Father Legally Bars 12-year-old Daughter From Attending World Equestrian Championship Abroad

12-year-old athlete Sara Pour-Azima was barred from participating in the World Equestrian Championships because her father legally banned her from leaving the country.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Pour-Azima was scheduled to leave for Russia his week with the rest of her team.

Mehrdad Mehravin, the lawyer of Sara’s mother, said the young athlete’s parents are currently embroiled in a legal battle regarding alimony, and that the father’s move to ban Sara from travel was part of an ongoing dispute with Sara’s mother. Sara reportedly found out that she had been barred from travel to the Championships upon arriving at the airport.

Given the importance of the trip in the athlete’s success and future, legal action was taken to obtain permission from the prosecutor so that Sarah could travel, but legal authorities did not ultimately issue an allowance for her to leave the country.

In Iran, before getting married, women need the legal permission of a father or paternal grandfather to leave the country, and the permission of a husband after marriage.

Prisoner Released from Gallows After Forgiveness from Parents

A prisoner in the city of Jiroft in Kerman Province, who had previously been sentenced to death for the murder of his brother, was released from the gallows after his family expressed their forgiveness.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna News, a prisoner in the city of Jiroft in Kerman Province was saved from execution following the pardon of his parents.

Mohammad Reza Sharifi, head of the Jiroft Prison Administration, commented on the reversal of the prisoner’s fate.

“With the efforts of the Dispute Resolution Council and the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the prison, the family of the victim, including his parents, wife, and children, expressed their consent and forgiveness,” Sharifi added, “and the prisoner was released from execution.”

Sharifi stated that the prisoner had murdered his brother with a firearm in one of the villages of Jiroft city in September 2019 due to family disputes, and had been in Jiroft Prison for almost 2 years.

“Due to the consent of the parents, the imprisonment due to the general aspect of the crime was reduced from ten years to three years with a reduction of the sentence, and during the meeting of the prison classification council, it was agreed to employ this prisoner.”

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

Friday and Saturday, July 2 and July 3

 

Several young job seekers in the Ghal’e Chan’an in Koot-Abdollah city, a group of workers of Kaveh Float Glass in Saveh, a group of fired workers of Khuzestan Pipe Manufacturing Company, a group of Shiraz Telecommunication employees, workers of the transportation unit of South Zagros Oil and Gas Production Company in Shiraz, Agar and Delan, a group of Khorramshahr municipality workers, and a group of pest control workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry Company all held labor protests on between Friday and Saturday.

A group of Khuzestan environmental activists, teachers of Green Score Letter, a number of farmers of Hamidiyeh city, and a group activists  protesting the killing of Kurdish Kolbars (cross-border labors) also held rallies.

 

Job seekers in the Ghal’e Chan’an in Koot-Abdollah:

Protesters against the killing of Kolbars:

 

Employees of Kaveh Float Glass in Saveh:

Employees of Shiraz Telecommunication:

Workers on the transportation unit of South Zagros Oil and Gas in Shiraz:

Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry Co. workers:

Khuzestan environmental activists:

 

Teachers of Green Score Letter:

Fired workers of Khuzestan Pipe Company

 

Khorramshahr municipality workers:

 

Sunday July 4:

A group of Karnameh Sabz teachers (Teachers of Green Score Letter) protested for a seventh day and night in a row. Animal rights advocates in Qazvin, ranchers in Takab city in West Azerbaijan province, shareholders of the Rezvan Qom project, retirees in Khorramabad , Shush, and Ahvaz, a group of Shush farmers, a group of pest control workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company for several consecutive days, a number of school janitors and caretakers in different provinces, retirees of Khuzestan Steel Company in Khuzestan and Isfahan Steel Company in Isfahan provinces, staff of Qom Health Centers, young job seekers from the village of Maravneh in Ahvaz, workers of Khorramshahr municipal for the second day in a row, and taxi drivers in Zanjan all also held protest rallies this Sunday.

