Category: Freedom of Expression

Ali Kalateh-Dolati Arrested in Sabzevar

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Kalateh-Dolati, HRANA, Sabzevar, علی کلاته دولتی

HRANA – Ali Kalateh-Dolati, a resident of Sabzevar who had been under judicial pursuit in connection with a case related to the January protests, was arrested by security forces at his home yesterday and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, Ali Kalateh-Dolati has been arrested.

Based on information received by HRANA, security forces raided his home on the morning of Thursday, July 16, and arrested him.

A source close to Mr. Kalateh-Dolati’s family confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “He had been facing a judicial case in connection with the January 2026 protests and was under judicial pursuit.”

As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding his whereabouts or the charges brought against him.

Dena Karari, Dual Iranian-American Citizen, Leaves Iran for the United States

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Dena Karari, HRANA

HRANA – The attorney for Dena Karari, a dual Iranian-American citizen, announced that his client has left Iran and is en route to the United States. Ms. Karari, who traveled to Iran in December 2024 to visit her family, was detained for a period and later released on bail. However, she had been barred from leaving the country until today.

According to HRANA, on Thursday, July 16, 2026, Dena Karari departed Iran.

Jared Genser, Ms. Karari’s attorney, stated in a post, that his client is now safe and on her way back to the United States.

Genser also said in an interview that “53-year-old Karari had suffered a massive heart attack last week, and there were significant concerns about her condition moving forward.”

According to Genser, Iranian authorities had pursued charges against Ms. Karari on allegations of “cooperation with a hostile government” and “espionage.” He described the accusations as baseless and said that although she had been accused, she was never formally charged.

Dena Karari, a dual citizen of the United States and Iran, traveled to Iran in December 2024 to visit her family. As she was preparing to leave the country, security agents confiscated her passports. She was detained for a period and later released on bail; however, she was not permitted to leave Iran.

Karari is an employee of a U.S. technology company and the founder of a charitable organization supporting underprivileged children in Iran.

January 2026 Protests: Mohammad Aein Moayed Mohseni Sentenced to Prison

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Mohammad Aein Moayed Mohseni, Reza Salehiyeh, Seyed Ali Mazloum, سید علی مظلوم, موید محسنی

HRANA – The prison sentence of Mohammad Aein Moayed Mohseni, a 19-year-old detainee from the January 2026 protests, has been reduced to two years by the Tehran Province Court of Appeals. He had previously been sentenced to five years in prison by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court at the trial stage.

According to HRANA, Mohammad Aein Moayed Mohseni has been sentenced to prison.

According to a ruling issued by Branch 21 of the Tehran Province Court of Appeals, Mr. Moayed Mohseni was sentenced to two years in prison on the charge of assembly and collusion against national security.

Reza Salehiyeh, an attorney and human rights activist, stated that in this case, printing a number of small leaflets using a standard home printer was considered evidence supporting the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security” against Mohammad.

The indictment against him was issued two days after his arrest, on January 5, 2026, by Branch 2 of the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office. He was subsequently tried by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Seyed-Ali Mazloum, and in the initial ruling was sentenced to five years in prison.

Mr. Moayed Mohseni was arrested by security forces on January 3, 2026, in Tehran. He was released from Greater Tehran Penitentiary in late March 2026 after posting bail.

Filmmaker Sepideh Abtahi Arrested by Security Forces

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
iranian filmmaker, Sepideh Abtahi, سپیده ابطحی

HRANA – On Wednesday, July 15, Sepideh Abtahi, a documentary filmmaker and film editor, was arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location. At the same time, several of her personal belongings were confiscated by the agents.

According to HRANA, Sepideh Abtahi has been arrested.

Ms. Abtahi was arrested at her home on Wednesday morning by security forces. The agents also seized several of her electronic devices.

As of the time of writing, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for her arrest, her place of detention, or the charges brought against her.

Sepideh Abtahi, aged approximately 52, is a member of the Iranian Alliance of Motion Picture Guilds (Khaneh Cinema) and formerly served as the secretary of the Iranian Documentary Filmmakers Association.

