HRANA News Agency – Two prisoners convicted of drug trafficking were hanged in Khoram Abad, yesterday.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), quoted from Police News Agency Website, police officers executed two prisoners convicted of drug trafficking in Parsiloun Prison in Khoram Abad in presence of the related Judge.
Continue reading “Two Prisoners Hanged in Khoram Abad, Iran”
HRANA News Agency – Mona Majidi, Baha’i citizen from Sangsar was arrested with her infant to serve her six months imprisonment in Semnan Prison.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), intelligence officers arrested Mona Majidi (Ghorbani) with her nine months old infant from her home and transferred them to Semnan Prison to serve her six months imprisonment on Tuesday, December 18, 2012.
Continue reading “A Baha’i Mother Was Arrested With Her Infant to Serve Imprisonment”
HRANA News Agency – 26th branch of Tehran’s revolutionary court issued 16 year in prison and 26 year in exile for Sodagari family, political activists.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Judge Mughisa at 26th branch of Tehran’s revolutionary court issued 5 year in prison for Naser Sodagari , 65 years old political activist and 5 year for his wife Tahereh Rostampour and 10 year exile to Zahedan. His son, Pouyan Sodagari was sentenced to six year in prison and six year in exile to Kerman.
Continue reading “16 year in prison, 26 year in exile issued for Sodagari Family”
HRANA News Agency – There is no information about five Kurdish political prisoners from Urmia prison who were transferred to an unknown place, on Thursday, October 11, 2012.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on Thursday, October 11, 2012, five Kurdish political prisoners: Jahangir (Houshang) Badouzadeh, Ahmad Tamoui, Youcef Kaka Mami, Ali Ahmad Soleiman and Mustafa Ali Ahmad, fro political Ward of Urmia prison were transferred to an unknown place and there is no information about them up to now.
Continue reading “No information about five Kurdish political prisoners from Urmia prison”
HRANA News Agency – The administrative office of Human Rights Activists in Iran has issued a press release to express concerns over Reza Shahabi’s condition in prison after this political prisoner began his hunger strike, and the news of his deteriorating health was reported.
Human Rights Activists in Iran has requested that the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations to pay immediate attention to this prisoner of conscience.Demanding immediate and unconditional release of the labor activist Reza Shahabi, this organization has also reminded the government of Iran that the freedom to form and participate in labor unions is an integral part of international obligations towards human rights.
Pointing out that the Islamic Republic of Iran has historically neglected the health and general well-being of political prisoners, Human Rights Activists in Iran has announced that this organization holds the government of Iran including the State Prisons System, the Judiciary Branch and the Intelligence Agency responsible for the health and life of Reza Shahabi.
This press release as published on the organization’s official web site contains the following:
Reza Shahabi is a labor activist and the board member of SWTSBC, the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company.He was also previously in charge of the labor committee of Human Rights Activists in Iran.On Saturday, June 12, 2010, four security agents arrested Reza Shahabi at work around 10:00am.Since then, he has been in temporary custody in a legal state of limbo.On Tuesday, November 22, 2011, Reza Shahabi began his open ended hunger strike to protest against the present conditions under which he has been incarcerated.
The current hunger strike is just another form of objection in a series of attempts made by Reza Shahabi to protest against being imprisoned illegally.On May 25, 2011, Reza Shahabi appeared in the 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court in order to face charges filed against him.Although the presiding judge announced that a ruling would be issued within four days after the trial, Reza Shahabi still remains in a legal state of limbo indefinitely.
While locked up in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, Reza Shahabi has been in hunger strike several times in the past.He suffers from osteoarthritis, low blood pressure, and heart and liver problems.During his incarceration, the degenerative arthritis has resulted in the loss of control over the left side of his body such that physicians have strongly recommended immediate surgery for him.
Given Reza Shahabi’s serious medical problems threatening his life and the fact that there has been no news of him since he began his latest hunger strike, Human Rights Activists of Iran has become increasingly concerned about this political prisoner’s current condition.
Human Rights Activists of Iran announces that this labor activist has been in a legal state of limbo for nearly 18 months.According to Article 9, part 3 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, anyone arrested or detained on criminal charges shall be brought promptly before a judge and shall be entitled to a trial within a reasonable amount of time or must be released.Additionally, Article 32 of the Islamic Republic’s constitution strongly reiterates that the charges against an individual who has been detained must be formally given to him in writing, and within 24 hours, the initial case must be referred to the judicial officials in order to begin criminal proceeding as soon as possible.
Moreover, Reza Shahabi’s life has been endangered due to the lack of proper medical care during his incarceration.Such treatment is in violation of Article 22, Part II of Geneva Convention defining the rights of prisoners and Article 103 of the State Prisons System’s regulations requiring the availability of all necessary medical care to inmates who might have to be taken outside the prison to seek treatment.
Human Rights Activists in Iran hereby requests from the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations to pay immediate attention to this prisoner of conscience and his current condition.Human Rights Activists in Iran also demands immediate and unconditional release of the labor activist Reza Shahabi and reminds the government of Iran that the freedom to form and participate in labor unions is an integral part of international obligations towards human rights.
