Prison - IACNT | Iranian-American Community of North Texas

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Copyright©2010 by Women's Committee of the National Council of Resistance
of Iran (NCRI)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication m ay be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
A publication of the Women's Committee of the National Council of Resistance
of Iran
Correspondence address: B.P. 18, 95430 Auvers-sur-Oise, France.
Email: [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
The systematic violation of basic human rights of women continued over the past year in Ira n in
greater dimensions compared to the previous years.
The execution of 15 women, eight stoning and dozens of other death sentences issued for women, the
arrest of dozens of women’s rights activists on national security charges and at least 150,000 women on
mal-veiling charges show the extent of measures undertaken by the mullahs’ misogynous regime to
crack down on this potent force of opposition. At the same time, secret chain murders of female
prisoners were reported in Gohardasht and other prisons.
Dozens of women, relatives of PMOI members in Ashraf City, were arrested, tortured and jailed under
unbearable conditions. Mahsa Naderi, 19, suffering from severe bladder infection, Kobra Amirkhizi,
56, who lost her eye sight under torture, Shabnam Madadzadeh who had a heart stroke in prison at
the age of 21, Hamideh, Khadijeh and Fatemeh Nabavi, Zahra Asadpour Gorji, 51, Nazilla Dashti and
Fatemeh Zia’ii are among those arrested before the uprising in June and held without providing any
medical treatment.
In the mean time, the campaign to enforce compulsory veiling continued. The Iranian regime’s airport
officials announced that they had prevented 128 women from leaving the country because they had
not properly covered themselves. They issued over 170,000 warnings to women at the airports for the
same reason, and forced another 6,800 women to sign pledges to behave themselves. The supreme
leader’s representatives in different cities said improperly veiled women were the infantry force of the
enemy and should be dealt with seriously.
In mid-June, when the Iranian people found an opening to cry out their long-held demand for
freedom, women assumed their natural and righteous place at the forefront of this popular movement
for regime change. The blood-drenched face of Neda Agha Sultan with her open eyes became the
symbol of this powerful movement.
The world’s media reported extensively on the courageous role of Iranian women.
Mothers of those killed or arrested by government troops have comprised a major, steady engine of
anti-government protests over the past nine months. Once, over 30 of them were arrested and taken
into custody, but all were released after a week due to their staunch resistance in prison, demanding
their freedom. At the same time, young women and girls demonstrated tremendous courage in
confronting the troops assigned to suppress them. However, they have paid a heavy price for doing so.
The State Security Force created special female units and police stations to deal with women.
Hundreds of women arrested during the uprising have been taken to unknown location(s) and no
news is available on them.
Women’s wards in Evin and Gohardasht prisons are over-crowded. Nearly 10 people are held in small
cells made for only two and the number of cells fo r women have been increased several folds.
Torture, including rape, of female prisoners has been reported extensively. The raped and charred
body of Taraneh Moussavi was abandoned in the outskirts of Tehran.
Zahra Jabbari, 37, whose sister and brothers presently reside in Ashraf, revealed during her mock trial
that her nails had been drawn to extract false confession from her. She was sentenced to moharebeh
(enmity with God) along with three other women.
There have also been reports of secret burial of female political prisoners, some with heads crushed
under torture.
The Iranian Resistance draws the attention of all human and women’s rights advocates to these grave
violations of women’s rights in Iran and to take immediate and effective measures to help e nd this
situation.
The present book compiles the facts of women’s rights abuse in Iran from March 2009 to March 2010.
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Contents
Introduction
pg. 7
Contents
pg. 9
Systematic violations of the right to life
- Executions
- Arbitrary killings
- Deaths in custody
- Death sentences
- Stoning sentences
pg. 11
pg. 15
pg. 23
pg. 26
pg. 32
Inhumane treatment and cruel punishments
pg. 35
Arbitrary arrests
- Political arrests
- Social arrests
- Prison condition
- Prison sentences
pg. 49
pg. 65
pg. 67
pg. 81
Basic freedom and rights abused
pg. 87
Suppression of religious and ethnic minorities
pg. 103
Violence against women
pg. 111
Appendices
pg. 131
List of women executions - March 2009 to Feb. 2010
List of arbitrary killings of women – June 2009 – Feb. 2010
List of political arrests - June 2009 to Feb. 2010
List of female political prisoners - March 2009 to Jan. 2010
9
Systematic violations of the right to life
Execution and death sentence
Execution
May – 2009
Iran executes woman drawing Amnesty's ire
'Amnesty International is outraged at the execution of Delara Darabi, and
particularly at the news that her lawyer was not informed,' said Hassiba
Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty's deputy chief for the Middle East and North
Africa.
The execution went ahead on Friday morning at the Rasht central prison,
northwest of Tehran, 'despite the legal requirement that he (the lawyer)
should receive 48 hours' notice,' she said .
'This appears to have been a cynical move on the part of the authorities to
avoid domestic and international protests which might have saved Delara
Darabi's life,' Sahraoui added.
She was 'executed despite her having been given a two-month stay of
execution by the head of the judiciary on 19 April,' it said .
'Amnesty International does not consider her trial to have been fair, as the courts later refused to
consider new evidence which the lawyer said would have proved she could not have committed the
murder,' it added. (AFP – May 1, 2009)
Delara Darabi: 'Oh mother, I can see the noose '; 130 minors in death row
It was 7am when Delara Darabi phoned home. 'Oh mother, I see the hangman's noose in front of me,'
she garbled. 'They are going to execute me. Please save me.' Moments later a prison official snatched
the handset away. 'We will easily execute your daughter and there's nothing you can do about it,' he
barked at the parents. Then, with a chilling click, the line went dead .
The desperate couple rushed to the Central Prison in Rasht, Iran, wailing at the guards to let them see
their 22-year-old. As they prostrated themselves, an ambulance emerged, most probably with Delara's
corpse inside .
'They took Delara to the gallows with nobody around her,' Mohammad Mostafayi, one of her lawyers,
said in a letter distributed to human rights groups.
Ms Darabi - dubbed The Prisoner of Colours for the love of painting she developed whilst on death
row - was convicted for murdering her father's wealthy cousin in September 2003, when she was just
17. Although she initially confessed to the crime, she later said she had been persuaded to take the
blame by her older boyfriend Amir Hossein. It was in fact Mr Hossein who had killed the rich relation,
she said, to get the money .
The 19-year-old allegedly told Ms Darabi that she could save him from the gallows by confessing and
that would be no risk to her own life because she was still a minor. The young woman complied. Her
boyfriend was sentenced to 10 years in prison for complicity to murder; she was sentenced to death .
Not only had there been no formal notification 48 hours before the hanging, as required under
Iranian law, but, just a fortnight earlier, Ms Darabi had actually been granted a two-month stay of
execution by the head of the judiciary. The day before their daughter would end up being walked to
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the gallows, her parents had even visited her in jail where she had excitedly informed them there was
to be an appeal so new evidence could be heard. Twenty -four hours later, she was dead .
Iran leads the world in executing juvenile offenders, according to human rights groups, accounting for
two-thirds of such deaths in the past four years…Lawyers in Tehran estimate that at least 130 more are
waiting on death row .It was the fate to which these young individuals were doomed that Ms Darabi
sought to highlight through her haunting paintings. 'Delara is not alone,' she wrote to the pr esident of
Stop Child Executions. 'Delaras are trapped in prisons and in need ... of defenders of human rights
and humanity '.
Many of her images are monochrome, the harsh charcoal lines depicting anguished, tortured faces.
Others incorporate disturbing splashes of red, spattering the white headscarves of female prisoners, or
washed across the background to suggest the hell of incarceration . (The Independent – May 4, 2009)
Gilan Prosecutor: Delara’s family relied on outside media and foreign countries
Gilan's Prosecutor said, "Delara's death sentence was confirmed by Mr. Shahrudi, the head of the
Judiciary and unfortunately Delara's family relied on outside media and foreign countries to put
pressure on the Judiciary to save their daughter from execution instead of trying to get a pardon from
the victim's family.”
"Delara Darabi who committed murder at 17 was executed at 23 and was fully grown from Iran's legal
standpoint,” he added. (Ham Mihan News – May 7, 2009)
Iran hangs 3 men and 1 woman in Evin Prison
Six out of 10 people who were taken to the gallows to be executed today were able to get a respite from
the families of the victims while four others were executed.
Nine out of ten of these prisoners were men and the youngest man was 17. A woman named Zeinab,
who was sentenced to death for killing her husband, was among these prisoners.
From these convicts, four people including Zeinab, Hamid, Safar-Ali and Hassan-Ali were hanged
while six others received a 6 month respite. (Fars state -run news agency – May 6, 2009)
Iran hangs 9 people for murder, drug trafficking
Nine people, including a 30-year-old woman, have been hanged in Iran, state media reported
Thursday…Five others convicted of drug trafficking were hanged in the southeastern city of Kerman,
some 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) southeast of the capital, Tehran, state radio reported. It did not say
when they were hanged.
No other details were immediately known. The nine were only identified by their first names. The
country does not publish official statistics on executions. (AP – May 7, 2009)
Two more prisoners executed; three including woman await execution
Two prisoners were hanged in the prison yard on Monday morning and three other prisoners
including a woman await execution in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. On May 11, Hossein Baqeri, 32 and
Alireza Malek-Mohammadi, 35 were executed in this prison.
A female prisoner by the name of Maryam Rezayi-Poor was transferred from the women's ward to
solitary for execution. (Human Rights and Democracy Activist s in Iran – May 11, 2009)
Iran hangs pair for drug trafficking: report
Iran has hanged a woman and a man convicted of drug trafficking in the northern city of Qazvin, the
government newspaper Iran reported on Thursday.
The woman only identified by her first name as Azita, 30, and the man, Mohammad, were hanged in
prison on Wednesday for smuggling three kilos (6.6 pounds) of crack cocaine, the report said .
The pair had been arrested in May 2007 with the drugs on their way to the northern city of Rasht, it
added. (AFP - May 14, 2009)
Woman, three men hanged in Iran
A woman and three men have been hanged in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, a newspaper
reported on Saturday.
The woman, identified only by her first name Afsaneh, was executed on Wednesday for killing her
husband with the help of her lover, the Etemad newspaper said .
The other convicts hanged on Wednesday were an Afghan man found guilty of raping a 50-year-old
woman, an Iranian drug trafficker and a murderer, the report said .(AFP - May 23, 2009)
July
Woman hanged in Qazvin Prison
A woman who had been imprisoned and sentenced to death for the unintentional murder of her
father-in-law was hanged on Tuesday last week in the women's section of Qazvin Prison.
She had been in prison for four years but due to poverty and the lack of a lawyer, was unable to prove
that the murder was unintentional. She was sentenced to retribution by a court and was hanged in the
early morning in this prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – July 19, 2009)
August
Iran hangs a woman and man in Shiraz
A man and a woman convicted of murder were sent to the gallows in a prison of the southern Iranian
city of Shiraz, Etemad newspaper reported on Saturday.
The woman, identified as Jamileh, was convicted of setting ablaze her husband Hamid as he slept,
while the executed man was named as Faraz, it said. The hangings took place on Wednesday (July 29).
(AFP - Aug 1, 2009)
September
Women executed in Khorassan
According to reports from Iran, a woman was executed in a prison in Sarakhs in Khorassan. Javad
Shakeri, Khorassan's Prosecutor confirmed this report and said, "This woman was accused of killing
her husband and after her crime was proved, her sentence was carried out on Thursday September 24
in the Sarakhs Prison ."
The name and age of this woman was not stated in the report. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Sep.
27, 2009)
October
Iran executes man in Tabriz Prison; wife awaiting stoning sentence
Rahim Mohammadi's lawyer said that he was executed yesterday morning without the knowledge of his
family and lawyer.
"This young man and his wife were sentenced to death and stoning to death by a Tabriz Court and
with the verdict of five judges in the second branch of the Tabriz Penal Court and Court of Review
and their sentences were confirmed by two judges in the 27 th branch of the Supreme Court. This
sentence was carried out for Rahim yesterday without the knowledge of his family and lawyer and the
stoning sentence of Kobra Babayi, his wife, will soon be carried out. (Human Rights Activists in Iran –
Oct. 8, 2009)
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Iran hangs two women and four men
Iran has hanged five convicted drug traffickers plus a murderer in a prison in the southwestern city of
Ahvaz, the Kayhan newspaper reported Tuesday.
The report said that on October 6, a man and two women convicted of drug trafficking and identified
respectively as Abdollah J., Khadijeh J., and Fouzieh J. were hanged.
The same day, a man who was identified as Karim A. was hanged after being convicted of murder.
The report added that on October 8, two drug traffickers, identified as Oday B., and Saad B., were sent
to gallows.
The newspaper gave no further details of the executions . (AFP - Oct 13, 2009)
Iran Executes one woman and four men
The death sentence of Sohaila Qadiri, convicted of killing her five day old baby was carried out in the
morning in Evin Prison. Four men were also hung with her. (Committee of Human Rights Reporters
– Oct. 21, 2009)
Background information:
Woman to be executed this week despite being 'legally' pardo ned
The death sentence of Sohaila Qadiri convicted of killing her 5 day
old child will be carried out this week with the request of the
prosecutor.
Qadiri was sentenced to death with the request of the prosecutor by
the 71st branch of the Penal Court and this sentence was upheld by
the Supreme Court. Last year, after many attempts to find the father
of the child and with the persistent cooperation of the father of the
child (M.Q) to save Sohaila, a plea was surrendered to the family
court to prove their spousal relationship.
Soheila Qadiri in court
Finally the court recognized their spousal relationship which meant
that the child which was the outcome of this marriage belonged to M.Q according to law and that he
was the legal parent of the 5 day old child. M.Q went to the Sentence Execution Department of the
Criminal Court and announced that he had pardoned Sohaila.
Mina Jafari, Sohaila's lawyer said regarding her client, "No one knows Sohaila's real name, her place of
residence, her age or anything about her past. She ran away from her father's home at the age of 16 to
escape a forced marriage".
"She was forced into prostitution in various cities to make a living and was raped and even group raped
on several occasions", she added.
"We cited the fact that Sohaila suffered from a mental illness after she gave birth but unfortunately the
court doctor confirmed the mental health of Soheila. This is while everyone in prison says that she is
mentally ill", she said adding that "unfortunately, it is not clear how it is possible that w hile the
complainant (father of the child) has pardoned her, the prosecutor is requesting retribution." (Human
Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 19, 2009)
November
Iran hangs two men and one woman
Iran has hanged two men and a woman convicted of drug trafficking and a rapist, local media reported
on Wednesday.
A report in Kayhan newspaper identified the first two men as Vahid Sh. 35 and Rasoul T. and the
woman as Beygum P. They were hanged in a prison in the central city of Isfahan on Monday, it said.
ISNA news agency said an unidentified 23-year-old man convicted of robbery and rape was hanged in
the Bojnourd city in north eastern North Khorasan province. It did not give the date of execution .
(AFP - Nov 18, 2009)
January- 2010
Man executed is secret, wife to be stoned to death
Mohammad Mostafayi, a lawyer, said that his client Rahim Mohammadeif was executed without his
knowledge or the knowledge of his family and Kobra Babayi (his wife) will also be stoned to death in
the near future.
'This young man and his wife were sentenced to execution and stoning last year in a court in Tabriz
with the verdict of the five judges of the second branch of the Court of Review. Their sentences were
ready to be carried out after it was confirmed by two judges in the 27 th branch of the Supreme Court.
This sentence was carried out yesterday in the prison for Rahim, the male offender in the case, and
Kobra Babayi is to be stoned to death in the near future in accordance to her sentence', Mostafayi said.
(ILNA state-run news agency – Jan. 20, 2010)
Arbitrary killings
June - 2009
Four women die suspiciously in prison
The first girl who was killed in prison was 17 -year-old Leila who was jailed a few months ago on charges
of using drugs. Leila was an addict and had gone to the prison guards for treatment but instead of
sending her to a drug rehabilitation center, she was sent to prison and died after a short time.
Hedieh was another woman who had become a drug addict after divorcing her husband and losing a
child custody case. She was sentenced to three years of prison. Her body was found hanged in her cell.
Shirin was jailed on charges of robbery. Her body was also found hanged in her cell.
Parisa was the last women who died in prison. She was arrested on charges of drug addiction. When
her trial was about to begin, they said that she had died in jail. (E'temad state -run daily – June 9, 2009)
Killed students secretly buried
Plainclothes security agents attacked Tehran University Dorms at night, killing at least five students
named Ms. Mobina Ehterami, Ms. Fatemeh Barati, Messrs Kasra Sharafi, Kambiz Shoaii, and Mohssen
Imani. In addition, similar attack took place against Shiraz University Dorms. At least two students
were killed in this attack. (Amir Kabir newsletter – June 16, 2009)
After undercover agents attacked the residents of Tehran University's dormitory, a number of students
were shot and killed by these forces. According to reports, their bodies were buried at the Behesht
Zahra Cemetary without their families being informed. (Ham Mihan Website – June 16, 2009)
Female students killed in Kermanshah's Razi University
A female student by the last name of Tahmasebi who was hit on the head with a club by undercover
agents yesterday during demonstrations, passed away in the Imam Reza hospital in this city. (Iran Press
News – June 18, 2009)
15
More than 43 men and women killed in Iran unrest
In the five days of the unrest in Iran, more than 43
people were killed by security forces. More than 30
people were killed in clashes with the Ansar-e
Hezbollah, Special Guards Forces, and Intelligence
agents in Tehran while more than 13 people have also
been killed in other Iranian cities such as Shiraz,
Kermanshah, Khoram Abad, Ahvaz, Isfahan, Mashhad,
and other cities. Currently some of the injured
protesters are in very critical condition in various
Tehran hospitals. In the Hezartakhtekhabi Hospital, 4
wounded protesters are in coma.
Many detainees have been transferred to Gohardasht Prison in Karaj and Kahrizak Camp. Kahrizak is
one of the most notorious detention centers in Iran where prisons are under severe physical, sexual,
and mental torture. Reports from this detention center say that at the end of every week, Radan, the
head of the security forces in Tehran, goes to this camp with a helicopter along with a several other
agents and personally tortures detainees. Many prisoners have been killed in this prison under torture.
The families of the arrested detainees have no news on the condition of their loved ones. They go to
hospitals with pictures trying to find their relatives. The pursuit of their family members from various
regime institutions has so far been futile. There have been other reports that regime forces have
secretly buried the bodies of a number of those they have killed without notifying their families.
(Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – June 18, 2009)
Regime harasses families of dead protesters, does not hand over bodies of dead
According to reports from Tehran, the violent attacks by security forces have lead to the death of many
people.
The bodies of those who were killed for freedom have been transferred to an unknown location and
are in the hands of intelligence agents.
The names of some of those who were killed are: Maryam Mehr Azar , 24; Milad Yazdan Panah, 30;
Hamed Besharati, 26; Babak Sepehr, 35. It is reported that they were shot and killed in Azadi Street.
The families of the dead protesters gathered today outside the coroner's office. The painful scenes of
crying mothers moved everyone witnessing the scene. These families were forced to stay outside the
coroner's for hours demanding to receive the bodies of their loved ones but nobody would answer
them. They were told that their bodies were not there and that they had to go to the intellige nce
agency to pursue this case. When the families went to the Intelligence agency staff department, no one
answered them there either.
Intelligence agents threaten these families in various ways to prevent them from disclosing the names
of their loved ones who were killed by security forces. They have been told that if they do, they will not
receive their bodies for burial. They have also been threatened with arrest. Regime forces have
subjected them to severe pressure to hide their crimes. (Human Rights a nd Democracy Activists in Iran
– June 21, 2009)
Amnesty: the Iranian authorities should disband
Bassij
Amnesty International is calling on the government of
Iran to stop using the Basij militia to police
demonstrations with immediate effect…
Basij forces are widely used to help to maintain law
and order and repress dissent, and have frequently
been accused of using extreme brutality. Many of
Neda Agha Soltan
those who took part in the recent demonstrations claim non - uniformed and armed personnel, whom
they believed to be members of the Basij militia, used excessive force and carried out human rights
violations - including beatings and use of firearms - against demonstrators on the streets…
Another video of a young woman identified as Neda, dying apparently from a chest wound, has been
widely circulated amid claims of involvement of Basij members. The response of the Iranian
authorities has not been to open a proper investigation to clarify the circumstances of any death but
rather to issue further warnings that protests wi ll be handled in a ‘revolutionary manner’ by the Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Basij militia and other police and security forces. (Amnesty
International - June 22, 2009)
Two female students beaten to death in Bandar Abbas
Bandar Abbas - Last week in a popular gathering in this city, a large number of students and young
people who had become injured from being struck in the face and head with police clubs were
arrested.
Those who are injured are afraid of going to hospitals because the chances of being identified by
security forces are high. After one week of clashes, students in the Free University are under severe
control.
According to some students, in one incident, security forces attacked four girls and beat them so
severely they passed out on the street. When the people went to help them, a security forces came with
a police car, violently throwing them in the back of the car. Two of them died on the spot. The police
have not handed over any bodies to their families, therefore, people are trying to identify the victims.
(Iran News Agency – June 25, 2009)
Nearly 250 male and female protesters killed in unrest
Iran's pro-democracy movement is changing strategy, uses smaller, and more dispersed demonstrations
to try to protect protesters from security forces, who dissidents now say have killed nearly 250 people
in the past 10 days.
The Iranian government has said that 17 people have died so far during the postelection protests; Mr.
Makhmalbaf said the toll was 249.
'We are hearing that Arabs have been brought into Iran to disperse the demonstration,' he said. 'Our
people say they are covering their heads, and speaking in Arabic. It is hard to say whether they are
Iraqis working with Khamenei or Arabs from Lebanon. We have seen this before, Arabs coming to
Iran to break up demonstrations in recent years, but we see this now on a much larger scale.'
(Washington Times - June 25, 2009)
Witness: at least one woman killed in June 25 demos
'Today we are trying to protest in front of the
university. We will not stop. We will continue.
Nobody is for this regime. They want Khamenei to
go,' said Reza, a Tehran university graduate in a call
to my colleague Mark Rice-Oxley.
He also claimed that at least one woman was killed
in yesterday's clashes.
Basij and Revolutionary Guards attacked us. There
were helicopters. Some people were chased away by
helicopters. They beat us, shot at us, and wounded
people. I know one woman was killed, though I
heard that many more were killed because it wasn't just happening i n Tehran but in other cities too.’
There is gruesome account of police beatings from Behnaz, a student in Isfahan, on Lidovky, the
website of the Czech daily Lidove noviny. Reader Andrew Gardner has sent through this translation of
an email exchange between her and news Editor Jan Nevyhosteny.
17
LN: How are the Basij trying to suppress the unrest?
Behnaz: They are beating demonstrators in a brutal fashion. They're hitting people with heavy staves,
to the head and to the stomach. Some people have been beaten to death. They have no reservations
about attacking children and old people. There's talk of a pregnant woman having been shot; she then
gave birth on the street. Here in Isfahan, one person was first beaten and then thrown from a roof. I
was at his funeral today [24 June]. His family can't talk about the circumstances of his death with
anyone; they've been threatened.
LN: Is the regime applying pressure on the families of protesters ?
Behnaz: The regime is putting a lot of pressure on the families of demonstrators who've been detained
and killed. When you see how they treat people on the streets, in front of everyone, what must they be
doing to those who are in detention?
LN: Were the elections manipulated, or were there only isolated instances of manipulati on?
Behnaz: If the elections had been perfectly in order, why would the government be so resistant to
holding them again? They should, after all, produce the same result. Why, instead of that, do they
prefer to kill so many innocent people on the streets ? (The Guardian – June 25, 2009)
July
Families of killed protesters banned from mourning their loved ones
The treatment of security forces with the families of killed protesters is very inhumane and insulting.
These families are under pressure from intelligence agents and they are only given the bodies of their
loved ones for burial if they accept a number of conditions for their burial. These conditions are:
1. The ceremony has to be discreet and only close relatives can be present
2. No one is allowed to speak or chant slogans against the government in the ceremony
3. No one is allowed to mention the cause of death in the ceremony and this should not be written
on the tomb stone
Some of the names of those who were killed by security forces and are buried in Behesht Zahra
Cemetery are:
1. Mohammad Hossein Barzegar, 25, fatally shot in the head on June 17
2. Seyed Reza Tabatabyi, 30, accounting bachelor's degree, fatally shot in the head on June 21
3. Iman Hashemi, 27, fatally shot in the eye on June 21
4. Parisa Kelli (f), 25, literature university degree, fatally shot in the neck on June 22
5. Mohsen Hadadi, 24, computer programmer, fatally shot in the forehead on June 21
6. Mohammad Nickzadi, 22, architect bachelor's degree, fatally shot in the chest on June 16
7. Ali Shahedi, 24, died in a police station for unknown reasons on June 22. His family believes he
died in the police station as a result of being battered in the head with a club.
8. Vahed Akbari, 34, married with a 3-year-old daughter, was fatally shot in the side of his body on
June 21
9. Abolfazl Abdollahi, 21, electrical postgraduate, fatally shot in the back of the head outside the
Industrial Sharif Univ. on June 21
10. Salar Tahmasebi, 27, trade managing master's degree student in Rasht, fatally shot in the forehead
on June 21
11. Fahimeh Salahshur (f), 25, beaten on the head with a club, died as a result of internal bleeding in
hospital on June 14.
12. Vahid Reza Tabatabayi, 29, English bachelor's degree, fatally shot in the head on June 24 (Human
Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – July 3, 2009)
Bodies of hundreds of protesters in South Tehran refrigeration room
The bodies of hundreds of people who were killed in the recent unrest in the past month are kept in a
large refrigerator in South Tehran. This is while many of the families of detainees go from prison to
court and back again and do not get any answers from officials on the whereabouts of their loved ones.
Some of the families are invited to go to unknown locations and after receiving threats that another
one of their family members will be hurt, being forced to agree not to give out any information on the
death of their children, and coerced into signing a paper which confirms that their children died from
an accident or another natural event, the bodies of their loved ones are handed over to them. One of
the persons who asked not to be named said that he or she was taken to a large refrigerator used to
refrigerate fruits and milk products and given an album which contained pictures of hundreds of
bodies to identify his or her family member from the album. According to this person, looking at the
hundreds of picture took about 30 minutes. This person also said that while leaving the refrigerator,
he or she saw the bodies of dozens of protesters piled on top of each other. (Noruz Website – July 14,
2009)
Young female prisoner dies after consuming lethal pills
Hedieh Movayedi who had been hospitalized and in a coma from few days ago after consuming lethal
pills passed away on Friday at 1pm in the Loqman Aldoleh Hospital.
A number of her cellmates say that she had not committed suicide and that a number of prisoners
force fed her the pills. (Iran News Agency – July 18, 2009)
Her story
A girl who was imprisoned in the Gohardasht Prison in Karaj for complicity in the murder of an
inmate committed suicide after her last trial and is currently in a coma in the Loqman Hospital.
"Hedieh Moayedi was born in 1990. In 2004, she went to her friends house, and after a person named
Ali filed a complaint against her she was arrested by the police", her lawyer Mohammad Mostafayi said.
"The police found some unmarked bills and alcohol in the house. She was charged and a criminal
record was filed for her. Instead of sending her case to a children's court and detaining her in a
correctional institution, her case was sent to branch 1089 of the General Court in Tehran and then
she was sent to Evin Prison (at the age of 14)".
"Hedieh has endured many hardships in prison. This was to an extent that she was forced to use
sleeping pills and pain killers on a daily basis. She was transferred to Gohardasht Prison after a short
time", her lawyer added.
"She sometimes used drugs to ease her pain.
In 2005, she was thrown into solidarity as punishment along with four of her cellmates. In the cell,
Hanieh, another prisoner, gets into a fight with another prisoner named Fereshteh and kills her. After
this, Hedieh was convicted of complicity in the murder. After three years, her case was sent to the 80 th
branch of the Criminal Court in Karaj and on July 3 Hedieh did not accept the claimed charges
against her."
Her lawyer also emphasized that in the past four years, Hedieh has been subjected to the worst mental
pressures to the point that she was forced to commit suicide". (Sarmaye state -run daily – July 14, 2009)
Security forces fatally shoot father his little daughter
On Tuesday afternoon, security forces and Revolutionary Guards Forces attacked and surrounded a
house in Orumieh's Valiasr neighborhood. They opened fire on the house with light firearms and
RPGs without warning the residents. Finally, a man and his little daughter came out of the house with
their hands behind their heads in a show of surrender but security forces opened fire on them instead
of arresting them. They were each shot 20 times and their bodies with treated with disrespect. (Iran
News Agency – July 23, 2009)
19
August
Victims of police abuse secretly buried in unmarked graves in Tehran
Hanif Mazroyi, editor in chief of the Nurooz Website said, "On July 12, one of the mothers of the
victims of the protests saw several dead bodies in a refrigeration container in southern Tehran named
Amirzadeh while looking for her missing son. After we were informed of this matter, we published a
report on this the same day. After researching the issue, we noticed that on that same night on July 12,
there was some unnatural traffic going and coming from that refrigeration container and the personnel
working there confirmed this. We tried to find out where the bodies were being taken. Days after we
published the news, we noticed that a number of the bodies handed over to families were completely
frozen. This is while if they had been kept in a morgue this would not have happed to the bodies after
40 days. On the night of July 21, a number of the Behesht Zahra Cemetery personnel told us that a
number of cars, which did not belong to the cemetery, had entered the cemetery and that this took
place again on July 15. After some more investigation by our friends in the website, it became clear
that the bodies were buried without any description in the new 302 section in this cemetery which is
almost outside the boundaries of the old cemetery area. (BBC TV Farsi service – Aug. 24, 2009)
Eyewitness says bodies of women secretly buried in Tehran Cemetery were raped
Woman who works in Behesht Zahra Cemetery mortuary: Last night (July 13) when we entered the
cemetery, we saw that they had placed a large number of corpses, about 30, which were completely
frozen on the ground to thaw. There were many (agents) with beards there as well and they took me
and some of my colleagues to a room. An elderly man started to talk to us and said that tonight and
some other nights we have to bury some bodies, which belong to the Monafeqin (hypocrites), and we
want to bury them in a way so that spies and news agencies are not informed. If we talk about this with
anyone, we can be sure that our lives and the lives of every single person in our families will be in
danger.
They gave us the bodies of 5 women which were completely frozen on that night but I think they had
more than 20 bodies in the men's section. Blood was frozen on their faces were there were deep cuts.
They were three middle-aged women and two girls who were in their 20's. The head of one of the girls
was completely destroyed.
Tonight (July 14), when they took us to the same area in the cemetery we saw that the bodies were four
times as much as yesterdays. More than 100! They gave us in the women's section, 23 unidentified
bodies. What bothered me the most was that the frozen bodies belonged to girls who had blood clots
coming out of their genitals and anus in
addition to broken jaws and deep cuts on
their faces. Some of the girls were under 20
years old…
The Behesht Zahra employee also said that
she heard from her colleagues that these
bodies were related to post-election clashes.
She also said that weeks later she heard
that a large number of bodies were not
buried in the Behesht Zahra Cemetery and
were taken to an unknown location. (Iran
Press News Website – Aug. 26, 2009)
More photos of unmarked graves in
Tehran Cemetery disclosed
The picture below is related to another
section in the Behesht Zahra Cemetery in
which dozens of bodies are buried without any identification and even without burial permits. These
pictures are not related to section 302 and we will disclose the name of this section in the future.
(Nurooz Website – Aug. 27, 2009)
September
Eyewitness: 16 frozen bodies of men and women secretly brought to cemetery for burial
Interview with gravedigger in Behesht Zahra Cemetery who said that 16 frozen bodies were brought to
this cemetery for burial:
-What do you do in Behesht Zahra?
