Tag: Gonabadi Dervish

Revolutionary Court Sentences Student Activist Leila Hosseinzadeh to Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News, Students
Gonabadi Dervish, HRANA, Leila Hosseinzadeh, Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam, لیلا حسن زاده

Leila Hosseinzadeh, a student activist, has been sentenced in absentia to prison by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. The charges stem from her appearing unveiled at the University of Tehran during her thesis defense.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Hosseinzadeh was convicted on charges of appearing in public without a hijab and “propaganda against the regime.” In a personal statement, she revealed that she was sentenced without prior notice and is unaware of the details. She added, “I have no expectations of appeal or any legal process. I’ll wait for the case to be referred to the enforcement office.”
Hosseinzadeh has faced several legal cases over the years. Most recently, a forensic medical commission confirmed her permanent inability to endure incarceration. As a result, her remaining five-year prison sentence from a 2019 case was converted to a fine of 100 million tomans, which she paid to conclude the case.
Leila Hosseinzadeh was first arrested during the 2017–2018 Iranian protests, detained for 16 days, and released on bail. On June 24, 2019, Branch 36 of Tehran’s Court of Appeals sentenced her to 30 months in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security” and an additional year for “propaganda against the regime,” along with a two-year travel ban. Charges included attending a birthday gathering for Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam, a Gonabadi Dervish imprisoned near Sharif University, and singing protest songs.

On July 28, 2019, she began serving her sentence but was released early due to a judicial directive.

In a separate case, Hosseinzadeh was sentenced in February 2021 to five years in prison and a two-year ban from online activities for “assembly and collusion with intent to act against national security” by Branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court. The sentence was upheld by Branch 36 of the Appeals Court in December 2021.

She was arrested again on August 20, 2022, after being beaten by security forces outside her home. She was released on bail from Evin Prison on January 9, 2023.

Mazaher Heydari Continues Hunger Strike in Shahr-e Kord Prison

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News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
Gonabadi Dervish, HRANA, Mazaher Heydari, Shahr-e Kord, Shahrekord, مظاهر حیدری

Mazaher Heydari, a Gonabadi Dervish currently imprisoned in Shahr-e Kord, has been on a hunger strike for over 12 days and has been denied the right to make phone calls to his family.

A source close to Heydari’s family confirmed to HRANA, “Mr. Heydari began his hunger strike on Saturday, August 10, in protest against the 40-month prison sentence issued against him. Since then, the authorities have deprived him of phone calls to his family, and in protest, he has sewn his lips shut.”

In June of this year, Heydari was arrested by security forces in Shahr-e Kord and later transferred to the city’s prison. That same month, he was sentenced in absentia by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Shahr-e Kord, presided over by Judge Balanian, to a total of 40 months in prison on charges of “disturbing public opinion,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “assembly and collusion against national security.” Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe sentence, 32 months in prison, will be enforced.

Mazaher Heydari has previously faced legal actions due to his activities.

The Gonabadi Dervishes (Darvishes) are members of a Sufi Muslim community in Iran, known for their spiritual practices and emphasis on mysticism. Despite their peaceful beliefs, the Gonabadi Dervishes have faced increasing persecution by the Iranian regime, which views their independence and religious practices as a threat to the state’s control over religious expression. Over the years, many members of this community have been subjected to arrests, imprisonment, and harassment, with their leaders often targeted by the authorities.

Gonabadi Dervish Arash Moradi Faces Eight-Year Prison Term

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News, Religious Minorities
Arash Moradi, Evin Prison, Gonabadi Dervish, HRANA, Kashan

Arash Moradi, a Gonabadi Dervish currently held in Evin Prison, has been handed an eight-year prison sentence by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Presiding over Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Judge Ali Mazloum detailed Moradi’s sentencing as follows: two years for “disturbing public opinions,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” three years for “blasphemy,” and two years for “insulting the former and current Supreme Court of Iran.” The cumulative punishment amounts to eight years of imprisonment.