Since the Islamic Republic of Iran has historically neglected the health and general well-being of political prisoners, Human Rights Activists in Iran hereby holds the government of Iran including the State Prisons System, the Judiciary Branch and the Intelligence Agency responsible for the health and life of Reza Shahabi.
The Administrative Office of Human Rights Activists in Iran
November 29, 2011
Copyright © 2009-2011 All Rights Reserved
HRANA News Agency – Journalist Hassan Fathi was arrested by Iranian security forces for being affiliated with BBC Persian.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the Fars state media released the news of Hassan Fathi’s arrest.This journalist has been detained after interviewing with BBC Persian a few days ago.Hassan Fathi has been charge with publishing falsehoods and inciting public opinion.
Fars News Agency reported, “BBC Persian has contacted Hassan Fathi in Tehran during the last few days.According to the available information, Hassan Fathi is affiliated with BBC Persian and works as a reporter for this illegal news media.”
It must be noted that BBC Persian doesn’t have an office in Tehran and doesn’t employ any Iranian journalists inside the country.
Copyright © 2009-2011 All Rights Reserved
HRANA News Agency – Official reports from Iran indicate that there are more than 600,000 Iranian children who have left school in order to enter the job market.As a result, these children are abused in a variety of ways by their families and profiteers.
According to a report by Mehr News Agency, official statistics show that there are 380,000 children between the ages of 10 and 14 working throughout the year in Iran.Additionally, there are about 360,000 children working at seasonal jobs.
Poverty, poor economy, insufficient economic growth and improper distribution of wealth are believed to be the main reasons causing such disturbing social phenomenon as child labor.
In addition to the fact that various occupations requiring hard manual labor harm children psychologically and physically, since laws prohibit employers from hiring minors for such occupations, children are not protected by labor regulations or given any social benefits.
While the official child labor statistics are published, there are thousands of children who work in black markets illegally.
HRANA News Agency – Iran’s new Chief of Police for Public Places, Colonel Khalil Halali, has taken steps towards monitoring internet users in cyber cafés.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on the recommendation of the Iranian Cyber Security Police, a new memorandum has been issued by the Department of Public Places to the Audio and Video Trade Union and the Guild of Cyber Café Owners requiring them to install closed circuit cameras in their shops and to document all identification belonging to a customer using the internet.
Based on the instruction given in this memo, a registration log for the cost of $15.00 will be provided to each business.Cyber café owners must record an internet user’s personal identification information such as his full name, date of birth and national ID number.Additionally, the date and time when the user accessed the system must also be logged.
HRANA News Agency – Last week, Majid Dori, an imprisoned student, was officially expelled from Allameh Tabatabai University (ATU).He has been locked up in prison for two years.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Allameh Tabatabai University officials have announced that Majid Dori’s allotted time to complete his education has ended.At the time of his arrest, Majid Dori was suspended from ATU for three semesters, and since then, he has been in prison.In the last few years, university officials throughout Iran have expelled imprisoned students without regard to their special circumstances.
Majid Dori studied literature at ATU and was a member of the Advocacy Council for the Right to Education.In July of 2009, Majid Dori was arrested by Iranian Intelligence Agency and locked up in Evin Prison, Ward 209.After spending three months in this ward, he was transferred to the cellblock housing the general prison population.
Presiding over the Revolutionary Court, Branch 26, Judge Pierabasi sentenced Majid Dori to 11 years in prison and exiled him to the city of Izeh in Khuzestan Province.The Appeals Court then reduced this verdict to 6 years in prison but confirmed the order for his exile.In August 2010, without prior notice, prison officials placed Majid Dari in shackles and transferred him to a prison in the city of Behbahan in Khuzestan Province.Since then, Majid Dori has been serving his prison term in exile.
Majid Dori has written several letters from prison to protest against being incarcerated far away from his home and amongst inmates convicted of various crimes.In the last two years, Majid Dori has been denied the right to use furlough, and despite his family’s repeated requests, Iranian officials have not agreed to grant him any time off from prison.
Majid Dori, Zia Nabavi and Madiheh Golroo are three imprisoned members of the Advocacy Council for the Right to Education.
HRANA News Agency – Ayatollah Mohseni Eje’i, Prosecutor of Iran, was chosen as the winner of the International Bludgeon Award of the Woman’s Link worldwide as the most anti-woman judge in the world. In their announcement, the organization who awards the number one pro-women and anti-women judges in the world every year, said: ‘the Bludgeon went to a decision of the Supreme Court of Iran which found that wives who refuse to comply with their conjugal duties cannot file for a divorce even if the husband takes another woman as a wife. This decision was nominated by Shadi Sadr from Justice for Iran.”
Following the decision of the Supreme Court of Iran regarding limiting the right to divorce for women, on March 13, 2011, Justice for Iran nominated Ayatollah Mohseni Eje’i, as well as the majority of the judges on the Supreme Court, for the International Bludgeon award for having voted in favor of this decision. In a call for action, Justice for Iran asked everyone to use the Women’s Link Worldwide website and vote for Ayatollah Mohseni Eje’i.