-I bring dirt and empty it on the graves.
Q-Your friend said you were here that night in the cemetery.
A-A lot of people had died that night. They told us they had died in an accident.
Q-What happened?
A-First a bus came with its lights off. They first told us that the bus had broken down and had come to
the cemetery to be repaired! Then it came near and we realized something was going on. They went in
that section. Then its lights were turned on and then off again. They told us to come. The bodies were
placed in the bus suitcases compartment. They were all frozen and some of them were stuck together.
They wanted to separate them with shovels and three shovel handles broke because they were in such a
hurry. Some of the bodies that were naked were stuck together with ice and when they could not
separate them, they brought down the walls of about 2 or 3 graves and threw them in together; girls
and boys were placed together in the graves… The bodies were very bloody, frozen blood… There were
a lot of undercover police on the scene…
Q-Are you sure they were police?
A-Yeah, well they all had walkie-talkies.
Q-What were they saying?
A-I wouldn't know, police stuff.
Q-Tell me about the dead bodies.
A-It was obvious it was a really bad accident!
Q-Were they young or old?
A-They were all young and dried up like wood.
Q-Why?
A- Because they were frozen!
Q-Then what happened?
A-We were bringing dirt for the graves until the morning and then we washed the bus and it left.
(Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Sep. 6, 2009)
Another woman among dead protesters
The identity of a number of other people who were killed (in the recent unrest) has been revealed.
According to reports, the identity of three more people has been revealed who were taken to Golestan
Province and handed over to their families after their death in Tehran. They are Ismaili from the city
of Khan in the Golestan Province, Dr. Maqsoud-lou from the city of Sorkhankalateh and Dr. Rahimi
(female) from the city of Gorgan. According to this report, the families of these people were banned
from freely holding ceremonies for their deaths. The family of Dr. Rahimi was told to tell people that
she had been poisoned. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Sep. 7, 2009)
21
October
Mother killed in protests while protecting son
Another victim of the bloody events of June has been identified.
On June 20, Fatemeh Samsar-pour and her son Kaveh Mir-Assadollahi were severely injured by snipers
affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards Forces and the Bassij Forces. Fatemeh who was standing near
her home with her small child had reportedly come out to see what was going on in the nearby streets
and to help the people on the streets. She was fatally shot after shielding her son from the bullets.
Fatemeh was taken to the hospital along with her son but doctors were only able to save her son. Her
body was given to her family after many pursuits but they were not allowed to hold a burial ceremony
in Tehran. The family was forced to hold a small ceremony for her is a northern town and buried her
there. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Oct. 24, 2009)
December
Neda's mother says regime forces targeted daughter
Neda Aqasoltan was killed along with a number of other young protesters in Tehran during protests to
election results.
Neda's mother says that the (government)
killed Neda.
"Once when they were threatening me to
keep silent, they told me that they had
targeted my daughter. They told me that they
had filmed me and my daughter in previous
marches. This claim shows that they targeted
my daughter and killed her on the day of the
From left to right: Neda and her mother mourning her death
incident", she said. (JRS Website – Dec. 3,
2009)
Names of 8 men and women killed in Ashura protests
The names of eight people who were killed in Tehran yesterday were announced. The State Security
Forces announced in a statement that after investigations, it became evident that 8 people were
suspiciously killed.
The State Security Forces in the Greater Tehran District announced t he names of the victims as:
1- Mehdi Farhadi Rad, 34, died after being shot in the face with a pellet shotgun
2- Mohammad Ali Rasekhi Nia, 40, died after being shot with pellet shotgun
3- Amir Arshadi, 30, cause of death unknown
4- Shahram Faraji, 30, cause of death unknown
5- Seyed Ali Moussavi Habibi, 42, fatally shot
6- Jahanbakht Pazuki, 50, cause of death unknown
7- Unidentified man, 31, stabbed with knife
8- Unidentified woman, 43, probably killed from a fall or accident (Ayande Website – Dec. 28,
2009)
January- 2010
Six people dead, two severely injured after security forces open fire on travelling family
At least eight people were killed or injured after security forces opened fire on ordinary citizens in
Iranshahr.
On January 7, security forces stationed on the Darzadeh Shahr Street in the town of Iranshahr in
Sistan and Baluchistan opened fire on a passing car for unknown reasons. This action led to the death
of the driver identified as Moradbakhsh Kadkhodayi. Four other people were killed after
Moradbakhsh's car crashed into another car which caught fire. The security forces that had opened fire
left the scene without helping the fire victims.
The wife and two children of Mr. Kadkhodayi who were travelling with him were severely injured in
this incident. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Jan. 8, 2010)
February
Women killed by regime forces in Tehran
The wife of Iran's main opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi was attacked by government militia
Thursday, according to a report on his official Facebook page…
Opposition protesters accused security forces of using live ammunition, knives and teargas against
them, as well as paint-filled balls that would identify those opposed to the regime later.
More mobile phone footage from the protests posted on Facebook showed an Iranian protester
apparently being viciously beaten by a militia man in full armor.
Unconfirmed reports on Twitter suggested a woman was killed in opposition protests in Tehran, as
Iranian dissidents claimed two female protesters were 'severely beaten' by police. (The New York Post Feb. 11, 2010)
Deaths in custody
March- 2009
Iran destroys evidence of murder of young doctor in detention center
Some of the evidence in Zahra Bani Ya'ghubs case has been destroyed. Doctor Zahra Bani Ya'ghub was
murdered in 2007 in a detention center in Hamadan. Abdolfatah Sultani, a lawyer for the Bani
Ya'ghub family said that one of the "important evidence in this case is the clothes Zahra was wearing
which probably bears evidence of her being murdered and maybe that is why the detention center is
not willing to hand it over".
"The lawyers on this case have tried many times to get zahra's clothes back but their efforts have so far
been futile", Soltani added.
"The cloth that they (officials of the detention center) claim she hanged herself with in the detention
center in Hamadan has also disappeared", Soltani said.
"This cloth has to be examined by specialists to determine if such a cloth can even tolerate the weight
of Zahra's body ", added this lawyer. (Center of Po litical Prisoners in Exile – March 24, 2009)
23
Charred body of raped girl found in Qazvin
Friends of Taraneh Mousavi, who was arrested on June 28 near the
Qoba Mosque, have said that her family has found her charred body
in the suburbs of Qazvin.
After one of her friends called Taraneh's home to pursue her
condition, Taraneh's parents said that her charred body was found in
the region between Karaj and Qazvin. Her family did not give any
information about the time of the funeral saying that they could no t
give any more details.
Taraneh Mousavi was arrested on June 28 while waiting for a friend
on Shari'ati Street to go to the Qoba Mosque with. She was arrested by
regime agents and her friend who was near the site of her arrest saw
that they took her away with a van.
Two weeks after her arrest, an unidentified person called her home
telling her mother that she was hospitalized in Karaj's Khomeini Hospital. The unidentified person
said that Taraneh was taken to the hospital after she had an accident. Taraneh's mom said that others
had called before placing Taraneh in the scene of the clashes near the Qoba Mosque and that she was
arrested but the caller said that Taraneh had nothing to do with the events of the Qoba Mosque and
she was probably involved in a moral issue because she wanted to hang herself with her IV tube in the
hospital. He also stated that the reason she was hospitalized was because of a tear in her uterus and
rectum. Her family went to the hospital but hospital officials deny that Taraneh wa s hospitalized there.
One of the personnel said that an unconscious girl with braided hair was brought to the hospital by a
number of people who looked to be "members of Hezbollah", only to be taken out of the hospital
again.
The statements made by the unidentified caller shows that intelligence agents and plainclothes agents
want to Taraneh's family to think that her case was nonpolitical in an attempt to impel them to think
that their daughter had moral issues so that after hearing about her death, they would not pursue the
reason behind her death.
It is not strange that her family would not give information about her funeral and how she died
because all the families of the victims of recent events are threatened by security forces and intelligence
agents that if the families hold their funerals and other ceremonies in their memory with the presence
of people, one of their other loved ones will get into serious trouble. (Zirzamin Weblog – July 16, 2009)
August
Head of Bassij raped Taraneh Moussavi
The suppression of the protest gathering at the
Qoba Mosque in Tehran was under the supervision
of the Sarallah Base supervised by Tayeb (head of
the Bassij paramilitary forces). Detainees were taken
away in black vans which is a trademark of the
Sarallah Base. Detainees were taken to a center in
the Sarallah Base in Soal Street. This center is one
of the most horrifying detention centers in Iran and
is known as Abu-ghuraib…
Tayeb personally interrogated a number of the
prisoners supposedly looking trying to find their 'leaders' and the organizing network behind the
protest. The name of Taraneh Moussavi (a young girl who was detained, violently raped and then
burned) drew Tayeb's attention because of the resemblance with Mir Hossein Moussavi's name and he
had his forces bring Taraneh to his room for interrogation.
Taraneh Moussavi was last seen by the people who worked in this complex while she was being taken
for interrogation and unlike other detainees who brought back to the detention center, Taraneh never
returned. Her name was erased from the list of detainees the next day…
Two things are certain. Tayeb ordered that Taraneh be brought to him for interrogation and Taraneh
disappeared after the interrogation. The first reports of this issue were leaked indirectly by the
personnel in this detention center and they were certain that the reason behind why Taraneh was not
brought back to the detention center was because Tayeb had sexually abused her. (Sohrabestan Weblog
– Aug. 21, 2009)
November
Gohardasht Prison officials rape then murder female prisoners to hide evidence: report
According to reports from Gohardasht Prison, there have been serial killings in the Women's Ward in
Gohardasht Prison in Karaj. This has so far led to the death of several female prisoners. Those who
order and execute these murders record their deaths as 'suicide' or 'not having access to drugs' in their
death certificates.
According to reports, the last of these victims was Hedieh Moveidi. The tragic death of nine women
has so far been confirmed in section 7 of the Women's Ward in this prison. But reports say that the
actual number of deaths are higher than this. There are also a number of eyewitnesses who are willing
to describe the details of these deaths with the names of the victims and those were involved to an
independent international committee on the condition that their safety is guaranteed.
The victims who are between the ages of 22 to 30 were all arrested for 'improper veiling' or drug use.
They were confined to solitary for more than a month in very hard conditions. They were forced to
accept what the interrogators demanded to be transferred out of solitary. The interrogators forced
them to confess to false deeds and immoral acts with promises and threats. After this, they made new
cases against the women, sent these cases to court and sentenced them to heavy punishments. They
then used these defenseless women as their sex slaves constantly raping and sexually abusing them to
destroy their body and soul. When they showed resistance or protested they were transferred to hall 21
in section 7 which has very hard conditions.
These women were given mind altering addictive drugs instead of sedatives by a number of people in
the women's ward who call themselves psychiatrists. These so called psychiatrists gradually increased
the doses of these drugs until their victims became addicted to them.
There are 'drug mafias' in various sections of the female wards used to distribute drugs and suppress
and kill dissenting prisoners. They kill their victims after a while to erase their tracks.
One of the young women who was killed was Mahnaz Akbar Tehrani. She was transferred to solitary
cell with shackles and was hanged in her cell. She was left hanging for 12 hours.
The names of a number of women who were murdered in the serial killings in section 7 of the
Women's Ward are as follows:
1. Mahnaz Akbar Tehran – Date of death 2009
2. Hedieh Moveidi – Date of death 2009
3. Shirin Zoqhi Futovat – Date of death 2009
4. Catherine Safa Kermanshahi – Date of death 2005
5. Mina Molki – Date of death 2005
6. Fereshteh Rajab Zadeh – Date of death in 2005
25
7. Arezu Abdi – Date of death 2005
8. Hanieh Hadian – Date of death is unknown
9. Fereshteh – her last name and date of death will be announced in the future
The head of section 7 is a woman named Simin Jalilvand. The serial killings are carried out by gangs
working under her supervision. She summons dissenting prisoners to her office after every murder
telling them that the victim has not committed suicide and that she has bee n killed in order to
threaten the dissenters. A number of the initial serial killings were ordered by the former head of this
ward identified as Maryam Khadem Sharifi aka Maryam Mohammadi. (Human Rights and Democracy
Activists in Iran – Nov. 14, 2009)
January – 2010
Female political prison suspiciously dies in Orumieh Prison
Zahra Jafari, a female political prisoner died suspiciously after five months in Orumieh Prison.
According to eyewitnesses, the body of this political prisoner who was charged with having contacts
with an opposition group was initially taken to the prison medical clinic and then was transferred to
outside prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Jan. 7, 2010)
Female prisoner killed in Eshrat Abad Detention Center in Tehran
According to reports from informed and credible sources in Eshrat Abad Detention Center in Tehran,
a girl by the first name of Elahe, 24 (medium height, had on a black coat and jeans when arrested) was
hit on the head in the interrogations with a chair and had a brain haemorrhage which led to her
instant death. According to this report, this girl was an orphan who grew up in an orphanage in
Kurdistan and had come to Tehran for work. She apparently worked in a clothing factory near
Enqelab Square as a laborer in the past few months. Since this girl did not have a guardian, her
interrogator constantly asked for her name, address and about her relatives and the address of those
she was working, with he threw a chair at her in anger (because she could not answer her questions)
which led to her death in the evening of January 8. He body was immediately taken to an unknown
location.
According to this report, injured detainees in this detention center are denied treatment and warm
cloths and women are treated very inhumanely. (Iran Press News – Jan. 10, 2010)
Death sentence
March- 2009
Innocent woman forced to confess to murder under torture on verge of execution; report
Hakimeh Hassan Zadeh is another Iranian woman who is unjustly
on the verge of execution. On April 26, 2008, criminal
intelligence department investigators placed Hakimeh as the main
suspect in the murder of Eidan Baluchi, 33, who was one of
Hakimeh's relatives. From that day on, Hakimeh has been in and
out of detention centers and placed under various physical and
mental tortures to confess to whom the murderer was and her
relationship with him.
Hakimeh has repeatedly announced her innocence to the head of
the criminal intelligence department and judge presiding over her
case saying that she only intended to help Eidan, but unfortunately the torture and the repeated claims
that she is the murderer has reached the point where this woman has no motivation to live and has
signed a document as the murderer of Eidan.
It is notable that Hakimeh was transferred to the criminal intelligence department in Tehran for
further investigation where she was under various tortures for two months. As a result, one of her
teeth broke and eyewitnesses have said that due to the severity of the electric shocks she received, s he
was taken to court on a wheelchair.
Hakimeh does not have a lawyer as a means of defending herself and a death sentence will be issued
for her in the next few days. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – March 24, 2009)
April
Woman sentenced to death in Tehran
The Judiciary issued death sentence for a woman in Tehran. Her name is Behjat (F). (Sarmayeh, staterun daily – Apr. 22, 2009)
May
Woman sentenced to death
Hossein Raissi, a lawyer, said that the execution sentence of Afsaneh R. will probably be carried out in
Adelabad Prison. The woman was initially sentenced to death by stoning but her sentence later
changed to death by hanging. (Ruz Online – May 6, 2009)
Two women on verge of execution
Mina Jafari, the lawyer of Akram Mahdavi talked about her client 's case in an interview.
"(Regarding) Akram Mahdavi's case, although we have raised about 19,000 USD via financial support
from people, we have still not been able to get the victim's family to accept blood money", she said.
According to Jafari, Akram is still in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj. She is the mother of a 17 -year-old girl
who, in her absence, was forced to marry and drop out of school, although she went to a very good
school and was an extremely good student.
Akram, 34, was forced to marry a man 50 years her senior when she was 20. She had filed for a divorce
twice in her 8 years of marriage but her request was rejected both times and in the end she killed her
husband with the help of another man.
She has been in Evin Prison since 2006, convicted to death. During this time, she was deprived of
seeing her only daughter, who is the product of her first unsuccessful marriage at the age of 13.
Mina Jafari also mentioned her other client, Soheila Qadiri who has also been sentenced to death for
killing her infant child.
"This women who was poverty-stricken and ill saw this measure as the only way to save her child", Jafari
added. (Ruz Online – May 17, 2009)
Death sentence issued for woman in Tehran
The Iranian Judiciary issued a death sentence for a woman identified only by her first name as Rexena
in Tehran. (Etemad state-run daily – May 17, 2009)
27
June
Woman to be executed
Branch 20 of the Supreme Court sent Shahla Jahed's case to the executing
sentences branch of the Criminal Court which puts the accused one step away
from the gallows.
Jahed was accused of killing a former soccer player's wife in 2002. (state-run
Jam-e-Jam online – June 3, 2009)
July
Mother of two on verge of execution
The death sentence of a prisoner who has served nine years in Orumieh prison was finalized.
Mohabat Mahmoudi, a mother of two children, killed a man in self defense who intended to rape her
in 2000. She was trialed on charges of intentional murder in a provincial court. Her case was sent to
the Supreme Court for final clearance and yesterday July 11, her death sentence was confirmed by the
Supreme Court and announced to her in prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – July 12, 2009)
August
Three women in Karaj on verge of execution
Three women in Karaj who were sentenced to death in ward 7 are on the verge of execution.
According to reports their death sentences will be carried out this week. These women are Akram
Mohammadi who is about 35 years old and has been in prison on charges of murder for about 7 years
and Ameneh Abdollah Zadeh, 50, who has been in prison on charges of murder for about 5 years. The
name of the third woman is not known.
There have been unconfirmed reports that three women from this ward have been executed in the past
week. These executions have still not been announced and it seems that the Judicial System is trying to
carry out the executions in secret. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Aug. 17, 2009)
Women sentenced to death
The death sentence of a woman who had been arrested on charges of killing her son in law was issued
today in Tehran's Criminal Court.
Kobra confessed to this murder in initial interrogations but denied this act later on saying she was
innocent. Despite her denial, the interrogator of the 9 th branch of a court in Karaj found her guilty of
murder and her case was sent to the 71 st branch of Tehran's Criminal Court. Her death sentence was
issued today by this court. (Iskanews state-run website – Aug. 25, 2009)
October
Female prisoner will probably by hanged next Sunday
Tehran's criminal court called the family which has filed a complaint against
death row prisoner Akram Mahdavi, telling them to be present at 3 am next
Sunday in Evin Prison to witness the execution of Akram.
This is while Akram's lawyer, Mina Jafari was not informed of this issue. After
she looked into this issue, the Judge of the Execution Body of the Criminal
Court denied the statement of the complainants.
In light of unexpected events in the Judiciary, there is fear that this sentence will be carried out next
week.
Akram Mahdavi was arrested in 2003 on charges of killing her 74 year old husband and has been in
prison for four years. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 6, 2009)
Woman who defended herself against rape sentenced to dea th
The Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence of Mohabbat Mahmoudi after 9
years of prison. She was arrested in 2000 after she killed a man who intended to
rape her and turned herself in to security forces. She is from the Surmanabad
Village (suburb of Orumieh) and was engaged to her cousin at the age of 12. She is a
mother of five. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 17, 2009)
November
Young woman sentenced to death
A young woman identified as 'Sharareh' who is convicted of killing a young man named Kamran was
sentenced to retribution in a Penal Court in Northern Khorasan.
According to reports, Sharareh killed Kamran, who worked in her store, because he raped her after
making her unconscious and persistently threatened that he would cause disgrace for her. (Human
Rights Activists in Iran – Nov. 3, 2009)
Female Kurd political activist in danger of execution
Zeinab Jalalian is a 27 year old (political prisoner) in Sanandaj Prison who
has been sentenced to death on charges of 'enmity with God'. According to
a person close to her, the crime for which she has been convicted and
sentenced to death for is cooperation with the Kurdish group Pejak even
while Jalalian has denied this accusation. According to those who are
familiar with her activities, she had unarmed cooperation with P.K.K and
only carried out measures to promote this group.
Her death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court and she is now in
the same situation as Ehsan Fatahian before his execution. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Nov. 25, 2009)
19-year old girl sentenced to death for killing man who intended to rape her
A designer who was charged with killing a surgeon was sentenced to death after several trials despite
claiming that she committed murder in self defense.
The case of this girl named Reihaneh started two years ago when police found the body of a surgeon
named Morteza who had been killed with a knife. Police discovered that a girl named Reihaneh had
sent Morteza SMS before his death. The girl was subsequently arrested. She admitted to murder in the
initial investigations and said that she killed him in self defense.
"I met Morteza and one his friends named Sheikhi a few days before this incident. They told me they
needed a designer to design an office… (In the office) I had left the door half open but Morteza asked
me to close the door and take my scarf off. I did not accept. He closed the door himself. He wanted to
get near me but I did not let him. He put his arm around my waist and I ran away. He was angry and
said that I had not right to be oblivious to his demands. I took out a knife from my purse the moment
he turned his head and stabbed him in the back", she said.
Investigators also found two glasses of fruit juice in the kitchen of the murder site. Morteza had dra nk
from one of the glasses while the other glass was prepared from Reihaneh. Tests showed that
Reihaneh's fruit juice contained anesthetic drugs.
29
The Prosecutor subsequently announced that there was enough evidence against Reihaneh confirming
that she has committed intentional murder and that she was lying in saying that she it was self defense.
In light of this, an indictment for intentional murder was issued for this 19 -year defendant and she was
tried and sentenced to death by the 74 th branch of court. (E'temad Daily – Nov. 27, 2009)
January – 2010
Iran sentences female political prisoner to death
Shirin Alam Hovi, a Kurd political prisoner in Evin Prison was sentenced to death.
This sentence which was issued for the charge of mohareb (enmity with God) for
her cooperation with a Kurd opposition party was passed by the Tehran
Revolutionary Court and was announced to her lawyer last week.
Shirin Alam Hovi, 28, is from Maku in West Azerbaijan. She was arrested last
summer and is currently in Evin Prison.
It was previously announced that she was sentenced to life in prison but her lawyer
has confirmed her death sentence. This sentence is subject to appeal. (Kurdistan
Human Rights Watch News Agency – Jan. 16, 2010)
Iran prosecutor calls for death penalty against male and female protesters
An Iranian prosecutor called Monday for the death penalty against five protesters arrested during
demonstrations staged as Shiites participated in solemn Ashura rituals last month, state media
reported.
The five were accused of having ties with Iran's exiled and armed opposition, the People's Muhajideen,
and charged with 'Moharebeh' or being enemies of God, which is punishable by death under Iran's
Sharia-based law.
'I ask the court for maximum punishment against these people based on the investigations, the
defendants' confessions and (their) criminal acts on Ashura,' the prosecution said in the indictment
carried by the media.
It said the unidentified group had been trained in Mujahideen's 'camp in Iraq and European countries
to carry out terror and rioting'.
Two women, draped in print chadors worn by prisoners, were shown by state television among the
group of defendants sitting in the front row of the court room during Monday's proceedings. (AFP Jan 18, 2010)
Iran sentences two human rights activists to moharebeh
Two members of the Committee of Human Rights
Reporters have been accused of moharebeh (enmity
with God). Mehrdad Rahimi announced in a visit
with his family that 'judicial officials intend to charge
him with moharebeh'.
Kohyar Gudarzi, the secretary of this committee was
also charged with moharebeh, spreading propaganda
against the government and attending illegal
gatherings.
Before this, in a meeting with the family of Shiva
Shiva Nazar Ahari and Kohyar Gudarzi
Nazar Ahari, another member of this committee,
Tehran's prosecutor said that the committee is affiliated with the PMOI. (Committee of Human Rights
Reporters – Jan. 25, 2010)
Iran intends to execute in public 5 men and women with links to Ashraf
There are reportedly ongoing efforts to publicly carry out the sentences of 5 Ashura offenders who
were sentenced to death by Judge Salavati.
The sentences for five Ashura offenders were issued by Judge Salavati , the head of the 15 th branch of
the revolutionary court sentencing them to the ca pital punishment.
Among these five, in addition to the 3 people whose trial was shown in part by Seda and Sima (Iran
state-run tv) regarding going to Camp Ashraf and filming the protests, there is a man and a woman
who are above 50 years old.
Apparently the child of this couple is in Camp Ashraf and the brothers of the man were executed in
the beginning of the revolution for being members of the terrorist Mojahedin Khalq Organization.
There are reportedly efforts in progress to carry out the execution of these five before February 11
(anniversary of the revolution that overthrew the Shah) in Tehran especially in Enqelab and Azadi
Streets. It is up to the head of the Judiciary to accept or oppose this issue. (Ayandeh state -run Website
– Jan. 30, 2010)
February
Iran charges 4 female political prisoners to moharebeh
On Sunday January 31, 2010, four political prisoners were taken to the 28 th branch of the
Revolutionary Court in Tehran where they were trialed by Mohammad Moqiseyi known as Naserian
(member of the death commission during the massacre of political prisoners in 1988) on the basis of
moharebeh (enmity with god, punishable by death in the Islamic Republic). These prisoners are Ms.
Aqayi, Ms. Kazemi, Ms. Masumi, and Zahra Jabari.
Ms. Masumi objected the charges against her in court and announced that her confessions were taken
under brutal physical and mental pressure and are false. Moqiseyi announced in reaction that he
would inquire this issue from intelligence agent interrogators who had tortured her.
Zahra Jabari also objected and denied the charges against her and told the judge that interrogators
tortured and pulled out her nails and showed Moqiseyi the signs of this torture on her fingers. But
Moqiseyi said in remarks that surprised lawyers and those in attendance in the court that 'you pulled
out your nails yourself and want to accuse the interrogators'. In the end, Moqiseyi told Mrs. Jabari that
he would ask about her interrogations and will see to it in a trial to be held after the Iranian New Year
(March 24, 2010).
Zahra Jabari was arrested on September 18, 2009 and was taken to ward 209 in Evin Prison. She was
under interrogations and torture for two months while in solitary and was then transferred to the
women's ward in Evin. She was jailed because her sister and two brothers are in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.
Ms. Aqayi and Kazemi were also trialed based on Moharebeh. Moqiseyi said that their sentences would
be announced to them in the upcoming weeks.
Moqiseyi treated these prisoners and their lawyers with disrespect and insulted them in court. He also
prevented the families of these political prisoners from attending the trial and ordered that they be
thrown out of the court corridors. These families were violently thrown out of court.
Intelligence agent interrogators pre-determine the inhumane and heavy charges against political
prisoners and send these prisoners to show trials only for their sentences to be announced to them.
All the evidence shows that the death commission has once again been formed. This commission has
been formed under orders of Khamenei and its main members are Sareq Larijani, Reyisi, the head of
this commission in 1988, Mohsen Ejeyi, Salavati, Moqiseyi, Pir Abassi, Ahmad Zargar and Jafari Dolat
Abadi along with members of the security branches of the Revolutionary Court who are stationed in
31
ward 209 of Evin Prison. The death commission is busy making criminal records for political prisoners
with the cooperation of intelligence agents and RGC interrogators to lay the groundwork to sentence
them to death and carry out their sentences. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Feb. 5,
2010)
Stoning to death
May - 2009
Husband and wife to be stoned to death in grave injustice
Mohammad Mostafayi: The text written below is a letter I have written to the Public Prosecutor for a
review on the case of a poverty-stricken man and women who were forced to take some measures,
which finally lead to their death, by stoning sentence …Excerpts of the letter:
I request a review for the case of 1- Rahim Ahmadi sentenced to death by hanging on charges of
sodomy and death by stoning on charges of adultery and 2- Kobra Babayi sentenced to death by
stoning on charges of adultery .Mr. Rahim Ahmadi has insanity but has not been examined by legal
doctors (this issue is in itself legally questionable) and because of the bigotry of the judges regarding my
clients actions, they convicted him and his wife .I went to Tabriz to visit my clients in prison with
permission from their family on February 25, 2009. Rahim and Kobra started crying while telling me
their story. They were barely able to talk. My clients had married 16 years before and have an 11-yearold daughter …
Shahram met Rahim Mohammadi and used his gullible nature and the fact that he could barely
provide for his family. Shahram suggested that Rahim let him use his house (as a prostitution house)
for a certain amount of money. If Rahim did not have these severe financial problems and if the
government gave him financial support, he would never have accepted such a suggestion but
unfortunately, he accepted the offer to feed his family …
In this case, other than my clients, 31 other people were arrested who were mostly government
employees including Mohammad Reza Rasuli, an employee in Eastern Azerbaijan Governor's Office,
Faramarz Zehni, a SSF second lieutenant, Hossein Qorbani, a employee in a the Behran Company,
and Ali Shoja, a Tabriz Taxi Organization employee and a number of other people.
My client confessed to the illegitimate relationship of the other convicted people in this case and they
also accepted their charges but in the end, my clients were sentenced to death by stoning and the
others were sentenced to flogging. (Roshangari Website – May 19, 2009)
Supreme Court confirms death by stoning sentence of young couple in Tabriz
The death by stoning sentence of a young couple, Rahim Mohammadi and Kobra Babayi who are
currently in Tabriz Prison, has been confirmed by the 27 th branch of Iran's Supreme Court.
Their lawyer Mohammad Mostafayi confirmed this report.
"The second branch of the Court of Review in East Azerbaijan issued the death by stoning sentence for
Rahim and Kobra and the 27th branch of the Supreme Court confirmed this sentence,” he said. (Amir
Kabir Newsletter – May 24, 2009)
June
Contradicting information on death to stone verdict for a couple in Tabriz
Alireza Jamshidi, spokesperson of mullahs’ judiciary in an interview with IRNA, the official news
agency of Islamic Republic declared that the death to stone verdict for Rahim Mohammadi and Kobra
Baabaaii, a couple from Tabriz charged for sodomy and adultery “has not been finalized.”
After this conference, Mohammad Mostafaii, their lawyer in an interview with Farda Radio said:
“Branch 27 of the Supreme Court has confirmed their death sentences.”
Their lawyer explained in a letter which, was wrote to the Prosecutor General “the root of their guilt
was their extreme poverty. Rahim Mohammadi, the first offender who exploited his wife for bribery
“suffers from insanity” because of extreme poverty and hardships.
He quoted Rahim Mohammadi in his letter writing: “… I sought refuge to some of friends and
associates to borrow some money, but I faced that everyone is ill minded on my wife, and I couldn’t
stand poverty pressure any more leading me to some sort of insanity… Swear to God I didn’t have even
enough money to provide medical glasses for my daughter who suffered high myopia.”
Jamshidi confirmed that a man was stoned to death in Rasht last year, while last August he h ad said
that execution by stoning to death ceased and it would never be used. (Farda Radio – June 7, 2009)
January – 2010
Man and woman sentenced to death by stoning in Orumieh
The death by stoning sentence of two people convicted of adultery was confirm ed in a court of review
in West Azerbaijan Province. According to reports, Sarimeh Ebadi, 30, mother of two and Bu -Ali
Janfeshani, 32, father of one child, are the announced identities of these two people.
These two people were sentenced to stoning on charges of adultery before this by the Public Court in
Orumieh. They are both detained in the Central Orumieh Prison. In addition to the unclear judicial
procedure of this sentence, this verdict was passed while the accused were not allowed to have the
lawyers of their choice and the right to defend themselves. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Jan. 13,
2010)
33
Inhumane treatment and cruel punishments
Torture, rape, abuse, flogging and humiliation
March - 2009
Female supporter of imprisoned cleric pressured into giving false confession
According to reports, Zohreh Sharifi, a supporter of Ayatollah Berujerdi (an
imprisoned dissident cleric) has been pressured and abused to supposedly
confess. Informed sources have said that she has been charged with
unsubstantial charges and forced to confess to them.
Sharifi was first arrested on October 7, 2006. She was violently beaten and
was injured at the time of her arrest. On January 28, 2009, she was once
again interrogated and beaten for many hours. She was three months
pregnant at that time and had a miscarriage due to the beatings. On February 17, agents broke down
her home door and arrested her after searching her house. Sharifi is married and has a small child.
