Category: News

HRA’s Skylar Thompson Comments on Iran’s Culture of Impunity in Atlantic Council Article

Posted on by Editor
News

HRA Senior Advocacy Coordinator Skylar Thompson discusses the Iranian government’s  ongoing issue of impunity in a recent article published by the Atlantic Council.

“Without concrete action to fight the plague of impunity that covers Iran, these violent events will only continue to occur and the Iranian people will continue to suffer,” Thompson writes in the article. “Iran has proven they are both unable and unwilling to provide a domestic judicial remedy for victims of human rights violations.”

The blog post discusses the issue specifically through the lens of the November 2019 Protests and the Khuzestan Protests of this year. Protesters in both cases faced violent government suppression, and the actors most directly responsible have since faced little to no repercussions.

“The information on those perpetrators complicit in such widespread abuse is readily available,” Thompson concludes. “The international community must speak up for the Iranian people and take concrete action to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”

Read the full article here.

IRIB Denies that Khosro Jamalifar’s Suspicious Death in Sanadaj Prison was Result of Guard Brutality

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Abdollahi, IRIB, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Jamalifar, Khosro Jamalifar, prison brutality, Prison conditions, prison guard prutality, Sanandaj, Sanandaj Prison

A few days after HRANA’s report on the death of Khosro Jamalifar due to being beaten by prison officers in Sanandaj Prison, in response, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) claimed in a report that Jamalifar fainted from a sudden headache and died in the hospital. Their statement stands at odds with reports from numerous informed sources.

To support the claim, the report published video footage of a moment when the inmate fell on the floor in his solitary confinement cell. This claim stands at odds with what informed sources reported to HRANA: that Khosro Jamalifar was beaten brutally by prison officers before being taken back to his cell, and died in prison rather than the hospital.

The IRIB also did not mention that following day, his body was buried secretly without waiting for the forensic report and delivering the body to his family. His family was also threatened into silence.

Some eyewitnesses who have seen the injuries on his head told HRANA that, contrary to IRIB’s claim, such wounds cannot be caused by a head collision with a bed frame.

On November 2, 26-year-old Khosro Jamalifar, who had previously been indicted on a murder charge and was awaiting the verdict, died from a strike to the head sustained during the beating.

According to an informed source, Jamalifar became involved in a quarrel with a fellow inmate in the quarantine section of Sanandaj. Thereafter, as an informed source told HRANA, “Prison officers began to beat him with batons which led to his death. In this incident, the failure of the prison nurse, named Abdollahi, to send (Jamalifar) to the healthcare center in a timely manner also played a role in his death.”

In the aftermath of Jamalifar’s killing, Sanandaj inmates are calling for authorities to take accountability and conduct a real investigation.

Iran’s prisons are notorious for their frequent incidents of brutality from authorities.  Acts of violence such as this one are at serious odds with the basic responsibility of prisons to provide for the safety and health of their inmates.  Institutions’ reluctance to conduct thorough investigations into acts of violence from their officials only perpetuates, and often even reinforces, a culture of abuse within Iran’s carceral system.

Four Baha’i Citizens Sentenced to a Total of 32 Months Imprisonment by Appeals Court

Posted on by A MN
News, Religious Minorities
Amin Zolfaghari, Armin Zolfaghari, Baha'i, Baha'i arrests, Baha'i persecution, Freedom of religion, Hiva Yazdan Mehdi Abadi, Mahboobeh Misaghian, Mitra Bandi Amirabadi, Yazd, Yazd Prison, Yazdan Mehdi Abadi

The Court of Appeals in Yazd Province recently sentenced Baha’i citizens Amin Zolfaghari, Mahboobeh Misaghian, Mitra Bandi Amirabadi and Hiva Yazdan Mehdi Abadi to a total of 32 months in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, in recent days, Branch 11 of the Court of Appeals in Yazd sentenced each of the four Baha’i citizens to eight months in prison on a charge of “propaganda against the regime”.

Initially, Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Yazd Province had sentenced these citizens to a total of 13 years and 4 months in prison on a charge of “membership in Baha’s anti-regime groups and the propaganda against the regime”. Upon appeal, they were acquitted from the first charge.

