Category: News

Three Inmates Executed in Khorramabad for Drug-Related Offenses

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Executions, News
HRANA, Khorramabad, Kianoosh Teymoori, Mohammad-Javad Akbari, Parsilon Prison, Sharif Akbari

On August 2, 2023, three inmates were executed at Parsilon Prison in Khorramabad after being convicted of drug-related crimes.

The executed prisoners have been identified by HRANA as Mohammad-Javad Akbari, Sharif Akbari, and Kianoosh Teymoori.
The execution process commenced after the inmates were transferred to solitary confinement last Monday, as a precursor to the implementation of the sentence.

At present, no official sources or domestic media outlets in the country have reported on these executions.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

Poet and Writer Habib Mousavi Arrested in Gorgan

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Freedom of Expression, News
Golestan province, Gorgan, Habib Mousavi, iranian poet, irgc

On July 31, 2023, Habib Mousavi, a poet and writer, was arrested shortly after receiving a summons and visiting the IRGC’s intelligence office in Gorgan, Golestan Province.

A credible source, who is close to Mousavi’s family and spoke to HRANA, disclosed that the poet was called in by the IRGC Intelligence Unit and subsequently detained during the meeting. The precise reasons behind Mousavi’s arrest have not been made public.

Habib Mousavi, aged approximately 50, is a poet, writer, and resident of Gorgan.

Meysam Dehbanzadeh Sentenced to Six Years in Prison on National Security Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News
Evin Prison, Iman Afshari, Meysam Dehbanzadeh, Tehran, Tehran Revolutionary Court

Former political prisoner Meysam Dehbanzadeh has been handed a six-year prison sentence by the Tehran Revolutionary Court after being found guilty of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “forming groups to act against national security.”

Presiding judge Iman Afshari delivered the verdict and additional restrictions, including a travel ban and limitations on social activities.

Dehbanzadeh’s lawyer, Erfan Karam Veisi, was informed of the court’s decision. Along with the prison sentence, Dehbanzadeh will face several punitive measures, including a prohibition from entering Tehran Province and neighboring regions, leaving the country, and joining civil and social groups. He will also be required to make monthly appearances at the Supervision and Follow-up Office of the Judiciary for two years.

This legal case against Dehbanzadeh was linked to the fire incident at Evin prison, which occurred last year.

On May 27, 2023, he was granted release from the Great Tehran Penitentiary under a “pardon and commutation directive.” However, his release was contingent on providing bail for the new legal case that had been opened against him during his time in prison, as confirmed by his lawyer, Karam Veisi.

Khosrow Alikordi, Attorney, Arrested and Jailed in Vakilabad Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Abolfazl Adinehzadeh, Khosrow Alikordi, Khosrow Alikurdi, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

Khosrow Alikordi, an attorney at law, has been arrested and incarcerated today in Vakilabad Prison following his presence at the Mashhad Courthouse.

According to a reliable source, who spoke to HRANA, the prosecutor’s office investigator denied bail after arraignment, resulting in Alikordi’s imprisonment.

The charges against Alikordi include “spreading falsehood and breach of confidentiality.” He was also previously indicted for “propaganda in favor of anti-regime groups” and was released on a 150-million-toman bail in early July.

It’s important to note that Alikordi has been actively handling the legal case of Abolfazl Adinehzadeh, a minor who was allegedly killed by regime forces during the 2022 nationwide protests.

Five Inmates Executed in Zahedan and Birjand

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Executions, News
Ali Brahui, Birjand, Farhad Badroozeh, Khodarahm Mohammadani, Saeed Brahui, Shahsavar Shahriari, Zahedan

On July 31, 2023, Birjand Prison in South Khorasan province witnessed the execution of an inmate convicted of drug-related crimes, according to Rasank News.

The inmate was identified as Farhad Badroozeh, a married individual hailing from Sistan and Baluchestan Province, who had been sentenced to death six years ago. Shockingly, the execution occurred without any prior notice to his family, depriving him of a final visitation.

On the same day, Haal Vsh reported the execution of four more inmates in Zahedan Prison. They were identified as Khodarahm Mohammadani (55), Saeed Brahui (38), Ali Brahui (39), and Shahsavar Shahriari (53). These inmates had been convicted of drug offenses four years ago.

These executions have raised concerns about the use of capital punishment in drug-related cases. In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

 

 

 

 

 

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Hami Bahadori’s Six-Year Sentence Upheld by Tehran Court of Appeals

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizen, Evin Prison, Hami Bahadori, Tehran

The Tehran Court of Appeals has upheld the six-year sentence against Hami Bahadori, a Baha’i citizen currently incarcerated in Evin Prison.

On June 21, Judge Salavati, presiding over branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, delivered a verdict sentencing Bahadori to five years for “assembly and collusion against national security” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.” Pursuant to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the five-year term for the first charge will be enforceable.

In addition to the sentence, Bahadori will face a two-year travel ban, and some of his and his wife’s belongings have been confiscated.

