Category: Prisoners

Ali Zolfi Sentenced to 4 Months in Prison

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News, Prisoners
Ali Zolfi, Bukan, cash bail, Citizen arrested, Judge Peyman Rostami, Kurdpa, West Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan Province, Zolfi

Ali Zolfi, a native of Bukan in West Azerbaijan Province, was sentenced to imprisonment by the court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Zolfi received a sentence of 4 months and 9 days.

According to this report, in July of this year, Branch 2 of the Bukan Criminal Court, headed by Judge Peyman Rostami, sentenced Mr. Zolfion a charge of “propaganda against the regime”.

Ali Zolfi was arrested by security forces in January 2021 and was released on bail of 200 million Tomans in late February after interrogations.

The citizen is said to have been denied telephone calls, family visits, and access to a lawyer during his detention.

Mostafa Nili, Arash Kaykhosravi and Mehdi Mahmoudian Transferred to General Ward of Evin Prison on 31st Day of Detention

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Environment, Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
arash kaykhosravi, Citizen detentions, Citizens arrested, Evin, Evn Prison, Hadi Erfanian Kaseb, Leila Heydari, Mehdi Mahmoudian, Mostafa Nili, Ward 241 of Evin Prison

On Wednesday, September 15, lawyers Mostafa Nili, Arash Kaykhosravi, and Mehdi Mahmoudian were transferred from solitary confinement in Ward 241 of Evin Prison to the general ward of the prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, these citizens announced their transfer to the public ward of Evin Prison during a telephone call with their families.

Despite the issuance of indictment and designation of a court branch, the detainees were still kept in solitary confinement in Ward 241 of Evin Prison under the supervision of the intelligence service section of the judiciary for an entire month. Mostafa Nili has only been allowed to make phone calls twice since his arrest.

On August 14, several lawyers and civil activists, including Mostafa Nili, Arash Kaykhosravi, Mehdi Mahmoudian, Mohammad Reza Faghihi, Mohammad Hadi Erfanian Kaseb, Maryam Afrafraz, and Leila Heydari, were arrested during a meeting at the office of the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights in Tehran.

Leila Heydari and Mohammad Hadi Erfanian Kaseb were released on bail a day after their arrest, and Mohammad Reza Faghihi and Maryam Afrafaraz were released on bail on August 29, but Nili, Kaykhrosravi, and Mahmoudian had remained in detention.

Apart from being allowed to contact their families on the first day of their detention, these citizens have been largely denied the right to make telephone calls.

Revolutionary Court Sentences Farzaneh Zilabi, Defense Lawyer for the Haft Tappeh Workers’ Case, to One Year in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News, Prisoners, Women
ahvaz, Ahvaz Revolutionary court, Emtedad, Farzaneh Zilabi, Haft Tappeh, Haft Tappeh workers' case, Nasser Zarafshan, Zarafshan, Zilabi

Farzaneh Zilabi, the defense lawyer for the Haft Tappeh workers’ case, was sentenced by the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court to one year in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting EMTEDAD, in addition to the prison sentence, Zilabi has received a two year ban from leaving the country.

Nasser Zarafshan, Farzaneh Zilabi’s lawyer, commented on the sentence.

“Regarding the charges against my client,” Zarafshan said, “‘gathering and collusion’, ‘spreading lies’, and ‘insulting the leadership’ were acquitted by the Revolutionary Court but she is sentenced to one-year imprisonment and two years ban on leaving the country on the charge of ‘propaganda against the regime’. This is the verdict issued against my client in the primary court.”

Zarafshan added, “The previous order on Ms. Zilabi’s six-month ban from practicing law has apparently been dropped.”

On May 16 of this year, after Farzaneh Zilabi’s interrogation session in the Ahvaz court, Nasser Zarafshan stated that “Besides issuing a bail, the case investigator has issued a six-month ban from practicing law for Ms. Zilabi” and had mentioned that his client, Ms. Zilabi, is “paying for the defending the Haft Tappeh workers”.