(Human Rights Activists in Iran – March 4, 2009)
58-year-old female political prison in critical condition
According to reports from the notorious ward 209 of Evin Prison, the
physical condition of a prisoner who was arrested for intending to visit her
children in Camp Ashraf (Main base of PMOI in Iraq) is critical.
Kobra Banazadeh Amirkhizi, 58, who is currently in ward 209 in Evin
Prison, is suffering from eye bleeding due to the torture inflicted on her.
However, intelligent interrogators refrain from taking her for treatment to a
hospital. Amirkhizi developed this condition after an interrogator struck her
and she is in danger of losing her eyesight.
A large number of men and women who were intending to visit their family
members in Camp Ashraf in Iraq, or having a relative there are still
imprisoned. These prisoners are Ms. Kobra Banazadeh Amirkhizi, Ms.
Sakineh Soleimani (Mother Javadi), Ms. Azizeh Sahfi’ei-nia (Mother
Haidarzadeh), Mr. Ali Pour-Eqbali (Father Pour-Eqbali), Ms. Zahra Samadi,
Mr. Ali Samadi, Mr. Amin Rezaii, Mr. Khossro Rahnama, Mr. Ehsan Arafati, Mr. Hassan Tarlani, Mr.
Hamed Yazarlou, Ms. Mahsa Naderi, Ms. Houri (Fatemeh) Ziaii, Mr. Fatemeh Nabavi, and ... (Center
in Defense of Prisoners in Iran (CDPI) – March 5, 2009)
Female student tortured in Evin Prison
According to reports, the parents of Mohammad Pour-Abdollah, Sanaz Allah
Yari and Amir Hossein Mohammadi Far went to Evin Prison to visit their
imprisoned children but only Sanaz's and Mohammad's family were allowed
to visit with their children. According to Sanaz Allah Yari, family, she was in
good mental health but her face was bruised and scarred especially around
her eyes. (Freedom and Equality Newsletter – March 10, 2009)
Wife of political activist summoned to Intelligence Agency
Mahbubeh Ali Naqian, wife of Heshmotallah Tabarzadi was summoned to the Intelligence Agency.
According to reports, considering the fact that she has had no previous record and did not engage in
political activities, this summoning is to put more pressure on Tabarzadi, a political activist, and to
prevent him from continuing his activities. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – March
16, 2009)
35
Torture in Shahpur detention center in Tehran
According to reports from Tehran's criminal intelligence department located at Shahpur Square, a
number of people have died under torture in this detention center. One of these victims was 33 -yearold Hossein Tavakoli Berazjani.
On July 17, 2008, Tehran's security and intelligence agents raided the apartment of the Tavakuli
Berazjani family at 11:30 pm arresting all the members of this family present at the time. These men
and women were tortured in their house until 2am. Agents shot at Sudabeh Shahpur, 50, hitting her
in the neck. All the arrestees were taken to this city's criminal intelligence department. The reason for
this attack was claimed to be keeping a gun in the house and clashing with State Security Agents.
Some of the people arrested were, Tan-naz AbolHosseini Ahmadi (16 year old female), Khosro Qaedi
(17 years old), Mahnaba Tavakoli Berazjani (26 year old female), Fatemeh Farahani (female), Sudabeh
Shadpur (50 year old female), Abas Tavakoli Berazjani (38 years old), Hossein Tavakoli Berazjani (33
years old), and Mohsen.
They were kept two in a cell on the first days of their arrest. These cells, aka "cells of death" did not
have windows and was unbearably hot in the month of July.
The tortures inflicted on this family were as follows:
The skin of the sensitive parts of the prisoner's body were pressed with pliers, pressing toe nails with
pliers, beating the prison repeatedly for a long time with clubs and other objects, tying the hands and
feet of the, prisoner from the back and keeping the prisoner in this position for a long time, hanging
the prisoner from the ceiling until the prisoner passes out, depriving the prisoner of drinking water in
the hot summer weather, the prisoner was only allowed to use the restroom twice in 24 hours, the
judge handling their case threatened the women arrested wer e with rape, pulling a bag over the head of
the prisoner while he was being tortured Jumping on the hands and feet of the prisoner while they
were handcuffed, the prisoners witnessed the torture of their family members or heard their cries while
they were being tortured and other forms of torture.
Hossein Tavakoli Berazjani was killed under this medieval and severe torture while his whole body had
turned black from the torture.
Currently some of the women and girls who were arrested in this incident are suffering from severe
mental illness especially the younger ones and those who witnessed the torture of their brothers,
uncles, and aunts.
Abas Tavakoli Berazjani has currently been transferred to ward 2 in Gohardasht Prison and his legal
case is in an undetermined state. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – March 24, 2009)
April
Female political prisoner will be kept in solitary for two more months
According to reports from Semnan Prison controlled by the Ministry of Intelligence, Khadijeh Naba vi
will be kept in solitary confinement for two more months. Nabavi was arrested on April 8 after agents
raided her place of work. She was taken to an unknown location and then transferred to a solitary cell
in this prison. This political prisoner is the wife of Zuhor Nabavi, a writer for Sarzamine Ariari
Magazine who is also in prison. Zuhor had defended his wife, disclosing that she was unjustly arrested
and imprisoned. In addition to her own child, Khadijeh Nabavi was the guardian of 5-year-old Roya,
the daughter of political prisoner Hamideh Nabavi. Currently, four members of this family are in
prison. Seyed Zuhor Nabavi, a writer for the Sarzamineh Aria Magazine has been sentenced to four
years of prison and is kept in ward 350 of Evin Prison. Hamideh Nabavi has been sentenced to a year
of prison on charges of participating in a ceremony to commemorate the memory of political prisoners
who were executed in 1988 and is currently in the women's ward in Evin Prison. Fatemeh
Nabavi has been in Semnan Central Prison in an undetermined state since February 20 and Khadijeh
Nabavi is also in Semnan Prison. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – April 20, 2009)
Female student activist and brother kept in solitary for 62 days
According to reports from the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, Shabnam Madadzadeh and her
brother Farzad Madadzadeh have been kept in solitary
confinement for 62 days in ward 209.
These two have been imprisoned in this condition since
they were first arrested on February 19. They were allowed
to call their family three times in this time and according
to their family in their last phone call on Monday April 20,
they could not talk comfortably and they were told what to
say over the phone. Their tone showed that they were
under severe pressure. They were told to say that their
family should not attempt to go to court to pursue their
case until they were told. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Apr. 21, 2009)
May
Fear led US reporter to confess to Iran spying
Iranian-American reporter Roxana Saberi said Thursday
fear drove her to confess to being a US spy as she gave
her first interview since being freed after 100 days in
Iran's notorious Evin prison.
US-born Saberi, who had been living in Iran for six years
and working as a reporter for Western media outlets
while writing a book, told National Public Radio (NPR)
that no one saw her being taken from her home on
January 31 by four men from the Iranian intelligence
ministry, and she wasn't allowed to contact friends or
family when she was thrown in Evin the same day.
'After I realized that nobody knew where I was, I was very
afraid, and my interrogators threatened me and said, if you don't confess to being a US spy, you could
be here for 10 years or 20 years. You could even f ace execution,' she told NPR.
'And I thought, well, if something happens to me, my family doesn't know where I am, maybe they
would never find out. And so I made a false confession and I said, 'Yes, I'm a US spy,'' the 32-year-old
told NPR's Melissa Block, host of the popular 'All Things Considered' program .
'I'm still not sure what they arrested me for. It wasn't for buying alcohol; it wasn't for reporting without
a press pass,' Saberi said.
Both accusations have been raised by the media and officials in I ran as the reason for Saberi's arrest.
Saberi told NPR that her interrogators had from the go accused her of spying for the United States .
'However much I told them that I was not -- that I was simply writing a book and doing interviews for a
book, which I hoped to use to show English speakers around the world a more balanced and complete
picture of Iranian society -- however much I told them this, they told me I was lying and that I was a
US spy,' she said.
In Evin, the jail in the Tehran suburbs where many political prisoners are held, Saberi endured 'severe
psychological and mental pressure, although I was not physically tortured .
37
'The first few days, I was interrogated for several hours, from morning until evening, blindfolded,
facing a wall, by up to four men, and threatened ... I was in solitary confinement for several days,'
Saberi said.
Those days in isolation, when nobody knew where she was, were the 'most difficult time for me,' said
Saberi.
'I prayed a lot -- I prayed more than I ever have in my whole life '.
After several weeks, Saberi was put in a cell with 'other political prisoners,' she said .
She drew strength from her fellow inmates, whom she described as 'some of the most admirable
women I've met, not only in Iran, but all over the world .
'They're not willing to give in to pressure to make false confessions or to sign off to commitments not
to take part in their activities once they're released; they would rather stay in prison and stand up for
those principles that they believe in,' Saberi sa id.
'Many of them are still there today,' she said . (AFP - May 28, 2009)
June
Bassij brutally beat and injure students including female students in Tehran
More than 10 students of the Chamran University's School of Technique were brutally beaten and
injured after Bassij forces (RGC’s militias) from this university armed with (electric) shockers, electric
clubs, tear gas, and pepper spray among other things, attacked them. Four of these students were
transferred to hospital.
A female student was also violently taken to the Bassij office in the university and was brutally beaten.
Her mobile phone was also confiscated by the Bassij commander. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – June 5,
2009)
August
Karubi: violent rape of girls and boys in prison
In a letter to Rafsanjani, Karubi wrote, "After the 10 th presidential elections, bitter events have taken
place to which I and other people, groups and media have referred to…
People who have told me these events have sensitive positions in the government. A number of well
known people including some that participated in the Iran Iraq war. These people have said that some
events have taken place in prisons that if even one example of them were true, it is a catastrophe for
the Islamic Republic.
A number of detainees have said that some people (in prison) raped detained girls so violently that
their reproductive system tore (become damaged). On the other hand, some people raped detained
boys so brutally that some of them have developed depression and other serious mental and physical
problems and have crawled in a corner in their homes. (Saham News website
– Aug. 9, 2009)
Systematic method of interrogation; sexual harassment and abuse
Eyewitness accounts of female journalist Fereshteh Qazi: Three female
guards attacked me in prison (after arrest) and started violently taking off my
cloths beating me at the same time. They stripped off all my clothes while I
was screaming and trying to free myself from them and then body searched
me…
They opened my cell door and said that Haji (the interrogator) had come.
They blindfolded me in the cell, cloaked me in a chador and took me to the
interrogation room. On the way there, I told myself I would protest to the interrogator…
I sat on a chair facing the wall with the blindfolds, ignorant to my surroundings. I hear the voice of a
man from behind me who says, "Who did you meat in Afghanistan and what organization were you
spying for?"
"I am a reporter for the 'Emrooz' website and that is why I have been arrested and …", before I could
finish my sentence he yelled and said, "How many packets of birth control pills did you take with you?"
I could not believe this. He repeated this again and I protested. Then he said with a perverted tone,
"You are either a spy or you had illegitimate relation ships. Pick one!"
I was taken back to my cell.
I explained on various occasions that I was neither a spy nor had any sort of relationship but there was
no point. The interrogator which I do not see starts to describe the details of a sexual movie with a
perverted tone. I am sure he has a sexual illness and enjoys saying such things...
He asks about my acquaintances with various political figures especially my colleagues. I explained that
I am a journalist and have relations with all political figures. But the relationship that the interrogator
is looking for is not a journalistic relationship. He says the names of the political figures one by one
and brings up the issue of illegitimate relationship and says, "Write what I say!"
He starts describing a sexual movie and tells me to write down what he says.
I feel nauseated and I vomit. I pulled my blindfolds off and got up but something hits me from the
back before I could get up and my nose gets slammed on the chair and starts to bleed. I fell down and
got kicked in the side and back. Then he called the female guards and I was taken to my cell in that
condition…
I was taken for interrogation again. He tells me what I actually did is not important and that I had to
write what he wanted, otherwise I would be taken to a cell and be "raped to death".
My hear starts to pound and he says, "We have a lot of men here who haven't seen a woman for years
and crave for a woman and…"
I had to write the false confession otherwise I would be group raped and my husband would die in an
"accident".
My interrogator who was a middle aged man known as Keshavarz said, "The accident rate in Iran is
very high and your husband can easily be one of the figures".
Or he threatened that he would arrest my husband and rape me in fro nt of him and …
I am in total seclusion and have no information about what is going on outside. The interrogator
comes and tries to adopt a sad tone and says, "Your mother had a heart attack and unfortunately died.
She has been in the morgue for three days waiting for you. Do the right thing so that the spirit of your
dead mother will not be tormented more than this and …"
I could not listen more than this. I went on a hunger strike to force them to let me call my family.
Two days later, the judge residing over my case, Saber Zafar Qandi comes. I decide to tell him
everything but before I could say anything he yelled and said, "You went on a hunger strike?! So you’re
a professional! I'll show you what we do to professional prisoners. We can easily bring four witnesses
and stone you to death on charges of adultery…"
After I was released, I was summoned several times in the presence of Sayid Mortazavi, Tehran's
prosecutor. I protested the issues in prison but the strange thing is that Mortazavi says that th ese things
are necessary in interrogations!
(In one of the summonses) he told his assistant to take my husband outside of his office and I was left
in the room with the prosecutor of Tehran. He came close and sat next to me. I had a strange fear and
I felt like my heart would burst out. He brought his face close and said that it 'seemed I did not take
the warnings of the interrogator seriously'.
He was so close that I was afraid to make a move or say anything.
39
"(The interrogator) was not joking about the rape or the accident", he says. I did not hear anything else.
I was desperately trying to distance myself from him as he was getting closer. He reminded me of my
interrogator who insisted I write the details of the sexual movie he was describing with g lee…
I am left with an ill and broken spirit, terrified of all men. I cannot have a normal relationship with my
husband anymore. My spirit is so ill that I have to see a psychiatrist. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Aug. 16,
2009)
Iran's Karroubi ready to present proof on rape claims
Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi called on Wednesday for a meeting with senior officials to
present evidence backing his controversial allegations that post -election detainees were raped in jails.
Karroubi, who has come under fire from hardliners over his claims, made the call in a letter addressed
to parliament speaker Ali Larijani, his party website reported .
'I urge you to hold a meeting with the heads of the three powers of government (judiciary, legislative
and executive), the prosecutor general and the head of the Assembly of Experts and Expediency
Council, where I will inform you of my documents on sexual assault in some jails,' he said .
He has also charged that some people arrested in street protests sparked by President Mahmoud
Ahamdinejad's re-election, have been tortured and beaten to death in jail . (AFP - Aug 19, 2009)
Judge sexually exploits mother of raped 16-year-old boy to save son
Babak Daad, journalist and blogger in Iran said in an interview with VOA TV, "T he judge who showed
the mother of a 16-year-old the scene of his rape by a large prison agent said that if you want to save
your son you have to pay 10,000 dollars so we can free him. This is the story of a woman who was
forced to provide the money to free her son and was forced to give in to the perverted demands of the
judge residing over her son's case". (VOA TV – Aug. 21, 2009)
Cooperation Front of Iran: women prisoners are forced to confess to false immoral acts
The website of the Cooperation Front has issued a statement disclosing the "heinous, immoral, and
illegal" acts of the government in violating the private space of prisoners. This statement says in part,
"There are reports that many respectable and political women were arrested only to put into lerable
physical and mental pressure on them in violation of their private space and to force them into giving
immoral confessions against themselves or other people". (Nurooz Website – Aug. 23, 2009)
Female journalist pressured into confessing to illegiti mate relationships
Hengameh Shahidi, journalist and member of the National Confidence Party (which belongs to
Karoubi) who has been in detention from 55 days ago in ward 209 in Evin Prison has gone on a
hunger strike in protest to the actions and treatmen t of her interrogators.
This journalist was transferred to a two-person ward after 50 days in solidarity. According to her
family, she sounded very tired and ill in a recent telephone call from prison.
An informed source has told us that Shahidi is under severe pressure to confess to false immoral
relationships and since she is not willing to confess, she has been beaten. According to this source, she
has gone on a hunger strike in protest to questions asked by her interrogators. He family is very
concerned for her mental and physical condition in light of the fact that she suffers from a heart
disease and low blood pressure. (Rooz website – Aug. 25, 2009)
Security Forces rape Baha'i girl in front of brother; murder brother in front of sister
Arqavan, 18 and her brother Zahed, 20, who are the children of Dr. Mahmoud Shokrayi, were
arrested on July 21 while going to their sick grandmother's house.
While torturing Zahed, security forces demand that his sister strip in front of her brother. The sister
stripped to save her brother, but her brother became unconscious. (Government forces) then violently
raped the sister. When the brother regained consciousness, he started screaming and weeping and
agents killed him in front of his sister.
Now the girl has gone mad, walks on her hands and feet, and makes animal noises. She is on the verge
of death.
Dr. Shokrayi was arrested on charges of being a Baha'i in Shiraz and was jailed for many years in the
beginning of the revolution. He went to Isfahan after his release where he is a prominent doctor. (Be
Sooye Azadi (In the Direction of Freedom) Website – Aug. 26, 2009)
Iran Parliamentary Special Committee confirms jail rape
One member of the Special Parliamentary Committee, which was established to investigate the ev ents
after the elections, has said that they have reached the conclusion that "some detainees who were
arrested in the events after the elections were raped with clubs and soda bottles".
"A number of detainees arrested after the events of the elections were unfortunately raped with clubs
and soda bottles and this has been verified for the Special Committee", said the MP who chose to stay
anonymous. (Parliament News state-run website – Aug. 26, 2009)
September
Young girl repeatedly raped in prison
Maryam Sabri: When they put us in the RGC van, I did not know where they were taking me. We
were handcuffed and blindfolded. We were in the car for one or two
hours before we stopped.
But I did not know where I was. If we brought our head up, they would
kick us in the head… I was detained for two weeks…
She said she was raped and sexually abused in a detention center in Iran.
She remembers participating in a ceremony 40 days after the death of
Neda in the Behesht Zahra Cemetery. She was arrested after security
forces attacked the people attending the ceremony.
The first time in the interrogation I was sitting on a chair and one of the
two men was standing behind me and the other one was sitting in front
of me asking questions. They asked me things like "who is your leader".
"Who do you get your orders from?" "Tell me the names of the others."
"Who do you know?" "If you tell us, we will let you go." In addition, they
would repeatedly slap me in the face and pull my hair from the back…
On the first day, they threatened me that if I did not cooperate with Maryam Sabri protesting to
them, I would not live. On the second or third day, they brought me and
security foces before arrest
said that they want to give me back my vote. They blindfolded me. I
heard the sound of a door opening and closing. They took me to a room where there was one person.
He first started interrogating me. He hit me on the face a few times. He said, "Why don’t you say
anything, if you do, we will let you go. Open your mouth". Of course, he said all these things with
profanity. Then he took my clothes off. He did not pay attention to my begging and crying and
weeping. It was as if he did not hear my screams. He said I am giving back your vote. "Get your vote
back. This is the answer for all your shouting on the streets"…He raped me himself. He did not use a
tool to do this. He forced me on the ground and tied my hands to a rod, which was on the wall. They
raped me four or five times. The voice (of the man) changed every time. The voice of the person who
first raped me was different from the second person…Surely, this has happened to many people there.
Because at night, I heard the sounds of screaming and begging and I was sure that, what happened to
me was happening to others as well…
A number of arrested boys were standing in front of us. The agents started to sexually abuse us. The
boys shouted for them to leave us alone. "Do anything you want to us", the boys said. The agents said,
"What? Are they your sisters?" The boys begged them to leave us alone and hit them instead, but the
41
agents would move the clubs on our bodies and would say, "Is this one your sister, is this one your
wife?" (Radio Farda – Sep. 25, 2009)
Young married woman victim of jail rape
In a special report about the fate of the jail rape files (some were disclosed by Karoubi), the 'Taqir'
website which belongs to (Karoubi's) Eteamd Meli Party, said that the victims have been trialed instead
of the culprits (in the rape cases).
According to this website, not only young men and women are amongst Karoubi's (rape) witnesses, but
a young married woman can also be seen who was raped and sexually abused by agents. According to
this report, Karoubi still has more solid evidence and documents and will publish them if necessary.
(Radio Germany Website – Sep. 25, 2009)
Security forces use tear gas and beat a woman trying to disperse protesters
According to reports from Tehran, security forces attacked protesters in Qâem Maqâm Street and beat
a young person. The forces also used tear gas against the protesters and beat a woman to try to disperse
the crowds. (Iran News Agency – Sep. 29, 2009)
October
Two political prisoners go on hunger strike to demand their rights
Political prisoners Hengameh Shahidi and Peiman Aref went on a huger strike to
protest the illegal treatment and violation of their r ights in prison.
Jailed journalist Hengameh Shahidi has been under the most severe mental
pressure for 120 days in prison. She will continue her hunger strike until she is
released. She was arrested on June 30 and was confined to a solitary cell for close to 50 days.
According to the 'Tajadodnameh' weblog, Peiman Aref, a student prisoner who has been expelled from
university also went on a hunger strike to protest being sent to solitary confinement again. He was
pressured and then sent to solitary for writing and publishing a letter titled 'We Protest' with Majid
Dori another expelled student, to Tehran's Public Prosecutor. Peiman Aref has been imprisoned since
August 19. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 26, 2009)
Gohardasht Prison personnel sexually exploit female prisoners
Two personnel of the Gohardasht Prison in Karaj were transferred to another prison because of
illegitimate relationships with female prisoners.
A doctor's assistant named Vashqani Farahani, who worked in the medical clinic of this prison had an
illegitimate relationships with a number of female prisoners. He used the opportunity of checking the
female prisoners and transferring them to the clinic for his own end and was transferred to Qezelhesar
Prison after a number of prisoners reported his actions. Another unidentified employee in this prison
was also transferred for this reason.
It is noteworthy that the punishment of these two personnel has been very light considering the
punishments set for these kinds of crimes.
Gohardasht Prison in Karaj is a prison for dangerous and violent prisoners and at least 60 prisoners of
conscience have also been exiled to this prison. There have been many reports and evidence of
violence and rape in this prison. The former head of this prison named Khadem was forced to marry a
prisoner after his illegitimate relationship with her was disclosed. He was then transferred to
Qezelhesar Prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 29, 2009)
November
Jailed female journalist sexually harassed in prison
Reza Pajouh, the father of jailed journalist Fariba Pajouh said in an interview
that he objects the fact that his daughter has been kept in solitary for one
month. He stressed that the issue of Fariba not having access to a lawyer is
against her rights and a violation of the law.
"Fariba was distraught by the way she was treated by the guards to the extent
that in a visit with her in prison she was so upset that she screamed from
behind the glass partition. She said that they had body searched her and was
very upset by the repulsive way she was body searched. They had also set
limitations for her in using the bathroom which is undignified for my
daughter or any other prisoner", Reza Pajouh said.
Citing unprofessional questions asked in interrogations from prisoners he said, "If someone commits a
crime they have to ask questions regarding the crime they claim he or she has committed and not
interrogate them on their personal life and things that have nothing to do with their work or
profession. Of course we have also talked to a number of former prisoners who have been recently
released and it seems that talking about unprofessional and personal issues is a standard procedure in
the interrogations", he added. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Nov. 3, 2009)
19 year old ailing female political prisoner denied treatment
According to reports from the women's ward in Evin Prison, student
prisoner Mahsa Naderi is suffering from severe physical ailments and is
in critical condition.
The 19-year-old economical major at the Qom Mofid University is
suffering from severe headaches, pain in her kidneys and bladder
infection. Her headaches have increased in the past few days to the
extent that she has nausea 3 to 4 times a day and sometimes passes out
from the pain. She is treated inhumanely when she goes to the prison
medical clinic and is only given sedatives which do not ease her pain. She does not have a history of
headaches and her headaches are a result of physical torture by the head interrogator of the
intelligence agency when she was is ward 209 which has gradually increased. (Human Rights and
Democracy Activists in Iran – Nov. 8, 2009)
Security forces beat protesting female workers
More than 100 workers of the Arak Industrial Company held a gathering outside the Provincial
Governor's Office on November 9 to protest not receiving their overdue wages and eventually entered
the yard of this building.
According to reports, 200 workers in this factory have not received their wages for five months. Thirty
women workers were also present in this protest. Riot police stationed in the Provincial Office
attacked these women after they entered the office's yard and beat four of the women. (Iran News
Agency – Nov. 11, 2009)
Female student prisoner denied proper treatment for heart attack
Shabnam Madadzadeh, the assistant secretary of the Tehran branch of the Office for Consolidating
Unity and a member of the central council of the Teacher Training University's Islamic Association
and her brother who were arrested in March are still in temporary detainment.
Shabnam's trial has so far been postponed four times. She is suffering from heart problems and
recently had a heart attack which was met with negligence by medics in Evin Prison's Medical Clinic.
(VOA TV – Nov. 16, 2009)
43
Regime forces imprison wife of political prisoner to put pressure on him
Close to three months after the arrest of Mohsen Dokme Chi, a well known Bazaar member in
Tehran, there is still no news on his condition. He was mentally and physically tortured in a solitary
cell in Evin Prison's ward 209 by intelligence agents who were trying to force him to make false
confessions. Before the arrest of his wife, Dokme Chi made a short controlled call from prison to his
family. Head interrogator Alavi took the phone from him in the middle of his telephone call
threatening his wife with imprisonment.
Alavi arrested Maryam Alangi , Dokme Chi's wife a few days after this threat and transferred her to
solitary cells in ward 209.
Mrs. Alangi suffers from sever pain in her neck and back and has been arrested as a pressure tool on
her husband. This 47 year old woman was arrested before this on October 11.
Despite the low temperatures and cold weather, the heating appliances in ward 209 have been shut
down and political prisoners are forced to stay in the cold. Guards intentionally leave the prison
windows open at nights. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Nov. 25, 2009) December
Iranian protesters claim intimidation in Turkey
Many political activists fled to safety in Turkey, where now, they say, they are being targeted.
After fleeing Iran's post-election unrest they claim they are being subjected to a campaign of threats
and intimidation by agents of the Islamic regime .
Several have told the Guardian that they fear for their lives after being tracked down by Iranian
security personnel in a country they previously regarded as safe .
Some say they are desperate to leave for a more secure country after being accosted in the streets of the
Turkish capital, Ankara, and threatened on the internet.
Those claiming harassment are seeking political asylum in the west after alleging they were raped and
tortured in the aftermath of the protests that followed President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad's disputed re election last June, which opponents say was achieved through mass fraud.
They believe the Iranian authorities have put them under surveillance in an effort to intimidate them
into silence about rape allegations which scandalised the country's political system when they f irst
surfaced in August. Some say their families in Iran have also been targeted ….
Mariam Sabri, 21, who claims she was raped by an interrogator after being arrested, said her father and
her brother were arrested after she spoke out about her ordeal. 'They arrested my brother for a second
time just a few days ago and broke both his hands,' she said. 'They told him, 'either you go to Turkey
and get her back so we can put her on television to make her confess that she has done this just to seek
asylum, or we will take action ourselves'. They also told my father, 'do you think it's difficult for us to
put her into a sack and bring her back'. (The Guardian – Dec. 3, 2009)
Plainclothes agents throw boy and girl student off building in Hamedan
There were reports of sporadic clashes between students of the Bu -Ali Sina University in Hamedan and
plainclothes agents. Two dissident students, one of them a girl, were thrown off the second floor of a
building and according to eyewitnesses, were badly injured. After this event, the atmosphere of this
university became very tense and at 1 pm a number of unidentified people stormed the university and
attacked the students. (Fararu Website – Dec. 7, 2009)
Plainclothes agents violently arrest law students in Tehran Univ. whil e assaulting his wife
Mojtaba Hashemi, a member of the Central Council of the Islamic Association in Tehran University's
Law and Political Science College was violently arrested in the evening.
Hashemi and his wife were confronted by security forces in 16 Azar Street when leaving the university.
These agents sprayed pepper spray in his wife's face and then violently arrested Hashemi. (Nurooz
Website – Dec. 8, 2009)
Iranian forces attack student protesters on second day of demonstrations
Government warns protesters it will show 'no mercy'
Thousands of members of the pro-government Basij paramilitary organization stormed the grounds of
Tehran University on Tuesday and attacked a group of protesting students, several witnesses said, as
unrest continued in the capital for a second day following 'Student Day' demonstrations Monday .
Armed with steel clubs, electric batons, pepper spray and tear gas, the Basij members first surrounded
and later assaulted a group of about 700 students who had gathered in front of the university's
technical faculty, where there had also been running battles between the two groups the day before…
'I saw three middle-aged women being shocked by members of the Basij using stun guns,' a witness said
by telephone from a street near the University of Tehran. 'I ran away, but when I turned around, I saw
them lying on the street, their bodies shaking because of the shocks.' As he spoke, people could be
heard screaming in the background… (The Washington Post – Dec. 8, 2009)
Iran police clash with mourners, 50 arrested: reports
Iran police clashed with mourners at a memorial service in Isfahan Wednesday for dissident cleric
Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, arresting more than 50 and beating women and children,
reports said.
Hundreds of police and security force members early morning surrounded the Seyed mosque in
Isfahan where the service was to be held and prevented mourners from entering, sparking fierce
clashes, OPPOSITION websites said.
The mourners were shouting slogans in support of Iran's OPPOSITION Green Movement and police
fired tear gas to disperse them, website Rahesabz.net. said .
'Security forces are beating people including women and children with batons, chains and stones,' it
said, adding that 'so far several have been arre sted and many were injured'.
Parlemannews.ir, the website of Iran's reformist minority faction in parliament, said that 'over 50
people, including four reporters, were arrested in clashes '. (AFP – Dec. 23, 2010)
January – 2010
Detained girls and women on Dec. 27, under pressure and torture in Evin Prison
According to reports, a number of girls and women arrested on Ashura (December 27) are subjected to
inhumane pressure in the quarantine and methadone wards of Evin Prison in Tehran.
In the first floor of the quarantine section known as the methadone ward about 50 women and girls
detained in the Ashura protests are kept in very bad conditions. They are handcuffed and blindfolded
while being taken for interrogations at night to other locations. They are ab used, harassed and insulted
while being taken to interrogation rooms by their interrogators. These women are interrogated for 8
continuous hours. They are intentionally interrogated at nights. The girls are threatened in addition to
being beaten. Interrogators have told some of the girls that if they do not confess to what they say, they
will be executed and that 'no one will know that you’ve been detained and hanged'.
On the other hand, intelligence agency interrogators put pressure on their families and threaten them
that if they tell anyone that their children have been jailed, their daughters will put in danger in
prison.
After making sure that their families will stay silent, the intelligence agents continue the torture and
pressure against the detainees and call their families asking them to tell their children to cooperate
with interrogators to secure their freedom. They use this method to deceive the detainees to get false
confessions from them in order to make criminal records and issue heavy sentences for them. (Human
Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Jan. 26, 2010)
45
Kurd female political prisoner speaks of cruel torture in prison
Letter written by death row political prisoner Shirin Alam Hovi from the
women's ward in Evin Prison dated Jan. 18, 2010 – I was arrested in Tehran
in 2008 by a number of plainclothes agents and was taken directly to a
Revolutionary Guards Force base. They started beating me the moment I
got there without even asking any question. I was there for 25 days. The
interrogators who were all men tied me with handcuffs to a bed. They
would beat me in the face, head and the soles of my feet with electric clubs,
cables, fists and kicks. In that time, I could not even speak or understand
fluent Farsi. When they did not receive any answers for their questions, the
beatings would start again until I passed out…
One day in the interrogations, they kicked me in the stomach so hard that I
immediately started to bleed and lost a lot of blood. Another day, one of
the interrogators came to the room. He was the only interrogator I saw
because the rest of the times I had on blindfolds. He asked me irrelevant
questions. When he did not get an answer, he slapped me in the face and
put a gun that he carried on his belt to my head.
