Tag: Sardasht

Naseh Lahijani Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Kurdpa, Mahabad, Naseh Lahijani, Piranshahr, Sardasht, ناصح لاهیجانی

HRANA – Naseh Lahijani, a resident of Piranshahr, has been sentenced to 10 years and one day in prison by the Mahabad Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, quoting Kurdpa, the sentence was recently issued by Branch 1 of the Mahabad Revolutionary Court and communicated to Mr. Lahijani. Based on the ruling, he was convicted on the charge of membership and collaboration with an opposition party and sentenced to 10 years and one day in prison.

About five months ago, after returning to Iran, Lahijani was arrested in the city of Sardasht by security forces. Following interrogation, he was transferred to Mahabad Prison.

During his detention, this citizen was denied access to a lawyer. He is now serving his sentence in Mahabad Prison.

Naseh Lahijani is from the village of “Hamzeh Abad” in Piranshahr County.

HRANA’s report shows that in 2024, Iranian regime courts—both primary and appeals courts—issued a total of 33,574 months of prison sentences (equivalent to 2,797 years) against Iranian citizens for their political and civil activities. This total represents more than a 1.5-fold increase compared to the previous five-year period.

Latest Update on Heydar Niknia and Edris Ebrahimi, Political Prisoners in Urmia

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News, Prisoners
Edris Ebrahimi, Heydar Niknia, IRGC Intelligence, Sardasht, Urmia prison

HRANA – Political prisoners Heydar Niknia and Edris Ebrahimi have been serving their sentences in Urmia Prison for the past year.

Recently, following the issuance of an amnesty directive, the sentences of each were reduced to one year and eight months. Previously, the Urmia Revolutionary Court had sentenced them to two years and eight months in prison each, on charges of “collaboration with opposition groups.”

Niknia and Ebrahimi began serving their sentences in Urmia Prison in September 2023.

Niknia had earlier been arrested on July 3, 2023, after being summoned to the IRGC Intelligence office in the Silvaneh district. He was later released on bail before eventually being summoned to serve his sentence.

Heydar Niknia is from Urmia, and Edris Ebrahimi is from Sardasht.

Four Citizens Arrested by Security Forces in Sardasht

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News, Other
Haji Sarrafi, Mohammad Naseri, Sardasht, Soleiman Bayseh

HRANA – On Tuesday, July 15, four citizens from Sardasht were arrested by security forces in this city and taken to an undisclosed location.

Kolbar News has identified them as as Soleiman Bayseh, Mohammad Naseri, Haji Sarrafi, and Othman (last name unknown), all from  Sardasht County, West Azerbaijan province.

According to the report, these citizens were arrested simultaneously by security forces without the presentation of a judicial warrant.

As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding the reasons for their arrest, their whereabouts, or the charges brought against them.

Arbitrary arrests, transferring detainees to undisclosed locations, and leaving families in the dark about the fate of their loved ones are routine practices of the Iranian regime’s security agencies, such as the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Unit. This pattern of behavior stands in clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

Special Clerical Court in Urmia Sentences Two Sunni Clerics to Prison

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News, Religious Minorities
Hassan Khezri, HRANA, Salam Mahmoudian, Sardasht

HRANA News Agency –Hassan Khezri and Salam Mahmoudian, two Sunni clerics from Sardasht, have each been sentenced to two years in prison and a monetary fine by the Special Clerical Court in Urmia. The prison sentences were suspended.

According to a report by HRANA, quoting Kurdpa, the Special Clerical Court in Urmia issued the verdicts against the two clerics, sentencing each to two years in prison and paying a fine. The prison terms have been suspended.

The report does not specify the charges brought against Khezri and Mahmoudian.

Salam Mahmoudian is the Friday prayer leader of Boyuran-e Sofla (lower Boyuran) village, and Hassan Khezri is the Friday prayer leader of Boyuran-e Olya (upper Boyuran), both located in Sardasht County. The two were previously summoned to the Urmia Special Clerical Court in July of 2024.

HRANA’s compiled reports show that in 2024 alone, the Iranian regime’s judiciary sentenced 82 members of religious minorities to nearly 400 years in prison on charges solely related to their religious beliefs and sharing those beliefs. This alarming figure highlights the regime’s relentless persecution of religious communities through its judicial system.

Seven Citizens Arrested in Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan Provinces

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News, Other
Arsalan Miraki, Chiako Ghorbehei, Dehgolan, Farhad Zandi, Farshad Seyedi, Hassan Khalili, Mahabad, Mansour Moloudpour, Mehdi Javanmardi, Sanandaj, Sardasht

HRANA News Agency – In recent days, seven citizens have been arrested by security forces in the cities of Dehgolan, Sanandaj, Mahabad, and Sardasht and transferred to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, citing Kolbar News, the arrested individuals have been identified as follows:

  • Mehdi Javanmardi, Farhad Zandi, Arsalan Miraki, and Farshad Seyedi – all residents of Dehgolan
  • Mansour Moloudpour – resident of Mahabad
  • Hassan Khalili – resident of Sardasht (released two days after his arrest)
  • Chiako Ghorbehei

Details of the Arrests:

On Monday, January 27, 2025, Mehdi Javanmardi and Farhad Zandi were arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents in Dehgolan and taken to an unknown location. A day earlier, on Sunday, January 26, Arsalan Mirki and Farshad Seyedi, also from Dehgolan, were detained by security forces and similarly transferred to an undisclosed location.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, January 25, Mansour Moloudpour was arrested by security forces at his workplace in Mahabad. His whereabouts remain unknown.

