Responses to Human Rights Abuses in Iran

1. On Thursday 10th July two republican senators submitted the draft plan in order to increase sanctions on Iran, not because of Iran’s nuclear program but regarding human rights issues in Iran.
Women’s Right’s
1. During the past week, Fatemeh Hashemi, the daughter of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani who is the chairman of expediency, was sentenced to six month imprisonment on charges of spreading lies.
2. Furthermore, the Tehran municipality fired all the female workers in office positions such as receptionists and typists. Farzad Khalafi, the vice president of media and the international communication centre in the city of Tehran, confirmed this news and said that such occupations are time consuming and therefore a decision has been made to replace female workers with male workers for the comfort and convenience of female employees.

Workers and vulnerable communities

1. The Shargh Daily newspaper wrote in a report that the closure of civil engineering projects have resulted in the unemployment of four million seasonal workers which has made life difficult for 16 million people.
2. During the past week, Mahmoud Alam Houli a boarder tradesperson was shot and killed by the security forces at the border region of Maku.
3. The secretariat of fashion and clothing workgroup organisation prevented the activities of two institutes called Fashion House and Violet due to showing four manteaux’s designed based on the Iranian flag. On Tuesday 24th June 2014, these two institutes held a fashion show revealing their four new sports manteaux’s designed and based on the world cup football and the Iranian flag.
4. Reza Shahabi, a labour activist who has been on a hunger strike for the past 41 days, was transferred to the Imam Khomeini Hospital. Furthermore, the prison authorities have not yet given him permission to visit his relatives.
5. Around 2 million workers in Iran are not subjected to any laws, therefore they are not entitles to receive any benefits, and when they encounter problems with their employers, the dispute resolution authorities of the labour law cannot review their complaints.
Sentences: death, flogging, amputation, imprisonment and detention

1. Habib Mohebbian, a famous Persian pop singer who returned back to Iran 3 years ago, was arrested in the north region of Iran. According to the reports, Habib had been secretly tracked and arrested by an unknown group, and transferred to the detention centre whilst on a holiday in the city of Maasooleh, in the north of Iran.
2. Ahmad-Ali Godarzi, the police chief of the Fars province, informed of the public lashing sentences for two people accused of drinking alcohol, and other two accused of rubbery.
3. On Monday 14th July 2014, the Judiciary spokesman said that “the sentences of seven others, who were privately prosecuted after Iran’s presidential elections in the year 2009, have been confirmed”. These seven people have been sentenced between 3 to 11 years imprisonment.
4. On Monday 14th July 2014, Vahid Ranjbar, a member of the Student Union in the Sistan and Baluchestan province, was arrested after being summoned to the headquarters of Zahedan’s intelligence office.
5. On Wednesday 16th July 2014, Rooyin Otoofat, a political activist was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment by the revolutionary court.
Followers of the rights of ethnic diversity – of conscience in Iran

1. On Tuesday 8th July 2014, Manochehr Kholousi, a Baha’I citizen, living in the city of Mashhad, was tried on charges of acting against national security. It is worth mentioning that his two daughters by the names of Nika and Nava Kholousi are currently in prison, serving their six and half years and four years imprisonment sentences respectively, in the Vakil Abad prison of Mashhad.
2. A clergy Dervish by the name of Mohammad Nouri, was sentenced by the religious court, with a permanent ban from wearing the clerical clothing. Mohammad Nouri a Gonabadi Dervish residing in the city of Sari, was tried in the Special Clerical Court on charges of “Joining the Dervish sect in the Clerical clothing” and “Attending the Gonabadi Dervishes ceremonies in Tehran and other cities”.
3. During the past week, Mohammad Karimi from the city of Gharveh, Mansoor Qader-marzy from the city of Dehgalan, Pourya Mardukh Rohani and Kakeh Ahmad Qureshi, from the city of Sanandaj, were all summoned and interrogated by the Ministry of Intelligence. These four Sunni citizens are members of the Qur’an school. The interrogation that took place was regarding the religious activities of the Quran School.
4. Two members of the Special Clerical Court in Evin Prison, threatened Ayatollah Boroujerdi, and said that if he continues to inform people about the prison, he will be transferred to the solitary confinement.
5. Furthermore, Khaled Maleki, Abdul-Karim Karimi, Ali and Abdul-Hadi, four Kurdish citizens from the city of Sanandaj, were detained by the security forces.
6. Mostafa Farjam a Kurdish political prisoner, held in Khoy Prison, has lost his memory and his ability to speak.
7. On Monday 14th July 2014, Hall number 10 of Rajai Shahr Prison, where Sunni prisoners are held, was searched, and officers had abusive behaviours towards prisoners. “Officers took sports equipment and religious books of the detained Sunni prisoners.”
8. On Monday 12th July 2014, the Security forces of Baneh city, searched the house of Reza Haji-Saleh in a village called Zelli. Mr Haji-Saleh was arrested and transferred to an unknown location.
9. On Tuesday 15th July 2014, several plainclothes and intelligent officers entered the home of Mr Abdullah Yaghobi, a Gonabadi Dervish in the city of Nahavand. They then searched his home and confiscated some of his personal belongings.
10. On Sunday 13th July 2014, members of the Bahadori Family were arrested and bailed with 20 million Tomans because of teaching music.
11. On Sunday 13th July 2014, Saaber Malak-Raeesi and Amin Iran-Shahri, two Baloch Sunni prisoners held in Ardebil Prison, were beaten by other prisoners. The relatives of these two prisoners believe that this incident was caused by the prison security guards.

Press and cyberspace

1. Saleh Taamoli-Tarfi and Adel Sa’dooni, two cyber activist students from the city of Ahvaz, accused of establishing Facebook pages, were sentenced to three years imprisonment and charged with a bail of five million Rials. On Thursday 10th July 2014, they were sent to the Karoon Prison.
2. Morteza Teradion, an Iranian network security specialist and a hacker, was sentenced to two years imprisonment. Mr Teradion was accused of “intentionally acting against national security through hacking and collusion”.

3. On Wednesday 16th July 2014, Sajadeh Arab-Sorkhi, a journalist, introduced herself to the Evin Prison, in order to serve her one-year imprisonment sentence. This reformist political activist was charged with “propaganda against the regime”, by the revolutionary court.

Other human rights violation

1. The majority of homeless people in Iran, suffer from Hepatitis, Tuberculosis and AIDS, and Iran does not have sufficient health facilities to cure them.
2. Currently, there are 714 children in the province of Yazd, who have not received any education. This is due to reasons such as disability, careless parents, children forced to work in order to support their families, and some, due to having incorrect faith and beliefs.
3. On Monday 14th July 2014, Bahman Khaleghi, a Political prisoner who is currently held in Tabriz central prison, has been suffering from health problems and medical negligence.
4. Despite the hot weather conditions, prisoners in central prison of Zahedan are prevented from receiving cooling appliances and appropriate medical facilities.