Citing Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, which stipulates that the most severe penalty should be applied in cases involving multiple charges, Moradi is slated to serve three years in prison.

A reliable source close to Moradi’s family informed HRANA of a notable development during the legal proceedings, where the charge of “disseminating false information” was altered to “disturbing public opinions.”

Furthermore, the court had previously dismissed charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “inciting people to violence.”

Moradi was apprehended on October 17 by security forces at his workplace in Kashan and subsequently confined to Ward 4 of Evin Prison.

This is not Moradi’s first encounter with the legal system, as he was previously detained during the 2018 Dervish protests, resulting in a one-year prison sentence. Following the completion of his sentence, Moradi was released from the Great Tehran Penitentiary.

Gonabadi Dervish Arash Moradi Arrested in Kashan

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News, Religious Minorities
Arash Moradi, Gonabadi Dervish, great tehran penitentiary, HRANA, Kashan

On October 17, Arash Moradi, a Gonabadi Dervish, was arrested by security forces in Kashan and promptly taken to an undisclosed facility.

A source with close ties to his family has informed HRANA that Moradi’s arrest unfolded at his place of work, where the agents conducted a search and confiscated some of his personal belongings.
The motivations behind Moradi’s arrest, his current whereabouts, and the specific charges brought against him remain shrouded in uncertainty.
Moradi was previously detained during the 2018 Dervish protests and subsequently sentenced to one year in prison. After serving his sentence, Moradi was released from the Great Tehran Penitentiary.
This development takes place against the backdrop of a broader pattern of suppression and persecution faced by the Gonabadi Dervish community in Iran, who have long struggled against government restrictions on their religious practices and their peaceful expressions of dissent.

Iran Protests: Gonabadi Dervish Mohsen Sentenced to One Year in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Damavand Prison, Firuzkuh, Gonabadi Dervish, Mohsen Afrooz

The Revolutionary Court sentenced Gonabadi Dervish Mohsen Afrooz to one year in prison. Afrooz was arrested amid nationwide protests and has been jailed in Damavand Prison since late October 2022.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Mohsen Afrooz, a follower of a Sufist religious minority known as Gonabadi Dervishes, was sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of “Propaganda against the regime.”

Afrooz was arrested in Firuzkuh, Tehran Province, for allegedly writing slogans on the wall. He has been jailed in Damavand Prison since his arrest in late October.
Afrooz faced other arrests and convictions on prior occasions.

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Gonabadi Dervish Mohammad Chegini Arrested in Kerman

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Freedom of Expression, News
Gonabadi Dervish, Mohammad Chegini

On August 24, 2022, security forces arrested Mohammad Chegini in Kerman and transferred him to an unidentified location. Chegini is a Gonabadi Dervish, a minority which has been subject to persecution in recent years.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on August 24, 2022, Mohammad Chegini was arrested in Kerman.

According to an informed source, the agents did not show an arrest warrant.

The reason for this arrest and Chegini’s whereabouts are unknown so far.

Student Activist Leila Hosseinzadeh Arrested in Tehran

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, News
Gonabadi Dervish, Leila Hosseinzadeh, Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, Tehran

On August 20, 2022, security forces arrested student activist and former political prisoner Leila Hosseinzadeh in Tehran and transferred her to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on August 20, 2022, student activist Leila Hosseinzadeh was arrested in front of her house in Tehran.

The reason for this arrest and her whereabouts are unknown so far.  

In February 2021, the Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Hosseinzadeh to five years in prison and a two-year ban on online social activity on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security.”  Her attendance at the birthday ceremony of imprisoned Gonabadi Dervish, Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, was presented during the trial as evidence to substantiate the charges. The verdict was upheld on appeal.

