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Workers’ Rights Activist Anisha Asadollahi Sentenced to Five Years and Eight Months

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News
Anisha Asadollahi, mohammad habibi

HRANA, the Human Rights Activists News Agency- Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court recently sentenced workers’ rights activist Anisha Asadollahi to five years and eight months, with five years to be enforced.

Iman Afshari, the judge presiding over the case, sentenced Asadollahi to five years for “assembly and collusion against national security” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.”
If the verdict is upheld on appeal, as per Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, five years in prison will be enforceable for the first count.

Asadollahi was arrested, along with several other civil and worker’s rights activists, at Mohammad Habibi’s home just days before International Workers’ Day on April 28, 2023. She was released on a one-billion-Toman bail ten days later.

Asadollahi had other arrests and convictions for her activism in the past.

Four Citizens Sentenced to Imprisonment and Flogging for Opposing Compulsory Hijab

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Freedom of Expression, News
Abdolbagher Amani, HRANA, Mahsa Amini, Maryam Bani-Razi Motlagh, Mohammad-Reza Rostami, Reza Rashidi

Maryam Bani-Razi Motlagh, Abdolbagher Amani, Reza Rashidi, and Mohammad-Reza Rostami have been sentenced to over 17 months in prison and 148 lashes combined, along with additional punishment, by the Criminal Court of Qom.

Amani, Rashidi and Rostami each received 91 days and were prohibited from taking a public service profession for two years. This punishment is for hindering religious vigilantes from carrying out their religious duty of “enjoining good and forbidding wrong,” which includes enforcing compulsory hijab.
As HRANA earlier reported, Bani-Razi was sentenced to over eight months, 148 lashes and additional punishments for not complying with the compulsory Hijab.
The four individuals were reportedly arrested during the 2022 nationwide protests and were later released on bond.

About 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. During the nationwide protests, about 19600 people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.

Baha’i Enayatollah Naeimi Receives 15-Year Prison Sentence

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i communities, Bahais, Enayatollah Naeimi, Friends of Iran, Isfahan, Yaran e Iran

Enayatollah Naeimi, a Baha’i citizen, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, with 10 years to be enforced, by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court. He was also fined and subjected to social deprivation.

The verdict was issued by Judge Morteza Barai, who found Naeimi guilty of “forming groups to act against national security” for which he received 10 years, and “propaganda against the regime,” for which he received five years. The evidence presented for these charges included Naeimi’s involvement with the Baha’i group “Yaran e Iran” or “Friends of Iran,” as well as his association with Baha’i communities in Israel

Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, if the verdict is upheld on appeal, Naeimi will serve 10 years in prison for the first charge.
Naeimi was arrested by security forces on September 28, 2022, and his house, workplace, and garden in the Isfahan suburbs were searched. He was later released on bail from Isfahan Prison but now faces a lengthy prison sentence.

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. Baha’i 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.

 

Eight Inmates Executed in Kerman and Khorramabad

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Executions, News
Amrollah Adish, Dehdasht, Kambiz Davarpanah, Kerman, Khorramabad

HRANA, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, reported on May 13, 2023, that six inmates in Kerman prison and two in Khorramabad prison were executed for drug-related crimes.

HRANA has identified two of the six inmates executed in Kerman prison as Kambiz Davarpanah and Amrollah (Shamal) Adish, both coming from Dehdasht.

According to an informed source who spoke to HRANA, Davarpanah had been sentenced to death five years ago, and his body has not yet been returned to his family.
On the same day, Khorramabad Prison officials carried out the execution of two inmates convicted of drug-related crimes.
HRANA is working on identifying these executed inmates.

At the time of writing, none of the official sources or media outlets in the country has reported these executions.

The alarming trend of executions has been increasing in recent weeks. According to reports obtained by HRANA, at least 57 prisoners, including two women and two prisoners of conscience, have been executed in various Iranian prisons from April 28 to May 9, 2023.

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.

French Citizen Benjamin Briere Released from Iranian Prison

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News, Prisoners
Benjamin Briere, Bernard Phelan, Catherine Colonna, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

French citizen Benjamin Briere has been released from prison in Iran. Catherine Colonna, the French foreign minister, attributed the freedom of Briere to diplomatic negotiations between Iran and France.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ISNA News Agency, French citizen Benjamin Briere was released from prison.

Today, Irish-French citizen Bernard Phelan was also released from prison. In a separate statement, Colonna revealed that she spoke with Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian about their release, and Brier and Phelan are on their way back to France.

In May 2020, Briere was arrested by security forces. According to Figaro, he was arrested for flying a small drone in a deserted area in Iran.

On January 25, 2022, after being detained for over 600 days in detention at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad City, Briere was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison for “espionage and propaganda against the regime” by Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad. Two other charges of “spreading corruption on earth” and “alcohol drinking” was dismissed by the court. In July of the last year, this verdict was upheld on appeal.

