Tag: Evin Prison

Kamyar Fakoor Sentenced to Eight Months Imprisonment and Flogging

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Labor and Guilds, News, Students
cash bail, Evin, Evin Prison, flogging, Inhumane punishment, Kamyar Fakoor, lashes, Mahmood Haj Moradi, Ministry of Cooperatives, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Social Welfare, Moradi

Workers’ rights activist Kamyar Fakoor was sentenced to 50 lashes, eight months imprisonment and paying a fine of 15 million tomans.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the verdict has been suspended for 5 years.

Branch 26 of the Tehran revolutionary court, headed by judge Mahmood Haj Moradi, sentenced Kamyar Fakoor to eight months in prison, 50 lashes and paying a fine of 15 million tomans on charges of “propaganda against the regime, spreading lies in the purpose to disturb public opinions and public order”.

As conditions for the sentence suspension, he will be obligated to ask permission from the judiciary before leaving the country, participate in emotional control courses, inform authorities about any changes in employment or place of residence, and avoid any political activities on social media.

On August 28, along with two other workers’ rights activists, Kamyar Fakoor was arrested during a protest of retirees and working educators in front of the building of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare. Ten days later, he was released from Evin Prison on bail until the end of legal proceedings.

Arash Gangi Detained and Sent to Evin Prison to Endure 11 Year Sentence

Posted on by A MN
Prisoners
Arash Gangi, Article 134, cash bail, COVID, Evin, Evin Prison, Gangi, Islamic penal code, PEN America, Revolutionary Court of Tehran, Security forces, Tehran

On Monday, November 1, translator and board member of the Iranian Writers’ Association (IWA) Arash Gangi was sent to Evin Prison to endure his 11-year sentence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, recently, PEN America in a statement condemned Arash Gangi’s summons and asked for the quashing of this “wildly disproportionate” sentence.

Gangi had been previously sentenced to eleven years in prison by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran. Grounded on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, a severest punishment of five years is enforceable.

Following the summons he received on October 16 of this year, Arash Gangi appeared at the Executive Unit of Evin prison and from there he was sent to Evin Prison.

On December 22, 2019, the security forces raided his house, and then arrested and transferred him to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is at the disposal of the intelligence ministry.  Security agents searched his house and confiscated some of his personal belongings during the arrest.

After a while, he was transferred from the Ward 209 to the public section of Evin Prison. On January 19, 2020, he was released on a bail of 450 million tomans until the end of legal proceedings.

In the first court session, on June 14, 2020, the judge increased the bail to 3 billion tomans, and hence he was arrested and transferred to Evin Prison until providing the new bail. He was released on bail on June 21, 2020.

In the second court session, which took place on November 29, 2020, only his attorney attended the court and Mr Ganji could not appear at the court due to having COVID-19 symptoms.

Ultimately, in December 2020, the court, headed by judge Mohammad-Reza Amoozad, sentenced Gangi to five years in prison on a charge of “assembly and collusion in purpose to act against national security”, one year on a charge of “propaganda against the regime” and five years on a charge of “membership in and collaboration with one of the ant-regime groups.”, for a total of 11 years imprisonment. In February 2021, this verdict was upheld by the court of appeals of Tehran.

According to Naser Zarafshan, Mr. Gangi’s lawyer, all these charges were invoked from his translation of a book under the title of “A Small Key Can Open A Big Door: The Rojava Revolution”, which is about Kurdistan upheavals in Syria.

The non-governmental organization IWA was founded by a group of intellectual writers in 1968, originally with the objective of promoting freedom of speech and fighting against censorship.

Although IWA was banned in 1981 by the Iranian authorities, a group of writers created a “consulting assembly” to revive the banned IWA in 1993. On September 8, 1996, 12 writers who had gathered to draft a new charter for the IWA were arrested, interrogated and warned not to hold further meetings for the advancement of the IWA. Since then, the members and board members of IWA have been subject to systematic persecution, long prison sentences and even targeted killing from 1988–98, when certain Iranian dissident intellectuals who had been critical of the Islamic Republic disappeared and their bodies found afterwards.

