Four men were hanged in Isfahan (central Iran)

Four men were hanged in Isfahan (central Iran) Today

Iran Human Rights, December 4: Four people were hanged in the prison of Isfahan, central Iran, early Saturday December 4.

According to the state run Iranian news agency ISNA, four men convicted of drug trafficking were hanged in the central prison of Isfahan today. The men were identified as: "Abdollah N." convicted of keeping and selling 495 grams of crack; "Zarif D." for keeping nine kilos and 450 grams of crack; "Masoud Gh." (born in 1972) for trafficking of 261 (grams?) of crack and finally "Bakhtiar S." (born in 1966) for keeping 74 kilos and 800 grams of crack and 603 grams of opium, 94 grams of another opium product and drug addiction. Besides death penalty "Bakhtiar S" was also sentenced to 2 years in prison, 70 lashes and a fine of 18200000 rials ( 1820 USD).

Iran Human Rights strongly condemns crackdown of the human rights lawyers by the Iranian authorities

Iran Human Rights strongly condemns crackdown of the human rights lawyers by the Iranian authorities

Iran Human Rights, November 17: Iranian state television has once again broadcast a purported statement by Sakineh Ashtiani, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery in which she calls herself a "sinner."

The report also broadcast purported statements by two men whose faces were blurred that state TV identified as Ashtiani’s son, Sajjad Qaderzadeh, and her lawyer, Houtan Kian, both of whom were arrested last month. It also aired comments from two Germans who were detained allegedly while trying to interview Ashtiani’s family in October.

In the state TV report, Qaderzadeh retracted his previous allegations that his mother was tortured, and criticized Kian and Ashtiani’s previous lawyerMohammad Mostafaei for publicizing the case.

Ahtiani’s lawyer, Houtan Kian (picture) “confessed” that he advised Qaderzadeh to lie to Western journalists.

On the other hand, Tehran’s chief prosecuter, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi confirmed yesterday in an interview with the state run Iranian news agency ISNA, the arrest of five lawyers during the past week.

According to various reports three female lawyers Sara Sabbaghian, Maryam Kian Arasi and Maryam Karbasi were arrested in Khomeini airport, on their arrival from Turkey earlier this week. All the three have been involved in human rights cases and defending their imprisoned colleagues, human rights activists, bloggers and women sentenced to death by stoning.

The two other lawyers who were arrested in Tehran last week are Roza Gharachorlou and Mohammad Hossein Nayeri, both involved in human rights cases.

Iranian authorities have previously arrested the human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh (picture), the defender of several minors on the death rowand Mohammad Oliaei-fard defender of several political prisoners. Both of them are being held in the notorious Evin prison.

Several other human rights lawyers such as Khalil Bahramian, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah and AbdolfattahSoltani (all defenders of several political prisoners) are waiting for their trials, while the human rights lawyer Mohammad Seifzadeh has been sentenced to 9 years in prison.

Iran Human Rights strongly condemns the televised "confessions" and arrest of the human rights lawyers by the Iranian authorities. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of Iran Human Rights, expressed his concern about the situation of the human rights in Iran and said: “This is continuation of the regime’s general crackdown of the Iranian civil society. In the past months we have been witnessing a broad campaign by the Iranian authorities against the human rights lawyers and the situation will probably get even worse”. He added “Iran is probably one of the few countries where defense lawyers are persecuted for doing their job”. “We ask the world community to play a more active role in defending the Iranian human rights lawyers and to ask for immediate release of all the detained lawyers and end persecuting them” he said.

Political Prisoner Rahim Rash Tortured, Remains on Hunger Strike after 26 Days

Rooz Online reporter Saman Rasoulpour conducted an interview with Soran Rash, the son of political prisoner Rahim Rash. He talked of his father’s physical condition. Rahim Rash’s hunger strike, that he launched to protest against torture and his detention, has reached its 26th day. Rahim Rash is in critical condition. Soran Rash stated, ”My father was tortured in Orumiyeh detention centre [in northwestern Iran] and will continue his strike despite the fact that he has lost a lot of weight and cannot walk on his own.”