The call for action stated: “The nomination is due to the decision issued by the Supreme Court in October 2010 based on which, if a women disobeys her husband sexually, and leaves his house, she can no longer use the right of divorce obtained as a marriage condition, even if her husband takes another wife. Based on this, if a wife has disagreement with her husband and leaves him and the husband takes another wife without obtaining her permission, the first wife is considered to be disobedient and thereby cannot obtain a divorce based on her marriage contract conditions. This is while according to the Iranian law, not only the husband has the right to have multiple wives, but also, if he so chooses, he can divorce his wife whenever he wants without providing any reasons as to why. According to the text of the vote published in the official gazette, Ayatollah Mohseni Eje’i stated his agreement with the elimination of the right of the women given to her by the marriage condition prior to the voting of the other judges. The blatant injustice ingrained in this vote and the negatives effects of it on the lives of all married or to be married Iranian women motivated Justice for Iran to nominate Mohseni Eje’i and the members of the Iranian Supreme Court for the worse judge of the year award.”
Twenty three other judges, other than Mohseni Eje’i, were nominated from countries of Spain, Colombia, UK, Argentina, El Salvador, the Philippines, Kenya, Mexico, Canada, Ecuador, and Cambodia.
Last night, on June 2, 2011, in a ceremony in Madrid, the jury awarded Mohseni Eje’i to be the winner of the International Bludgeon award of this year.
Shadi Sadr, director of Justice For Iran said in the ceremony: ‘I am so glad that once again, the issue of gender discrimination in Iran has been visible at international level. I would like to thank Women’s World Wide to make this unique opportunity for us to nominate Ayatollah Mohseni Eje’i and the majority of the judges of Iran’s Supreme Court to nominate them and to shame them through the gathering bludgeon for them.’
The winner of the Gavel went to a decision made by the Inter American Commission for Human Rights that asked Haiti to take measures to protect women and girls who were victims of sexual violence in the internally displaced camps after the 2010 earthquake. The measures include adequate medical attention, availability of emergency contraception and prevention against sexual violence. This decision was nominated by Lisa Davis, Adjunct Professor at CUNY Law School and Human Rights Advocacy Director for MADRE.
Viviana Waisman, Executive Director at Women’s Link said in the ceremony: “In all countries, regardless their political system, national culture or religious believes, statements made by judges, courts or tribunals have an enormous influence on the sense of justice and the daily life of men and women. With the Gender Justice Uncovered Awards all of their decisions are under a magnifying glass and citizens from all over the world can help in scrutinizing them”.
Woman’s Link Worldwide jury consists of Lydia Cacho Ribeiro, Mexican journalist and writer who has won numerous awards for her work on the conditions of human rights and sexual violence. Baltasar Garzon, justice of the Spain’s High Court and the advisor to the International Criminal Court who issued the arrest warrant for Pinochet, former dictator of Chile. And Patricia Sellers, Prosecutor and advisor on sexual matters to the International Criminal Tribunal of the Former Yugoslavia as well as the prosecutor for the Women’s War Crime Tribunal in Japan.
This is the third year Women’s Link Worldwide issues the international Bludgeon Award to the most Anti-Women judge in the world. This year, the organization also awarded the international Gavel award for having issued a decision to most help promote gender equality.
Justice for Iran thanks all those who voted for Mohseni Eje’i and helped bring the attention of the international community to the discriminatory laws in Iran and the behavior of the Supreme Court judges in further promoting these discriminatory laws. Justice for Iran considers this award to be a positive step towards holding the human rights violators in Iran accountable, a step towards the goal that no human rights violation must go unheeded.
Who is Gholam Hossein Mohseni Eje’i?
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Eje’i was born in 1956 in Ejeyeh of Isfahan Province. After the revolution, for 14 years he held different judicial and intelligence related posts.
Some of his posts include: head of the selection office of the ministry of Intelligence between 1984-1985, representative of the Judiciary in the ministry of Intelligence from the second half of 1985 to 1988, head of the Special Court for Economic issues in 1989 and 1990, representative of the Judiciary in the Ministry of Intelligence and some protection offices between 1991 and 1994, prosecutor of the Special Court for the Clergy between 1985 and 1987. Further, according to testimony of political prisoners, he was a member of a committee known as “Death Committee” by whose decision thousands of political prisoners were killed in 1988. It is further alleged that he issued the fatwa for assassination of some modern thinkers and writers during the chain murders.
Aside from heading the special court for the clergy, between 1998 and 2002, Mohseni Eje’i was in charge of the Special Judicial Compound to Process the Crimes of the Government Employees. In the recent years, he was the representative of the judiciary in the committee to supervise published press, a committee who issued the closure order for tens of newspapers and magazines.
During Ahmadinejad, he was first introduced as the minister of Intelligence that, due to the role that office played in crushing the opposition post 2009 presidential election, is known to be one of the main violators of human rights. For this reason, the American government placed him amongst the names of statesmen who are subject to sanction.
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Eje’i is currently the Prosecutor of Iran.
