Author: A MN

Women’s Rights Activist Nooshin Keshavarznia Arrested in Tehran

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Nooshin Keshavarznia, women's rights activist

On Monday, April 25, 2022, the security forces arrested women’s rights activist and social researcher Nooshin Keshavarznia and transferred her to an unidentified location. 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Monday, the security forces arrested women’s rights activist Nooshin Keshavarznia in Tehran. Before the arrest, she had been summoned by an unknown security institution. 

The reasons for this arrest and her whereabouts are still unknown.

Nooshin Keshavarznia is a women’s rights activist and social researcher who in recent years has focused on the issues related to harassment and violence against women.

Prison Sentence of Asal Mohammadi Upheld by Court of Appeals

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Asal Mohammadi, Iman Soleimani, white torture

Branch 36 of the Court of Appeals upheld one year and eight months imprisonment sentence for Asal Mohammadi. Initially, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran had convicted Mohammadi on the charges of “propaganda against the regime and assembly and collusion against national security.”

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the Court of Appeals upheld one year and eight months imprisonment sentence against workers’ rights activist Asal Mohammadi.

Mohammadi’s lawyer, Iman Soleimani, told HRANA, “During the detention, Mohammadi did not have access to a lawyer. During the trial process, I took her case but was not allowed to study the case documents or attend court sessions, which is a violation of Article 48 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Mohammadi was in poor mental condition. Contrary to what the law explicitly states, she had been interrogated without the accompaniment of a lawyer during the interrogation.”

On January 24, 2022, the trial was held and during the trial, participation in online campaigns such as “white torture” or membership in Marxist groups was used as evidence for the charges.

On November 6, 2021, the security forces arrested Mohammadi and Hirad Pirbodaghi in an aggressive manner.

Five days later, on November 11, Mohammadi was transferred to Public Ward 209 of Evin Prison and was released on bond on November 22, 2021.

Kiumars Latifi in Detention after Two Months

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
KiumarsLatifi, Sanandaj

Kiumars Latifi, a resident of Sanandaj, is still in detention and uncertain about his legal proceeding after two months. On February 15, 2022, IRGC agents arrested Latifi and after interrogation at a detention facility, transferred him to Sanandaj Prison. On April 10, 2022, he was relocated again to a detention facility for further interrogation.

According to #HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Kiumars Latifi, a resident of Sanandaj, is still in detention after two months.

Latifi’s nephew, Farid Latifi, told HRANA, “At the time they sent Kiumars Latifi again to a detention facility from prison, despite frequent family inquiries, both the Ministry of Intelligence and IRGC denied his detention. The prison officials just told us that Latifi had been released by security agents. Since the arrest, Latifi has made only two phone calls to his family from prison and the charges against him are still unknown to us.”

According to Farid Latifi, Kiumars Latifi and four other family members’ bank accounts have been frozen. Also, his sister, Arezoo Latifi has been under pressure or even beaten by agents not to disclose any information about his conditions.

Kiumars Latifi had already faced another arrest. In September of 2019, he was arrested with the same accusation and released on bail on December 26 of that year.

Kiumars Latifi is a Kurdish language teacher and a former member of the Rumi Sanandaj Association.

Behnam Moosivand Hospitalized As a Result of Hunger Strike

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Behnam Moosivand, Evin Prison, Rajai Shahr Prison

On Sunday, April 24, 2022, civil activist Behnam Moosivand was sent to the quarantine section of Evin Prison from Rajai-Shahr Prison. He has been on hunger strike since April 19 and is currently hospitalized for low blood pressure and other side effects.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Civil activist Behnam Moosivand who is still on a hunger strike after seven days, was transferred to the quarantine section of Evin Prison from Rajai-Shahr Prison. On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, he was sent to a hospital for low blood pressure and other side effects.

According to an informed source, last Sunday, while Moosivand was suffering from life-threatening side effects of his hunger strike, without any prior notice, prison officials transferred him to Evin Prison.