"Answer the questions I ask", he said.
"I know that you are a member of the PJAK (Party of Free Life of Kurdistan) and you’re a terrorist. It
doesn’t make a difference if you talk or not girl, we're happy to have a member of PJAK in our hands".
One day, I was sitting with blindfolds in a chair and I was being interrogated. The interrogator used
my hand to put out his cigarette and on another day, the interrogator pressed so hard with his shoes
on my feet that my nails turned black and fell off. Or sometimes they would force me to stand all day
in the interrogation room without asking any questions. The interrogators would just sit in front of me
and do puzzles. They did whatever they could (to torture me)…
After I got back from the hospital, they decided to take me to ward 209. But because of my poor
physical condition and the fact that I could not even walk, 209 was not willing to accept me and I was
kept in that condition the whole day outside of 209 until they finally took me to the medical clinic…
(Iran Press News Website – Jan. 31, 2010)
February
Interrogators torture and sexually harass Mashhad students
A student at Mashhad University who asked not to be named talked the International Human Rights
Campaign about measures taken by the Revolutionary Court in this city.
According to this student activist, some of the interrogators directly physically abused the suspects. In
one case, the interrogator tortured a student by applying electric shocks to his body. According to this
student, one of the officials of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court personally tortured two students in
the Police Koy with electric shots and even after their release, burn marks were still evident on the
body of one of the students.
"We should not forget the white torture (including) the fact that one student was threatened that he
would be forced to eat excrements by Mr…, transferring detained prisoners to a ward where men
accused of sodomy were kept in the Police Koy and threatening detainees with rape in at least one case
that I know of in the Police Koy Detention Centers and Mashhad Intelligence Agency", he added.
He also said that (Mr…) constantly summoned female university students and carried out measures
that were morally wrong like locking the doors (of the interrogation room), reading their personal
messages out loud and laughing about it and threatening them that he would disclose their personal
issues. He also used strange and very affectionate language in talking to the girls. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Feb. 2, 2010)
Jailed student and brother tortured in prison
Shabnam Madadzadeh, the assistant secretary of the OCU Council in Tehran and her brother were
sentenced to five years of prison.
Finally after one year of being temporarily detained and six trials, Shabnam Madadzadeh who is also a
member of the Teacher Training University's Islamic Association and her brother were each sentenced
to 5 years of prison to be served in exile in Gohardasht Prison.
In the issued verdict for Shabnam and her brother, they were charged with moharebeh (enmity with
God) based on article 186 of the Islamic Penal Code. This article refers to having communications
with groups or parties that have carried out armed struggle against the Islamic Republic. This is while
Shabnam Madadzadeh is considered a member of the Office for Consolidating Unity which is a union
for all Islamic Associations in the country and the largest student organization that is critical of the
government. In addition to this, the issued sentence only refers to Shabnam's family connections and
nothing else that would incriminate her.
In the last trial for this brother and sister which was held with the presence of Interrogator Alavi and
Interrogator Sheikhan, two head interrogators in Evin Prison, these two Ministry of Intelligence
experts denied any use of torture or beatings against the Madadzadehs during interrogations. When
Judge Moqiseyi asked Shabnam what she meant when she talked of torture, this student activist
referred to being severely beaten, punched and kicked, and flogged with whips and cables in addition
to 71 days in solitary. Judge Moqiseyi's reaction (to her statements) was, "you call this torture"?!
This sentence was announced to the Madadzadehs last Tuesday. This jailed brother and sister were not
allowed to read the whole verdict and Shabnam's persistence to read the whole verdict and her request
to document her objection in court led to a severe dispute with the head of office in the 28 th branch of
the (Revolutionary) Court.
The court verdict has not yet been announced to their lawyer, Mohammad Oliayi Fard. When the
sentence was being announced to the Madadzadehs, and when Shabnam obligated the court to
announce the sentence to her lawyer, the head of office for the 28 th branch of this court, known as Mr.
Mojtaba, said that this request by the assistant secretary of the OCU in Tehran was a political move.
Oliayi Fard, the Madadzadeh's lawyer has announced that he would protest the verdict. (Human
Rights Activists in Iran – Feb. 12, 2010)
Iran tortures peaceful mothers
According to reports, the supporters of the Mourning Mothers are under severe psychological torture
to make false confessions.
There are interrogated for long periods of time in ward 209 of Evin Prison at night. Intelligence agent
interrogators make false accusations against them to subject them to pressure and demand that they
accept the accusations. If they do not, they will be subjected to severe physiological and physical
torture.
The interrogators pry into the most private issues of these women and use insulting and indecent
language against some of them trying to break their morale.
These interrogators insist that the mother's peaceful gatherings in Laleh Park are a crime and try to
issue heavy sentences for them in this way. These interrogators also use the mother's personal
relationship with each other and try to create an aura of distrust amongst them. They have been told
that they were arrested to prevent further gatherings (in Laleh Park).
Elham Ahsani, 27, who is the youngest Mourning Mother supporter, is subjected to more pressure.
Interrogators have even told her that she has to change the private course of her life. These
47
interrogators are trying to force her into false confessions to issue heavy sentences for her in the future.
(Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Feb. 23, 2010)
Arbitrary arrests
Political arrests
March – 2009
US journalist detained in Iran: reports
National Public Radio and Fox News reported that Roxana Saberi, 31, who was
born in the United States, had been arrested in late January on a charge of
buying alcohol, citing her father.
'She called from an unknown place and said she's been kept in detention,' Reza
Saberi told NPR. He said she had been in detentio n for 10 days at that point.
'She said that she had bought a bottle of wine and the person that sold it had
reported it and then they came and arrested her,' he said ,adding that it was just
an excuse to arrest her.
Reza Saberi told Fox that when she called February 10, his daughter asked her
parents not to tell anyone about her detention, which is why they had not discussed it until now .
At the time she said she expected to be released within two to three days, Saberi said.
Roxana Saberi, a former Miss North Dakota, is a US national who also holds an Iranian passport
because her father was born in Iran.
She had been living in Iran for six years, working as a journalist and pursuing a master's degree in
Iranian studies and international relations, NPR repor ted.
Iran revoked Saberi's press credentials more than a year ago, but the government tolerated her
reporting short news stories out of Iran, NPR said .Her father said she was planning to move back to
the United States later this year. (AFP – March 1, 2009)
Women's activists arrested in Javanrud
On the eve of March 8, Women's Day, a women's activist was arrested in the town of Javanrud.
Last night security forces arrested Farzaneh Mohammadi resident of Javanrud – a city in
Kermanshahm, eastern province – and took her to prison.
This women's rights activist had been arrested before on charges of spreading propaganda against the
government by writing articles and sentenced to 9 months of prison but was later freed on bail. (Sarab
News Agency – March 9, 2009)
Three political activists were arrested in Mashhad
State Security Forces arrested three political activists while they were entering Mashhad City. They
participated in a seminar on the US Policies in December 2008.
These political activists are Dr. Jalalian, Siavosh Pour-Ismaili, engineer, and Dr. Rozita Heshmati (f).
The participants in this seminar were invited by a US university.
They were arrested in Mashhad and transferred to Vakilabad Prison.
Iranian judiciary officials said that these three political activists had disclosed secret information on
Iranian military and protection! (Iran News Agency – Mar. 17, 2009)
Security agents arrest more than 10 women's rights activists
More than 10 members of the One-Million Signature Campaign were arrested today in Sahrevardi
Street in Tehran.
A group of members of the One-Million Signature Campaign and a number of members of the
Mothers for Peace Campaign were going to visit with families of political prisoners and the family of
Doctor Zahra Bani-Ya'qub for the New Year. These people were all gathered in Sahravardi Street and
49
intended to go to these homes when they were arrested by security forces and taken to Nilufar Police
Station. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – March 26, 2009)
April
Woman political activist sentenced to 4 years of prison
In the beginning of this week, a court announced that the probation sentence of
Zeinab Bayazidi, a Kurd activist, has been changed to a prison sentence and
therefore she is sentenced to four and a half years of prison.
Bayazidi was arrested in July 2008 in Mahabad and is currently serving her sentence
in Zanjan Prison. She was arrested before this on charges of "publishing lies" and
"spreading propaganda against the government" and sentenced to 6 months of
probation. (Kurdistan Human Rights Watch News Agency – April 2, 2009)
Court of Review confirms prison sentence of Armenian women's rights activist
The Court of Review confirmed the three years prison sentence of Silvia Harotunian, an Iranian
Armenian. She was charged with allegedly attempting a "velvet overthrow.”
State Security Forces arrested Harotunian on August 2008 and took her to ward 209 in Evin Prison.
She was kept in solitary during this time and is still suffering from the ensuing psychological damages.
Security agents subjected her to severe pressure to force her into giving fake confession on Iranian state
run television.
The Court of Review confirmed the exact sentence issued by the 15 th branch of Tehran's Revolutionary
Court headed by Judge Salavati. This American citizen is detained in Evin Prison along with three
others who were convicted in this case. (Human Rights Activists – Apr. 7, 2009)
MOIS agents arrest wife of political prisoner
Ministry of Intelligence agents raided the office of Khadijeh Nabavi, wi fe of Seyyed Zohour Nabavi,
beating and harassing her. These agents arrested Nabavi and confiscated her office computer.
They subsequently took her to her home. These intelligence agents threw and broke her personal
belongings while searching her house. They confiscated many of her personal belongings including her
personal computer, family photo albums, and family home videos.
Nabavi was taken to an unknown location.
These agents resorted to this violent measure to increase the pressure on her husband, Seyyed Zohour
Nabavi, a political prisoner. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Apr. 10, 2009)
Former political prisoner and son abducted in home
According to reports from Mashhad, about two weeks ago former political prisoner Ali Ebadi, was
arrested along with his son after intelligence agents violently raided his house. They were both beaten
and taken to an unknown location.
These agents searched Ebadi's house, destroying and breaking many of his personal belongings. Agents
confiscated his family albums, books, computer, CDs, and other personal belongings. There is no
information on the condition and location of this political prisoner and his son. (Human Rights and
Democracy Activists in Iran – Apr. 28, 2009)
Regime agents abduct Iranian refugee and family in Lebanon
According to reports, on April 22 an Iranian family from the city of Ahvaz was abducted by people
affiliated with the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon from a hospital in Beirut. This Arab family was going
to visit their child in the Rafiq Hariri Hospital when a group of terrorists abducted them taking them
to Syria and from there to Iran.
Ali Helali Majd, his 26-year-old wife Fatemeh Jame'e, their 2 children, six-year-old and 2-month-old
daughters, and their three-year-old son were all abducted. (Iran Press News – Apr. 29, 2009)
May
Security forces arrest parents of student activist
According to reports, security forces arrested the parents of a former member of Amir Kabir
University's (Poly-Technique) Islamic Association 10 days ago to put pressure on him.
According to reports, these forces raided the parent's house of Reza Eunici and arrested his mother
and father taking them to an unknown location. There is currently no information on their location
and condition.
This is while this student lives outside of Iran continuing his studies and security forces have arrested
his parents to force him back into the country. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – May 1, 2009)
More than 200 men and women beaten and arrested for commemorating Labor Day
More than 200 laborers, women, labor activists and other people were beaten and arrested by State
Security Forces and undercover intelligence agents.
On Friday May 1, more than 1,500 labor activists, laborers, women, and university students gathered
in Tehran's Laleh Park to commemorate Labor Day.
When all the participants gathered to celebrate this day by eating sweets and pastry, SSF patrols
surrounded the whole area with their cars and undercover police and regime vigilantes attacked the
gatherers with clubs and fists, shouting insults and curses. These agents beat and arrested more than
200 of the participants and forced others to leave the park. They also confiscated mobiles and cameras
to prevent people from filming the scene. (Committee for Creating F ree Labor Unions – May 2, 2009)
Three women's rights activists arrested in Qom
Fatameh Masjedi, Maryam Bidgoli and Gholamreza Salami, three women's rights activists were arrested
yesterday in Qom.
According to a reliable source, Qom's Department of Intelligence agents arrested Fatemeh Masjedi and
Gholamreza Salami in Karaj. A few hours after the arrest, agents went to Masjedi's house in Qom and
seized her personal belongings including books, her computer, and family picture album. Her sister
was the only one present at the house, and agents confiscated her mobile phone as well. (Meidan
Zanan (Women's Ground) website – May 9, 2009)
Brother and sister arrested in Sanandaj
Security forces arrested both Farzad Haji Mirzayi and his sister Parshang after they went to the first
branch of the Sanandaj Revolutionary Court to see to a previous legal case.
Farzad Haj Mirzayi was released three days before from prison on a heavy bail after 16 months of
incarceration.
The Haj Mirzayi family does not know where their children have been taken. (Kurdistan Human
Rights Watch News Agency – May 18, 2009)
Women arrested and imprisoned on charges of visiting sister in Camp Ashraf
Nazila Dashti, the mother of two political prisoners was arrested in Tehran's Revolutionary Court and
taken to the notorious Evin Prison.
The mother of political prisoner Hood Yazarlou (sentenced to three years of prison in exile) and
Hamed Yazarlou (detained), has been sentenced to three years of prison on charges of going to Camp
Ashraf to visit family members. She had gone to the Revolutionary Court to pursue her son's case.
She was transferred to women ward in Evin Prison while her prison sentence had not been officially
announced to her lawyer or to her. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – May 24, 2009)
MOIS arrests family of Camp Ashraf residents
Shamseddin Mehdizadeh, 60, father of three Ashraf residents, has been arrested along with his
daughter, son-in-law, and their 3-month-old baby.
51
According to reports from Iran, on May 13, 2009, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security
(MOIS) raided the house of Shamseddin Mehdizadeh, 60, father of three residents of Camp Ashraf in
Iraq. During the raid, MOIS agents confiscated his personal belongings and arrested him. Also
arrested on that day during the attacks were Mehdizadeh’s daughter, Monir, her husband, Ali Afshani,
and the couple’s 3-month-old baby, Amir-Hessam. They were all taken to an undisclosed location and
the family’s attempts to discover their whereabouts have not been successful. (Resistance Sources in
Iran - May 25, 2009)
June
SSF interrogates and imprisons female journalist who had revealed being harassed and beaten by
police
Saba Azarpaik, a reporter for the E'temad state-run daily, published a report in this daily last month on
her ordeal when she was arrested by the "Guidance Patrol", questioning the violent treatment of State
Security Force. She had filed a complaint against the SSF because she was insulted, beaten, and held in
detention for no reason but on Saturday, instead of seeing to her complaint; the SSF arrested and
interrogated her.
She was interrogated on charges of "insulting top political authorities, creating anxiety in public minds,
publishing lies, hitting a police officer, and insulting the police".
This is while she intended to take back her complaints, but a SSF official threatened that "even if you
back down we will not". "You have caused rebellion in the country and now people call you to get
advice on what they should do if they get beaten (by the police)", he added. (Khordad state-run daily –
June 1, 2009)
SSF attack and arrest families of arrested labor activists on May Day hodling sit-in outside
Revolutionary Court
At least 70 labor activists and families of arrested labor activists on May Day held a gathering outside
Tehran's Revolutionary Court this morning.
In this peaceful gathering, the protestors held banners, which read "release my husband" or "free my
children". This protest was met with an attack by security forces who tried to disperse t he protestors.
After the gatherers resisted, security forces arrested three women protestors. The agents arrested
Shahpur Ehsani's wife along with Mohammad Ashrafi's sister and mother. Ehsani and Ashrafi were
both arrested on Labor Day. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – June 2, 2009)
July
Female student arrested and tortured in Babol
Last week, Sugand Alikhah, a Mazandaran University student was arrested by the Ansar-e Hezbollah
with the complicity of an agent in the university's Protection Department. She was taken to a Bassiji
Base in Feraidone-Kenar and was beaten and tortured for three days by the Ansar -e Hezbollah.
The signs of the torture were still evident on her face and body after she was released. (Bu -Ali Sina
Newsletter – July 4, 2009)
Regime agents verbally abuse young girls while arresting them
Many people were arrested outside of the vicinity of the demonstrations to mark the anniversary of the
student uprising in 1999. Security forces and paramilitary forces attacked and arrested many people
who were walking on the streets and this has led to a high number of arrests. There is no information
on where they have taken the detainees.
The interesting point in today's arrests was that detainees were taken to cars and vans that did not have
the police emblem and were personal cars.
According to eyewitness accounts, when people were being arrested, plainclothes agents would use very
offensive language especially when arresting girls, and brutally beat them with clubs. In many cases, it
was reported that they would also spray pepper spray at very close range at the detainees, which can
lead to serious eye damage.
Until this moment, it is not clear how many people were arrested, who they are or where they are
being kept. (Human Rights Activists in Ir an – July 9, 2009)
Iran arrests prominent feminist lawyer
A leading Iranian lawyer and women's rights campaigner, Shadi
Sadr, was arrested on her way to Friday prayers in the capital that
were attended by scores of vote protesters, her husband said.
'Shadi called me from an unknown location and said she was
arrested by plain-clothes officials who forcefully got her into a car,'
Hossein Nilchian told AFP.
He said Sadr was accompanied by her friends and she was the only
one taken away.
Sadr, 34, is a well-known women's rights activist who has
campaigned against one of Iran's internationally-condemned
practices of death by stoning for adulterers. She has defended several
such convicts as a lawyer.
Rights group Amnesty International called for Sadr's immediate release, after what it called her violent
arrest.
'Shadi Sadr was walking with a group of women's rights activists along a busy road when unidentified
plain-clothed men pulled her into a car,' it said in a statement.
'She lost her headscarf and coat in the ensuing struggle but managed briefly to escape. She was quickly
recaptured and beaten with batons before being taken away in the car to an unknown location'.
Amnesty Middle East and North Africa head Malcolm Smart said: 'This was an illegal, arbitrary and
violent arrest in which no attempt was made by the authorities to show identification or provide any
explanation for their action. (AFP - July 17, 2009)
August
Security forces arrest mother of recently killed protester
The "Mourning Mothers" (Committee) have announced that the mother of a man recently killed in
Kermanshah has been arrested and there is no news on her condition and whereabouts.
According to reports, Zahra (Behjat) Nuzari, the mother of Puya Maqsud Baigi, a student at
Kermanshah's Medical Science University, had staged a one person sit-in outside the Intelligence
Agency in Kermanshah in protest to the killing of her son. She was arrested at 10 pm on the first night
of her sit-in.
Puya Maqsud Baigi was arrested by security forces on June 20 in Kermanshah. He was subjected to
severe and brutal torture in prison and passed away after his release. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Aug. 2,
2009)
August 5 detainees not in Evin Prison
Concerns regarding the condition of Haleh Sahabi, a member of the Mothers for Peace Organization
who was violently arrested yesterday outside the Parliament building have escalated.
53
Sahabi's father and mother went to the Revolutionary Court today to pursue their daughter's case, but
after waiting for hours, they did not rece ive any answers on their daughter's whereabouts.
According to eyewitnesses, Sahabi was attacked with a club by an intelligence agent and was then
thrown into a green car while her head was bleeding. She was taken to an unknown location.
On the other hand, Evin officials have told the family of Fahimeh Asadi, another woman arrested
yesterday in the protest to Ahmadinejad's swearing in ceremony, that Revolutionary Guards Forces
made all the arrests yesterday and that none of the detainees were brought to Ev in Prison. (Amir Kabir
Newsletter – Aug. 6, 2009)
Security forces violently arrest young mother in front of her child
According to reports from Semnan, intelligence agents raided the home of the Nabavi family on
Monday August 17 and arrested Tayebe Nabavi.
After violently searching the home and destroying their personal belongings, they attempted to arrest
Tayebe Nabavi, but her 3-year-old son, Hanif, would not separate from his mother. The agents
violently took the crying boy from his mother's arms and started shouting and yelling at him. They
then intended to hit the boy, but Tayabe took him in her arms again to block the attack. She was
finally arrested and taken to an unknown location. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran –
Aug. 19, 2009)
Women arrested by security forces
There was to be a ceremony to commemorate the death of the
victims of the 1988 massacre on Friday August 28 but security
forces prevented the ceremony and arrested (one of the organizers)
Mansoureh Behkish at 10 am on Friday. She is the sister of 6
victims of the massacre and organized the ceremony in previous
years. (Center of Prisoners in Exile – Aug. 28, 2009)
September
Couple arrested in Amol
A couple who was arrested 25 days ago is detained in the Sari Intelligence Center for unknown
reasons.
Mohammad Tavakoli and Mahrokh Safayi were arrested in mid August after they came back from a
trip from Europe and they have been banned from leaving the country.
Security forces searched their home, confiscated their satellite equipment and personal documents,
and took them to the Sari Intelligence Agency. While they were detained, their young son was
summoned to this agency for interrogation. This couple had been detained in the past decades on
charges of being members of an opposition party but according to their loved ones, they are not
members of any group and have had no political activities. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Sep. 6.
2009)
Security forces arrest female Journalist linked to Karoubi
After the office of the E'temad Meli Party (Karoubi's Party) was closed with a permit from Tehran's
Prosecutor, Zohreh Ashtiani, a journalist who worked in the official website of this party, 'Saham
News', was arrested along with Mohammad Davari, the editor of this website and anothe r journalist.
This journalist had been summoned and interrogated a number of times before this. (Green Wave of
Freedom Website – Sep. 10, 2009)
Two student activists arrested in Rasht
Two student activists from the University of Lahijan were arrested by security forces in the city of
Rasht.
According to a statement posted in the Rah-e Kargar Website, these two students identified as Haleh
Pour-Ibrahimi (f), and Saeid Badi’ezadeh were arrested last Wednesday. According to this statement,
they were arrested "on September 16 between 2 to 4 pm by agents from the Intelligence Agency in this
city".
"The families of Ibrahimi and Badi’ezadeh have gone to the Lahijan Intelligence Agency but agents in
the agency have said they do not know anything about the arrests. This has added to the concerns of
the families", the statement added. (Roshangari Website – Sep. 17, 2009)
Iran arrests 3 Moussavi supporters
Fatemeh Dard-keshan and Fatemeh Sotudeh, two activists in Moussavi's staff were arrested last night.
Ali Pir-Hosseinlou and Fatemeh Sotudeh, a couple active in Moussavi's staff were arrested in their
home on Thursday in Tehran. (Rushangari Website – Sep. 18, 2009)
At least 200 men and women arrested on Quds Day protests
A large number of people were arrested after hundreds thousands of Tehran protesters came to the
streets on Quds Day and were attacked by plainclothes agents and riot police.
There are no exact reports on the number of arrestees but according to an informed source, more than
200 people were arrested in Friday's gathering. A large number of families are currently pursuing the
condition of their loved ones who were detained and have gathered outside Evin Prison. In addition to
arrests made in Tehran, reports show that dozens of people were arrested in other towns like Shiraz
and Tabriz. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Sep. 21, 2009)
Cooperation Front official arrested
Azar Mansouri, the political assistant of the Cooperation Front's Secretary
General was arrested last night while coming back from her sister's house.
The agents who arrested her were from the Intelligence Agency in Varamin.
These agents initially searched her home before taking her to the Intelligence
Agency. She was then taken to Tehran this morning. Her niece who was
arrested with her is to be freed tonight. (Human Rights Activists in Iran –
Sep. 23, 2009)
October
Couple arrested and beaten in prison
Kobra Zagheh-Dust and her husband Ashkan Eskandari were arrested by intelligence agents in a
ceremony to mark the 40th day of those killed in the (post-election) protests in the Behesht Zahra
Cemetery. Two months after their arrest, they are still in ward 209 in Evin Prison and kept in an
undetermined state.
According to reports, Ashkan Eskandari started chanting slogans against Ahmadinejad when he was
brought to ward 209 after his arrest and was violently beaten for this reason by agents and guards in
the detention center. He has been detained in solitary since his arrest and despite his poor
psychological and physical state, he is not transferred to the general wards. He was also beaten by
interrogators and ward guards on several occasions to the extent that he was taken to the Taleqani
Hospital for treatment yesterday due to his severe injuries.
Eskandari constantly shouts and cries demanding that he be taken to the general wards, but so far his
wife's and his constant requests have been left unheeded.
The number of detainees in Tehran (is so large) that security wards in Evin Prison including wards
209, 240 and 2A do not have any more space for prisoners. (Committee of Human Rights Reporters –
Oct. 2, 2009)
55
Women arrested in Semnan
Fatemeh Nabavi, 28, was arrested two weeks ago after she went to the Revolutionary Court to protest a
heavy sentence issued for her by this court. She was taken to the women's ward in the Semnan Prison.
This court had fined her for 10,000 dollars or two years of prison for the crime of visiting her family in
Camp Ashraf. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Oct. 8, 2009)
Couple arrested in Mahabad
Two other residents of Mahabad were arrested while another person was summoned.
A wife and husband identified as Aziz Abdollahi and Leila Kharazian were arrested by security forces
for unknown reasons in this city on October 4.
This is while Abdollahi has a brain tumor and keeping him in a solitary cell can have a dangerous
outcome. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 9, 2009)
Iran is said to arrest wives of many prominent detainees
Iranian authorities arrested the wives and family members of a number of high-profile political
detainees at a religious ceremony in Tehran, several reformist Web sites reported Friday .
The raid happened Thursday after the family members of one detainee, Shahab Tabatabee, announced
on the Web site Norooz News that they were holding a prayer ceremony for his release. Mr. Tabatabee,
a member of the reformist party Islamic Iran Participation Front, was sentenced to five years in prison
last week.
The police raided the ceremony at a private home a few minutes after it began, according to a relative
of some of the people who were arrested.
Officers arrested nearly all the guests except for several young women who were attending with infants
and toddlers.
There were conflicting reports on the Web sites as to the number arrested. The relative, who spoke on
the condition of anonymity, said 60 people had been arrested, which would make it the largest mass
arrest in recent months…
The wife of Abdullah Ramezanzadeh, a prominent prisoner who was the government spokesman
under former President Mohammad Khatami, and the wives of several former members of Parliament
were among the detainees.
About 10 people were released Friday. About a dozen others were transferred to the notorious Evin
prison, the relative said.
He said the raid had been carried out under a warrant issued by the prosecutor general.
The arrests appeared to be a warning to the families of the detainees, who have been vocal in their
OPPOSITION to the arrests…
More than 100 people, including reform activists and journalists, are still in jail, and their relatives
have said most were being held in solitary confinement with limited access to their families or lawyer .
Authorities hinted this month that they might try to arrest the OPPOSITION leaders Mir Hussein
Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi in an effort to stop the protests …
The Special Court of Clergy also said last week that it was looking into charges against Mr. Karroubi .
On Friday, Mr. Karroubi was attacked by baton-wielding vigilantes when he visited a media exhibition
in Tehran, the student Web site Advarnews reported.
Mr. Karroubi’s white turban was knocked off, and the official Fars news agency carried a photo
showing a shoe being tossed at him. (NY Times - Oct. 24, 2009)
5 Azeri activists arrested in Tabriz
Azeri activists Navid Meshkat, Madineh Qassemi (f), Aydin Taqipour, Mohammad Mohammad-lu and
Javad Ramezan were arrested on October 23 after participating in a ceremony on the first anniversary
of the death of 'Imami' (civil rights Azeri activist who was mysteriously killed in a car accident with two
of his brothers) in Tabriz. Security forces transferred these five people from the Maralan Cemetery and
took them to police station 22. They were then taken to the Baghshomal Intelligence Agency after
being interrogated for a few hours. (Savalan Sasssi – Oct. 25, 2009)
Security forces make more arrests in Mahabad
On Sunday October 25, the Intelligence Agency of Mahabad went to the home of a political Kurd
prisoner named Jahangir Baduzadeh who has been jailed for years in the Orumieh Prison and
confiscated his books and CD's. These forces also intended to arrest Turan Baduzadeh, his wife, but
she had fled to the mountains with her young son after being informed of this matter.
The eldest son of this family was arbitrarily murdered by a security agent named Aziz Kanebi before
this.
According to other reports, these forces have also arrested a number of women and young people in
this city and villages around the city under the excuse that they had 'cooperated with an opposition
party'. These people have still not been identified. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 27, 2009)
No news on female political prisoner
According to Monireh Rabiyi's family, who had attended a gathering of families of political prisoners
outside the Public Prosecutors Office in Tehran, the 32-year-old woman who does not have a history of
political activities was summoned to the Revolutionary Court to 'submit an explanation' but was
arrested and taken to Evin Prison after she went to the Revolutionary Court. She has been charged
with 'having links to the PMOI'. Rabiyi has not been able to see her family since her arrest.
(Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Oct. 29, 2009)
November
Regime makes widespread arrests in Nov. 4 protests
Hundreds of protesters were arrested on Wednesday's protests and gatherings. According to reports
from the demonstrations on November 4, Ali Malihi and Hojat Sharifi, two members of the Office for
Consolidating Unity, Nafiseh Zare Kohan, journalist and Vahideh Molavi a member of the Women's
Field group were arrested.
Ali Mashmuli, a member of the Public Council of the Industrial Islamic Association in Isfahan
University was arrested in the clashes in Isfahan.
A large number of the detainees were transferred to ward 209 in Evin Prison. Eyewitnesses have
reported that they saw busses and vans full of detainees on the evening of November 4 entering Evin
prison and that a large number of them were taken to section 209 and 240.
Many prisoners who were arrested in the months before were transferred to section 8 from ward 209.
Reports say that the Intelligence Agency has prepared ward 209 for the new detainees.
Other reports say that at least one bus full of young girls was taken to an unknown location from
Bahar Street in Tehran. Dozens of other girls were arrested in the streets and bystreets. (Radio
Germany Website – Nov. 5, 2009)
Regime forces arrest several people in Mahabad and Naqadeh
Security forces have arrested several residents of Mahabad and Naqadeh in the past few days.
A woman identified only by her first name as 'Roqieh' and a man identified as 'Mahmoud Chireh'
were arrested by security forces in Mahabad on the charge of cooperating with the Kurdish
Opposition. Mr. Chireh is the father of a Kurd opposition guerrilla who was killed.
According to other reports on October 31, agents of the Intelligence Agency in Naqadeh stormed the
home of a civil rights activists and writer named Hussein Ashari and arrested him. He was taken to an
unknown location. (Kurdistan Media – Nov. 5, 2009)
57
Two women's rights activists arrested in Isfahan
Mohsen Parizad Moqadam and Ali Mashmuli, two members of the One-Million Signature Campaign
in Isfahan who are both student activists were arrested on November 4 near Enqelab Square in
Isfahan.
Ali Mashmuli is currently in the Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan but Mohsen Parizad Moqadam was
transferred to the city of Arak after his arrest. This is while he lives in Isfahan and was arrested in this
city. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Nov. 8, 2009)
Security forces arrest two Tehran Univ. students
According to reports, two Tehran University students named Salumeh Rahmanian (F) and Ali Asghar
Tavabi were arrested on November 17 by security forces. They were law students and members of the
Islamic Association. (Iran News Agency – Nov. 18, 2009)
Intelligence agents arrest two girl students at Shiraz Univ.
Neda Eskandari, a political science major and Khadijeh Qahremani, an agricultural student at Shiraz
University who had gone to the Disciplinary committee to inquire about punishments issued against
them were arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence.
Eskandari and Qahremani had been suspended for two semesters from education and banned from
using university facilities.
There is no information on the whereabouts of these students. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Nov. 19,
2009)
December
Regime forces arrest student activist and husband in home
Mahdieh Golro, a student activist who also cooperated with the Human Rights Activists in Iran and
was sentenced to one year of suspended prison was arrested after security
forces stormed her home in the morning. Her husband Vahid Lalipour
was also arrested. These forces who were about 10 agents attacked their
home at about 7 am and made a search until about 9 am. They
confiscated some of their personal belongings including their laptop, non
political pictures on the walls, books, CDs and even their family pictures.