Inmate Executed in Rajai Shahr Prison in Alborz Province

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Alborz, Alborz province, Capital Punishment, Citizen executed, Citizen execution, Death row, Maksani, Rajai Shahr Prison, Rajai-Shahr, Secret executions

An inmate was recently executed in Rajai Shahr Prison in Alborz Province after serving eight years in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna, Mr. Maksani had previously been sentenced to death for murder.

Iran ranks first in the world in citizen executions per capita, according to international organizations. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported that between January 1 and December 20 of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed.

One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders. An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death. According to the same report, more than 72% of executions in Iran are not reported by the government or the judiciary, which human rights organizations call “secret” executions.

As of this writing, Maksani’s execution has not been announced by any Iranian media or official sources.

 

Security Forces Arrest Three Christian Converts in Rasht

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Ahmad Sarparast, Ayub Pour Rezazadeh, Christian converts, Citizens arrested, Citizens detained, Freedom of religion, irgc, Islamic Law, Morteza Hajeb Mashhoud Kari, Pur Rezazadeh, Rasht, Religious Minorities, Religious persecution, Saparast

On Sunday, September 5, Christian converts Ahmad Sarparast, Ayub Pour Rezazadeh, and Morteza Hajeb Mashhoud Kari were arrested by security forces in Rasht and taken to an unknown location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activist, Mr. Sarparast and Mr. Pour Rezazadeh were detained in a house church. Security forces raided the homes of these citizens and confiscated some of their belongings, including cell phones, books, and pamphlets related to Christianity. According to an informed source, the agents behaved violently and insultingly and refused to show arrest or search warrants.

Relatives of these citizens are said to have been threatened by IRGC intelligence agents for providing information about the condition of their loved ones. Also, one of their relatives along with several other members of the house church were summoned to the Rasht IRGC Intelligence Office and interrogated.

According to a source close to the families of these citizens, after their families went to Branch 4 of the Rasht Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office to follow up on the case, they were not given any answer and were told, “Do not follow up. They will not be released any time soon. They do not deserve freedom and must stay.”

25-year-old Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparast, 28-year-old Ayub (Farzin) Pour Rezazadeh, and 38-year-old Morteza Hajeb Mashhoud Kari are residents of Rasht.

Even though Christians are recognized as a religious minority under Islamic law, the security services nevertheless pursue the issue of Muslims converting to Christianity with particular sensitivity and deal harshly with activists in this field.

The Iranian regime targets Christian converts despite Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which state that every individual has the right to freedom of religion and belief and freedom to express it openly or secretly.

As of this writing, the reasons for the arrest, the charges against them, and the whereabouts of these citizens are unknown.

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Ministry of Intelligence Withholds Details on Death of Yasser Mangouri in Detention Center

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Environment, Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Abbas Sobh Moulayi, citizen death in detention, citizen dies in detention, collaborating with an opposition party, Ministry of Intelligence, Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan Province, Yasser Mangouri

On Thursday, September 9, following a call attributed to the Ministry of Intelligence, the family of Yasser Mangouri was informed of his death while he was being held in a detention center.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Mangouri had been arrested by security forces on July 17.

No information has been provided to the family about the details of the death or its date.

Mr. Mangouri is said to had been previously interrogated on charges of “collaborating with an opposition party”.

Yaser Mangouri, a native of Piranshahr in West Azerbaijan Province, was a married father of three. He was also a welding worker.

The security agency has so far refused to return the body of Mr. Mangouri to his family.

 

Citizens Accused of Robbery Humiliated by Police in Parade Through Streets of Khorramabad

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Environment, News, Prisoners
Aleshtar, cruel punishments, Dariush Shahonvand, Doroud, humiliating punishments, Khorramabad, Khorramabad City, moharebeh, Poldakhtar

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IRIB, police recently shamed a number of citizens who had previously been arrested on charges of robbery in Khorramabad.