On April 19, 2022, Mr Moosivand went on a hunger strike in protest against being beaten by prison officers following his objection to being handcuffed during the dispatching to the hospital.

On February 1, 2018, the intelligence officials raided Behnam Moosivand’s home and transferred him to the detention facility of the Ministry of Intelligence in Evin Prison, known as Ward209. He was released on bail on March 19, 2018.

Subsequently, in September 2019, branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced Moosivand to five years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security”, and one year on a charge of “propaganda against the regime”. The verdict was upheld on appeal. On June 14, 2020, Moosivand went to Evin for sentencing. In September of 2020, he was sent into exile, to Rajai-Shahr prison in Karaj City.

Teacher Union Activist Ali Hasan Bahamin Arrested Violently and Detained 

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Ali Hasan Bahamin, HRANA, Yasuj

On Monday, April 25, 2022, the security forces arrested teacher union activist Ali Hasan Bahamin in Yasuj City. He was beaten during the arrest and was released after a day on April 26.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Monday, April 25, 2022, teacher union activist Ali Hasan Bahamin was arrested violently and detained for one day.

The videos obtained by HRANA show that Bahamin’s hand was injured and surrounding people were trying to stop the security forces from arresting him. According to an informed source, Bahamin was arrested while he was heading back home from the University.

On the day of Bahamin’s arrest, a number of civil activists had gathered to protest against their colleagues’ detention in front of the building of Fatah Corps, a subdivision of IRGC, in Yasuj.

Last Tuesday, during teachers’ protests in Yasuj, he had been arrested and detained for one day as well.

 

 

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Students Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi Sentenced Each to Sixteen Years in Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Younesi, Amir Hossein Moradi, Sharif University of Technology

The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced two detained Iranian students Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi to a total of 32 years in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi, two students of the Sharif University of Technology, were each sentenced to 16 years in prison.

According to the verdict issued by Branch 29 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, the two individuals have been charged with ” spreading corruption on earth, assembly and collusion against the regime, and propaganda against the regime.”
Earlier, lawyer Mostafa Nili informed the public about holding the last court session for Younesi and Moradi on April 17, 2022.

On April 10, 2020, the security forces arrested the two students violently and without presenting an arrest warrant, sending them to Ward 209 of Evin prison.

On May 5, 2020, the Spokesman of the judiciary accused Younesi and Moradi of collaboration with The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (the Mujahedin-e-Khalq or MEK)”. However, in a video record circulating on social media, Ayda Younesi, Ali Younesi’s sister, denied such an accusation. In September of 2020, she revealed that his brother had been under pressure to make a TV confession. In November of that year, Ali Younsei contracted Covid-19 in prison.
 
Amir Hossein Moradi is the winner of the silver medal of the National Astronomy Olympiad in 2017. Ali Younesi is the winner of the silver medal of the National Astronomy Olympiad in 2016 and the gold medal of the 2017 Astronomy Olympiad. Ali Younesi has also won a gold medal in the 12th World Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad in China.

Inmate Died in Prison Due to Medical Negligence

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Kamyran, medical negligence, Savad Eliasi

On Friday, April 22, 2022, an inmate in Kamyaran Prison died due to medical negligence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, in Kamyran Prison, an inmate, identified by HRANA as Savad Eliasi, died because of the denial of medical care. He had been convicted of drug-related crimes.

An informed source told HRANA: “At 5 A.M. Savad Eliasi was transferred to prison health facility due to his critical health condition. Despite having a history of heart attacks, he was only injected a pain reliever. Consequently, Eliasi died after three hours.”

The most recent report from the Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) has registered twenty deaths by diseases, five cases of suicide in Iran prisons and five cases of arrestees who were killed by prison authorities between January 1 of 2021 and December 20 of 2021.

Milad Arsanjani Sentenced to Fifteen Months in Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Milad Arsanjani, Shahriar, the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary

Recently, Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Shahriar sentenced former political prisoner Milad Arsanjani, who is currently detained in the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary to 15 months in prison.   