On May 21, 2020,  intelligence agents arrested Mr. Amin Zolfaghari and transferred him to Yazd prison. He was released on bail on June 23 of that year. Ms. Misaghian was arrested by security forces on June 1, 2020, and released on bail on June 16, 2020.

Ms. Mitra Bandi Amirabadi and Ms. Hiva Yazdan Mehdi Abadi were arrested on May 30, 2020, and released on bail after three months of detention. These two citizens had previously faced other arrests and convictions. In December 2017, Yazdan Mehdi Abadi was detained for “teaching music to children” and transferred to Yazd Prison. She was released on bail on December 25 of that year.

According to an informed source, these two above-mentioned citizens were arrested and sentenced to suspended imprisonment for a period, which ended recently.

According to unofficial sources, it is estimated that more than 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but the Iranian constitution recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Because their faith is not considered legitimate by authorities, the rights of Baha’is in Iran have been systematically violated for years.

This 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 Inmates Sentenced to Death; One Spared from Execution

Posted on by A MN
Executions, News
Aboldazim, Alireza Solhi, Ardabil, Ardabil City, Branch 24, Capital Punishment, capital punishment iran, Death Penalty, Death sentence, Elmira, Esmail, Rokna, Solhi

Two inmates were recently sentenced to death while one was spared from execution.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna, physician Alireza Solhi was recently sentenced to death  for killing his wife and grandmother in Tabriz. Reportedly, in October 2016, on the day of the incident, Solhi’s family was poisoned and hospitalized from food he had prepared, after which his wife Elmira and his grandmother lost their lives.

In the first trial, though he never confessed to intentional poisoning, Solhi was sentenced to death. This verdict was overturned by the Supreme Court, and the case was sent back to criminal court. In the second trial, he could exact the satisfaction of the second victim’s ‘blood avengers’ but not the second victim’s one for which, consequently, he was condemned to death. This verdict was confirmed by Branch 24 of the Supreme Court.

According to another report, in Tehran, an inmate, identified by his first name as 23-year-old Esmail, was sentenced to death on the charge of killing a young man in a fight. In May 2017, the police station in Aboldazim city was reported over a fight among three men. In this fight, a 27-year-old man was stabbed and died in hospital from severe wounds. After two days of investigation, police arrested the convicted inmate for murder. In the trial, the defendant claimed that he stabbed the young man in self-defense.

In Ardabil City, an inmate on death row was spared from execution after exacting satisfaction of the victim’s family. In this case, in 2010, a man reported his wife missing to the police. After a one week search, the police found her body in a morass. Reportedly, the woman was strangled to death. The police arrested the victim’s husband as the primary suspect. The accused, however, neither confessed during interrogation nor trial. Finally, the family’s victim was satisfied to halt the execution. The 55-year-old man was released from jail after spending 11 years in prison.

 

 

Female Worker Dead After Veil Caught in Machinery at Factory

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News, Women
compulsory hijab, forced veil, Hijab, labor laws, Marzieh Taherian, Nasaji Kavir Semnan, Semnan City, unsafe workplace conditions, Women's rights, workplace hazards

On the evening of Saturday, November 5, a 21-year-old worker lost her life in a workplace accident in a factory after her veil was caught in machinery.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ILNA, Marzieh Taherian was killed in the spinning factory Nasaji Kavir Semnan, located in the industrial zone on the east of Semnan City

As her coworkers stated, the veil, which female workers are forced to wear despite being unsuitable for work conditions and safety issues, became caught in a ring spinning machine, and pulled her head inside the machine.

This horrific work accident has raised again many criticisms about strict forced veil rules, which have long caused discomfort and hazards for women in the workplace.

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Several Arrested in Isfahan by IRGC Intelligence

Posted on by A MN
News, Other
Citizen arrests, Citizen detentions, Citizens detained, irgc, Isfahan, Isfahan Province, Sahib al-Zaman

Several citizens have reportedly been arrested by an IRGC Intelligence unit in Isfahan.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IRNA, a spokesperson for the IRGC’S Intelligence unit in Isfahan City, known as Sahib al-Zaman IRGC, announced that several members of an “anti-revolutionary group” have been arrested.

