Category: Freedom of Expression

Hashem Amini Sentenced to 13 Years In Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Bajestan, Hasem Amini, Torbat Heydariyeh

Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Torbat Heydariyeh sentenced Hashem Amini to 13 years in prison. Grounded on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, if confirmed on appeal, the severest punishment of 5 years will be enforceable.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Amini, a resident of Bajestan was charged with “membership in anti-regime groups, offensive statements against the Supreme Leader of Iran and participation in an illegal assembly”. The verdict was issued by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Torbat Heydariyeh.

Amini has to face other charges in a separate legal case. On June 17, 2021,  security forces arrested him at his home in Bajestan City and transferred him to a detention centre at the disposal of the Ministry of Intelligence in Mashhad City. On July 8, 2021, he was released on bail. For this case, his trial will be held at Branch 2 of the Criminal Court on February 27, 2022.

Workers’ Rights Activist Alieh Eghdam Doost Arrested in Fuman City

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Alieh Eghdam Doost, worker's rights

On February 7, security forces arrested workers’ rights activist Alieh Eghdam Doost in Fuman City and transferred her to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Independent Iranian Workers Union, Doost was arrested at her home at 9 AM. The Branch 2 of Fuman Courthouse, on behalf of Evin Moghaddas Courthouse, issued the arrest warrant. Reportedly, she has been accused of “propaganda against the regime”.

Doost, 69 years old, is a workers’ rights activist and has faced other arrested and convictions.

Azerbaijani Turk Activist Abbas Nikravan Sentenced to 91 Days In Prison

Posted on by A MN
Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Abbas Nikravan, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Salmas

Abbas Nikravan, an Azerbaijani Turk Activist and resident of Salmas City, was sentenced to 91 days in prison by the Criminal Court of Salmas.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Branch 102 of Salmas’s Criminal Court sentenced Nikravan on the charge of “propaganda against the regime on the Internet”. The sentence is grounded in Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code.

On September 5, 2021, security forces arrested and transferred him to the Ministry of Intelligence Office in Urmia City. On September 21 of last year, he was released on bail from Urmia Prison.

Nikravan has another arrest on his rap sheet. On July 5, 2018, he was arrested during an annual gathering in Babak Castle and released on bail six days later.

Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association Member Jafar Ebrahimi Sentenced to Four Years and Six Months in Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Iranian Teachers Trade Association, Jafar Ebrahimi

Jafar Ebrahimi, a teacher and member of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, was sentenced by the Karaj Revolutionary Court to four years and six months in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the court notified Ebrahimi about the sentence sentence on charges of “spreading lies” and “propaganda against the regime” and “acting against national security.” The trial was held in November of 2021.

Earlier on May 19, 2020, he was indicted by Culture and Media Court for publishing official statements for the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations. He was finally released on bond pending further legal proceedings.

Approaching the anniversary of the Aban Protest, security forces arrested him while he was going to the cemetery to attend a memorial for those killed by the regime during the Aban Protests. On December 26, 2019, he stated during a phone call that he was sent to Rajai Shahr Prison. One month later, he was released on bail. At the time he was detained, he was banned from teaching by the Ministry of Education of Shahriar on the pretext of “unjustified absence”.

Azerbaijani Turk Activist Mohammad Aini Arrested in Rasht City

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Freedom of Expression, News
Mohammad Aini

On January 23, Azerbaijani Turk activist Mohammad Aini was arrested after an appearance at the Ministry of Intelligence Office in Rasht City. After, he was transferred to an unidentified location. He was summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence the day before the arrest.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, security and judicial officials have not provided his family with any information about his whereabouts or the reason for his arrest.

Aini has faced other arrests. In October of 2020, amid the widespread protests in the Azerbaijani regions in the Western part of the country, he was arrested in Rasht City. After some time, he was released from jail on bail. In February of 2021, he was tried by Branch 12 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht on the charge of “acting against national security” and was finally acquitted.

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Tohidi, Mohammad Iran-Nejad and Sara Askari Fined, Sentenced to Imprisonment

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Mohammad Iran-Nejad, Sara Askari, Yashar Tohidi

Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Yashar Tohidi, Mohammad Iran-Nejad and Sara Askari, all residents of Tehran, to more than seven years of imprisonment combined, as well as a fine.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Tohidi and Iran-Nejad were each sentenced to three years and five months in prison on charges of “acting against national security through membership in one of the Marxist groups” and “propaganda against the regime”. If this verdict is upheld, the severest punishment of two years and nine months on the charge of “acting against national security through membership in a Marxist group” is enforceable per Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code.

