Category: Freedom of Expression

A Prisoner Executed in Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz

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Freedom of Expression, News
ahvaz, Dezful, Sepidar Prison, Zahir Shamsi

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Saturday, April 5, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted of murder was carried out in Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz.

Iran Human Rights has identified the prisoner as Zahir Shamsi, 32 years old, a resident of Dezful and father of a five-year-old daughter.

According to the report, Mr. Shamsi was arrested four years ago on charges of murdering his cousin and was later sentenced to death by the judiciary. Before his arrest, he worked as a tile and ceramic installer.

As of the time of this report, the execution has not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.

Wahab Khadiri Pour Sentenced to Prison by Mahabad Revolutionary Court

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Mahabad Prison, Shomal Khadiri Pour, Wahab Khadiri Pour, وهاب خدیری پور

HRANA News Agency – Wahab Khadiri Pour, a resident of Mahabad, has been sentenced to 10 months in prison by the city’s Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, quoting Kolbar News, Mr. Khadiri Pour was sentenced to prison on the charge of alleged collaboration with one of the opposition parties.

He had been arrested on January 19, 2025, following a summons by the Mahabad office of the Ministry of Intelligence. After his interrogation, he was transferred from The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility to Mahabad Prison. He was released from Mahabad Prison on February 20, 2025, after posting bail.

Wahab Khadiri Pour, 32, is the father of two children. He is also the cousin of Shomal Khadiri Pour, one of the victims killed during the 2022 nationwide protests.

Farzad Abdi Arrested by Security Forces in Dehloran County

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Freedom of Expression, News
Dehloran, Farzad Abdi, Nowruz, Pahle

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, Farzad Abdi, a resident of Dehloran County, was arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, citing Kurdpa, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, Farzad Abdi was arrested in Dehloran County located in Ilam province. Security forces reportedly arrested this resident of the city of Pahle in Dehloran without presenting a judicial warrant and used physical violence during the arrest.

A source familiar with the situation stated that Mr. Abdi’s arrest took place following a Nowruz celebration held in the city of Pahle.

As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained regarding his whereabouts or the charges brought against him.

Sociologist Mostafa Mehraeen Faces Legal Action Over Open Letter to Supreme Leader

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Khamenei, irgc, Mostafa Mehraeen, Tarbiat Modares

HRANA News Agency – A judicial case has been opened against Mostafa Mehraeen, a sociologist, at the Culture and Media Prosecutor’s Office in Iran.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the case stems from an open letter Mehraeen published, addressing Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. The letter, which is now the basis for legal proceedings, is under review at Branch 9 of the Culture and Media Prosecutor’s Office.

In the letter, Mehraeen sharply criticized the Supreme Leader’s governance and proposed sweeping political reforms. His recommendations included the release of political prisoners, the dissolution of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the holding of a national referendum, amendments to the constitution, and the eventual resignation of the Supreme Leader.

Mostafa Mehraeen is an assistant professor of sociology at the Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies. He holds a Ph.D. in the sociology of culture from Tarbiat Modares University and is known for his scholarly work on culture, art, and literature. Over the years, he has authored and translated numerous academic publications in these fields.

Mohammad-Ali Azari Arrested by Security Forces in Urmia

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Freedom of Expression, News
Mohammad-Ali Azari, Naqadeh, Urmia

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, March 28, Mohammad-Ali Azari, a resident of Urmia, was arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.

Kurdpa has identified him as Mohammad-Ali Azari, father of two, originally from Naqadeh and currently residing in Urmia.

According to the report, Mr. Azari was arrested yesterday by security forces who used violence during the raid on his home. His arrest is reportedly linked to his participation in a Nowruz (Persian New Year) celebration. Each year, the regime’s security forces attempt to prevent Nowruz celebrations, resorting to summoning, threatening, and arresting dozens of citizens to that end.

As of now, there is no information about his whereabouts or the charges brought against him.

