Author: A MN

Journalists at Tehran-Municipality-Owned Newspaper Asked Probing Personal Questions by New Management

Posted on by A MN
Cultural, News
freedom of the press, Hamshahri, Hamshahri newspaper, Journalists' Guild Association, Mohsen Zohuri, Quran, Tehran, Tehran Municipality, Tehran Province

Following turnover in the Tehran-Municipality-owned Hamshahri newspaper’s managerial board, the extension of staff members’ contracts is being influenced by answers they give to a set of probing personal questions about their lifestyle and beliefs.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Fararu, employees are being asked questions such as “Why haven’t you married?” and “Why didn’t you vote in the election?”.

“It seems to be very serious,” journalist Mohsen Zohuri, commented. “They held an inquisition meeting for the journalists of Hamshahri and asked the question like ‘Why don’t you go to Congregational prayer?’, ‘Did you vote on such and such election?’, ‘How many chapters of Quran have you memorized?’, “Why did you get divorced?’ or ‘Why haven’t you married?’ ”

Changes in management in Tehran Municipality led to the appointment of a new director at Hamshahri newspaper. The new director has reportedly spearheaded this new procedure for extending contracts, and it is being applied to even the publication’s most tenured reporters.

“The new management in Hamshahri newspaper has set an inquisition meeting for its well-experienced and professional journalists,” a member of the Board of Directors of the Journalists’ Guild Association wrote on his personal page on social media. “They have to answer the irrelevant questions which means nothing but spying on personal lives and has nothing whatsoever to do with their occupation. I hope someone comes forward to explain that.”

 

Ali Vaseghi Granted Leave on Bail For One Week

Posted on by A MN
Ethnic Minorities, News, Prisoners
Ali Vaseghi, Ardabil, ardabil central prison, ardabil prison, Azerbaijani Turk activists, Reza Vaseghi, Vaseghi

On Tuesday, October 5, Azerbaijani Turk activist Ali Vaseghi was released on bail for a one week leave from Ardabil Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Vaseghi was granted the leave on a bail of 50 million tomans.

On June 10, 2020, Ali Vaseghi and his brother Reza Vaseghi were arrested violently at their workplace and kept in detention until June 17 when they were released on bail. Intelligence forces inspected their business location on the  day after the arrest and confiscated their personal computers and some other belongings.

Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Ardabil sentenced Reza and Ali to 2 and 3 years imprisonment respectively. Images that were published on Telegram of the injuries on the activists’ bodies from beatings by intelligence forces, along with slogans such as “long live those who fight for freedom”, were invoked in the trial.

Ultimately, this sentence for Ali Vaseghi was reduced to two years on appeal.

On June 13, along with six other Azerbaijani Turk activists, Ali Vaseghi went on a hunger strike in protest against the housing of political prisoners and prisoners of violent crimes in the same prison wards. They ended their hunger strike after prison officials promised to address their demands.

Monireh Arabshahi Forcefully Transferred Back to Kachooye Prison Before Completion of Medical Treatment

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
Arabshahi, cash bail, compulsory hijab, Gharchak prison, Kachooye Prison, Karaj, Medical mistreatment, medical negligence, Monireh Arabshahi, Yasamin Ariaani

On Monday, October 4, civil activist Monireh Arabshahi was forcefully transferred from the hospital back Kachooye Prison in Karaj by judge order, despite not having completed her treatment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Ms. Arabshahi had been on medical leave since August 4.

Ms. Arabshahi’s medical issues have been ongoing. On May 3, 2020, Arabshahi was granted leave on bail for 500 million tomans to receive surgery to remove her thyroid gland, after which she was sent back to prison.

Yasamin Ariaani, Arabshahi’s daughter and an outspoken opponent of the compulsory hijab in Iran, who had been released after serving out her sentence on February 14, 2019, was arrested again on April 10, 2019 on new charges.

One day after the arrest of her daughter, Mrs. Arabshahi was also arrested and both were relocated to Gharchak Prison. Subsequently,  both were sent to Evin Prison and finally they end up in Kachooye Prison in Karaj.

Branch 28 of the revolutionary court has convicted this mother and daughter to a total of 16 years in prison, which were later reduced to a total of 9 years and 7 months. They were charged with “assembly and collusion against national security”, “propaganda against the regime”,  and “provoking and provision of impurity and indecency”.

Sajad Zare Released from Prison After Completing Sentence

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Adelabad, Adelabad Prison, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, irgc, Prisoner released, Sajad Zare, Shiraz, Zare

On October 4, political prisoner Sajad Zare was released from Adelabad Prison in Shiraz after completing his sentence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on September 26,he was transferred to the detention facility of the intelligence office where he was interrogated for two days. Thereafter, he was sent back to Adelabad prison where he was kept in the quarantine section until his release.

