Tag: Urmia prison

Ahmad Tamouei Freed After Fifteen Years in Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Ahmad Tamouei, irgc, Mahabad City, PJAK, Political Prisoner, Prisoner released, Urmia prison

Political prisoner Ahmad Tamouei was freed on December 16 after fifteen years in prison, ten months before serving his full sentence. He is currently on furlough and therefore, by court order, will not return to Urmia Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Tamouei was arrested by IRGC’s intelligence unit  on October 24, 2007. He was arrested by in Mahabad City while on a motorbike.

After spending time in a detention facility at the disposal of the IRGC, he was relocated to Mahabad Prison. On December 31, 2007, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced him to 15 years in prison, exiled in Urmia Prison on the charge of “enmity against the God through membership in Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK)”. The verdict was upheld on appeal. On September 8, 2008, he was transferred to Urmia Prison where he has been held until now.

Forty Seven Political Prisoners on Hunger Strike in Urmia Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
high security ward, hunger strikes, politcal prisoners, Prisoner abuse, Urmia prison

On December 12, 47 political prisoners went on a hunger strike in Urmia Prison to protest against their relocation to a new ward with insufficient space and poor equipment.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, reporting information from a close relative of one of these inmates, the head of the prison announced that within two next weeks, they will be transferred to a newly built high-security ward. Daily time outside will be reduced to two hours.

In Iran’s prisons, hunger strikes are common among prisoners despite causing long-term physical and mental impairment. Hunger strikes are used as a last resort to achieve urgent demands such as unlawful long-term detention without trials, violations of prisoners’ rights and infringement in due process.

Omar Sharifi Bukani Arrested in Tehran and Transferred to Unknown Location

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Bukani, Citizen arrested, Citizen detained, Mahabad, Mahabad City, Omar Sharifi Bukani, Security forces, Sharifi Bukani, Tehran, Urmia, Urmia prison

On Thursday, November 11, security forces arrested Tehran resident Omar Sharifi Bukani and then transferred him to an unidentified location.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, security forces arrested 70-year-old Sharifi Bukani without a warrant at his home in Tehran.

Mr. Sharifi Bukani was reportedly arrested once previously, in 1992, on a charge of “membership in one of the opposition political parties” and then sentenced to seven years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Mahabad City. He was released in 1998 after serving out his sentence in Urmia Prison.

The reasons for yesterday’s arrest, along with Mr. Sharifi Bukani’s current whereabouts, are unknown as of this writing.

Political Prisoner Saeed Sangar Released After 21 Years in Prison

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
DOJ, Evin, Evin Prison, Fatemi, moharebeh, Peoples Mujahedin Organization of Iran, Saeed Sangar, Sanandaj, Sangar, Tehran, Urmia, Urmia prison

On Saturday, October 30, political prisoner Saeed Sangar was released on parole from Urmia Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Sangar’s release comes after 21 years of imprisonment.

On August 31, 2000, Sangar was arrested. However, in his legal case, October 29 of that year has been wrongly recorded as the arrest date.

On November 18, 2000, the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj, headed by judge Fatemi, sentenced him to death on the charge of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through membership in The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran”. Following this conviction, Sangar was transferred from the detention center of the ministry of intelligence in Sanandaj to ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran, where he was held in solitary confinement cells until 2003. In the fall of 2003, the appellate court changed the verdict to life imprisonment and sent him to Urmia Prison.

Years later, on December 23, 2016, the executive branch No. 4 of the Department of Justice in Sanandaj reduced the verdict to 18 years imprisonment.

In 2017, a new case was opened against him for the charge of “propaganda against the regime”  of which, however, he was later acquitted.

Despite that by December of 2020, not only he had served out two years more than his 18-years sentence, he was sentenced again to 11 months imprisonment sentence on the charge of ” propaganda against the regime and in favor of dissident groups against the regime”. This sentence was reduced to eight months, which led to his final release this Saturday, October 30.

Three Political Prisoners Transferred from Urmia Prison to an Unknown Location

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners
Capital Punishment, Davood Jabbari, Death Penalty, Death sentence, ISIS, Mohyedin Ebrahimi, Mohyedin Tazehvared, Sunni, Urmia, Urmia prison

Sunni political prisoners Mohyedin Ebrahimi, Mohyedin Tazehvared and Davood Jabbari were recently transferred from Urmia Prison to an unidentified location. Given that two of these prisoners have been sentenced to death, this relocation raises concerns about them.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the whereabouts and conditions of these prisoners are unknown as of this writing. This relocation took place following the confirmation of the death sentences for Mohyeldin Ebrahimi and Mohyeldin Tazehvared. They have asked for a retrial.

On October 23, 2017, Mohyedin Ebrahimi was wounded by direct fire from an Iranian officer at Iraq’s border and arrested on a charge of smuggling alcoholic beverages. Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia subsequently sentenced him to death. Following an overturn of the verdict by the supreme court of Iran, the case was sent back to Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court for re-examination. The supreme court confirmed the verdict, and the death sentence was upheld.

On October 29, 2018, Mohyedin Tazehvared was arrested by security forces and transferred to Urmia Prison until the end of legal proceedings. He was also sentenced to death by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia. Until now, his request for a retrial has not been answered.

