October 04, 2021
Systematic violations of the right to life
Execution
Inmate executed in Zahedan
On the morning of Wednesday, September 29, 2021, a man was executed at Zahedan Central Prison.The prisoner, identified as Yassin Abdollahi, 30, was sentenced to “Qesas” on the charge of ”murder.” Yassin Abdollahi has been detained on murder charges for about nine years and has been in prison ever since. He was transferred to solitary confinement in Zahedan prison on Monday, September 27, for his sentence to be carried out. The execution of this prisoner has not been announced by the media inside Iran or by its official sources. (Iran Human Rights Organization – Sep. 30, 2021)
Three prisoners executed in Isfahan
On the morning of Wednesday, September 29, 2021, three men were executed at Dastgerd Prison in Esfahan. The identities of the three prisoners, who were sentenced to death on drug related charges, are Abbasgholi Salehi, Hamid Shahsanaee, and Mohammad Barahuee. According to the source, ”Abbasgholi Salehi, 43, was from Isfahan and had been in prison for 20 years.” The execution of the three prisoners has not been announced by the media inside Iran or by its official sources. (HRANA, IHR – Oct. 01, 2021)
Execution of a prisoner in Karaj
On the morning of Wednesday, September 29, 2021, a man was executed at Karaj Central Prison. The prisoner, identified as Farhad Salehi Jobehdar, 30, was sentenced to death on the charge of rape. The execution of this prisoners has not been announced by the media inside Iran or by its official sources. (IHR – Oct. 01, 2021)
A Report on the Execution of Six Prisoners in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz
In recent weeks, six prisoners were executed at Adelabad Prison in Shiraz. The citizens were identified as Rasoul Akrami, Omid Keshtkar from Marvdasht, Meysam Atef-fard, and Hadi Razi, who were previously sentenced to death on murder charges. Iran Human Rights Organization (IHR) also reported the identities of two others as Sohrab Naji, charged with narcotic related crimes and Vahab Samadi, 44, a resident of Semnan who were executed on September 25. An informed source said: ”Mr. Akrami who was executed in Safar Higri Lunar month was detained about 16 years ago on murder charges. His plaintiff is believed to have been a government agent. The day after his execution, Mr. Beshtkar, who had been detained for three years, was executed. Meysam Ateffard and Hadi Razi were executed about 20 days ago.”
The execution of these inmates have not been announced so far by any media inside Iran or by any of its official sources. (HRANA – Oct. 01, 2021)
Execution of a prisoner in Yazd prison
One prisoner was executed at Yazd Central Prison. In 2019, he was arrested for murder and ultimately sentenced to death. (Rokna state-run Website – Oct. 01, 2021)
Kurd citizen executed in Kermanshah prison
On Thursday, September 30, 2021, a citizen identified as Afshar Fathi, 28, was executed at Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah. According to an informed source, Afshar Fathi was arrested four years ago on murder charges and sentenced to death by the judiciary. (Hengaw – Sep. 30, 2021)
Esmail Soltanabadi, athlete from Kangavar, executed after 23 years in jail in a state of limbo
On August 9, 2021, a prisoner named Esmail Soltanabadi, an athlete from Kangavar, was executed at Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah after 23 years of imprisonment in a state of limbo on murder charges. Esmail Soltanabadi was a resident of Kangavar county and was arrested in 1998 on murder charges.
”When Ismail Soltanabadi was arrested in 1998 on murder charges, his son was 6 years old,” according to an informed source. His son is now 29 years old.” Esmail Soltanabadi’s family was not informed of the time of execution for his last visit and farewell, and after three days, they were informed that Ismail had been executed. (Javanehha.com – Oct. 01, 2021)
Execution of a prisoner in Yazd
A prisoner was executed in Yazd on murder charges. According to Tehran News, a news network, the sentence was carried out at Yazd Central Prison after legal procedures and after the efforts to obtain the victim’s family’s consent were inconclusive. (Tehran News state-run website – Oct. 02, 2021)
Prisoner executed in Tayebad prison
At dawn on Monday, September 20, 2021, a prisoner who had previously been sentenced to death on drug-related charges was executed in Tayebad Prison. The identity of the Afghan citizen, from Herat and married, is still being investigated by HRANA. He has been in prison for the past three years. The execution of this prisoner has not been announced by the media inside Iran or by its official sources. (HRANA – Sep. 21, 2021)
Arbitrary killing
Baluch citizen killed by Saravan Border Regiment
The Border Regiment of Saravan County shot dead a Baluch citizen with mental problems and ….