On May 24 of this year, Zare was granted furlough and went back to prison on July 11.

Zare was arrested by the intelligence unit of the Revolutionary Guards on February 10, 2020, and transferred to the detention facility of the intelligence unit in Shiraz. After completing the interrogation process, he was relocated to Adelabad Prison.

Addressing the first part of his case, the revolutionary court sentenced him to 17 months imprisonment on a charge related to “offensive statements against the supreme leader of Iran” and to 7 months on a charge of “propaganda against the regime”.

For the second part, he was condemned to five years imprisonment for the charge of “blasphemy”. The latter was reduced to 2 years by the court of appeal held in Tehran.

Zare is 33 years old and a resident of Shiraz.

Soheila Hejab Beaten in Garchak Prison While on Hunger Strike

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
Evin Prison, Gharchak, Gharchak prison, Hunger Strike, inmate beaten, irgc, prisoner beaten, prisoners accused of violent crimes, Soheila Hejab, tehran prison, Varamin, Varamin City, women's ward

Several inmates convicted of violent crimes recently beat political prisoner Soheila Hejab while she was on a hunger strike in Gharchak Prison in Varamin.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Hejab had been on a hunger strike since September 19 in protest of the increasing pressure on political prisoners and the intrusion of interrogators and other Judicial officers into court processing. Following promises from authorities, she ended her hunger strike on October 3.

“One of the shift officers on purpose opened the door of section 3 where inmates convicted for robbery are held,” an informed source told HRANA. “Several inmates of this section encroached into the section where she was located and took her to their section. They tore her winding-sheet which she was wearing as a sign of protest and forced her to eat in order to broke her strike. Once she resisted, they beat and took her back to her own section by dragged her on the floor.”

Mrs Hejab was arrested by security forces on June 1, 2019, and then released from Evin Prison in Tehran on a bail of 3 billion tomans on March 14, 2020.

Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court convicted her to 18 years imprisonment on charges of “propaganda against the regime, illegal assembly, incitement of public opinions to riot and organizing unlawful political groups”.

This long imprisonment stands at odds with Article 134 of Iran’s penal code whereupon the severest enforceable punishment is 5 years.

On May 23, 2020, the intelligence unit of the Revolutionary Guards arrested and transferred her to Gharchak Prison in Varamin city to serve out her sentence.

In December 2020, the revolutionary court held a new session for new indictments such as ” propaganda against the regime” and “incitement of public opinions”. Her phone calls while in detention were published online and presented in court as evidence for the above-mentioned charges. Mrs Hejab has been once arrested in Shiraz and released by granting pardon after five-month imprisonment.

 

 

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Activist and Teacher Aziz Ghasemzadeh Still Incommunicado in Detention

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News, Prisoners, Students
activist detained, Aziz Ghasemzadeh, educator arrested, freedom of expression, Ghasemzadeh, Gilan, Gilan province, Rusdar, Security forces, Teacher arrested, teacher detained

After eight days, teacher and union activist Aziz Ghasemzadeh is still  incommunicado in a detention facility of the intelligence office in Rudsar County in Gilan Province.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Ghasemzadeh has so far been denied access to a lawyer, phone calls and in-person visits.

On September 26 this year, security forces arrested the educator at his parents’ home in Rudsar. During the arrest, security forces inspected the house and confiscated several of Ghasemzadeh’s personal belongings.

The arrest took place the day after working and retired teachers held protests in 36 cities across the country, which were organized by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations.

According to HRANA, Ghasemzadeh is still being denied access to his lawyer and his temporary detention period has been extended. As of this writing, the charges against him are unknown.

 

 

Young Woman Burned to Death by Father in what Islamic Penal Code Deems “Honor Killing”

Posted on by A MN
News, Women
22-year-old Faezeh Maleki, Dolat-Abad, Eghbal Square, Fazeh Maleki, honor killing, Kurdistan, Kurdistan Province, Kurkureh, Sanandaj

Early on Sunday, October 3,  news spread on social media of a young woman who was burned to death by her father in Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan Province.

HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, has identified the victim as 22-year-old Faezeh Maleki, who had been living in Dolat-Abad (Kurkureh), a village in Sanandaj county.

Reportedly, after she passed away in hospital, her father was beaten by some people, which led to the arrest of some of these attackers.