Additionally, Hassan Khalili, a resident of Sardasht, was arrested on Wednesday, January 22. After two days in custody, he was released on Friday, January 24 following an interrogation.

At the time of this report, no information is available regarding the reasons for these arrests or the charges brought against these individuals.

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Sardasht: Three Citizens Arrested by Security Forces

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News, Other
Hassan Hassannejad, Mohammad Amin Hassannejad, Rahim Alizadeh, Sardasht

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, January 21, 2025, Hassan Hassannejad, Mohammad Amin Hassannejad, and Rahim Alizadeh, residents of Sardasht, West Azerbaijan province, were arrested by security forces in the city and transferred to an undisclosed location.

Kurdpa has identified these detainees as: Hassan Hassannejad and his son Mohammad Amin Hassannejad from the village of Sisar, and Rahim Alizadeh from the village of Kurbanawe, both located in Sardasht County.

The report states that Hassan Hassannejad and his son Mohammad Amin were arrested in the city of Rabat by security forces without a judicial warrant. The agents later searched the family home, confiscating some personal belongings.

Similarly, Rahim Alizadeh was also arrested in Sardasht without a judicial warrant.

As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding the reasons for the arrests, the whereabouts of the detainees, or the charges brought against them.

In 2024, HRANA documented 561 cases of human rights violations in West Azerbaijan Province, placing it third among all provinces in Iran for reported violations.

Two Brothers Arrested by Security Forces in Mahabad

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News, Other
Khaled Bakri, Mahabad, Mohammad Bakri, Sardasht

Khaled Bakri and Mohammad Bakri, residents of Mahabad, were arrested by security forces in this city and transferred to an undisclosed location.

According to HRANA, quoting Kolbar News, the two citizens have been identified as Khaled Bakri, 46, and his brother Mohammad Bakri, 43.

Reports indicate that Mohammad Bakri was arrested on the evening of Monday, December 30, 2024, in Mahabad, while Khaled Bakri was detained on Sunday, December 29, on the road between Mahabad and Sardasht.

It is worth noting that several other individuals have been arrested in Mahabad and neighboring cities in recent days.

As of now, no information is available regarding the reasons for these arrests, the detainees’ whereabouts, or the charges against them.

In 2024, HRANA documented 561 cases of human rights violations in West Azerbaijan Province, including Mahabad, placing it third among all provinces in Iran for reported violations.

Report on the Arrest of Four Citizens in West Azerbaijan Province

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Freedom of Expression, News, Other
Afshin Khalifehzadeh, Amin Bazian, Jamal Sheikhehpour, Khaled Mohammadian, Mahabad, Sardasht

In recent days, four citizens named Khaled Mohammadian, Amin Bazian, Jamal Sheikhehpour, and Afshin Khalifehzadeh were arrested by security forces in Sardasht, Piranshahr, and Mahabad and transferred to undisclosed locations.

According to HRANA, quoting Kurdpa, early Sunday morning, December 29, Sheikhehpour and Khalifehzadeh were arrested in Mahabad. These individuals, residents of Qom Qaleh village in Mahabad county, were detained without judicial warrants and taken to unknown locations.

In a separate report, Kurdpa confirmed the arrest of a citizen in Sardasht identified as Khaled Mohammadian in Sardasht County. Security forces entered Mr. Mohammadian’s home early the previous morning, arrested him without presenting a warrant, and transferred him to an undisclosed location. During the arrest, they also searched his home.

On Friday, December 27, another citizen, identified as Amin Bazian, aged around 28, a resident of Piranshahr, was arrested and taken to an unknown location.

The arrest of this individual was also carried out without a judicial warrant by security forces.

So far, no information is available regarding the reasons for the arrests or the charges brought against these citizens.

Execution of Three Prisoners in Jiroft Prison on Drug-Related Charges

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Executions, News
Baneh, Jiroft Prison, Sardasht

Yesterday, December 26, three prisoners were executed in Jiroft Prison on charges related to drug offenses.

According to Kurdpa, the identities of two of them have been confirmed as “As’ad Amini, 27, from Sardasht, and Saman Fakhri, 33, from Baneh.” The report states that these two prisoners had been arrested in Jiroft in connection with a joint case involving drug-related offenses and were sentenced to death by the judiciary.
HRANA has identified the third individual as Jasem Jahan Tigh, an Afghan national. Mr. Jahan Tigh had also been previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been announced by prison officials or the relevant authorities.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 777 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 207 individuals to death and the execution of 883 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 772 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.

Two Inmates Executed for Drug-Related Crimes in Urmia Prison

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Executions, News
Ghobad Farhadpour, HRANA, Jafar Mohammadpour, Kermanshah, Sardasht, Urmia prison

Urmia Prison witnessed the execution of two inmates convicted of drug-related offences on June 9, 2023, as confirmed by HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency).

The individuals identified as Ghobad Farhadpour from Kermanshah and Jafar Mohammadpour, a resident of Sardasht, were subjected to the death penalty following their transfer to solitary confinement.

No official sources or domestic media outlets in the country have reported on these executions at the time of writing.

According to the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran, a total of 457 reports related to the death penalty were registered in 2022. This included 92 death sentences, including six individuals sentenced to public execution. Furthermore, 565 execution sentences were carried out, two of which were carried out publicly. Among the executed individuals, 501 were male, 11 were female, and five were juvenile offenders who were executed despite being under the age of 18 at the time of the crime.