Human rights

rferl.org – Protests have erupted in the northern Iranian city of Rasht following an attempt by government officials to arrest three women over violations of mandatory hijab rules amid reports that the country’s leadership has ordered the resumption of so-called “morality police” patrols. Reports suggest that the situation escalated late on July 16 when some sections of the crowd began …

voanews – Iranian authorities have shuttered an educational center accused of “inciting riots” during last year’s mass demonstrations triggered by the death of a young woman while in police custody, state media reported Monday. Nationwide protests rocked Iran following the September death of a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, Mahsa Amini, in police custody after her arrest over violating the Islamic republic’s …

voanews – The family of a German-Iranian political dissident sentenced to death in Iran is expressing concern over his condition after a phone conversation with him Sunday. Ghazaleh Sharmahd, the daughter of Jamshid Sharmahd, wrote on Twitter “After five months, today we had our first phone call with my father, Jamshid Sharmahd. It is concerning that he was deprived of …

amnesty.org – On 2 May 2023, the Court of Appeal of Mukaza in Bujumbura, Burundi, upheld the conviction of Burundian journalist Floriane Irangabiye for “undermining the integrity of the national territory” and her 10-year prison sentence. The appeal court failed to provide a remedy for violations of her right to a fair trial. She has been in detention since her …

rferl.org – Iran will reportedly resume so-called morality police patrols aimed at enforcing the country’s laws on women wearing head scarves, or hijab. Iranian police spokesman Saeed Montazerul-Mahdi said on July 16 that the patrols will crackdown on those wearing “extraordinary clothing” in public and who “insist on breaking the norms.” The statement came amid a flurry of unconfirmed social …

hrw.org – On Monday, July 10, Hasti Amiri and Zia Nabavi, students and activists from Tehran’s Allameh Tabatabai University, appeared before Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, according to United Students Union Telegram channel, a news channel related to the Islamic student association in Iran. Amiri and Nabavi are being charged with “propaganda against the state,” according to Harasswatch, based …

voanews – In a coordinated action, several branches of Iran’s judicial system have recently issued “controversial” rulings targeting opponents of the country’s mandatory hijab regulations. The verdicts have affected many professions and sparked outrage, leading to widespread condemnation. In a recent case, a woman in the city of Varamin was sentenced by a public court to a supplementary punishment of …

rferl.org – A group of 54 Iranian lawyers who expressed support for the family of Mahsa Amini after she died in police custody have been summoned by judicial authorities to explain social media posts, a move activists say is part of a campaign by officials to pressure them amid continued unrest over the suppression of women’s rights by the Islamic …

iranhr.net – According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Ilam Central Prison on 12 July. His identity has been established as Hossein Ali Zarouni from Kouhdasht. He was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder. An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Hossein Ali Zarouni was a bank worker prior to arrest. He was sentenced to …

iranhr.net – According to the Judiciary’s Mizan news agency, two men were publicly hanged in Fouladshahr on 13 July. They were sentenced to death for charges of moharebeh and efsad-fil-arz by the Revolutionary Court and to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for participation in murder by the Criminal Court. State media have named the men as 39-year-old Mohammad Ghaedi Nasab and 26-year-old Sadegh …