Reactions to the violation of Human Rights in Iran
1. Mahmood Fazli, Shahram Radmehr, Ayat (Yorosh) Mehr-Ali Bigloo, Latif Hosseini and Behbood Gholi-Zadeh are five political activists from East Azerbaijan who have gone on a hunger strike since Saturday 13th July in protest against their sentences of nine years imprisonment. It has been 21 days since Azeri political activist prisoners have gone on a hunger strike. Their families are completely unaware of the situation of their loved ones since they have been barred from telephone calls. Ayatullah Bayat Zanjani has requested that these prisoners end their hunger strike. The condition of these strikers has been reported as being critical.
2. A letter of complaint has been written by political prisoners in relation to cruel prison sentences issued against Dervishes. Not only did the signatories object to these irrelevant charges and the unfair sentences of the Gonabadi Dervishes but also they believe that these actions violate the constitution of the Islamic republic of Iran, in particular, section three of the constitution which relates to freedom of thought and speech.
3. Over the past week the mother of Abolfazl Abedini visited him in prison and said: “I told him numerous times to break his hunger strike, but he did not listen to me, and his answer was: I will not break my hunger strike, even if I die. When they wanted to arrest my son, an army of security officers came into our house, and were very disrespectful towards my family and my belongings. They beat my son in front of me, then took him with them. My son told me that he was beaten brutally in prison; what did my son do wrong for him to be beaten with cables and have bruises all over his body?”
4. Several trade unions in Great Britain and Cyprus together with Amnesty International called for the end to repression of unions and for the release of labour activists in Iran. These trade union and human rights organizations have also said that with the arrival of Hassan Rohani’s administration they expect the unions and workers’ organizations of Iran to be allowed to operate freely.
5. Reporters Without Borders expressed issued a statement expressing their concern over the inhumane conditions faced by media activists in the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This organization also warned against the attempt to cover up the murder of Sattar Beheshti.
Women’s Rights
1. Over the past week, Shahin Bayazid-Poor, second member of Bookan City Council, and a Kurdish woman activist living in Bookan, was arrested some time ago by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s intelligent forces and was transferred to the central prison of Oroomiyeh.
2. Furthermore, Maryam Shafipour, who was arrested on Saturday the 27th of July is being put under pressure to make a forced confession. It is notable that three weeks ago, security forces raided the home of this student activist and proceeded to search her house. Following the shock experienced from the attacks by security officers, and the continued lack of information on the Maryam Shafipoour’s condition, her mother had to be moved to a relative’s house in order to rest.
Universities and Academics
1. It is two months that Arash Nasirzadeh, a physics graduate student, has spent in section 350 in Evin prison after his finalised verdict. This physics graduate student who was studying in the UK was charged with propagating against the regime, insulting the leadership, leading to 6 months imprisonment and 2 years and 6 months suspended sentence.
2. Amin Khosravi, former Yasooj University student activist and a leftist activist in the of North Tehran Azad University has been barred from one semester of a master’s degree in sociology in a letter from the testing centre of higher education.
Workers and vulnerable communities
1. On Sunday 4 august, over 700 Kiyan tire factory workers gathered at the entrance of the factory located in Chahar Dange town in protest against the stopped production of the factory and for neither receiving their wages nor having their demands met.
2. Furthermore, in the previous week dozens of construction workers of Akhtar Rahe Jonoob affiliated with municipality district six in Ahvaz gathered in front of the municipality district six in protest against not having received their demands and wages for the past 3 month.
3. With the launch of the eleventh government and despite the discontent with social security [in the country], Tehran’s chief of police with regards to the implementation the plan to supervise clothing unions in Tehran said: With the implementation of this plan thus far 235 clothing unions supplying unusual and unacceptable clothing were shut down.
4. Mohammad Goodarzi, a labour activist in Boroujerd, has reported the closure of the factory “Saman Tile” and the unemployment of about 400 workers who have not received any wages for the past two and half months.
5. 310 factory workers in Tabriz Tractor industrial machinery have not been paid since mid-April.
6. Reports indicate that 130 contract workers of the company “Kiavash Jonoob” in the city of Ahvaz, which operate under the supervision of the Water Works Council of the town, have not been paid since mid-March of this year. In addition to the four month delay in paying the salaries of the workers, their previous year’s annual leave pay has not yet been paid to their accounts.
7. Five Kian Tire workers were arrested after being summoned by the police. They included workers who often represent workers in negotiations with the government authorities.
8. 300 alloys steel mill workers at Malayer have not received their wages for four months and 50 temporary workers were dismissed at the factory.
9. On Thursday 8th of August, the Secretariat of Labour announced that service workers employed in Zabol University of Medical Sciences in the city of Zabol have not been paid in 16 months.
10. Enghelab street booksellers Moniri Javed (Ordibehesht) on University Avenue, (Wednesday, 7th of August) was shut down with some of the shops being written on – “The third base position by public security police regularly monitor is closed and sealed.
