Tag: Tabriz

Six Months in Detention: Court Shifts Charges Against Attorney Abolfazl Ranjbari

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News, Prisoners
Abolfazl Ranjbari, Tabriz, ابوالفضل رنجبری

HRANA – Abolfazl Ranjbari, an attorney-at-law, has been detained for more than six months and remains held in Tabriz Prison. On November 18, the second session of his trial was convened at Branch 3 of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court.

Based on information received by HRANA, the second hearing in Mr. Ranjbari’s case took place on Tuesday, November 18, at Branch 3 of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court. In this session, the judge changed Mr. Ranjbari’s charge from “espionage” to “aiding and abetting in spreading corruption on earth (efsad fel-arz).” In the first court session, he had defended himself against the initial espionage charge.

A knowledgeable source close to the attorney confirmed this information to HRANA, stating: “The accusation against Mr. Ranjbari stems from his participation in an academic conference and the publication and translation of his articles in the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

Abolfazl Ranjbari, an attorney and writer, was arrested by security forces in Tabriz on May 4 of this year.

Execution of Fourteen Prisoners in Various Prisons

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Executions, News
Aligudarz Prison, Borujerd, Dastgerd Prison, Gilan province, Isfahan, Lakan prison, Rasht, Tabriz, Zanjan Prison

HRANA – In recent days, fourteen prisoners were hanged in different prisons across Iran.

On Tuesday, October 21, Fardin Vafaipour, 43, father of two and a resident of Borujerd, was executed in the city’s prison. According to Iran Human Rights, Mr. Vafaipour had been arrested four years ago on charges related to drug offenses and was later sentenced to death by the judiciary.

On Wednesday, October 22, Marouf Fattahi, 30, from Tabriz, was hanged in the city’s prison, Iran Human Rights reported. According to the report, Mr. Fattahi was arrested five years ago on a murder charge stemming from a street fight and was subsequently sentenced to death by a criminal court.

According to HRANA, on Saturday, October 25, Lakan Prison in Rasht, Gilan Province, witnessed the execution of three prisoners on drug-related charges. HRANA has identified one of them as Farhad Hatami.

That same day, Iran Human Rights reported the execution of two prisoners in Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan. The identities of the prisoners were reported as Farhang Taheri and Ammar Pourmansouri, both residents of Ahvaz. The two were executed in a joint case on charges related to drug offenses.

On Sunday, October 26, Mehrdad Moradi was executed in Arak Prison on drug-related charges. He had been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

On the same day, another prisoner named Manouchehr Mahaki was hanged in Aligudarz Prison. According to information received by HRANA, Mr. Mahaki had previously been arrested on a murder charge and later sentenced to death by a criminal court.

Also on Sunday, three prisoners were executed in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz. HRANA has identified one of them, known only by the surname Dehghani. According to HRANA’s information, Mr. Dehghani had been arrested earlier on a murder charge and later sentenced to death by a criminal court. The other two prisoners had been separately arrested on drug-related charges and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

Additionally, Haal Vsh reported the execution of another prisoner named Mohammad Omar Zardkouhi, 28, in Zahedan Prison.

Finally, on Monday, October 27, a prisoner named Hamid Rafiei was executed in Zanjan Prison on a murder charge.

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

Death Sentence of Ehsan Faridi Upheld by Supreme Court

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Executions, News, Prisoners
Ehsan Faridi, HRANA, Tabriz, احسان فریدی

HRANA – The Supreme Court of Iran has upheld the death sentence of Ehsan Faridi, a political defendant and student at Tabriz Technical University.

According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Faridi’s death sentence, previously issued by Branch 3 of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Hassan Fathpour, was confirmed by the Supreme Court. He had been convicted on the charge of “corruption on earth” (efsad fel-arz).

Three of Mr. Faridi’s trial sessions were held via video conference last year at the Tabriz Revolutionary Court.

In September 2025, a separate hearing related to another part of his case was held at Branch 2 of the Tabriz Criminal Court, where he was subsequently sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Mr. Faridi was arrested on June 18, 2024, after appearing at the Tabriz Prosecutor’s Office, and was transferred to Tabriz Prison.

Ehsan Faridi, 22, a student of Manufacturing Engineering at Tabriz Technical University, had previously been arrested on March 8, 2024, and transferred to Tabriz Prison. He was released ten days later, on March 18, after posting bail.

Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Peyman Ebrahimi Arrested

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Ethnic Minorities, News
HRANA, Peyman Ebrahimi, Tabriz, پیمان ابراهیمی

HRANA – On Saturday, September 20, Peyman Ebrahimi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, was arrested after appearing at Branch 15 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Tabriz.

A source close to the family of this Azerbaijani-Turk activist confirmed the news to HRANA, stating: “Today, Mr. Ebrahimi’s interrogation session was held at Branch 15 of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Tabriz. He had been summoned there on charges of propaganda against the regime and, without any opportunity for defense, was arrested. He has now been transferred to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility in Tabriz.”

According to information received by HRANA, this Azerbaijani-Turk activist had been summoned to the mentioned branch last week after receiving an official notice.

Peyman Ebrahimi was previously arrested by security forces in Tabriz on August 26, 2023, and released from prison in that city on October 25 of the same year after posting bail.

In December of the same year, Branch 1 of the Public and Revolutionary Court of Tabriz, presided over by Judge Hamlbar, sentenced him to seven months and sixteen days in prison for the charge of propaganda against the Islamic Republic, and fifteen months and one day in prison for insulting the Supreme Leader. The verdict was later commuted to a monetary fine after the appeals court hearing.

Peyman Ebrahimi, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, is a resident of Tabriz and an Azerbaijani dance instructor.

Execution of Six Prisoners, Including One Woman, in Iranian Prisons

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Executions, News
HRANA, Neyshabur, Qom, Tabriz

HRANA News Agency – The death sentences of six prisoners, including one woman, were recently carried out in the prisons of Tabriz, Qom, and Neyshabur. These individuals had been previously convicted on charges related to drug offenses, murder, and armed robbery.

According to Iran Human Rights, at dawn on Saturday, June 28, authorities executed a prisoner in Neyshabur Prison. The individual was identified as Babak Mostafavi, 27, a resident of Neyshabur. He had been sentenced to death by the judiciary on drug-related charges. Prior to his arrest, he worked as a forklift driver.

Additionally, on Tuesday, June 24, two prisoners, including a woman, were executed in Qom Prison. They were identified as Hassan Rostamnejad and Tal’at Sabzi, 47. Rostamnejad had been arrested four years ago on murder charges and later sentenced to death. Sabzi had been arrested five years ago for allegedly killing her husband and was also sentenced to death.

Earlier, at dawn on Sunday, June 18, authorities executed three prisoners in Tabriz Prison. The executed individuals were identified as Hadi Ahmadian, 37, Abbas Partovi, and Mohammad Shokri, 42, all from Tabriz.

According to the report, Shokri and Ahmadian were arrested three years ago in a joint case involving the possession of 80 kilograms of narcotics and were later sentenced to death. Partovi had been arrested around the same time on charges of armed robbery and was also handed a death sentence.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and official institutions have not publicly announced these executions.

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.

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Christian Converts Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison by Tabriz Revolutionary Court

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News, Religious Minorities
Kia Nourinia, Mehdi Rahimi, Tabriz, Tabriz Revolutionary Court

HRANA News Agency – The Tabriz Revolutionary Court has sentenced Christian converts Mehdi Rahimi and Kia Nourinia to a total of 24 years in prison, over two billion tomans in fines, and 30 years of deprivation of social rights.

Judge Hassan Fath-Nejad of Branch 3 issued the verdict in absentia on April 16, 2025, without summoning the defendants or allowing them to present a defense. The court sentenced both Rahimi, 49, and Nourinia, 56, to 12 years in prison each. As additional punishments, the court imposed fines of one billion tomans on each and banned them from social rights for 15 years.

The court attributed 10 years of each sentence to the charge of “promoting deviant beliefs of Zionist Christianity in opposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and the remaining two years to “smuggling prohibited goods,” referring to Christian religious books. Authorities also ordered them to pay a fine equivalent to ten times the value of the seized materials.

On November 3, 2024, agents from The Ministry of Intelligence raided Rahimi’s home in Tabriz, seizing roughly 5,000 Christian books and pamphlets, along with two computer hard drives. That same day, intelligence agents also searched Nourinia’s residence, confiscating two mobile phones, a tablet, and Christian literature.

Rahimi and Nourinia are both Christian converts residing in Tabriz.

