Tag: Mashhad

Attorney Khosrow Alikurdi Receives One-Year Sentence and Additional Restrictions

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Freedom of Expression, News
Abolfazl Adinehzadeh, Khosrow Alikurdi, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison, خسرو علیکردی

Lawyer Khosrow Alikurdi has been sentenced to one year in prison by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. In addition to the imprisonment, he faces several other penalties, including a ban on practicing law, a travel ban, mandatory residence in Nehbandan, South Khorasan province, and a prohibition on engaging in social media activities, all enforced for a period of two years.

Alikurdi disclosed this verdict to the public, revealing that he was convicted of “propaganda against the regime in favor of anti-regime groups.”
On August 1, 2023, Alikurdi was arrested and incarcerated in Vakilabad Prison following his presence at the Mashhad Courthouse. He was released on bail from Vakilabad Prison after spending four days in custody.
Another facet of this legal saga involves a previous sentence imposed on Alikurdi, requiring him to pay a fine for “disseminating false information and breaching confidentiality.”

Baha’i Nooshin Mesbah Receives Reduced Sentence of One Year on Appeal

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i citizen, Mashhad, Nooshin Mesbah, Razavi Khorasan Province

In a recent development, the Court of Appeal of Razavi Khorasan Province has handed down a revised sentence to Baha’i citizen Nooshin Mesbah, a resident of Mashhad, reducing her imprisonment term to one year.

Mesbah had initially been convicted of “membership in groups aiming to endanger national security,” resulting in a three-year sentence. However, the Court of Appeal has now modified this sentence, lowering it to one year.

Moreover, Mesbah has been acquitted of the charge of “spreading propaganda against the regime,” for which she had originally received an eight-month prison term.

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.

 

Two Inmates Executed in Mashhad for Drug Offenses

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Executions, News
Mashhad, Rasoul Gorgij, Shahmorad Davoudi

On Thursday, November 22, two inmates convicted of drug offenses faced execution in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, according to Haal Vsh.

The executed individuals were identified as Rasoul Gorgij (34), a father of three, and Shahmorad Davoudi (44).

Both had been apprehended for drug-related crimes in Mashhad two years prior, subsequently receiving death sentences from the Revolutionary Court.

As of the current writing, neither official sources nor domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these executions. The absence of official information raises concerns regarding the transparency and accountability of the execution process.

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.

Baha’i Citizen Zabihi Moghadam Recevies Eight Years in Prison

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News, Religious Minorities
Baha'i resident, Mashhad, Sirus Zabihi Moghadam

The Mashhad Revolutionary Court has handed down an eight-year prison sentence to Sirus Zabihi Moghadam, a Baha’i resident of Mashhad.

Zabihi Moghadam was convicted of seven years for “membership in anti-regime groups” and an additional year for “spreading propaganda against the regime.” Should the verdict be upheld on appeal, Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code mandates the enforcement of the harshest punishment in cases involving multiple charges, resulting in a seven-year prison term for Moghadam.

Arrested in September 2022, Zabihi Moghadam was released on bail after two months.

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.

 

Sakineh Parvaneh’s Prison Sentence Confirmed on Appeal

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Freedom of Expression, News
irgc, Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Sakineh Parvaneh

The Court of Appeal in Razavi Khorasan Province has upheld the seven-year, six-month prison sentence of Sakineh Parvaneh, as reported by Kurdpa.

In early October of this year, the Mashhad Revolutionary Court initially sentenced Parvaneh to seven years and six months in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran.”

Parvaneh was taken into custody in April 2023 by IRGC Intelligence agents after her visit to the burial site of Ali Mozafari, one of the protestors killed during the nationwide protests in 2022, in Quchan. Following 12 days of detention, she was subsequently transferred to Vakilabad Prison.

It is important to note that Parvaneh has a prior arrest and conviction related to her activism. In her previous encounter with the security institutions, she was detained by IRGC Intelligence forces in the winter of 2020. Subsequently, she received a five-year prison sentence and a two-year prohibition from participating in political groups. However, in February 2023, she was granted amnesty and released in accordance with a general “pardon and commutation” directive.

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Amir Askari Bajestani Receives One-Year in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Amir Askari Bajestani, Mashhad

Amir Askari Bajestani, a resident of Mashhad, has been sentenced to one year in prison by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. This sentence also includes his detention period.

