Category: Freedom of Expression

Family of Fallahi Faces Eleven-Year Sentence on Political Charges

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Ardavan Fallahi, Arghavan Fallahi, Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Nasrollah Fallahi, Parvin Mirasan, Tehran, پروین میرآسان, نصرالله فلاحی

In a recent verdict from the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Parvin Mirasan and Nasrollah Fallahi, alongside their children, Ardavan and Arghavan, have been collectively sentenced to 11 years in prison on political charges.

Presiding over Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, Judge Iman Afshari delivered the verdict, condemning Parvin Mirasan and Nasrollah Fallahi to four years each for charges including “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.” Meanwhile, Arghavan received a two-year sentence and Ardavan, one year.

According to a source close to the family, Parvin Mirasan and Nasrollah Fallahi are currently held in Evin Prison, while their children, who had previously been released on bail, have already served their terms, factoring in their detention period.

Reports obtained by HRANA indicate that this legal case involves 12 defendants, yet their identities and specifics remain undisclosed.

Ardavan Fallahi was apprehended in Isfahan on November 3, 2022, followed by the arrest of a family member the subsequent day. On February 12, 2023, they were transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran. Ardavan and Arghavan were granted release on bail pending legal proceedings, on January 3, 2024, and March 12, 2024, respectively.

Reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of HRA in 2023 indicate a total of 193 cases in which Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, has been involved in issuing verdicts that infringe upon the human rights of defendants.

Journalist Dina Ghalibaf Arrested

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Dina Ghalibaf, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, دینا قالیباف

Dina Ghalibaf, a journalist and student at Shahid Beheshti University, was arrested by security forces on April 16 and transported to an undisclosed facility.

The arrest took place at Ghalibaf’s residence, with the responsible security institution currently unidentified.
However, Ghalibaf revealed on social media yesterday that she had been apprehended by the police at a metro station in Tehran, where she was taken to a room, subjected to electric shocks, and sexually assaulted.

Previously, Ghalibaf had been summoned by the university’s disciplinary committee for her involvement in a protest against the execution of several individuals in the “House of Isfahan” legal case.

Ghalibaf has contributed to various news agencies, including ISNA and Eghtesad Online.

Civil Rights Activist Atena Farghadani Arrested

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Atena Farghadani, Qarchak Prison, Varamin, آتنا فرقدانی

Atena Farghadani, a prominent civil rights activist and cartoonist, was arrested by security forces on April 13, 2024, and confined in Qarchak Prison located in Varamin, as reported by Voice of America Persian News Network.

Farghadani’s refusal to provide bail for her release, as a form of protest against her arrest, reportedly led to her transfer to Qarchak Prison. Following her arrest, she was subjected to physical violence, resulting in visible bruises on her face.

HRANA received information from a source close to her family indicating that she was arrested for publicly displaying one of her paintings on a street in Tehran. For this, she has faced the charges of “blasphemy, disturbing public order and propaganda against the regime.”

This is not the first instance of Farghadani facing arrest and legal action for her activism. Previously, on June 7, 2023, she was arrested at Evin Courthouse and subsequently detained in Qarchak Prison. After several days, she was charged with “disturbing public order” and released on bail.

Saman Oveisi Arrested by IRGC Intelligence in Mahabad

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, Mahabad, Saman Oveisi, سامان اویسی

According to a report by Kurdpa, Saman Oveisi was summoned by IRGC Intelligence in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan province, in recent days and subsequently arrested after his arrival. He was then taken to an undisclosed location.

Oveisi, aged 21, was reportedly summoned via phone. The reason for his arrest, his current whereabouts, and the allegations against him remain unknown at this time.

Data compiled by the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reveals that IRGC Intelligence has been implicated in 392 cases of human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests.

Fifteen Baha’i Women Face Indictment in Isfahan

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Azita Rezvani-Khah, Baha'i, Baharestan, Bashra Motahar, Farkhandeh Rezvan Pay, Firoozeh Rastinejad, Isfahan, Maryam Khorsandi, Mojdeh Bahamin, Mojgan (Mozhgan) Pourshafee, Nasrin Khademi, Noushin Hemmat, Roya Azad Khosh, Samira Shakib, Sanaz Rasteh, Sara Shakib, Shola Ashouri, Shurangiz Bahamin

The Isfahan Courthouse has indicted 15 Baha’i residents from Baharestan City in Isfahan County.

Among those indicted are Mojgan (Mozhgan) Pourshafee, Nasrin Khademi, Azita Rezvani-Khah, Shola Ashouri, Mojdeh Bahamin, Bashra Motahar, Sara Shakib, Samira Shakib, Roya Azad Khosh, Noushin Hemmat, Shurangiz Bahamin, Sanaz Rasteh, Maryam Khorsandi, Firoozeh Rastinejad, and Farkhandeh Rezvan Pay.

These women have been charged with “propaganda against the regime” and “assisting in education and propaganda activities against Islamic Sharia.” The indictment was issued on April 8, 2024. Among them, Pourshafee, Khademi, Rezvani-Khah, Azad Khosh, Shakib, Raseh, Ashouri, Bahamin, Rastinejad, Khorsandi, and Hemmat were previously arrested in 2021 and later released on bail.

