Author: A MN

Three Baha’i Citizens Arrested in Bojnurd

Posted on by A MN
News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizens, Faran Senai, HRANA, Shayan Senai, Sholeh Shahidi

On July 13, three Baha’i individuals, Sholeh Shahidi and her two sons Faran and Shayan Senaei, were arrested in Bojnurd, North Khorasan Province. The agents searched their house and confiscated some of their personal belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on July 13, 2022, Baha’i individuals, Sholeh Shahidi and her two sons Faran and Shayan Senaei were arrested and transferred to an unidentified location.

An informed source told HRANA that another Baha’i citizen’s house, whose identity remains unknown, has also been searched and some of her belongings have been confiscated.

The reason for these arrests, the charges, and the individuals’ whereabouts are unknown so far.

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.

Hamid Nouri Sentenced to Life Imprisonment by Swedish Court

Posted on by A MN
News, Other
Hamid Nouri, Rajai-Shahr

A Swedish court sentenced former IRGC official Hamid Nouri to life imprisonment for his role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988. At the time, Nouri was working as the assistant to the Deputy Prosecutor of Rajai Shahr Prison. In 2019, Nouri was arrested upon arrival at the airport in Sweden for committing crimes against humanity under the rules of universal jurisdiction.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on July 15, 2022, Hamid Nouri was sentenced to life in prison by a Swedish court for “crimes against humanity (war crimes) and murder.”

As the assistant to the deputy prosecutor, Nouri had an important role in the execution of thousands of political prisoners between July and September of 1988.

On November 9, 2019, Nouri was arrested upon arrival at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport.

At least 60 witnesses and 12 experts testified in his trial.

In an interview, a former Iranian Judge, who was the head of the so-called Death Committee at that time, justified these atrocities as “a necessary action against conspirators’ plots.”

In 1988, by the direct order of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, a committee (later known as the Death Committee), including current President Ebrahim Raisi, was established to execute thousands of political prisoners.

Five Workers of the Sungun Copper Mine Arrested

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Esmail Ebadi, Kazem Shahi, Mohammad Mahmoodi, Saleh Mohammadi, Sungun copper mine

At least five labor workers of the Sungun copper mine have been arrested for going on strike and transferred to an unidentified location, raising the number of detained workers to eleven.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, in an effort to crackdown on workers’ strike, security forces have arrested five additional workers identified as Kazem Shahi, Saleh Mohammadi, Mohammad Mahmoodi, Esmail Ebadi and Haj Ziad Mahmoodi.

On July 7, 2022, Sungun copper miners went on strike for the third consecutive day to demand closing wage gaps between official and contract employees, and implementation of the Job Classification Plan, among other demands. These protests turned violent by the police.

The charges against these workers are still unknown.

Dutch National Arrested and Sentenced 

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Cécile Kohler, Dutch national, Jacques Paris, Kees Lunenburg, Maciej Walczak, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Olivier Vandecasteele, Polish scientist

HRANA has identified a European national who is jailed in Evin prison. Kees Lunenburg, a Dutch national, is currently serving his five-year sentence in Ward 8 of Evin Prison. Polish Maciej Walczak, who was sentenced to three years, is also housed in the same ward.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Dutch national Kees Lunenburg is currently jailed in Ward 8 of Evin Prison. HRANA has received variants of this individual’s last name and will update its database accordingly. 

The about-mentioned detained Dutch national was sentenced to five years imprisonment on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security.” HRANA is trying to find out new details about his case. 

Polish scientist Maciej Walczak is housed in the same ward. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland has confirmed his arrest.  Iran has claimed that Walczak and three others were arrested as they were collecting soil samples from a restricted site of a missile test. 

The spokesperson of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, has stated that in September of 2021, Walczak and his two colleagues were arrested in Iran. Two university professors were released but Walczak was sentenced to three years in prison.

In recent weeks, Belgian national Olivier Vandecasteele, a 41-year-old aid worker, and two French individuals, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris were also arrested.

Soori Babai Chegini Arrested for Protesting Compulsory Hejab

Posted on by A MN
News
compulsory veiling, Mohammadreza Behroozi, Qazvin Revolutionary Court, Soori Babai Chegini

On July 13, 2022, Security and Intelligence Police arrested Soori Babai Chegini, a resident of Qazvin, and transferred her to an unidentified location. The police searched her brother’s house and confiscated some of their belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on July 13, 2022, Soori Babai Chegini was arrested by security forces.

One day before her arrest, in a video post on social media she had shown her protest against compulsory veiling by removing her scarf, as many other women have recently.

The charges against Chegini are still unknown.