Askari Bajestani has been convicted of “spreading propaganda against the regime,” with his advocacy for monarchist opposition and membership in related social media groups cited as evidence for this charge.

Notably, Askari Bajestani was previously detained during the 2022 nationwide protests and was subsequently released on bail. However, his case was later declared closed after he received a pardon in accordance with the general pardon and commutation directive.

Four Baha’i Women Sentenced to Imprisonment

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News, Religious Minorities
Azita Foroughi, Baha'i citizens, Hadi Mansouri, Mashhad, Nasim Sabeti, Rouya Ezabadi, Soheila Ahmadi

In a recent ruling, Nasim Sabeti, Azita Foroughi, Rouya Ezabadi, and Soheila Ahmadi, all members of the Baha’i faith, were handed down a prison sentence of three years and eight months.

The Mashhad Revolutionary Court, led by Judge Hadi Mansouri, has sentenced each of these Baha’i residents of Mashhad to three years imprisonment for alleged “involvement with groups deemed a threat to national security” and an additional eight months for “disseminating propaganda against the government.”

Should the verdict stand after the appeal process, in accordance with Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, a three-year prison term will be enforced.

Legal proceedings against these individuals commenced in July of this year.

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.

Sanaz Tafazoli’s Prison Sentence Upheld on Appeal

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News, Religious Minorities
Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Sanaz Tafazoli, Vakilabad prison

The Court of Appeal in Razavi Khorasan Province has upheld the ten-year and nine-month prison sentence of Baha’i citizen Sanaz Tafazoli. Tafazoli is currently incarcerated in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad.

According to information provided by a source closely associated with her family, the court session was held on Thursday, October 5, in the absence of both Tafazoli and her legal counsel.

Previously, the Mashhad Revolutionary Court had sentenced Tafazoli to six years and six months for “forming a group to act against national security,” three years and seven months for “assembly and collusion against national security,” and eight months for “educational/promotional activities against Sharia.”

On Tuesday, November 22, 2022, intelligence agents apprehended Tafazoli, aged 45, in Mashhad. A search of her residence resulted in the confiscation of belongings belonging to both her and her son.

After multiple extensions of Tafazoli’s detention period, she was incarcerated at Vakilabad Prison on December 29, 2022.

In February, she was granted a ten-billion-toman bail. However, judicial authorities declined her release on bail, returning this heavy bail to her family.

According to the HRANA annual report, a significant portion, accounting for 64.63%, of human rights violations against religious minorities were related to the infringement of Baha’i rights.

The denial of the freedom to practice a religion constitutes a breach of 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 asserts that every individual possesses the right to religious freedom, the freedom to convert, and the freedom of expression, both individually and collectively, openly or privately.

Execution of Six Inmates in Shiraz and Mashhad

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Executions, News
Citizen executions, Hamid-Reza Khodabandeh, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

On Sunday, October 1, 2023, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz bore witness to the execution of five inmates, each of whom had been sentenced to death in separate legal cases.

Among these condemned individuals was Hamid-Reza Khodabandeh Farsimadan Ghashghaie, identified by the Iran Human Rights Organization.

Etemad News also reported the execution of an inmate for murder in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, on the same day. He was found guilty of the murder of a man six years ago in collusion with the victim’s wife, with whom he had engaged in an illicit affair.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.

 

Brothers of Civil Rights Activist Fatemeh Sepehri Arrested in Mashhad

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Freedom of Expression, News
Fatemeh Sepehri, Hossein Sepehri, Mashhad, Mohamad-Hossein Sepehri, Vakilabad prison

On September 28, Mohamad-Hossein Sepehri and Hossein Sepehri, siblings of Fatemeh Sepehri, a civil rights activist held in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, were apprehended and subsequently taken to an undisclosed location.

The arrest of Sepehri’s brothers was executed by security forces in Mashhad, leaving their current whereabouts and the nature of the charges against them shrouded in uncertainty.

It is worth noting that Fatemeh Sepehri’s health condition had deteriorated significantly, necessitating her urgent hospitalization just the day before this incident.

Mohamad-Hossein Sepehri had previously been imprisoned on political charges and was released from Vakilabad Prison on May 29, 2023.