A reliable source close to Bahadori’s family, who spoke to HRANA, revealed that judicial officials initially attempted to link his charges to the nationwide protests in 2022. However, they eventually abandoned those allegations, invoking only his activities as examples of the charges.

Bahadori’s arrest took place on October 22, 2022, by security forces, and he was subsequently detained in Evin Prison. On April 3, 2023, he conveyed his grievances about the unjust treatment of religious minorities within the judicial system through a written letter.

According to HRANA annual report, from the total human rights reports regarding the violation of religious minorities’ rights, 64.63% belonged to the violation of the rights of Baha’is.

The deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a breach of 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.

Two Female Journalists Receive Lengthy Sentences

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Freedom of Expression, News
compulsory hijab, Iman Afshari, Mehrnoosh Zarei Hanzaki, Nasim Sultan Beigi, Saeedeh Shafiee

In a concerning trend of surging convictions against journalists, two female journalists, Saeedeh Shafiee and Nasim Sultan Beigi, have been handed sentences totaling over eight years by the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari.

Shafiee and Sultan Beigi each received three years and seven months for “assembly and collusion against national security” and eight months for “propaganda against the regime.” Furthermore, they face a two-year ban on joining civil and political groups and are subject to a travel ban.
Their co-defendant, Mehrnoosh Zarei Hanzaki, was acquitted of all charges.

During the court session held on July 3, 2023, the trial took an alarming turn as the judge introduced statements from the defendants’ social media accounts unrelated to the charges, criticizing their opinions on compulsory Hijab, causing further distress.

The case has drawn international attention, with Human Rights Watch expressing deep concerns about the charges brought against these journalists for expressing their opinions and practicing their profession.

 

 

Four Inmates Executed in Qom, Babol, Zahedan, and Imminent Execution Awaited in Zabol

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Executions, News
Asadollah Amini, Babol, Baydollah Gorgij, Hamid Asgarinia, Mohammad Arbab, Qom, Zabol, Zahedan

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on July 30, an inmate identified as Hamid Asgarinia, convicted of rape, was executed in Qom Prison.

Also, the Chief Justice of Qom province, citing from Fars News Agency, announced the execution of another inmate for rape in this prison took place in the last ten days.

According to Haal Vsh, on July 30, in Zahedan Prison, Baydollah Gorgij, 43, met a tragic fate as he was executed for drug-related crimes. In Babol Prison, Mohammad Arbab, 30, an Afghan national, also was hanged due to the same charges. Both executions took place without prior notice to their families, depriving them of a final visitation.

Adding to the alarming situation, Asadollah Amini, 32, another Afghan national, has been transferred to solitary confinement in Zabol Prison, where he awaits an imminent execution for drug-related crimes.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

 

 

 

 

Baha’i Citizen Rouya Malakooti Arrested, Eight Others Summoned in Mashhad

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News, Religious Minorities
Azita Foroughi, Fardieh Moradi, Golnoosh Nasiri, HRANA, Mashhad, Nasim Sabeti, Nooshin Mesbah, Rouya Malakooti, Roya Ghaneh-Ezabadi, Shohreh Salekian, Soheila Ahmadi, Vakilabad prison

On July 29, nine Baha’i women were separately summoned to appear at Mashhad Courthouse, with one among them, Roya Malakooti, ending up arrested after hours of interrogation.

The other eight citizens, Roya Ghaneh-Ezabadi, Shohreh Salekian, Golnoosh Nasiri, Azita Foroughi, Nooshin Mesbah, Soheila Ahmadi, Fardieh Moradi, and Nasim Sabeti, have had the addressing of their legal cases postponed until further notice.

The specific allegations against these individuals remain undisclosed, leaving uncertainty surrounding the reasons behind the summoning and the subsequent arrest. According to a reliable source who spoke to HRANA, the Prosecutor’s office investigator issued a one-month detention order for Roya Malakooti, and she was subsequently transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

As the case unfolds, the fate of the other eight Baha’i women remains uncertain, and their legal proceedings are set to be addressed in the coming days.

According to HRANA annual report, from the total human rights reports regarding the violation of religious minorities’ rights, 64.63% belonged to the violation of the rights of Baha’is.

The deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a breach of 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.

Actor Mehdi Etemad Saeed Detained for Nearly 50 Days in Legal Uncertainty

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Freedom of Expression, News
Mehdi Etemad Saeed, PartUp Institute, Tehran

Mehdi Etemad Saeed, an actor, showman, and skill development facilitator, is still detained in legal ambiguity for over 49 days, raising his family’s concern about his condition.

Etemad Saeed was arrested by security forces on June 9, 2023, in Tehran. The agents searched his house and confiscated some of his belongings.

According to PartUp Institute, Mehdi Etemad was reportedly denied access to legal representation and has been charged with “promoting impurity and indecency.”Etemad Saeed’s whereabouts are still unknown.

Etemad Saeed is the founder of PartUp Institute and a social project with the same name.