Tag: Gilan province

Execution of Fourteen Prisoners in Various Prisons

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Executions, News
Aligudarz Prison, Borujerd, Dastgerd Prison, Gilan province, Isfahan, Lakan prison, Rasht, Tabriz, Zanjan Prison

HRANA – In recent days, fourteen prisoners were hanged in different prisons across Iran.

On Tuesday, October 21, Fardin Vafaipour, 43, father of two and a resident of Borujerd, was executed in the city’s prison. According to Iran Human Rights, Mr. Vafaipour had been arrested four years ago on charges related to drug offenses and was later sentenced to death by the judiciary.

On Wednesday, October 22, Marouf Fattahi, 30, from Tabriz, was hanged in the city’s prison, Iran Human Rights reported. According to the report, Mr. Fattahi was arrested five years ago on a murder charge stemming from a street fight and was subsequently sentenced to death by a criminal court.

According to HRANA, on Saturday, October 25, Lakan Prison in Rasht, Gilan Province, witnessed the execution of three prisoners on drug-related charges. HRANA has identified one of them as Farhad Hatami.

That same day, Iran Human Rights reported the execution of two prisoners in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan. The identities of the prisoners were reported as Farhang Taheri and Ammar Pourmansouri, both residents of Ahvaz. The two were executed in a joint case on charges related to drug offenses.

On Sunday, October 26, Mehrdad Moradi was executed in Arak Prison on drug-related charges. He had been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

On the same day, another prisoner named Manouchehr Mahaki was hanged in Aligudarz Prison. According to information received by HRANA, Mr. Mahaki had previously been arrested on a murder charge and later sentenced to death by a criminal court.

Also on Sunday, three prisoners were executed in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz. HRANA has identified one of them, known only by the surname Dehghani. According to HRANA’s information, Mr. Dehghani had been arrested earlier on a murder charge and later sentenced to death by a criminal court. The other two prisoners had been separately arrested on drug-related charges and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

Additionally, Haal Vsh reported the execution of another prisoner named Mohammad Omar Zardkouhi, 28, in Zahedan Prison.

Finally, on Monday, October 27, a prisoner named Hamid Rafiei was executed in Zanjan Prison on a murder charge.

At the time of this report, the executions of these prisoners have not been announced by prison officials or relevant authorities.

Crackdown on Gilan Lawyers: 3 Arrested, 10 Summoned

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Freedom of Expression, News
Gilan province, Hesam Pourahmadi, HRANA, Lakan prison, Rasht, Shadi Falahati, Shahrzad Sharbiyani

HRANA – In recent days, at least 13 defense lawyers in Gilan Province have been subjected to judicial and security measures, including summonses and arrests. Among them, Shahrzad Sharbiyani, Shadi Falahati, and Hesam Pourahmadi have been arrested and remain in an uncertain situation.

According to information obtained by HRANA, Hesam Pourahmadi and Shahrzad Sharbiyani are currently held in Lakan Prison in Rasht, while the whereabouts of Shadi Falahati remain unknown. HRANA had previously reported on the arrests of these individuals.

The newspaper Etemad has also reported that more than ten other lawyers in Gilan Province have been summoned to judicial and security bodies. According to this report, charges such as “propaganda against the regime” and “assembly and collusion against the country” have been brought against them. However, Etemad did not provide the names of the summoned lawyers or specify the authorities that issued the summonses.

Several lawyers, including Parto Borhanpour and Saleh Noghrehkar, have publicly condemned these measures against their colleagues and called for an immediate end to such actions.

Two Citizens Arrested in Gilan Province on Espionage Charges

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News
Gilan province

HRANA – Two citizens have been arrested in Gilan Province on allegations of espionage.

According to ISNA, the Gilan provincial police commander claimed that the individuals had filmed sensitive locations, including military, law enforcement, and government facilities, and allegedly sent the footage to an Iranian citizen residing in Germany.

The commander, without revealing the identities of the detainees, stated that the suspects—aged 28 and 43—were apprehended by officers from the Intelligence Organization of the provincial police.

Official media outlets have since released a video purportedly showing the “forced confessions” of the two individuals. In the footage, recorded under unknown circumstances, the detainees admit to the alleged activities and express remorse.

While espionage itself is not considered a human rights violation, the Iranian government’s longstanding use of such accusations to suppress dissent raises serious concerns. Given the lack of transparency and due process, such claims are frequently met with skepticism by human rights observers.

