Bookstore Owner Ahlam Bandar Arrested by Security Forces in Ahvaz

Yesterday, January 7, Ahlam Bandar, a resident of Ahvaz, was arrested by security forces in the city and transferred to an undisclosed location.

The identity of the detainee, Ahlam Bandar, who runs a bookstore named Laris in Ahvaz, has been confirmed by HRANA. Additionally, the bookstore’s Instagram page announced the suspension of its activities.

The reasons for her arrest and her current whereabouts remain unknown at this time.

According to data collected in 2024 by the Department of Statistics and Publications of HRA, Khuzestan Province ranked second in the number of human rights violations committed by Iran’s regime, following Tehran Province.

Four Teachers’ Union Activists in Khuzestan Sentenced to a Total of 24 Years in Prison

Siamak Sadeghi Chehrazi, Kokab Bodaqi-Panah, Pirooz Nami, and Ali Koroushat, teachers’ union activists in Khuzestan, have been sentenced by the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court to a combined total of 24 years in prison in a joint case.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the four union activists were sentenced by Branch 3 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court. On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, they were verbally informed of their sentences. Each was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and one year for “propaganda against the regime,” amounting to a total of 24 years for all four activists.

The court hearing for their case took place on November 6, 2024, in the same branch.

Kokab Bodaqi-Panah, a teachers’ union activist in Khuzestan, had previously been charged by Branch 13 of the Prosecutor’s Office in Ahvaz in October 2024 and was released on bail following her indictment.

Siamak Sadeghi Chehrazi, Pirooz Nami, and Ali Koroushat have faced prior legal actions due to their union activities.

Saeed Esmaeil Mazraeh Arrested in Ahvaz

Yesterday, Saeed Esmaeil Mazraeh, a writer and researcher residing in Ahvaz, was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents at his home and transferred to an undisclosed location. During the raid, agents searched his home and confiscated some of his digital belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the arrest took place on Monday, January 6, 2025. Agents searched Mr. Mazraeh’s residence, seizing personal items including his mobile phone and computer.

HRANA’s sources indicate that Mr. Mazraeh, who suffers from kidney disease, remains in an unknown condition, raising his family’s concerns about his health and fate. The reasons for his arrest and the charges against him remain unknown.

Saeed Esmaeil Mazraeh, 32, is married and resides in Ahvaz. He holds a master’s degree in literature, works as a researcher, and has authored several books.

Ayoub Gheibipour Arrested by IRGC Intelligence in Ahvaz

Ayoub Gheibipour Hajivar, one of the detainees from the 2022 nationwide protests, was arrested by security forces in Ahvaz yesterday and transferred to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, a source close to Gheibipour’s family confirmed the news, stating:
“Yesterday, IRGC intelligence agents first went to Mr. Gheibipour’s family home in Ahvaz. After learning he was not home, they went to the gym where he was training and arrested him there. The agents also confiscated the gym’s CCTV cameras. His current location remains unknown.”

The source added: “Mr. Gheibipour has not received any summons to serve his sentence. It is likely that his arrest is connected to his activities.”
In April of 2024, the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court sentenced Gheibipour on charges of arson, destruction of public property, and propaganda against the regime. He was given a 10-year prison term in exile in Kerman Prison for “moharebeh” (enmity against God) and an additional year for “propaganda against the regime.” One of the charges cited against him was “burning a statue of Qassem Soleimani.”

Initially, this verdict was overturned by Branch 20 of the Supreme Court and sent back for retrial. The Ahvaz Revolutionary Court reinstated the same sentence, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court in late October 2024.

Gheibipour was previously arrested in November 2022 during the nationwide protests and detained at Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz. He was eventually released on February 13, 2024, after posting a bail of 3 billion tomans. During his detention, he was denied adequate medical care.

Execution of a Prisoner in Sepidar Prison, Ahvaz

On Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the death sentence of a prisoner previously convicted of murder was carried out in Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz.

HRANA has identified the prisoner as Ali Moradi. Based on information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Moradi had been arrested on charges of murder and subsequently sentenced to death by judicial authorities.

As of the time of this report, the execution has not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.

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Mojahed Korkor Sentenced to Death for the Second Time

Abbas (Mojahed) Korkor, a prisoner held in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, has been sentenced to death for the second time by the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz. He had previously been sentenced to death by the same court, but that ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court, and his case was referred to a parallel branch for retrial.

The prisoner’s sister, in a public statement, announced: “Based on the latest information, we have learned that Mojtaba has been sentenced to death once more.”

In December of this year, the Supreme Court had overturned Korkor’s initial death sentence and referred his case for retrial to a parallel branch. In April of 2023, he had been sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz on charges such as “enmity against God” (Moharebeh) and “spreading corruption on earth” (Efsad-e Fel-Arz). Then, in December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence, and his case was forwarded to the execution enforcement branch of the Izeh court.

Korkor was initially held in solitary confinement at Sheiban Prison starting December 20, 2022, before being moved to Ward 8 in early August 2023.

The judiciary accused Korkor of involvement in the killing of Kian Pirfalak, a child who died during the 2022 nationwide protests. However, Kian’s family has consistently denied these allegations, with his mother stating, “When we were returning home, security forces opened fire on our car.”