“Faezeh Maleki got divorced shortly after her marriage,” an informed source told HRANA. “Thereafter, she wanted to marry a young man but his parent disagreed with this marriage. Once some pictures showing the continuation of their relationship came into the hands of her father, he punished his daughter by burning her with gasoline.”

In a post on social media, the victim’s surgeon announced her death and mentioned having a boyfriend as the reason why his father committed this crime. He said that her father is still free. Thereafter, his post was taken down for unknown reasons.

“They send her to hospital but medical team could not save her life and she passed away from severe injuries,” the source added. “Some furious citizens beat her father, who is drug-addicted, in Eghbal Square in Sanandaj. Police detained the father and some of these attackers.”

According to Islamic penal codes, the severity of a sentence in cases of homicide is in large part determined by the wishes of the “blood avenger”, or closest relation to the victim. If a father is convicted of killing his child, however, he can then act as his own “blood avenger”, which almost always results in a significantly lighter sentence.

Typically, a father convicted of killing his child be sentenced to “Weregild payment” and relatively short imprisonment. As case investigations have shown, this system has at times encouraged parents to commit such so-called “honor killing”, because they are aware of the sentence leniency that will be afforded to them if convicted.

Eight Street Booksellers Arrested by Security Police of NAJA

Posted on by A MN
Cultural, Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
booksellers detained, Citizen arrests, Citizen detention, Citizens arrested, Citizens detained, IBNA, NAJA, NAJA police, Security police of NAJA, Tehran, Tehran Province

On Saturday, October 2, Tehran’s Security Police of NAJA arrested eight street booksellers for allegedly selling illegal books.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IBNA, the police confiscated some of the books.

One of the members of the Workgroup for Protecting the Rights of Publishers and Booksellers called these detained booksellers “distributors of illegal and smuggled books”.

The member claimed that part of these confiscated books is the works of the supporters of the restoration of the monarchy in Iran as well as illegal books and unpermitted hard copies of bestselling books.

Nine Fatal Work Accidents in Recent Days Due to Unsafe Work Conditions

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Afghanistan, Ghaem Shahr, Kashmar City, Labor regulations, Mazandaran province, Neyshabur, Rajaei Port, Razavi Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan Province, Rokna, Shaban, Tehran, unsafe conditions, workplace safety

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, nine workers have recently lost their lives in separate accidents due to unsafe workplace conditions.

Last Wednesday, September 29, a labor source reports that in Alborz Province, a gas leak caused the suffocation of three workers led to their death before emergency forces arrived. Reportedly, these workers were hired to illegally branch off the gas pipe for a villa house.

In another accident, on Friday, October 1, in Kashmar City located in Razavi Khorasan, a worker fell into a hundred-meter-deep well and died before reaching the hospital.

That same day in Tehran, a 26-year-old worker of Afghanistan nationality died in a fire accident.

According to Rokna, on Friday, October 1, in Rajaei Port, an operator lost his life due to a rupture of wire rope of a 140-ton crane.

In Isfahan, a construction worker died due to falling debris. He later died in the hospital from severe injuries.

In a similar accident, on Saturday, October 2, in Neyshabur a city in Razavi Khorasan Province, a construction worker died due to the fall from the wall of an old building.

On that day, in Ghaem Shahr in Mazandaran province, a work accident at a construction site took another victim. Reportedly, the victim, Hassan Shaban, 32 years old, was working without having any safety equipment and died after falling from the fourth floor.

Six Inmates Executed in Shiraz, Two More Executed in Isfahan

Posted on by A MN
Executions, News
Adelabad Prison, Dastgerd, Dastgerd Prison, Hadi Razi, Isfahan, Isfahan Province, Meysam Atef-fard, Mostafa Ostowari, Omid Keshtkar, Rasul Akrami, Shiraz

On Tuesday October 1, six inmates were executed in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz. The previous day, two additional inmates were executed in Isfahan.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the prisoners had previously been sentenced to death on charges ranging from drug-involvement to murder.

HRANA has identified the name of the four above-mentioned inmates as follows: Rasul Akrami, Omid Keshtkar, Meysam Atef-fard, Hadi Razi. In addition, in the last few days, Mostafa Ostowari, convicted for murder, was transferred to a solitary confinement cell in order to be executed, reportedly tomorrow on Saturday.

As an update to the news about the execution of Abbas-Gholi Salehi in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, HRANA has confirmed that on September 29, two other inmates were also executed. Muhammad Bar-Ahooie, an Afghan, and Hamid Shahsenai were executed for drug-related crimes.

Iran ranks first in the world in executions per capita, according to international organizations. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported that between January 1 and December 20 of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed.

None of the above executions have been announced by any Iranian media or official sources.