They then handcuffed Mahdieh and her husband and took them to Evin
Prison. Vahid Lalipour is currently in the Quarantine Section of Evin
Prison but there is no information on where Mahdieh is being kept.
(Human Rights Activists in Iran – Dec. 3, 2009)
Agents of the Ministry of Intelligence storm home of family and arrest
three people
Intelligence agents in Karaj stormed the home the Ghoslani family two
months ago and arrested Mostafa Ghoslani. He was taken to an unknown
location. These agents searched his home for many hours and confiscated some of their personal
belongings.
A few weeks later, intelligence forces attacked his brother's home in Karaj and arrested him. Morteza
Ghoslani was also taken to an unknown location.
Two weeks ago, intelligence agents once again stormed Mostafa Ghoslani's home and arrested his wife
Azam Moini. Moini is a mother of a 7-year-old and 9-year-old child and these children are now without
a guardian.
These attacks and arrests were reportedly made because of the affiliations of some of the members of
this family with the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran and because their children are in Camp
Ashraf in Iraq. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Dec. 4, 2009)
Regime arrests female journalist, forces family into silence
Tahere Riahi, a journalist for the Jahan-e Eqtesad (World of Economy) daily was
arrested a few days ago by security forces and taken to an unknown location. This
was done amongst complete media silence and (officials) have demanded that her
family not give any news about her arrest to the media and not to disclose any
details surrounding her arrest. (Peik-e-Iran Website – Dec. 4, 2009)
Regime arrests another women's rights activist
Haide Tabesh, an activist and member of the One-Million Signature Campaign was
arrested today in Isfahan.
Agents of the intelligence agency in this city took Hayde Tabesh from her English
class and went with her to her home. They searched her home and confiscated all of
her personal items including the computers of her two children. Her husband,
Montazeri, said that he still does not where his wife was being kept and agents have
told him to go the Revolutionary Court tomorrow to inquire about her. (Human
Rights Activists in Iran – Dec. 5, 2009)
Regime forces arrest 15 women in peaceful demo
According to reports from Tehran, plainclothes agents attacked a gathering of mothers of protest
victims in Laleh Park and arrested more than 15 people. They were taken to an unknown location.
These women were attacked by security forces and plainclothes agents at about 5 pm Tehran time
while entering the park.
More than 300 state security agents were stationed inside the park and were even monitoring the area
where children were playing. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Dec. 5, 2009)
Regime arrests three student activists in Lahijan
Three student activists were arrested yesterday by security forces in Lahijan and were taken to an
unknown location.
At 9 pm, security forces went to the homes of Reihaneh Ansari (female student activist in Gilan
University), Nosaibeh Baqeri (female student activists in Gilan University) and Morris Baqeri (an
activist in Moussavi's election staff in Gilan) and arrested them on December 15. These forces initially
searched their homes and confiscated some of their personal items. (Human Rights Activists in Iran –
Dec. 6, 2009)
Names of 23 arrested mourning mothers in Tehran
With the brutal attack on the peaceful demonstration of mourning mothers two days ago at Laleh
Park, 29 mothers were arrested, out of whom 6 of the elderly mothers were released shortly after. The
remaining 23 mothers are still in detention and there is no news of their situation or condition. The
following is a list of the arrested mourning mothers: 1. Fatemeh Rastegar 2. Behnazi Hazrati 3. Sedighe
Shokri 4. Taiebe Khenjmanesh 5. Masoume Heydarimoghadam 6. Leila Husaini 7. Farzaneh Husaini
8. Masoume Sedaghat 9. Najmeh Afroozeg 10. Mina Gholizadeh 11. Azar Kooh Geilani 12.
Mansoureh Behkish 13. Yalda Husaini 14. Fatemeh Moazen 15. Taiebeh Atefrad 16. Yasamn Bahman
17. Zhila Karamzadeh Makvandi 18. Shokoufeh Ziaie Moghadas 19. Ziba Karimi 20. Azam Saghaie 21.
Leil Seifelahi 22. Mastaneh Ziaie 23. Afsaneh Norouzi (Street Journalist – Dec.7, 2009)
Security forces wait outside hospital to arrest injured protesters
According to reports from Iran, demonstrations are still in progress in Central Tehran streets and
security forces are violently cracking down on them.
Security forces opened fire on the people in Quds Square injuring one of the demonstrators. A large
number of people were arrested in this area. Three young women and a middle aged woman were
arrested near Building 310 and were taken to an unknown location. According to eyewitnesses, more
than 50 people were arrested in Enqelab Square.
59
According to other reports, Special Guards Forces are standing alert with guard dogs next to the
entrances of a number of hospitals including the Hezartakhtekhabi Hospital to arrest injured
protesters who come to the hospital. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Dec. 7, 2009)
Iran arrests 6 student activists in Shiraz
Security forces arrested 3 students in Shiraz yesterday. Seyed Mohammad Mohsen Moussavi, Sobhaneh
Heidari, and Najmeh Ranjbaran (f) are students of the Technical College of the Bahonar University in
Shiraz.
In the past few days, other Shiraz students, Sayid Lotfi, Massoud Mahdavi Far and Seyed Mohammad
Hosseini were also arrested. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Dec. 8, 2009)
Security forces arrest 51-year-old woman in home
Intelligence agents stormed the home of the Jushan family in Karaj on December 7
and arrested 51-year-old Zahra Asadpour Gorgi after breaking down her door. She
was taken to an unknown location.
The head interrogator of the intelligence agency in Karaj called her in the morning
telling her that her detained son would call today in the morning and that she
should not go anywhere. Gorgi was attacked while she waited for her son's
telephone call from prison.
This political prisoner is suffering from severe heart problems and high blood
pressure and went under surgery a short while ago.
Before this, 25-year-old Reza Jushan, her son was arrested after intelligence agents stormed their home.
He was taken to ward 8 in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj and there is still no news on his condition.
(Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Dec. 8, 2009)
Two other Shiraz students arrested
Sayid Aganji, a student activist in Karroubi's election campaign and Razieh Jafari (f), a sociology major
at Shiraz University who was suspended for one semester last year were arrested by security forces.
(Amir Kabir Newsletter – Dec. 8, 2009)
Iran: More than 200 arrested in protests including dozens of women
Tehran's police chief says 204 protesters were arrested in widespread anti-government marches by
university students.
Gen. Azizullah Rajabzadeh says the protesters - including 39 women - were detained in the capital
during Monday's rallies for violating public order,' according to the state news agency IRNA. He says
they will be handed over to the judiciary after police investigation .
There has been no word on the number of arrests outside Tehran. (AP – Dec. 8, 2009)
Security forces arrest women's rights activist
Somayeh Rashidi, a women's rights activist was arrested on Saturday December 20 after answering a
summons to the Revolutionary Court and was transferred to Ev in Prison.
Her lawyer, Afruz Moghzi confirmed this report and said, "According to a summons that was
announced to my client while (regime forces) were searching her home, she went to the Revolutionary
Court in the morning. I was not allowed to be present in the court with her. Ms. Rashidi was
interrogated for about 2 hours in the Revolutionary Court and later we were informed that she had
been transferred to prison after her charges were announced to her". (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Dec.
20, 2009)
Security agents brutally attack Ashura mourners in Arak, arrest dozens of people
Ashura mourners gathered on Khomeini Street in Arak to mark Ashura. According to reports, they
were attacked brutally by plainclothes agents and security forces and a number of them were injured
and wounded.
These forces also attacked and beat mourning women and mothers which angered the people on the
scene.
According to eyewitnesses, a number of young people who came to protect the women were arrested
after being brutally beaten and were taken away with bloody faces by security forces. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Dec. 27, 2009)
January- 2010
Regime arrests scores of political activists in Iran
Seyed Amir Khoram, and Mohsen Mohaqeqi who are members of the Iran Freedom Movement and
Sara Tavalosi (Mohammad Tavasoli's daughter) were arrested yesterday after answering a summons to
the Intelligence Agency in Tehran.
A member of the Freedom Movement has said that these arrests are to put pressure on jailed members
of this movement to announce this movement's disbandment and the end of its activities.
Reza Najafi, a writer and translator of German literature was also arrested. In the town of Zarand three
political activists were arrested. According to reports, Abdolreza Rahmani, Mohsen Pour-Rashidi and
Hossein Shahr Ashub were arrested by security forces on Saturday.
Mohammad Rof'ati, a member of the Youth Branch of the Participation Front and Mohammad
Kiqbadi, member of the Revolutionary Mojahedin Organization were also arrested i n Gorgan.
In Mashhad Mehdi Gilani and Farshad Azizi members of Staff 88 were also arrested. (Rooz Website –
Jan. 4, 2010)
Iran arrests 30 'mournful mothers' protesters: website
Iranian security forces have arrested 30 so-called 'mournful mothers' who were protesting in a Tehran
park the death or disappearance of their children in post-election unrest, an opposition website
reported Sunday.
Kaleme.org, quoting witnesses, said the women were rounded up on Saturday in Laleh park.
'Around 4:00 pm (1230 GMT) we were in Laleh park and there were more than 100 police… who were
not allowing the mothers to sit on the benches or gather in groups,' the unidentified witness told
Kaleme.org. 'There were around 70 mothers in the park and the security chased them out. A number
of them escaped but around 30 were arrested and were forcefully taken into police vans,' the witness
said.
They women were driven to a police station, the website said without giving more information.
'Mournful mothers' are a group of mothers whose children have gone either missing or killed in the
aftermath of protests unleashed following the contested re-election in June of President Mahmoud
Ahamdinejad.
The women, who dress in black group in sign of mourning, usually gather in Laleh park on Saturday
afternoons to protest against the death or disappearance of their children, according to their website.
The website – http://mournfulmothers.blogfa.com/ -- says that security forces always intervene when
the mothers meet in the park and that some of the women have been arrested in the past.
The group was set up after Neda Agha-Soltan was shot and killed in one of the protests, according to
the website.
The mothers demand the prosecution of those who were behind the alleged killing and torture of their
loved ones, and also call for the release of all prisoners of conscience. (AFP – Jan 10, 2010)
10 mourning mothers taken to hospital after arrest
According to the latest reports, about 30 mourning mothers who were arrested yesterday in Laleh Park
were taken to court today. Ten of these mothers were taken to the hospital because they were beaten
and there is no information on their physical health. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Jan. 10, 2010)
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Iran arrest 3 female photographers at funeral of slain nuclear physic s professor
Three photographers were arrested at the funeral of Massoud Ali Mohammadi, an assassinated
professor, today in Tehran.
In this ceremony which was held with a heavy presence of plainclothes agents and Bassij forces, 3
photographers who reportedly worked for foreign news services were arrested. They were all women
and were arrested by female police officers.
It is still not known why they were arrested and why only female photographers were arrested.
(Kalameh Website – Jan. 14, 2010)
Iran arrests couple and detains their baby in intelligence agency for several hours
On the evening of January 17, Peiman Chalaki, a political and labor activist and the former secretary
of the Free Saveh University's Islamic Association and his wife Somayeh Alami Pasand a former
member of the Participation Front and the former secretary of the Free Tehran University's Islamic
Association and their little daughter were arrested by intelligence agents and transferred to Tehran
from Saveh.
According to reports, security forces called one of the friends of this couple and summoned him/her
to the Saveh Intelligence Agency. They then separated Mana Chalaki, the couple's small child, from
her parents and handed her over to the couple's friend.
Chalaki and Alami Pasand were then transferred to Tehran by the intelligence agency. There is no
information on their exact location in Tehran. (Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Jan. 19,
2010)
53 year old female political prisoner detained in solitary in ward 209
Parvaneh Rad, 53, is a mother of two and a supporter of the Mourning Mothers who attended the
weekly protests of these mothers in Laleh Park. She was arrested on December 26 after her car broke
down. She was waiting near the Choobi Bridge for her husband to come fix the car when she suddenly
saw plainclothes agents violently beating women and girls on the street. She protested this brutal act
and was attacked and violently arrested by the plainclothes agents. She is currently detained in the
solitary cells in ward 209 in Evin Prison and her family has still not been allowed to visit her. (Human
Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Jan. 19, 2010)
Iran arrests VOA reporter along with family
One of the elements linked to anti-revolutionary (forces) who was active in the Voice of America
network and also cooperated with the anti-revolutionary opposition, escaped some time ago with his
family after his associates were arrested.
According to reports, investigation to find this person was ongoing until one week ago when his hiding
place was discovered. He was arrested along with his wife and daughter in a garden in the Luin Plain
near Tehran. (Jahan state-run website – Jan. 26, 2010)
February
No news on Mourning Mother abducted 4 weeks ago by security forces
According to reports, Farzaneh Zinali, a supporter of the Mourning Mothers was abducted by security
forces more than four weeks ago and there is no information on her whereabouts and condition.
Zinali, 53, is married with two children and supports the Mourning Mothers. On January 9, 2009 after
she left her home and on her way to join the protest of Mourning Mothers in Laleh Park, she was
attacked and abducted by intelligence agents. From that time on, there has been no information on
her condition and even where she is being detained.
Her family constantly goes to the Revolutionary Court and Evin Prison to pursue her condition and
the location of her detention but (officials) refrain from answering their questions. They only told this
family once that she is in a detention center near Qom but did not give them the exact address of the
prison.
This family is under pressure and threats by intelligence agents that if they tell human rights activists
and the media that Mrs. Zinali has been arrested and that they have no information on her
whereabouts, Mrs. Zinali and her family will have to face the consequences. (Human Rights and
Democracy Activists in Iran – Feb. 3, 2010)
Iran arrests female students
A number of students who were mostly girls were arrested by security fo rces last night.
Some of the arrestees were Tehran University students and were arrested in their homes.
Nazanin Hassan Nia and Sahar Qasemi, 26, were arrested in this regard in the morning. Sahar Qasemi
father was executed in the massacre of political p risoners in the 80's. (Jaras Website – Feb. 3, 2010)
Iran arrests human rights activist
Human right activist, Sama Bahmani, was arrested on Tuesday by security forces and
taken to an unknown location. On Saturday February 2, this human rights activist
was arrested by security forces in Mahabad. (Human Rights Activist in Iran – Feb. 7,
2010)
Female journalist arrested
Somayeh Momeini, journalist and an activist in the One-Million Signature Campaign was arrested in
her home on February 7.
According to reports, she was arrested at 3am by security forces. There is no clear information on her
whereabouts. (Committee of Human Rights Activists in Iran – Feb. 7, 2010)
Iran arrests another journalist
Zeinab Kazem-Khah, a journalist for a state-run news agency was arrested at 3 am on Sunday after 9
intelligence agents stormed her home. She was taken to an unknown location.
These agents showed her a warrant saying that she was charged with attending protests. All her
personal belongings were confiscated. (Human Rights Activists – Feb. 7, 2010)
Iran arrests women's rights activist
Security forces arrested Mahsa Jazini, a student in Isfahan who has been banned from education.
According to reports, she was arrested at 1:30 am for being a 'feminist'. She was transfe rred to the
Dastgerd Central Prison in Isfahan last night. (Taghir Barayeh Barabari website 'Change for Equality' –
Feb 7, 2010)
Iran arrest female Tehran Univ. student
Hamideh Qasemi, an agricultural engineering major in Tehran University, was arrested on Wednesday
by security forces.
This is while her family was not informed of her arrest until today. It is still not clear why she was
arrested and what her charges are. (Bamdad Khabar Website – Feb. 7, 2010)
Lawyer arrested in home on eve of planned pro tests in Iran
Maryam Qanbari, a lawyer and women's rights activist was arrested today in her home at 3 am by
security forces.
These forces initially rang her neighbors' doorbell to enter the apartment building and then knocked
on her door. They confiscated some of her personal belongings including her computer. (Committee
of Human Rights Reporters – Feb. 8, 2010)
Iran arrests two children's rights activists
According to reports, in the past few weeks, two children's rights activists were arrested and tak en to an
unknown location.
On January 27, 2009, Ms. Sayideh Mirzayi, who is 25 and graduated with a master's degree in
chemistry from Tehran University was arrested by agents of the Intelligence Ministry and taken to an
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unknown location. She was active in the Better World NGO which helped children of labor and street
children.
Mr. Babak Nazari, 22, who worked in the Suitable World for Children NGO but had started working
with the Molavi NGO after Suitable World was shut down by the intelligence agency, wa s also
violently arrested at about 10 am and was taken to an unknown location.
In the afternoon, these forces stormed his home in Islam Shahr and conducted a long search. They
subsequently confiscated his computer, CDs and other personal belongings. A similar search was
conducted in Mirzayi's home where her personal belongings were taken by intelligence agents.
The Mirzayi and Nazari families go to the Revolutionary Court in the day and Evin Prison at night on
a daily basis to try to get any kind of information about their loved ones. (Human Rights and
Democracy Activists in Iran – Feb. 8, 2010)
More arrests on eve of fresh protests in Iran
Agents of the Ministry of Intelligence stormed a number of the homes of social and student activists
and supporters of Mourning Mothers and arrested them last night. They were taken to section 209 in
Evin Prison.
These attacks started on Monday, February 8 at 10:30 pm. The first attack was against the Ahsani
family which led to the arrest of Nader and Elham Ahsani. Intelligence agents used five cars loaded
with agents for this attack. Nader Ahsani is a student activist who was previously arrested in 2007.
Elham Ahsani worked in two NGOs including the Life Flowers Association which aided people
infected with HIV and the Suitable World for Children Organization which helped children of labor
and street children.
At about 11:30pm, intelligence agents attacked the home of 49 year-old Jila Akram Zadeh who is a
supporter of the Mourning Mothers. Five agents forcefully entered her home and after conducting a
long search, arrested Akram Zadeh and took her to a solitary cell in section 209 in Evin Prison.
At about 3:30 am, intelligence agents attacked the home of another supporter of the Mourning
Mothers, Mrs Goli, 49, who is married with two children and arrested her. She was taken to section
209 as well. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Feb. 9, 2010)
Ministry of Intelligence attacks and arrests Nabavi family in Semnan and Qom
Agents of the Intelligence Agency stormed the home of Ali Nabavi on February 9 in Qom and arrested
his wife Mehri Nabavi who is a housewife and mother. She was detained in the Intelligence Detention
Center. Ali Nabavi was detained before this in this detention center.
Intelligence agents summoned at least three other members of this family in Semnan to the
Intelligence Agency and interrogated and threatened them for more than 12 hours. (Human Rights
and Democracy Activists in Iran – Feb. 13, 2010)
21 women arrested in days leading to revol ution anniversary
In the weeks leading to February 11, at least 21 women active in various journalistic, artistic, feministic
and other fields were arrested.
The arrested women include Nilufar Laripour, Nushin Jafari, Mahsa Jazini, Somayeh Momeni,
Maryam Qanbari, Zeinab Kazem Khah, Nazanin Farzan Ju, Bahar Tarakameh, Hamideh Qasemi,
Banafsheh Darolfeshani and Jamileh Darolfeshani, Sayideh Mirzayi, Mah Farid Mansourian, Parvin
Kohzadi, Mulodi Mahmoudi Zanganeh, Elham Ahsani, Maryam Karimi, Nazanin Hassan Nia, Sahar
Qasemi Nejad, Golnaz Tavasoli and Tara Sepehri Far. (Jaras Website – Feb. 13, 2010)
Recently released female journalist jailed again
Hengameh Shahidi, a journalist and women's rights activists was once again
arrested on Thursday February 25 by intelligence agents.
Mohammad Mostafayi, her lawyer wrote in his weblog that Hengameh Shahidi
was summoned to the intelligence agency yesterday and was arrested today
after going to the agency. She was transferred to Evin Prison and the reason for
her arrest is unclear. Her lawyer also said that his client is not in a suitable mental state. (Kalameh
Website – Feb. 26, 2010)
Social arrests
March-2009
Head of police indicates who should be arrested
In Punak, Western Tehran, there are many police cars stationed and Guidance Patrols warn and give
notices to women and girls in an unprecedented manner.
This region looks like a military region due to the high number of security forces.
Alipur, the head of Tehran's security police is wearing civilian clothing an d walking among the people.
Alipur tells agents whom to arrest because he walks amongst the people and no one suspects him to be
police.
According to reports, state forces arrested about 3 to four young men in Nur Square in Punak. These
boys were about 15 years old and were busy lighting firecrackers and had lighted a fire next to Nur
Square. Security forces arrested these boys in front of the people, forced them inside their cars, and
immediately took them to another location. This act caused protests from witnesses but these agents
paid no heed and took the boys with them. (Iran BBB – Mar. 17, 2009)
August
Young men and women arrested in north Iran for improper clothing
According to reports, dozens of young men and women in Northern Iran have been arrested by state
security forces in the Plan to 'Counter Social Corruption' on charges of wearing improper clothing.
This report says that security forces deployed in Mahmoud Abad in Mazandaran arrested four boys and
eight girls in only two rounds under the pretext of them not following Islamic moral rules. They were
taken to detention centers. (Iran News Agency – Aug. 25, 2009)
November
Regime forces arrest 50 girls and boys in party
Security forces arrested the participants of a mixed party in Zafaranieh Stree t in Mashhad. These forces
were able to arrest 50 girls and boys who had attended the party. These people, who were not in a
normal state seemingly from alcohol use, were taken to a medical examiner to be checked for alcohol.
(Khabar Online state-run website – Nov. 10, 2009)
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January – 2010
Women arrested for 'unconventional hair covering'
On Thursday January 9, security forces stopped 34 motorists in Tehran because of their
unconventional Hijab (covering) in addition to arresting 8 people who had completely taken off their
Hijab (scarves and…). These people were taken to prison.
Despite the fact that it was announced that 16 Baha'is were arrested during the seditions on Ashura,
initial investigations regarding detainees has shown that there are at least 80 Baha'is amongst the
detainees. (Ayandeh state-run website – Jan. 12, 2010)
February
20 girls and boys arrested in party
In a night party in Mashhad, 20 girls and boys were arrested by security forces. According to reports,
Mashhad police arrested 20 people in this nightly meeting in the Goldasht Art Center in this city.
Some of the participants ran away from the emergency staircase.
Police investigations into the organizers of such nightly meetings are ongoing. (Cyrus News Agency –
Feb. 22, 2010)
Prison
Prison conditions
March- 2009
All cells in notorious ward 209 full
All the cells in ward 209 of Evin Prison have become full due to the large number of (political)
prisoners in this ward. According to reports, Roxana Saberi, an imp risoned Iranian-American freelance
reporter, and Shabnam Maddadzadeh, student activist, have been transferred to ward 240 in this
prison. Four Amir Kabir students who have been on a hunger strike for almost a month, Majid
Tavakoli, Hossein Turkashavand, Ismail Salmanpur
and Kurosh Daneshyar, have instead been transferred to ward 209. (Human Rights Activists in Iran –
March 9, 2009)
More than 450 children in prison with mothers
Currently more than 450 children are in Iranian prisons with their mothers and 1,500 children under
the age of 15, whose mothers are in jail, are kept in welfare centers. Some believe these centers are no
different from prisons for these children. (Iran News Agency – March 25, 2009)
56-year-old mother of Ashraf residents in danger of losing eyesight in prison
According to reports from the women's ward in Evin prison, Kobra Banazadeh Amir-Khizi, 56, who
had suffered from bleeding in one of her eyes in ward 209 of this prison, is in serious danger of losing
her eyesight.
She is also deprived of serious treatment and the prison medical clinic has told her "you still have time
before you can see only under your feet".
On the other hand, the quality and quantity of prison food in the women's ward has greatly decreased
and almost every night prisoners in this ward have been receiving potatoes for dinner since the Persian
New Year.
The Banazadeh family has gone to the first branch of the Revolutionary Court to follow up on the case
of Kobra Banazadeh. In their last visit on February 27 with the head of this court, they were told, "Our
superiors ordered that we not release her because many of her close relatives are in Camp Ashraf and
she should not be freed". (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – March 30, 2009)
April
Agent of 1988 massacre of political prisoners to preside over trial of 56-year-old female political
prisoner
According to reports from the women's ward in Evin Prison, Kobra Banazadeh, 56, will be trialed on
May 5 in the 28th branch of the Revolutionary Court on charges of "acting against national security"
and "illegally leaving the country". This trial will be judged by Mohammad Moqiseyi, aka Naserian.
Moqiseyi has presided over the trial of three other members of the Banazadeh family and has issued
heavy sentences for them. Kobra Banazadeh is currently in ward 209 and is in danger of losing her
eyesight. This political prisoner is also deprived of serious medical treatment.
Naserian is currently the head of the 28 th branch of Tehran's Revolutionary Court. He was one of the
members of the "Death Delegation" and had a direct part in the execution of the massacre of political
prisoners in 1988. He is known as a criminal for taking part in this massacre in which thousands of
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political prisoners were executed. Several international human rights organizations have condemned
this massacre,
demanding that all the agents and perpetrators of this crime be brought to justice and trialed. (Human
Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Apr. 24, 2009)
Jailed U.S.-Iranian reporter 'very weak': father
'She is very, very weak and frail ... she is in a bad condition. She can hardly stand up,' Reza Saberi told
Reuters. 'I'm worried about her health. I'm worried about her life .' (Reuters – Apr. 27, 2009)
May
19 year old female prisoner tortured in prison
Political prisoner Mahssa Naderi, 19, who is an economics major at Qom's Mofid University was
arrested in her house on February 21 after a violent raid by intelligence agents, and was taken to ward
209. This student prisoner had a short phone call with her family 25 days ago. With a shaky voice, she
described how she was tortured every day and that she was in a bad physical condition, when the line
went dead. From that day on, she was not allowed any more phone calls.
In the past few days, Mahssa's mother was summoned to the Intelligence Agency. She was violently
interrogated and threatened from 10:30 am to 1 pm by head interrogators of ward 209.
"We have banned Mahssa from making telephone calls and if she stays in solitary for 6 months, you
have no right to protest because it has nothing to do with you", this interrogator told her mother.
"She has to be punished,” he added.
He told this political prisoner's mother that they did her a favor by giving her husband (political
prisoner Mohsen Naderi) 1 year of prison "because we could have given him 3 years". (Human Rights
and Democracy Activists – May 5, 2009)
Brother and sister imprisoned for 80 days without charges
Shabnam Madadzadeh, member of the central council of Teacher Training University's Islamic
Association was arrested on February 20 and imprisoned in ward 209 in Tehran's Evin Prison. A day
after her arrest, her brother who was summoned to a police station to pursue his sister's case was also
arrested and taken to Evin. For more information on this case, we called their father in Tabriz.
"They have taken my children from me for 80 days now. In the first few days, we had no information
about them and only found them 3 or 4 days after their arrest. Every week we go to prison, but they
don’t let us see them,” said Madadzadeh.
"We went to court with a lawyer, but they didn’t answer to the lawyer either. They would not let us
enter court or see the judge (presiding over the case). They have not even announced the charges
against them. The mandate of the lawyer has still not been signed for the lawyer to be able to visit
them either,” he added. (Radio Farda Website – May 13, 2009)
Young political prisoner in bad condition
Prisoners arrested on February 20 are in a bad condition in w ard 209 in the notorious Evin Prison.
Mahsa Naderi, a 19-year-old student prisoner, has become very weak in prison. Prison guards were
forced to take her to the prison medical clinic many times in the middle
of interrogations because of her grave physical condition. (Human Rights
and Democracy Activists in Iran – May 18, 2009)
Female student prisoner beaten by inmates by orders of Kurdistan
Prosecutor
Ronak Safazadeh, a student activists and women's rights activist who was
recently sentenced to a 6-year prison term on charges of "acting against
national security" has been beaten by intelligence operatives. Two of her
inmates beat her on many occasions under various pretexts. They have done this on orders of
Kurdistan's Public Prosecutor, Amjadi.
This Kurd student was arrested on October 9, 2007 by intelligence agents and after 4 months of
solitary confinement was transferred to the Central Sanandaj Prison. During interrogations, the 22 year-old's toes broke due to the torture she was subjected to. She is continuously tortured, insulted and
verbally harassed by prison guards and agents. (Family Union of Kurd Prisoners' Weblog – May 23,
2009)
Female political prisoner in critical condition, deprived of treatment
According to reports from the female ward in Evin Prison, political prisoner
Hamideh Nabavi, who was arrested for participating in a ceremony on the
anniversary of the massacre of political prisoners in 1988, suffers from chronic
allergies and because her current medication has lost its effect, is in a critical
condition.
She was under the treatment of a specialist before her arrest. She has been
deprived of seeing her doctor after her arrest and the medication from before
her arrest are not effective anymore. The prison medical clinic has deprived her
of serious treatment.
According to existing laws, after a prisoner serves half of his or her term, he or she can be released
conditionally. However, interrogators and judges have deprived her of this right. This mother has also
been deprived of seeing her 5-year-old daughter for the past three months. (Human Rights and
Democracy Activists in Iran – May 27, 2009)
June
Women's activist banned from taking leave from prison
Alieh Eqdam Dust said in a telephone call that she has requested a leave from prison 4 times but has
received no answer to her request.
"They have publicly announced three time that if prisoners want a leave they should announce this
and register for a leave and I have done this but have not received an answer", she said.
This women's rights activist had asked her friends and family to bring her medicine and clothes and
although prison authorities had agreed with receiving these things, the two times that her family and
friends brought her clothes and medicine, the prison authorities did not accept them. Alieh Eqdam
Dust was arrested during a peaceful demonstration on Women's Day in 2006. She was sentenced to
three years of prison. (Change for Equality website – June 2, 2009)
Eyewitnesses reveal brutal systematic torture in prison
According to eyewitnesses, a number of detainees have been freed on bail. A number of them now
have criminal records in the Revolutionary Court. A large number of people are still in prison and
many families have no information on the fate of their loved ones, not knowing whether they have
been killed or imprisoned.
As it is widely thought, people were not only arrested in the protests. A large number of people were
arrested while exiting the metro, or getting off a taxi or walking in a street which was far aw ay from the
scene of the protests. A number of people were arrested after security forces violently attacked their
homes in the middle of the night, breaking doors and windows. They were pulled out of their beds
with verbal abuses and were arrested. A family who had a 16 year old child said that their son was freed
a week ago from prison, but in the middle of the night, plainclothes agents attacked their house
breaking the door and pulled him out of his bed beating him. He was taken to unknown location.
69
There are people from different walks of life among the detainees. From young people to normal
people and university professors who were arrested in different places or in groups. A person said that
he went out to get ice cream and on his way back he was arr ested with the ice cream still in his hand.
Eyewitnesses have said that some foreign nationals have also been seen in prison. A black person and a
Turk national, who do not even speak Farsi, were seen in Evin Prison.
A person was arrested when he was taking his wife to the hospital to give birth and he has no
information on his wife's condition. A dentist was arrested after security forces attacked his office. A
Bassiji was also amongst the detainees and because he did not look like a Bassiji he was severely beaten
when he was arrested. He claims that he even has a Bassiji card. Eyewitnesses have said that the
number of detainees is so high that ordinary prisoners are used as prison guards. Due to lack of space,
prisoners are forced to sleep on the ground and very close to each other and the risk of contagious
diseases is very high.
Detainees who were not involved in the protests when they were arrested, were beaten with clubs,
electric clubs and sticks from the very beginning of their arrest. Security for ces beat them close to
death. A plainclothes agents even shot at the thigh of a prisoner at close range. Detainees have been
tortured in Intelligence Centers, Bassij Bases, Police Stations, prisons, or unknown locations.