“The members of this anti-revolutionary group aimed to act against national security both on social media and in public,” the IRGC’s public relations spokesperson claimed. “These acts include spreading anti-regime tracts on streets to call for protest and unrest, agitating and hiring thugs for their own purposes, planning to disturb public order and security, sabotage and causing chaos and unrest all over the province.”

This report does not reveal the identity and whereabouts of the detainees.

The Uprising of the Thirsty; An Analysis of the 2021 Khuzestan Protests

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Cultural, Environment, Labor and Guilds, News
East Azerbaijan, Isfahan, Karaj, Khuzestan, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan water crisis, Lorestan, Spreading Justice, Tehran, Uprising of the Thirsty

The July 2021 Iranian protests were a continuation of protests that have been erupting sporadically since 2016.

The driving force behind the July/August uprising was to protest the perennial water shortages and rolling blackouts stemming from mismanagement of resources, fueling public anger. The latest round of protests erupted on 15 July, starting in Khuzestan soon spreading to other provinces including Isfahan, Lorestan, Eastern Azerbaijan, Tehran, and Karaj. These protests have been coined the ‘Uprising of the Thirsty’.

As nearly 5 million Iranians in Khuzestan are lacking access to clean drinking water, Iran is failing to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to water, which is inextricably linked to the right to the highest attainable standard of health; both are protected by the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESR), to which Iran is a signatory. It is a common cause that Iran’s water crisis has reached a critical point. Even the regime’s state-run media have acknowledged the dire situation, with at least 700 villages out of water.

According to the state-run Aftab News on July 4, 2021, “Of Iran’s population of 85 million, about 28 million live in areas with water shortages and are under pressure in this regard, mainly in the central and southern regions of the country. Water shortages have affected all sections of society, from urban households to agricultural and rural communities.”

It did not take long for the protests to take on a political character, with protesters in various cities calling for the end of the current regime and expanding the subject matter of their protests from water shortages to deteriorating living conditions.

One protester told HRA, “My ideal outcome is to see a regime official resign in response to our suffering. We are tired of all of this misery, poverty, dehydration, neglect, lies, and empty promises.”

A protester living in Tehran told HRA, “Besides supporting [the people of] Khuzestan, we are protesting unemployment, high prices, poverty, and the existing problems in the country. We can no longer bear the hardships of life created by unworthy officials. The authorities must address the problems…”

In the two weeks of the uprising, Human Rights Activists (HRA) verified 129 videos documenting the protests, 361 arrests, 6 deaths, and several more wounded. HRA’s Spreading Justice team (HRA-SJ) additionally identified individual violators associated with the violent crackdown. The following report analyses the events that occurred as a result of the uprising, those responsible, and concludes with a call for accountability noting that without action, this cycle of abuse will only continue.

Read the full report here.

_________________________

For further inquiries please contact Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) at [email protected]

Vahid Abhari Sentenced to 3 Months Imprisonment and Paying a Fine

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Abhari, Branch 111, freedom of expression, Judge Reza Forooghi, Reza Forooghi, Tabriz, Tabriz Prison, Vahid Abhari

Branch 111 of the Criminal Court in Tabriz recently sentenced Vahid Abhari, a resident of Tabriz, to 3 months imprisonment and paying a fine.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the court, headed by Judge Reza Forooghi sentenced Vahid Abhari to 3 months in prison, including the detention period, and a fine of 21 million tomans on a charge of “inciting violence via cyberspace”. Two months of this sentence has been suspended for two years.

Abhari, who has been arrested for his civil activities at least once before, was arrested on July 21 by security forces and held in the detention center of the intelligence ministry until August 11 when he was sent to Tabriz Prison. He was released on bail until the end of the legal proceedings.

On October 30, Abhari was summoned and notified of the charges.

