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Detained Protestor Majid-Reza Rahnavard Executed Publicly in Mashhad

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Executions, News
Majid-Reza Rahnavard, Mashhad

On December 12, Majid-Reza Rahnavard was executed in public in Mashhad. Recently, the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced Majid-Reza Rahnavard, arrested at protests, to death on the charge of “enmity against God.”

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Majid-Reza Rahnavard, age 23, was executed in Mashhad.

An informed source told HRANA the court had already determined his guilt, and he was not allowed to defend himself. Rahnavard’s trial began only ten days after his arrest.

Rahnavard has been accused of killing two Basij militia forces in Mashhad during protests. Nonetheless, the assailant’s face cannot be identified by any CCTV cameras that captured the scene.

Earlier, pro-government mobs assaulted his family’s apartment and broke doors and windows to terrorize his family.

 

Student Farzad Marzbani Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Farzad Marzbani, iran protests, Payame Noor University

The Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced student Farzad Marzbani to three years imprisonment. Marzbani is a student at Payame Noor University-Shemiranat Branch.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Iranian Students’ Union, student Farzad Marzbani was sentenced to three years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security.”
On September 28, 2022, Marzbani was arrested by security forces before the Ministry of Interior building in Tehran.

Since the outbreak of nationwide protests, about 18200 people, including journalists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, have been arrested. For more details and statistics on the nationwide protest across Iran, read the latest HRANAs comprehensive report here.

 

Mahvin Bigdeli Sentenced to Six Months in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Mahvin Bigdeli, Roghayeh Bigdeli

Recently, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Mahvin (Roghayeh) Bigdeli, a resident of Karaj, to six months in prison and banned her from leaving the country for two years. Moreover, as additional punishment, she has been forced to attend education courses in a seminary (Hawza) for two months, two hours per day. She was also barred from using a cell phone.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Mahvin Bigdeli was sentenced to six months in prison and additional punishment on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

Bigdeli faced other arrests and convictions on prior occasions. On January 11, 2020, she was arrested by Karaj’s security police and then released on a 300-million-toman bail. In June 2022, the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced her to five years of suspended imprisonment and two years and eight months of exile in Zanjan.

 

 

Baha’i Citizen Farbod Alavi Arrested

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i arrest, Baha'i citizen, Farbod Alavi

On December 4, 2022, security forces arrested Baha’i citizen Farbod Alavi and jailed him in Evin Prison. The agents searched his house and confiscated some of his belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on December 4, 2022, Baha’i Farbod Alavi was arrested at his house in Tehran.

Alavi was allowed to call his family only after three days.

The reason for his arrest and the charges are still unknown.

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.

Iran Protests: Mohsen Shekari Executed over Protests

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Executions, News
Mohsen Shekari, Sattar Khan

Iran’s Judiciary announced the execution of Mohsen Shekari, one of the people arrested at recent protests, on Thursday morning, December 8, 2022.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Mizan News Agency, on December 8, 2022, Mohsen Shekari was executed in Tehran.

Shekari was arrested at protests in Sattar Khan street in Tehran.
On November 1, 2022, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Shekari to death on the charge of “enmity against God, terrorizing people, injuring a Basij Militia force with a cold weapon, and disturbing public order by blocking the street.”

Subsequently, this verdict was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Iran.

 

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Baha’i citizen Vesal Momtazi Arrested in Rasht

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i, Vesal Momtazi

On December 6, security forces arrested Baha’i citizen Vesal Momtazi in Rasht and took him to Lakan Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, Baha’i citizen Vesal Momtazi was arrested by security forces.

According to an informed source, the agents searched his house. In recent weeks, he was summoned and interrogated several times.

The reason for his arrest is still unknown.