English translation of the interview provided by Siavosh Jalili for Persian2English

Rooz Online: Mr. Rash, what is the lastest news on your father’s condition? Is he still on hunger strike?

Soran Rashi (SR): On Sunday, our family visited my father. He said that he is continuing his hunger strike. It has now been 26 days.

Rooz: Where did the visit take place? How was your father’s physical state?

SR: A few days prior to our visit, my father was transferred from the IRGC Orumiyeh prison to the Mahabad General prison. The transfer took place following the deterioration of my father’s health. Our family visited my father after the transfer. He has lost a lot of weight and is in critical condition. He was taken to the prison clinic several times and he was connected to serums. My father cannot stand on his feet and he walks with the help of others.

Rooz: Mr. Rash, what did your father say about his charges against him and the treatment he received from security officials?

SR: They have only orally stated the charges against my father which are ”acting againt national security” and “enmity against god”. My dad said that he was tortured and abused in the Orumiyeh detention centre.

Rooz: Your father was tortured while on hunger strike?

SR: Yes! My father went on hunger strike a day after he was arrested and he continues to be on strike to this day. My father was subjected to torture in the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence detention centre in Orumiyeh. My father says that one of the reasons he continues his hunger strike is because of the tortures and abuses inflicted on him. We, however, do not know the details of the acts of torture.

Rooz: Has a trial date been set? Is it possible that he will be freed before the trial?

SR: My father did not accept any of the charges against him. Three others were arrested from our village at the same time as my father. These three people are currently detained in the security and intelligence detention centre in Orumiyeh. My father stated that there is a high chance that he his trial will not take place until the other three are transferred to the Mahabad detention centre as well.

Rooz: Do they all face the same charges?

SR: My father and the three others were arrested on the same night and they were transferred to the Mahabad detention centre. That is why we think that my dad will probably be tried when the other three are also transferred to Mahabad. The reason my father was transferred is because he launched a hunger strike. Of course, we do not see any connection between my father’s condition and them.

Rooz: Given the dire state Mr. Rash is in, has your family asked him to end his strike?

SR: Prison officials as well as my mother and brother have asked him to end his strike. Initially, my father went on strike to protest his detention, however, after he was mistreated in the detention centre, he is more determined to continue with his strike.

Rooz: Even though his physical condition has deteriorated gravely?

SR: Yes. My father was also arrested in 1997 when he was taken to Saqez prison. That time, rarely anyone believed that he would be able to last a 36-day hunger strike. Eventually my father was brought home on a stretcher. The doctor [on the case] said that if my father had continued his hunger strike, he would have only survived a few more days. The news did not receive media coverage back then because unlike today, the Internet and other forms of media were not pervasive. Despite all this, my father was exonerated and freed. This time as well, my father insists to continue his hunger strike until he is released.

Political Prisoner Reza Joushan Losing Eye Sight, Denied Medical Care

According to Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran, 25 year old political prisoner Reza Joushan suffers from acute eye disease since a week ago. Despite this, Mohebbi, the chief interrogator of the Ministry of intelligence, has denied him medical treatment. Reza Joushan’s eyes are red and watery. He suffers from severe pain and the deterioration of vision.

According to reports, Reza Joushan asked one of the guards why he was not permitted to visit the prison clinic. The guard replied that he must await his turn because prisoners can only visit the clinic once every two months.

Reza Joushan protested against the lack of medical treatment, and as a result, Gerami, the manager of the prison, paid him a visit on August 10th. Reza Joushan described his eye problems to Gerami, but nothing has been done yet to remedy the situation.

Reza Joushan is detained in ward 6 subsection 17 of Rajai Shahr prison since four months ago. He is kept in isolation and is denied visitation or contact with his family.

Mohebbi, a Ministry of Intelligence officer and also the chief interrogator who serves as the director for the IRGC division at Rajai Shahr prison, has ordered the arrest of students, labour and women activists, and participants in the uprising in Karaj. Mohebbi often leads the raids of arresting activists. He is personally in charge of the interrogation and torture of detainees in the IRGC section of the prison.

