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Sajjad Iman-Nejad Receives an Eleven-Year Prison Sentence

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News, Prisoners
diya, Mohammad-Reza Amuzad, moharebeh, Sajad Iman-Nejad, Sajjad Iman-Nejad, Tehran

The Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Sajjad Iman-Nejad to eleven years in prison for his alleged involvement in the 2022 nationwide protests. In addition, he has been ordered to pay a wergild (Diya) of 2.7 billion tomans (approximately 54,000 dollars).

The ruling, issued by Judge Mohammad-Reza Amuzad, who presided over the court, is as follows: ten years of imprisonment in exile in Iranshahr County for “enmity against God (Moharebeh)” and one year in prison, including the detention period, for “assault with a cold weapon.” Iman-Nejad is also required to pay a 2.7 billion tomans wergild to seven plaintiffs, all of whom are police officers.

A source close to Iman-Nejad’s family has revealed that three out of the seven plaintiffs confessed that Iman-Nejad never physically assaulted them, but they are unwilling to withdraw their complaints.

“Iman-Nejad is suffering from a lumbar disc issue, for which he had to be hospitalized several times during detention. However, he did not receive medical care in the hospital under the excuse of a lack of available beds. Currently, prison officials have refused to transfer him to an external hospital. The lumbar disc problem has made enduring incarceration extremely challenging for him.”

Iman-Nejad, a 32-year-old resident of Tehran originally from Ardabil and a graduate in architecture, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on October 8, 2022, and subsequently transferred to the Great Tehran Penitentiary. After some time, he was relocated to Evin Prison.

Gonabadi Dervish Arash Moradi Faces Eight-Year Prison Term

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News, Religious Minorities
Arash Moradi, Evin Prison, Gonabadi Dervish, HRANA, Kashan

Arash Moradi, a Gonabadi Dervish currently held in Evin Prison, has been handed an eight-year prison sentence by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Presiding over Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Judge Ali Mazloum detailed Moradi’s sentencing as follows: two years for “disturbing public opinions,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” three years for “blasphemy,” and two years for “insulting the former and current Supreme Court of Iran.” The cumulative punishment amounts to eight years of imprisonment.

Citing Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, which stipulates that the most severe penalty should be applied in cases involving multiple charges, Moradi is slated to serve three years in prison.

A reliable source close to Moradi’s family informed HRANA of a notable development during the legal proceedings, where the charge of “disseminating false information” was altered to “disturbing public opinions.”

Furthermore, the court had previously dismissed charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “inciting people to violence.”

Moradi was apprehended on October 17 by security forces at his workplace in Kashan and subsequently confined to Ward 4 of Evin Prison.

This is not Moradi’s first encounter with the legal system, as he was previously detained during the 2018 Dervish protests, resulting in a one-year prison sentence. Following the completion of his sentence, Moradi was released from the Great Tehran Penitentiary.

Hassan Mardani Receives Three-Year Prison Term on Political Charges

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News, Other
Bukan, Hassan Mardani, West Azerbaijan Province

According to Kurdpa, Hassan Mardani has been handed a three-year prison sentence by the Criminal Court in Bukan, West Azerbaijan province.

Mardani was convicted on charges of “membership and collaboration with a political opposition party.”

Mardani, 65 years old, was arrested on August 10, 2023, and then was released on bail on October 8, 2023.

Execution of Four Inmates Takes Place in Qom, Khorramabad, and Isfahan for Drug Offenses

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Executions, News
Bahram Seyed Zadeh, Davoud Brahui, Isfahan, Khorramabad, Qom, Sajjad Haghi Zadeh, Vahid Haji Pour

Recently, four individuals on death row were executed in prisons located in Qom, Khorramabad, and Isfahan.

On December 12, Sajjad Haghi Zadeh, 37, was executed in Khorramabad Prison for drug offenses. Haghi Zadeh had been sentenced to death three years ago.

Vahid Haji Pour, 40, another inmate convicted of drug offenses two years ago, was executed in Isfahan Prison on December 13, as reported by the Iran Human Rights Organization.

In Qom Prison, two inmates faced execution for drug-related crimes. On December 12, 38-year-old Bahram Seyed Zadeh, a father of one, and on December 15, Davoud Brahui (Brahooie), 41, father of four, were both executed.

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

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. Concerningly, many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.

Execution of Four Inmates Takes Place in Mashhad and Shiraz

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Executions, News
Adelabad Prison, Mashhad, Mojtaba Malek Pour, Mosafer Zargar, Saeed Akbari, Shiraz, Vakilabad prison

Four individuals were executed for murder at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad and Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.

According to the Iran Human Rights Organization, Adelabad Prison officials recently executed four inmates, Saeed Akbari, 27, Mojtaba Malek Pour, 34, and Jamil, an Afghan national whose last name is unknown. They had been convicted of murder. The executions occurred on different dates, with Malek Pour executed on December 7, Akbari on December 11, and Jamil on December 14.

In addition, Haal Vsh reported the execution of Mosafer Zargar, 29, for a murder conviction at Vakilabad Prison on December 14. Zargar had reportedly been convicted of murder six years prior.

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. Concerningly, many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.

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Four Sunni Clerics Sentenced to a Combined 11 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News, Religious Minorities
Piranshahr, Seyed Jamaleddin Vazhi, Seyed Soleiman Ahmadi, Sharif Mahmoud-Pour, Urmia, Younes Nokhah

According to Kurdpa, the Special Clerical Court in Urmia has handed down prison sentences totaling 11 years to Sunni clerics Younes Nokhah, Seyed Soleiman Ahmadi, Sharif Mahmoud-Pour, and Seyed Jamaleddin Vazhi.