In 2024, HRANA documented 28 cases of forced confessions extracted from prisoners. The practice of obtaining and broadcasting coerced confessions from political dissidents and protesters by the Iranian regime’s security apparatus is as old as the regime itself. In 2022, amid nationwide protests, the number of such forced confessions surged to 391 cases.

Mahmoud Sedighipour Arrested Following Summons by Security Police

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Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Gilan province, Mahmoud Sedighipour, محمود صدیقی پور

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, April 30, Mahmoud Sedighipour, a teachers’ union activist in Gilan Province, was summoned and subsequently arrested by the Security Police.

According to the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, Mr. Sedighipour was summoned to the Security Police in Rasht this afternoon, where he was then arrested.

Earlier in the day, he had been interrogated and threatened by the same agency for refusing to refrain from participating in a teachers’ union gathering.

As of the time of this report, there is no information available regarding his whereabouts or the specific charges against him.

Mahmoud Sedighipour (محمود صدیقی پور) has previously faced imprisonment and other legal penalties due to his union-related activities.

Two Prisoners Executed in Rudbar Prison

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Executions, News
Gilan province, Rudbar

The death sentences of two prisoners, previously convicted of murder in separate cases, were carried out in Rudbar Prison, Gilan province.

According to HRANA, quoting the Iran Human Rights Organization, the executed individuals were identified as Ali Akbar Gharib Sardoui and Hamed Basirat, both residents of Rudbar.

Reports state that Ali Akbar Gharib Sardoui was arrested on murder charges and later sentenced to death by the judiciary. His execution took place at dawn on Saturday, December 14, 2024, in Rudbar Prison.

Similarly, the execution of Hamed Basirat was carried out at dawn on Monday, December 9, 2024. He had also been arrested in a separate murder case and sentenced to death by the judiciary.

As of the time of this report, neither prison authorities nor relevant officials have publicly announced these executions. In 2023, 66% of HRANA’s reports on executions lacked official announcements by judicial authorities and went unreported by media inside Iran, highlighting a troubling lack of transparency in due process.

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Women’s Rights Activists Zohreh and Zahra Dadras Arrested to Commence Serving Their Sentences

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Freedom of Expression, News
Azadeh Chavoshian, Forough Saminia, Gilan province, Hooman Taheri, Jelveh Javaheri, Lakan prison, Matin Yazdani, Negin Rezaie, Rasht, Sara Jahani, Shiva Shah Sia, Yasamin Hashdari, Zahra Dadras, Zohreh Dadras

Zahra (Fatemeh) Dadras and Zohreh Dadras, women’s rights activists in Gilan province, were arrested to serve their prison sentences and transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht on July 10, 2024.

Abolfazl Ghorbani, the lawyer for these two women’s rights activists, announced: “At 9 AM today, Zohreh (Fatemeh) Dadras was detained and transferred to the Enforcement of Judgments department without prior summons or notice. Similarly, Zahra Dadras was arrested at 12 PM today after appearing at the Criminal Sentences Execution branch. Both sisters were then transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht.”

Hirakani News Agency announced today that the other nine defendants in this case, Forough Saminia, Sara Jahani, Yasamin Hashdari, Shiva Shah Sia, Negin Rezaie, Azadeh Chavoshian, Matin Yazdani, Hooman Taheri and Jelveh Javaheri, have also been summoned to the Revolutionary the Enforcement of Judgments office in Rasht by phone.

These women’s rights activists were separately arrested by security forces in Gilan on August 16 and 17, 2023. Zahra Dadras was released on bail from Lakan Prison on September 17 of last year, and Zohreh Dadras was released on October 1 of the same year.

On February 29, 2024, a court session was held to address the charges against them in a joint case at Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht, presided over by Judge Mehdi Rasekhi. Their initial verdicts were issued by this branch in early March of this year.

Their sentences were confirmed on May 28 of this year by Branch 11 of the Gilan Provincial Court of Appeal, presided over by Judge Mohammad Sadegh Iran Agideh.

According to the issued verdict, Zohreh Dadras was sentenced to nine years, six months, and two days in prison for “forming a group to disrupt national security” and “assembly and collusion against national security.” Zahra Dadras was sentenced to six years, one month, and seventeen days in prison for “membership in a group and assembly and collusion with the intent to disrupt national security.”

