Category: News

Three Citizens Arrested in Abdanan by Ministry of Intelligence Forces

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News, Other
Abdanan, Hossein Hajian, Ilya Imani, Soheil Pakarazan

HRANA – On Monday, December 15, three citizens identified as Soheil Pakarazan, Ilya Imani, and Hossein Hajian, residents of Abdanan, were arrested by forces of the Ministry of Intelligence in the city and transferred to an undisclosed location.

Their identities have been reported by Kurdpa as Soheil Pakarzan, from the village of Haft Cheshmeh; Ilya Imani, from the village of Hezarani; and Hossein Hajian from Abdanan.

Based on this report, the arrests took place on Monday without the presentation of a judicial warrant and were carried out with the use of violence by Ministry of Intelligence forces.

As of now, no information is available regarding the whereabouts of these three citizens or the charges brought against them.

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.

At Least Seven Prisoners Executed on December 16 Across Iranian Prisons

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Executions, News
ahvaz, Bam prison, Birjand, Borazjan, Gorgan, Jiroft, Khaf, Sabzevar, Sheiban Prison, Yazd

HRANA – Various prisons continue to witness an unprecedented wave of executions on charges related to murder and drug offenses. This report provides details of some of these executions carried out in recent days.

Today, Wednesday, December 17, a female prisoner named Razieh Abbasi, approximately 40 years old, was hanged in Ghezel Hesar Prison. According to information received by HRANA, Ms. Abbasi had previously been arrested on charges of murdering her husband and was later sentenced to death by a criminal court.
This prisoner, who had been held in Qarchak Prison in Varamin, was recently transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj for the implementation of her execution sentence.

According to HRANA, on Tuesday, December 16, the death sentences of the following individuals were carried out:

• Mahmoud Din Mohammadi, on charges of murder, in Birjand Prison, South Khorasan province;
• Yazdan Mohammadzadeh, on charges of murder, in Bam Prison, Kerman province;
• Nejat Rajabi, on charges of murder, in Jiroft Prison, Kerman province;
• Keyhan Abbasi, on charges of murder, in Borazjan Prison, Bushehr province;
• Ghobad (Qobad) Fathollahi, on charges of murder, in Ilam Prison;
• Ali Mohammad Roshanfekr, on charges of murder, in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz;
• Ata Shahsavari, on drug-related charges, in Khaf Prison, Razavi Khorasan province.

HRANA also reported that on Sunday, three prisoners were hanged on charges of murder in Yazd Prison. The identities of two of these prisoners, Jasem Seghaei and Khalegh Zolfaghari, have been confirmed by HRANA.

Additionally, a human rights organization reported the execution of a prisoner named Heydar Amiri, 32 years old, on charges of murder on Monday, December 15, in Sabzevar Prison. The organization also reported that on Sunday, Mohammad Rahimi, 50 years old, was executed on drug-related charges in Gorgan Prison.

From the beginning of this year until the end of November, 2025, the Iranian regime has executed 1,594 people, marking an unprecedented increase compared to previous years.

Death Sentence of Seyed Mohammad-Javad Vafaie Upheld by the Supreme Court

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Executions, News
Mashhad, Mohammad-Javad Vafaie, Vakilabad

HRANA – The death sentence of Seyed Mohammad-Javad Vafaie Sani, a political prisoner, has once again been upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court after his request for retrial was rejected.

The informed source told HRANA: “On Monday, December 15, 2025, the rejection of Seyed Mohammad-Javad Vafaie Sani’s request for retrial by the Supreme Court was formally communicated to him in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. Following this notification, prison authorities informed the Vafaie family during a phone call that his case had been sent to the Mashhad Office for the Implementation of Sentences. In addition, his mother was unexpectedly granted an in-person visit. Taken together, final confirmation of the sentence, referral of the case for implementation, and the sudden family visit, these developments indicate that this political prisoner’s situation has entered a highly concerning stage.”

The death sentence of Seyed Mohammad-Javad Vafaie Sani had previously been overturned twice by the Supreme Court, but in recent months it was upheld by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court. Following this decision, his defense attorney submitted another request for retrial, which was ultimately rejected. Most recently, in September 2024, Branch 3 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death on charges of “corruption on earth.”