Hassan Ronaghi Arrested by Security Forces in Malekan

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Hassan Ronaghi, Hossein Ronaghi, Malekan

HRANA – Yesterday, Hassan Ronaghi, a resident of Malekan, was arrested by security forces in the city and transferred to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, Hassan Ronaghi has been arrested.

The arrest took place yesterday, July 15, in the city of Malekan, East Azerbaijan province. He had previously announced on his attributed social media page that his one-year prison sentence, issued in the preliminary stage by Branch 102 of the Malekan Criminal Court No. 2 on the charge of “spreading falsehoods with the intent to disturb public opinion in support of and to strengthen the Zionist regime,” had been upheld in full by Branch 12 of the East Azerbaijan Province Court of Appeals.

As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for his arrest or his whereabouts.

Hassan Ronaghi is the brother of Hossein Ronaghi, a civil activist. He has previously faced arrests and judicial harassment due to his past activities.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Teachers’ Union Activist Shokrollah Ahmadi Sentenced to Three Years, Seven Months in Prison

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
HRANA, Shokrollah Ahmadi, شکرالله احمدی

HRANA – Shokrollah Ahmadi, a teachers’ union activist in Nurabad Mamasani, has been sentenced by a court to three years, seven months, and 15 days in prison.

According to HRANA, citing the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, Shokrollah Ahmadi has been sentenced to imprisonment.

According to a verdict issued and served by a judicial authority in Nurabad Mamasani, located in Fars province, Mr. Ahmadi was sentenced to three years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security,” and to seven months and 15 days in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

In January 2026, Shokrollah Ahmadi was arrested in connection with the nationwide protests in Mamasani. He was released on bail after a period in detention.

Shokrollah Ahmadi serves as an inspector for the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations and is a teachers’ union activist in Nurabad Mamasani. He has previously faced judicial action due to his union activities.

January 2026 Protests: Shadi Shadman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, HRANA, Khadijeh Shadman, Shadi Shadman

HRANA – Shadi (Khadijeh) Shadman, arrested during the nationwide protests of 2026, who is currently imprisoned in Evin Prison, has been sentenced to five years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Based on information received by HRANA, Shadi Shadman was sentenced to five years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. The verdict was formally communicated to her last week while she was being held in Evin Prison.

An informed source told HRANA: “Shadi Shadman was sentenced to this prison term due to her participation in the January 2026 protests.”

A hearing on the charges against Ms. Shadman was held before the same branch of the Revolutionary Court some time ago.

Ms. Shadman was arrested by security forces during the nationwide protests in January 2026. After spending one month in detention at a security detention facility in eastern Tehran, she was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison on January 29, 2026.

A source close to Ms. Shadman’s family told HRANA’s reporter that she is the mother of a nine-year-old daughter and the sole provider for her household. Before her arrest, she worked as a seamstress and baker. She had participated in the January 2026 protests to demonstrate against rising prices, inflation, and poor economic conditions. The source emphasized that she had no particular political affiliation.

The source further stated that Ms. Shadman was arrested in front of her daughter. Since then, responsibility for caring for the child has fallen to her extended family. Her family lives in Khorasan Province, and during the seven months she has remained in detention, the long distance and other existing difficulties have prevented her from seeing her daughter.

HRANA’s investigation into the charges brought against Ms. Shadman remains ongoing.

It should be noted that protests and strikes by shopkeepers and bazaar merchants began in Tehran on Sunday, December 28, 2025, and within two days spread beyond markets and commercial centers. With the participation of students, citizens, and various social groups, these protests became one of the largest protest movements of recent years. Following the crackdown by security and law enforcement forces, thousands were killed or injured, and tens of thousands were arrested or summoned by security agencies. For more information, readers may refer to HRANA’s comprehensive report titled “Crimson Winter,” documenting the first fifty days following the outbreak of Iran’s nationwide protests.