Workers’ Rights Activists Hirad Pirbodaghi and Asal Mohammadi Arrested by Security Forces

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Activist arrested, Asal Mohammadi, civil activist, Evin, Evin Prison, Hirad Pirbodaghi, Mohammadi, Pirbodaghi, Security forces, worker's rights

Two workers’ rights activists were arrested by security forces on Saturday, November 6.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Saturday, Hirad Pirbodaghi and Asal Mohammadi were arrested yesterday after security forces searched their homes. Hirad Pirbodaghi made a phone call to his family earlier this morning and informed them that he is currently being held in the notorious Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Mohammadi’s situation and whereabouts are still unknown as of this writing.

An informed source told HRANA that security forced raided and searched their houses violently. Sunday morning, Hirad Pirbodaghi was notified about the charges against him, which include “assembly” and “collusion”.

Asal Mohammadi and Hirad Pirbodaghi have previously faced other arrests and convictions for their non-violent activism and worker’s rights advocacy.

Yesterday, before their arrest, Pirbodaghi and Mohammadi, along with seven other civil activists, filed a complaint in a judicial office against using solitary confinement as a tool of torture.

As of yet, the reason for these arrests is unknown.

 

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

Posted on by Editor
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Adaban, ahvaz, Azadshahr, Farahan, Fulad Nantaz factory, Fulad Natanz, Golnar, Gorgan, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Kuhrang, Mahabad, Mashhad, Meybod, Neyshabur, Qanat, Qazvin, Rasht, Ray Shahr, Razi Petrochemical, Razi Petrochemical Company, Rojan Ehsani, Sanandaj, Shahr-e Kohneh, Shush, Tabriz, Taherabad, Tehran, Yazd, zanjan
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place this week in Iran, many of which were continuations of ongoing movements.  Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations.

 

Saturday, October 30

The workers of Abadan Petrochemical Company assembled at the company premises to demand the right to form an Islamic Workers’ Council, as the labor code allows, the adjustment of their contracts according to their job classification plans, job security, preservation of the dignity of workers and an end to punitive measures towards employees who advocate for their rights.

A number of workers of the Golnar Vegetable Oil Factory protested at the company premises.  As well as fostering a number of other internal problems, the factory employer reportedly has been announcing temporary business closure each month, and sending about 300 workers on compulsory leave.

Dozens of teachers and educators from various cities came to Tehran on Saturday and and assembled in front of Parliament. They asked for implementation of the Ranking Income Bill, whereby the salaries of teachers must be raised to at least 80% of university board members’ salaries. They also demanded the fortification of pension funds, in adherence with Civil Service Management Law.

 

In Bandar Mahshahr, the workers of Razi Petrochemical Company went on strike for several consecutive days. They assembled in front of the company headquarters and demanded bonuses and benefits, improvement in the quality of meals, implementation of the Jobs Classification Plan, and supplementary health insurance.

The concierges and service workers of schools assembled in front of Parliament in Tehran and protested poor living conditions and low wages.

A number of residents of the village Shahr-e Kohneh in Neyshabur County protested infrastructural negligence, particularly in regard to road maintenence. Residents currently have to travel a long distance to reach an unsafe underpass in order to cross the railway.



A number of residents of Mahabad City in Isfahan assembled in the dried up stretches of the river Taherabad and protested water withdrawal from this river for the usage of the Fulad Natanz factory. Moreover, reportedly, as a result of this water withdrawal a 3000-year-old Qanat has been dried up.

 

In Tehran, A number of lawyers of the judiciary assembled in front of the building of the Iran Bar Association to show their opposition to enactment of a plan whereby the issuance of some business licenses will be facilitated.

A group of specialized hospital assistants of Imam Hossein Hospital went on a strike at their workplace in protest against their poor living conditions.

About 40 workers of Kayson Company stopped working and went on a strike to ask for their demands, including the payment of wages that have been delayed by three months.

Sunday, October 31

A number of retirees and pensioners of the Iran Social Security Organization assembled in front of their local units in various cities such as Tehran, Mashhad, Ahvaz, Kermanshah, Rasht and Tabriz. They asked for a pension above the poverty line, implementation of article 96 of the Social Security Acts, closing the disparity in pension incomes, end-year bonuses and factoring in employment history in hazardous jobs when calculating pension income.