Reza Joushan was arrested on December 1, 2009 when Ministry of Intelligence agents raided his home. He was taken to solitary confinement in the IRGC division of the prison, and after two months, he was transferred to ward 4.

On December 7, 2009, Ministry of Intelligence agents raided his home and arrested his mother Zahra Assadpour. She was detained in a solitary confinement cell in the IRGC division of the prison. After weeks of interrogations and physical and psychological torture, she was moved to the women’s ward of Rajai Shahr prison. Zahra Assadpour was previously arrested along with her daughter Fatemeh Joushan for visiting family in Iraq’s Camp Ashraf (the camp is run by Iranian opposition group the People’s Mujahedin of Iran). Zahra Assadpour and Fatemeh Joushan were imprisoned for 14 months in Rajai Shahr prison.

Zahra Assadpour and her son Reza Joushan were brought to the Revolutionary Court on February 8, 2010. They were issued a sentence of one year imprisonment in Zanjan and four years exile in the Ghaylar village close to Zanjan (a province in north western Iran).

Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran condemns the inhumane treatment of political prisoners in Iran and considers the denial of medical care for prisoners and the visitation bans as crimes.

We call on the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and other international authorities to take action to end the crimes committed by Ali Khamenei’s regime in Iran.

Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran

Majid Tavakoli Transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison

Student political prisoner Majid Tavakoli was transferred from Evin to Rajai Shahr prison (I.e. Gohardasht prison). Majid’s brother Ali Tavakoli told HRANA that he has not been able to communicate with his brother. A prisoner in Rajai Shahr prison has reportedly witnessed the transfer. In recent years, exile to Rajai Shahr prison is an action taken on political prisoners to punish them.

Tavakoli is one of the 17 political prisoners who launched a hunger strike around July 26th (almost all the prisoners ended their hunger strike after two weeks. Imprisoned journalist Keyvan Samimi remains on hunger strike). Tavakoli was last arrested on December 7, 2009 after delivering a speech for Student Day at Amirkabir University.

On January 19, 2010, branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced Majid Tavakoli to eight years and six months in prison. Additionally, Tavakoli was banned for five years from both leaving the country and engaging in any political activities.

TAKE ACTION | 12 ‘Hunger Strike’ Prisoners Transferred Back to General Ward, 3 Remain in Solitary

After 22 days in solitary confinement, 12 of the political prisoners formerly on hunger strike were transferred back to ward 350 (the general ward) in Evin prison. Abdollah Momeni, Bahman Ahmadi Amouie, and Keyvan Samimi remain in solitary confinement. Samimi is still on hunger strike after 23 days.

The Kaleme website reports that the 12 prisoners have lost weight and are physically weak. They have also not been able to meet with their families.

The transferred prisoners expressed grave concern over the physical well being of Keyvan Samimi. They stated that Samimi will break his hunger strike once Abdollah Momeni and Bahman Ahmadi Amouie are also transferred to the general ward.

Student activist Majid Tavakoli who was one of the prisoners on hunger strike was recently transferred from Evin to Rajai Shahr prison. Long time political prisoner Reza Malek remains in a solitary confinement cell in ward 350.

Abdollah Momeni, Keyvan Samimi and Bahman Ahmadi Amouie Return to Evin Prison’s General Ward

HRANA reports that Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat spokesperson Abdollah Momeni was returned to ward 350 (general ward) in Evin prison. Momeni endured 22 days of solitary confinement in ward 240 and he was on hunger strike for 18 of those days. Advar News reports that two other political prisoners, journalists Bahman Ahmadi Amouie and Keyvan Samimi, who were detained in solitary confinement in ward 240, were also transferred back to general ward 350.

Yesterday 12 other political prisoners were transferred back to the general ward as well. Imprisoned journalist Keyvan Samimi, who was on hunger strike until yesterday, maintained his strike until all the prisoners who were transferred to solitary confinement returned to ward 350.