Human rights

RFL/RE – Iran has officially outlawed the use of tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs) designed to bypass Internet censorship following a directive from the country’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace that was endorsed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The secretary of the council, Mohammad Amin Aqamiri, announced the enforcement of the decree, which was initially approved by Khamenei, signaling a …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Ahmad Esmaili, a man on death row for drug-related charges, was executed in Hamedan Central Prison. According to Hrana news agency, a man was executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 21 February. His identity has been reported as Ahmad Esmaili. He was arrested around five years ago and sentenced to death for drug-related charges by …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Ashraf Akramollah, an Afghan national on death row for murder, was executed in Isfahan Central Prison. His father was executed for drug-related charges at the prison 14 years ago. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, an Afghan national was executed in Isfahan Central Prison on 18 February. His identity has been established as …

Iranwire – In the vast tapestry of Mohammed Sadeghi’s life, his earliest threads are intricately woven with the art of dance.  Reflecting on his childhood, Sadeghi reminisces about the profound significance of movement — a gateway through which he sought to understand the complexities of emotion, tension and femininity inherent in the opposite sex. For Sadeghi, dance was more than …

Iranwire – An Iranian court has sentenced a protester to death on charges of “spying for Israel,” human rights groups reported.  Shahin Wasaf was arrested during nationwide demonstrations in September 2022.  He and his cousin, Nasser Wasaf, were detained by agents of the Urmia Intelligence Department and were later transferred to the city’s central prison.  The Norway-based human rights group …

Iran-HRM – Shahab Nadali, a political prisoner from Hamedan, has been convicted and sentenced to execution by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Iran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, in a fabricated case on charges of “membership in opposition groups” and “connection with the Mojahedin and armed cooperation with them” accused of rebellion. (Bagh-y) Shahab Nadali is a …

Iranwire – An Iranian court has sentenced a young man arrested during nationwide protests in 2019 to a total of 37 years in prison and 74 lashes.  According to the BBC’s Persian service, Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court handed down the harsh sentences against Saeed Tamjidi after convicting him of “assembly and collusion with the intention of acting …

Iranwire – Prominent Iranian labor activist Nahid Khodajo was rearrested on February 21 at a friend’s home near Tehran, the Free Union of Iranian Workers (FUIW) reported.  Security forces reportedly searched the house for over two hours before apprehending Khodajo, a retired worker and FUIW board member. In 2018, the activist was incarcerated after being sentenced to five years in prison for …

Iranwire – An Iranian court has sentenced Ali Ramezani, a member of Iran’s Microelectronics Olympiad national team and an international Olympiad medalist, to three years and seven months in prison over his involvement in the 2022-23 nationwide protests. Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court handed down the sentence against Ramezani after convicting him of charges of “propaganda activities against …

Iranwire – Two Iranian Baha’is, Roha Imani and Firoozeh Sultan Mohammadi, were summoned to face new charges following their release from custody in December 2023. Reports say the Fifth Investigation Branch of Kerman informed both women on February 20 that they are accused of “promotion of the Baha’i faith” and activities deemed inconsistent with the Islamic Sharia law. Imani and …