On September 10, 2021, a Baluch citizen with mental problems and … in Saravan prison was killed by the Saravan Border Regiment. The identity of this Baluch citizen
is Adham Askani, son of Abdolrahim from Petkan village of Ashar district of Mehrestan. Adham was reportedly arrested in 2015 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for wearing uniforms belonging to IRGC forces.
According to the report, the Baluch prisoner started having mental problems in Saravan Prison and was sent on leave by prison authorities when he was killed by the Saravan Border Regiment. An informed source told a campaign reporter: ”A Saravan morgue employee, in contact with the prisoner’s family, reported that he had been killed by the Border Regiment.” (Baluch Activists Campaign– Sep. 30, 2021)
Bashagard: A fuel porter was killed in a troop shooting
A Baluch fuel porter was killed after Mersad forces fired at him in Bashagard County.
On Wednesday, September 29, 2021, a fuel porter was killed by Mersad forces in Bashagard county, according to the Baluch Activists Campaign. The identity of this Baluch citizen is ”Behzad Balavar”. ”Behzad was traveling from Bashagard city in a fuel-carrying vehicle when he got ambushed by Mersad military forces,” an informed source told a campaign reporter, adding that ”Mersad forces fired at him without warning him to stop; he was killed.” (Baluch Activists Campaign – Sep. 30, 2021)
Prison
Prison conditions
Ministry of Intelligence prevents freedom of political prisoner Mehran Gharebaghi on heavy bail
News from informed sources indicates that despite the bail set for the temporary release of political prisoner Mehran Qarabaghi, the Ministry of Intelligence has prevented his release and has stepped up pressure on him and his family. The Revolutionary Court of Mahshahr has set bail of more than 3 billion Tomans for the temporary release of political prisoner Mehran Qarabaghi, but when the political prisoner’s family provided the bail for his temporary release, they were told that they would not accept any bail on the orders of the Ministry of Intelligence and would not release Mehran Qarabaghi even temporarily.
Mehran Qarabaghi’s family has also been told that he was under the care of the Ministry of Intelligence and that he will not be released on their orders. On the other hand, this political prisoner has been subjected to special pressures in Behbahan Prison. According to an informed source: ”Anyone who speaks and communicates with Mehran Qarabaghi in prison is subjected to interrogation by prison authorities and threatened. Any communication with this political prisoner can lead to the reopening of the new case and an increase in sentences for the other party. ”The Ministry of Intelligence has opened another case against Mehran Qarabaghi and Mohammad Hossein Ansarifar after they were suddenly transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence in July of this year,” the source added. (Javanehha.com – Sep. 30, 2021)
Mahboobeh Rezaee exiled to Adelabad prison in Shiraz
In recent weeks, political prisoner Mahboobeh Rezaee has been exiled from Bushehr prison to Adelabad Prison in Shiraz. An informed source said: ”After the release of Mahboobeh’s audio file and her revelations about the violence and offering Sigheh (Sigheh is temporary marriages in the reactionary laws of mullahs) to the female prisoners in the past weeks, the prisoners accused of public crimes harassed and beat her being incited by the authorities. Ms. Rezaee was eventually transferred to solitary confinement.
Authorities went to her cell at 4 a.m. and threatened her to force her to sign a transfer request to Adelabad Prison.
Finally, after being transferred to (Adelabad prison in) Shiraz, her primary sentence of five years was mentioned in her file. The authorities of Adelabad Prison claimed that the latest changes in the case sent to them by Bushehr Prison is this and that there
is no mention of a reduction in the sentence at the appeal stage to two years and six months.
So far, despite Mahboobeh’s follow-up, her attempts to change this has have failed.”
Mahboobeh Rezaee is a resident of Borazajan county in Bushehr Province. (HRANA – Oct. 02, 2021)
Arbitrary arrests
Social arrests
39 Kurd citizens arrested in September 2021
In September 2021, at least 39 Kurd citizens have been arrested by Iranian security agencies on charges of political, civil and religious activities.
According to the report, 34 citizens were arrested by security agencies on charges of political activity and cooperation with Kurdish parties, three on charges of civil activities, and two for religious activities.
Most of the citizens arrested were registered with 25 cases in West Azerbaijan province (Urmia). In Kurdistan Province (Sanandaj), 14 cases of arrests of Kurd citizens have been recorded.
In the past month, a teenager under the age of 18, three environmental activists and a media activist have been arrested. Five of them were also detained to serve their terms and were transferred to prison.