 

Animal rights advocates in Qazvin:

Ranchers in Takab:

 

Shareholders of the Rezvan Qom project:

Qom Health Center staff:

Retirees in Khorramabad, Shush, and Ahvaz:

Shush farmers:

Khorramshahr municipally workers:

 

Pest control workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane:

School janitors:

 

Retirees of Khuzestan Steel and Isfahan Steel Companies:

Teachers of Green Score Letter:

 

Young job seekers from the village of Maravneh in Ahvaz:

 

Taxi drivers in Zanjan:

 

Monday, July 5

 

Following the general strikes of contract workers of refineries, petrochemicals and power plants, contract workers of Jofeir refinery in Khuzestan province, people in some cities of Golestan province including Gonbad Kavous, Bandar-e-Gaz, Bandar-e-Turkmen and Aqqala and also Kazerun in Keshavarzan in Fars province gathered after frequent, long-lasting power outages.  Farmers in Isfahan, shareholders and remitters of Azico Company, a group of pest control workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company for several consecutive days, a group of truck drivers from Rasht, a group of bakers in Qazvin, and a number of people with disabilities additionally organized demonstrations.

 

Protest of a of people in different cities with frequent, long-lasting power outages:

Kordkuy

Gonbad Kavus

 

Kazerun

 

Farmers in Isfahan:

 

Shareholders and remitters of Azico Company:

 

Pest control workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company:

Bakers in Qazvin:

Truck drivers in Rasht:

 

People with disabilities in Tehran:

 

Tuesday, July 6

 

Farmers in Ahvaz, a group of social security nurses in Tehran, kitchen workers in the Khark Offshore Oil Operation Area, employees in the Fars Region Telecommunication Company, a group of workers in the pest control department of Haft Tappeh Sugar Company for several consecutive days, a group of Retirees of Homa Airlines, Abadan bus contract workers, and contractors of the new city of Hashtgerd Metro all held protest rallies on Tuesday.

 

Ahvaz Farmers:

 

Social security nurses:

 

Kitchen workers in the Khark island Offshore:

Employees in the Fars Region Telecommunication Company:

Pest control workers of Haft Tappeh Sugar Company

Retirees of Homa Airline:

 

Abadan bus contract workers:

Staff contractors of Hashtgerd metro:

 

Wednesday, July 7

 

At least 4 rallies were held this Wednesday. Workers of Abadan Petrochemical, a group of third-party contract workers working in the South Pars Special Economic Zone, a group of Damghan cattle breeders, a group of railway maintenance workers in Azerbaijan all held protest rallies. Pest control workers from Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Cultivation also gathered for a twelfth for days in a row.

 

Workers of Abadan Petrochemical:

Contract workers South Pars Economic Zone:

 

Damghan cattle breeders:

 

Pest control workers of Haft Tappeh:

Lawyer and Defendant Amirsalar Davoodi to Face Retrial on July 13

The retrial of lawyer Amirsalar Davoodi will be held on July 13 in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Davoodi’s request for a retrial was accepted in June of this year. After awaiting a verdict for nearly three years, he was released from Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj on a bail of 2 billion Tomans.

Amirsalar Davoodi was arrested by security forces in November 2018 and was transferred to Evin Prison after being charged.

In April 2019, Vahid Meshgani Farahani, Mr. Davoodi’s lawyer said 8 – 9 charges are filed against Mr. Davoodi, including forming a group to overthrow the regime, cooperating with hostile states, propaganda against the regime, spreading lies, insulting officials and the leadership, and several other charges, two of which have been referred to Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal.

In June 2019, on charges of conspiracy against national security, Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Mr. Davoodi to 30 years in prison and 111 lashes. The sentence was confirmed by the court of appeals in August of that year.

Mr. Davoodi’s wife had previously stated that  15 out of 30 year prison sentence for Mr. Davoodi was for setting up a group on the social media application Telegram.

190 days after his arrest, Mr. Davoodi was transferred from the detention center of the Judiciary’s Intelligence Protection Organization to the General Ward of Evin Prison in June 2019.

Davoodi had defended many cases of prisoners and political defendants, including Soheil Arabi and Saeed Shirzad.