Poet Mehregan Namavar Arrested by Security Forces in Dehdasht

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Dehdasht, HRANA, Mehregan Namavar, مهرگان نام آور

HRANA – Mehregan Namavar, a poet from Dehdasht, was arrested by security forces in the city on Sunday, July 5, and her whereabouts remain unknown.

According to HRANA, Mehregan Namavar has now been held in detention for nine days. A source close to her family told HRANA that Ms. Namavar was arrested at her home in Dehdasht on July 5 by security agents. Since then, her family has received no information regarding her fate.

At the time of writing, the reasons for her arrest and the location where she is being held remain unknown.

Her arrest came despite the fact that she had been instructed to report to the Kohgiluyeh Prosecutor’s Office Sentence Enforcement Branch on July 15 to begin serving her prison sentence.

In March 2026, Ms. Namavar was sentenced by Branch 102 of the Criminal Court Two of Kohgiluyeh County to two years of discretionary imprisonment on the charge of spreading falsehoods online with the intent to disturb public opinion. In another part of her case, the Revolutionary Court of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, sitting in Kohgiluyeh County, sentenced her to one year in prison on charges of attempting to disrupt national security and inciting killings through disturbing public opinion.

Ms. Namavar had previously been arrested by security forces in Dehdasht in March 2025. She was released on bail some time later.

Mehregan Namavar, aged approximately 39, is the mother of one daughter and a poet from Dehdasht.

Two Brothers Detained by Security Forces in Paveh

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Nowzad Valadbeigi, Paveh, Sabah Valadbeigi, صباح ولدبیگی, نوزاد ولدبیگی

HRANA – Sabah Valadbeigi, a retired teacher, has been detained by security forces in Paveh County for the past 12 days and is being held in one of the security detention facilities in Kermanshah. His brother, Nowzad Valadbeigi, was also arrested by intelligence forces in Paveh, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

According to HRANA, citing Kolbar News, the two brothers, Sabah Valadbeigi and Nowzad Valadbeigi, are currently in detention.

According to the report, on the evening of Monday, July 1, 2026, intelligence agents raided the family home of Sabah Valadbeigi in the village of Nuryab, in Paveh County, Kermanshah Province, and arrested him without presenting a judicial warrant.

One day after his arrest, Mr. Valadbeigi briefly contacted his family by phone and informed them that he had been transferred to one of the security detention facilities in Kermanshah for interrogation. He has since been denied access to legal counsel and family visits, while the security authorities have refused to provide any information regarding his condition or legal case.

In addition, Nowzad Valadbeigi, Sabah’s brother, was also arrested in recent days by intelligence agents in Paveh and transferred to an undisclosed location.

No information is currently available regarding the reasons for their arrests or the charges brought against them.

Sabah Valadbeigi is a retired teacher, environmental activist, head of the “Noor” mountaineering group in Paveh, and a former district governor (Bakhshdar) of Bayangan and the Central District of Paveh.

Report on the Arrest of Kameen Korki in Mashhad

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Amin Korki, HRANA, Kameen Korki, Mashhad, Ruhollah Korki

HRANA – Kameen Korki, the brother of death row political prisoner Ruhollah Korki, was arrested by security forces in Mashhad on Friday, July 3. His whereabouts remain unknown.

According to HRANA, Kameen Korki has now been held in detention for eight days.

Based on information received by HRANA, Kameen Korki was arrested by security forces in Mashhad on Friday, July 3, and transferred to an undisclosed location. A source close to the Korki family confirmed the arrest and told HRANA that, today, a notification was issued through Iran’s Sana electronic judiciary system informing him that his case had been referred to Branch 257 of the Investigative Office of the Mashhad Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the source, Kameen has had no contact with his family throughout his detention, further intensifying their concerns about his condition and whereabouts.

At the time of writing, no information has been made available regarding the reasons for his arrest or the charges brought against him.

Kameen Korki, aged approximately 34, is a married resident of Tehran. He is the brother of Ruhollah Korki, a political prisoner sentenced to death, and Amin Korki, who was arrested during the nationwide protests of December 2017. It is worth noting that Amin Korki died under unclear circumstances in April 2018 after being re-arrested.