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Omid Moloudian Arrested by Security Forces in Bukan

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Freedom of Expression, News
Bukan, Nowruz celebration, Omid Moloudian

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, Omid Moloudian, a resident of Bukan County, was arrested by security forces in the city and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to Kurdpa, Omid Moloudian, 22 years old, is a resident the village of “Kahrizeh Sardar,” a rural district of Bukan. The report states that Mr. Moloudian was arrested in connection with his participation in Nowruz celebrations.

As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained regarding his whereabouts or the charges against him.
Each year, the regime’s security forces attempt to prevent Nowruz celebrations in Kurdish-populated areas, resorting to summoning, threatening, and arresting dozens of citizens to that end.

Teacher’s Union Activist Kobra Taherkhani Sentenced to Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Kobra Taherkhani, Pari Taherkhani, Qazvin, کبری طاهرخانی

HRANA News Agency – Kobra (Pari) Taherkhani, a teachers’ union activist in Qazvin, has been sentenced by Branch 2 of the Qazvin Revolutionary Court to three years in prison and a three-year travel ban.

According to the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, the verdict was issued on March 16, 2025, and formally communicated to Ms. Taherkhani. She received two years in prison for insulting the Supreme Leader and one year for propaganda against the regime. Additionally, she was sentenced to a three-year travel ban as a supplementary punishment.

The charges against Ms. Taherkhani were partly based on content published on her Instagram page.

Earlier, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, she was summoned for interrogation at Branch 1 of the Qazvin Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office. After being formally charged, she was released on bail.

Prior to that, on December 2, 2024, IRGC Intelligence agents raided her home in Qazvin, interrogated her for several hours, and confiscated her mobile phone and laptop.

Kobra (Pari) Taherkhani is a teachers’ union activist with 26 years of experience and currently serves as the principal of a lower secondary school in Qazvin Province.

Mohammad Amouri Sentenced to One Year in Prison on Political Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News
ahvaz, Mohammad Amouri, Sheiban Prison

HRANA News Agency –The Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz has sentenced Mohammad Amouri, a citizen held in Sheiban Prison, to one year in prison.

Based on the verdict issued by the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court and communicated to Mr. Amouri, he has been sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of propaganda against the regime, with time spent in detention counted toward the sentence.

On January 8, 2025, Mohammad Amouri was arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in Ramhormoz and transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility. He was eventually moved to Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz.

Mohammad Amouri is a 27-year-old citizen from Ramshir, Khuzestan Province.

Naser Akbari and Taleb Bagheri Sentenced to Imprisonment and Fines on Political Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News
Naser Akbari, Shahin Dej, Shahin Dezh, Taleb Bagheri

HRANA News Agency – The Shahin Dezh Criminal Court has sentenced two citizens, Naser Akbari and Taleb Bagheri, to 21 months of imprisonment each, in addition to monetary fines, on political charges.

According to the verdict issued by Branch 101 of the Shahin Dezh Criminal Court on March 13, 2025, both individuals were sentenced to 7 months and 16 days in prison for “propaganda against the regime” and 13 months and 17 days in prison along with a fine of 28,400,000 tomans for “spreading falsehoods online with the intent to disturb public opinion.”

The court issued the verdict against Mr. Bagheri in absentia due to his failure to appear at the hearing.

Naser Akbari, a resident of Shahin Dezh, was arrested by security forces on October 12, 2023. After four months in detention, he was released on bail. Mr. Akbari has a prior record of arrest and conviction related to his activities.

Taleb Bagheri is a resident of Parsian County in Hormozgan Province.

A Citizen Arrested by Security Forces in Sarbaz County

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Freedom of Expression, News
Balal Irandoost, Sarbaz

HRANA News Agency – Today, Friday, March 21, Balal Irandoost, a resident of Sarbaz County, was arrested by agents of The Ministry of Intelligence and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, quoting Rasank News, the individual has been identified as Balal Irandoost, approximately 30 years old, and a resident of Sarbaz County, Sistan and Baluchestan province.

According to the report, Mr. Irandoost was arrested by The Ministry of Intelligence agents while driving on the Sarbaz-Rask road and transferred to an unknown location.

The reasons for his arrest and the charges against him remain unknown.