Reactions to the violation of human rights in Iran
1. Giti poorfazel, the lawyer representing Sattar Beheshti’s family, the web-logger who passed away in prison said that one of the Iranian intelligence agents, who had interrogated his client, was the main cause of Mr Beheshti’s death. On Wednesday 26th June, Mrs Poorfazel criticised the authority for not sending Sattar Beheshti’s judicial records relating to his death to the court, and stated that “they buying time to reduce the sensitivity on the matter”.
2. The Gallup polling organization stated in a report that over the past year, in some cases, Iran has faced difficulties in providing food and housing. This report which was published on Monday 1st July continues that according to the majority of Iranians, they pass their days with depression, anxiety and anger.
3. Last week, Mrs Shirin Ebadi, the head of Defenders of Human Rights Centre and a Nobel Peace prize winner in 2003, following cyber attacks to the websites of opponents of the Iranian regime, wrote a letter to Ahmad Shaheed, the United Nation Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran.
4. A number of citizens of Zarand” in Kerman, due to cease of the completion of construction projects, protested by bringing the train leading Yazd to Kerman to a halt for two hours. Due to this project, it has been months since the access to cities around Zarand have become difficult.
5. Araak is one of the most polluted cities in Iran. This city has about 600 working industrial units, 300 of which are polluting the environment. People of Araak have protested against this issue, as they spend 250 days out of 365 days of the year in this pollution.
6. Three members of the European parliament sent a letter of concern to the Iranian Ambassador in Brussel expressing their grave concern about Arash Sadeghi, an imprisoned student activist, and requested an immediate consideration of his situation.
Universities and the University Students
1. 15 days ago, Ahmad Asgari, a student activist from Tehran University studying International Relations and Political Science, was arrested in a park in Tehran. Since his arrest, he has not been authorised to contact or visit any of his families.
2. Reportedly, the judge in the fourth branch of East Azarbayjan province court has rejected the request of conditional release of Amir Chamani, a student activist who is in the central prison of Tabriz.
Workers and vulnerable communities
1. Following the contract workers strike on Khuzestan steel complex, the informal workers in the factory have joined the contract workers on strike to support their formal counterparts. Approximately four thousand workers joined them in striking last Wednesday have stopped the factory from operating.
2. Last week, 300 workers of Khomeini International airport in Tehran stopped working on Sunday and staged a protest at the airport. This strike is due to 6 months worth of unpaid wages from the airport contractor.
3. It has been more than eight months that 80 of the employees of a consulting engineering firm, ‘ENERGY POLICY’ have not been paid. These employees have been working for firm for a considerable amount of time ranging from 3 to 28 years, yet since autumn 2012 no payment has been transferred to their accounts from the employer.
4. The families of the dismissed workers of “shahriar turbine parts” factory, one of the units of ministry of energy, protested in front of the company by sitting at the entrance door and demanded that fired workers get their jobs back.
5. Seyed Asghar Seyed Khalili, one of Qazvin Alvand Lamp factory’s employees has announced the non-payment of insurance premiums of the employees at the firm. He has called for an investigation to be carried out on this matter, by the Worker’s and Social security administration.
6. News indicates that 100 civil engineer employees were fired in Kerman before proceeding to protest by gathering in front of the factory.
7. Judge of branch 1 of the revolutionary court in Sanandaj issued a sentence for Vafa Qaderi a labour activist and member of the coordinating committee of workers accused of helping workers to establish union. The Judge sentenced him to one year imprisonment.
Sentences: death, flogging, amputation, imprisonment and detention
1. It has been claimed that a suspect named “Hussein Tukan”, better know as “Hussein Tugan” was executed in public in Ahvaz by crane. On Saturday 29th June, the prisoner was charged with drug dealing.
2. On Saturday 29th of June 2013, Afshin Nareki, head of the Gochsaran Prison, claimed that Mr. A.S who was accused of murdering Mohsen Hoseini-Neek was hanged in Gochsaran Prison.
3. Moreover, four other individuals (Roohallah, Sajad, Tarab and Ali) who are said to have committed robbery have been sentenced to death in public on charges of “Moharebeh”(war).
4. Despite international protests, the prosecutor of Ghazvin announced that on Sunday 30th of June, 2 people were hanged in public in the Golzar junction of Karaj city.
5. Reports indicate that Mir Taher Mousavi, a former MP, a university lecturer, and a member of Mir Hossein Mousavi’s 2009 presidential campaign, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment as well as two years suspended sentence.
6. Alizadeh, the general police commander of the city of Lorestan claimed that “two accused of drug trafficking were hanged in the central prison of Khorramabad”.
7. On Wednesday 3rd of July 2013, Reza Shahabi (board member of the Bus company in the city of Tehran), Shiva Nazar Ahari (a student suspended from university due to her human right activities), as well as Abdollah Jafari (a political prisoner of the section 350 of Evin prison) were all tried due to being absent during their new year’s leave.
8. Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, a labour activist who is currently on leave due to his child suffering from blood cancer, was arrested, threatened and insulted following a visit to Tehran’s Prosecutor’s office.