Furthermore, Bahamin, Rezvan Pay, Motahar, and Shakib’s residences were subjected to raids and searches by Intelligence agents.

Baha’is are subjected to violations of their religious rights, comprising 82% of reports on infringements against religious minorities, according to HRA’s 2023 annual report.

The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both 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.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

Kamal Lotfi Arrested by Security Forces in Dehgolan

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Dehgolan, Kamal Lotfi, Kamyaran, Qorveh, Reza Lotfi, رضا لطفی, کمال لطفی

On April 9, 2024, security forces apprehended Kamal Lotfi in Dehgolan, Kurdistan province, transferring him to an undisclosed facility. His 25-year-old son, Reza Lotfi, tragically lost his life at the hands of regime forces during the nationwide protests on September 19, 2022.

Confirming Lotfi’s arrest, a source close to his family informed HRANA that he was taken into custody after receiving a summons from the Revolutionary Court of Qorveh. The specific reasons for his arrest, his current location, and the charges against him remain undisclosed at this time.

This is not Lotfi’s first encounter with law enforcement. On April 17, 2023, security forces detained him through physical force, leading to his imprisonment in Kamyaran Prison. He was subsequently released on bail on July 3, 2023.

Writer and Translator Loghman Ghanbari Arrested by Security Forces in Sarpol-e Zahab

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
IRGC Intelligence, Loghman Ghanbari, Ofra Bengio, Sarpol-e Zahab

Loghman Ghanbari, a writer and translator, was arrested at his residence in Sarpol-e Zahab, Kermanshah province, by security forces on April 7, 2024, as reported by Kurdpa.

Around 20 IRGC Intelligence agents conducted a search of his residence and seized some of his belongings.

Ghanbari, known for translating the book “The Kurds in a Volatile Middle East,” published in Sweden after Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance denied a license, was accused of “association with Israel” based on his correspondence with the book’s author, Ofra Bengio.

After a day of interrogation, Ghanbari was released upon signing a written commitment.

Alireza Ghanbari and Javad Mohammadi-Fard Begin Prison Sentences on Political Charges

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Alireza Ghanbari, HRANA, Javad Mohammadi-Fard, Urmia, Urmia prison

Alireza Ghanbari and Javad Mohammadi-Fard, both residents of Urmia, have been incarcerated in Urmia Prison to commence their sentences.

Confirming their imprisonment, a source close to their families informed HRANA that they were arrested on April 2 by security forces at their residences and subsequently transferred to Urmia Prison.

Their initial arrests occurred in June-July 2022 by security forces. Initially detained in the Ministry of Intelligence’s facility in Urmia, they were later moved to Urmia Prison after approximately six months.

In June-July 2023, the Urmia Revolutionary Court convicted them of political charges. Mohammadi-Fard was sentenced to four years for “heading a group for causing unrest and acting against national security,” along with 16 months for “insulting the Supreme Leaders of Iran and the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Ghanbari received a four-year sentence for “joining anti-regime groups,” along with 16 months for “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime,” including detention time. These verdicts were upheld on appeal.

Pursuant to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, which stipulates that in cases of multiple charges, the harshest punishment shall be enforced, both individuals will serve four years in prison.

Mohammadi-Fard, aged 44, is single, while Ghanbar, aged 50, is the father of two.

Hooram Mehrnavaie Taken Into Custody by Security Forces in Bukan

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News, Other

On April 2, Hooram Mehrnavaie was apprehended by security forces following being summoned and his presence in the Ministry of Intelligence office in Bukan, as reported by Kurdpa. He was subsequently transported to an undisclosed location.

The specific grounds for Mehrnavaie’s detention, his current location, and the charges against him remain undisclosed.

This marks not the initial encounter with law enforcement for Mehrnavaie, aged 21. On December 2, 2022, he was arrested and later released on bail. Subsequently, the Revolutionary Court of Bukan sentenced him to 54 months in prison for “collaboration with anti-regime political parties.” On April 9, 2023, he was incarcerated in Bukan Prison and later granted release on probation, equipped with a monitoring ankle device.

Farzad Moazzami Goodarzi Arrested in Borujerd

Posted on by . .
Freedom of Expression, News
Borujerd, Farzad Moazzami Goodarzi, HRANA, Reza Moazzami Goodarzi

Farzad Moazzami Goodarzi was apprehended in Borujerd on April 4, 2024, by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location. Notably, his relative, Reza Moazzami Goodarzi, lost his life during the 2019 nationwide protests, also known as the Aban Protests, due to gunfire from regime forces.

According to a source close to Goodarzi’s family who confirmed the arrest to HRANA, security forces arrived at his residence at 10:00 AM for his arrest. The agents attempted a search, though they were unsuccessful due to his mother’s resistance. Eventually, they confiscated some of Goodarzi’s personal belongings along with items belonging to his family.

As of now, the reasons behind Goodarzi’s arrest, his current location, and the charges against him remain undisclosed.

It’s worth noting that Goodarzi had previously been arrested on September 5, 2023, by security forces but was subsequently released on bail from the local prison.