This 28-year-old political prisoner and boxing coach was arrested in Mashhad in March 2020 and transferred to Vakilabad Prison. In the initial stage of proceedings, he was also sentenced to death by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court on charges of “corruption on earth through deliberate destruction.” That verdict was overturned by the Supreme Court, and the case was referred to a parallel branch for reconsideration. In the second trial, a death sentence was again issued, which was likewise overturned by the Supreme Court in June 2024.

Iranian–Swedish Dual National Arrested in Karaj on Espionage Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News, Other
Dual national, Espionage, Karaj

HRANA – The spokesperson of Iran’s Judiciary announced the arrest of an Iranian-Swedish dual national in Karaj, stating that the individual has been charged with espionage for Israel during the 12-day war with Iran, according to Mehr News Agency. According to him, the case is under review in Branch 2 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court, and a verdict will be issued soon.

Speaking at a press conference today, the Judiciary spokesperson said: “The defendant is a dual national who obtained Swedish citizenship in 2020 and had been residing in that country. In 2023, he was recruited by Israeli intelligence services and, after receiving training in six European countries, most recently traveled to Israel two weeks before entering Iran.”

Asghar Jahangir added: “He entered Iran one month before the start of the war and was staying in a villa on the outskirts of Karaj. He was carrying electronic espionage equipment, which was identified by security agents, and he was arrested during the 12-day war. After his arrest, the defendant confessed during interrogations to spying for Israel.”

He concluded by stating: “The defendant’s case is under review in Branch Two of the Karaj Revolutionary Court, and a verdict will be issued soon.”

Jahangir did not disclose the identity or place of detention of the arrested individual.

While combating espionage is not, in itself, considered a violation of human rights, given the Iranian government’s record of instrumentalizing such charges to target political opponents, claims of this nature, especially when details and judicial procedures remain unclear—are consistently met with skepticism.

Four Individuals Arrested in Piranshahr by Security Forces

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Freedom of Expression, News, Other
Hejar Touraji, Piranshahr, Siamand Esmaili, Taher Bapiran, پیرانشهر

HRANA – On Monday, December 15, four residents of Piranshahr were arrested by security forces.

According to Kurdpa, in addition to the previously reported arrest of Taher Bapiran (Baram) and Siamand Esmaili, two other residents of Piranshahr, Hejar Touraji, and Rezgar Khanpaye, were also arrested by security forces.

Based on this report, the arrests of Mr. Touraji and Mr. Khanpaye were carried out at their private homes without the presentation of a judicial warrant.

As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for their arrests, their place of detention, or the charges brought against them.

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.

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At Least 11 Executions Reported Across Iranian Prisons in One Day

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Executions, News
Gorgan, HRANA, Kashan, Kerman, Neyshabur, Rasht, Saveh, zanjan

HRANA – Amid the continued unprecedented rise in executions in Iranian prisons, at least eleven prisoners were executed in various prisons across Iran on Monday, December 15.

HRANA reported the following executions carried out on Monday, December 15:

• Reza Shakouri, 50, on charges of murder in Lakan Prison in Rasht;
• Bahman Hosseini, on charges of murder in Gorgan Prison;
• (Known name unclear) Khorami, on charges of murder in Zanjan Prison;
• Ghanbar Safari, on charges of murder in Dorud Prison;
• Zahed Eslami, on charges of murder in Kashan Prison;
• Mohammad Bamari, on charges related to drug-related offenses in Kerman Prison;
• Amirhossein Rasouli, on charges of murder in Saveh Prison;
• Maziar Falahati, on charges of murder in Neyshabur Prison.

In addition, the death sentences of three other prisoners were carried out in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. These prisoners had previously been arrested on charges related to drug offenses and were later sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts. HRANA has identified one of them as Milad Sheikhi.

Also, on Sunday, December 14, a prisoner named Khalil Emkani was executed on charges related to drug offenses in Bandar Abbas Prison.

Furthermore, the Human Rights Organization reported that on Saturday, December 13, two prisoners, Hamideh Jabbari (female), 41, from Saveh, and Manouchehr Ramezani, 26, were executed in Qom Prison. Hamideh Jabbari had been arrested four years earlier on charges of murdering her husband, while Mr. Ramezani had been arrested four years ago following a group altercation on charges of murder.

