforce the compulsory wearing of Hijab on women.

Actress Leila Bolukat Receives Sentence for Violating Hijab Regulations

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Freedom of Expression, News, Women
compulsory hijab, Ham-Mihan, Hijab, Leila Bolukat, Semnan

According to a report by Ham-Mihan Newspaper, actress Leila Bolukat has been sentenced to imprisonment by the criminal court of Tehran Province for non-compliance with Hijab regulations.

The court has imposed a ten-month sentence, with six months suspended for five years. Bolukat will serve the remaining sentence in a prison located in Semnan Province. In addition, she faces a five-year ban on media and online social activities, along with a two-year travel ban.

The charges against Bolukat, which were brought in June 2023, include allegations of insulting morality and public decency due to her failure to wear Hijab and the publication of allegedly immodest pictures on social media.

Three Inmates Executed for Drug-Related Crimes in Hamedan

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Executions, News
Abbas Rahmani, executions in iran, Farrokhi, Hamedan, Hamedan prison, Mohsen Yaghooti

On July 17, 2023, three inmates convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in Hamedan Prison.

The Human Rights Advocacy and Humanitarian Association (HRAHA) has identified the inmates as Abbas Rahmani, Mohsen Yaghooti, and Farrokhi.

As of the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

Baha’i Citizen Keyvan Rahimian Arrested in Tehran

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizen, HRANA, Iranian Bahais, Keyvan Rahimian, Tehran

On July 18, 2023, security forces arrested Baha’i Citizen Keyvan Rahimian in Tehran and transferred him to Evin Prison.

A reliable source close to Rahimian’s family, who spoke to HRANA, revealed that he informed his family about his transfer to Evin Prison during a phone call following his arrest.

The grounds for this arrest and the allegation against him are unknown.

The specific reasons behind his arrest and the allegations against him remain unknown at this time.

Rahimian has a history of previous arrests and convictions related to his activism. Notably, he also serves as a lecturer at an online university affiliated with the Baha’i community. It is important to mention that Baha’is face exclusion from tertiary education in Iran.

According to HRANA annual report, from the total human rights reports regarding the violation of religious minorities’ rights, 64.63% belonged to the violation of the rights of Baha’is.

According to unofficial sources, it is estimated that more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian Constitution recognizes only Islam as the official religion, in addition to Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Bahai faith is not considered legitimate by the authorities, and the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.

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.

 

Majid Tavakoli Sentenced to Six Years and Additional Punishments

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Freedom of Expression, News
Mahsa Amini, Majid Tavakoli, Mohammad-Reza Amoozad

In a recent development, former political prisoner Majid Tavakoli, who was detained during the nationwide protests of 2022, has been sentenced to six years in prison along with additional punishments.

The Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mohammad-Reza Amoozad, issued the verdict. Tavakoli was handed a one-year sentence for “propaganda against the regime” and a five-year sentence for “assembly and collusion against national security.” In addition to the prison term, he has been subjected to further restrictions, including a ban on engaging in online social activities for two years. Moreover, Tavakoli faces a two-year ban on residing in Tehran and a two-year ban on leaving the country.

If the verdict is upheld on appeal, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, five years in prison will be enforceable.

The final court session addressing Tavakoli’s charges was held on July 15, 2023.

Tavakoli, a student activist and former political prisoner, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on September 23, 2022, during the Mahsa Amini Protests. He was subsequently released on bail on December 19, 2022.

Background on the 2022 Nationwide Protests

The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hejab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. Protesters came to the streets with the central slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” in protest against the performance, laws and structure of the regime. During the nationwide protests, thousands of people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.

 

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Minor Arrested by Security Forces in Oshnavieh

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Children, News
Kurdpa, Mohsen Shabooie, Oshnavieh

Fourteen-year-old Mohsen Shabooie was apprehended by security forces in Oshnavieh, as reported by Kurdpa.

The agents carried out the arrest without presenting an arrest warrant, raising concerns about procedural irregularities.

The grounds for Mohsen Shabooie’s arrest and the specific allegations against him remain undisclosed at this time.