Witnesses reports very severe and violent torture in Bassij Detention Centers and Intelligence Centers
in Vahdat Islami Street. Those who were injured in the protests, injured via torture or have gun
wounds are not given medical treatment. Prisoners with special illnesses are not even given medicine
their families bring for them. Many of the prisoners are in critical condition. One person whom had a
broken nose said that after he asked for a doctor, he was kicked in a face with a booted leg.
The interrogations are very long and nonstop (7 to 12 hours or more). In these interrogations, they try
in various ways to get false confessions from the prisoners. They also forcefully take the mobile
numbers and emails of the detainees to control their communications with their friends.
After they are freed, their belongings are not given back to them. A prisoner was released from prison
in his underwear and a pair of slippers.
There are also sexual tortures in prison which is more of a concern regarding female prisoners and
political prisoners. Especially considering the Iranian culture, instances of sexual torture are not
disclosed and bodies are not impartially examined in the coroner’s office.
The mental state of freed prisoners is not good. Some prisoners cannot sleep because of the scenes of
torture they have witnessed. An eyewitness reported that many people had convulsions in their sleep
and many prisoners preferred not to sleep.
Instances of torture:
Those who were arrested by the Bassij or plainclothes agents were severely beaten when they were
arrested. They were then taken to intelligence detention centers, Bassij Centers and finally to the
Shapur Intelligence Department before being taken to Evin Prison. They were seriously tortured in
each of the locations. Prisoners who were arrested in this way have said that in the Shapur Intelligence
Department, agents expressed regret over why detainees were beaten so much in the other detention
centers and why "they have not saved them a place (on the body) to beat". But prisoners were still
beaten and tortured there.
According to reports, these agents broke the right side of a prisoner's head with a club and then
laughed over it and broke the left side of his head just to make it "concurrent" with the other side.
In the middle of the beatings of a prisoner, an agent pushed the other agents away saying, "you should
no abuse prisoners", then started violently beating the prisoner. After he was tired from beatings, he
ordered the others to start beating the prisoner again.
Another person said that after he asked that his handcuffs be loosened, agents tightened his cuffs to
the point that it pierced his skin and they pulled him with his handcuffs in this way for a long time.
Some prisoners have said that they were made to sit on their knees for four days facing a wall and
whenever they fell asleep, they were beaten in the head. During this time, they were only fed twice with
a very scarce amount of food.
Another prisoner has reported that the first time he was hit with an electric club, he was thrown two
meters because of the shock, but after a while, he was beaten so much that when they touch the
electric club to his hand, he does not show any reaction.
Prisoners with built bodies were beaten much more on the excuse that they had hit security forces or
had destroyed public places.
There have been reports of group beatings, beatings on the body and face with booted legs, beatings
with cables, chains, clubs, electric clubs besides the usual beating with fists and kicks. These instances
also apply to injured prisoners.
An eyewitness reports that the backs of some of the injured prisoners are completely black and bloody
due to the severe beatings. Instances of broken wrists and feet have also been reported. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – June 29, 2009)
Report on the condition of Evin's women's ward
The General Women's ward in Evin prison has turned into detention center for women who were
arrested in the recent protests in Tehran in addition to ward 240, 209 and 2A. Lack of space and
facilities in the women's ward increases the pressure on the detainees.
According to reports, about 60 of the women who were recently arrested in the protests are kept with
prisoners who take methadone (drug addicts) in hall 3 of the women's section. The lack of space has
reached the point where women who have recently been moved there sleep in the hallways with one
blanket.
The hallways have not been used in this way since the 80's and it is very unhygienic, especially for
female prisoners.
A large number of women who were injured in the protests are also kept in the medical clinic of the
prison.
The figures of the number of detainees stated in this report is only part of the real number of detainees
and due to high security measures in other sections, there is no information on the number of
prisoners Evin Prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – June 29, 2009)
Report on the condition of Evin's women's ward
The General Women's ward in Evin prison has turned into detention center for women who were
arrested in the recent protests in Tehran in addition to ward 240, 209 and 2A. Lack of space and
facilities in the women's ward increases the pressure on the detainees.
According to reports, about 60 of the women who were recently arrested in the protests are kept with
prisoners who take methadone (drug addicts) in hall 3 of the women's section. The lack of space has
reached the point where women who have recently been moved there sleep in the hallways with one
blanket. The hallways have not been used in this way since the 80's and it is very unhygienic, especially
for female prisoners.
A large number of women who were injured in the protests are also kept in the medical clinic of the
prison.
The figures of the number of detainees stated in this report is only part of the real number of detainees
and due to high security measures in other sections, there is no information on the number of
prisoners Evin Prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – June 29, 2009)
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August
Head of student association tortured in prison
One hundred and seventy days after the temporary detention of Shabnam Madadzadeh, the heads of
the 28th branch of the Revolutionary Court still avoid giving an exact date for her trial.
In her last phone call, the assistant secretary of the Council for Consolidating Unity said that she was
being physically abused in various ways in prison. The heads of ward 209 in Evin Prison have limited
her time in using the restroom and she has developed severe physical problems because of this matter.
Madadzadeh who has developed digestive problems, protested these measures but did not receive a
satisfactory answer from prison officials. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Aug. 10, 2009)
Evin Prison medical clinic deprives ill political prison of treatment
Maryam Ziayi Azad is in serious need of medical treatment after six months of prison and signs of her
multiple sclerosis disease increasing. The 51-year-old prisoner who was arrested in March is still being
detained in Evin Prison. She has severe arthritis, failed kidneys and severe osteoporosis and has no way
of providing medication for her illnesses. She needs liquid calcium to treat her osteoporosis but a
doctor in the prison clinic said that "the prisoner does not need medication ..." (Committee of Human
Rights Reporters – Aug. 10, 2009)
Rape of imprisoned men and women normal procedure in regime jails
Setareh, a political prisoner, referred to one of her cellmates who she said was raped and said, "This
lady was raped after her arrest and when they realized she was pregnant, they took her to solitary until
her baby was born. The baby was immediately taken away from her and she was severely pressured and
threatened not to say anything about the rape".
Mahmoud Khalili, a former prisoner in the 80's said in this regard, "Some of those who left Iran in the
past few years have said that when they wanted to rape a male prisoner, they told him that he was
going to be a 'bride' that night". (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Aug. 11, 2009)
Female prisoner: I was given electric shocks in pr ison
A parliament member who chose to stay anonymous said that he went to visit the women's ward in
Evin Prison with a group of MPs.
"In the women's section we asked who had been in Kahrizak and for them to give details of how they
were treated in the camp. One of the woman said that she was stripped bare in Kahrizak and told to
enter a barrel of water and then they administered electric shocks to her body in the barrel. She said
that her whole body was shaking with pain,” he said. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Aug. 15, 2009)
Families of detainees disclose details of horrifying torture in prison
Last night in a visit between a hard-line parliament member and a group of families of detainees and
those who were injured in the recent events, new dimensions of tort ures on detainees were disclosed.
The mother of Hengameh Shahidi, a detained journalist, expressed serious concerns about the
condition of her daughter in prison.
"When I saw her (in a visit in prison) she was not very alert and when I hugged her and stroked her
head and back she moaned with pain," she said.
"I told her to resist and that she should not make confessions against herself. She said that they give
them pills in prison which makes them totally empty minded and that they cannot think straight.”
This concerned mother also said that they came to her daughter's cell a number of times every day
telling her that they are going to take her for execution. (Nurooz Website – Aug. 16, 2009)
September
Female journalist kept in solitary for more than 20 days
Fariba Pajuh, journalist and blogger, was arrested in her father's home on August 22 on the first night
of Ramadan by intelligence agents. These agents initially searched her father's home and then her
home and confiscated her computer and other personal items. From that time on, this journalist only
contacted her family in three short calls on August 23, September 1 and September 7.
Pajuh previously worked for the E'temad Meli daily and ILNA state-run news agency. She is also a
member of the International Journalist's Confederation. She is currently in a solitary cell in ward 209
in Evin Prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Sep. 11, 2009)
Evin's 209 full of women arrested in protests
A number of women who were recently released from ward 209 in Evin Prison have said that this ward
is still full of women and girls who were arrested in events after the elections and that their names have
not been published in the media. The former prisoners do not know the description of many of them
because communications between prisoners in this ward is almost impossible. But these women are
sure that mostly all the prisoners were arrested in the events after the elections in protests and
ceremonies for those killed in the Behesht Zahra Cemetery.
One of these women imprisoned for more than 80 days in this ward is a young woman identified as
Atefeh Nabavi who according to reports has been put under severe pressure to confess to having
communications and links to opposition groups outside the country. This is while according to her
former cellmates, she did not have any communications with these groups and only participated in a
number of protest gatherings after the elections. She is currently in a poor mental
condition. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Sep. 16, 2009)
Evin prisoners forced to eat biscuits due to poor quality food
The very low quality of food in ward 209 in Evin Prison where prisoners of post
election protests are detained, has forced many prisoners to eat biscuits they buy
themselves.
Mrs. Kariman, the mother of political prisoner and women's rights activist Shiva
Nazar Ahari reported this on Monday after she visited her daughter.
Shiva Nazar Ahari
"From the beginning of Ramadan, Shiva has been eating biscuits and dates and
sometimes milk that she buys with her own money because from the beginning of Ramadan, the food
quality in ward 209 has become very bad and Shiva said that it is uneatable", she said.
"One would expect that the food quality be better for the month of Ramadan in which prisoners are
given food twice a day instead of the usual three times. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Sep. 16, 2009)
Ward 209 and RGC ward filled with Quds Day protesters
According to reports from ward 209, after the widespread arrests made on Quds Day on September
18, a large number of recent political prisoners have been transferred to the quarantine section of Evin
Prison for lack of room in 209 and they have been put 2 to 3 in solitary cells.
A large number of prisoners have also been transferred to solitary cells in ward 241 and the RGC
ward. Officials also transferred a number of male and female political prisoners to the quarantine
section in ward 7 and the quarantine female section from ward 209 for lack of room on September 19.
(Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Sep. 22, 2009)
Female student prisoner taken to dangerous criminals ward
Shabnam Madadzadeh, the assistant secretary of the Tehran Council for Office for Consolidating
Unity and political secretary for the Teacher Training University's Islamic Association who has been in
temporary incarceration for seven months thus far, was transferred to the dangerous criminal's ward.
73
She was taken to this ward known as the Methadone ward three days ago along with five other female
prisoners including Shiva Nazar Ahari and Mahsa Naderi.
The Methadone Ward was used for prisoners with serious addictions, which is no longer in use and
has horrible hygienic conditions. The sewage system in the bathroom has broken down and the stench
causes nausea for Shabnam and the other prisoners. (Amir Kabri Newsletter – Sep. 22, 2009)
Letter of jailed student from Evin Prison
Letter of Shabnam Madadzadeh, jailed student activist from the methadone
ward in Evin Prison: It was the last days of winter when I was forced to leave
the Teacher Training University and come to Evin. I was supposed to be
amongst my fellow classmates in the sixth semester of university. Now ward
209 is the scene of my life and education… I have stepped in a school where
every day in solitary was like 10 days. I lived in this situation for 71 days.
(There were) repeated interrogations and not having any information about
my family…
In this way I finished my last semester of university in ward 209. This is
while I wanted to finish my exams with my friends from behind the usual
benches. I wanted to be with my friends in the last years of spring and
welcome the hot summer days with them… September starts and now I have entered another
university: 'the Methadone Ward’, which has no similarities with my course and does not at all
resemble my beautiful university. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Sep. 26, 2009)
Jailed female journalist in poor health
According to reports from Iran, Hengameh Shahidi who was arrested some time ago after the elections
in Iran is in poor health in prison.
She is only taken out in the fresh air three times a week for 20 minutes and this has led to problems
for her from lack of sunlight. Shahidi, is a journalist, a member of (Karubi's) Etemad Meli Party and a
PhD student of human rights at the SOAS university. She was Karoubi's consultant on women's affairs
in the run up to the elections and was arrested on June 30. Shahidi has been held in Evin Prison in
temporary detainment from that time on. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Sep. 28, 2009)
Female political prisoner transferred to quarantine section of Evin
Atefeh Nabavi was arrested and taken to Evin Prison along with her cousin Ziaeddin Nabavi, the
spokesman for the Council in Defense of Education and a number of her friends on June 15. She was
interrogated several times in this time and because she worked with the Council in Defense of
Education she was charged with 'links to the PMOI'. She was transferred to the Quarantine section of
Evin Prison from Saturday which is known as the Methadone Ward. Her status is still undetermined
after 105 days of incarceration. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Sep. 30, 2009)
October
Women journalist harassed and in limbo in jail
The family of Hengameh Shahidi, journalist and Mehdi Karoubi's aid on women's
issues, were able to visit her in Evin Prison.
According to her mother, this visit was supposed to be in person but a female
guard prevented this and said that they had to visit her from behind the glass
partition.
"When they told Hengameh that the visit is from behind the partition, she became
extremely troubled and started pounding her body to the walls and glass of the
partition like a bird in cage and shouted that today is my daughter's birthday and I
want to embrace my mother instead of her", her mother said .
"She yelled and said tell everyone that they exert severe of pressure on me and do not even let me use
the bathroom", her mother added. Her mother said that she has developed kidney problems in the
prison and is only allowed to use the bathroom 4 times in 24 hours.
One of the female guards in prison also constantly harasses this journalist.
"It has been 90 days that I am spending my life behind the walls of Evin or in the corridors of the
Revolutionary Court or Prosecutor's Office and it is still not clear when they will release Hengameh. I
am in a state of limbo", Hengameh's mother added. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Oct. 1, 2009)
Female prisoner taken to Evin's 209 on eve of trial
Political prisoner Shirin Elm Huvi, 28, who is in prison for the heavy
charge of 'waging war with God' was taken to ward 209 (security ward
under control of Ministry of Intelligence) from the general women's ward
on the eve of her trial.
Huvi, who is from the city of Maku does not have a lawyer and will soon
be trialed in Tehran's Revolutionary Court on these charges which can
even lead to a death sentence. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 4,
2009)
Female journalist under constant interrogations and pressure
Fariba Pazhuh, imprisoned journalist and blogger in Evin Prison in under constant pressure in
prolonged interrogations.
She has been imprisoned since two months ago and has been put under various pressures to confess.
She was confined to solitary half the time she was detained and has been kept in prison on a
temporary arrest permit.
Her father said that he visited her from behind the glass partitions today in Evin Prison. According to
her father, the mental state of her daughter was not good which has led to concerns both for him and
his wife. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 5, 2009)
Female prisoner goes on hunger strike in protest to uncertain state
Zahra Jabari who was arrested on September 18 in the Quds Day march in Tehran was arrested and
taken to Evin Prison's ward 209. Her toe nail broke dur ing her arrest.
According to her family, it has been five days that she has gone on a hunger strike in protest to her
uncertain state in prison. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Oct. 5, 2009)
Female political prisoners banned from basic rights and are cha rged for prison cell
All female political prisoners were transferred to the women's ward from the quarantine section of
Evin Prison from the beginning of the week and mostly all of them are cramped into one cell.
Shabnam Maddadzadeh, Mahssa Naderi, two student prisoners, Fatemeh Ziayi, Atefeh Nabavi are
detained with other political prisoners like Sediqeh Falahat and Nazila Dashti in one cell.
It has been announced to the political prisoners that the blankets they use for over and under them
have to be bought and provided by their families. They have also been told that their families have to
provide their clothes in line with conditions set by the prison every 6 months. The quality and quantity
of the food given to the prisoners is very poor and scarce. Prisoners are forced to buy their basic needs
from the prison store with very high prices. The quality of the food in the store is also very poor and in
most cases, the date of the products has expired. Political prisoners are also forced to pay a monthly
fee for being in the cells. This is while the expenses of government institutions come from taxes.
(Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Oct. 6, 2009)
Female political prisoner affronted, threatened and under inhumane treatment in lengthy
interrogations
Fifty two days after the arrest of imprisoned journalist Fariba Pazhuh, she is still taken to lengthy
interrogations and put under pressure.
75
Interrogators mistreat, insult and use obscene language against her and her family and have done this
persistently in the past few weeks to bring down her morale in prison.
Her interrogators have even threatened her that they would arrest her family members and even
showed her their arrest warrants to put pressure on her. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 12,
2009)
Female political prisoner still on hunger strike in solitary confinement
Zahra Jabbari, 35, was arrested in Tehran's Quds Day protests on September 18, and is still being kept
in solitary in Evin Prison's ward 209. According to her mother, she has been on hunger strike for 10
days in protest to her undetermined status in prison. She has become very thin and weak. (Amir Kabir
Newsletter – Oct. 15, 2009)
Ministry of Intelligence refuses to release student prisoner
The Ministry of Intelligence has disagreed with reducing the detention sentence of Atefeh Nabavi to a
release on bail. The case of this political prisoner has been sent to the 12 th branch of the Revolutionary
Court and her trial is to be held on November 29. She has been charged with 'enmity with God' by
'having communications with the PMOI'. "There is no evidence to prove this charge and the only
reason she was charged is because of her family relations (to the PMOI)", her lawyer Nasrin Sutodeh
said.
Nabavi was banned from continuing her studies in the master's degree exams this year. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Oct. 17, 2009)
Deplorable condition of women and children in Evin Prison
According to reports from the women's section in Evin Prison, prison officials have stepped up t he
pressure, harassment and limitations on female prisoner and female political prisoners in this section.
One of the pressures imposed on women is the cutting off of warm water. Women prisoners were not
able to bathe for several days as a result. This led to serious problems for infants and children (who are
with their mothers in prison) who need warm water. Limiting warm water also limits the milk that
mothers make for their children with this water and also limits the tea that prisoners make with this
water. This also leads to unhygienic condition which can subject the children to various diseases.
According to reports, the prison food lacks protein. Vegetables and fruits have been omitted from the
prisoners' meals for months. The signs of malnutrition can be seen in the faces of the prisoners
especially the children.
Imprisoned children also witness the violent treatment, insults and the beatings of their mothers by
prison guards and the infighting between prisoners.
The hygienic condition of the women's section is deplorable and lice and fleas are rampant which has
turned the condition of the female section like that of an inhumane work camp. Political prisoners are
also banned from receiving serious treatment for their ailments and they are only given sedatives for
their illnesses. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Oct. 23, 2009)
Iran extends jail term of female journalist
The temporary prison term of jailed journalist Fariba Pazhuh, has been extended after she was banned
from receiving visits.
On Monday, Evin Prison officials did not let this journalist visit with her family and she was only
allowed to speak to her family for a few minutes over the phone.
The interrogator of the second branch of the Revolutionary Court announced to her lawyer today that
her temporary jail term had been extended. This has led to concerns that she might be confined to a
solitary cell again.
"Fariba has been banned from visits on the orders of Tehran's prosecutor and neither me nor her
family can visit her", her lawyer Mina Jafari, said. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 24, 2009)
Jailed female protester banned from seeing parents
Zahra Jabari, a prisoner who was arrested in the events after the elections broke her hunger strike
because of her deteriorating health and was transferred to a two person cell from solitary in Evin
Prison.
Last Monday when Zahra's family came to visit her in prison along with her young child, only her child
was allowed to visit her. Her mother said that she was banned from visiting Zahra because of an
interview she gave regarding her imprisoned daughter. Zahra Jabari was arrested on Quds Day in a
protest march and was on hunger strike for two weeks in prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran –
Oct. 27, 2009)
Female political prisoner threatened to end hunger strike
The heads of the Intelligence Protection Department of Evin Prison have asked Hengameh Shahidi to
end her hunger strike or face being handed over to the prison Disciplinary Committee.
This journalist went on a hunger strike refusing food and medicine two days ago. This is while Shahidi
has heart problems and is suffering from depression to the extent that she took 28 pills a day.
Continuing her hunger strike considering her mental and physical condition can be dangerous for her.
Hengameh who was a women's affairs advisor in Mehdi Karoubi's election staff has been imprisoned
for five months. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Oct. 29, 2009)
November
Young female journalist kept in undetermined state in prison
The judge of the 26 th branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran has refused Fariba Pejouh's protest
to the renewing of her temporary detention order.
According to reports Pejouh has been detained in Evin Prison for days without even being interrogated
and no one has even seen her.
Her lawyer Mina Jafari announced all the legal matters regarding this case to the judge yesterday saying
that keeping her in detention is without reason and unnecessary.
Pajouh, a journalist and blogger has been detained since August 22 and has not been formally charged
yet. But judicial officials and her interrogators insist on her detention without reason. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Nov. 3, 2009)
30 female Nov. 4 detainees held incommunicado Evin Prison
Thirty women who were arrested in protest gatherings on November 4 were transferred to the
Methadone Section of Evin Prison.
A large number of participants in the November 4 protests in Tehran were arrested and transferred to
Evin Prison. According to reports, they have been divided into various section according to the
arresting security organization and their charges. A number of these detainees were transferred to
security sections yesterday.
The Methadone Section, which was previously used for drug addicted prisoners, was turned into a
detention center for those arrested in street protests after post election events. This hall is situated in
the women's section of Evin prison and prisoners held here have no communications with other
prisoners and are held incommunicado. (Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Nov. 7, 2009)
Female political prisoners banned from visits for protesting
The head of Evin Prison's Women's Section has cancelled all the calls and visits of female political
prisoners with their families.
This decision was made after political prisoners refused to take their daily fresh air time in the prison
yard.
77
In the past days, political prisoners had protested the rule of forced fresh air time in the cold morning
weather in a letter and requested that it be revoked. Despite this, prison officials disregarded their
request and deprived these prisoners from visits.
Shabnam Madadzadeh, Mahsa Naderi, Atefeh Nabavi, Fatemeh Ziayi Azad, Nazila Dehdashti are some
of the prisoners detained in this section. ( Green Wave of Freedom Website – Nov. 9, 2009)
Detained girl protesters taken to notorious detention center
After the extensive arrests made in Tehran on November 4, especially the widespread arrests of women
and girls, there have been reports on the unc lear state of these detainees in the past few days.
According to reports, the widespread arrest of women and girls in the protest marches on November 4
was pre-planned by regime officials. State security forces have not taken the responsibility of the arr ests
of girls and other protesters which shows that security forces affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards
Forces and Bassij Forces have executed a dangerous plan. This dangerous denial (on the part of the
SSF) is made while existing evidence shows that hundreds, made up of mostly women and girls, were
arrested in the November 4 protests.
According to some reports, almost all the female detainees were taken to the notorious and
uncontrolled Khorin Detention Center which is situated near Varamin (Tehran s uburbs).
Reports say that regime officials have transferred a number of normal prisoners who were detained in
this detention center from before to Evin Prison to give the idea that they are transferring November 4
detainees to Evin Prison. (Rooz News – Nov. 7, 2009)
Deplorable condition of Nov. 4 female arrestees in prison
Women's Freedom Organization: A number of women and young girls who were arrested (in the
streets protests) on November 4 have been transferred to the Vozara Detention Center. The priso n
cells which they are kept in are very dirty and the prisoners cannot rest properly due to lack of space in
the cells. Prisoners have been banned from using the restrooms from sunset and have been deprived of
food. There are a number of injured women amongst the prisoners who were struck with batons. They
have been left without any treatment in the cells. (Iran Press News – Nov. 9, 2009)
Women's activist held in incommunicado in Evin
Security forces arrested a number of the members of the OneMillion Signature Campaign in the November 4 protests in
Tehran. Raheleh Asgarzadeh (aka Raha) a women's rights
activist and photographer, Vahideh Molavi and Sanaz Ghafuri
who are social activists were amongst those arrested on
November 4. Raheleh was transferred to the Methadone
Ward (quarantine) in Evin Prison.
According to reports, four security agents violently arrested
Raheleh in the Honarmandan Park and transferred her to the
Vozara Detention Center with handcuffs and blindfolds.
(Green Wave of Freedom Website – Nov. 10, 2009)
No news on female political prisoner
Mojgan Zare Kohan, Nafiseh Zare Kohan's sister said regarding her sister's health in prison, "In the
past 14 days of her arrest, we have no information about her and considering her heart illness, we are
worried about her health".
"In the past 14 days that Nafiseh was detained with her husband, Hojat, Hojat has called his family 3
times but Nafiseh has not been allowed to contact her family", she stressed.
Zare Kohan also said they gave the prison some clothes, dates and other food for Nafiseh in light of
her illness but "unfortunately, they did not accept these items". (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Nov.
16, 2009)
Female political prisoner under pressure to make false confessions
Mahdieh Minuyi, a member of the women's branch of the Participation Front who was arrested on
October 22 in a praying ceremony for the freedom of political prisoners along with several other
people, is under severe mental pressure in Evin Prison.
She is in a bad mental condition and is insulted and verbally abused to make false confessions.
(Human Rights Activists in Iran – Nov. 16, 2009)
Condition of release of female political prisoner is to divorce husband
According to reports from Evin Prison, officials have conditioned the release of a female political
prisoner on her getting a divorce from her husband who is also a political prisoner.
Kobra Zaqeh Doust who was arrested for attending a mourning ceremony for those killed in the postelection protests was subjected to torture in ward 209 of Evin Prison to make false confessions for four
months before being transferred to the public ward.
"In mid September, when they transferred my cellmates to the Methadone ward, they took me for
interrogations where two people severely beat me and repeatedly said that I had to write what they told
me", she said.
"They beat me in front of my husband and my husband in front of me on numerous occasions to force
us to confess to what we had not done", she added.
A 50,000 dollar bail order has been issued for her but it has still not been carried out. The head
investigator on her case has told her father that only if she divorces her husband, Mostafa Eskandari,
will she be released on bail.
Eskandari, has been in solitary confinement for a long period of time. According to the latest reports,
he was once again taken to solitary in the past two weeks. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Nov. 24,
2009)
Female political prisoners on hunger strike in Mahabad Prison
Kazhal Sheikh Mohammadi a women's rights activist who was arrested in her home on September 30
in Mahabad went on a hunger strike from November 24 in prison.
Kazahal Sheikh Mohammadi who is the wife of Kurd activist Ghafur Mohammadi intended to go to
Sweden with her children after getting a Visa from that country when she was arrested by
Revolutionary Guards Corps intelligence agents. According to reports, these forces broke down her
door trying to enter her house and confiscated her identification documents, books and computer.
Her children Sarveh and Suror Mohammadi were summoned to the Intelligence Protection
Department on October 10 in Marivan and were interrogated for six hours. Suror Mohammadi left
the country alone after this incident. Kazhal Sheikh Mohammadi had a stomach surgery one week
before her arrest and is in bad physical condition. (Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Nov. 27,
2009)
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December
Female student prisoner banned from receiving visits
Mahdieh Golro, a student activist who was arrested on December 3 in her home along with her
husband was banned from receiving visits in prison.
After her family went to the Revolutionary Court they realized that her name and her husband's name
were not registered in the Revolutionary Court.
This is while two days ago, in a short phone call from prison, Mahdieh Golro told her family that she
was in a solitary cell in ward 209 in Evin Prison. But her family was told that she was banned from
getting visits after they came to prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Dec. 14, 2009)
January – 2010
Regime agents set condition for release of political prisoner's husband
Mahdieh Golro, a student who had been banned from education in the past
and is currently jailed, told her family in a visit that her interrogators have
said that the condition for releasing her jailed husband, Vahid Lalipour, is
that she cooperate with them.
Her family was able to visit her in prison from behind a glass partition today
after 40 days. Her interrogators have told Golro that they will only free her
husband if she cooperates with them.
Vahid Lalipour, her husband has not had any political or civil activities and
has been jailed to put pressure on Golro. (Jaras Website – Jan. 14, 2010)
Female political prisoner only allowed 5 min. visit with husb and
Bahareh Hedayat, member of the Office for Consolidating Unity had a visit from behind a glass
partition with her husband.
This visit lasted for five minutes. Amin Ahmadian, her husband said after this visit that she is being
kept in ward 209 of Evin Prison.
Hedayat told her husband that she was charged with participating in gatherings after the elections,
being active in the OCU and writing their statements. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Jan. 25,
2010)
February
Female political prisoner in poor physical condition, denied medical treatment
Student activist Mahdieh Golro's sister said after her last visit with Mahdieh
that she was in poor physical condition.
According to the sister of this jailed activist, she has become much thinner
from her last visit two weeks ago. She also complained of the sanitation and
medication condition in prison and said that it has been 10 days that she was
suffering from intestine infection but the lack of facilities in prison especially
after Ashura is so grave that even antibiotics is hard to come by.
This member of the Council in Defense of the Right to Education also said
that the heating system in prison is broken and the severe cold in the past few
days in Evin has led to the spread of the flu among a large number of
prisoners including herself. Mahdieh also said regarding her husband that her interrogators had
claimed that they would release Vahid Lalipour if she cooperated with them but despite the fact that
his temporary detention order has expired, they still keep him in prison. She is under pressure to
accept charges such as having had communications with the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran
but has not accepted any of the charges. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Feb. 4, 2010)
Jailed female student activist in deteriorating condition
The family of Mahdieh Golro, a jailed student who was banned from education, said that she was
severely sick and weakened in prison after a visit with her. According to her family, she has been
suffering from severe intestine infection from one month ago in addition to the flu and has lost more
than 12 kilos (26 pounds).
Golro said that the head of the infirmary came to her cell to check her and refrained from taking her
to the infirmary saying that her situation was not critical.
She is currently kept in a small room with 27 other prisoners with unsuitable food and heating
systems. Mahdie Golro was arrested with her husband Vahid Lalipour on December 3. (Committee of
Human Rights Reporters – Feb. 18, 2010)
Female detainees under pressure in solitary cell in Gohardasht Prison
A number of women who were arrested in the Ashura (December 27, 2009) protests and the days
before and after February 11 (anniversary of the Iranian revolution) are under intolerable and
inhumane conditions in solitary cells in the Women's Section of Gohardasht Prison in Karaj.
Currently at least three of them are in solitary cells. They have been transferred to solitary cells in the
women's section because solitary cells in the Sepah section are full. Intelligence agents mentally and
psychologically torture them and intend to force them to give face confessions in order to issue heavy
sentences against them. The names of some of these women are:
1- Fatemeh Veisi, arrested on Ashura and taken to solitary cells in the women's section. A number of
her family members have been executed by the regime because of their political beliefs.
2- Maryam Bahrami, arrested on Feb. 11
3- Ms. Karimi, believed to be Baha'i
4- Somayeh Hosseini who was arrested with her brother on Feb. 11 (Human Rights and Democracy
Activists in Iran – Feb. 25, 2010)
Prison sentences
April – 2009
Women's activist sentenced to a year of prison
On Saturday, April 5, the 28 th branch of the Revolutionary Court announced the sentence of Parastoo
Allahyari to her. According to this sentence and in line with the Islamic Penal Law, she has been
sentenced to a year in prison.
Allahyari has been charged with "acting against national security by spreading propaganda against the
government". She was charged for being a member of the One-Million Signature Campaign, inviting
people to meetings to realize the goals of this campaign, gathering signatures, and writing in websites.
(Salam Democrat – Apr. 27, 2009)
81
June
Jailed student activist to be tr ialed by perpetrator of 1988 massacre of political prisoners
According to reports from ward 209 of Evin Prison, the case of Shabnam Madadzadeh and her brother
Farzad has been sent to the 28 th branch of the Revolutionary Court. Student activist Shabnam and her
brother have been incarcerated in ward 209 of Evin Prison for 111 days. They were subjected to severe
physical and mental pressure by Intelligence Agency interrogators during their incarceration.
The interrogators have made several accusations against them and intend to put them on trial on
charges of "waging war with god".