Additionally, other defendants in this case were also sentenced to prison. Farough Samiei Nia, Sara Jahani, Yasmin Hashdari, Shiva Shah Siah, Negin Rezaei, Azadeh Chavooshian, and Matin Yazdani were each sentenced to six years, one month, and seventeen days in prison, while Jelveh Javaheri and Hooman Taheri were each sentenced to one year for “propaganda against the regime.”

Astara: Several Citizens Arrested for their Reaction to the Death of Ebrahim Raisi

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Freedom of Expression, News
Astara, Ebrahim Raisi, Gilan province

The governor of Astara, Gilan Province, announced the arrest of several citizens in the city following their reaction to the death of Ebrahim Raisi, according to Mehr news agency.

The governor claimed, “A video clip was published on social media showing people in the border town of Bandar Astara celebrating the helicopter crash of Ebrahim Raisi, which hurt the feelings of the Islamic nation, families of martyrs, and people loyal to the Islamic government in this city.”

Mohammad Reza Shahabzadeh claimed that “these individuals also committed other offenses, such as burning banners of the late President, recording footage, and sharing it on dissident networks with whom they had financial transactions and interactions.”

The report does not disclose the identity, number, or whereabouts of the detained citizens.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of Sunday, May 19th, when a helicopter transporting President Raisi, along with several officials including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, crashed in the Dizmar forest between Varzaqan and Jolfa. Official media confirmed the deaths of Raisi and his companions the following morning after the crash site and wreckage were located. Numerous citizens have since been arrested or subjected to legal proceedings for expressing their opinions on the incident, which the authorities have deemed inappropriate.

Alireza Ebrahimian Arrested by IRGC Intelligence in Shaft County

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News, Other
Alireza Ebrahimian, Gilan province, Shaft County, علیرضا ابراهمیان

IRGC intelligence agents arrested Alireza Ebrahimian, a resident of Shaft County in Gilan Province, on June 18 and took him to an unknown location, as reported by Hirkani.

The report states that the arrest took place at Ebrahimian’s residence. So far, no information has been obtained about the reasons for the arrest or the whereabouts of Mr. Ebrahimian.

Appellate Court Confirms Lengthy Sentences for Eleven Women’s Rights Advocates

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Freedom of Expression, News
Azadeh Chavoshian, Forough Saminia, Gilan province, Hooman Taheri, Jelveh Javaheri, Matin Yazdani, Negin Rezaie, Sara Jahani, Shiva Shah Sia, Yasamin Hashdari, Zohreh Dadras

The Appellate Court of Gilan Province has confirmed a total of over 60 years in prison sentences for eleven women’s rights advocates.

The ruling, issued on May 28 by Branch 11 and overseen by Judge Mohammad-Sadegh Iran-Aghideh, includes a sentence of nine years, six months, and two days for Zohreh Dadras. She was charged with “forming a group to act against national security.”

Others, including Forough Saminia, Sara Jahani, Yasamin Hashdari, Shiva Shah Sia, Negin Rezaie, Azadeh Chavoshian, and Matin Yazdani, received six years and 47 days each for “joining a group to act against national security.” Additionally, Hooman Taheri and Jelveh Javaheri were each sentenced to one year in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime.”

The original verdict was issued in late March 2024 following their detention in various cities across Gilan province on August 16 and 17, 2023. They were later released on bail from Lakan Prison in Rasht pending the outcome of their appeals.

 

Abbas Haghgooi Receives Six-Month Prison Sentence for Political Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News
Abbas Haghgooi, Abbas Haghgooi Takrami, Gilan province, Lakan prison, Rasht, عباس حقگوی

A judge from the Revolutionary Court in Shaft County, Gilan Province, has sentenced Abbas Haghgooi Takrami to six months in prison.

Haghgooi, approximately 55 years old, was found guilty of “propaganda against the regime.” This charge was supported by evidence of him publishing videos, pictures, and written articles on social media.

Earlier, the Criminal Court sentenced him to three months in prison and a fine for “disseminating false information” in a separate case. This verdict was upheld by the Appellate Court of Gilan Province. However, the court acquitted him of the charge of “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran.”

Currently serving his sentence in Lakan Prison in Rasht, Haghgooi was recently granted furlough.

Haghgooi was arrested by security forces on April 26, 2023, and later was released pending legal proceedings.