According to the Human Rights Organization, on Wednesday, December 10, two prisoners, Reza Abbasian, 46, and Khalil Fadaei, 28, were executed on murder charges in separate cases in Semnan Prison. On the same day, Salim Afrashteh, 33, was also executed in Dorud Prison on charges of murder.

As of the time of this report, these executions have not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

From the beginning of this year until the end of November, 2025, the Iranian regime has executed 1,594 people, marking an unprecedented increase compared to previous years.

Two Individuals Arrested by Security Forces in Piranshahr

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News, Other
Piranshahr, Siamand Esmaili, Taher Bapiran

HRANA – Early this morning, two citizens identified as Taher Bapiran (Baram) and Siamand Esmaili were arrested by security forces in Piranshahr and transferred to an undisclosed location.

Based on this report by Kurdpa, the arrests were carried out without the presentation of a judicial warrant and were accompanied by violence, as security forces detained the two citizens at their family homes.

As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for their arrests, their place of detention, or the charges brought against them.

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.

Four Individuals Arrested by Ministry of Intelligence in Oshnavieh

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News, Other
Fara'n Choupan, HRANA, Oshnavieh, Seraj Elyasi, Shafi Ahmadi, Shaho Ebrahimi

HRANA – On Saturday and Sunday, security forces arrested four individuals in Oshnavieh.

Kurdpa has identified them as Shaho Ebrahimi, Fara’n Choupan, Shafi Ahmadi and 16-year-old Seraj Elyasi.

The report states that Mr. Ebrahimi was arrested on December 13, 2025, by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence without a judicial warrant. On the evening of the same day, Choupan and Ahmadi were also arrested by security forces without a judicial warrant.

In the early hours of Sunday, December 14, Seraj Elyasi, a 16-year-old resident of Oshnavieh, was likewise arrested by security forces in the city.

Shaho Ebrahimi is the brother of Shovaneh Ebrahimi, who has been in detention and held incommunicado since December 4, 2025.

As of the time of this report, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for the arrests or the places of detention of these citizens.

Navid Tashakor, a Baha’i Citizen, Arrested and Transferred to Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizen, Baharestan, Dastgerd Prison, Navid Tashakor, نوید تشکر

HRANA -Navid Tashakor, a Baha’i citizen residing in Baharestan, Isfahan Province, was arrested on Saturday, December 13, after appearing at the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Isfahan, and was transferred to Dastgerd Prison in the city.

Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Tashakor was detained on December 13, following his appearance at the Isfahan Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office and subsequently transferred to Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. The charge brought against this Baha’i citizen has been cited as “propaganda against the state through educational and/or promotional activities deemed deviant and contrary to or disruptive of Islamic law.”

Mr. Tashakor had previously been arrested on June 22, 2025, at his private residence in the city of Baharestan and was released on bail 16 days later. At the time of that arrest, security agents searched his home and confiscated a number of his electronic devices.

Additionally, on June 15, 2025, Mr. Tashakor and several of his colleagues were arrested at their workplace and released after one day. According to an informed source, “The agents cited suspicious movements and alleged connections with Israeli-owned drones as the reason for these arrests.”

Update on Arrests at Khosrow Alikordi’s Seventh-Day Memorial in Mashhad

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News, Prisoners
Abolfazl Abri, Ahmad Alikordi, Ali Adinehzadeh, Alieh Motalebzadeh, Amin Vosoughi-Nia, Amir Khavari, Behrouz Alikordi, Davoud Alikordi, Hamed Hosseini, Hamed Rasoulkhani, Hamed Zareh, Hassan Bagherinia, Hasti Amiri, Heydar Chah Chamandi, HRANA, Iraj Alikordi, Javad Alikordi, Javad Jalali, Kamran Alikordi, Mahmoud Khanali, Mehdi Rasoulkhani, Milad Fattah, Mohammad Hossein Boroumand Sharifi, Mohammad Hossein Hosseini, Mohammad-Hassan Sadeghian, Mohammadreza Babaei, Mojtaba Alikordi, Narges Mohammadi, Nora Haghi (Vahideh Haghparast), Pouran Nazemi, Pouria Najarzadeh, Sepideh Gholian, Tayebeh Nazari, Yaser Dehestani

HRANA – On Friday, December 12, 2025, during the seventh-day memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer, held in Mashhad, a number of citizens were arrested. The identities of at least 22 additional detainees have been confirmed. Some of these individuals were transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, while others were taken to Soroush Detention Center in Mashhad. A number of them have also been released on bail.