Leila Hosseinzadeh’s Five Year Sentence Upheld by The Court of Appeals

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News, Students, Women
Amir Raisian, Gonabadi Dervish, irgc, Leila Hosseinzadeh, Mohammed Sharifi Moghaddam, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran

Branch 36 of the Court of Appeals in Tehran upheld the verdict of student activist and former political prisoner, Leila Hosseinzadeh. Hosseinzadeh was sentenced to five years in prison and a two year ban on online social activity by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran due to her attendance at the birthday ceremony of imprisoned Gonabadi Dervish, Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, held at the entrance of the Sharif University of Technology.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Hosseinzadeh’s lawyer, Amir Raisian, was notified about the court;’s decision to uphold the initial verdict.

In February 2021, Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran convicted her on the charge of “assembly and collusion for the purpose of acting against national security”.

Amid the nationwide protests which broke out in December 2017, Hosseinzadeh was arrested alongside other student activists and released on bail after spending 16 days in detention. On March 7, 2018, she was sentenced to five years in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”, as well as one year in prison and a two year ban on leaving the country on the charge of “propaganda against the regime”. The sentence for her first charge was reduced on appeal from five years to two years and six months. Grounded on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, 30 months of this sentence was enforceable.

On July 28, 2019, she was arrested and detained for 10 days in a facility at the IRGC’s intelligence unit. Afterwards, she was sent to Evin prison to serve her sentence.

On March 11, 2020, while on furlough, she was set free due to her “intolerance of punishment”.

Alireza Nikzadeh Summoned to Endure his Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News, Prisoners
Alireza Nikzadeh, Alireza Nikzadeh Damavandi, due process, Gonabadi Darvishes, Gonabadi Dervish, Mohammad Nourizad, Semnan

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Alireza Nikzadeh Damavandi, a Gonabadi dervish, was summoned to the Second Branch of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Semnan to endure his sentence.

According to the notification issued on July 20, Mr. Nikzadeh was asked to appear in the aforementioned branch within 5 days to serve his 6-month prison sentence. He was summoned despite not having been informed that his prison sentence had been finalized, and he was not given a chance to file an appeal.

Regarding the latest situation of Mr. Nikzadeh, an informed source told HRANA, “Mr. Nikzadeh suffers from heart, kidney, and neurological diseases, and the doctors have issued a certificate stating that he is unable to bear the imprisonment. However, agents went to Mr. Nikzadeh’s home and asked him to show up for execution of the sentence.”

Alireza Nikzadeh, born in 1961, has a history of arrest and conviction. In 2018, the First Branch of the Semnan Revolutionary Court sentenced him to three years in prison on charges of propaganda activities against the regime and insulting the leadership. He was released from prison after serving part of the sentence.

Alireza Nikzadeh Damavandi was arrested by security forces on March 30 of this year while holding a poster demanding the release of Mohammad Nourizad, a political prisoner and Gonabadi dervish.

University of Tehran Reverses Expulsion of Imprisoned Gonabadi Dervish Student Kasra Nouri

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Prisoners, Religious Minorities, Students
Adelabad, Adelabad Prison, Gonabadi Dervish, Gonabadi Dervishes, Kasra Nouri, Majzooban Noor, Nouri, Student Disciplinary Code, Tehran, University of Tehran

On July 5, the University of Tehran reversed its decision to expel Gonabadi Dervish graduate student Kasra Nouri .

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Nouri had previously been expelled from the University of Tehran for “truancy”, or, missing class while serving out a sentence in Adelabad Prison.

This expulsion violated the Constitution and the International Convention on Cultural and Social Rights, which holds that students must be allowed to continue their education following the completion of a prison sentence.

After repeated follow-ups by Shokufeh Yadollahi, Kasra Nouri’s mother, a letter was received from the University of Tehran canceling the expulsion of the imprisoned Gonabadi Dervish. According to the letter, Nouri will be permitted to continue his studies after he has endured the entirety of his sentence.

Farshid Yadollahi, Kasra Nouri’s lawyer had previously mentioned that Mr. Nouri’s expulsion from the university was against the constitution and the International Convention on Cultural and Social Rights and emphasized that, “When Kasra Nouri went to prison, the family informed the university, meaning everyone knew he was in prison.”