Human rights

Iranwire – The following article is a narration from a prison inmate in Iran, published by IranWire as part of a collection of reports from convicts on their experiences behind bars. In this instalment, current and ex-inmates describe the youth ward of the 4th Brigade of Greater Tehran Penitentiary, known as Shafark Valley: a hellscape so badly out of control …

Iran-HRM – Prisoner of conscience Saba Kord Afshari was violently moved out of ward 8 of Qarchak Prison on Tuesday, January 26, and taken to ward 6 where inmates with common crimes are held. An informed source said: In a bid to terrorize inmates in ward 8, male and female prison guards entered ward 8 while hitting their batons and …

Amnesty – Nahid Taghavi, a 66-year-old German-Iranian national, has been arbitrarily detained in Tehran’s Evin prison since 16 October 2020. She has serious medical conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure, placing her at heightened risk of severe illness or death if she contracts COVID-19. She is a prisoner of conscience and must be immediately and unconditionally released. https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1335882021ENGLISH.pdf

Shabtabnews – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns Iranian authorities’ mistreatment of religious prisoner of conscience Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee in the wake of her transfer to Amol Prison on January 24. “USCIRF is appalled by Iran’s ceaseless persecution of Golrokh Iraee, a peaceful activist who has been isolated from her loved ones for months without cause,” said USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin, who …

Iranwire – The Islamic Republic of Iran was born in 1979 following a wave of popular uprisings against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The Shah’s policies were modernizing yet his regime was repressive; many Iranians felt his reforms were failing to reach them or were disrupting life for the worse. The Revolution was led by Muslim clerics and the founder of …

Iran-HRM – Five Arab political prisoners have started a hunger strike in Shaiban Prison of Ahvaz, capital of southwestern Iranian Province of Khuzestan. Jasem Heydari, Ali Khasraji, Hossein Seilavi, Ali Motiri, and Ali Mojaddam sewed their lips and started a hunger strike on Saturday, January 23, 2021. The Arab political prisoners are refusing food to protest mistreatment of inmates by …

Iran-HRM – Political prisoner Akbar Bagheri is detained in the Great Tehran Penitentiary (GTP). He is in dire health condition and needs to be treated at a civic hospital, but the GTP warden, Asghar Fat’hi, has prevented his hospitalization. The life and health of this prisoner is in danger. Akbar Bagheri has a gastrointestinal illness and his physical condition is …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – A prisoner sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, has been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution in Qom Central Prison. According to Iran Human Rights, a male prisoner was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution this afternoon in Qom Central Prison. The prisoner who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder) has been …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – There has been a dramatic rise in the execution of Baluch citizens over the last five weeks, with 19 Baluch prisoners being executed in Mashhad and Zahedan Central Prisons. Of those, four were executed on political and security charges. The arbitrary arrests of Kurdish activists which began on January 9 has also continued. Around 70 …

Al-Monitor – An Iranian American man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on spying charges, even though his family says his trial took place without him. The family said Emad Shargi was cleared of the charges in December 2019, but then was informed he was guilty by a court in November, The Associated Press reported. A judicial official told the news agency …