Category: Prisoners

Evin Prison Fire Case: Four Defendants Sentenced to Prison and Flogging

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Luqman Aminpour, Majid Roshannejad, Meysam Dehbanzadeh, Reza Salmanzadeh

Luqman (Lughman) Aminpour, Meysam Dehbanzadeh, Majid Roshannejad, and Reza Salmanzadeh, four defendants in the so-called Evin Prison Fire case, were sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison and 518 lashes by Branch 1148 of the Tehran Criminal Court.

Based on the verdict issued by Judge Jabbar Javadi Rami of Branch 1148 of the Tehran Criminal Court, and communicated to these prisoners on Wednesday, June 19th, Aminpour, Dehbanzadeh, and Roshannejad were each sentenced to six years in prison and 74 lashes for the charge of “property destruction”, sixteen months in prison and 74 lashes for “disrupting prison order”, and sixteen months for “disobeying and resisting orders from officials.” Additionally, Reza Salmanzadeh was sentenced to five years in prison and 74 lashes for “property destruction”, one year for “disrupting prison order”, and one year in prison for “disobeying and resisting orders from officials”.

The court session that was held yesterday addressed the charges against 40 prisoners. Further details regarding the sentences of other defendants in this case are still under investigation by HRANA.

Following the fire on the night of Saturday, October 15, 2022, at Evin Prison, a case was opened against these prisoners based on a complaint from the Prisons Organization.

Previously, a source close to one of the prisoners’ families told HRANA, “During the court session, the judge prevented the defendants’ lawyers from being present. Ramin Safarnia, the defense lawyer for these four defendants was expelled from the court by the judge. Despite the defendant’s objection, the judge insisted on expelling the defendants’ lawyer from the court session and only accepted written defenses from the defendants.”

On the night of October 15, 2022, after tensions rose in Evin Prison, fire was seen above the prison, and sounds of gunfire and explosions were heard. Despite officials claiming to have controlled the fire and clashes, gunfire continued for several hours. As a result, several prisoners were injured and killed, and some were transferred out of the prison.

Four Protestors Remain in Detention Amid Legal Uncertainty

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News, Prisoners
Alireza Barmarz Pournak, Alireza Kafaie, Amir-Mohammad Khosh Eghbal, Ekbatan, Hossein Nemati, Mehdi Imani, Milad Armoon, moharebeh, Navid Najaran, Seyed Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini

Milad Armoon, Seyed Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Najaran, four defendants in the so-called “Ekbatan Township” case, remain in indefinite detention for over a year.

These individuals were transferred from Ward 2-A of Evin Prison, which is under the control of IRGC Intelligence, to Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj in mid-June of this year, after completing the interrogation process. Their case is still in Branch 4 of the Criminal Court Prosecutor’s Office of District 27 in Tehran and has not yet been referred to Branch 13 of the Tehran Criminal Court. According to the defense attorney for one of the defendants, their transfer to the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center was for completing court-requested investigations.

In early November 2022, amid nationwide protests, at least 50 young residents of Ekbatan Township were arrested by security forces for their alleged involvement in an incident that resulted in the death of a Basij member named Arman Aliverdi.

Indictments were issued for 14 of them. In April 2023, the Judiciary spokesman announced charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through the use of cold weapons and actions against national security” for three defendants. According to the issued indictment, these citizens are accused of charges including “assisting in intentional murder,” and “disruption of public order and peace.”

In late September 2023, after four court hearings, the court did not refer their case for further investigations and Branch 13 of the Tehran Criminal Court intervened to expedite the process and determine the status of the defendants. Another part of their case has been referred to Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati.

Of the eight defendants, Hossein Nemati, Alireza Barmarz Pournak, Alireza Kafaie, and Amir-Mohammad Khosh-Eghbal were released on bail from Qezel Hesar Prison in February of last year.

Previously, defense attorney Payam Derafshan confirmed that four individuals face the charge of ‘Moharebeh.’

In April of this year, the case was returned to the Prosecutor’s Office for what was described as addressing a “confidential deficiency.”

Below are the details and arrest dates of the defendants in the so-called “Ekbatan Township” case who remain in detention and uncertainty:

  • Milad Armoon – aged 25 – Arrest Date: November 2, 2022
  • Seyed Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini – aged 25 – Arrest Date: December 6, 2022
  • Mehdi Imani – aged 29 – Arrest Date: December 15, 2022
  • Navid Najaran – aged 32 – Arrest Date: Unknown

Hora Nikbakht Detained in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Evin Prison, Hora Nikbakht, HRANA, حورا نیکبخت

Hora Nikbakht, a resident of Tehran, remains in detention in Evin Prison eight days after her arrest. She was detained and transferred to this prison after appearing at Evin Prosecutor’s Office.

Based on information from HRANA, Ms. Nikbakht was arrested on June 12, after appearing at Branch 3 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office and was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.

