Report on the Latest Status of Afrooz Kian Ersi in Dolatabad Prison, Isfahan

HRANA – Afrooz Kian Ersi, a political prisoner and artist based in Isfahan, is currently serving a prison sentence in Dolatabad Prison.

According to information received by HRANA, Ms. Kian Ersi began serving her sentence in early May 2025. In late 2023, the Revolutionary Court sentenced her to six months of discretionary imprisonment and an additional six months of suspended imprisonment on charges of “propaganda against the regime.” The Court of Appeals later upheld the verdict in full.

A source close to her family confirmed the details to HRANA, stating: “The charges against Afrooz were based on her creation of a mosaic artwork titled Woman, Life, Freedom. She is currently experiencing deteriorating mental health. She has submitted a request to serve her sentence under electronic monitoring and is awaiting a decision.”

Ms. Kian Ersi was previously arrested in 2023 in connection with her artistic and social activities.

Three Sentenced to Death, Two to Long Prison Terms in Khuzestan Political Case

HRANA – The Ahvaz Revolutionary Court has sentenced political prisoners Masoud Jamei, Alireza Merdasi, and Farshad Etemadifar each to two death sentences and one year in prison. In the same case, the court handed down a combined 27 years of imprisonment to Saman Hormatnejad and Davoud Hormatnejad.

Branch 1 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Adibimehr, issued the verdicts and formally delivered them to the defendants on July 11. Judge Adibimehr convicted Jamei, Merdasi, and Etemadifar of corruption on earth (efsad fel-arz), membership in rebel groups, and propaganda against the regime, sentencing each to two executions and one year behind bars. He also sentenced Hormatnejad and Hormatnejad to 12 and 15 years in prison, respectively, on similar charges.

According to the court rulings, membership in the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK) was cited as the basis for the charges. This case constitutes one of the harshest security-related verdicts issued in Khuzestan province in recent months.

A source familiar with the case, who spoke to HRANA on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, stated: “These individuals have spent nearly two years in pre-trial detention in a state of uncertainty. During this time, they were denied access to legal representation and adequate medical care. The verdicts were issued despite clear violations of fair trial standards. The confessions attributed to the defendants were obtained under coercion and in inhumane conditions.”

Farshad Etemadifar, Saman Hormatnejad, and Davoud Hormatnejad were arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence on June 16, 2023. Masoud Jamei and Alireza Mordasi were also arrested by security forces in Ahvaz on August 1, 2023, and transferred to Sheyban Prison.

Following these arrests, Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), published a report claiming the detainees were connected to the “Monafeqin network” (a term used by the Islamic Republic to refer to the MEK) and were planning “sabotage operations” in Khuzestan, Fars, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces.

Farshad Etemadifar is from Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, while Masoud Jamei and Alireza Merdasi (also known as Hamidavi) are residents of Ahvaz. Masoud Jamei, 47, suffers from liver disease and stomach cancer. His health condition in prison is critical, and he urgently needs treatment in specialized medical facilities outside the prison. Before his arrest, he worked for the National Iranian Oil Company. In March 2025, he, along with his wife Zeinab Hezbapour and children Nahid, Dalal, and Roghayeh Jamei, was tried in the Bavi Revolutionary Court on charges related to alleged connections with an opposition group.

Ehsan Khazaei and Neda Kargar Arrested by Security Forces

HRANA – Ehsan Khazaei, the brother of Erfan Khazaei—who was killed during the 2022 nationwide protests—was arrested this morning along with his wife, Neda Kargar, by security forces. The couple was taken to an undisclosed location.

According to information received by HRANA, the arrest took place at their home, where security agents also confiscated the mobile phones of their parents.

A source close to the family confirmed the incident, telling HRANA: “The agents physically assaulted Bozorgan Khazaei, Erfan’s other brother, as well as their mother, when they tried to stop the arrest.”

As of the time of this report, the reasons for the arrests and the charges against Ehsan Khazaei and Neda Kargar remain unknown.

Both individuals have previously faced legal pressure and judicial action.

Erfan Khazaei, 30, was a resident of Kangavar in Kermanshah province. He was fatally shot on September 21, 2022, during the nationwide protests in the city of Shahriar.

Bijan Kazemi Remains Detained Without Charges After More Than 170 Days

HRANA – More than 170 days after the arrest of Bijan Kazemi, a resident of Kuhdasht, he remains in detention with no clear legal status. He was recently transferred from the Greater Tehran Prison to an undisclosed location and has had no contact with his family or relatives for the past 10 days.

Yesterday, Kazemi’s mother, Shahnaz Khosravi, posted an update stating that her son has been denied visitation with both his family and legal counsel for 176 days. She said he was recently transferred from Greater Tehran Prison to one of the Ministry of Intelligence’s so-called “safe houses” and has not made any contact in the past 10 days. The family’s growing concern is fueled by this prolonged silence.

Kazemi was previously transferred to Greater Tehran Prison alongside ten other detainees following an Israeli military strike on Evin Prison.