The Madadzadeh Family who went to Tehran's Revolutionary Court to pursue their children's case on
May 30, were told that their case has been sent to the 28 th branch of this court presided over by
Mohammad Moqiseye aka Naserian. Naserian was a member of the "Death Commission,” responsible
for sentencing thousand of political prisoners to death during the 1988 massacre in Iran. (Human
Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – June 9, 2009)
August
Women's activist sentenced to 6 years of prison
According to reports from Sanandaj, a court has confirmed the prison sentence of women's activist,
Ronak Safazadeh.
The Court of Review confirmed the six years of prison sentence for Safazadeh on charges of
cooperation with dissident groups issued by a court of first instance. (Iran BBB website – Aug. 5, 2009)
September
Female political prisoner sentenced to five years of prison for intending to visit children in Camp
Ashraf
According to reports from the female section of Evin Prison, the five year
prison term in exile to Gohardasht Prison sentence of political prisoner Kobra
Banazadeh Amir Khizi was confirmed by a court of review.
The 56-year-old political prisoner was sentenced by Mohammad Moqissei,
known as Naserian who was a member of the 'death commission' responsible
for the death of thousands of political prisoners in the 1988 massacre, for
intending to visit her children in Camp Ashraf. She was arrested by
intelligence agents in the Tehran International Airport. This is while she had a
legal visa from Iraq and was arrested a few moments before her flight.
She was charged with intending to visit her children in the company of other
mothers (of Ashraf residents) in Camp Ashraf, having 900,000 tomans,
saffron, clothes and nuts with her (when she was arrested at airport), and carrying out activities in line
with the goals of the PMOI. Kobra Banazadeh has suffered from eye problems, and partially lost her
eyesight, and is in danger of going blind. Two of her brothers, Hamid and Asghar Banazadeh who are
currently in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj have been sentenced to 2 years of prison for visiting their
family in Camp Ashraf. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Sep. 23, 2009)
October
Women's rights activists sentenced to 6 months of prison
Jelveh Javaheri, an activist in the One-Million Signature Campaign
(advocating change in the Islamic Republic's constitution regarding women's
rights) was sentenced to six months of prison on charges of 'conspiring to act
against national security' by the 30 th branch of the Revolutionary Court in
Tehran.
Her lawyer, Mina Jafari said that she was arrested outside Tehran's Silk
Gallery on June 12, 2008 with eight other women's activists and was charged
for being a member of the One-Million Signature Campaign.
This is while some of the detainees arrested on that day were cleared of the charges and their case was
referred to the general courts. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Oct. 2, 2009)
Female political prisoner sentenced to 3 months of prison and a year of probation
According to reports from the Semnan Revolutionary Court, political prisoner Tayebeh Nabavi has
been sentenced to three months of prison and one year of probation.
This political prisoner was arrested two months ago by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and taken
to solitary confinement has been deprived to visit her 3-year-old child. She has been under severe
pressure from intelligence agents and has been kept in severe conditions and in an undetermined state.
(Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Oct. 29, 2009)
November
Active Azeri couple sentenced to one year of prison
The third branch of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court sentenced
Alireza Farshi and his wife Sima Didar, two Azeri activists in Tabriz
to one year of prison.
They were charged with spreading propaganda against the system by
chanting slogans and holding banners advocating national rights of
the people of Azarbaijan in a ceremony on May 22 in the El Goli
Park in Tabriz and giving reports to news websites. (Savalan Sassi
Website – Nov. 17, 2009)
Female political prisoner sentenced to 4 years of prison
Atefeh Nabavi, a student activist who was arrested in post election protests on the
night of June 15 was sentenced to four years of prison by the 12 th branch of the
Revolutionary Court.
She was trialed last week in this branch and sentenced on charges of 'disrupting
public order' and 'gathering and conspiring against the government by attending
illegal demonstrations'. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Nov. 24, 2009)
Female political activist sentenced to 6 years of prison
The lawyer of Hengameh Shahidi said that his client was sentenced to six
years, three months and one day of prison.
Mohammad Mostafayi announced this and said, "I went to inquire about
Hengameh Shahidi's case today to the 26 th branch of the Revolutionary
Court and the head of the office announced the sentence to me".
"She was sentenced on charges of acting against national security by
gathering and conspiring to disrupt the security of the country by
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participating in the seditions on Saturday June 17". (ILNA state -run news agency – Nov. 30, 2009)
December
Iran sentences women to 3 years of prison for PMOI links
Ozra Qazi Mir-Sayid was sentenced to three years of prison by the 15 th branch of the Revolutionary
Court in Tehran on charges of setting a bomb in 2004 and distributing announcements in favor of the
People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran in post election events. (VOA TV – Dec. 15, 2009)
January – 2010
Female political prisoner sentenced to 5 years of prisoner for answering phone call from uncle in
Camp Ashraf
According to reports, political prisoner Monireh Rabiyi was sentenced to five years of prison by a Judge
Pir Abassi, the head of the 26th branch of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. This heavy sentence was
given to her because she contacted her uncle in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.
This political prisoner suffers from severe lung problems and allergies and has been denied medication
since her arrest.
She only has the clothes she was arrested in and despite the cold, has been denied warm clothes.
Prison guards refrain from taking the clothes that her family brings to put pressure on her.
Monireh Rabiyi, 32, is a chemical engineer who was summoned on October 7 to the Revolutionary
Court to answer questions but was arrested by Beigi, the head of the 3 rd security branch. She was
arrested for answering a telephone call made by her uncle. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in
Iran – Jan. 22, 2010)
February
Brother and sister sentenced to 5 years of prison on charges of links to the PMOI
Shabnam Madadzadeh, the political secretary of the Islamic Association in the
Teacher Training University in Karaj and her brother, Farzad Madadzadeh were
each sentenced to five years of prison to be served in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj.
Their lawyer Mohammad Oliayi Far, announced this news saying that their
sentence was illegal and that he would request an appeal.
This brother and sister were charged with moharebeh, spreading propaganda
against the government and having communications with the PMOI. Shabnam
Madadzadeh (DOB 1988) is the assistant secretary of the Office for Consolidating
Unity Council in Tehran and a member of the Teacher Training University's
Islamic Association who was arrested on February 19, 2009 by security forces for unknown reasons and
was jailed in Evin Prison. (Jaras Website – Feb. 10, 2010)
Mother and son sentenced to prison for going to visit relatives in Ashraf
According to reports, on February 8, political prisoner Zahra Asadpour Gorji, 51, and her son Reza
Joshan, 25, were taken to the first branch of the Revolutionary Court and sentenced to one year of
prison in exile to be served in Zanjan Prison and 4 years of exile to the Gheilar Village in Zanjan by
Asef Hosseini, the head of this branch.
Political prisoner Zahra Asadpour suffers from severe heart problems and high
blood pressure and had an operation before her arrest.
Mrs. Asadpour was arrested on December 7 after an attack by agents of this
Ministry. She was thrown in a solitary cell in section 8 in Gohardasht Prison
which belongs to the intelligence agency. She was under torture and
interrogated for several weeks by a man named Mohebi, head interrogator for
the Intelligence Agency. This political prisoner and her son were arrested
before this and imprisoned for 16 months in Gohardasht Prison for visiting
their relative in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.
Reza Jushan, her 25 year old son was arrested on December 1 and thrown in
solitary in section 8 of this prison which is known as the RGC section. He was
kept in solitary for close to 2 months and was then transferred to section 4.
Attacks against students, political activists and families are carried out by Mohebi. He is a head
interrogator in the intelligence agency in section 8. This ward is made up of solitary cells like Evin
Prison's section 209 and is under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence. Mohebi, interrogates and
tortures political prisoners in this section in addition to threatening and abusing families (of political
activists). (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Feb. 15, 2010)
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Basic freedom and rights abused
March - 2009
Labor union activist arrested; wife threatened to stay silent on arrest
Reza Derakhsahan, a member of the Managing Board of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Factory Labor
Union and head of the public affairs of this independent labor union was arrested.
After he left his house to go the Intelligence Agency in Shush upon being summoned to this agency on
Saturday March 1, intelligence agents came to his house and after searching his house, confiscated
some of his personal belongings. On Saturday night, his wife Afsaneh Farhadipour received a
telephone call from Shush's Intelligence Department telling her not to pursue her husband's case and
to keep silent about this issue. (Iran News Agency – March 2, 2009)
Female student dies in Gorgan University due to university officials' neglige nce
Sayideh (Keanu) Abdollahi, a student at Gorgan University's School of Agriculture and Natural
Resources, passed away due to the negligence of dormitory supervisors.
Last night Keanu had a heart attack and given that there was no ambulance at the dormit ory and dorm
supervisors did not allow students to call emergency centers saying, "We make the decisions here", the
ambulance did not arrive in time and Keanu died on the way to the hospital.
University officials have claimed that Keanu committed suicide and have even called her family stating
that she died after committing suicide.
This is the second time in this year that a girl has died in this dormitory due to the lack of emergency
medical facilities, wrong decisions and limitations set by dormitory supervisors. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – March 3, 2009)
Three elderly family members of Ashraf residents transferred to Evin's ward 240
According to reports from ward 209 in Tehran's Evin Prison, three men and women who were arrested
on January 16 while intending to visit their loved ones in Camp Ashraf in Iraq have been transferred
to ward 240 in this prison.
These prisoners are Asieh Bandelu, 70, her husband Ali Poureqbal, 73 and Amin Rezayi.
On March 16, when the family of these prisoners came to visit with them they were told that these
prisoners are banned from receiving visitors until further notice and that they had been transferred to
ward 240 as punishment. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – March 17, 2009)
12 arrested women's rights activists transferred to Evin Prison
According to reports from the families of the 12 women's rights
activists arrested on March 27, Judge Matin Rasekh has charged these
activists with disrupting public order and creating anxiety for the
public and has issued a 50 million toman bail order for them. All the
arrestees have been transferred to Evin Prison after initial
interrogations in Nilufar Police Station. (Change for Equality website
– March 27, 2009)
April
Agents threaten political prisoner to d eath in front of his elderly mother
According to reports from Isfahan Central Prison, on Sunday April 12, agents in this prison
threatened and abused the family of Mohammad Nikbakht, supporter of the PMOI, and told them
that they had no right to visit their son and financially support him. The head of Intelligence at this
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prison told the elderly mother of this prisoner that their son "is anti -revolution and has links to the
People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran".
"We have the right to do whatever we want to him and you can't do anything about it", this head of
intelligence told his mother.
"You have to forget your son and not come visit him anymore or send him money", he added.
As a result, 60-year-old Manijeh Shafa’at, swooned having been stressed from this abuse and was forced
to leave the prison without visiting her son. The other family members of this political prisoner were
kept in the visiting hall upon the recommendation of the head intelligence and after protesting were
only allowed a 3 minute visit with the prisoner. They were threatened afterwards and told that they
were not allowed to come for visits anymore.
Mohammad Nikbakht is a PMOI supporter who was arrested in 2004 on charges of supporting this
organization and after being tortured and beaten was imprisoned in Isfahan Prison. His father was also
imprisoned on charges of supporting his son. (Center in Defense of Prisoners in Iran – Apr. 12, 2009)
MOIS threatens families of political prisoners
According to reports from ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran, there is no information on the
condition of 52-year-old Fatemeh Ziayi and Hamed Yazarlou, two political prisoners in this prison.
Ziayi was arrested in her house on February 20 after intelligence agents raided her home and was taken
to the notorious ward 209. There has been no news on her condition since her arrest. This female
political prisoner is suffering from multiple sclerosis and has to be under constant treatment.
The Ziayi and Yazarlou families and families of other political prisoners have gone to the
Revolutionary Court several times after their loved ones were arrested, but they have not been allowed
to pursue the case of these prisoners in the third branch of this court. The head interrogator of the
Intelligence Agency has in the past few days called the families of these political prisoners threatening
to arrest them. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Apr. 23, 2009)
Regime installs security cameras in girls' schools to control students
The administrators of some schools in Tehran have installed security cameras in their schools.
"School administrators have installed these security cameras from about two months ago to control
students and indentify those who have mobiles at school", said a student in this regard .
"The school is not considered a personal space in which using security cameras causes problems", said
the head of Tehran's Education Department.
"I have not seen any laws on Education which bans the use of cameras", he stipulated. (Mehr state -run
news agency – Apr. 29, 2009)
May
Masters Degree student banned from giving exams due to 'improper veiling'
On May 19, the Protection Department of the Free Kashan University prevented a girl student from
entering the exam session on the pretext that she was not wearing the chador. The female student who
came from Isfahan to participate in Exams practically came to tears from this act and begged the
Protection agent to let her inside .‘I am in my last term for getting my master's and if you don’t let me
go in the university and participate in the exams, I will flunk this course and because this course isn’t
given in the summer, I will have to wait until October to register again because of this course", she
sobbed .
However, the agent did not heed her begging and refused to let her participate in the exams .
'This has nothing to do with us, you should have worn the chador like a good girl!', answered the
agent. (Iran News Agency – May 20, 2009)
July
Girl and boy detainees kept in one cell
A student who was recently freed from prison wrote in a letter, "From the day before Neda was killed
until today, we were in jail. Today after threatening us and making us sign agreements, they let us go.
We were about 20 people in a 5 meter long cell. All the girls and boys were put in the same cell
together. The prison guards would suddenly enter the cell and start beating the girls. Sometimes, they
would take them out of the cell for a while. They would raid the cell every 30 minutes and start beating
everyone. They would also take people for interrogation, which would last for a very long time. In the
interrogations, they asked, who tells you what to do? Why were you on the street that day? They would
only feed us at night which was a sort of soup that tasted like water". (Iran N ews Agency – July 1, 2009)
Mother of 19 year old slain protester desperately searches for son
Sohrab Erabi, 19, was in his last year of high school
and getting ready for university exams. He was
arrested on June 20 demonstrations in Tehran and
taken to an unknown location.
After his family's unrelenting search for his
whereabouts, they discovered that he was in Evin
Prison. His mother gave bail money to the
Revolutionary Court and waited outside Evin every
day and night for her son's release. Although his
mother knew that he was in Evin, she was extremely
worried saying that she was afraid they would kill
her son. She had a picture of her son, which she showed to all freed prisoners outside Evin asking
them if they had seen her son in the prison. She said that no official answered her and told her to wait
saying that her son would be freed. One day she got word that Judge Mortazavi had announced that
Sohrab Erabi had died in prison and that her family should be notified to collect his body. (Iran News
Agency – July 12, 2009)
Security forces search home and office of prominent lawyer and women's activist
After the illegal arrest of Shadi Sadr by plainclothes agents on July 17 in Keshavarz Boulevard while
she was trying to go to Friday Prayers, her husband, Hossein Neilchian said that a number of
government agents who introduced themselves as security police, searched her home and office. They
confiscated some documents and papers and two computers which belonged to her husband and her
daughter. This search went on for hours and in the presence of the lawyer's 10 year old daughter and
agents even searched her room. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – July 18, 2009)
Neda's mother not given permit for ceremony on 40 th day of Neda's passing
The mother of Neda Aqa Sultan said that they were not given a permit to hold a ceremony for the 40 th
day of her death.
"We wanted to hold Neda's ceremony in the mosque in Nilufar Square but they did not give us a
permit. Of course we actually wanted to have the ceremony in the Behesht Zahra Cemetery hall but we
were not given a permit". (Saham News state run website – July 27, 2009)
89
August
Iran puts another 28 vote protesters on trial
Iran staged another mass trial on Sunday for 28 people arrested over the post -election unrest.
The latest court action brings to around 140 the number of people being tried in mass hearings for
offences linked to massive demonstrations that erupted after Ahamdinejad's June election victory .
The 27 men and one woman who appeared in court on Sunday were accused of a range of offences
including participation in illegal rallies, vandalising public property, 'hurting' security forces and
'following the line of foreign media,' according to an indictment .
There were no well-known political figures among the defendants and in comments reported by local
media, several denied the charges against them . (AFP – Aug. 16, 2009)
Karubi: rape victims do not feel safe to disclose jail rape
Mehdi Karoubi has introduced four people who had protested election results and were raped in
custody to a parliament committee.
Karoubi has told the MPs that those who were raped in custody do not feel safe to tell their story.
The activists and reports of the parliament committee in the past weeks have led to many criticisms.
There have been reports that judicial officials did not cooperate with this committee. The E'temad
daily quoted Kazem Jalali, the committee spokesman, as saying that the members of the committee
were not allowed surprise visits to all detention centers and were not allowed to see all the detainees.
There were also not allowed to publish what they saw or heard. (Deutsche Welle – Aug. 25, 2009)
September
Families banned from visiting loved ones in prison
On Monday September 7, about 150 families of detainees who came to Evin Prison to visit their loved
ones were banned from seeing them.
Like always, only a small amount of families visited their loved ones in prison and a large number of
families who have not seen their family members for more than 3 months were once again deprived
from visits. This is while many of them have no information on the physical and mental condition of
their jailed relative. These families were only able to give some clothes and money for their loved ones
in prison. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Sep. 7, 2009)
Government institutions put pressure on families of killed protesters to announce cause of death as
natural
Security institutions have put severe pressure on the families of killed protesters or those who were
injured in the recent events demanding that they announce the cause of the death of their loved ones
as natural causes or that they were killed from illnesses or in accidents. Various security institutions
first bribe these families and if ineffective, they threaten them and say that this will endanger the lives
of other members of their families or that they will not hand over the body of their loved ones to them
if they go to independent institutions. These pressures on the families and on the other hand on
independent institutions and human rights activists which has reached its peak in the last few days has
turned the task of gathering documents and evidence on this issue into laborious work. (Nurooz
Website – Sep. 10, 2009)
Iran: rape and other torture victims at renewed risk
Victims of rape and other torture by Iranian security forces are facing renewed risk after documents
detailing abuses against them were confiscated, Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary
General, said today. Ms. Khan called on Iran’s Supreme Leader to ensure the victims’ safety and hold
the perpetrators to account .
"The Iranian authorities appear more intent on finding the identities of those who claim to have been
tortured by security officials than in carrying out an impartial investigation so that the perpetrators can
be brought to justice," said Irene Khan.
Earlier this week, judiciary officials raided and closed down the offices of a committee set up by Mehdi
Karroubi to collect and collate information about torture and oth er abuses committed against
detainees held for protesting the official outcome of the 12 June presidential election…
Acting on an order of the Prosecutor General, on 7 September, judiciary officials removed computers,
files and other records and forced the closure of the committee established by the two presidential
candidates. The committee is reported to have recently submitted information to a parliamentary
committee set up to investigate abuses .
The seized records contain information which would enable the judicial authorities to identify the
former detainees who were prepared to speak out on confidential basis due to their fear of reprisals
and the shocking nature of their ordeal . (Amnesty International Website – Sep. 10, 2009)
Iran to Islamize universities
The head of the Cultural Assistant of the Science Ministry said that new rules have been announced
and are in the process of being carried out for spreading virtue and the Hijab in universities.
Gholamreza Khajeh Sarvari said that a special committee on the Hijab and moral issues has been
established by the Science Ministry and this committee will examine the current situation of the Hijab
in universities.
According to Sarvari, the Science Ministry has designed various forms of coverings and this will be put
on show by the Jihad Department in universities.
He also stressed on what he called 'Islamizing universities'. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Sep. 12, 2009)
Female master's degree student activist banned from university
Ameneh Qassem-pour, a psychologist major, who was accepted in the Master's Degree Exams of State
Universities in Iran, was banned from entering university. She was a student's activist in the Tabriz
University.
After her family looked into the issue, education officials announced that she does not have the
general qualifications to continue her studies.
Ameneh Qassem-pour is an Azeri activists and a member of the Azerbaijan Center in Tabriz
University. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Sep. 12, 2009)
Judge intentionally postpones trial of imprisoned student activists to keep her in undetermined
state
According to reports from the Revolutionary Court, the trial of student political prisoner Shabnam
Madadzadeh and her brother Farzad was postponed 7 months after they have been kept in an
undetermined state in Evin Prison's ward 209.
This student activist and her brother were recently told that on Sunday September 13 they will be tried
in the 28 th branch of the Revolutionary Court presided over by the head of this
branch, Judge Mohammad Moqissei, who was a member of the 'death commission' responsible for the
execution of thousands of political prisoners in the 1988 massacre.
On Sunday morning, the Madadzadeh family who had come all the way from Tabriz to Tehran with
their lawyer to this court was told in the last minute that the trial will not be held. They have still not
been given a new court schedule for the next trial. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran –
Sep. 13, 2009)
91
Elderly mother forced to sign agreement saying that her son was not killed under torture
According to reports from the Shahpour Detention Center, the mother of a man killed under torture
in the Shahpour Detention Center was summoned to this detention center and forced to sign an
agreement saying that her son was killed due to natural causes and not under torture.
Mahin Shad-pour, 67, the mother of Hossein Tavakoli Barazjani who was killed under torture in this
detention center in 2008, and Abbas Tavakoli Bararzani who is currently in ward 6 of Gohardasht
Prison in an undetermined condition, was put under pressure and threatened after she disclosed the
death of her son. Agents from the Shahpour Detention Center called her several times in the past
threatening her that she should not inquire about her son's death, otherwise they will sentence her
other imprisoned son to death and the life of the other members of her family especially young girls in
her family will be put at danger and they will disappear.
After she was threatened and intimidated in these phone calls or in person, she was summoned to the
detention center on Wednesday September 9. She was interrogated by major Narimani along with
three other agents for a few hours.
"We will execute (your other son). Don’t say a word because no one is going to hear you anyway. It's a
waste of time and no one will listen to you. You will endanger the others in this way", Major Narimani
told her. Then he put the paper in front of her and said that she had to sign it to prevent future
incidents. In the agreement, it stated that her son Hossein Tavakoli Barazjani, 33, died of natural
causes and that she did not want to press charges against anyone. Mrs. Shad-pour initially disagreed
but was threatened by the major that she would be arrested and detained. Narimani said tha t if she did
not sign the agreement, she would be arrested with her other children on charges of conspiring and
that they had a warrant for this arrest. She was finally forced to sign the paper. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Sep. 15, 2009)
Families bear brunt of prisoners' plight in Iran
The middle-aged woman demanded to know the fate of her daughter, Fariba Pajooh, who had been
picked up by three Intelligence Ministry agents a few days earlier .
'She will be with us for a few days,' the prosecutor tol d her calmly. 'Don't worry, she's in a good place'.
'What's the charge against her?' the mother wanted to know.
'It's said she had some foreign connection,' the prosecutor replied vaguely .
More than a month later, 24-year-old reformist journalist Pajooh is still in jail, along with thousands of
others in Iran, and her mother still doesn't know why… Mrs. Pajooh, her husband, her brother, and
the prisoner's husband take turns every day to visit the General Prosecutor's Office, aka Dadsara, in the
hope of finding some clue as to why their loved one was arrested Aug. 28 and whether she would be
released anytime soon. Their ordeal offers a glimpse into the attempts of thousands of families to find
loved ones who were detained in the crackdown following the disput ed June 12 presidential election.
Often without lawyers, an accountable system, and the rule of law, families are forced to handle the
nightmare of a complicated legal bureaucracy on their own. They very rarely have any information
about the whereabouts, health, or conditions of their loved ones. In addition, the prisoners themselves
are denied medical care and legal representation and do not even know on what charges they have
been arrested.
Fariba Pajooh's lawyer Nemat Ahmadi has not yet seen his client. Ahmadi was out of town when
Fariba was arrested. When he returned a week later, not much he could do… Two days after the arrest,
the family received first word from their daughter. Three women had seen Fariba brought to the
Dadsara that morning. Fariba had told them she was in solitary confinement in Section 209 of the
Evin Prison, controlled by the Intelligence Ministry .
She also allegedly said she was being pressured to confess to espionage and immoral behavior and that
she had been threatened with execution if she refused…
'They usually tag an immorality label on women as evidence of extramarital relationship,' said Hamid
Reza, a close relative of Fariba's. 'Things that are normally considered positive - being sociable and
making friends easily - are used as negative traits against prisoners. Fariba is an extremely kind and
friendly person. They claim to have listened on to her phone conversations as proof of her
promiscuity. Maybe they want to frame someone else and destroy him and are using Fariba as a
scapegoat,' said the relative…
Mrs. Pajooh tried to visit her daughter at Evin Prison, but was told those in solitary are not allowed to
receive visitors.
'It's more than a month that our lives have turned upside down,' said Mrs. Pajooh. 'I can't do my work.
The most I can do is sit in front of the computer and check the Web sites. Fariba's face comes in front
of my eyes. Nothing is important to me anymore … (AP – Sep. 19, 2009)
Iran officials intentionally keep families of detainees in the dark about jailed loved ones
According to reports, more than 100 family members of recent detainees who were mostly arrested on
September 18 (in the Quds Day protests) held a protest gathering outside Tehran's Revolutionary
Court and Evin Prison today. They demanded information on their loved ones and their release from
prison. The names of the new detainees have not been confirmed by the Revolutionary Court yet.
One of the methods the Revolutionary Court uses to harass families is not confirming the names of
the detainees for a number of days. This causes grave concern for their families and puts great pressure
on them. Another method, used especially to harass the mothers of detainees is that when the mother
goes to have the name of her child confirmed as an arrestee in the Revolutionary Court and shows her
ID card, she is told that her ID card is not acceptable and that she has to bring her husband's ID car or
the detainee's ID card. This is while the name of the detainee has been documented in her ID card as
her child. In light of this, the anxious mother is forced to go back to her home, it is sometimes a long
journey, and come back the next day with her husband's ID card to get an answer.
The families of detainees were told today to go home and that they cannot do anything for them and
in this way, they evade answering the families. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Sep.
21, 2009)
Iran arrests another journalist in Tehran ; mother forced into silence
Sayed Mehdi Niaki, a journalist who also worked for the Kalameh News Website before elections, was
arrested and taken to an unknown location on September 14.
"Mehdi lived alone and went missing on September 14. It seems that agents came to his home in
Tehran, arrested him and took him to an unknown location", one of his relatives said.
"His mother knows of his arrest but due to the threats made against her, she is terrified and is not
willing to confirm his arrest by the agents. She was told to wait in silence for the return of her son.
Now, six days after his arrest, it is still not known where he is detained", said his close relative. (Green
Wave of Freedom Website – Sep. 21, 2009)
Officials increase control of students in Tehran's Beheshti Univ.
According to reports, in the ongoing illegal activities by the Protection Department of the Beheshti
University in Tehran, students who have criticized university officials in social internet networks, have
been dealt with under the pretext that they have insulted university officials …
A woman identified as Rezayi who is in charge of controlling the dormitory curfew of female students
and their appearance, accuses girls of attending parties and having dates with their boyfriends if they
come back after 9pm and sends them to the Disciplinary Committee under this excu se.
Despite the fact that university officials’ claim that they have a budget shortage, it seems that the
Protection Department does not have this shortage. From the summer of last year, an ultra
professional control system has been set up in the university by the Sharq Fakhr Iman (East Fakhr
Security) Company with a budget of more than 500,000 dollars.
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Every day, in addition to the normal patrols in the university by agents of the Protection Department
and Disciplinary Committee, unidentified men also patrol the university campus and constantly deal
with students for various reasons. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Sep. 23, 2009)
October
3 female journalists banned from leaving Iran
Farzaneh Roostayi (f), Badrolsadat Mofidi (f), the head of Iran's Journalists' Association and Zahra
Ibrahimi (f), a top reporter for the Hamshahri Daily were banned from leaving the country and their
passports were confiscated. (Nurooz Website – Oct. 3, 2009)
Regime enforces martial law in Orumieh high schools
A large number of activists in the city of Orumieh have been summoned to the Azerbaijan Intelligence
Agency in the past few days after announcement were handed out in Orumieh in the Kurdish,
Turkish, English and Farsi languages.
Pressure by security systems has also heightened in high schools in this city. In the Ziveh Magur High
School and the Khomeini Rajan High School several Bassijis have been employed as teachers with the
goal of monitoring the school and trapping young people. This condition also exists in girls high
schools. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Oct. 4, 2009)
Regime banns families of political prisoner from visits!!
The political assistant of Tehran's Governor said in a letter to the members of the Tehran Council
asked that they stop visiting families whose loved ones were victims or imprisoned in the events after
the elections.
A member of the City Council confirmed this reports and said, "It has been stressed in this letter that
in light of the fact that these visits do not benefit the public interest of the coun try, visits with the
detainees of events after the elections and the families of released prisoners should not take place".
(Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 6, 2009)
Girl students expelled from dorms because of political activities
Eight female students of Tehran University were expelled from this university's dormitory.
According to reports from the Fatemieh Dormitory, a number of girls residing in this dormitory have
been banned from using the dorms. According to reports, the Disciplinary Committee and the Office
for Dormitory Affairs issued the expulsion sentence of these girls.
The officials of these bodies have expelled these students under the excuse that they have violated
dorm rules and regulations. There are no exact figures on how many students were expelled but the
expulsion of eight students has been confirmed. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Oct. 6, 2009)
Officials heighten suppression in Ilam Free Univ.
According to reports from Ilam, officials have increased the suppression in the Free Ilam University.
Male students with short sleeved shirts and girls students not wearing the chador (traditional head to
toe black garb) are not allowed into the university. Students are also banned from talking about
political issues and if they do, they are summoned to the university's Disciplinary Committee and
Protection Department. (Iran News Agency – Oct. 6, 2009)
Friends of fatally shot girl not allowed to hold ceremony in univ.
The head of the Amir Kabir University (Polytechnic) in Tehran banned students from holding a
ceremony for a former student and current employee of this university who was killed a few days ago
by security forces.
Somayeh Jafar-Qoli, who was a master's degree graduate of computer engineering from this university
and worked in the Center for the Completion of Virtual Skills was mistakenly shot and killed while
going from Qom to Tehran along with her husband and 8 month old daughter. She was wounded by
security officers who were chasing another vehicle in the Tehran-Qom highway and then passed away
as a result of her wounds. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Oct. 7, 2009)
Three girls banned from residing in Mazandaran Univ. dorms for attending protest demo
In an illegal measure, the officials of Mazandaran University banned three female students in this
university from living in the dorms and from other university facilities in a phone call. These students
are Sudabeh Saeidi, Parvaneh Rahmani and Mahdieh Alijani who are members of the Central Council
of the Islamic Association's Women's Unit.
University officials prevented these students from entering the dorm to stay the night even while they
had still not found a new place to live. Finally after they spent a few hours behind closed dorm doors,
dormitory officials let them spend the night in the prayer hall of the dormitory.
After these students pursued this issue asking which institution issued such a punishment, none of the
university officials took responsibility and only said that these students had attended a sit -in in the
university on June 16. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Oct. 8, 2009)
Actor and actress banned from going to US
Protection Department agents of the Tehran airport banned Fatemeh Moatamed-Aria, a renowned
Iranian actress and actor Mojtaba Mirtahmasseb from leaving Iran.
This happened when a group of Iranian stars were intending to leave Iran to go the US after being
invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Oscar) to participate in the a program to
asses Iran's cinema industry in the US. (Human Rights Activist s in Iran – Oct. 8, 2009)
Iran tries to control school girls with security cameras
The state run Mehr daily reported that the heads of a number of girl's schools in Tehran have installed
security cameras without any legal orders in various locations to control and monitor the students. The
goal of these security cameras is to 'control the behavior of students and identify students who bring
cell phones to school'.
The Fars news agency also reported that the Hushmand School in Orumieh has been equipped with
security cameras to control its students. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Oct. 8, 2009)
Interrogators threaten family of political prisoner
The pressure and threats of the head interrogator of the Intelligence Agency in ward 209 nicknamed
'Alavi' has increased against the family of political prisoner Mohssen Dokmeh-chi. Alavi has called this
family on several occasions and has summoned them for interrogations after threatening them over the
phone.