9. On the morning of Tuesday 2nd of July 2013, 21 individuals were hanged in the Ghazalabad Prison, and on Wednesday 3rd of July 2013, an additional 4 individuals were hanged in the Rajai Prison of the city of Karaj.
10. On Tuesday 27th of June 2013, 36 civil activists, 8 of whom were females, who were planning to hold a ceremony in the foothills of Mount Sahand, were all arrested and physically abused while crossing the causeway bridge over the Urumie Lake.
11. On the morning of Wednesday 3rd of July 2013, Mehdi Khodayi, a political prisoner who is currently in section 350 of Evin Prison has been fined in the Jerusalem’s judicial complex.
12. On Wednesday 26th of June 2013, Ali nazeri, a dentist and one of the founders of Iran’s Green Civilians was arrested and transferred to section 350 of the Evin prison by Tehran’s enforcement prosecutor security forces.
The rights of the followers of diversity of ethnicity and beliefs in Iran
1. Three Gonbadi dervishes, Mohsen Esmaeili, Seyed Ebrahim Bahami and Mohannad Ali Dehghan have been physically abused and interrogated in the prison in the city of Shiraz. Due to this extreme mental and physical pressure, they need to be transferred to a hospital for therapy.
2. A month has passed since the arrest of Mohammed Reza Fried Saied Safi and Hamid Reza Ghadiri who were charged for converting to Christianity in the city of Isfahan. No news has been yet heard of their fate and their situation.
3. On Wednesday 3rd July, regiment officers shot and killed Nazdar Moradi, a Kourdish wonder, in Shick Salee in the City of Selas Babajani. His two brothers, Jalal and Razgar were also seriously wounded and are now being treated in a hospital in the city of Kermanshah.
Media and cyberspace
1. It has been claimed that on Wednesday 26th June, Hamidreza Rostami (ARGHISH), an Azarbaijani writer and journalist, was questioned and threatened by the INFORMATION DEPARTMENT officers of the city Khoy, for publishing one of his books.
2. Fatemeh Kheradmand, a journalist, has been sentenced to one year imprisonment by Pir Abasi, the head of branch 26 of Enghelab Court in Tehran. She was charged with propaganda and collaborating with Ghalen Sabz, an online magazine.
3. Reza Moghadasi was arrested on Wednesday 3rd of July, after publication of Saeed Mortazavi accused of Kahrizak prison crime, and 200000 Toman fine, and he was released after 8 hours.
4. Fatemeh Kheradmand, a health reporter was arrested on 7th January, just a few months after her husband was released from prison. AFTER REPEATED SUMMONS AND BEING PHYSICALLY ABUSED IN STREET she was sentenced to one year imprisonment by Judge Pir Abasi of branch 26 of the Enghelab Court.
Other human rights violations
1. On Thursday 27 June, Gholam Reza Vakili and Ali Hasan Samayeli, members of the Hassan Rohani information Department in the city of Sangor, were summoned and interrogated for several hours. This is believed to be due to the publication and distribution of analytical statements of reformists in the city of Sonqor.
2. On Wednesday 26 June Iraj Mohammadi, political prisoner in Zahedan’s central prison was returned to his sell after spending 5 days in solitary confinement, being beaten and harassed.
3. Ali Sartipi, the actor of Last film said: “the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance banned the film’s poster and its display on billboards”.
4. In the wake of a statement by a group of supporters of Hassan Rouhani, the proposal regarding the release of political prisoners and two of the leaders of the opposition movement currently under house arrest has resulted in three of the signatories to this statement (Jabar Haji Moradi,Hamid Reza Vadodi and Kyomars Vaezi) being summoned to the Office of Information.
5. According to reports, three Azerbaijani civil society activists, Bahram Akhoni, Naser Kazempour and Majod Safidani have been arrested and there is no news of their situation.
6. Mir Hossein Mousavi, leader of the opposition movement who was a candidate in the presidential elections in 2009 and has been kept under house arrest for more than two years along with his wife, was taken to Tehran Heart hospital on Tuesday 2 July. He is undergoing medical examination by a specialist doctors because of the persistence of symptoms of dizziness and hypotension. The request to have Mr. Moussavi hospitalization was rejected by security guards.
7. There are reports that Mohsen Jahanbaksh, a prisoners sentenced to death in the Rajayee Shahr prison in Karaj city, has been moved to an undisclosed location and his situation is uncertain.
8. Despite the Government’s claims that in the previous 8 years, unemployment has been eradication, however, statistics show the actual rate of unemployment is as high as it was in 2005. Others have joined the ranks of the unemployed, 3 million due to the low level of wages and 6 million are subject to labour law today and are on a minimum wage.
9. The water shortage is a growing problem for the citizens in Ilam and Kermanshah provinces so water is rationed in these cities.
10. While the employees of sport ministry are being paid partially and they have been said that it’s due to lack of funding, the ministers use private aircrafts with a huge cost to travel to city Mashhad.
11. On Wednesday 3rd of July , Mohsen Amin zadeh political prisoner who is in section 350 of Evin prison at the moment, is suffering from heart disease and was admitted to Tehran’s heart centre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFY6utjJ3gk&feature=player_embedded