Previously, this citizen had received a summons to defend herself against the charges attributed to her at the mentioned prosecutor’s office.

As of the time of this report, the reasons for her arrest and the charges against Nikbakht remain unknown.

Prisoner Exchange; Hamid Nouri Released from Prison and Returned to Iran

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News, Prisoners
Hamid Nouri, Johan Floderus, Karaj, Saeed Azizi

The Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, announced on Saturday that Hamid Nouri had been exchanged for Johan Floderus, a Swedish diplomat imprisoned in Iran. In this prisoner swap, Saeed Azizi, a dual Iranian-Swedish citizen, was also released.

Hamid Nouri was arrested in Sweden for crimes against humanity in the summer of 1988 and the massacre of political prisoners. During this period, his detention was extended several times by a Swedish court. On July 14, 2022, a Swedish court charged Hamid Nouri with “gross and criminal violation of international law (equivalent to war crimes) and premeditated murder,” and he was found guilty on both counts. Ultimately, he was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to pay compensation to the survivors and families of the victims of the 1988 executions.

Nouri was a prosecutor at Evin and Gohardasht prisons in Karaj in 1988. That summer, thousands of political prisoners in Iran were executed by the regime and secretly buried in mass graves.

Regarding Johan Floderus, an employee of the European Union’s foreign policy department, the Swedish government and the European Union had previously demanded the “immediate” release of this Swedish citizen from prison, calling his detention “arbitrary.” He faced several court sessions with charges such as “corruption on earth by a wide scale organizing act against the country’s security and territorial integrity, and collaborating with the Zionist occupying regime,” as well as “gathering and conspiring to commit crimes against national security.”

Saeed Azizi, a 63-year-old Iranian-Swedish citizen who was released along with Floderus, was arrested by security forces at his home in Tehran on November 12, 2022, during a trip to Iran. He was later sentenced to five years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari.

Imprisoned Journalist Saba Azarpeik Suffers Miscarriage

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News, Prisoners
Ataollah Hafezi, Saba Azarpeik, صبا آذرپیک

Saba Azarpeik’s husband announced that the stress from prison conditions has caused the imprisoned journalist to miscarry. She was transferred from prison to the hospital yesterday with severe bleeding symptoms, but unfortunately, medical interventions failed to prevent the miscarriage.

Ataollah Hafezi, Ms. Azarpeik’s husband, shared on social media: “Yesterday, my wife was transferred from prison to the hospital due to severe bleeding and lost this month’s pregnancy. In February, following a nine-hour court session, our two-month-old fetus was also miscarried.” He emphasized the urgency of her release for necessary medical treatment to avert “permanent infertility.”

Addressing Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, the head of the Judiciary, Hafezi wrote: “Inquire about my wife’s mental state from the prison authorities. A lifelong anti-corruption advocate does not deserve this treatment. On the day of arrest, the head prosecutor was repeatedly informed that my wife should not be subjected to a stressful environment. Despite a one-day window to execute the order, she was physically harmed at the prosecutor’s office (evidenced by bruising on both arms) and forcibly taken to prison.”

On June 9, 2024, Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, reported that Saba Azarpeik was arrested “to enforce a final judicial decree involving multiple private plaintiffs.”

Previously, Saba Azarpeik was sentenced to two years of imprisonment, a fine, and required to restore reputation through apologies in a selected official newspaper due to accusations of five instances of publishing lies, defamation, and threats following separate complaints from the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Mohsen Dehnavi, and Zahra Sheikhi, representatives from Tehran and Isfahan, and two other complainants, as well as one year of imprisonment, a fine, and a two-year ban on online activities definitively for threats and five instances of accusations.

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Reza Kosari in Extended Detention by Ministry of Intelligence in Mashhad

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News, Prisoners
HRANA, Mashhad, Reza Kosari

Reza Kosari, a Mashhad resident, has been detained for over four months at the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention center in Mashhad without a definitive legal status.

According to HRANA, Kosari was apprehended by intelligence agents in Mashhad in February 2024 and placed in solitary confinement. Since his arrest, he has managed only two brief phone calls and one face-to-face visit with his family.

A source close to Kosari’s family relayed to HRANA, “Mr. Kosari, a pharmacist with several pharmacies in Mashhad, had his premises searched by intelligence agents in January this year, allegedly for hoarding medication. His case was subsequently referred to a public court where he received a 30 million tomans fine for possession of some prohibited medications. It appears, however, that his arrest might be more connected to his support for political prisoners and for families of victims and the injured from the nationwide protests of 2022.”

Up to now, the specific accusations against Kosari remain undisclosed.

Civil Rights Activist Atena Farghadani Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

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News, Prisoners
Atena Farghadani, Evin Courthouse, Iman Afshari

Atena Farghadani, a cartoonist and civil rights activist imprisoned in Evin Prison was sentenced to six years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

The verdict, issued on June 10 and communicated to Ms. Farghadani on June 11, was presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. She received a five-year sentence for “blasphemy” and an additional year for “propaganda against the regime.” Ms. Farghadani had previously chosen not to attend the court hearings for these charges.
Atena Farghadani had previously refrained from attending the court to respond to her charges.