Dariush Shahonvand, prosecutor of Khorramabad said, “These people are armed thieves who stole in Poldakhtar, Khorramabad, Doroud, and Aleshtar counties. The arrested armed robbers will be charged for Moharebeh (rebellion, or waging war against God in Shariah Law) with the most severe punishment, which is the death penalty. The hearings of these defendants will be public.”

In recent years, law enforcement officers have occasionally humiliated accused criminals in a similar manner, by parading them around the city. This violates human rights treaties, domestic law, and violates human dignity.

Three Citizens Detained by Security Forces in Mahabad and Taken to Unknown Location

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News, Prisoners
Citizen detentions, Citizens detained, Hossein Dudkanlu Milan, Kuseh Kahriz, Mahabad, Mahabad County, Shaho Ahmadi, Zaher Rozkhoon

Three citizens from the village of Kuseh Kahriz ​in Mahabad County were recently arrested by security forces.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, after their arrest the citizens were taken to an unknown location.

According to this report, Hossein Dudkanlu Milan and Zaher Rozkhoon were arrested on August 29, and Mr. Shaho Ahmadi was arrested a week after them.

Despite the follow-up of the families of these citizens, the reasons for their detention, the charges against them, and their whereabouts  are not known.

Death Sentence and Lashes Issued to Defendants in Tehran

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Environment, Executions, News, Prisoners
Capital Punishment, Citizen death sentence, Citizen sentenced to death, cruel and inhumane punishment, Death Penalty, Death row, Death sentence, executions, Inhumane punishment, lashes, Secret executions, Tehran

A defendant in Tehran was recently sentenced, in absentia, to death after being charged with murder.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna, the case’s other defendants were sentenced to other punishments, including prison time and lashes.

According to this report, a man named Reza, who is not currently in Iran, was sentenced to death in absentia for committing murder and to 10 years in prison and 74 lashes for other crimes he committed.

The second person who was involved in the conflict was sentenced to pay a ransom, a fine to the government, and 55 months in prison and lashes for injuring the victim’s father.

A third person was sentenced to 20 months in prison and lashes for disturbing public order and committing other crimes, and the other individuals involved in the bloody conflict were sentenced to one year in prison and 74 lashes for disturbing public order.

Iran ranks first in the world in citizen executions per capita, according to international organizations. The Statistics and Publication Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported that between January 1 and December 20 of 2020, at least 236 citizens were executed.

One of these citizens was executed publicly, and two were juvenile offenders. An additional 95 citizens were sentenced to death. According to the same report, more than 72% of executions in Iran are not reported by the government or the judiciary, which human rights organizations call “secret” executions.

Iran is one of the few countries that has continued to use humiliating punishments despite the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights explicit prohibition of the use of inhumane and degrading punishments, including the death penalty and flogging.

Saeed Afkari Beaten and Arrested on the Anniversary of the Execution of Navid Afkari

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Environment, Executions, Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Elham Afkari, freedom of expression, Habib Afkari, Navid Afkari, November 2019 nationwide protests, November 2019 Protests, saeed Afkari, Shiraz

On Sunday, September 12, Saeed Afkari, the brother of Navid Afkari, was beaten and arrested by six plainclothes officers and taken to an unknown location in Shiraz.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, he was released after a couple of hours.

Mr. Afkari tweeted the day before that the security forces were pressuring the Afkari family to stop Navid Afkari’s execution anniversary. Following this tweet, Mr. Afkari’s twitter account has become unavailable.

It is also said that during Mr. Afkari’s arrest, security forces beat his sister, Elham Afkari.

Navid, Vahid, and Habib Afkari were arrested in 2018 in connection with the nationwide protests in August 2018. The brothers have been repeatedly beaten and tortured during interrogations. Navid Afkari, an Iranian wrestler, was executed at Adelabad Prison in Shiraz at dawn on September 12, 2020. Habib and Vahid have been sentenced to long imprisonment.