Two Death Sentences Issued in Tehran

Two death sentences were recently issued in Tehran.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Shargh Newspaper, a man was sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer he committed in April, 2004. Mehdi was sentenced under Qisas (“eye-for-an-eye”),  a pillar of Islamic sharia law .

It took 14 years following the incident until police officers discovered that Mehdi had started a secret new life in the city of Bonab and arrested him. Now, three years after his arrest, Mehdi has been sentenced to death, five years in prison, and 50 lashes.

According to HRANA, quoting Shahrvand Newspaper, another man was sentenced to death in Tehran on a charge of Moharebeh. Moharebeh, loosely translated as “waging war against God”, is a pillar of Islamic sharia law that is typically applied to those suspected of connection to any acts against the state.

Per the report, in late May 2017, detectives from the capital’s police station began investigating the case, and several men were arrested for extortion.

The case was sent from the Theft Court to the Revolutionary Court after a confession was obtained from the accused. Finally, the judge sentenced the leader of the extortionists to death.

Iran ranks first in the world in citizen executions per capita, according to international organizations. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported that between January 1st and December 20th of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed. One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders. An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

Saturday, June 26

Following the nationwide strikes of contract workers of refineries, petrochemicals and power plants, workers of Rijal Petrochemical Complex located in Mahshahr Special Zone, workers of the ODCC working in Isfahan Oil Refinery, and workers of Phase 2 of Bidboland Gas Refinery of Behbahan (ODCC) joined the movement. Kerman ranchers, and political and civil activists of Tehran also held protest rallies.

ODCC workers in Isfahan:

 

Regal petrochemical workers in Bandar-e-Imam:

 

Political and civil activists in Tehran:

Ranchers in Kerman:

 

Sunday, June 27

Workers of Gamma Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Company in Jask terminal, workers of Sazeh Pod Company working in Bushehr Petrochemical Company, radiograph workers of Nima Azmoun Steel, Radiography Companies, Pishtazan Aria, and Pioneers of Fars Technologies working in Phase 2 of Abadan Refinery, went on strike and joined the “Strike” movement.

A number of other protests happened as well. A group of shareholders of Azerbaijan Automotive Industry Company (Azovico), several official employees of Shiraz Oil Refinery, a group of pest control workers of Haft Tappeh Sugar Company, retirees of the Isfahan Steel Company and Khuzestan Steel Company, Homa Airlines retirees, a group of teachers of Green Score Letter, a group of retired workers, ranchers in Isfahan, Yazd, Fars and Khorasan Razavi provinces, a group of Izeh Azad University students, several businesses in Iranshahr, and workers at truck-washing and disinfection sites all staged protest rallies to call on their demands be addressed.

 

Workers of Gamma Oil, Engineering and Construction Companies Association of Oil, and Gas and Petrochemical Company:

 

Bushehr petroleum workers:

 

Abadan refinery workers:

 

Shareholders of Azerbaijan Automotive Industry:

 

Parsian petroleum workers in Shiraz:

Pest control workers:

Retirees of the Isfahan Steel Company and Khuzestan Steel Company:

Homa Airlines retirees:

Teachers of Green Score Letter:

 

Ranchers of Isfahan, Yazd, Fars and Khorasan Razavi provinces

Retirees seeking social security:

Workers at truck-washing and disinfection:

Students of Izeh University:

Monday, June 28

East Azarbaijan Railway technical workers,  a group of Isfahan farmers, bankrupted shareholders of Samen coin, and a group of MG car remitters, a group of truck drivers in Ardakan city went on strike to protest the non-fulfillment of their demands. Teachers at Green Score Letter also gathered in protest for the second day in a row.