Askari has also been sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of 7,000,000 tomans on the charge of “spreading lies”. Her sentence has been suspended for five years.

The trial against these citizens was held on January 17, 2022.

On June 23, 2021, security forces arrested Tohifi and transferred him to the IRGC-controlled Ward 2-A in Evin Prison. After 12 days of interrogation, he was released on bail of 500 million tomans until the end of legal proceedings.

Iran-Nejad and Tohidi have already faced other arrests and convictions in their rap sheets.

Translator and Civil Activist Shohreh Hosseini Summoned to Serve Her Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News
Shohreh Hosseini

Translator and civil activist Shohreh Hosseini was summoned by the Executive Unit of Evin Courthouse to serve her sentence. She was sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran to three years and three months in prison. Grounded in Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, from the verdict, the severest punishment of two years and seven months is enforceable.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, translator and civil activist Shohreh Hosseini was summoned to appear at the executive unit of Evin courthouse in order to endure her sentence in this prison.

On January 18, 2021, the Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Judge Afshari, sentenced Shohreh Hosseini to four years and two months on the charges of “assembly and collusion to act against national security” and “membership in anti-regime group and propaganda against the regime”. This verdict was reduced to three years and three months on appeal. For the charge of ” assembly and collusion”, the punishment of two years and seven months is enforceable.

On October 2, 2020, IRGC’s security agents arrested and transferred her to the detention centre known as Ward 2-A in Evin Prison. Four days later, she was released on bail of 500 million tomans until the end of the legal proceedings. These agents confiscated some of her personal belongings such as a laptop, phone and some documents.

Once again, on December 8, 2020, Branch 2 of the Evin Prosecutor office was summoned and arrested. They also raised the bail to 1 billion tomans.

On December 29, 2020, she was transferred from Ward 2-A to the public ward of Evin at the end of the interrogation process. 19 days later, she was released temporarily by providing the bail of 1 billion tomans.

French Tourist Benjamin Briere Sentenced to Eight Years In Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Benjamin Briere, saeed dehghan

On January 25, Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad sentenced Benjamin Briere to eight years in prison. The court session had been held on January 20.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists,  French tourist Benjamin Briere who is jailed in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad City, was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of “spying” and “propaganda against the regime”. Two other charges of “spreading corruption on earth” and “drinking alcohol” were already dismissed by the court.

Briere’s lawyer, Saeed Dehghan, tweeted that “1. Just before the trial, they changed the branch where the court was going to be held, 2. the trial was not public and 3. it was quite obvious that the judge has already taken a position, 3. They mentioned the word “exchange” (apparently referring to a prisoner swap with the French government) which reveals their intention”.

Briere has been in pre-trial detention for almost 600 days.

In late December of 2021, he was denied making a phone call to his family on Christmas night and in protest, went on hunger strike.

In May 2020, Briere was arrested by security forces and has since been jailed in Vakilabad Prison.

According to Dehghan, these charges were based on actions such as taking aerial photos with a remote-controlled helicam and posing questions such as “why is the veil (Hijab) forced in Iran but not other Islamic countries”.

Rapper Toomaj Salehi Fined and Sentenced to Six Months Suspended Imprisonment

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Freedom of Expression, News
Tomaj Salehi

The Revolutionary Court of Shahin-Shahr sentenced Toomaj Salehi to six months in prison and a fine. The verdict was suspended for one year. Salehi is a rapper who is well-known for his protest songs.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists. Rapper, Salehi was exonerated from the charge of “provoking violence and insurrection”.

On September 12, 2021, Salehi was arrested by security forces at his home and nine days later, released on bond from Dastgerd Prison.

Nobel Laureates and Prominent Academics Demand Immediate Release of Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Ali Younesi, Amirhossein Moradi, nobel, Randy Wayne Schekman

In a joint letter, a group of Nobel laureates and prominent academics urged Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to ask that the Iranian regime release two detained Iranian students, Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on the 18 January, in a joint letter, 16 Nobel laureates and prominent scholars called for the immediate release of Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi.

Earlier, on May 15, 2020, in an open letter, several Nobel laureates asked UN high commissioner, Michelle Bachelet to put efforts to ensure the immediate release of the two students.

Professor Noam Chomsky (linguist and philosopher), Randy Wayne Schekman ( Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2013), Barry Barish (Nobel Laureate in Physics in 2017) and Richard John Roberts (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1993) are among the writers of this letter.

On April 10, 2020, these two Sharif University of Technology students were violently arrested. Since the arrest, they have been subjected to torture-tainted interrogations to make forced confessions on television.

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 also won a gold medal in the 12th World Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad in China.