Two Prisoners Executed in Tabriz Prison

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Executions, News
Asghar Nouri-Nia, Jolfa, Mehran Zolfi, Tabriz, Tabriz Prison

HRANA News Agency – On April 23, 2025, two prisoners previously sentenced to death on separate drug-related charges were executed in Tabriz Prison.

Iran Human Rights have identified them as Mehran Zolfi, 27, from Tabriz, and Asghar Nouri-Nia, 35, from Jolfa.

According to the report, Zolfi had been detained for four years and Nouri-Nia for five years, both on drug-related charges. They were ultimately sentenced to death in separate cases by the Revolutionary Court.

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

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.

Sima Alipour Arrested After Summons to IRGC Intelligence in Tabriz

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Freedom of Expression, News
HRANA, irgc, IRGC Intelligence, Sima Alipour, Tabriz, سیما علیپور

HRANA News Agency – On Monday, March 17, Sima Alipour, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, was arrested after appearing at the IRGC Intelligence office in Tabriz and was transferred to the agency’s detention facility.

A source close to Alipour’s family confirmed the arrest in a conversation with HRANA, stating: “After being summoned, Ms. Alipour appeared at the IRGC Intelligence office in Tabriz on the morning of Monday, March 17. Hours later, the family was informed through their contacts that she had been arrested by the agency. They were advised to follow up on the case through the Tabriz Prosecutor’s Office.”

As of this report, no information has been released regarding the reasons for the arrest or the charges against her.

Last week, IRGC Intelligence agents searched Alipour’s home and confiscated several personal belongings, including her mobile phone.

Previously, in April 2023, a court hearing was held for Ms. Alipour and her husband, Davoud Shiri (Derakhshan), regarding their charges.

On May 28, 2022, both were arrested by Tabriz’s Ministry of Intelligence agents and released several days later on bail from the agency’s detention facility.

Sima Alipour has a prior record of arrests and encounters with security forces.

Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Salar Taher Afshar Arrested in Urmia

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Freedom of Expression, News
Azerbaijani Turk activist, Salar Taher Afshar, Tabriz, Urmia

HRANA News Agency – Salar Taher Afshar, an Azerbaijani-Turk activist, was arrested yesterday, February 18, in Urmia by the Ministry of Intelligence.

A source close to his family told HRANA: “Around noon on Tuesday, intelligence agents arrived at Mr. Taherafshar’s workplace with two vehicles and arrested him. A few hours later, he informed his family by phone that he is set to be transferred from the Intelligence Detention Facility in Urmia to Tabriz in the coming days.”

As of the time of this report, the reasons for his arrest and the charges against him remain unknown.

Taher Afshar had previously been sentenced to five years in prison by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals in January 2025 on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

He was first arrested on February 6, 2024, in Urmia and later transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. He was released on February 28, 2024, on bail.

Azerbaijani-Turk Activist Ebrahim Asemani Sentenced to Prison and Flogging

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Ethnic Minorities, Freedom of Expression, News
Azerbaijani Turk, Ebrahim Asemani, Tabriz, Zohreh Sa’adati Vafaie

HRANA News Agency – Azerbaijani-Turk activist Ebrahim Asemani has been sentenced to three months in prison and 30 lashes by Branch 118 of the Tabriz Criminal Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Asemani was convicted on charges of “disrupting public order through unconventional attire and creating commotion during the funeral of Zohreh Sa’adati Vafaie.” The verdict, issued on February 15, 2025, sentenced him to three months and one day of imprisonment and 30 lashes.

This verdict was issued in absentia and can be appealed within 20 days of notification, with an additional 20-day window for appeal in the Court of Appeals.

Asemani was arrested on September 23, 2024, during the funeral of Sa’adati Vafaie at a Cemetery in Tabriz for wearing traditional clothing featuring specific inscriptions. He was released on bail after eight days.

Asmani, aged approximately 60, is a married Azerbaijani-Turk activist from Tabriz. He has previously faced summonses, arrests, and judicial sentences due to his activism.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) strictly prohibits inhumane and degrading punishments such as flogging and amputation. However, in 2024, HRANA documented at least three cases where flogging sentences were carried out, totaling 106 lashes. Additionally, at least 131 individuals were sentenced to a combined 9,957 lashes by the Iranian judiciary.

Furthermore, four individuals had their hand amputation sentences executed, while four others were sentenced to amputation.
For detailed statistics and further insights, read HRANA’s 2024 Annual Report.