Tag: Golestan province

Three Prisoners, Including a Woman, Executed in Gorgan Prison

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Executions, News
Golestan province, Gorgan Prison

HRANA News Agency – At dawn today, May 12, the death sentences of three prisoners, including one woman, who had previously been convicted of murder in separate cases, were carried out in Gorgan Prison.

Iran Human Rights has identified the identities of the executed prisoners as Mahboobeh Khosrow-Nejad (female); Firooz (Erfan) Aliyari, 28, from Gorgan; and Safa Qaradashi, 26, from Aq-Qala, located in Golestan Province.

According to the report, Mahboobeh Khosrow-Nejad was arrested five years ago on charges of murdering her cousin and was sentenced to death. Mr. Aliyari and Mr. Qaradashi were also arrested four years ago in separate murder cases and later sentenced to death by the criminal court.

As of the time this report was prepared, the executions have not been officially confirmed by prison officials or relevant authorities.

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.

Ongoing Detention and Lack of Information on Marzieh Rigi Khalas’s Whereabouts

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News, Prisoners
Davood Rigi, Fazelabad, Golestan province, HRANA, Marzieh Rigi Khales, Zahedan, مرضیه ریگی خالص

Marzieh Rigi Khales, a resident of Zahedan, remains in detention and incommunicado 44 days after her arrest. Security forces have cited her husband’s activities on social media as the reason for her detention and have demanded that her husband surrender to the security authorities.

A source close to the family confirmed to HRANA: “This citizen traveled from Zahedan to Fazelabad city in Golestan province on June 1st to attend a relative’s wedding and was staying at her father’s house. Agents from the Ministry of Intelligence in Gorgan raided the house and arrested Ms. Rigi Khales. The agents stated that the reason for her detention was to compel her husband to surrender to the security authorities, claiming that he had been active on social media against the regime.”

According to HRANA reports, during her detention, Rigi Khales has contacted her family twice by phone, but her whereabouts remain unknown, heightening her family’s concerns.

Rigi Khales, aged 28, is a mother of two children. HRANA has verified the identity of her husband, Davood Rigi from Zahedan.

Transgender Individual Arrested in Gonbad-e Kavus for Alleged Promotion of Indecency

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LGBTQ+, News
Golestan province, Gonbad-e Kavus

The police chief of Gonbad-e Kavus, located in Golestan province, has announced the arrest of a transgender individual on charges of “promoting indecency and promiscuity,” as reported by the Borna News Agency.

According to police officials, the detainee was accused of “gathering a group of young motorcyclists to cause traffic disruptions in Gonbad-e Kavus, with the intention of promoting indecency and promiscuity.”

While specific details of the alleged actions promoting indecency were not provided, the police chief suggested that the individual’s motive was to seek adventure and demonstrate their abilities to their friends. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the individual in question, as confirmed by the police chief.

Nirvana Torbati-Nejad Receives Ten-Month Sentence and Fine for Political Charges

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Freedom of Expression, News
Golestan province, Gorgan, Nirvana Torbati-Nejad

Gorgan’s Criminal Court has recently issued a ten-month prison sentence and a fine to Nirvana Torbati-Nejad on political charges.

The verdict, delivered by Judge Abedi, was communicated to her lawyer, Haji Mashhadi, on January 6.

Torbati-Nejad has been convicted of “membership in anti-regime activities aimed at undermining national security,” resulting in a ten-month prison term. Additionally, she has been fined for charges related to “assembly and collusion against national security.”

The events leading to her legal troubles trace back to September 10, 2023, when security forces apprehended Torbati-Nejad at her workplace. After spending 25 days in detention, she was released on bond.

Baha’i Citizen Nafisa Sa’adat Yar Receives Prison Sentence and Social Deprivations

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizen, Golestan, Golestan province, Gorgan, Nafisa Sa'adat, Pouya Amri, نفیسا سعادت یار

The Revolutionary Court in Gorgan, Golestan Province, has sentenced Baha’i citizen Nafisa Saadat Yar to one year of imprisonment and imposed social deprivations.

As of the ruling issued on November 20, 2023, Sa’adat Yar is facing a one-year sentence for “spreading propaganda against the regime” and an additional four years of social deprivations.

Nafisa Sa’adat Yar and her husband, Pouya Amri, were apprehended by security forces in January 2023, later securing their release on a bail of 500 million Tomans (approximately 10,000 Dollars) in August of the same year. Unfortunately, both faced employment termination following pressure from security institutions.

HRANA’s annual report has highlighted a concerning trend where, in 2022, 64.63% of reported human rights violations against religious minorities are directed toward the Baha’i community.

