Category: Freedom of Expression

Environmental Activist Yousef Farhadi Babadi Sentenced to Imprisonment and Fine

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Freedom of Expression, News
Tehran, Yousef Farhadi Babadi, یوسف فرهادی بابادی

Yousef Farhadi Babadi, an environmental activist, has been sentenced to two years in prison and a fine by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Based on a verdict issued by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court and delivered to Mr. Farhadi Babadi’s lawyer on July 6th, he has been sentenced to one year in prison for “propaganda activities against the regime” and one year in prison and a fine of 15 million tomans for “spreading falsehoods against the Ministry of Intelligence.”

The court session for addressing the charges against this citizen was held on Tuesday, July 2nd of this year in the aforementioned branch.

Farhadi Babadi was summoned to Branch 1 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office in late April after receiving a summons. The indictment for his case regarding the above charges was issued in May.

This citizen also has a history of previous arrests.

Amir Sheibani Zaveh’s Conviction Upheld on Appeal

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Freedom of Expression, News
Amir Sheibani Zaveh, Razavi Khorasan Province, Vakilabad prison

The Court of Appeal of Razavi Khorasan Province upheld the ten-month prison sentence and additional punishments for Amir Sheibani Zaveh, a political prisoner held in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

Based on a recent ruling issued by Branch 35 of the Court of Appeal of Razavi Khorasan Province and communicated to him, Mr. Sheibani Zaveh has been sentenced to ten months of imprisonment, an eighteen-month travel ban, and an eighteen-month ban on online activities for the charge of “propaganda against the regime through online activities.”

This political prisoner was indicted on May 5 by Branch 901 of the Mashhad Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office.

In January of 2024, Sheibani Zaveh faced another legal case for which he recevied by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad, presided over by Judge Hadi Mansouri, to one year of discretionary imprisonment, a two-year travel ban, and a two-year ban on online activities for the same charge of “propaganda against the regime.” This sentence was later upheld op appeal.

In April of this year, Sheibani was arrested and transferred to Vakilabad Prison to serve his sentence.

Sheibani has a history of arrests and convictions due to his activities.

Morteza Keyvanloo’s Sentence Upheld on Appeal

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Joghatai, Morteza Keyvanloo, Sabzevar

The seven months and fifteen days prison sentence for Morteza Keyvanloo, a resident of Joghatai County, has been upheld by the Court of Appeal of Razavi Khorasan Province.

Based on a ruling issued on June 18 of this year by Branch 35 of the Court of Appeal of Razavi Khorasan Province and communicated to Mr. Keyvanloo, he has been sentenced to seven months and fifteen days of discretionary imprisonment.

In May of this year, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Sabzevar, presided over by Mohammad Gholami, convicted Keyvanloo of “propaganda against the regime on the Internet.”

Keyvanloo was arrested on February 18, 2024, by security forces in Sabzevar and was released about twenty days later on bail.

According to information received by HRANA, this citizen was also sentenced to six months in prison last year on a similar charge, with the issued sentence suspended for five years. Additionally, in another case, he was fined by the Joghatai Criminal Court.

Morteza Keyvanloo, aged around 41, is the father of two daughters and a resident of Joghatai County.

Teacher Union Activist Mohsen Omrani Sentenced to Imprisonment

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Bushehr, HRANA, Mohsen Omrani, محسن عمرانی

Mohsen Omrani, a member of the Board of Directors of the Bushehr Teachers’ Trade Association, has been sentenced to one year in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Bushehr.

According to the ruling issued by the Revolutionary Court of Bushehr and recently communicated to Mr. Omrani, he has been sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.” Several posts on social media have been cited as evidence for the charges against him.

The court session for these charges was held on July 2 of this year. A previous court session for Omrani’s charges was held, but the case was sent back to the prosecutor’s office due to deficiencies.

A source close to Mr. Omrani told HRANA that he is facing another legal case. In October of last year, Omrani, along with three other members of the Board of Directors of the Bushehr Teachers’ Trade Association, was sentenced to two years of discretionary imprisonment, confiscation of seized assets in favor of the government, and a three-year ban on teaching activities in academic environments. This case has been sent to Branch 3 of the Bushehr Province Court of Appeals, with a hearing date set for August.

Additionally, Mr. Omrani, along with two other union activists, was sentenced by the Bushehr Province Criminal Court to a fine for “participating in teachers’ union protests.” Later, these citizens were acquitted of the charges by the province’s Court of Appeals.

Mohsen Omrani, a member of the Board of Directors of the Bushehr Teachers’ Trade Association, has a history of arrest and conviction due to his activities.

Two Union Activists’s Convictions Upheld on Appeal

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Hossein Ashrafi, Iraj Toubaeiha, Najafabad

The convictions of Iraj Toubaeiha (Najafabadi) and Hossein Ashrafi, two members of the Teachers’ Trade Association of Najafabad, were upheld by Branch 37 of the Isfahan Court of Appeal. In the initial court, Mr. Toubaeiha was sentenced to six years in prison, two years in exile, and a fine, while Mr. Ashrafi was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for four years.

Based on the ruling issued on June 29 by Branch 37 of the Isfahan Court of Appeal, and communicated to these union activists, Mr. Toubaeiha was sentenced to two years in prison for “insulting the Supreme Leader,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” one year for “disrupting public order by participating in illegal gatherings,” and two years and a fine of fifteen million tomans for “spreading falsehoods.” Additionally, he was sentenced to two years in exile in a village in Nahbandan, South Khorasan province.
Mr. Ashrafi was sentenced to one year in prison for “disrupting public order by participating in illegal gatherings,” with the sentence suspended for four years.

