Category: Freedom of Expression

Report on the Arrest and Release of Three Attorneys in Rasht

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Lakan prison, Masoumeh Pour-Shahrani, Mohammadreza Tak, Rasht, Tahereh Pour-Esmaeili

HRANA – Tahereh Pour-Esmaeili, Mohammadreza Tak, and Masoumeh Pour-Shahrani, three attorneys residing in Rasht who had been arrested by security forces over the past week, have been released from Lakan Prison in Rasht after posting bail.

A source close to the families of these citizens told HRANA: “Tahereh Pour-Esmaeili, Mohammadreza Tak, and Masoumeh Pourshahrani were arrested by security forces last week  and transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht.”

The source added: “Ms. Pour-Esmaeili and Ms. Pour-Shahraniare facing charges of blasphemy and insulting the Supreme Leader, and have also been threatened with the revocation of their law licenses, fabrication of cases, and sexual harassment. Mr. Tak’s arrest was linked to his role as defense attorney in security-related cases. Although bail had been set for them, the prosecutor handling their cases initially refused to accept it. Ultimately, in recent days, the three attorneys were released on bail. The bail amount for Ms. Pour-Esmaeili was set at 2 billion tomans, and for Ms. Pour-Shahrani at 500 million tomans.”

At least 13 attorneys in Gilan Province have recently faced judicial and security pressures, including summonses and arrests.

Tahereh Pour-Esmaeili, Mohammadreza Tak, and Masoumeh Pour-Shahrani are licensed attorneys residing in Rasht. Mr. Tak has previously faced security-related harassment.

Arian Rostami Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Arian Rostami, IRGC Intelligence, Nariman Shafiei, Qasr-e Shirin

HRANA – Arian Rostami, a resident of Sarpol-e Zahab, has been sentenced by Branch One of the Revolutionary Court of Qasr-e Shirin to five years in prison.

According to Kurdpa, the verdict was issued by Branch One of the Revolutionary Court of Qasr-e Shirin, presided over by Judge Nariman Shafiei, and was officially communicated to Mr. Rostami on September 6. Under the ruling, he has been sentenced to five years in prison on the charge of “membership in a group with the intention of disrupting national security.”

According to a source cited in the report, “The court relied on a report from the IRGC Intelligence of Qasr-e Shirin in issuing the sentence against this citizen.”

Arian Rostami is a resident of Sarpol-e Zahab in Kermanshah Province.

Ayat Gholami, Sunni Cleric, Sentenced to Imprisonment

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ayat Gholami, HRANA, Kermanshah

HRANA – The sentence of Ayat Gholami, a Sunni cleric, has been revised by the Special Clerical Appeals Court in Tehran to five years and six months in prison, with five years suspended.

According to Kurdpa, the Appeals Court handed down this new sentence, which includes charges of “propaganda against the regime,” “spreading falsehoods,” “disturbing public opinion,” and “insulting Fatemeh, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad.”

Gholami was arrested on April 23 after being summoned to the Special Clerical Court in Kermanshah and was released on April 26 on bail set at 700 million tomans.

He had previously been summoned by security agencies for defending Sunni beliefs and imprisoned clerics, protesting the killings of kulbars (cross-border porters) and fuel carriers, criticizing authorities, and organizing Sunni religious ceremonies.

Ayat Gholami is the former prayer leader of the Mohammad al-Mostafa Mosque in Kermanshah and a teacher at a religious seminary.

Crackdown on Gilan Lawyers: 3 Arrested, 10 Summoned

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Freedom of Expression, News
Gilan province, Hesam Pourahmadi, HRANA, Lakan prison, Rasht, Shadi Falahati, Shahrzad Sharbiyani

HRANA – In recent days, at least 13 defense lawyers in Gilan Province have been subjected to judicial and security measures, including summonses and arrests. Among them, Shahrzad Sharbiyani, Shadi Falahati, and Hesam Pourahmadi have been arrested and remain in an uncertain situation.

According to information obtained by HRANA, Hesam Pourahmadi and Shahrzad Sharbiyani are currently held in Lakan Prison in Rasht, while the whereabouts of Shadi Falahati remain unknown. HRANA had previously reported on the arrests of these individuals.

The newspaper Etemad has also reported that more than ten other lawyers in Gilan Province have been summoned to judicial and security bodies. According to this report, charges such as “propaganda against the regime” and “assembly and collusion against the country” have been brought against them. However, Etemad did not provide the names of the summoned lawyers or specify the authorities that issued the summonses.

Several lawyers, including Parto Borhanpour and Saleh Noghrehkar, have publicly condemned these measures against their colleagues and called for an immediate end to such actions.

Attorney Shahrzad Sharabiyani Arrested in Rasht

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Freedom of Expression, News
Lakan prison, Rasht, Shahrzad Sharabiyani

HRANA News Agency – Shahrzad Sharabiyani, an attorney residing in Rasht, has been arrested by security agents and transferred to Lakan Prison in the city.

