On October 23, 2023, security forces in Isfahan arrested ten Baha’i women, raising concerns about their well-being. The detained individuals are identified as Neda Badakhsh, Arezoo Sobhanian, Yeganeh Roohbakhsh, Mojgan Shah Rezaie, Parastoo Hakim, Yeganeh Agahi, Bahareh Lotfi, Shana Shoghifar, Negin Khademi, and Neda Emadi.
According to a Baha’i citizen who shared information with HRANA, Ministry of Intelligence agents conducted searches of the women’s residences and confiscated some of their belongings.
At present, the reasons for their arrest and the specific allegations against them remain undisclosed, raising questions and concerns about their situation.
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.
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.
On Sunday, October 8, two inmates met their fate with executions, one in Torbat-e Heydariyeh Prison and another in the Central Prison of Karaj.
In the Central Prison of Karaj, Mehrab Sin-Tab, a 38-year-old inmate, was executed for the murder of his wife, a crime committed two years ago, as per HRANA reports.
Additionally, HRANA has disclosed that six death-row inmates, all convicted of murder, were transferred to solitary confinement in Qezel Hesar Prison, Karaj, on October 10, awaiting imminent execution. Notably, two of these individuals are Afghan nationals, and one is a Baluchi Citizen.
Furthermore, Haal Vsh has reported the execution of Emam-Baksh Gorgij in Torbat-e Heydariyeh Prison. Gorgij was convicted of drug offenses and was hanged without prior notice to his family, denying him a final family visit.
At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.
According to data compiled by the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, a total of 659 individuals were executed by hanging in Iran, representing a 24% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Seven of these executions were conducted publicly. Concerningly, many of the defendants were denied access to a fair trial and due process. For details and statistics, read HRANA’s report.
In a recent development, the Tehran Court of Appeal has issued a collective 12-year prison sentence to Baha’i citizens Shadi Shahidzadeh, Mansour Amini, Valiollah Ghadamian, and Ataollah Zafar.
Presiding over the case, Judge Abbasali Hoozan has pronounced the following sentences: Shahidzadeh will serve five years, while Zafar and Ghadamian will each serve two years, and Amini will face a three-year term.
It is worth noting that initially, the Tehran Revolutionary Court had sentencedall four individuals to five years in prison on charges of “membership in illegal groups aimed at disrupting national security.”
These Baha’i citizens were apprehendedby security forces on May 1, 2023, and subsequently transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison.
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.
Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)- On the World Day against the Death Penalty, the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) has published its annual report in an effort to sensitize the public about the death penalty situation in Iran, particularly thousands of death-row convicts awaiting their looming executions.
HRA’s Statistics Center relies on the work of HRANA reporters, as well as a network of independent and verifiable sources. It also incorporates the judicial authorities’ announcements or confirmations of prisoner executions on media, and as such, is exposed to a margin of error representing efforts by the Iranian authorities to omit, conceal, or restrict the collection of such data.
Click on the picture to download the report in PDF format
Between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, at least 659 convicts were executed by hanging in Iran, rising to 24% compared to the same period last year. Of these executions, Seven were carried out in public. Many of the defendants were denied a fair trial and due process.
HRANA obtained 580 reports regarding executions and the death penalty in Iran during this period. The identified executed individuals, include 17 women and 1 juvenile offender under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged crime. Compared to the last period, the execution of female offenders has decreased 15%.
According to the reports obtained by HRANA, over this period, Iranian authorities sentenced at least 164 defendants to the death penalty, including at least 5 women, and 2 public executions. Issuing death sentences rose by 84% compared to the last year.
As the chart below shows a breakdown of executions by capital offense: 56.60% for drug and narcotic offenses, 35.05% for murder, 2.58% for rape, 2.28% for unknown reasons, 1.21% for political or security-related offenses, 0.61% for “Corruption on Earth”, 0.61% for spying, terror, and bombing, 0.46% for “Corruption on Earth” (non-political), 0.46% for ideological, political, or religious reasons, 0.15% for Adultery – Types of consensual sexual relations
The pie chart below displays execution numbers by the province in which they took place. According to this chart, the Alborz (where three overcrowded prisons are located) had the highest number of executions at 15.33%. Sistan and Baluchestan and Kerman Provinces come second and third, with 11.53% and 8.65%, respectively.