Journalist Reza Jolodarzadeh Released from Greater Tehran Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Evin, Evin Prison, freedom of the press, Greater Tehran Prison, Jolodarzadeh, Journalist arrested, Medical leave, medical neglect, medical negligence, Prison conditions, Reza Taleshian Jolodarzadeh, Sobhe-Azadi

This Monday, November 1,  journalist Reza Taleshian Jolodarzadeh, who has been on furlough since mid-September, was released from The Greater Tehran Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, while he was on furlough Jolodarzadeh was granted an imprisonment intolerance certificate by forensic medicine, and will therefore not be required to return to prison.

In June 2019, Reza Taleshian Jolodarzadeh was sentenced to three years in prison, a fine of 40 million rials and two years prohibition from any political or journalistic activities on charges of “propaganda against the regime, spreading lies and disturbing public opinions on the internet”.  The verdict was upheld by the appellate court.

In January 2021, Jolodarzadeh was summoned by Branch 1 of the Executive Unit of Evin Prison to endure his sentence in The Greater Tehran Prison. On February 12, despite having regular seizures, he was not allowed to be dispatched to a hospital outside the prison. Jolodarzadeh is an injured veteran of the Iran-Iraq war and suffers from a serious brain lesion.

On March 2, Jolodarzadeh went on a hunger strike to protest authorities’ refusal to take his medical needs seriously. After one week, he ended the hunger strike after hospitalization and receiving medical treatment. Once again, on April 28, in protest against prison’s officials’ inattention to his demands and requirements, he went on a hunger strike. After a while, he ended his strike after officials promised to meet his demands.

On July 14, he went furlough from The Greater Tehran Prison as well as once again on September 22, for medical treatment and providing medicines. This time, forensic medicine issued an imprisonment intolerance certificate whereby he was set free.

Reza Taleshian Jolodarzadeh is the Editor of  the newspaper “Sobhe-Azadi” , which was banned by the regime in 2011.

Political Prisoner Saeed Sangar Released After 21 Years in Prison

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News, Prisoners
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On Saturday, October 30, political prisoner Saeed Sangar was released on parole from Urmia Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Sangar’s release comes after 21 years of imprisonment.

On August 31, 2000, Sangar was arrested. However, in his legal case, October 29 of that year has been wrongly recorded as the arrest date.

On November 18, 2000, the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj, headed by judge Fatemi, sentenced him to death on the charge of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through membership in The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran”. Following this conviction, Sangar was transferred from the detention center of the ministry of intelligence in Sanandaj to ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran, where he was held in solitary confinement cells until 2003. In the fall of 2003, the appellate court changed the verdict to life imprisonment and sent him to Urmia Prison.

Years later, on December 23, 2016, the executive branch No. 4 of the Department of Justice in Sanandaj reduced the verdict to 18 years imprisonment.

In 2017, a new case was opened against him for the charge of “propaganda against the regime”  of which, however, he was later acquitted.

Despite that by December of 2020, not only he had served out two years more than his 18-years sentence, he was sentenced again to 11 months imprisonment sentence on the charge of ” propaganda against the regime and in favor of dissident groups against the regime”. This sentence was reduced to eight months, which led to his final release this Saturday, October 30.

Ahmadreza Haeri Summoned to the Cybercrime Court of Tehran

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ahmadreza Haeri, Cubercrime, Evin, Evin Prison, Gerater Tehran Penitentiary, Greater Tehran Prison, Haeri, NAJA, PSCMO, Salavati, subpoena, Tehran, Tehran Province

Following a complaint from the Prisons and Security and Corrective Measures Organization of Tehran Province (PSCMO), former political prisoner Ahmadreza Haeri was recently summoned to the Cybercrime Court of Tehran.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, this Friday, October 29, Haeri was summoned on charges of “spreading lies, accusative, insulting and slanderous words”.

One month after the incident known as “Black Thursday of Evin Prison”, when dozens of political prisoners in Evin Prison were beaten brutally by security agents in Ward 350 of Evin prison, Ahmadreza Haeri was sentenced to 42 months in prison by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Judge Salavati.

This initial verdict was upheld by Branch 36 of the appellate court. However, following his lawyer’s objection, the verdict was revoked and this time the case was undertaken by Branch 54 of the court of appeals which sentenced him to six months in prison and 74 lashes.

On July 25, 2020, Haeri endured the flogging by the Intelligence and Public Security Police of NAJA and then was sent to the Greater Tehran prison to serve his six-month sentence. On October 8, 2020, he was released on probation from the Greater Tehran prison.