According to Hengaw statisticsm in September of this year, at least 13 Kurd activists were sentenced to 44 years and nine months in prison by the Islamic Republic’s judiciary on charges of political, civil and religious activities. (Hengaw – Oct. 01, 2021)
Basic freedom and rights abused
Iran’s 20 provinces’ misery index risky
Calculations show that eight provinces of Iran are located above 60 percent in terms of misery index.
Hamshahri newspaper wrote: ”The misery index in 20 provinces of Iran has exceeded the national average. Hamshahri’s calculations show that at least eight provinces of Iran are in the range of 60 percent in terms of misery index, i.e. the total unemployment rate and inflation rate.
Misery index is an economic index calculated from the total unemployment rate and inflation rate. Economists believe that the rising rate of inflation with high unemployment rates increases economic and social costs for countries.
Iran is one of the highest inflationary countries, and the policy of previous governments to bring the inflation rate to a single-digit range has failed in at least four years.
According to Hamshahri, Iran’s misery index reached 45.4 percent at the end of 2019 and reached its highest range in the 2020s at the end of last year with a record 46.1 percent. Now, at the end of the first half of 1400 (March 21, 2021- March 21, 2022), statistics show that the misery index with 9.3 percent growth, compared to the first of this year, has exceeded the 55 percent boundary and reached the highest record since the (anti-monarchy) revolution. (Imena state-run website – Oct. 02, 2021)
Religious and ethnic minorities
1400 university admission exams; number of Baha’i students deprived of education increases to 17
A number of Baha’i citizens who participated in the national entrance exam were confronted with messages such as ”rejected” and ”rejected of public competence” on the Website of the Sanjesh Organization and were banned from continuing their education because they were Baha’is.
The name of another Baha’i citizen, entitled to such omission is Rosa Bazrafkan, born in 2003 and residing in Tehran. Considering this individual, the number of Baha’i citizens participating in the 1400 national entrance exam, but banned from continuing education under various titles such as ”rejected” and ”rejected of public competence”, has so far risen to 17. The identities of the 16 citizens follow:
1. Donya Dehghani, born in 2003, resides in Rudehen, Tehran Province
2. Sayeh Aqaei, born in 1999 living in Tabriz
3. Tara Tamadoni, born in 2003, residing in Tehran
4- Nora Taraneh-doost born in 2002 in Shahriar
5. Samir Zakaei Arani, born in 2003 in Shahriar
6. Rosa Mokhlesi, born in 2002 in Tehran
7. Negar Sobhani Azabadi, born in 2003 and residing in Pardis City, Tehran Province
8. Elena Gholizadeh Roshankoohi, born in 2003 in Sari, Iran
9. Nora Nabi Pourklankari, born in 2002 in Sari, Iran
10. Mesbah Misaqi residing in Sari
11. Parsa Charkhand, resident of Sari
12. Forouzan Nikookar ranked 7,900, resident of Tehran
13. Nasim Shahriari Zavareh, resident of Tehran
14 Mahsa Forouhari, resident of Karaj
15. Forootan Rahmani, born in 2003, residing in Karaj, ranked 109th in math and physics entrance exam
16. Lena Kamjoo, born in 2003 and residing in Chabahar
Following a call from one of these citizens to the Sanjesh Organization, the Ministry of Intelligence’s involvement was the reason for issuing the message of rejection. The caller was told that in case of objection, he/she should hand over his/her objection in writing to the Sanjesh Organization and they will refer it to the Ministry of Intelligence.
Ansewering, another Baha’i student, the Sanjesh Organization said, ”This message is displayed when a case has been opened about a student by the Intelligence Directorate or any other security agency, or if a student’s eligibility for education has not been approved. Your objection will be referred to the Intelligence Directorate, however, as long as you consider yourself a Baha’i, nothing will change.” (HRANA – Oct. 01, 2021)
Coronavirus in Iran’s prisons
Coronavirus crisis in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, Reza Mohammad Hosseini’s infection confirmed
On Thursday, September 30, 2021, Reza Mohammad Hosseini was transferred to the quarantine secton of Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj. The transfer of the political prisoner to quarantine section follows the positive announcement of his coronavirus test.
Houshang Rezaei, Saeed Eghbali, Saeed Masouri, and Hamza Savari, other prisoners imprisoned in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, also have coronavirus symptoms. Yesterday, Arsham (Mahmoud) Rezaee, a civil society activist imprisoned in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, was transferred to quarantine section after the coronavirus test was declared positive.