Civil Rights Activist Fatemeh Sepehri Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison

The Court of Appeals of Razavi Khorasan Province sentenced civil rights activist Fatemeh Sepehri to 18 years in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the 18-year sentence against civil rights activist Fatemeh Sepehri was upheld on appeal.

Earlier, the Mashhad Revolutionary Court Sepehri sentenced Sepehri to ten years for “collaboration with hostile foreign governments,” five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.” This verdict has been upheld on appeal.

Applying Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, ten years in prison for the first charge will be enforceable.

It is worth noting that according to her brother, Asghar Sepehri, the judicial officials did not accept her lawyer’s power of attorney letter.

On September 21, 2022, security forces arrested Sepehri at her house in Mashhad and jailed her in Vakilabad Prison.

In another case, in January 2023, the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced her to one year and a 20-million-tomans fine for “spreading falsehood, disturbing public opinions through social media activities and presence in media outside Iran.”

On prior occasions, as one of the signatories of a letter asking Ali Khamenei to resign, Sepehri faced other arrests and convictions.

French-Irish National Bernard Phelan Sentenced to 6.5 Years

Detained French-Irish Bernard Phelan was sentenced to six years and six months.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Reuters, French-Irish Bernard Phelan was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison.

Quoting Phelan’s sister, the report mentioned “providing information to another country” as one charge against Phelan.

On October 3, 2022, Phelan, 64, was arrested by security forces during his last trip to Iran.

Earlier, The Irish Times revealed that he is jailed in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad.

Hadi Atashbar Arrested in Mashhad

On February 14, 2023, security forces arrested Hadi Atashbar, a former political prisoner, at his home in Mashhad and took him to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on February 14, 2023, Hadi Atashbar was arrested in Mashhad.

An informed source told HRANA that the plainclothes agents did not show any arrest warrant. The reason for his arrest is still unknown.
Atashbar, age 45, faced other arrests and convictions on a prior occasion.

 

French Tourist Benjamin Briere on Hunger Strike

Imprisoned French tourist Benjamin Briere went on a hunger strike to protest against not addressing his issues. He is currently serving his sentence in Vakil-Abad Prison, Mashhad.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Benjamin Briere went on a hunger strike for the second time during his incarceration.

Informing the public about her brother’s hunger strike, Blandine Briere stated that “It’s the only weapon he has.”

A while ago, French foreign minister Catherine Colonna asked Iranian authorities for the release of “seven French hostages.” She urged Iran to stay in compliance with International laws and stop “arbitrary” arrests.

In May 2020, Briere was arrested by security forces and spent 600 days in pre-trial detention. On January 25, 2022, Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad sentenced Briere to eight years and eight months in prison for “espionage and propaganda against the regime.” Two other charges of “spreading corruption on earth” and “alcohol drinking” was dismissed by the court. In July of this year, this verdict was upheld on appeal.

 

Detained Protestor Majid-Reza Rahnavard Executed Publicly in Mashhad

On December 12, Majid-Reza Rahnavard was executed in public in Mashhad. Recently, the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced Majid-Reza Rahnavard, arrested at protests, to death on the charge of “enmity against God.”

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Majid-Reza Rahnavard, age 23, was executed in Mashhad.

An informed source told HRANA the court had already determined his guilt, and he was not allowed to defend himself. Rahnavard’s trial began only ten days after his arrest.

Rahnavard has been accused of killing two Basij militia forces in Mashhad during protests. Nonetheless, the assailant’s face cannot be identified by any CCTV cameras that captured the scene.

Earlier, pro-government mobs assaulted his family’s apartment and broke doors and windows to terrorize his family.

 

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Baha’i citizen Sanaz Tafazoli Arrested in Mashhad

On Tuesday, November 22, 2022, the intelligence agents arrested Baha’i citizen Sanaz Tafazoli in Mashhad and took her to an undisclosed location. The agent searched her house and confiscated some of her and her son’s belongings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Baha’i citizen Sanaz Tafazoli was arrested in Mashhad.

