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Journalist Zahra Tohidi Faces Additional Charges While Incarcerated

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Hoda Tohidi, Zahra Tohidi

Journalist Zahra Tohidi is currently serving her sentence in Evin Prison. On June 20, she was indicted with new charges at Evin Courthouse.

According to her husband, Alireza Khoshbakht, Zahra was accused of “propaganda against the regime.” The prosecution presented her Instagram posts as evidence during the hearing.

Zahra and her sister, Hoda (Zohreh) Tohidi, were initially arrested on September 22, 2022, by security forces in Tehran. They were released on bail on December 17, 2022.

Subsequently, the sisters received a five-year prison sentence each for “assembly and collusion against national security.” However, three-quarters of their sentence were suspended. After pleading no contest, a further reduction of one-quarter was granted.

On May 31, 2023, Zahra and Hoda Tohidi began serving their sentence at Evin Prison.

 

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.

Three Inmates Executed in Ilam, Zanjan and Gorgan

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Executions, News
Ali Mula Shamsi, Aref Havasi, Gorgan, Ilam, zanjan

On June 20, 2023, an inmate convicted of murder was executed in Ilam Province, according to Iran Human Rights Organization. This inmate has been identified as Aref Havasi. He reportedly killed someone in a group fight two years ago.

Furthermore, the Human Rights Organization disclosed that Ali Mula Shamsi, aged 40, was executed on June 18, 2023, in Zanjan Prison. Shamsi had been convicted of drug-related offenses.

Additionally, Iran Newspaper covered the execution of an inmate in Gorgan Prison. According to the publication, a man named Hamed, along with six others, including two brothers of the victim, was involved in the killing of Mahmood.

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.

Azerbaijani (Turk) Activist Ali Shadi Receives Four-Month Prison Sentence

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Shadi, azerbaijani activist, Tabriz

Ali Shadi, an Azerbaijani (Turk) activist, has been sentenced to four months of imprisonment by the Tabriz Revolutionary Court.

Shadi’s sentence of four months is for the charge of “Propaganda against the regime.” However, he has been acquitted of the charges of “membership in anti-regime groups” and “assembly and collusion to act against national security.”

On January 4, 2023, during the nationwide protests, security forces arrested Shadi at his workplace in Tabriz. He was subsequently released on bail from Tabriz Prison.

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.

 

Execution of Four Inmates Carried Out at Kerman Prison

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Executions, News
Gholam Mir, Kerman, Mohammad Sepahi, Yousef Ghofran

According to a report by Haal Vsh, on June 18, 2023, four inmates who had been separately convicted of drug-related crimes were executed at Kerman Prison.

Among the executed prisoners, three have been identified as Gholam Mir, Mohammad Sepahi, and Yousef Ghofran.

Sepahi had been convicted of drug offenses six years ago by the Kerman Revolutionary Court.

At 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.

 

Mohammadreza Morad Behroozi and Soori Babai Chegini Receive Combined Two-Year Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Choobindar, Mohammadreza Morad Behroozi, Qazvin, Soori Babai Chegini

Soori Babai Chegini and Mohammadreza Morad Behroozi have been sentenced to a combined two years in prison by the Qazvin Revolutionary Court. Currently, Behroozi is already serving a one-year sentence for a previous legal case in Choobindar Prison, Qazvin.

As per the verdict, each individual has been given a one-year sentence for “propaganda against the regime,” which includes the detention period.

According to a reliable source who spoke to HRANA, the couple was not granted amnesty in accordance with the “pardon and commutation” directive. Additionally, judicial and prison officials have denied Behroozi’s request for prison leave.

Behroozi was arrested in August 2021 by security forces at his residence in Qazvin. He was subsequently released on bail pending the completion of legal proceedings.

Later, Behroozi received a one-year sentence for “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran” and was fined 10 million tomans for “spreading falsehood to disturb public opinion.”

On July 15, 2022, Behroozi was jailed in Choobindar prison to commence serving his sentence.

On July 15, 2022, Behroozi began serving his sentence in Choobindar Prison. In March 2023, while still in prison, the Criminal Court of Mohammadiyeh County sentenced him to an additional ten months for “spreading falsehood” and eight months and ten days for “provoking people to act against public modesty.” He was also banned from leaving the country for two years.

Considering that he has been tried twice by both Criminal and Revolutionary Courts for the same offense, Behroozi’s lawyer has requested the merging of the sentences.

Babai Chegini was arrested on July 13, 2022, and released on bail after approximately six months. However, she was re-arrested one day after her release when she went to the Justice building in Mohammadiyeh to retrieve her children’s confiscated cell phone.

Subsequently, Chegini was sentenced to one month for “demonstrating a Haram act,” six months for “provoking people to act against public modesty,” and an additional three months for “public appearance without Hijab.” She was also banned from leaving the country for two years.

On May 25, 2023, Chegini began serving her six-month sentence in Choobindar Prison. However, she was released on bail five days later after accounting for the detention period.

 

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Former Political Prisoner Reza Akbari Monfared Sentenced to Five Years

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Reza Akbari-Monfared, Tehran

Reza Akbari Monfared, a former political prisoner, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court. His arrest took place in March 2023, and he has since been held in Evin Prison, Tehran.