The arrest warrant for these union activists was issued in January 2024 by the Second Branch of the Najafabad General Prosecutor’s Office.
Iraj Toubaeiha (Najafabadi), a member of the Najafabad Teachers’ Union, was detained for 35 days in the fall of 2022, for 5 days in the spring of 2023, and for 13 days in the fall of 2023. He had previously been arrested and faced judicial actions due to his activities.

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Legal Scholar Mohsen Borhani Arrested to Start Serving His Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ahmad Borhani, Mohsen Borhani, University of Tehran

Mohsen Borhani, a legal scholar and professor at the University of Tehran, has been arrested and transferred to prison to serve his sentence.

Ahmad Borhani, the legal scholar’s brother, announced on social media: “After many ups and downs, despite remaining issues in the case, Dr. Mohsen Borhani was arrested.”

Additionally, Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, wrote: “Mohsen Borhani, who was previously convicted in a judicial process and whose sentence had been finalized, was summoned and sent to prison to serve the court’s legal sentence.”

So far, no information has been obtained regarding the charges against Mr. Borhani or the duration of his prison sentence.

It is worth noting that last year, like several other critical professors at various universities across the country, Borhani was suspended from the faculty and banned from teaching. To read more about the expulsion and suspension of university professors due to their opinions, check out HRANA’s latest report.

Workers’ Rights Activist Sharifeh Mohammadi Sentenced to Death for Armed Rebellion (Baghi)

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Executions, Freedom of Expression, News
Baghi, HRANA, Komala, Rasht, Sharifeh Mohammadi, Sirus Fathi, سیروس فتحی, شریفه محمدی

Sharifeh Mohammadi, a workers’ rights advocate, imprisoned in Lakan Prison in Rasht, has been sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht on charges of “Baghi” (armed rebellion).

This verdict, issued by Judge Ahmad Darvish Goftar of Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht, was communicated to her husband, Sirus Fathi, today, Thursday, July 4th. Ms. Mohammadi was sentenced to death on charges of “Baghi” due to her alleged membership in an opposition group.
The court session addressing Sharifeh Mohammadi’s charges was held on June 8th, covering accusations of propaganda against the regime, acting against national security, and “Baghi” through membership in an opposition group.

The Ministry of Intelligence apprehended Mohammadi at her Rasht residence on December 5, 2023. Subsequently, she was transferred from Lakan Prison to Sanandaj Prison on December 30, 2023, only to be returned to Lakan Prison later on.

A source close to the labor activist’s family previously told HRANA, “Sharifeh was a member of the Association of Labor Organizations until 2013, which has no connection to the Komala group that she is accused of being a member of, leading to the charge of ‘Baghi’.”

Khashayar Safidi Sentenced to One Year in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Khashayar Safidi, Tehran, Tehran Revolutionary Court

Khashayar Safidi, an expelled student of the Tehran University of Art, has been sentenced to one year in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Based on a verdict issued on July 2 by the Tehran Revolutionary Court and communicated to Mr. Safidi’s lawyer the following days, Safidi was sentenced to one year in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime.”

The first court session regarding Mr. Safidi’s charges was held on May 27, and the second session was held on June 30. The court addressed charges of propaganda against the regime and “spreading false information about the death of Nika Shakarami, one of the victims of the 2022 nationwide protests, on social media.”

This former student of Tehran University of Art announced in a video that he had not posted anything on his personal page regarding Nika Shakarami. The charge of propaganda against the regime pertains to his three-day sit-in strike in support of Toomaj Salehi.

On May 2, 2024, Safidi was summoned to branch 3 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Tehran. He was eventually released on bail after appearing at the prosecutor’s office and being informed of the charges against him.

Late last Hijri year, Safidi was expelled from the university. Previously, he had been temporarily suspended for one term by the disciplinary committee.

Khashayar Safidi, aged around 32, was a master’s student in music at Tehran University of Art.

Motahareh Goonehi Sentenced to One Year in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Mahdi Hadizadeh, Motahareh Goonehi, Tehran, Toomaj Salehi, مطهره گونه ای

Motahareh Goonehi, a suspended student from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, has been sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

The verdict, issued by Judge Ali Mazloum of Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court and communicated to this citizen, sentences Ms. Goonehi to one year of imprisonment on the charge of “propaganda activities against the regime in favor of anti-regime media.” The basis for this charge includes Ms. Gonei’s protest against the death sentence of Toomaj Salehi and other writings of hers. She has been acquitted of the charges of “insulting the Supreme Leader” and “disturbing public order.”

On May 1, Goonehiwas arrested in Tehran by IRGC Intelligence forces following a summons and was transferred to Evin Prison. Four days later, she was released from Evin Prison on bail.

Previously, Ms. Goonehiand her husband, Mahdi Hadizadeh, both students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, were sentenced by the Central Committee of the Ministry of Health to temporary suspension from studies and transfer to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences.

Goonehi, a dentistry student and student activist, had previously been arrested by security forces in Tehran in connection with the nationwide protests of 2022.

Mohammad-Reza Amani Nazarlu Sentenced to Imprisonment

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Araz Amani, Azerbaijani Turk activist, Mohammad Reza Amani Nazarlu, Shabestar, Tabriz, آراز امانی نظرلو

Mohammad Reza (Araz) Amani Nazarlu, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, was sentenced to three months and one day in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Shabestar.

Based on a ruling issued on July 2nd by the Revolutionary Court of Shabestar and delivered to Mr. Amani Nazarlu, he was sentenced to three months and one day in prison on charges of “propaganda in favor of groups or organizations opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran.” He was acquitted of the charge of “insulting ordinary people.”

The court session to address this citizen’s charges was held on October 14, 2023, in the mentioned branch.

Amani was arrested by security forces in Shabestar on May 21st of last year. He was released on bail from Tabriz prison on June 10, 2023.