In addition to Narges Mohammadi, Sepideh Gholian, Pouran Nazemi, Hasti Amiri, Abolfazl Abri, Alieh Motalebzadeh, Nora Haghi (Vahideh Haghparast), Ali Adinehzadeh, Hassan Bagherinia, Javad Alikordi, and Hamed Hosseini, the identities of at least 22 other citizens and civil activists have been established, these individuals were arrested on Friday, December 12, 2025:

Tayebeh Nazari, Heydar Chah Chamandi, Mohammad Hassan Sadeghian, Yaser Dehestani, Amin Vosoughi-Nia, Milad Fattah, Mohammadreza Babaei, Davoud Alikordi, Ahmad Alikordi, Iraj Alikordi, Kamran Alikordi, Mojtaba Alikordi, Behrouz Alikordi, Javad Jalali, Mahmoud Khanali, Hamed Rasoulkhani, Mehdi Rasoulkhani, Amir Khavari, Pouria Najarzadeh, Mohammad Hossein Hosseini, Hamed Zareh, and Mohammad Hossein Boroumand Sharifi.

According to informed sources who spoke with HRANA, some of those arrested were transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, while others were taken to Soroush Detention Center, which operates under the supervision of the Public Security Police (FARAJA). Among the detainees, Mohammad Hossein Hosseini, Behrouz Alikordi, Iraj Alikordi, and Mojtaba Alikordi were released after posting bail. Additionally, the mobile phones of some individuals were confiscated by security agents.

Based on information received by HRANA, the judicial cases of some of these individuals have been referred to Branch 902 and Branch 901 of the Investigative Unit of the Mashhad Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office. They are facing charges including “propaganda against the state,” “disturbing public opinion,” and “assembly and collusion with the intent to disrupt national security.”

According to reports published by the families of some of the detainees, including Narges Mohammadi and Sepideh Gholian, several of those arrested have so far had no telephone contact with their families and have been denied access to legal counsel, a situation that has heightened concerns among their families and relatives.

On Friday, December 12, 2025, the seventh-day memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi was held at Ghadir Mosque in Mashhad with a large public turnout. The ceremony was accompanied by the chanting of protest slogans by participants. Eventually, following the intervention of law enforcement forces, the gathering turned violent. During these events, dozens of participants—including Narges Mohammadi, Sepideh Gholian, Pouran Nazemi, Hasti Amiri, Abolfazl Abri, Alieh Matalebzadeh, Nora Haghi (Vahideh Hagparast), Ali Adinehzadeh, Hassan Bagherinia, Javad Alikordi, and Hamed Hosseini—were arrested by security forces.

On Saturday, the Mashhad Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor announced the arrest of 39 individuals during the memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi in the city. According to him, these individuals were detained due to what he described as “norm-breaking actions and behavior.” He also claimed that two law enforcement officers were injured during the ceremony.

Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer and human rights defender from Sabzevar and a resident of Mashhad, passed away on the evening of Friday, December 5, 2025. His funeral was held on Sunday, December 7, 2025, in Sabzevar and was accompanied by protest chants such as “Woman, Life, Freedom” and “Long Live Iran.” Following this, a large number of lawyers across the country issued a statement, a copy of which was obtained by HRANA, expressing condolences to Alikordi’s family and emphasizing the need for a precise, technical, and expert review of the circumstances surrounding his death, while calling for all relevant documentation and information to be made available to his family as soon as possible.

Regarding Soroush Detention Center, it should be noted that this facility, located in eastern Mashhad, operates under the management of the Public Security Police of FARAJA. Since the nationwide protests of 2017 and 2019, and especially after 2022, it has become one of the main centers for interrogating and holding political and security detainees. Initially used to detain suspects accused of ordinary crimes such as drug trafficking, arms trading, and alcohol-related offenses, the center has in recent years evolved into a dual-purpose facility due to the detention of protesters and political dissidents.