The Baha’i faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion by Iranian authorities, leading to systematic and longstanding violations of the rights of Baha’is in the country. This includes the denial of their fundamental right to practice their religion, which constitutes a clear breach of both Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly

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Poet and Writer Habib Mousavi Arrested in Gorgan

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Freedom of Expression, News
Golestan province, Gorgan, Habib Mousavi, iranian poet, irgc

On July 31, 2023, Habib Mousavi, a poet and writer, was arrested shortly after receiving a summons and visiting the IRGC’s intelligence office in Gorgan, Golestan Province.

A credible source, who is close to Mousavi’s family and spoke to HRANA, disclosed that the poet was called in by the IRGC Intelligence Unit and subsequently detained during the meeting. The precise reasons behind Mousavi’s arrest have not been made public.

Habib Mousavi, aged approximately 50, is a poet, writer, and resident of Gorgan.

Iran Protests: Behrooz Izadi Rad Sentenced to Imprisonment

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Freedom of Expression, News
Aliabad-e Katul, Behrooz Izadi Rad, Golestan province, iran protests, Mahsa Amini

The Revolutionary Court sentenced Behrooz Izadi Rad, arrested amid nationwide protests, to four years and one month in prison. After pleading no contest, his sentence was reduced to two years and ten months.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Behrooz Izadi Rad was sentenced to imprisonment.

According to this verdict issued by the Revolutionary Court of Aliabad-e Katul, Golestan Province, Izadi Rad received four years and one month. Since he pleaded no contest, his sentence was reduced to nine months for “propaganda against the regime” and 25 months for “inciting people to unrest,” in total, two years and ten months, detention period included.

On December 19, 2022, Izadi Rad was summoned to the court to defend himself against the accusations.

In September 2022, security forces arrested Izadi Rad in Golestan Prison and, after a while, jailed him in Amirabad Prison in Gorgan.

About Iran Nationwide Protests 2022

The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her alleged improper hejab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. During these protests, at least about 19760 people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.

 

 

At Least 262 Prisoners Released from Prisons Across Iran

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Ali Khamenei, Golestan province, HRANA

In two recent days, dozens of prisoners were released from different prisons across the country.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, following the issuance of a pardon decree, at least 262 prisoners and detainees were released from prison across the country.
 
Details on these releases are still unknown. They are, however, likely released under the recent pardon decree issued for some prisoners, including those arrested at protests.
Following the issuance of this pardon, the Chief Justice of Golestan Province announced that 435 convicts and 80 defendants were pardoned, of which 234 people had already been set free.
 
Earlier, the head of the Judiciary proposed the issuance of a pardon decree for some prisoners, including those arrested at recent protests, which was approved by Ali Khamenei under some conditions which the legal case should meet.
 
 

Seyed Ali Mousavi Arrested in Gorgan

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Mousavi, Golestan province, Gorgan

On January 22, 2023, security forces arrested Seyed Ali Mousavi, a graduate of the Sharif University of Technology, in Gorgan, Golestan Province. The agents took him to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on January 22, 2023, quoting the Iranian Students’ union, Seyed Ali Mousavi was arrested by security forces in Gorgan.

The reasons for this arrest, his whereabouts and the allegation are still unknown.

Two Inmates Sentenced to Death, Two Other Spared from Execution

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Executions, News
capital punishmen, Citizen executions, citizen executions per capits, Citizens executed, Death Penalty, Death row, Death sentence, executions, Golestan, Golestan province, Gorgan, Greater Tehran Prison, Khodaeyan, tehran prison, Zabihollah Khodaeyan

Two inmates were recently sentenced to death in Tehran and Gorgan, while reportedly two other inmates on death-row were recently spared from execution.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IRIP News Agency, on Wednesday, October 13, the Judiciary spokesperson announced the conviction of two inmates to the death penalty in Tehran and Gorgan. In another report, he announced that two on death-row inmates were spared from execution.

Without providing any details about the court, which has issued these sentences, Zabihollah Khodaeyan commented, “these inmates have been convicted for their association with a network of human traffickers.” However, since other the defendants of this case, have been convicted to lengthy prison terms, he added that “the verdict is not final”.

According to Iran Newspaper, an inmate in Greater Tehran Prison was spared from execution after he could exact satisfaction from the victim’s family in a meeting. The inmate, named Shayan, had been previously convicted for stabbing a man to death.

According to Rokna, In Gorgan, a 30-year-old man was spared from execution by exacting satisfaction from the victim’s family through the mediation of deputy of the criminal executive branch in Golestan Province and members of Dispute Resolution Council. As Chief Justice of Golestan Province pointed out, this is the fourteenth death-row inmate who has been spared from execution this year by the mediation of the Dispute Resolution Council.