Tag: Vakilabad prison

Execution of Four Inmates Takes Place in Mashhad and Shiraz

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Executions, News
Adelabad Prison, Mashhad, Mojtaba Malek Pour, Mosafer Zargar, Saeed Akbari, Shiraz, Vakilabad prison

Four individuals were executed for murder at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad and Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.

According to the Iran Human Rights Organization, Adelabad Prison officials recently executed four inmates, Saeed Akbari, 27, Mojtaba Malek Pour, 34, and Jamil, an Afghan national whose last name is unknown. They had been convicted of murder. The executions occurred on different dates, with Malek Pour executed on December 7, Akbari on December 11, and Jamil on December 14.

In addition, Haal Vsh reported the execution of Mosafer Zargar, 29, for a murder conviction at Vakilabad Prison on December 14. Zargar had reportedly been convicted of murder six years prior.

No official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have provided coverage of these executions at the time of writing. The lack of official information raises concerns about transparency and accountability in 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.

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.”

Ali Aghel Detained in Mashhad

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Aghel, HRANA, Vakilabad prison

On October 23, Ali Aghel was apprehended in Mashhad and subsequently incarcerated at Vakilabad prison after his appearance at the Mashhad Public and Revolutionary Court.

A reliable source with close ties to his family notified HRANA about Aghel’s detention, which occurred following a summons. This source disclosed that Aghel is now facing charges related to “propaganda against the regime” and “membership in anti-regime groups.”

Sakineh Parvaneh Sentenced to Seven-and-a-Half Years in Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Ali Mozafari, Khosro Alikurdi, Quchan, Sakineh Parvaneh, Sekineh Parvaneh, Vakilabad prison

The Mashhad Revolutionary Court has handed down a sentence of seven years and six months in prison to Sakineh Parvaneh, a political prisoner currently detained in Vakilabad Prison.

Presiding over the case, Judge Hadi Mansouri conveyed the verdict to Parvaneh’s attorney, Khosro Alikurdi. She has been charged with multiple offenses, including “assembly and collusion against national security” and “insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran.”

According to information received by HRANA from a source, Alikurdi was not permitted to attend the court session.

Parvaneh was arrested in April 2023 by agents from the IRGC Intelligence, following her visit to the burial place of Ali Mozafari, one of the protestors killed during the nationwide protests in 2022, in Quchan. After spending 12 days in a detention facility, she was 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.

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.

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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.

Two Inmates Executed in Mashhad for Drug-Related Crimes

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Executions, News
drug-related executions, Haal Vsh, Mashhad, Mostafa Khosh Shaneh, Saeed Brahui Makaki, Vakilabad prison

Two prisoners, found guilty of drug-related offenses, were executed at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, as reported by Haal Vsh.

The individuals have been identified as Mostafa Khosh Shaneh, 30 years old, and Saeed Brahui Makaki, 27 years old. Both were married and fathers of one and two children, respectively.

Brahui Makaki’s execution took place on Sunday, September 24, while Khosh Shaneh was executed on Monday, September 25.

According to a source, both Khosh Shaneh and Brahui Makaki were sentenced to death by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court approximately four and two years ago.

At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on these executions.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran recorded 457 reports concerning the death penalty. Approximately 43% of these executions were linked to drug-related charges.

 

 

Azam Gholami Zahab Receives 16-Year Prison Sentence

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Freedom of Expression, News
Azam Gholami Zahab, HRANA, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

The Mashhad Revolutionary Court has issued a 16-year prison sentence for Azam Gholami Zahab, who is currently incarcerated in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad.

A source close to her family has informed HRANA that Gholami Zahab’s sentence includes ten years for “forming a group to act against national security,” five years for “assembly and collusion against the regime,” and one year for “spreading propaganda against the regime.”

Should this verdict be upheld on appeal, the ten-year imprisonment for the first charge will become enforceable.

In a previous revelation to HRANA, another source disclosed that Gholami Zahab had declined legal representation by a private lawyer.

Azam Gholami Zahab, a mother of one child, was arrested in September/October 2022 in Mashhad and has since been held in Vakilabad Prison.

Execution of Woman in Vakilabad Prison

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Executions, News
HRANA, Mahboobeh Roshandel, Mashhad, Vakilabad prison

On September 4, 2023, Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad witnessed the execution of a female inmate who had been convicted of murder.

Identified by HRANA as Mahboobeh Roshandel, she was just 27 years old and a mother to a six-year-old child.

Roshandel was found guilty of killing her mother-in-law.

A source close to Roshandel’s family shared with HRANA that during her years of incarceration, her own family did not allow her to see her child, resulting in severe depression.
The source also disclosed, “Recently, the victim’s family had initially expressed their intention to pardon Roshandel, but regrettably, they later reconsidered and changed their decision.”

At the time of writing, no official sources or domestic media outlets within the country have reported on this execution.

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.