Reactions to the violation of Human Rights in Iran
1. On Tuesday 27th August, a group of casualties and the families of those killed in the Iran-Iraq war formed a gathering in front of the parliament in protest against some of the laws for war veterans.
2. On Tuesday 27th August, Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, once again accused Ahmad Shaheed, the United Nation Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran of violating neutrality, and refused to give permission for his entry to Iran.
3. During the past week, in a letter to Tehran prosecutor’s testimony, 41 political prisoners in section 350 of Evin prison warned of Seyyed Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki’s dangerous condition. He is currently on a hunger strike in prison. In this letter, they also said that the negligence and failure of the authorities are to such an extent that this dire situation could soon become catastrophic.
4. Mrs Ebadi, a human rights defender and a Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2003, gave an introduction in her report of August 2013 about sick political prisoners and ways to treat them. Mrs Ebadi pointed out in her report about the lack of suitable conditions for the treatment of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
Women’s Rights
1. Basm-Al Jaboori, an Iraqi prisoner serving her sentence of five years in the female section of Evin prison has been on a hunger strike for 48 days without anyone knowing. She has been on hunger strikes several times in the past, but she had never continued her strike to this extent. Currently, she is urging the Iranian authorities to either transfer her, or to give her the freedom to contact and visit with her family.
2. Furthermore, on Tuesday the 27th August, a 23 year old girl set herself on fire in public on Dadgostari road in the city of Noushahr in Mazandaran province. In recent years, a wide range of girls, youngsters and women have set themselves on fire due to social, economical and family problems.
3. During the past week, a young girl in Sanandaj fell while coming down from the roof of her house, and passed away, as she feared the unexpected entrance of the police forces to collect satellite dishes.
Universities and Academics
1. Akhund Shariati Allame, head of Alameh University said: “There would be segregation of sexes in the undergraduates’ classes from this academic year”.
2. According to reports Hojjatol Islam Mehdi Seyed Yousef Tabatabae, the Friday prayer leader in Isfahan, in the Central Council of the University of Najaf-Abad, has asked the university officials to prepare the university for “Islamization”. He criticized some of the female students within this university and said: “We are Muslims!! Females should not be allowed to enrol for mining engineering. Do we have mines in cities!!?”
3. In the previous week student activists in Tehran and other provinces largely have been summoned to the assessment centres of the Offices of Information and Security near their areas.
Workers and vulnerable communities
1. On Sunday 25th August, Mohammad Ahmadi, head of Qazvin Islamic Councils association announced the closure of more than 100 shops and factories of car parts materials within this province.
2. Last week, Mohsen Esmaili Islamic, head of Council of work of Azmayesh Factory in east Tehran indicated the 8 months delayed payment of workers’ wages of the factory.
3. 500 workers of Payandan Factory of the contractors of South Pars have been on strike for not getting their wages.
4. On Tuesday 27 August 2013, Naser Aghajeri, a labor activist in special economic zones announced about the infringement of the working hours of the workers working in the oil and petrochemical projects of this economic zone.
5. On Tuesday 27 August 2013, the workers of the National Lead and Zinc Company in the city of Zanjan gathered in front of the Governor building for the second time, but this time alongside their families.
6. Reports indicate that on Wednesday 28 August 2013, a group of Rural Telecommunications workers gathered in front of Parliament to protest against failure to comply with the Act 86 of the 92 budget.
The Sentences: Execution Flogging, amputation, imprisonment and custody
1. According to the reports, on Wednesday 19 August, Reza R and on Tuesday 18 August Ali Sh, who were accused of murder, were both hanged in the Karoon Prison in the city of Ahvaz.
2. On Wednesday morning 26 August 2013, a person accused of drug trafficking was hanged in the city of Ardebil. It should be noted that recently a significant number of executions by hanging have started in the country and this issue has raised the concern of the human rights organisations.
3. Furthermore, the colonel Khosro Ahmadi, the commander of police disciplinary headquarters of the Khomeini Shahr city, informed about the execution of a person on Sunday 25th August who was in prison accused of possessing illegal drug, heroin.
4. Mr Ganji, the prosecutor of Ghom city announced that five people who were accused of illegal drug trafficking were executed on Monday 25th August in central prison of Glom city. From 21st August till now and in particular, during the past 5 days, 34 people were executed in various prisons of the country, and with the addition of the approved executions, this number has reached 39 people.
5. Recent reports suggests, Yadol-allah Sepehri, the Interrogator of branch 7 of the Revelatory public court in the city of Kerman, ordered the execution sentence of four people who were charged with rape.
6. Mohammad Zendani, who’s been accused of murdering one of his cellmate using complex planning, is sentenced to execution by hanging by the court.
7. The appeals court of Kordestan city sentenced Mohammad Ghavami to two years and four months imprisonment for “Having a connection with one of the Kurdish parties, damaging the independence and integrity of all territory”.
8. On Wednesday 27th August 2013, at least two prisoners accused of “murdering, drug trafficking and storing illegal drugs were executed in the Dizel-Abad prison in the city of Kermanshah and Kashan.
The rights of the followers of ethnic minorities – prisoners of conscience in Iran
1. On Sunday 25th August, Amir Eslami, a lawyer and a Dervish prisoner who is currently in ward 350 of Evin Prison was transferred to the Taleghani hospital.
2. The lawyer of Saeed Abedini, regarding his client’s charges of “Forming and setting up private home churches with the intention to disturb the national security” announced that “The appeals Court of Tehran has approved the initial charges of 8 years imprisonment”.
3. On Monday 26th August 2013, Kakah Abdol-Islam Golnavaz, the leader of Friday prayers in the Omar Sardasht mosque was once again summoned and was put on trial with predetermined sentences of “defrocking from clergy clothes and six years imprisonment in the special court of clergies in Tabriz.
4. A former member of the Board of the Baha’i community of Bandar Abbas called Ataolah Rezvani was killed on Saturday night with a shot to the back of his head in Bandar Abbas. One of the members of his family members said that Ataolah was repeatedly threatened by the Office of the Information and the Imam.
Press releases and virtual space
1. The magazine called Negin Kerman was banned due to alleged “blasphemy and propaganda” against the Islamic Republic.
Other human rights violations
1. The physical condition of Mr. Shahin Dadkhah, a former advisor to Mr. Hasan Rohani in the Supreme Council of national security in Tehran’s Evin prison, has been reported as unwell.
2. In the wake of the prison authorities of Bandar Abbas promising to separate criminals and political prisoners with the aim of segregating the prison, 14 political prisoners were sent to a new section called the Special Security tab. This section was previously used as a solitary confinement cell.
3. The physical condition of Alireza Ahmadi, prisoner in section 350 of Evin prison, is deteriorating as officials continue to neglect his health condition.
4. On the noon of Wednesday 28th of August, Hossein Maleki Ronaghi who was on hunger strike was rushed to Shahid Modares hospital’s emergency department due to the deterioration of his health and stomach bleeding.
5. According to reports, Mohammad Saleh Noghrehkar, the Public Relations manager of the Public Prosecutor, was summoned to Evin.
6. Ahmad Seddigh Khani, a prisoner accused of murder in Urmia Central Prison has been banned from having visitors just because he was communicating with political prisoners in prison.
7. According to reports, after a protest took place against beating Ahmad Tamouyi in Urmia central prison, Special Forces entered the ward (ward 12) of the prison and Jahangir Badozadeh was subsequently been transferred to solitary confinement.
8. There is still no news from Reza and Taher Ekvanian, who were arrested in front of the parliament when they were protesting against the offensive remarks that had been made by the representative of the city Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad. Even lawyers have not been allowed to meet with them.