This incident adds to the alarming statistics of violations of children’s rights in Iran. According to the Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran, 434 reports of children’s rights violations were recorded in 2022. Furthermore, during the nationwide protests of the same year, at least 167 minors were subjected to arrests, highlighting the vulnerability of young individuals caught in such situations.

Three Inmates Executed in Ghezel Hesar for Drug-Related Crimes

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Executions, News
Ghezel Hesar, Karaj, Moslem Havasizadeh, Qezel Hesar, Seyed Mansour Seyedi, Siamak Hayatbini

On July 18, 2023, three inmates convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in Ghezel (Qezel) Hesar Prison, Karaj.

The individuals identified by HRANA as Siamak Hayatbini, Moslem Havasizadeh, and Seyed Mansour Seyedi were transferred to solitary confinement a day before their executions.
Despite the gravity of the situation, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided official coverage of these executions.

It is worth noting that Iran has garnered international attention for its notorious record of executions, particularly for drug offenses.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

 

Naser Balouch Arrested in Zahedan Following Makki Mosque Incident

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News, Other
irgc, Makki Mosque, Molavi Abdolhamid, Naser Baluch, Zahedan

On July 17, Naser Balouch, a 24-year-old scholar at Makki Mosque, was apprehended by security forces in Zahedan, as reported by Haal Vsh.

Balouch, a resident of Qasr-e Qand in Sistan and Baluchestan province, was forcefully arrested by the agents in a street of Zahedan. The location of his detention and the specific allegations against him remain undisclosed.

It is worth noting that in recent days, several individuals have been detained in connection with the Makki Mosque incident. Security personnel at Makki Grand Mosque apprehended an individual who was allegedly tasked by the IRGC with carrying out a terrorist act involving the poisoning of Molavi Abdolhamid.

In response to this thwarted terror attempt, the provincial Chief Justice has urged the security personnel of Makki Grand Mosque to provide supporting evidence for these allegations. Failure to do so may result in legal consequences.

Eight People Sentenced to Combined 48 Years in Ahvaz

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Freedom of Expression, News
ahvaz, Fayez Zahrouni, Hadi Jalali, Hossein Estedad, Hossein Farajollah Chaab, Musa Khaledi, Naser Shaye Mazraeh, Saeed Fakher-Nasab, Tofigh Falahieh

The Ahvaz Revolutionary Court sentenced eight people to a total of 48 years.

According to the latest rulings, Hossein Farajollah Chaab, Naser Shaye Mazraeh, Tofigh Falahieh, Fayez Zahrouni, Hossein Estedad, Saeed Fakher-Nasab, Hadi Jalali, and Musa Khaledi have each received a one-year prison sentence, five years of suspended imprisonment, and a two-year travel ban.

In May 2018, these individuals, alongside numerous others, were arrested by security forces following a one-week protest gathering. They were subsequently released on bail after a period of time.

Hossein Farajollah Chaab was detained once again in February 2021.

Political Prisoner Mehdi Meskinnavaz Receives Additional Eleven-Year Sentence While in Prison

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News, Prisoners
Bandar-Anzali, Evin Prison, Mehdi Meskinnavaz, Tehran Revolutionary Court

In a new legal case opened against political prisoner Mehdi Meskinnavaz (Meskin-Navaz), the Tehran Revolutionary Court has handed him an additional eleven-year sentence while he continues to serve his previous seven-and-a-half-year sentence in Evin Prison.

The recent verdict includes ten years for the charge of “forming a group to act against national security” and an extra year for “propaganda against the regime.” If upheld on appeal, the ten-year sentence for the first charge will be implemented. HRANA previously reported on this new legal case.

Meskinnavaz’s ordeal began on May 5, 2019, when he was arrested by security forces in Bandar Anzali for allegedly “running a Telegram channel advocating the overthrow of the regime.”
In August 2019, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Meskinnavaz to 13 years for charges including “assembly and collusion to act against national security, insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran, and propaganda against the regime.” Moreover, he was stripped of political party and group membership rights and ordered to serve a two-year compulsory exile in Fahraj, Kerman. Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, he was liable to serve seven years and six months in prison for one of the charges.

Meskinnavaz, aged 43 and a father to a 17-year-old, continues to face an arduous journey within the judicial system.