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Milad Arsanjani was sentenced to nine months imprisonment on the charge of “offensive statements against the Supreme Leader of Iran” and six months on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”. If  Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code is applied, nine months is the maximum punishment enforceable for Arsanjani.

On November 3, 2021, Arsanjani was arrested by security forces and on November 29, he was transferred to the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary where he has been held since.

An informed source told HRANA that since the arrest, Arsanjani’s family has been under constant pressure by security agents to not disclose any information about his condition. 

Milad Arsanjani had already faced another arrest for his civil activities. During the nationwide protests in 2019, he was arrested at his house in Shahriar City. Subsequently, Tehran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced him to two years imprisonment on the charge of “offensive statements against the Supreme Leader” and to five years imprisonment for the charge of “assembly and collusion”. During his trial, housing a person who was injured during the November 2019 protests was also used against him. On August 7, 2021, he was released from the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary.

Christian Convert Rahmat Rostamipour Arrested in Bandar Anzali

Posted on by A MN
News, Religious Minorities
Christian convert, HRANA, Rahmat Rostamipour

Last Monday, April 18, 2022, security forces arrested Christian Convert Rahmat Rostamipour at his house. The day after the arrest, his wife was also summoned and interrogated for a few hours.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Article 18 News Outlet, Christian Convert, Rahmat Rostamipour was arrested by security forces at his house in Bandar Anzali located in Gilan Province.

Reportedly, 12 agents raided his house at 8 a.m. which caused a convulsion in one of his children. This incident dissuaded the agent from arresting Mr Rostamipour’s wife. The agents also searched the house and confiscated some of their belongings including children’s tablets and books related to the Christian faith.

The charges against Mr Rostamipour are still unknown so far. However, during the interrogation of his wife, the agents mentioned the charges of “propaganda against the regime and forming an illegal home church”.

Rahmat Rostamipour is 49 years old and a father of two children.

The persecution of Christian converts stands in blatant violation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which state that every individual has the right to freedom of religion and belief and freedom to express it openly or secretly.

 

Afsaneh Azimzadeh & Negar Masoudi Summoned to the Judgement Enforcement Unit of Evin Court

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Women
Afsaneh Azimzadeh, filmmaker, IRGC's intelligence unit, Negar Masoudi, photographer, the Association in Defense of Child Laborers

Children’s Rights Activists Afsaneh Azimzadeh and documentary filmmaker and photographer Negar Masoudi were summoned to the Judgement Enforcement Unit of Evin. Earlier, they had been sentenced to a total of 6 years and 8 months in prison and a fine. Later on, the prison sentence was commuted to a fine.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists,  the Judgement Enforcement Unit of Evin summoned Children’s Rights Activists Afsaneh Azimzadeh and documentary filmmaker and photographer Negar Masoudi.

Earlier, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Afshari, sentenced Negar Masoudi to four years and eight months in prison on the charge of “acting against national security and propaganda against the regime.” She also was fined the amount of 80 million tomans for “provocation of indecency and prostitution.” Afsaneh Azimzadeh was sentenced to two years in prison on the charge of “act against national security.” Later, the court commuted the prison sentence.

On December 14, 2020, security forces arrested Afsaneh Azimzadeh and transferred her to Ward 2-A of Evin Prison which is at disposal of IRGC’s intelligence unit. On January 26, 2021,  he was released on bail.

Afsaneh Azimzadeh is the co-founder of the Association in Defense of Child Laborers. For more than 15 years, she has been involved in the education and social aiding of child labourers.

On October 29, 2020, Negar Masoudi was arrested by security forces in Tehran and sent to Ward 2-A of Evin prison. On January 9, 2021, she was released temporarily on bail of 2.5 billion tomans.

Negar Masoudi is a documentary filmmaker and photographer. She has launched a various photo and video exhibitions and directed a number of documentaries.