Responses to Human Rights Abuses in Iran

1. On Wednesday 23rd October 2013, Ahmad Shaheed, the United Nation Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, published his first report on human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran since Hassan Rouhani came to power as a government of “wisdom and hope”. In this 52-page report particular attention was given to the issues such as violations of Kurdish human rights, the killings of Kurdish Kolbars, and anti-personnel mines in the Kurdistan province and also the current trends in the violations of human rights by the Iranian regime was highlighted.
2. Dr Asadollah Asadi, a political prisoner in section 350 of Evin prison, started a hunger strike, following continuous opposition of Tehran prosecutor to accept to his release for a leave.
3. Last week, the nurses of Imam Khomeini Hospital formed a gathering in the courtyard of the hospital to protest against the shortage of nursing staff, and compulsory overtime work.

The rights of the followers of ethnic minorities – prisoners of conscience in Iran

1. According to the reports, there are no information regarding the condition and whereabouts of the 7 ideological/political Sunni prisoners who were kept in the Raja-ee Prison in the city of Karaj.
2. On Saturday 19th October 2013, 4 ideological/political Sunni prisoners called Mehdi Mohamadnejad, Sabah Rezai, Layegh Kordpour and Namdar Ghaderi are reported to be living amongst the rest of the ordinary prisoners in a critical condition in the Dizel Abad Prison in the city of Kermanshah.
3. Last week, despite the worrying physical condition of Karim Musavi, a Kurdish political prisoner in the central prison of Bandar Abbas, the authorities instead of treating his illness, have been harassing him with successive transferring to other prisons.
4. The appeal court has reduced the sentence of Nasim Ashrafi, a Baha’i resident from Tehran to one year imprisonment.
5. Last week on Sunday 20th October, many civil activists and members of Yaresan sect gathered in front of the Parliament at Baharestan Square, which resulted to the arrestment of 80 demonstrators.
6. Judicial authorities are making decision on the fate of the ideological/political Sunni prisoners in the Karaj city prison and this has been the concern to them and their families.
7. On Sunday 20th October 2013, an Australian/Iranian Baha’i citizen who after 30 years returned back to Iran to visit his sick mother in the city of Tonekabon in Mazanderan province was summoned by the Ministry of Information.
8. On Tuesday 22nd October, Elham Moghen, a Baha’i from Esfahan was arrested and transferred to an unknown place after he was attacked at his residence by the intelligence agents.
9. An American pastor from California in the wake of a protest action in front of Evin prison in Tehran has been arrested. He demanded the release of Christians in Iran prisons.
10. Aram Mikaeili, a Sunni ideological/political Sunni prisoner from city of Saghez has been exiled to an unknown place due to performing Eid prayer and running Quranic classes.

Universities and Academics

1 .Amir Nazeri and Afshin Barzegar Jamshidi, two student activists of Tabriz University, were each sentenced to 6 months in prison by the branch 104 of the Criminal Court of Tabriz, presided by Judge Shokooh-Tazeh.
2. Reportedly, Mehdi Amani, a student activist from the University of Yazd, was suspended for one semester by the disciplinary committee of this university.

Sentences: death, flogging, amputation, imprisonment and detention

1. Babak Asiya-ee a cultural activist, who had been arrested along with four other activists last year, has been sentenced to four years imprisonment.
2. On Monday 21st October 2013, a 26 year old woman called Nasrin Safari who was charged with murder was sentenced to vendetta and was hanged in the central Prison of Kermanshah, Dizel Abad.
3. On Tuesday 22 October 2013, 6 people charged with murder, were hanged in Dizel Abad Prison in the city of Kermanshah.
4. On Sunday 20th October 2013, Saleh Salehzadeh, a student of theatre and a member of Tigar Theatre Group, has been arrested due to being present in the Hormozgans’ protest in the city of Roodan.

Press releases and virtual space

1. Reports indicate that Ishagh Raasti, a long-run reformist activist from Gilan province and a veteran journalist of this county has been summoned, to the ninth Revolutionary Court of the city of Rasht.

Other human rights violations

1. Explosion of mine in the Nashkashi village of Marivan has caused injury to seven children. It is worth reminding that in the Kurdistan province of Iran there are more anti-personnel mines than any part of the country and so far not any realistic actions have been taken to clear these mines.
2. Last week Mohammad Saa-emi, a political prisoner incarcerated in the section 350 of Tehran’s Evin prison was transferred to the Modarres Hospital of Tehran to have medical check up and in the process was mistreated by the guards on duty.
3. Mohamad Reza Pourshajari, a web-logger in prison, known as Siamak Mehr is in a dire condition due to high blood sugar was and lack of medicine.
4. Rasoul Khezri, health commissioner and a board member of Iranian parliament stated that
“The statistic on the addicts in the country indicates that it has risen to three and a half million people”.
5. According to the news on 22nd October, concerns have been raised about the health of the Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi, who has been under house arrest since 2010.