On April 13, 2024, in a protest action, she attempted to display one of her paintings on a wall on a street in Tehran. During this act, she was arrested by security forces and transferred to Evin Prison.

Additionally, on June 7, 2023, Farghadani was detained after appearing at the Evin Courthouse and subsequently transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin. Shortly after, Branch 1 of the Evin Courthouse charged her with disturbing public order, and she was later released on bail.

Farghadani has faced previous arrests and convictions related to her activism.

Reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of HRA in 2023 indicate a total of 193 cases in which Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, has been involved in issuing verdicts that infringe upon the human rights of defendants.

Hamideh Zeraei, Opponent of Mandatory Hijab, Begins Hunger Strike in Lakan Prison

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News, Prisoners
Hamideh Zeraei, HRANA, Kachooie Prison, Karaj, Rasht, حمیده زراعی

Hamideh Zeraei, an opponent of compulsory hijab, has initiated a hunger strike to protest her continued detention in Lakan Prison, Rasht. She was detained on June 5 following a court appearance at Branch 13 of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht.

A source close to Ms. Zeraei’s family confirmed her hunger strike to HRANA, stating: “Hamideh had declared that if she was not released by Saturday, June 8, she would start a hunger strike. Today, when her sister attempted to visit her in Lakan Prison, officials barred the visit.”

Zeraei was initially arrested at her home on May 29, 2023, and taken to Kachooie Prison in Karaj.

On November 16, 2023, the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Karaj, led by Judge Musa Asaf Al-Hosseini, sentenced her to one year in prison, two years of exile to Rasht, a two-year travel ban, and a two-year ban from using social media. Following a plea of no contest, her prison term was reduced to nine months. Upon completing her sentence on February 22, 2024, she was released from Kachooie Prison and began her exile in Rasht.

Recently, Ms. Zeraei was summoned to Branch 13 of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht for further inquiries. Last Wednesday, after her court appearance, she was arrested and transferred to Lakan Prison.

The summons was related to her ongoing two-year exile term in Rasht, during which she was required to check in every three days at a local police station. Following several visits, the station’s officers demanded she wear a chador for her appearances—a condition Ms. Zeraei, who opposes mandatory hijab, refused. Subsequently, the police chief instructed her to cease her visits. This led to her being summoned to court once again after she failed to verify her continued residence in Rasht.

Previously, in 2022, Ms. Zeraei was arrested in connection with nationwide protests and was later released from Kachooie Prison on February 7, 2023, following an official pardon.

Iran’s Supreme Court Overturns Death Sentence of Political Prisoner Seyed Mohammad-Javad Vafaie Again

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Mashhad, Mohammad-Javad Vafaie, محمد جواد وفایی

In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of Iran has for the second time overturned the death sentence of Seyed Mohammad-Javad Vafaie, a 28-year-old boxing coach turned political prisoner. His case has now been reassigned to another branch for a new trial.

Babak Paknia, the attorney for Vafaie, confirmed the development to the public.

Vafaie was initially arrested by security forces in Mashhad in March 2020 and has since been detained in Vakilabad Prison.

He was originally sentenced to death in January 2020 on charges of “spreading corruption on earth” by committing arson and deliberately destroying public property, including a penitentiary facility. Despite the Supreme Court overturning this initial verdict, Branch 2 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court reimposed the death sentence in July 2023, necessitating another Supreme Court review which resulted in the recent overturn.

Iranian Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence for Sunni Cleric Mohammad Khezrnejad

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Ali Razini, Asa'ad Rahimi, Mohammad Khezrnejad

Branch 41 of the Iranian Supreme Court, under the leadership of Judge Ali Razini, has upheld the death sentence and additional imprisonment for Sunni Cleric Mohammad Khezrnejad. He was arrested amidst the nationwide protests in 2022, as reported by Kurdpa.

On November 19, 2022, Khezrnejad and his son were detained by security forces in Bukan and subsequently incarcerated in Urmia Prison.

Judge Reza Najafzadeh, presiding over the Urmia Revolutionary Court, later found Khezrnejad guilty on multiple counts, including “spreading corruption on earth,” “compromising national security by threatening the country’s integrity or independence,” and “engaging in propaganda against the regime.” He received a combined sentence of death and 16 years in prison. Khezrnejad has consistently refuted the charges, labeling them as unfounded.

The conviction was largely based on coerced confessions extracted during interrogations, where Khezrnejad allegedly confessed to “leading protests in Bukan and affiliating with anti-regime factions.” He has challenged the validity of these confessions.

His arrest followed a speech he gave at the funeral of Asa’ad Rahimi, a protestor killed by regime forces. The arrest also included a physical assault on Khezrnejad.