The court had charged Korkor with “disrupting public order, causing severe injuries and the deaths of seven individuals, including Kian Pirfalak, significant damage to public and private property, forming opposition groups, and engaging in armed rebellion against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

In January 2023, the Izeh prosecutor reported that judicial cases had been filed against 70 protesters involved in the November 16 protests, during which at least seven people, including Kian Pirfalak, were fatally shot by security forces.

While officials have described the November 16 events in Izeh as “terrorist attacks,” eyewitness accounts and testimonies from victims’ families directly contradict these claims.

Houman Almasi: Over 600 Days of Uncertainty in Sheiban Prison Without Trial

Houman Almasi, a political detainee, has been held in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, for over 600 days without trial or legal resolution, according to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran.

Despite his prolonged detention, authorities have taken no action to address his case or convene a court hearing.

On October 19, 2024, Mr. Almasi began a hunger strike to protest his indefinite legal limbo. Following this, he was transferred to solitary confinement within Sheiban Prison. He ended his hunger strike after receiving assurances from prison officials, after which he was returned to the general ward.

A source close to Mr. Almasi previously informed HRANA that the detainee, who suffers from kidney disease, has been denied specialized medical care and access to treatment outside the prison.

Houman Almasi was initially arrested in March-April 2023 by security forces and detained at The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Ahvaz. After two months of interrogation, he was transferred to Sheiban Prison, where he remains in custody.

As of this report, the charges against Mr. Almasi remain undisclosed.

Ruhollah Khosrawi Transferred to Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz; 15 Months in Legal Limbo

Political detainee Ruhollah Khosrawi remains in limbo over 15 months after his arrest. In mid-November, he was transferred from Sheiban Prison to Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz.

A source close to his family confirmed to HRANA: “On November 9, Mr. Khosrawi protested the relocation of Sheiban Prison’s public telephones to a noisy area near the kitchen. After a confrontation with guards, he was beaten and violently removed from the general ward. Following this, and under the orders of Sheiban Prison’s deputy security chief Mr. Ahmadi, coordinated with prison oversight judge Mr. Kooti, he was transferred to Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz.”

Khosrawi recently informed his family that, after 18 days in solitary confinement, he was moved to the general ward of Sepidar Prison.

He was arrested on August 23, 2023, in Izeh by security forces and initially held at The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Ahvaz before being transferred to Sheiban Prison.

On October 19, Khosrawi began a hunger strike in Sheiban Prison to protest his prolonged detention without trial. During the strike, he was moved to solitary confinement but returned to the general ward after ending his strike.

Khosrawi’s case is being investigated by a branch of the Izeh Prosecutor’s Office, with charges reportedly linked to national security. Since his arrest, he has been denied access to legal counsel, and no court hearings have been held.

As of this report, no information has been provided about the charges against him.

Khosrawi, aged around 35, is married and the father of a young daughter and son.

Gholamhossein Kalbi, Political Prisoner in His 24th Year of Life Sentence, Denied Medical Care Amid Deteriorating Health

Political prisoner Gholamhossein Kalbi is now in his 24th year of a life sentence at Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz. He suffers from multiple health conditions, yet has been denied specialized medical care and transfer to treatment centers.

As per HRANA’s information, Mr. Kalbi suffers from a hernia, ear and dental infections, and has recently contracted a fungal infection that has caused severe toe infections. Despite his worsening condition and repeated transfers to the prison infirmary, he has only received basic examinations and minimal medication due to limited medical resources. Kalbi urgently needs specialized medical care, which has yet to be approved.

According to a source close to the case, the Ministry of Intelligence, overseeing Kalbi’s file, recently rejected his request for transfer to a prison near his home in Mahshahr. “He is held in Sheiban’s security ward, where he lacks any area for exercise and lives in overcrowded conditions, with twice the capacity in his cell,” the source told HRANA.

Kalbi was arrested on January 8, 2001, along with Saeed Masouri, in Dezful, on charges of membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran. In 2002, he was sentenced to death by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of “enmity against God” (Moharebeh). His death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.

After his arrest, he spent 14 months in solitary confinement at the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Ahvaz before being transferred to Ward 209, and later to Ward 350 of Evin Prison. Following his sentencing, he was moved to Mahshahr Prison and later to Karun Prison in Ahvaz. After the closure of Karun Prison in February 2016, he was transferred along with other prisoners to Sheiban Prison.

In October 2016, his brother, the last remaining member of his family, suffered a stroke and passed away while en route to the prison for a face-to-face visit with him—a visit he had managed to secure after five years of effort. The judicial authorities denied Mr. Kalbi leave to attend his brother’s funeral.

The troubling case of Kalbi underscores a broader pattern of neglect within Iranian prisons. In 2023, the Department of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 1,390 instances of denial or neglect of medical care for prisoners, highlighting a systemic issue that urgently demands attention.

Execution of Prisoner Carried Out in Ahvaz’s Sepidar Prison

Early Wednesday morning, October 30, a prisoner sentenced to death on murder charges was executed in Sepidar Prison, Ahvaz.

HRANA has identified the individual as Sardar Safarpour, who was initially detained on murder charges and later received a death sentence from the judiciary.

As of this report, officials from the prison and relevant authorities have not officially announced Safarpour’s execution.

According to the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran, in 2023, at least 767 citizens, including 21 women and 2 juvenile offenders, were executed. Of these, the executions of 7 individuals were carried out in public. Additionally, during this period, 172 others were sentenced to death, with 5 of them sentenced to public execution. It is worth noting that during the same period, the initial death sentences of 49 other individuals were also upheld by the Supreme Court.