After three days, Tafazoli’s whereabouts is still unknown.
She has faced other arrests and convictions on a prior occasion.

 

Arash Ramezani Arrested in Mashhad

On October 23, 2022, security forces arrested writer Arash Ramezani in Mashhad and took him to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, writer Arash Ramezani was arrested in Mashhad.

According to an informed source, Ramezani was arrested at his workplace. The reason for this arrest and the charges are still unknown. Ramezani, living in Mashhad, has published two fiction books.

 

 

Five Inmates Executed in Mashhad

On Sunday, October 2, five inmates convicted of drug-related crimes were executed in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Haal Vsh, on October 2, 2022, five inmates, of which four have been identified as Asef Shakib, Saeed Shakib, Ramezan Mazarzeh and Avaz Bilrani, were executed in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

All of these prisoners had been convicted of drug-related crimes.

These executions have not been reported by official sources and media outlets inside Iran so far.

Nationwide Protests in Iran Continue on Day Sixteen

On October 1, 2022, despite the heavy presence of riot police and plainclothes security agents, Iranian people held demonstrations in many cities including Mashhad, Rasht, Dehgolan, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tehran, Shahrekord, Shahin Shahr, Arak, Bukan, Babol, Karaj. Moreover, on at least 27 universities campus, the students held protests. These protests continued in Tehran, Isfahan, Bushehr and at least 25 universities on the following day, October 2.

The map below shows the geographical distribution of protests across Iran during the last 48 hours.

In most cases, peaceful student protests turned violent by the police as dozens of students were arrested by the security forces. On the University of Isfahan campus, the security agents or the police fired tear gas at the crowd of protesting students.

Last night, the police and security forces surrounded the Sharif University of Technology, chasing and arresting violently the students who left the campus. The police fired tear gas and pellet guns, leading to several students’ injuries. 

According to Iran’s Student Union, several protesting students were trapped in a university building by university security agents and then arrested by the police.

The students chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator”, “don’t call it protests, it is now a revolution”, and “jailed students should be freed.” They also chanted slogans against the Supreme Leader, Khamenei.

On October 2, in Isfahan and Piranshahr, traders and shopkeepers joined the general strike and closed their shops.

Meanwhile, in recent days, the record-breaking hashtag Mahsa Amini (مهسا_امینی#) reached over 200 million times on Twitter.

Like the previous days, most parts of the country, especially Kurdistan, faced internet and mobile phone disruptions and outages.

Last Friday, September 30, in Zahedan, in Sistan and Baluchistan province, the security forces opened fire at the crowd of protestors coming from the Friday prayer. According to Iranian Sunni cleric Molavi Abdul Hamid, at least 40 people were killed in this incident.

The number of people arrested is increasing day on day. HRANA identified 31 arrests alone for yesterday.

Kurdistan police chief claimed that more than 150 people arrested during the “unrest” have been released.

It is estimated that 30 to 40 students at the Sharif University of Technology were arrested.

Anti-riot police and security forces use live ammunition against the protestors. HRANA has identified 150 death tolls, of which some have been verified by HRANA after fact-checking.

Below is the compilation of the videos from the protests in the past 24 hours.

HRANA’s Daily Review of Protests in Iran

On Saturday, July 16, 2022, at least 27 protests took place in Iran

The pensioners of the Social Security Organization protested against low pensions in Karaj, Ahvaz, Isfahan, Arak, Babol, Mashhad, Tabriz, Zanjan, Kerman, Ilam, Khorramshahr, Tehran, Khorramabad, Shushtar, Sirjan, Ardabil, Sirjan, Rasht, Ramhormoz, Sari, Kermanshah, Birjand, Hamedan, Qazvin and Dezful.

In Behbahan, the green maintenance workers of the Municipality gathered to demand their unpaid wages.

Coming from different cities, a number of farmers active in poultry and ostrich farming held a protest in front of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad.

A group of interns of the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences protested before a hospital in Tehran.