Shareholders of Samen coin:

 

MG car remitters:

 Technical construction workers of East Azerbaijan railway:

Green Score Letter teachers:

 

Isfahan Farmers:

Ardakan truck drivers:

 

Tuesday, June 29

Workers of Arta Energy Company working in Ardabil Petrochemical Company, workers of Andimeshk Power Plant, Lamerd Refinery workers and Lordegan Petrochemical Workers, Azad University professors, a group of Kaveh company shareholders, a group of servants and caretakers of Mashhad schools, a group of dermatology assistants of medical universities, a group of school teachers, a group of green resume teachers, and a number of medical students and physicians in different cities of the country, including Kerman, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran, held protest rallies.

Andimeshk Power Plant employees:

 

Ardabil Petrochemical Company employees:

 

Lamerd Refinery workers:

 

 Green Score Letter teachers:

University professors:

Physicians and medical students in different cities:

Kaveh company shareholders:

School janitors in Mashhad:

Dermatologists and assistants:

School teachers:

Wednesday, June 30

North Azadegan Oil workers, employees of Sepahan Isfahan Cement Factory, a group of retirees of the bus company, a group of taxi drivers in Saqez, a group of journalists, and a group of official employees of Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company held protest rallies.

Taxi drivers in Saqez:

Sepahan Isfahan Cement Factory workers:

Bus company retirees:

Journalists:

 

Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company employees:

 

Thursday, July 1

A group of employees of Persian Gulf Holding Petrochemical Companies, and retirees of Isfahan Telecommunication Company held protest rallies.

Isfahan Telecommunication Company workers:

Hossein Kheiri Sentenced to Death for “Moharebeh”

Babak Paknia, the lawyer of political prisoner Hossein Kheiri, announced the issuance of the death sentence to his client on charges of Moharebeh by destroying property with the intention to oppose the regime.

Moharebeh, loosely translated as “waging war against God”, is a pillar of Sharia Law that is typically applied to those suspected of connection to any acts against the state.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the Emtedad news, Paknia has stated, “Our strong evidence shows that the charge of moharebeh does not fit the actions taken by my client.”

He explained that an indictment was issued by the Evin Security Court against eight people, of whom four were accused of moharebeh and the rest were prosecuted on charges of collusion against national security and the like.

“We defended and the court accepted that out of the four, three could not be punished under the guise of moharebeh, but the actions of Hossein Kheiri were recognized as moharebeh and a death sentence was issued for him,” Paknia said. “We will submit our bill of appeal in two weeks to be reconsidered in the Supreme Court.”

Dorsa Dehghani Released on Bail; Sina Kamali Sarvestani Still in Detention

Baha’i citizen Dorsa Dehghani was released on bail on Thursday, July 1st, while  Sina Kamali Sarvestani, another Baha’i resident of Shiraz, is still being held in an undisclosed location after 17 days of detention.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, these citizens were arrested separately on June 14 by IRGC intelligence agents.

According to unofficial sources, more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism.

Because their faith is not considered legitimate by authorities, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.

This deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a violation 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.

Three Christian Converts Sentenced to a Total of 15 Years in Prison and a Fine

Amin Khaki, Milad Goodarzi, and Alireza Nourmohammadi were sentenced by the Fourth Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj to five years each in prison and a fine of 40 million tomans.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the website Article 18 , the three christian converts were sentenced for “Propaganda and educational activities contrary to the holy Sharia of Islam”.

The citizens had been released on bail of 250 million tomans each in November 2020 after being summoned to judicial authorities and filing a case.

Despite the fact that Christians are recognized as a religious minority under Iranian law, the security services nevertheless pursue the issue of Muslims converting to Christianity with particular sensitivity and deal harshly with activists in this field.

The Iranian regime targets Christian converts despite 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.

Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Students Protest Admin’s Negligence Leading up to Student Suicide

On Monday, June 28, in the aftermath of Saeed Gholi Beiglou’s suicide, several Ferdowsi University of Mashhad students gathered to protest Admin’s negligence leading up to the tragedy.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Gholi Beiglou was a postdoctoral researcher studying physics. Students have stated that Gholi Beiglou had attempted to kill himself the previous day, and university officials had sent him back to his dormitory without providing any support. He hung himself from the ceiling fan of his dormitory the following day.

Students are demanding that the university take responsibility for Gholi Beiglou’s death.