Chegini had been summoned by the court on a prior occasion. Her husband, Mohammadreza Behroozi was also fined and sentenced to one year in prison by Qazvin Revolutionary Court.

 

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Reza Sharafkhani Arrested in Mashhad

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Committee for Iran-Iraq War Reparations, Reza Sharafkhani

Reza Sharafkhani, the secretary of the Committee for Iran-Iraq War Reparations was arrested in Mashhad.

Sharafkhani was arrested while he was hospitalized. After setting bail at one billion tomans, judicial authorities sent him to a detention facility belonging to the Ministry of Intelligence.

Sharafkhani was earlier summoned to appear at the Public and Revolutionary Court.

On June 25, after filing a complaint by Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, the head of the  Martyrs’ Foundation, Sharafkhani was summoned for the charges of “insulting authorities, spreading falsehood, and disrupting public order”.

Sharafkhani’s arrest can also be related to the call of injured and disabled Iran-Iraq war veterans to protest the implementation of Articles 6 and 7 of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 598, which obliges Iraq to pay war reparations to Iran’s injured veterans.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
ahvaz, Ardabil, Iranian pensioners, Kermanshah, medical staffers, Shush, Shushtar, Social Security Organization, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

On Wednesday, July 13, 2022, five protests took place in Iran.

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization continued their protest against low pensions in Ardabil, Kermanshah, Ahvaz, Shush and Shushtar. They chanted slogans asking for the president’s resignation.

A group of medical staffers gathered in front of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences to protest against layoffs and other issues.

Four Citizens Arrested in Oshnavieh County

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Other

On July 13, 2022, in Oshnavieh County, West Azerbaijan Province, four individuals, including a Sunni cleric, were arrested and transferred to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on July 13, 2022, security forces arrested four individuals in Oshnavieh.

These individuals have been identified as Farhank Keramat, age 27, Molamohammad Tahazadeh, a Sunni cleric, Abdolrahman Dehyar, and Fara’an Ebrahimi.

The reason for these arrests is unknown so far. However, Kurdpa speculated that these arrests can be related to broadcasting a speech by the loudspeaker of a mosque in a village in Oshnavieh County.

Kermanshah Chief of Police: 1700 Women Taken to Custody for Violation of Islamic Veiling Rule

Posted on by A MN
Cultural, Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Akbar Javidan, compulsory veiling, Dog walking, harassment of women, Hijab, Kermanshah, Kermanshah’s Police Chief

In recent days, Iran’s law enforcement has intensified the harassment of women in public for failing to observe the Islamic veiling rules, known as Hijab. The chief of police of Kermanshah Province announced that since the beginning of spring, police have taken into custody or summoned 1700 people due to their failure to observe compulsory veiling. Also, 230 vehicles have been impounded for “roaming in the city in a vehicle”.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Tabnak, Kermanshah’s Police Chief Ali Akbar Javidan revealed the temporary detention of 1700 women on the streets for the failure to observe veiling codes since the beginning of spring.

Claiming that the Iranian people demand that women must cover their hair, Javidan said that  26 morality checkpoints are working visibly and six are undercover to impose the rules in Kermanshah. 

According to Kermanshah’s police chief, since the beginning of spring, security forces have stopped individuals numerous times to warn them about the veiling and morality codes, 1700 individuals were taken into custody and 230 vehicles have been impounded for driving around the city. Javidan also stated that these rules for recreational, tourist and commercial places are also enforced. Dog walking is forbidden in Kermanshah, Javidan warned that if ceased, the dogs will be taken to animal shelters and if repeated, dog walkers will face legal penalties.  

Mehran Farhadi Facing New Charges in Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Adel-Abad Prison, Mehran Farhadi, Nezam Prison, Shiraz

Judicial authorities have opened a new legal case against Mehran Farhadi who is currently serving his sentence in Adel-Abad Prison in Shiraz.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, political prisoner Mehran Farhadi is facing faced new charges.

On July 16, 2022, Farhadi will face indictment for the charges of “insulting the authorities” and “spreading falsehood on the Internet”. 

On September 27, 2020, Farhadi was arrested at his house in Tehran. He was held at a detention facility in Tehran for three months and later transferred to a notorious detention facility known as House No 100, in Shiraz. On March 3, 2021, Farhadiwas sent to Nezam Prison in Shiraz and on June 26, 2022, transferred to Adel-Abad Prison.

On May 2, 2021, the Shiraz Revolutionary Court sentenced Farhadi to three years and ten months in prison on the charges of “acting against national security through membership in anti-regime groups”, “offensive statements against the Supreme Leader”, and propaganda against the regime”. Based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, two years and two months for one charge are enforceable.