 

Service workers of Tehran Metro on Line 2 assembled to protest the three-month delay in their wages. Moreover, they have not received end of year bonuses for two years and the employer’s insurance contribution has also been delayed.

 

For a second consecutive day,  workers of the vegetable oil factory Golnar assembled at the factory premises to demand action.

“After two days of protests, no one from the company responds to us,” one of these workers stated. “Since the privatization of the factory, in recent years, there have raised many conflicts between the company and the workers including compulsory unpaid leaves, the deduction of leave from the salary, reducing in production, imposing one-month contracts and continuous two-week night work, and the most important, threatening workers to be fired.”

For the second consecutive day, a group of workers of Abadan Petrochemical Company (TAPPICO) assembled at the company premises to ask for the implementation of the Job Classification plan. They also protested against the layoffs of four fellow workers.

 

In Qazvin, the garden maintenance workers of Rojan Dasht Caspian went on strike to demand their wages, which have been delayed by 4 months.

 

Workers of Arak Machine Manufacturing Factory assembled and protested at the company premises. They demanded increased wages in accordance with inflation and real living costs.

 

A group of the retirees of Telecommunication Company of Iran assembled at premises of the building of the finance department of the company to ask for their demands.

A number of farmers from Shush and Shushtar assembled in front of their government buildings to protest rice exports outside the province.

Monday, November 1

Judiciary personnell assembled in front of the Justice building of various cities across the country including Tehran, Mashhad, Shush, Yazd, Zanjan, Farahan, Ray Shahr, Kuhrang, Neyshabur, Meybod, Gorgan, Azadshahr, Sanandaj, Ahvaz, Elam, Arak, Divandareh, Paveh, Damavand, Kasmar, Tafresh, Boroujen. They protested against poor living conditions and inattention to their demands.

A number of the workers in the lead and zinc mine in Gojar in Kerman Province assembled in front of the building of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social welfare in Kerman to demand increased wages.

A number of workers of Kut-e Abdollah Municipality assembled in front of the building of the Islamic Council in this city. They protested unpaid wages and unpaid employers’ contributions to health insurance.

A group of citizens in Tehran assembled in front of the building of the Securities and Exchange Organization to protest capital market collapse and demanded that measures be taken to protect people’s investments.

Workers of the Razi petrochemical company went on a strike at their workplace in Bandar Mahshah. They asked for benefits and bonuses in accordance with workplace conditions, improvment in the quality of meals, implementation of the Job classification plan, and supplementary insurance.

Tuesday, November 2

A group of personnel and board members of Islamic Azad University of Shushtar City assembled on campus to protest unpaid wages.

 

The residents of the town “Poshte Bagh-e Parandgan” in Astara County assembled in front of the building of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development office to protest against the decision to demolish a number of local residential complexes.

Personnel of the Regional Telecommunication Company of Eastern Azerbaijan Province assembled inside the company headquarters and in front of the management office.

A number of people who have not received their pre-ordered cars from Azvico Company (Azerbaijan Vehicle Industry) assembled in front of the office of the Head of the Judiciary .

 

 

Residents of the village Malek-Abad in Arak County protested the unlawful confiscation of their pieces of land by semi-government Awqaf and Charity Affairs Organizations. A few days prior, they had blocked the road from Arak to Qom City as a demonstration of protest.

 

A group of transport service drivers of the hospital Shahid Mohammadi went on a strike to protest poor living conditions and low wages.

 

Workers of Arak Machine Manufacturing Factory assembled at the company premises and went on strike.

Wednesday, November 3

Victims of the financial fraud of the cryptocurrency exchange “Cryptoland” assembled in front of the Tehran Courthouse this Wednesday and demanded that their complaints be addressed and their money returned.

A number of workers of Kut-e Abdollah Municipality assembled in front of the building of the Islamic Council in this city. Reportedly, 400 workers have not been fully paid since July.

A number of people with hearing impairment in Mariwan assembled in front of the State Welfare Organization building to protest poor living conditions and unemployment. They asked for enforcing the Comprehensive Law on Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

 

A group of shareholders who lost money due to fraudulent transactions in the Tehran stock exchange assembled in front of the Tehran Courthouse in protest.