Responses to Human Rights Abuses in Iran
1. According to the new ranking of the organisation of Reporters without Borders on freedom of media, Iran currently hold 173rd in world ranking. This organization which supports freedom of journalists, expressed their concerns about the impact of armed conflicts on media.
2. 14th February was the third anniversary of arrest of Mehdi Karroubi, the chief editor of the banned National Trust newspaper, Mir Hussein Mousavi, the chief editor of the banned Green Word newspaper, and his wife Zahra Rahnavard. The three named have been under house arrest since 14th February 2011. With regards to this issue, Hassan Rohani has failed to meet his promise of releasing all political prisoners, and as the president of Iran, it is his responsibility to implement the constitution.
3. On Sunday 16th February 2014, a person who was sentenced to death by hanging was forgiven when was taken to the gallows to be hanged. According to the Deputy Attorney General of Kerman, this individual was saved from execution while the rope was already around his neck. Vendetta in Shariat Law is in Penal law of Iran and after the final verdict, only the close relatives of the victim can prevent the death sentence.
4. Sattar Mahmoudi, the Iran’s Deputy Secretary of Energy described the lack of rainfall in the period from April 2013 to date, as the worse dry period, and further warned of the shortage of water in eight cities of Iran, including Tehran, Bandar Abbas and Mashad.
Universities and academics
1. In a phone call with the Ministry of Information Mahdi Amani, a student activist from Yazd University was summoned to the ministry of Information. It is worth mentioning that after changing the principal of the University and relative improvement in security climate of the university, the pressures from outside security organs on the student activists remain the same.
The rights of the followers of ethnic – prisoners of conscience in Iran
1. Mohammad Esmaeili, Ebrahim Bahrami, Mohammad Ali Sadeghi and Mohammad Ali Dehghan , four Gonabadi Dervishes prisoner accused of “Forming a terrorist group against the system”, “Participating in protests with intend to overthrow”, “waging war against God” and ” carrying weapons” after enduring 10 months temporary imprisonment in the lessen section of the Adel abad prison in the city of Shiraz, were sent to the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz.
2. The authorities in the central prison of Zahedan have insulted the belief of Sunni prisoners, causing them distress.
3. On Saturday 15th of February, the parents of Anvar Hosseing Panahi, a civil rights activist, were summoned to the intelligence office and for several hours were questioned and threatened by the security officers of this agency.
4. On Sunday 16th of February, the businesses of two Baha’i citizens by the names of Mr Saman Badiyi and Ashkan Badiyi were shut down by the order of security authorities and their work permits taken from them.
5. In recent weeks, the Iranian official TV (IRIB) attempted to show Sunni prisoners confessing. This has increased the risk of sentences being carried out for some of the Sunnis prisoners in the human rights groups.
6. Over the last two months, six Baha’i resident of Semnan city have been sent to the military service (conscription) by the judge “Zamani” after they were arrested.
Workers and vulnerable Communities
1. On Saturday 15th January a night shift worker of Iran Khodro Factory died while working with press machine. Based on the latest official estimates in Iran 6 workers lose their lives in accident daily while working.
2. Last week on Wednesday morning 19th January, eight of Raazi petrochemical workers were summoned to the public courts of Bandar Imam, following complaint from their manager.
3. One of oil industry employees attempted suicide by self-firing in front of the oil ministry. This man who is known to be 58 years old, upon entry of the president to the building of the oil ministry, set fire on himself, but was restraint by others and taken to the hospital of oil ministry immediately.
Sentences: death, flogging, amputation, imprisonment and detention
1. According to the reports received, two death sentences for murder and rape charges on Thursday morning, 13th January was carried out in public. The ceremony was attended by a large gathering of people of Shiraz.
2. In the very early morning on Thursday 13 January two persons charged with murder were hanged in Vakil-Abad prison in Mashad. These two prisoners, who were executed, according to some sources, were underage when committed the crime.
3 On Saturday 15the February, two individuals with identity number of ( A – R 23 years old ) and (N –J 37 years old ) were hanged in public with the charges of kidnapping, robbery and sexual assault in the city of Golshahr karaj.
4. On Monday 17th of February, the death sentence of two people accused of murdering cousins and a student from the city of Mashhad was carried out in the city of Noshahr.
5. Dr Saeed Madani is a researcher of criminology and a social national-religion activist. The court of appeal has confirmed the 6 years imprisonment, 4 of that will be spent in Bandar Abbas prison followed by 10 years of mandatory residence in this city.
6. On Tuesday 18th of February, two persons accused of transport and storage of illegal drugs, were executed in the city of Zanjan.
7. Bashir Nazari, the son of Hojjat Nazari who was killed in the Iran-Iraq war, was sentenced to one year imprisonment with the charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “insulting the president”. 5 years of that is a suspended sentence.
8. On Tuesday 18th of February, four people accused of transporting and storing 703 Kg of opium and 23 Kg of heroin were executed in the central prison of Kerman.
9. On Tuesday 18th of February, eight prisoners accused of drug trafficking were executed in the Ghazal Hesar prison of Karaj city. So far only the body of one of them has been given to his family.
10. Four people accused of drug trafficking named by Hosein Lotfi Khasal, Ali-akbar Mehdizadeh, Jalal Talim khani and Mahmood Hosseini were executed in the Choobin prison in the city of Ghazvin.
11. On Wednesday 19th of February, a prisoner accused of armed robbery and involvement in public murdering was executed in the city of Shiraz.
Press and cyberspace
1. According to reports, the committee charged with investigating the publishers of Nashre Cheshme have issued the suspension of its license for two years.
2. Arash Moghadam Aslant, cyber activists was sentenced to eight years imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court on the charge of blasphemy, insulting the leadership and propaganda against the regime.
3. The Manager of the site called Omid was summoned to the court of Babol after the Friday Imam of the city criticised the site.
Other human rights violations
1. The condition’s of Hassan Faraji, a political prisoner held in ward 350 of even prison has been deteriorating.
2. Rasul Bodaghi and Shahrukh Zanani were moved to solitary confinement after protesting at the closure of the prison library.
3. The police officials of Noor Abad in Lorestan have been using excessive force and oppressive measures such as strict interrogations, which has cause a lot of distress for the residence of the city.
4. Saeed Malekpour, a prisoner with a life sentence who requested a break, has had his request denied by the authorities.
5. According to the news received, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, a political prisoner of ward 350 of Evin prison, was searched offensively by officers on his return from hospital.
6. The Zoroastrian fire temple “Kenar Siyah” located 30 kilometres from Firoozabad city in Fars Province has now been converted to a haystack storage bunker.
7. According to the news received, Saman Daadras, a political prisoner in Bookaan prison has lost his life for an unknown reason.