Based on information received by HRANA, her arrest took place on Sunday, August 31, by security agents in Rasht. Following her arrest, she was transferred to Lakan Prison.

The charge brought against her has been cited as “propaganda against the regime.”

Shahrzad Sharabiyani is a licensed attorney and a resident of Rasht.

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Naqadeh: Farhad Karimi Sentenced to Six Months in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Farhad Karimi, Naqadeh, فرهاد کریمی

HRANA– Farhad Karimi, from Naqadeh, has been sentenced to six months in prison by Branch 103 of the Criminal Court of this city.

According to Kolbar News, Branch 103 of the Naqadeh Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Hejazi, sentenced Mr. Karimi to six months in prison on “suspicion of collaboration with one of anti-regime groups.”

Karimi was arrested on June 24, 2025, and transferred to one of Urmia’s detention facilities. After the interrogation process, he was moved to Naqadeh Prison. He was eventually released on bail from Naqadeh Prison on Tuesday, August 12.

During his detention, Farhad Karimi was denied access to a lawyer.

Although, under Article 302 of Iran’s Code of Criminal Procedure, charges such as “propaganda against the regime” fall under the jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Court, in some smaller cities such cases are tried in Criminal Courts. This practice, stemming from the absence or limited structure of Revolutionary Courts in smaller towns, is inconsistent with the law but has become common in practice due to the lack of specialized judicial institutions.

Amin Dehestani Arrested in Khorramabad

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Freedom of Expression, News
Amin Dehestani, HRANA, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Khorramabad, امین دهستانی

HRANA – Amin Dehestani, a blogger residing in Khorramabad, was arrested yesterday in the city by security forces and transferred to the IRGC Intelligence detention facility.

Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Dehestani was arrested on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at his workplace, a drug rehabilitation center, by IRGC Intelligence agents. He was then transferred to the detention facility of this security institution in Khorramabad.

As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding the charges against this citizen.

Amin Dehestani, a 46-year-old blogger from Khorramabad, is the father of one child. He had previously published posts criticizing public services and addressing citizens’ problems.

Arbitrary arrests, transferring detainees to undisclosed locations, and leaving families in the dark about the fate of their loved ones are routine practices of the Iranian regime’s security agencies, such as the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Unit. This pattern of behavior stands in clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

Uncertainty Surrounds Detention of Attorney Shadi Falahati and Several Colleagues in Rasht

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Freedom of Expression, News
detained attorneys, HRANA, Shadi Falahati, شادی فلاحتی

HRANA – Shadi Falahati, an attorney based in Rasht, has been in detention for over a week after being arrested by security forces along with several other lawyers. Her whereabouts and condition remain unknown.

Falahati was taken into custody on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in Rasht. Despite the passage of more than a week, no information has been provided regarding the place of her detention.

A source told HRANA that Falahati’s family has repeatedly contacted judicial and security institutions in search of answers. However, officials have not offered any clear information about her location or the reasons behind her arrest.

Along with Falahati, several other attorneys were also arrested in Rasht. HRANA has so far confirmed the identity of one of them, Hesam Pourahmadi, while efforts to verify the others’ identities are ongoing.

To date, no details have been disclosed about the charges brought against these lawyers.

Behnam Vaziri Held for Over Two Months Without Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News
Behnam Vaziri, HRANA, بهنام وزیری

HRANA – Behnam Vaziri was arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence on June 20, 2023. More than two months later, he remains in the Ministry’s detention facility in a state of uncertainty.

Since the day of his arrest, Vaziri has been held without clarity about his legal status, a situation that has caused growing concern for his family. To date, no information has been made available regarding the reasons for his arrest or the charges against him.

Vaziri, a resident of Tehran, is a Qashqai citizen and a graduate in architecture and civil engineering.

Arbitrary arrests, transferring detainees to undisclosed locations, and leaving families in the dark about the fate of their loved ones are routine practices of the Iranian regime’s security agencies, such as the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Unit. This pattern of behavior stands in clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

Parsa Ghasemi Arrested in Behbahan

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Freedom of Expression, News
Behbahan, HRANA, IRGC Intelligence, Parsa Ghasemi, پارسا قاسمی

HRANA – Parsa Ghasemi, a resident of Behbahan, was arrested yesterday, September 2, by agents of the IRGC Intelligence.

Based on information obtained by HRANA, 18-year-old Parsa Ghasemi’s arrest is connected to the publication of critical content on social media.

Despite the family’s inquiries with security institutions to learn about their son’s fate, officials have refused to provide clear answers, which has heightened the Ghasemi family’s concerns.

No information is available regarding the charges brought against this citizen.

Over the past decade, Iran’s Judiciary has dramatically escalated its use of imprisonment as a tool of repression, with the total number of months sentenced for peaceful expression more than quadrupling from about 4,500 months in 2013 to over 26,000 months in 2024.