In this new subpoena from the Cybercrime Court of Tehran, Haeri was instructed to appear there within five days.

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Political Prisoner Injured After Protest by Self-Immolation in Evin Prison

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News, Prisoners
Article 134, Darini, Evin, Evin Prison, Hunger Strike, Islamic penal code, Mehdi Darini, protest, Revolutionary Court of Tehran, self-immolation, Tehran

On Wednesday, October 27, political prisoner Mehdi Darini was injured by self-immolation and hospitalized in the healthcare center of Evin Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Darini’s demonstration was in protest of prison authorities’ refusal to release him on probation. He is currently enduring the second year of a five year term in Evin Prison in Tehran.

An informed source told HRANA that Darini had previously warned prison officials about his intentions if the interrogator refused to consider his demand to be released.

During the last interrogation, in response to his stating his intention to go on a hunger strike, the interrogator reportedly said, “All the better; the regime has already too many hungry mouths to feed.”

35-year-old Mehdi Darini, a production engineer, was sentenced to five years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on a charge of ” blasphemy” and one year on a charge of “propaganda against the regime”. According to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, a severest punishment of five years is enforceable.

Concerns Increase about Atena Daemi’s Condition in Rasht Prison After Two Months Incommunicado

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News, Prisoners, Women
Arena, Atena (Fatemeh) Daemi, Atena Daemi, Daemi, Evin, Evin Prison, Goldrokh Ebrahimi, Lakan, Lakan prison, Mohammad, Mohammad Moghiseh, Rasht

After two months in detention, civil activist Atena Daemi is still incommunicado in Rasht’s Lakan Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, her family has not heard from her or received updates about her condition in two weeks, and it seems she is being denied access to phone calls, mounting concern about her situation.

On August 12, in protest against the intentional and frequent interruption of prison phone lines and the poor conditions within the prison, Atena Daemi went on a hunger strike. She broke her hunger strike after five days, after authorities restored her access to a telephone. However, according to an informed source, even at the time, she had been allowed to have only five minutes of phone time with the presence of a prison guard or at the office of the head of the prison.

Atena (Fatemeh) Daemi was sentenced to 14 years in prison on May 15, 2015, by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security, propaganda against the regime, and offensive statements against the supreme leader”. The verdict was reduced to seven years in the court of appeal, from which five years is enforceable grounded on Article 134 of the Islamic penal code.

She began serving her prison term in December 2016. In 2018, while enduring her sentence in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, she and Golrokh Ebrahimi, another civil activist, faced a new case, for which they were sentenced to an additional three years and seven months in prison by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran.

The verdict was upheld by the court of appeal. By applying Article 134, two years and one month of this term are enforceable. Additionally, they were condemned to a two-year prohibition from membership in political groups and parties.

Once again, in July 2020, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran opened a new case and sentenced her to two years imprisonment and flogging of 74 lashes. Her request for a retrial was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Iran in March 2021. She and her family have been frequently under pressure by security forces and judiciary officials.

On March 16 of this year, she was transferred from Evin Prison to Lakan Prison in Rasht.

 

Farangis Mazloum Summoned by Evin Court to Endure Eighteen Month Sentence

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News, Prisoners, Women
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Yesterday, October 19, civil activist Farangis Mazloum was summoned to serve her 18-month prison sentence by Branch 1 of the Executive Unit of Evin Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Mazloum was asked to appear at this branch within five days from the date of the summons’ issuance. Branch 29 of the Revolutionary Court had sentenced her to 18 months in prison.

Mazloum is the mother of prisoner of conscience Soheil Arabi, who recently began a hunger strike in Rajai Shahr Prison.

On July 22, 2019, Farangis Mazloum was arrested at her sister’s home and transferred to the detention center at the disposal of the ministry of intelligence, known as Ward 209 of Evin prison. On October 8, 2019, she was released on bail of 250 million tomans (approx. 9300 US dollars) until the end of legal proceedings.

She was indicted by Branch 6 of the Public and Revolutionary Court of Evin Prison.

Initially, the Branch 29 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran held the trial in absentia and sentenced her to six years imprisonment. In this court, six other people related to this court case were also sentenced to imprisonment. After Mazloum’s objection, in a retrial, the Branch 29 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on August 25 and 28 2020 changed the sentence to 18 months in prison.