Under this ruling, Nokhah received three years, Ahmadi four years, Mahmoud-Pour two years, and Vazhi two years. The charges levied against them include “acting against national security” and “disturbing public opinion.”

On January 23, 2023, Vazhi and Mahmoud-Pour were arrested by security forces in Piranshahr, and subsequently released on bail after a period of detention. The following day, Nokhah and Ahmadi were apprehended on the Piranshahr to Passveh road without a visible arrest warrant. They were then transferred from the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Urmia to Urmia Prison. Nokhah, who spent 23 days in detention, faced denial of legal representation and family visits during this period.

Additionally, Nokhah has received a separate sentence of defrocking and 58 months and 15 days from the Special Clerical Court of Tabriz.

Workers’ Rights Advocate Foad Fathi Receives Four-Year Prison Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Evin Prison, Foad Fathi, Sanandaj, Tehran, Workers' Rights Advocate

Foad Fathi, an advocate for workers’ rights, has been handed a four-year prison sentence by the Tehran Revolutionary Court, as reported by Kurdpa.

Notification from Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court outlined Fathi’s four-year imprisonment for charges including “membership in anti-regime groups, acting against national security, and propaganda against the regime.” Alongside the prison term, Fathi has been subjected to a two-year travel ban, prohibiting him from leaving the country. He is also restricted from participating in political or civil groups and residing in Tehran and its suburbs during this period.

Fathi was apprehended by security forces in Tehran and subsequently confined in Evin Prison on November 4, 2023. A resident of Tehran with roots in Sanandaj, Fathi has a history of previous arrests and legal confrontations due to his activism in championing workers’ rights.

Mohammad-Reza Kamrani-Nejad Faces Political Charges and Increased Bail

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Mehdi Meskin Navaz, Mohammad-Reza Kamrani-Nejad

Mohammad-Reza Kamrani-Nejad, a resident of Tehran, has recently been indicted on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “forming a group to act against national security.”

According to a source close to his family, two additional charges have been added, leading to an increased bail amount of 3.5 billion tomans (approximately 70,000 dollars).

Kamrani-Nejad was apprehended by security forces on September 4, 2023, and subsequently released on bail in the amount of two billion tomans on November 19, 2023. He was released after providing the bail.

Previously, a source close to Kamrani-Nejad’s family told HRANA that he, along with Mehdi Meskin-Navaz, is facing a new legal case following a complaint lodged by officials from the Great Tehran Penitentiary. The charges include “publishing a video with manipulated audio and visual elements,” specifically referring to a voice file that Kamrani-Nejad had shared regarding his detention in the Great Tehran Penitentiary.

Abbas and Mohsen Deris Sentenced to a Combined 16 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Aban protests, Abbas Deris, Khuzestan, Mahshahr, moharebeh, Mohsen Deris

Abbas and Mohsen Deris, arrested during the 2019-2020 protests (Aban Protests), have been collectively sentenced to 16 years in prison by the Criminal Court of Khuzestan Province.

Their lawyer, Fereshteh Tabanian, announced the verdict, stating, “Abbas Deris received a 14-year sentence for ‘murder, holding, and carrying weapons,’ with ten years enforceable if the verdict is upheld on appeal. Mohsen Deris was given a two-year sentence for ‘carrying weapons’ and acquitted of aiding in murder.”

“No evidence supports Abbas Deris’s involvement in the charges presented in this legal case,” Tabanian emphasized.

According to Tabanian, Abbas Deris was recently transferred from Sepidar Prison to Mahshahr Prison.

In a separate legal case, Abbas Deris received a death sentence for “enmity against God” (Moharebeh) from the Mahshahr Revolutionary Court. Although Tabanian had informed that the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence in July, she has now clarified that Deris’s request for a retrial is still pending a response.

Notably, his two brothers, including Mohsen Deris, were acquitted of Moharebeh in this specific case.

Arrested by IRGC Intelligence agents on December 8, 2019, Abbas and Mohsen Deris faced charges related to their participation in the protests. Abbas admitted to involvement but denied specific actions like setting fires and blocking roads. While he initially confessed to shooting at security forces during interrogation, he later disclaimed any responsibility for the death of Capt. Reza Sayadi during the closing arguments.

In November 2019, an increase in fuel prices sparked a wave of protests in dozens of cities across the country. The spokesperson of the Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Seyed Hossein Taghavi, announced that 7000 people were arrested during these protests. According to reports from human rights organizations, hundreds were killed by the security apparatus.

Masoumeh Yavari Receives 13-Year Prison Sentence on Political Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News
Golpayegan, Isfahan Province, Masoumeh Yavari, moharebeh, معصومه یاوری

The Golpayegan Revolutionary Court has issued a thirteen-year sentence to Masoumeh Yavari on political charges.

Presided over by Judge Mohammad Basaeri and Ghasem Sharifian, the court sentenced Yavari to seven years for “destruction of public property,” five years for alleged “membership in Monafeghin” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.”

Notably, the verdict acquitted Yavari of charges related to “enmity against God (Moharebeh)” and “association with adversary countries.”

Yavari’s arrest occurred on September 4, during which security forces conducted a thorough search of her residence and seized some of her belongings.

It is essential to highlight that Yavari has a history of prior arrests and convictions related to her activism.