He was first arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents in Kuhdasht on January 19, 2025, and was subsequently transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison—a detention facility operated by the Ministry of Intelligence—on January 22.

As of this report, no information has been made available regarding the reasons for his arrest or the charges against him.

Bijan Kazemi has previously faced legal action due to his activism.

Prisoner Executed in Malayer Prison on Drug-Related Charges

HRANA – At dawn on Wednesday, July 9, a prisoner previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges was executed in Malayer Prison.

The identity of the individual hanged on the morning of Wednesday, July 9, has been confirmed by HRANA as Morad Hassan Mansouri, a resident of Ilam. According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Mansouri had been arrested on charges related to drug offenses and was later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

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

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, over 52 percent of executed prisoners had been convicted on drug-related charges. Over the past ten years, individuals convicted of drug trafficking have accounted for 40 percent of all executions. Unfortunately, HRANA’s statistics show no progress in reducing executions for drug-related offenses.

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Sajjad Haeri Arrested by Security Forces

HRANA – On Saturday, July 12, Sajjad Haeri, the brother of political prisoner Ahmadreza Haeri—currently held in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj—was arrested by security forces in Damavand and taken to an undisclosed location.

His arrest took place on the evening of Saturday, July 12, at his family’s home in Damavand. As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding the reasons for his arrest, his whereabouts, or the charges against him.

Sajjad Haeri is the brother of Ahmadreza Haeri, a political prisoner held in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

Four Citizens Arrested by Security Forces

HRANA– Farya Chavoshini, Mohammadollah Rezaei, Esmail Choukali, and Zubair Mahmoudi—residents of Dehgolan, Bukan, and Piranshahr—have been arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.

According to Kurdpa, Mohammadollah Rezaei was arrested in Dehgolan, while Farya Chavoshini and Esmail Choukali were detained in Bukan, and Zubair Mahmoudi in Piranshahr.

Mr. Mahmoudi was arrested on Thursday, July 10, and the other three individuals on Saturday, July 12.

As of the time of this report, no information has been made available regarding the reasons for the arrests, the whereabouts of the detainees, or the charges against them.

Supreme Court Rejects Death-Row Political Prisoner Mehdi Hasani’s Retrial Request for the Fourth Time

HRANA — The Supreme Court has, for the fourth time, rejected the retrial request of Mehdi Hasani, a political prisoner on death row currently held in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

Amin Adel Ahmadian, Hasani’s defense attorney, announced the decision in a public statement, saying: “The Supreme Court rejected the retrial request without retrieving the original case file from the lower court and likely without reviewing the legal brief I submitted. I have also not yet been granted access to examine Mr. Hasani’s case file.”

This marks the fourth rejection of a retrial request for Hasani. The third was denied in April 2025, and the second earlier that same month. The first request was dismissed on February 24, 2024, by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court.

On January 26, 2025, Mehdi Hasani and fellow death row political prisoner Behrooz Ehsani Eslamlou were transferred from Evin Prison to Ghezel Hesar under the pretense of receiving medical care. The execution of their death sentences was subsequently paused after their retrial requests were registered and initially accepted by the Supreme Court.

In September 2024, both men were tried by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. They were sentenced to death on charges including baghi (armed rebellion), moharebeh (waging war against God), efsad-e fel arz (corruption on earth), gathering classified information, and assembly and collusion against national security.

Alleged membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) is among the central charges brought against them.

Mehdi Hasani, approximately 49 years old, is married and the father of two. He was arrested on September 9, 2022, while attempting to leave the country through Zanjan and was subsequently transferred to Evin Prison.

Number of Executions in Karaj Central Penitentiary Rises to Three

HRANA– With the identification of two additional inmates executed on Wednesday, July 10 (18 Tir), in Karaj Central Penitentiary, the number of people executed that day in the prison has risen to three.

In addition to the execution of Amin Shokripour, who had previously been sentenced to death on drug-related charges, two more inmates were hanged. HRANA has confirmed their identities as Abdolhossein Jaberi and Saeed Mehrabi, both from Khorramabad.

According to information received by HRANA, these inmates were arrested four years ago on drug-related charges and were later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and official sources have not publicly confirmed these executions.

According to HRANA’s report, in 2024, over 52 percent of executed prisoners had been convicted on drug-related charges. Over the past ten years, individuals convicted of drug trafficking have accounted for 40 percent of all executions. Unfortunately, HRANA’s statistics show no progress in reducing executions for drug-related offenses.

Two Citizens Arrested in Piranshahr

HRANA– On Thursday, July 10, Aziz Khezri and his son Zaniar Khezri, residents of Piranshahr, were arrested by security forces and taken to an undisclosed location.

Kolbar News has identified the individuals as Aziz Khezri, 57, and his son Zaniar Khezri, 33, from a village in Piranshahr. According to the report, the arrests were carried out by security agents without the presentation of a judicial warrant.

As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding the reasons for their arrest, the charges against them, or their whereabouts.