Akbari Monfared was recently informed about the verdict, although the specific charges against him remain undisclosed. This is not the first time he has faced legal action for his activism, as he previously served a five-and-a-half-year sentence from 2013 to 2018.

Sajad Pirfalak, Kian Pirfalak’s Uncle, Arrested in Izeh

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News
HRANA, Izeh, Kian Pirfalak, Mahmonir Molaie-Rad, Sajad Pirfalak

Sajad Pirfalak, the uncle of Kian Pirfalak who tragically lost his life during the nationwide protests in 2022, was apprehended by security forces in Izeh on June 17, 2023. He was subsequently taken to the detention facility of the Ministry of Intelligence.

According to reports, Ministry of Intelligence agents were responsible for Pirfalak’s arrest, which took place on a street in Izeh. The exact reasons behind his detention and the specific allegations against him remain undisclosed at this time.
Today, June 18, a reliable source told HRANA that Mahmonir Molaie-Rad, Kian Pirfalak’s mother, has also been summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence office in Izeh.
HRANA will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.

During the protest in Izeh on November 16, 2022, there was a regrettable loss of life as at least seven individuals, including Kian Pirfalak, were fatally shot by regime forces.

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.

 

Writer and Translator Taimaz Afsari Arrested in Tehran

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, HRANA, Taimaz Afsari

HRANA, Human Rights Activists News Agency- On June 17, 2023, Taimaz Afsari, a writer and translator, was arrested by security forces in Tehran and taken to Evin Prison.

A reliable source told HRANA that, Afsari was apprehended violently at his residence.

The reasons for his arrest and the allegation against him are currently unknown. According to an unverified report, the agent have search his house and confiscated some of his electronic belonging.

13 Baha’i Citizens Sentenced to Over 40 Years in Prison Combined

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News, Religious Minorities
Afif Naimi, Alborz province, Baha'i citizens, Bita Momtazi, Elham Shareghi Arani, HRANA, Kamyar Habibi, Karaj, Mahsa Tirgar, Nakisa Rezaie, Negin Rezaie, Rameleh Tirgarnejad, Sabin Yazdani, Sadaf Sheikhzadeh, Sahba Adyani, Saman Ostovar, Shahrzad Mastouri

The Court of Appeals in Karaj has issued a combined sentence of 40 years and seven months, along with additional punishments, for 13 Baha’i citizens.

The verdicts state that Afif Na’imi (Naeimi) will serve seven years, while Saman Ostovar and Kamyar Habibi will each serve five years. Rameleh Tirgarnejad, Elham Shareghi Arani, and Sabin Yazdani have been sentenced to three years. Mahsa Tirgar, Shahrzad Mastouri, Sadaf Sheikhzadeh, Negin Rezaie, Nakisa Rezaie, Sahba Adyani, and Bita Momtazi will serve two years and one month. Additionally, all individuals have been fined, prohibited from leaving the country, and restricted from residing in Alborz Province, along with other social deprivations.
They have been convicted of multiple charges such as “insulting and propaganda against Islamic Sharia, forming and running groups to act against national security through preaching Baha’i faith to children in Kindergartens, promoting against Islamic Sharia through holding coaching courses.”

The court session took place on June 15, 2023, without notifying their lawyers. The initial sentences have now been upheld and will be enforced within ten days, as confirmed by a reliable source who spoke to HRANA.

These citizens were detained during the summer of the previous year. While the specific grounds for the charges remain undisclosed, they appear to be related to their educational activities for children in Alborz Province, particularly preschool children. The Iranian regime perceives the peaceful activities of Baha’is in providing humanitarian aid and education as a threat to its own ideology.

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.

Three Family Members of Abolfazl Adinezadeh Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Adinezadeh, Faruj, Goli Hosseini, Marzieh Adinezadeh, Mashhad, Reza Adinezadeh

Three family members of Abolfazl Adinezadeh, a minor who lost his life during the nationwide protests of 2022, have been apprehended by security forces on June 16, 2023.

According to a credible source who spoke with HRANA, as Abolfazl Adinezadeh’s birthday approached, his father, Ali Adinezadeh, sister Marzieh, and uncle Reza were violently arrested in Mashhad and taken to an undisclosed location.

In a video shared on social media, Goli Hosseini, Adinezadeh’s mother, expressed her anguish, stating that by arresting her husband and daughter, they are inflicting further pain upon her as a grieving mother. Prior to this incident, Ali Adinezadeh had already been summoned to a courthouse in Faruj, North Khorasan province.

Abolfazl Adinezadeh was shot dead by regime forces during the 2022 nationwide protest in Mashhad, reportedly by 25 bullets.

Background on the 2022 Nationwide Protests

The protests in Iran were triggered by the arrest of Mahsa Amini by the Tehran Morality Police for her improper hijab and her subsequent suspicious death on September 16. The demonstrations quickly spread across the country, with participants rallying against the performance, laws, and structure of the regime. Thousands of people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students, and civil rights activists, were arrested during the nationwide protests.