Responses to Human Rights Abuses in Iran

1. The United Nation Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the city of Geneva published a statement warning about the increase in the number of executions in Iran. It is stated that during the past seven weeks, at least 80 people have been executed in Iran, and it is likely that this number will rise to 95.

2. On Sunday 23rd February 2014, the International Organisation to Preserve Human Rights in Iran held a protest in Trafalgar Square of London.

3. During the past week, Reporters Without Borders condemned the ban of the newspaper called Aseman, and requested an immediate reopening of the newspaper.

4. In a letter to Ahmad Shaheed, the United Nation Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran along with three labour activist organizations and around 30 labour activists inside and outside of Iran asked him to request that the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran unconditionally release an imprisoned labour activist called Reza Shahabi and to allow him to have Medical treatment outside of prison.

5. A group of teachers and scholars of Qom Seminary expressed their support for those who signed the letter to the president requesting that the siege of key members of the Green Movement be lifted.

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

1. On Thursday 20 February 2014, at least 50 activists and Iranian-Turk citizens who participated in the International Day of Commemoration of their mother Language were arrested. Reports suggest that tens political and civil activists from Azerbaijan region were arrested by the security forces while celebrating the anniversary in the house of “Akbar Abolzadeh” one of activists from the city of Ahar.

2. On Tuesday 18th February 2014, Ahmad Sohrabi, son of a Sunnite clergy called Molavi Mohamad Yousef Sohrabi (known as Nekahchi) was arrested by the security forces. So far there are no information on his condition and whereabouts.

3. Last week, four Baha’i citizens under names of Nika Kholoosi Ayna, Nava Kholoosi Ayna, AdibShoaee and Mahsa Mahdavi were sentenced to imprisonment by the appeals court of the province of Khorasan Razavi for their religious believes. It is worth mentioning that the mentioned Bahais had been previously accused of “propaganda against the regime” and “being part of an illegal organization” by the Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of the city of Mashad.

4. Last week, two Dervishes from Bandar Abbas, under the names of Javad Esmayili-Sheshdeh and Mohammad Zinayi were separately summoned to the intelligence office and interrogated for several hours each. During the interrogation, they were asked information about other Dervishes in the city. They were also given implicit warnings regarding their jobs as civil servants.

5. Furthermore, the Ahwazi Arab political and civil prisoners in various prisons in Iran have been deprived of medical leave and care.

6. On Wednesday 26th February 2014, the two Dervish prisoners under names of Hamid Reza Moradi and Mustafa Daneshjoo who had been in hospital due to the deterioration of their physical health condition were suddenly transported back to the Branch 350 of Evin Prison

7. More than 20 individuals who recently converted to becoming a Sunni were arrested in the city of Ahvaz. On Tuesday 25th of February, at the dormitory of Alavi Ahvaz, more than 20 sunny individuals were arrested during a teaching session of the Quran and Arabic.

8. Nine lawyers and Human Rights activists detained at Evin and Shiraz prisons wrote a letter to Hassan Rohani, Iran’s president, calling for an investigation to the treatment of the imprisoned Dervishes.

9. On Tuesday 25th of February, lawyers and Human Rights activists campaigning for Dervishes held in Section 350, did not participate in the hall meeting in protest at the refusal to transfer Afshin Karam-Pour to receive treatment.

Workers and vulnerable Communities

1. On 21st February Farhad Hedayati, the head of the labours community of the Brojerd city, announced the closure of Pishro Masaleh Shargh factory and redundancy of 110 labours of the factory. He further added that the factory has been closed for the past 15 days due to the lack of financial resources.

2. Moosa Hendijani, Maziar Rahim-Nezhad and Gholam-Hossein Heidari, the Raazi Petrochemical workers have been tried by the branch 3 of the public and revolution court of the city of Mahshahr and charged with disruption of discipline.

3. Morteza Moghadam the head of labour community of the Ardebil city announced the dismissal of the president of the association of workers of the Ardebil steel factory for following up the workers’ demand.

4. Hassan Seyedi and Morteza Kesalat two trade union activists and members of the workers association of the bus company in the city of Tehran have been arrested.

5. Mohammad Saleh the representative of the Yazd city announced, in the parliament, the delay of six months salary of 250 workers of the Maybod Steel Factory.

6. According to the news received, the informal census suggests that there are seven million child workers in Iran and half of these children are from neighbour countries and majority of the working children are between 10 to 15 years.

Sentences: death, flogging, amputation, imprisonment and detention

1 Hossein Farzin is a former deputy mayor of Mashhad and TV director charged with a 15 years prison sentence. According to the reports, he was transferred to Vakil Abad prison in Mashhad.

2. On Saturday 22nd of February, Rasoul Bedaqi and Shahrokh Zamani were dispatched to public Court in Karaj where the magistrate charged them with rioting in the prison, disturbing the peace and clashing with the officers.

3. Mohammad Noorizad is an Iranian writer and critic filmmaker. On Monday 24th February, he was beaten and insulted in front of the Information Ministry by the Ministry officers. Mr Noorizad visits the Ministry of Information Building every day to get back his belongings, which were seized from him.

4. On Wednesday 26th of February, three people charged with rape in Alborz Province were hanged in front of everyone in public. Their mean age was between 25 to 26 years old.

5. Reports indicate that on Wednesday 26th of February, four other prisoners in Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj were executed by hanging. The four prisoners were charged with murder and were convicted of the same punishment (Death).

6. On Thursday 27th February, a man who committed murder by stabbing a 50 years old male to death was executed by hanging in the central prison in Mashhad.

Press and cyberspace

1. According to reports, Aseman newspaper was prohibited from continuing to operate after the Cultural and Media Court announced that the newspaper had published articles against Islam and was insulting religious sanctifies. The mentioned newspaper, in an article had referred to vendetta as inhumane.

2. On Sunday 22nd February, Watan newspaper’s editor said Hussein Ghadiani was summoned to the Cultural and Media Court following a complain from a government entity.

Other human rights violations

1. On Thursday 20th of February, section 350 of Evin prison was searched by the security service of Evin prison along with some help from the intelligent service members and Rajaie city prison solders.

2. Furthermore, Adnan Hasan Poor a Kurdish political prisoner after seven years sentence in Sanandaj was deported to Zabol prison, to continue his sentence.

3. Maryam Sharbatdar Ghods, a Social Activist and a teacher, was summoned to court. Her charges, based on Sepah complaints, were “Publishing lies” and “propaganda against the regime”.