On June 4, 2017, Davood Jabbari was arrested and then sentenced to 18 years imprisonment on the charge of “membership in ISIS (Daesh)”.

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Golaleh Moradi Still in Detention After Six Months

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Women
access to a lawyer, Golaleh Moradi, Kurdpa, Moradi, Piranshahr, Urmia, Urmia City, Urmia prison

After six months, Piranshahr resident Golaleh Moradi is still in detention in Urmia Prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, no court session has been held as of yet. Moradi has has been denied conditional bail as well as access to a lawyer throughout her detention.

On April 17 of this year, Golaleh Moradi was arrested along with her two children and transferred to a detention center in Urmia City. Her children were released after completing the interrogation process, but Moradi was then relocated from the IRGC detention facility to Urmia Prison in June.

“She has been under pressure for confession,” an informed source stated.

 

 

Sunni Prisoner Zaher Roozkhun Released on Bail

Posted on by A MN
News, Prisoners, Religious Minorities
cash bail, Mahabad, Mahabad Prison, Sunni, sunni prisoner, Sunni prisoner Zaher Roozkhun, Urmia, Urmia prison, Zaher Roozkhun

On Thursday, October 14, Sunni prisoner Zaher Roozkhun was released temporarily on bail until the end of criminal proceedings.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Mahabad resident Zaher Roozkhun was released on bail for 350 million tomans (approx. 13,000 US dollars). He has been denied access to lawyer and family visitation during the detention.

Roozkhun had been previously arrested by security forces before too on August 29, 2021. After completing the interrogation process, he was sent from a detention center in Urmia to Mahabad Prison.

As of writing this, the reason for his arrest and the charges is unknown.

 

Supreme Court Confirms Shaker Behrouz’s Death Sentence Despite Evidence Pointing Towards His Innocence

Posted on by A MN
Executions, Prisoners
Behruz, Capital Punishment, Citizen sentenced to death, Death row, Death sentence, Execution, executions, irgc, Shaker Behruz, Urmia, Urmia prison

Branch 31 of the Supreme Court of Iran recently confirmed the death sentence of political prisoner Shaker Behrouz, who is currently being held in Urmia Prison, despite a strong alibi pointing to his innocence.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Branch 31 of the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence of 33-year-old Shaker Behrouz last Tuesday, October 5. The verdict was confirmed in spite of the alibi statements of 12 witnesses, all of whose testimonies the court refused to hear.

The indictment alleges that Behrouz murdered a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

According to an informed source, security agents threatened the victim’s family’s, who was an IRGC member, to cut their allowance from the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, if they refused to accuse Behrouz.

Another informed source close to the victim’s family also said that the family does not believe he is guilty and are ready to testify to his innocence.

Twelve eye-witnesses signed a statement expressing their readiness to testify that Mr. Behrouz was in his shop when the crime was committed. Despite all the above, the court convicted the defendant without the presence of the family as accusers and hearing of eye-witnesses.

 

 

Sentence Alternatives to Prison, Such as Purchasing Supplies for Under-Equipped Schools, Introduced in Urmia

Posted on by A MN
News, Other, Uncategorized
alternative sentencing, Branch 119, Islamic Law, Islamic penal code, Kagar Online, restorative sentencing, Sharia law, Urmia, Urmia prison

The head of Branch 119 of the Criminal Court of Urmia recently announced that the county’s criminal justice system is introducing a number of sentence alternatives to prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kargar Online, the judicial official has sentenced several men to purchase educational supplies internet packages and cell phones for school children in poor areas instead of serving time.

It is worth mentioning that Chapter 9 of the new enactment of the Islamic penal code has also highlighted similar alternative sentences.

Accordingly, under certain conditions and with the defendant’s consent, judges may enact these kinds of alternative sentences.

43 Political Prisoners Refuse Food Rations to Protest the Lack of Medical Care in Urmia Prison

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News, Prisoners
Ahmad Tamavi, Anvar Chaleshi, Dara Rashidi, Hatam Ozdemir, Kamel Ceylan Maskan, Mohammad Houshangi, Mokhtar Ebrahimi, Nayeb Askari, Nayeb Hajizadeh, Shaker Behrooz, Sirvan Amini, Taher Hosseinzadeh, Urmia prison

Earlier this Wednesday, September 22, 43 prisoners in the political ward of Urmia Prison refused to receive their food rations in solidarity with a number of the prison’s inmates.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the prisoners carried out the refusal in protest of the lack of medical care for sick prisoners.

Shaker Behrooz, Nayeb Askari, Nayeb Hajizadeh, Ahmad Tamavi, Mohammad Houshangi, Hatam Ozdemir, Dara Rashidi, Anvar Chaleshi, Kamel Ceylan Maskan, Sirvan Amini, Mokhtar Ebrahimi, and Taher Hosseinzadeh, 12 political prisoners imprisoned in this ward suffer from various diseases. According to the diagnosis of the prison doctor, these prisoners should be sent to a well-equipped hospital outside the prison, but so far they have been barred from being sent.

Nayeb Askari, Ahmad Tamavi, Hatam Ozdemir, Sirvan Amini, and Mokhtar Ebrahimi, have kidney problems. Nayeb Hajizadeh and Dara Rashidi must undergo surgery to remove platinum prosthesis from their legs, and Anvar Chaleshi has TB.