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Iran Protests: Ramin Alinia Tazeh Kand Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
ardabil prison, azerbaijani activist, Ramin Alinia Tazeh Kand

HRANA, Human Rights Activists News Agency- Azerbaijani activist Ramin Alinia Tazeh Kand has been sentenced to six years in prison and social deprivation by the Tehran Revolutionary Court. He was arrested amid the nationwide protests of 2022.

Judge Salavati presided over the case and sentenced Alinia Tazeh Kand to five years in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.” He has also been banned from political party and group memberships on social media, as well as leaving the country for two years.

Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, if the verdict is upheld on appeal, the five-year prison sentence for the first count will be enforceable.
Alinia Tazeh Kand was arrested by security forces on November 8, 2022, and was released on bail 22 days later from Ardabil Prison.

About 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. During the nationwide protests, about 19600 people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.

 

 

 

French-Irish Citizen Bernard Phelan Freed from Jail in Iran

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Freedom of Expression, News
Bernard Phelan, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

French-Irish citizen, Bernard Phelan, has been released from prison in Iran after being held in custody for several months. The Iranian embassy in Ireland has confirmed that his release was the result of diplomatic negotiations between Ireland and Iran.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IRNA news agency, jailed French-Irish citizen Bernard Phelan was released from jail in Iran.

The Iranian embassy in Ireland stated that Phelan’s release was due to amnesty for humanitarian reasons and for showing goodwill in diplomatic relations between Iran and Ireland.

Phelan, who is 64 years old, was arrested by Iranian security forces during his last trip to Iran on October 3, 2022. He was later identified by the Irish Times as being held in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad.

Phelan’s sister has previously stated that he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison for allegedly “providing information to another country,” among other charges.

Inmate Executed in Kermanshah

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Executions, News
executions in iran, Kermanshah, Saber Payamian

On May 10, 2023, an inmate convicted of murder was executed in Dizelabad prison, Kermanshah.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on May 10, 2023, an inmate identified as Saber Payamian, age 34, was executed in Kermanshah.

He was reportedly sentenced to death for committing murder.

None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country have reported this execution at the time of writing.

In recent weeks, the number of execution has been alarmingly raised. At least 66 prisoners, including two women and two prisoners of conscience, have been executed in various Iranian prisons over the past thirteen days.

 

Iran Protests: Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentences of Three Protesters

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News
Amir Kazemi, Amir Nasr Azadani, Isfahan, Majid Kazemi, moharebeh, Saeed Yaghoubi, Saleh Mirhashemi, Soheid Jahangiri

Branch 9 of the Iranian Supreme Court has confirmed the death sentences of three protestors who were arrested during the nationwide protests in 2022 in Isfahan. Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi, and Saeed Yaghoubi were accused of enmity against God (Moharebeh) in a legal case known as “Khaneh e Isfahan (Isfahan House).”

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the Supreme Court of Iran upheld death sentences against three protests arrested during the nationwide protests of 2022.

Amir Kazemi, Majid Kazemi’s cousin, spoke to HRANA and shared details about the case: “Branch 9 of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Ghasem Mazinani, dismissed the appeal request and upheld the death sentences. The highest judicial authority in Iran upheld these verdicts without considering the errors and defects in this legal case.”

Kazemi added, “The death penalty for the three first-row defendants was upheld, despite judiciary officials’ promise to their families that they would be granted amnesty on Eid al-Fitr (Holiday of Breaking the Fast). Coerced confessions were the only evidence presented during the trial. There was no evidence proving the claim that warm weapons were discovered from the defendants.”

Earlier, in a phone call to his relative from prison, Majid Kazemi revealed that they were tortured and coerced into confessing.

Initially, Saleh Mirhashemi was sentenced to death for “Moharebeh through using a Colt gun,” “forming and running groups to act against national security,” and “assembly and collusion against national security.” He also received ten years for “membership and collaboration with Monafeghin.”

Majid Kazemi and Saeed Yaghoubi were sentenced to death for “Moharebeh through using warm weapons” and ten years in prison for “forming and running groups to act against national security” and “assembly and collusion against national security.”

The fourth-row defendant, Amir Nasr Azadani, was sentenced to 16 years for “assisting in enmity against God,” five years for “membership in illegal groups to act against national security,” and five years for “assembly and collusion against national security.”

The fifth-row defendant, Soheid Jahangiri, was sentenced to two years for “assembly and collusion against national security.” The sixth-row defendant, Jaber Mirhashemi, was acquitted of all charges.

 

Masoumeh Soleimani Arrested in Khorramabad

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Freedom of Expression, News
Khorramabad, Masoumeh Soleimani

On May 10, 2023, security forces arrested Masoumeh Soleimani, a wrestling coach and referee, and took her to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Masoumeh Soleimani was arrested in Khorramabad.

The reason for her arrest, the place of her confinement, and the accusations against her are presently unknown. Soleimani has previously been detained for her activism.