Sentences: death, flogging, amputation, imprisonment and detention
1. According to reports, Ali Sadeghi, the Mashhad Prosecutor, said that a person charged with “insulting the Imam Reza shrine” has been identified and arrested. He also said that, “due to the person’s mental disorder, he is now being cared for in accordance with the law and has been sent to hospital.”
2. On Saturday, 2th of August, the trial of Ramin Rezaei, Yadullah Dashti and Ali Hedayati began in Mahabad Revolutionary Court, presided by Nia Movahedi, with the charge of spreading propaganda against the regime and membership in groups that attempted to undermine security.
3. On Wednesday 5th of August, after nearly four months of detention and imprisonment in the intelligence department of Mahabad Branch, the first trial of “Masoud and Khosrow Kordpour” was held at Mahabad Enghelab Court with judge Javadi Kia. In this session, the judge refused to grant bail and it was decided that the next court date would be at least another two months away.
4. At dawn on Sunday, 4th of August, an Azeri citizen “Piman Ghane Kohne Shahry” in Salamas city prison was hanged.
5. The head of justice of Kerman city, Dad-Khoda Salari , announced that a person is arrested in the city and is on trial accused of spying for Israel.
6. Private session for Faezeh Hashemi, daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was held on Wednesday 7th August in branch 15 of the revolutionary court, by judge Salavati, and lasted for 105 minutes.
The rights of Religious and Ethnic diversity in Iran
1. Shamim Etehadi, a baha’i prisoner in the city of Yazd, was sentenced for seven years and three months, 75 whip lashes and a fine of 4 million Tomans by the revolutionary court of the city. On March of last year Shamim Etehadi was arrested for sending a short video showing the destruction of Baha’i’s cemetery in the city of Yazd.
2. It is three weeks since Mohammad-Ali Taher, the founder of cosmic mysticism has started a hunger strike. His physical and psychological is poor.
Mr Taher’s hunger strike which coincided with Ramadan was to protest against the shortcoming of officers and interrogators who were dealing with his case and also mental pressure, threatening and intimidation on his family.
3. On Wednesday 7th August, Mohsen Esmaili, Seyed Ebrahim Bahrami, Mohammad-Ali Sadegh and Mohammad-Ali Dehghan, 4 Gonabadi dervishes who are in Adel Abad prison in the city of Shiraz, were sentenced by branch 1 of general court in the province of Kavar, lead by judge Kashkooli and lawyers Mr Harsini, Nazari and Sadeghi. These four dervishes were accused of attending protests intended to overthrow the government, waging war against God and shipping illegal weapons.
4. Mostafa Bordbar, a Christian convert was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, on Wednesday 7th August by Judge Pir-Abadi, the head of justice in the branch 26 of Islamic revolution court.
5. The head of security in the city of Isfahan, Mr Abdul-Reza Aghakhani announced the implementation of a special project for confronting with false mysticisms during the month of Ramadan and arresting of few deviated youth perpetrators.
6. The Global Forum On Human Rights in Iran released a statement to announce that Dr Syed Mostafa Azmayesh (Manager of the International Human Rights Community Relations) explicitly rejected the drug related charges brought by the Iranian judicial and security services against Ghonabadi Dervishes.
7. Saeed Rezaei (the former Director of one of the seven Baha’i communities in Iran) who is locked in Karaj city prison was returned to jail on Thursday, August 8th despite his dire physical health.
The press and the virtual space
1. Masoud Bastani, a journalist, has been returned to prison again after a two week vacation.
2. “Qasim Ahmadi”, a journalist and the Editor of the student newspaper “Jorf”, was sentenced to 4 years on Tuesday 6 August by the first branch of the Revolutionary Court.
3. Employees of the editorial and technical part of the Sun newspaper in Iran have not been paid in the past three months. One of its reporters revealed that: “the rights of nearly 100 employees at the Sun newspaper have been denied and only promises of payment in three months remain”.
4. Khosro Krdpur, a journalist and Director of the Mokrian website appeared in court. Masoud Jamali allegedly said to “revolt” in the website and according to the prosecution is charged with “insulting the leadership and activities of publishing lies against the ruling system and promoted to the General intention of disturbing”.
Other human rights violations
1. After over 50 days of being detailed, Pejman Zafarmand’s investigators have not been allowed to examine his case files or been made aware of the status of his son. Attempts to try and meet with his family have so far lead nowhere.
2. Syed Ahmad Roaghani Maleki Ronaghi, father of Hussein Roghani Maleki was imprisoned as a civil prisoners of conscience in part 350 of Evin prison on Saturday 3 August 2013 after he was summoned to the Revolutionary Court.
3. On Saturday 3rd of August Navid khanjani a Human rights activist from Rajayi Shahr prison, has been transferred to a hospital in Tehran due to back pain, and heart and breathing problem.
4. In the past few days the enforcement forces in city of Ilam have attacked an area called Sarab and as the result of that confiscated number of satellite dishes.
5. According to the news, the traffic police in Fars province have threaten those who carry dogs in their cars and those women who are not wearing hijab properly .