Human rights

Radiofarda – Iranian parliament’s legal affairs commission has decided not to separate the country’s prison system from the Judiciary, a proposed reform that could have helped legal and humanitarian protection for prisoners. Iran’s Judiciary is only accountable to the Supreme Leader and has often violated even Iran’s laws and constitutional rights in dealing with detainees. The head of the Judiciary …

Iran-HRM – Dozens of Arab-Iranians have been arrested during protests in southwestern Iran that started Sunday following news on the suspicious death of a local poet. Hassan Heydari, a dissident ethnic Arab poet died in Shafa hospital in Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan province.  Following his death, hundreds of Arab-Iranians, who blamed the regime for the death, took to the streets in …

Iran-HRM – The number of people who lost their lives following the Friday earthquake that struck Iran’s northwest provinces has risen due to lack of relief. At least five people were initially killed and hundreds more injured after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck East Azerbaijan province on Friday, according to Iran’s Seismological Center. One of the victims, 10-year-old Zahra Abedi was …

Amnesty – Kurdish civil society activist Zahra Mohammadi, aged 29, has been arbitrarily detained since her arrest in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province, Iran, on 23 May 2019. She is charged with national security offences in relation to her civil society work empowering marginalized members of Iran’s Kurdish minority. First UA: 156/19 Index: MDE 13/1390/2019 Iran Date: 13 November 2019 URGENT ACTION …

CHRI – Imprisoned civil rights activist Farhad Meysami was transferred from Evin Prison in Tehran to Rajaee Shahr Prison in Karaj (west of the capital) on November 9, 2019, as punishment for launching a peaceful protest, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has learned. “After taking him away, Evin Prison officials gathered his personal belongings in Ward 4 and refused to answer …

CHRI – Held Almost Six Months, Over Two Months Incommunicado, Even As Family Has Posted Bail Kurdish language teacher Zahra Mohammadi has been in detention in Sanandaj, the capital of Iran’s Kurdistan Province, since May 23, 2019, falsely accused of “propaganda against the state,” and “acting against national security” because of alleged contacts with opposition parties, her sister told the Center for …

Radiofarda – Protests in southwestern Iran that started Sunday evening because of a local poet’s death in hospital, continued Monday during his funeral services. Hassan Haydary (Heydary) a dissident ethnic Arab poet died in Ahvaz, the capital of the oil-rich Khuzestan province. He was renowned among the region’s Arab population for his fiery poems demanding identity recognition for his kinsmen. …

HRANA – On November 11, 2019, at least two prisoners of Urmia Prison were transferred to solidarity confinement cells to get prepared for execution. They were sentenced to death earlier due to their murder felonies. One of them was identified as Mehdi Mostafazadeh. If they fail to get the victims’ family’s consent, they will be executed in few days. According …

HRANA – On November 10, 2019, a prisoner died in Urmia Prison due to lack of medical treatment and negligence of the prison authorities. He was in prison since 2015 on the charge of murder. Maran Khamoui was a prisoner of the public ward 15 of Urmia Prison. According to a close source, he was sick for a week, but …

HRANA – Iranian authorities sentenced three prisoners to death and lashes on the charge of drug felony and sexual assault. Two prisoners were sentenced to death in Najafabad Prison in Isfahan in the past few days. 33-year-old Majid Rezaipour, and 37-year-old Afshin Rezaipour, are in prison for drug felony. Moreover, according to Khorasan newspaper, a 25-year-old man was sentenced to …