Human rights

Iranwire – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission investigating rights violations in Iran to probe the use of excessive force by security forces on protesters, particularly in areas with large ethnic and religious minorities such as the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan. “Security forces fired “birdshot” shotgun pellets, rubber bullets, and tear gas …

Iranwire – Armita Pavir, a 29-year-old Iranian activist imprisoned in the northwestern city of Tabriz, says she has been on a hunger strike for 10 days, and holds the Islamic Republic accountable for any harm that may befall her.  In an audio file received by IranWire, Pavir says launched her hunger strike on November 12, the second since her arrest …

Iranwire – Fareed Houshmand, an Iranian Baha’i who has been a refugee in Türkiye for the past seven years, faces a precarious situation as his asylum application has been rejected by a Turkish court. He is at risk of imminent deportation back to Iran. In recent months, Houshmand was detained by Turkish authorities and faces deportation due to Turkish immigration …

Iranwire – A wave of arrests targeting 15 Azeri civil activists began in the summer and continued until November 7.  These activists from various cities across northwestern provinces are being held at the Tabriz Intelligence Department in East Azerbaijan province.  The judiciary has yet to disclose the charges they are facing. Several of these arrests coincided with a surge in …

Iran-HRM – Mohammad Mehdi Vossoughian, a 21-year-old student, is facing bogus charges of “propaganda against the system, communication with hostile countries, and membership in opposition groups.” According to the Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM), the trial session to examine the charges against Mohammad Mehdi Vossoughian was held today, Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at the Revolutionary Court in Golpayegan County, …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – State media have reported the executions of two men for murder charges at Ghezelhesar Prison. IHRNGO previously reported the executions of two other men that day, bringing the total number to four. There are unverified reports of three other men’s executions at the prison that day. According to Javan Online, two men were executed in …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Ebrahim Zamharir, a man sentenced to death for drug-related charges, was executed in Tabriz Central Prison. According to Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Tabriz Central Prison on 22 November. His identity has been established as 48-year-old Ebrahim Zamharir who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges. An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ebrahim …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – At least two men including Moslem Jamshidi and Mohammad Andishkouh were executed in Ghezelhesar Prison. They were on death row for drug-related charges. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least two men were executed in Ghezelhesar Prison in Karaj on 22 November. Their identities have been established as Moslem Jamshidi (pictured left) …

RFL/RE – Ahmadreza Haeri, a political prisoner in Iran’s Qezelhesar Prison, has backed up claims that fellow inmate dissident rapper Saman Yasin had been tortured, saying the artist was put through a mock execution by prison guards even though his death sentence was quashed and a new trial ordered in his case. Yasin was arrested by security forces during nationwide …

Iranwire – An Iranian court has ordered the execution of a suspended prison sentence handed to poet and civil activist Atefeh Chaharmahalian. Chaharmahalian, a former board member of the Iranian Writers’ Association, was arrested in Tehran on October 3 last year amid nationwide protests against the country’s clerical establishment. She was initially incarcerated in Tehran’s Evin prison and subsequently given …