The chart below depicts the distribution of execution information sources. The chart indicates that 63% of HRANA-confirmed executions were not announced by official Iranian sources. Undisclosed executions are referred to as “secret” executions.
The chart down shows the execution numbers by gender.
The chart below displays execution numbers by the prison where the executions were carried out. The Zahedan Prison And Adel Abad of Shiraz officials have carried out the highest number.
The chart below displays the percentage of executions carried out in public Vs the number of executions that were carried out in prison. According to statistics, 1.06% of the executions in Iran were carried out in public.
Arzhang Mortazavi, a student at Kharazmi University, found himself in the custody of security forces in Karaj on October 7th, where he was subsequently transported to an undisclosed location. This marks his second arrest, following his previous detention during the 2022 nationwide protests.
A reliable source with close ties to Mortazavi’s family provided HRANA with information regarding his arrest at his residence. It has been reported that the agents conducted a search of his home and confiscated some of his personal belongings.
Mortazavi had previously informed on social media about his summons to appear before the Public Security Police.
His initial arrest took place on December 17, 2022, in front of the university entrance. However, on February 21, 2023, he was released from the Central Prison of Karaj under the provisions of a general “pardon and commutation” directive.
In a separate development, late last month, Mortazavi received a suspension from the university for four semesters and was compelled to transfer to Damghan University.
Amir-Hossein Moradi, a political prisoner, is currently serving a one-year sentence in Evin Prison and has recently embarked on a hunger strike in protest of his incarceration.
A source close to Moradi’s family has informed HRANA that he is being held in Ward 4 of Evin Prison. Since last Monday, October 2, he has been on a hunger strike, demanding his release.
In March 2023, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Moradi to one year in prison for “propaganda against the regime,” a charge based on a post published on his Instagram page.
Moradi was arrested at his father’s residence on May 8, 2023. He was subsequently released from Evin Prison on bond on June 3, 2023.
It is worth noting that Moradi has faced arrests and periods of incarceration due to his activism.
Pejman Moradi, a resident of Sarvabad in Kurdistan province, has been detained in a state of legal uncertainty for more than 18 months.
According to a source close to Moradi’s family, he was apprehended by IRGC Intelligence agents 18 months ago. Despite repeated inquiries by his family to both security and judicial authorities, they have received no responses, leaving them deeply concerned about his well-being.
Moradi, a married man and father of one, was taken into custody by security forces on March 17, 2022.
On Sunday, October 1, 2023, security forces detained Baha’i citizens Vida Ahrari, Mojgan Basiri, Shokoofeh Basiri, and Jamal Ghadirzadeh in Yazd and transferred them to undisclosed locations.
According to an insider source who informed HRANA, these individuals were guests at Mrs. Basiri’s residence when security agents conducted a raid and apprehended them. Additionally, searches were carried out at the residences of all four Baha’i individuals.
The motives behind their arrests, as well as their current whereabouts, remain unknown.
HRANA’s annual reporthas 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.
Nayeb (Naeb) Askari, a political prisoner currently held in Urmia Prison, commenced a hunger strike on September 28 to protest against his death sentence.
A source close to Askari’s family relayed the news of his hunger strike to HRANA on Thursday. Another source disclosed that Askari initiated his hunger strike upon being transferred to the quarantine section.
IRGC intelligence agents apprehended Askari on March 27, 2021, in Urmia, subsequently relocating him to a detention facility. On June 17, 2021, he was transferred to Urmia Prison, where he has remained in detention.
In April 2023, Nayeb Askari was sentenced to death by Branch 2 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court, charged with “enmity against God (Moharebeh).”
Sources closely connected to his family have reported Askari’s deteriorating health during his detention. In February/January 2022, he experienced a convulsion but was denied adequate medical attention. The prison infirmary was allegedly ill-equipped, resorting to the arbitrary prescription of non-specific medication in such cases.
Furthermore, on July 12, 2021, he faced a new case stemming from a complaint by the head of Urmia Prison. As a result, he received an additional three months of imprisonment and 50 lashes for the charge of “disrupting prison order.”
Nayeb Askari is a father of two children, underscoring the urgency of addressing his situation.