 

Iran Protests: Couple Sentenced to Death and Imprisonment

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Moazzami Goodarzi, Amir-Mehdi Jafari, Arian Farzamnia, Basij militia force, Behrad Ali-Kenari, Farzaneh Ghareh-Hassanlou, Hamid Ghareh-Hassanlou, Javad Zargaran, Mehdi Mohammadi, Mehdi Shokrollahi, Mohammad-Amin Akhlaghi, Mohammad-Mehdi Karami, Reaz Shaker Zavardehi, Reza Aria, Seyyed-Mohammad Hosseini, Shayan Charani

Hamid Ghareh-Hassanlou, a radiologist doctor, was sentenced to death in a case related to nationwide protests. In the same legal case, his wife, Farzaneh Ghareh-Hassanlou has also been sentenced to 25 years in exile imprisonment in Ahvaz. Without giving any details, Iran’s Judiciary announced that in this legal case, five people were sentenced to death, and eleven others, including three children, to imprisonment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, in Karaj, five people, including physician Hamid Ghareh-Hassanlou, were sentenced to death for killing a Basij militia force.

An informed source told HRANA that Ghareh-Hassanlou was beaten harshly during detention, causing broken ribs and lung bleeding. During the last two weeks, he underwent surgery three times. Nonetheless, his family is not allowed to see him in the hospital.

On November 30, 2022, The Karaj Revolutionary Court began the trial of several people arrested at protests for killing a Basij militia force. The defendants were charged with “spreading corruption on earth through committing crimes against national security.” The defendants include Seyyed-Mohammad Hosseini, Reza Aria, Mehdi Mohammadi, Shayan Charani, Mohammad-Amin Akhlaghi, Hamid Ghareh-Hassanlou, Farzaneh Ghareh-Hassanlou, Reaz Shaker Zavardehi, Javad Zargaran, Behrad Ali-Kenari, Ali Moazzami Goodarzi, Mohammad-Mehdi Karami and three teenagers Mehdi Shokrollahi, Arian Farzamnia and Amir-Mehdi Jafari.

 

Maryam Derisi Sentenced to Imprisonment and Flogging for Her Second Case

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Adel-Abad Prison, Kazerun, Maryam Derisi, Saveh

In a new legal case, the Kazerun Revolutionary Court sentenced Maryam Derisi, a Master’s student at the University of Saveh, to one year in prison and 74 lashes. In another legal case, she was earlier sentenced to three years imprisonment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Maryam Derisi was sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of “disturbing the public order” and 74 lashes for “committing Haram act (removing headscarf in public).”

On October 15, 2022, security forces arrested Derisi in Shiraz and jailed her in Adel-Abad Prison. On November 2, she was released on bail.

 

Student Fatemeh Gorji Sentenced to Imprisonment and Flogging

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Fatemeh Gorji, University of Semnan

Student Fatemeh Gorji was sentenced to one year in prison, 74 lashes and additional punishments. Gorji, a master’s student at the University of Semnan, was arrested at protests on October 14, 2022.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Iranian Students’ Union, Fatemeh Gorji was sentenced to one year in prison and 74 lashes.

As additional punishment, she has been banned from leaving the country and from membership in political parties for two years. She has been charged with “blasphemy, acting against national security, propaganda against the regime, insulting regime’s authorities and disturbing public order.”

 

Four Political Prisoners Coerced to Make TV Confession

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News, Other, Prisoners
Hajir Faramarzi, Komalah, Mohsen Mazloum, Pejman Fatehi, Tasnim, Vafa Azarbar

Recently, Iran’s state TV broadcasted coerced confessions of four political prisoners Mohsen Mazloum, Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar and Hajir Faramarzi. On July 23, 2022, these individuals were arrested in Urmia County. After three months of detention, their lawyer is still denied access to the clients and legal case documents.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Iran’s state TV broadcasted a forced confession video of four political detainees, raising concerns about their conditions and subsequent severe punishments.

After 136 days of detention, these individuals’ families are not informed about their whereabouts and the charges. They have also been denied any access to their lawyer.

On July 23, 2022, security-institution-affiliated news agency Tasnim reported the arrest of “a network of Israeli spies” referring to these individuals. Tasnim also claimed that “having operational and communication equipment and explosive materials, they crossed into the country from the Kurdistan region to carry out unprecedented terrorist operations in some secure-sensitive locations.”

In response, Komalah (CPI-a Kurdish oppositional political party) issued a statement denying all these allegations and warned about intelligence institutions’ conspiring against detainees.

One of the detainees’ wife told HRANA: “Since the arrest, we have been worrying about torturing them to extract confessions. As of yet, we do not even know if they are alive or dead.”