She was sentenced to one year on a charge of ” assembly and collusion to commit a crime through associating with The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran”, and 6 months on a charge of “propaganda against the regime in favor of opposition political groups”.

This verdict was upheld by the appellate court. By applying article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the severest punishment of one year from this sentence is enforceable.

 

Soheil Arabi and Behnam Moosivand Go on a Hunger Strike in Rajai Shahr Prison

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News, Prisoners
Behnam Moosivand, Evin, Evin Prison, Karaj, Rajai Shahr Prison, Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, Rajai-Shahr, Soheil Arabi, Tehran, ward 209

Yesterday, October 19, prisoner of conscience Soheil Arabi and civil activist Behnam Moosivand went on hunger strike in Rajai Shahr Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the political prisoners are protesting their beatings by prison guards and their transfer to the quarantine section of the facility. Rajai Shahr Prison head Allah-Karam Azizi reportedly ordered the beating of the two inmates.

“Allah-Karam Azizi…ordered the executive officer Ghasem Sahraie and other guards to beat them because of their objection against a body search,” an informed source told HRANA. “They were (beaten) and (kicked) to the abdomen and testicles. Due to the injuries, Soheil and Behnam could not go to the court.”

On October 6, the political prisoners refused to appear on the court holding for the unjustified new cases opened against them during their prison term, of which the charges included “disturbing prison order” and “offensive statements against the supreme leader of Iran”.  In response to this refusal, the deputy head of Rajai Shahr Prison Valiollah Muhammadi threatened them with a beating.

Soheil Arabi has been imprisoned without leave since November 7, 2013. While serving out the seven and a half year sentence, Soheil Arabi has been convicted on charges from two new cases.

In the first new case, On May 24, 2021, he was indicted on the charge of “agitation against the regime and Disturbing public opinions” via a video conference by Branch 3 of the Evin Investigation Office.

In the second new case, Soheil Arabi was condemned to 2 years imprisonment, paying a fine, and a ban from leaving the country and once every three times appearance at the Supervision and Follow-up office of Judiciary by Branch 26 of Tehran’s revolutionary court. His court session to address these charges was held on July 28.

On February 1, 2018, the intelligence officials raided Behnam Moosivand’s home and transferred him to the detention facility of the intelligence ministry in Evin Prison, known as section 209. He was released on bail on March 19, 2018.

Thereafter, in September 2019, branch 28 of Tehran’s revolutionary court sentenced him to five years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion in the purpose of acting against national security”, and to one year on a charge of “agitation against the regime”. The verdict was upheld at appeal. On June 14, 2020, he appeared at the executive branch of Evin Prison to serve his six year sentence.

 

Appellate Court Sentences Reza Eslami to Five Years in Prison

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News, Prisoners
Branch 15, Eslami, Evin, Evin Prison, IRIP, Koopayed, Rasoul Koopayeh, Reza Eslami, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran Court of Appeals

Reza Eslami, an Iranian-Canadian faculty member at Shahid Beheshti University, was recently sentenced to five years imprisonment in the Court of Appeals in Tehran.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court previously issued an initial verdict of seven years imprisonment and prohibition of teaching and leaving the country.

Eslami’s lawyer, Rasoul Koohpayeh, confirmed this sentence and told IRIP, “Despite the final verdict of five years imprisonment, there are still legal capacities for my client such as enforcing article 477, the request for retrial or request for parole. Also, given that he has been 18 months in detention, I will request for granting furlough.”

Mr. Eslami was indicted on the charges of “collaboration with adverse foreign countries (the U.S.A.) against the regime through participation in educational courses about the rule of law in the Czech Republic”.

The case for which Reza Eslami has been indicted, has 15 accused from whom 14 have been exonerated from the charge of ” collaboration with a hostile foreign country”.

On May 10, 2020, Reza Eslami was arrested by intelligence agents and transferred to a detention center known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison. After arrest, the agents inspected his office in the law faculty and confiscated his personal belongings like his cell phone and laptop. Recently, he was relocated to the public ward of Evin Prison after completing the interrogation process.

Reza Eslami is married and the father of two children, a dual Iranian-Canadian citizen, a member of the faculty and law professor at Shahid Beheshti University. Eslami has published more than 70 essays on human rights in law journals in Iran and abroad. In addition, he has translated and authored more than 10 books about human rights.