Mohssen Dokmeh-chi, 52, is a member of Tehran's Bazaar who was arrested on September 7 in his
place of work by intelligence agents and taken to ward 209 of Evin Prison. There is no information on
his condition since his arrest. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Oct. 10, 2009)
Children of Kurd activist summoned and interrogated
Agents of the Protection Department of the Revolutionary Guards Corps in Marivan summoned
Suror and Sarveh Mohammadi, the daughters of Ghafur Mohammadi, a Kurd civil rights activist, and
interrogated them for six hours.
This is while Kazhal Sheikh Mohammadi, the civil rights activist's wife has been detained for 12 days
and is banned from visits.
Ghafur Mohammadi left Iran less than two years ago and is living abroad. (Human Rights Activists in
Iran – Oct. 12, 2009)
Female political prisoner trialed without lawyer
Ziaoddin Nabavi, a student activist and Atefeh Nabavi were transferred today to the second and 15 th
branch of the security interrogations section of the Revolutionary Court.
Ziaoddin Navabi was charged with having connections to the PMOI and spreading propaganda against
the government.
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Atefeh Nabavi was trialed in the 15 th branch of this court on charges of having communications with
the PMOI. She was alone in the trial because she did not have a lawyer. (Human Rights Activists in
Iran – Oct. 25, 2009)
Female students harassed by agents in Sharif Industrial Univ. in Tehran
According to reports, female (agents) with chadors (black head to toe garb) in groups of three walk
around in the Sharif Industrial University in Tehran and warn girls regarding their dress, makeup, nail
polish, hair and hair color and force them to write commitments not to appear in this way in
university.
If students protest this treatment, they are taken to the university Protection Department and dealt
more seriously with. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Oct. 25, 2009)
Tehran Free Univ. separates male and female classes
The School of Political Science of the Central Tehran Free University separated the classes of girl and
boy students. This was done on the request of Dr. Ashrafi, the head of the Political Science Group.
This matter has not only led to discontent amongst students and professors but has also caused
problems in class schedules. (Nurooz Website – Oct. 27, 2009)
November
Security forces beat families of Nov. 4 detainees
Reports from outside the Vozara Detection Center in Tehran say that security forces confronted a
number of the families of those arrested in yesterday's gatherings.
More than 50 families of November 4 detainees gathered outside this detention center to get
information on their loved ones. A number of the detainees were taken to this detention center.
"Agents beat and verbally abused these families and told some of us not to go after the release of our
children", a mother of a detainees said. (Radio Zamaneh – Nov. 5, 2009)
Islamic Republic sentences female political prisoner to 'enmity with God' because of family ties
The trial of Atefeh Nabavi which was supposed to be held on December 5 in the 12 th branch of the
Revolutionary Court was held today in this branch.
In this court, which went on for 3 hours, Nabavi was trialed on charges of 'enmity with God by having
contacts with the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran'.
Nabavi, 27, was arrested on the night of June 15 along with her cousin and six friends. She was
detained in ward 209 in Evin prison for 95 days before being transferred to the public ward.
"It seemed that the judge, who was supposed to view my case with impartiality, looked at my case with
total bias. He said a number of times in court that the case interrogator has requested sentences
ranging from 5 years of prison to the death penalty for me. Then he mocked me saying that 'we will no
execute you though'!" Atefeh said regarding her trial.
"He (the judge) asked me if I was afraid of the threat of being sentenced to death and I said that of
course I am afraid, but I am used to this kind of verbal violence from you and the interrogators. Then
the judge said that, 'I was joking, we will not hang you'. I then asked him if anyone had ever joked with
him about sentencing him to death", she added.
Nabavi said that the judge had told her that her crime is evident because of the history of her family
and that they will not 'issue sentences on the grounds of the ev idence in the case' but because 'we know
your intentions and will sentence you on the grounds of your intentions'. (Human Rights Activists in
Iran – Nov. 11, 2009)
Women's activist banned from leaving country
Modares Gorji, a women's rights activist in Sanandaj who intended on going abroad on Friday
morning was banned from leaving the country. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Nov. 15, 2009)
Ministry of Intelligence puts pressure on family of death row political prisoner
According to the latest reports, intelligence agents from Sanandaj have threatened Habibollah Latifi's
family to not give any reports on the condition of their son to foreign media. This family was
threatened that (security institutions) would create criminal records for all of them and will sentence
them to a few years of prison. Habib Latifi was Ehsan Fatahian's (recently executed in Sanandaj Prison)
cellmate and according to a confidential letter written by the Judiciary, this 26 year old student is in
danger of being executed. (Kurosh News Agency – Nov. 19, 2009)
Norway says Iran confiscated Shirin Ebadi's Nobel Prize
Norway said Thursday Iran had confiscated the Nobel Peace Prize of Shirin
Ebadi, a human rights advocate who won the award in 2003, and that it had
summoned Iran's envoy to Oslo to protest the matter.
'The medal and diploma have been removed from Dr Ebadi's bank box,
together with other personal items,' Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr
Stoere said in a statement.
'Such an act leaves us feeling shock and disbelief,' he added, stressing 'this is
the first time a Nobel Peace Prize has been confiscated by national
authorities.'
The ministry said it had summoned Iran's charge d'affaires in Oslo on Wednesday to discuss Ebadi's
case…
'The persecution of Dr. Ebadi and her family show that freedom of expression is under great pressure
in Iran,' the ministry added…
'I do not know of anything like that happening before,' the committee's secretary Geir Lundestad told
AFP.
'A laureate has never been treated like that. Even political dissidents such as (Russian Andrei)
Sakharov and (Pole Lech) Walesa were better treated in their countries,' he deplored, referring to the
men who won in 1975 and 1983, during the Cold War. (AFP - Nov 26, 2009)
Iran 'illegally' freezes Ebadi's assets: c olleague
Iran has 'illegally' frozen bank accounts belonging to Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, in a bid to step up
pressure on the rights advocate and critic of the Islamic regime, a colleague told AFP on Friday .
'Her prize money was deposited in a bank account and it was used to help prisoners of conscience and
their families,' a founding member of Ebadi's human rights group, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah said .
'The account has been blocked by the officials and they do not allow withdrawals,' the lawyer said .
'This is illegal as blocking and confiscation should be the decision of a court where evidence is
presented for such an act,' he said. 'It is politicized '. (AFP - Nov 27, 2009)
Human rights activist fired from work
Narges Mohammadi, the spokeswoman of the Center in Defense of Human Rights
and a member of the National Council of Peace was fired on November 19 from her
job because of her human rights activities. She is the wife of political activist Taqi
Rahmani. In a letter to Ahmadinejad she explained the summoni ng and problems that
the Ministry of Intelligence created for her. She also explained the stages of being fired
from her job, in which she had 8 years of experience. She was fired from the Iran
Engineering Inspection Company on November 19. (JRS – Nov. 30, 2009)
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December
Iran denies women's rights activist right to see lawyer and subjects her to pressure
Women's rights activist Mehrnoosh Etemadi said in a 5 minute visit she had with
her family in prison that she was 'under pressure'. This is while her lawyer Mina
Jafari who went to Isfahan to see her client was banned from seeing Etemadi by
Isfahan's judicial officials.
According to reports, the case investigator has said that he needs Mehrnoosh for
'further investigation' and has not accepted the bail (provided by her family). This
is while 10 days after the arrest of this women's rights activist and despite the fact
that a document has been provided to court showing that the bail order issued by
the Isfahan Court has been provided, judicial officials refrain from accepting the bail. Merhnoosh
Etemadi has been charged with being a member of the One-Million Signature Campaign (advocating
change in the constitution). (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Dec. 5, 2009)
Iran fires teacher because of political a ctivities
Samira Sadri, a member of the Policies Council of the Office for Consolidating Unity was fired after
seven years of teaching.
"After being summoned a number of times to the Protection Department of the Ministry of Education
and Ministry of Intelligence it was verbally announced to me that because of my political activities in
the past and my current political activities and because of the activities of my husband (Ali Jamali the
head of the Politics Committee of this Group) I am banned from teaching". (Committee of Human
Rights Activists in Iran – Dec. 25, 2009)
Regime forces interrogate hospitalized injured protesters
According to reports, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence with the cooperation of the Protection
Department in hospitals interrogate injured people who have been brought to hospital and records
their names and details.
On Sunday December 27, intelligence agents who were stationed in the Protection Department and
Intelligence Department in hospitals from before took pictures of the faces of injured patients. They
were then given forms to fill out with questions like, 'Where were you injured, why were you injured,
and did you participate in the protests.' They also recorded the addresses and phone numbers of the
injured people and asked several other questions. This is while the injured protesters were bleeding
and in great pain. Most of the injured people were young men and women who had fractured heads,
noses, legs and hands.
The medical personnel in these hospitals tried to quickly treat the patients and release them to prevent
their arrest from the hospital. The doctors had no other choice than to release a number of the
protesters who had to stay hospitalized as a result of severe beatings by security forces. (Human Rights
and Democracy Activists in Iran – Dec. 28, 2009)
January – 2010
Neda Soltan’s grave defaced as Iran issues new internet restrictions
Neda Soltan has become an icon of the opposition since she was shot dead in protests in June
Supporters of the Iranian Government have for a second time desecrated the grave of Neda Soltan, the
student whose shooting during a street demonstration last June made her a worldwide symbol of the
opposition.
Photographs obtained by The Times show that the black marble slab on which her face is engraved has
been pockmarked by bullets even though security agents guard the grave around the clock to prevent it
from becoming a martyr’s shrine.
Ms Soltan’s family put the new tombstone in place on December 14 after the previous one was
smashed in mid-November. Her parents discovered the fresh damage on December 31 - five days after
The Times named their daughter its Person of the Year.
”They didn’t just shoot her once. They continue to shoot at Neda to this day by desecrating her grave,”
Ms Soltan’s fiancé, Caspian Makan, said. Mr Makan was imprisoned and beaten after her death caused
the regime embarrassment and fled the country.
The regime has stepped up efforts to suggest that Ms Soltan, 26, was shot not by one of its Basij
militiamen but by agents of Iran’s Western enemies.
A new documentary produced by Iranian state television claims that Ms Soltan was an agent of the US
and Britain and that her death was a hoax. It suggests that she squeezed fake blood over herself as she
lay on the pavement but was then shot dead by her fellow conspirators in the car that took her away presumably to silence her.
"Neda for a moment realizes their wicked plan and struggles to escape but they quickly shoot her from
behind,” the narrator claims, and goes on to name Arash Hejazi, the doctor who tried to save her and
has since fled to Britain, as one of her killers.
Excerpts from the programme were screened by Press TV, the English language television station that
is controlled by the Iranian regime. Dr Hejazi called the documentary outrageous and said that he was
considering a formal complaint against Press TV…
Mr Makan told The Times that during his 65 days in prison "the intelligence ministry people told me
several times that Neda's death has damaged the reg ime greatly."…
The regime, which on Monday prohibited any contact with 60 Western organisations, continued its
crackdown on dissent by publishing a list of websites banned for being hostile to the Government, the
Supreme Leader or Islamic values.
The prosecutor general announced that it was illegal to use filter-breaking software to access blocked
websites, to show others how to open blocked sites, or to create internet groups designed to undermine
national security. (The Times- Jan. 8, 2010)
Iran bans women's activist from teaching at university
Saba Vasefi, researcher, human rights activist and women's right activist who had been
teaching at the Beheshti University in Tehran since 2006 was banned from teaching and
expelled from this university on January 20.
Vasefi is the third women's right activist who has been fired from her job in the past few
months. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Jan. 21, 2010)
Officials refuse to take responsibility for death of
female student due to lack of safety precautions in
university
University officials refuse to take direct responsibly
for an incident that happed at 2pm in the Science
and Industry University in Tehran in which a female
student was ran over by a dump truck carrying
construction refuse.
Mitra Rezayi was a senior computer software student
who was from the city of Khoy and lived in the
university dormitory.
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The official website of the Office for Consolidating Unity stated these details in its website:
- This accident took place in the middle of the main university street in a curve that goes directly to the
computer school. This is the most crowded area in the university and this could have happened to any
of the students.
- Trucks are banned from travelling in Tehran at day. This is while this dump truck has been moving
about in this university for days. Before this, students had protested this issue to the Protection
Department and university officials several times. The fact that the truck was in the university in at day
is the direct responsibility of the univ ersity and the head of the university.
- On Saturday evening, this same truck with the same driver was speeding by the library and came close
to hitting a student. This student protested this issue and even went to the Protection Department.
Despite this, the driver, who did not even have a drive's license was not prevented from continuing his
work.
- University officials have placed the driver in the center of attention to hide their own incompetence.
- In every construction project, there is a monitoring system. The monitor and head of this project was
the head of the university. This means that the person responsible was the head of the university.
(Human Rights Activists in Iran – Jan. 26, 2010)
Wife of paralyzed political prisoner hospitalized as r esult of regime threats and abuse
According to reports, on Sunday January 24 at about 2 pm, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in
Rasht stormed political prisoner Hadi Abed Bakhoda's house and searched his home. They
subsequently interrogated his wife for several hours which led to her hospitalization.
In this attack, three agents of the Ministry of Intelligence participated. They violently searched their
home and broke some of their personal items, while confiscating their satellite receiver, and
educational CDs that belonged to their children. These agents then verbally summoned Mehri Javan
Mahjoub Doust, Abed Bakhoda's wife to the intelligence agency in Rasht.
On Monday January 25, Mrs. Mahjoub Doust went to the Intelligence Agency and was interroga ted for
close to 5 hours. The interrogation was about her interviews with international foreign media, the
dangerous physical state of her husband in prison and other issues. Two interrogators were present in
her interrogation. One of the interrogators threatened Mrs. Mahjoub Doust saying 'Aren't you worried
about your children and yourself?'
They threatened her children to death in these interrogations. Mrs. Mahjoub Doust had a heart attack
as a result of the agents' threats and violent behavior and the interrogators were forced to take her to
the hospital. She was hospitalized for a few hours.
The Rasht prosecutor and Ministry of Intelligence have blocked the financial means of this family and
they are in a very bad financial state. This is while this family has to pay for the medical treatment for
Abed Bakhoda in prison. Whoever intends to give financial support to them is threatened by
intelligence agents and they have even told Mrs. Mahjoub that financial help she receives has to be
transferred to the bank account of the Revolutionary Court.
On the other hand, the physical condition of political prisoner Hadi Abed Bakhoda who has spinal
cord damage is deteriorating and he cannot move on his own or attend to his personal work. Several of
his organs have lost their natural function and he has to be hospitalized in hospital. Despite this, he is
still imprisoned and (officials) refuse to release him. The head of the prison, the prison doctor and the
judge seeing to his case have accepted that he go on a medical leave but intelligence interrogators in
Rasht refuse to let him go.
Bakhoda was sentenced to two years of prison by the 2 nd branch of the Revolutionary Court and was
arrested on November 8 and taken to Rasht Prison. He was imprisoned and tortured in the 80's for
supporting the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran. Regime forces shot him upon his arrest (in
the 80's) which resulted in his spinal cord damage. He cannot walk and his bladder, kidneys and
digestive system have been severely damaged. His brother Hormoz Abed Bakhoda was executed in the
80's for supporting the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran. (Human Rights and Democracy
Activists in Iran – Jan. 27, 2010)
February
Iranian mistaken for 'Neda' seeks German asylum: report
An Iranian woman mistaken for Neda Agha-Soltan, who was killed during
protests against her country's disputed0 elections, is seeking asylum in
Germany, a newspaper reported Friday.
Photos of the 32-year-old Neda Soltani, an English literature teacher at the
university of Tehran, were published around the world when media confused
her with Agha-Soltan, who was shot during a June 20 demonstration…
But several media took a picture of Soltani from her Facebook page and
mistakenly used it to illustrate Agha-Soltan. Within days, the photo was
printed on t-shirts, posters and in newspapers around the world.
Soltani, who was not politically active, tried in vain to alert the media to their
mistake, and left Iran on July 2 after receiving threats from the regime, the German da ily Sueddeutsche
Zeitung wrote Friday.
'Even today in Germany, she does not want to say by whom and how she was threatened due to
concerns for her family,' the paper wrote.
The article has few quotations from the young woman and does not indicate clearly where she is living
in Germany, mentioning only a meeting near Frankfurt, western Germany and a shelter for asylum seekers where she was staying. (AFP - Feb 5, 2010)
Security forces cut off phone of families of political prisoners to prevent calls to media
Security forces under the name of the Communication Ministry Protection Department have cut off
the telephone lines in the homes of the families of political prisoners Ahmad Karimi and Hamed Rohi
Nejad because of their interviews with the media.
This measure was taken out without any explanation to the families and only after they pursued this
issue through the Communication Department, the Protection Department in this organization told
them that they cut off their phone lines on the orders of security institutions because of their
interviews with the media. The Protection Department also said that they cannot connect them
without permission from security institutions. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Feb. 21, 2010)
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Suppression of religious and ethnic minorities
March – 2009
Baha'i woman arrested in Sari
According to reports from Sari, intelligence agents arrested Shirin Furoghian on March 8 and took her
to the Kachuyi Security Detention Center in this city.
Before this, her husband's shop was closed down by orders of the Intelligence Agency and shortly after
that security agents searched their home, confiscated her computer, satellite receiver, pictures and
religious books, and arrested her husband Adel Samimi. He was imprisoned and interrogated on
charges of "acting against national security" and freed after 9 days. (Human Rights Activists in Iran –
March 11, 2009)
Two Baha’is were detained in Shiraz
State Security Forces in Shiraz arrested two Baha’is.
On March 14, 2009, while Masoumi Family was having a trip, SSF first searched and detected their
house and then summoned them orally.
Mrs. Haleh Hooshmandi and Mr. Farham Masoumi returned from trip on March 18, 2009. They went
to the Intelligence Ministry’s information office, and subsequently they were arrested and transferred
to Intelligence Detention Center, also known as “Number 100.” (Human Rights Activists in Iran –
Mar. 20, 2009)
Imprisoned Christian woman in Evin Prison: I am dying here
Marzieh Amiri Zadeh (a converted Christian) said in a telephone call to her family on March 28 that
she is in a bad physical and mental state and that she is suffering from a high fever due to an infection
and urgently needs a doctor. "I am dying here", she said in her last words.
Two Farsi speaking Christians by the names of Marzieh Amiri Zadeh, 30, and Maryam Rostam-pour,
27, who were arrested by security force on March 5 are in a critical condition after one month in Evin
Prison.
According to this report, arrested Christians are deprived from visitation rights for unknown reasons
and are only allowed a daily one-minute phone call with a close family member. (Christian Committee
of Human Rights Activists in Iran – March 31, 2009)
April
Imprisoned newly converted Christians under harsh mental pressure
SSF and undercover agents arrested two newly converted Christians in their apartment in Tehran on
March 5, 2009. These two women, 30-year-old Marzieh Amir-zadeh, and 27-year old Maryam Rostampour, are still in an undetermined status after 35 days in Evin Prison.
These Christians were subjected to frequent interrogations and psychological pressure to be forced
into giving confessions. Judicial sources finally charged them with "acting against national security",
without presenting any evidence.
Any political charge against these women, which was extracted through forced confessions, is false for
they were only detained for their religious beliefs.
Maryam and Marzieh are in Ward 2 of the temporary detention center of Evin Prison with 27 other
female prisoners. According to reports, both are in a bad psychological condition because of the
pressure they were subjected to. (Human Rights Activists – Apr. 9, 2009)
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Baha'i woman arrested in Hamedan
Suror Surorian, was arrested in her house by security forces in Hamadan on April 11.
Agents of the Intelligence Agency searched her house confiscating some of her personal items
including religious books. After their search, security agents took this 25 -year-old master's degree
student of business management with them to the Intelligence Agency in Hamedan but now, she is
being kept in an unknown location. Her parents are extremely concerned for their daughter's safety.
(Human Rights Activists in Iran – Apr. 12, 2009)
Baha'i prisoners not freed on bail despite prosecutor's verdict
According to a verdict passed by the General Prosecutor of Fars Province, Haleh Hushmandi, Keyvan
Karami, Farham Ma'sumi and Afshin Ehsanian who had been arrested by agents of the Intelligence
Agency in the last two months in Shiraz and kept in Detention Center # 100 were supposed to be
freed on April 2 on bail. However, the case interrogator has so far prevented the release of these four
Baha'is.
Haleh who has been under mental and physical pressure in prison is suffering from a serious heart
disease and is banned from any kind of treatment. There are serious concerns for her physical health.
(Human Rights Activists in Iran – Apr. 16, 2009)
Regime agents attack and terrorize Baha'i family in Semnan
Unknown assailants attacked the house of a Baha'i three times in seven days.
The city of Semnan has witnessed extensive pressure and abuse against Baha'is in the last few months.
Some examples of this abuse are attacks against Baha'i homes with hand grenades, the destruction of
their cemetery and widespread summonses and arrests along with house searches and seizures.
In the past week, motorcycle riders assailed the house of Yahya Hedayati three times in the middle of
the night with stones. During these attacks, the windows of Hedayati's house broke and his family
especially his old mother was subjected to serious danger. These attacks have put severe mental
pressure on this family.
The legal pursuits of this family has not had any results and there are fears that these attacks are
organized. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Apr. 21, 2009)
May
Baha'i women arrested and beaten in Mashhad
Security forces in Mashhad arrested Shiva Rajabi outside her home on May 20
on her way to a friend's house.
These forces then raided her home and confiscated her personal belonging
including all her religious books. This 23 year old women was beaten by security
forces after she was taken to a prison for "out of town prisoners" and
unfortunately two of her teeth were broken in the beatings. (Iran News Agency –
May 21, 2009)
July
Two jailed female Christian converts under duress and pressure
Marzieh Amin Zadeh, 30 and Maryam Rostam-pour, 27 have been in Evin Prison for four months now
for converting to Christianity. They are officially charged with acting against national security.
According to reports from their relatives, these two young women who were arrested on March 5 in
their Tehran homes, are under mental torture and have problems like sleep disorders and severe stress.
While they still have not been convicted in court and officials only use the general term "acting against
national security" for them, according to reports a judicial official has told them in the past few days
that both of them might be executed on charg es of 'apostasy'. (Prayer for Iran website – July 13, 2009)
August
Baha'i mother and son arrested in Sari
Sari security forces arrested a Baha'i woman and her son in a village in the outskirts of this city. On
July 28, a group of ten intelligence agents attacked the house of Vesal Yusefi in the Mahfruzak Village
in Sari and started violently searching her home without showing an arrest warrant. After a few hours
of searching and after confiscating her religious items and pictures, they arrested Yusefi.
On August 4, intelligence agents once again came to her home and asked that Payam Yusefi, her 18
year old son be handed over to them. Because he was not in the house, these forces made the family
promise that Payam would introduce himself to the Sari Intelligence Agency by Wednesday. There is
no information on this mother and son after their arrest. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Aug. 6,
2009)
Iran tries two Christian converts on charges of apostasy
On Sunday August 9, the trial of two Christian women was held in Tehran's Revolutionary Court.
Maryam Rostam-pour, 27 and Marzieh Amiri Zadeh, 30, have been arrested and detained from five
months ago in Evin Prison's ward 209. The prosecutor had suggested that they be charged with
"apostasy".
Judge Hadad who led the trial interrogated them on their religious beliefs in the court session insisting
that they change back their religion and deny Christianity both in writing and verbally.
Apostasy, murder, adultery, rape, insurrection, and drug smuggling are all punishable by death in the
Islamic Republic. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Aug. 11, 2009)
More than 30 Christian converts arrested in past two weeks
There have been new reports on the arrest of Christian converts in the past two weeks. These arrests
were made in a number of instances around Tehran and the northern city of Rasht. According to this
report, more than 30 Christians have so far been arrested. Eight of them are still imprisoned while the
rest have been released on bail.
Some of the arrestees are Shahnam Behjatollah and six others identified only by their first names as
Shahin, Maryam, Mobina, Mehdi, Ashraf and Nariman who are currently detained in an unknown
location. Their families have not been able to contact them as yet. (Human Rights Activists in Iran –
Aug. 13, 2009)
Baha'i woman arrested in Sari
Security forces raided the home of a Baha'i in the city of Sari and arrested her after searching her
home.
On August 18, seven security agents in Sari went to the house of Didar Hashemi, 24, and showed her
an August 3 arrest warrant and tried to arrest her without the presence of her husband. Before
showing her the arrest warrant, the agents entered her house with force and insult. After confiscating a
number of her religious books and pictures, they arrested Mrs. Hashemi. (Human Rights Activists in
Iran – Aug. 19, 2009)
Baha'i leaders under severe torture in prison
A number of Baha'i leaders who are currently jailed in prisons in Tehran, Yazd, Yasuj, Semnan,
Tankabin, Sari and Noshahr, are under severe torture in prison.
According to reports, Anif Na'imi, Sayid Rezayi, Khanjami Tavakoli, Mahvash Sabet (f), Fariba Kamal
Abadi (f), Saman Taqva, Haleh Zoji (f) and Zaha Sabet (f) who are in prisons in Tehran and Shiraz and
105
Mehran Bekri, Rostam Sahli Fard and Peyman Zuhi who are in Yazd Prison, are Baha'i leaders who are
under severe torture. (Kurdistan Media – Aug. 31, 2009)
October
Three Baha'i students expelled from univ.
Mojdeh Nurani, Farahnaz Felfeli and Ardalan Tabiyanian who were accepted in Semnan University in
the 2009 exams were expelled by the Protection Department of this university and have been deprived
of the right to education.
Their persistent pursuits and inquiries from officials and the university administration has had no
result and their only answer is that (they were expelled) because of 'orders from above'.
It is noteworthy that university officials have stated that according to orders, they cannot provide any
written order or document regarding their expulsion. (Human Rig hts Activists in Iran – Oct. 28, 2009)
November
3 Baha'is jailed for doing social services
A number of young people were arrested
while doing social services and humanitarian
work in the framework of a literacy program
supported by UNICEF in May 2006. These
young people educated poverty stricken and
sometimes street children in poor
neighborhoods in Shiraz. They were all
arrested
simultaneously
in
various
neighborhoods while giving these services.
Fifty four of these social workers were
Baha'is. Those who were not Baha'i were
released the first night but the 54 Baha'is were jailed for 6 days in unsuitable conditions. Three of
them identified as Sasan Taqva, Raha Sabet and Haleh Ruhi were kept in temporary custody for one
month.
Haleh Ruhi, 29, Raha Sabet, 33, and Sasan Taqva, 32, are still jailed in the Shiraz Intelligence
Detention Center after two years. Considering the fact that they are not kept in a public prison, they
have been banned from their minimum rights such as contacting the outside world, spending time in
fresh air, using the telephone on a regular basis and getting a legal leave from prison.
Sasan Taqva, who was not in good shape from the beginning of his imprisonment due to serious
accident, received surgery on his leg and was returned to prison from the hospital after one month. He
currently suffers from severe pain in his leg and has been kept in solitary the whole time of his
incarceration. (Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Nov. 2, 2009)
Baha'i woman sentenced to prison
A Baha'i resident of Semnan was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months of prison by the Revolutionary
Court presided over by Judge Zanguyi.
Manijeh Monzavian was jailed before this in June but was released on a bail. She has been charged
with acting against national security by advocating Baha'ism and having membership in an
organization opposed to the government and affiliated with Baha'is. (Human Rights Activists in Iran –
Nov. 3, 2009)
Security forces arrest two Baha'is in Mashhad
Two Baha'i residents in Mashhad were arrested by security forces and were taken to an unknown
location.
At about 8 in the morning, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence stormed a religious ceremony held by
Baha'is in this city and asked the participants to continue their ceremony to the finish. These agents
filmed the rest of the ceremony and the participants.
In the end of the ceremony, these agents searched the home in which the ceremony was held in and
announced that they had arrest warrant for Sonia Ahmadi. These agents then went to Sonia's home
because she had not attended the ceremony and after searching it, arrested her and took her to an
unknown location. Another Baha'i identified as Mr. Qanvatian who was in the ceremony was arrested
as well. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Nov. 3, 2009)
Iran Tortures Female Christian Converts
Two young Iranian women, Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh
Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, suffered physical abuse and torture
in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison because they converted to
Christianity. Iran had in fact threatened to put them to death,
much as the depraved Roman Emperor Nero fed Christians to
lions to entertain his mob. Iran finally decided to spare these
women’s lives, but it first subjected them to torture and
physical abuse in an effort to get them to repudiate their
beliefs. (Euro News - Nov. 25, 2009)
No news on condition of two Baha'i prisoners
There is no news on the condition of Sonia Ahmadi and Mr. Qanvatian, two Baha'is in Mashhad who
were arrested by agents of the intelligence agency in this city on November 2. Their families are
seriously concerned for their safety.
According to a source close to these families, chances are that because Mr. Qanvatian converted to
Baha'ism from Islam, he is being put under pressure to convert back to Islam. Sonia Ahmadi has been
introduced as the reason Qanvatian converted to Baha'ism. This is while all of Qanvatian's family
members are Muslims and he converted to Islam 30 years ago (before the Iranian revolution). (Human
Rights Activists in Iran – Nov. 29, 2009)
Iranian Rael chief faces deportation from Turkey: report
The head of the Iranian branch of the Rael sect could be deported from Turkey back to her home
country, where she says she faces execution, a Turkish newspaper reported Monday.
Negar Azizmoradi, 31, was arrested at the end of October when she arrived in Turkey from Kenya with
a false passport, the mass circulation Hurriyet said.
She has been held in a detention centre in Istanbul while awaiting possible deportation to Iran, the
newspaper reported.
Raelians reject the existence of any god and believe extraterrestrials created the earth.
Quoting people close to Azizmoradi, Hurriyet said she had asked the Turkish authorities not to
extradite her to the Islamic republic as she was 'certain' to be conde mned to death.
She said the Iranian regime had persecuted her for years because of her beliefs and added that she took
part in the demonstrations that followed Iran's June presidential election.
'Secret service agents almost beat me to death after the demo nstrations. I had my arm broken,' she said.
(AFP - Nov 30, 2009)
107
December
Security forces arrest Baha'i woman in Semnan
Agents of the Ministry of Intelligence arrested Shole Taef, a Baha'i resident of Semnan on Saturday
December 19. (Human Rights Activsits in Iran – Dec. 20, 2009)
Iran arrests 4 Baha'i women; beats Baha'i man
Four Baha'is were arrested in the past week in north Iran.
On Tuesday December 15, Samira Samiei, a Baha'i woman in Sari was arrested. Sepideh Masumi,
Sepideh Zamani and Saha Zamani, three other Baha'i (women) were also arrested on December 19.
On December 15, security forces came to the home of Samira Samiei and her husband Fardin Yusefi
at about 9 am. After ripping their religious pictures and confiscating their personal belong ings, they
arrested Samira Samiei. Their arrest warrant was dated July 24 but was valid until December 19. Her
husband was violently beaten by 5 to 6 agents after protesting that the arrest warrant was not valid.
Samira Samiei who intended to protest to the beating of her husband was threatened by pepper spray
by one of the agents. (Committee of Human Rights Activists in Iran – Dec. 22, 2009)
January – 2010
Security forces crack down on Tehran Baha'is
From the early hours in the morning on January 3, security forces arrested a number of Baha'is in
Tehran in their homes.
Until this moment the arrestees who were identified are Lava Khanjani, Babak Mobsher, Payam
Fanayian and his wife, Jinus Sobhani, Artin Ghazanfari, Farid Rohani, Mehran Rohani, Nasim Bigleri
(f) and Negar Sabet (f).
According to reports, security forces announced that the reason for their arrest was attending Ashura
protests in Tehran. (Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Jan. 3, 2010)
Iran court sentences Christian woman to 3 months of prison, takes away custody of her child
According to reports, the trial for Hamideh Najafi, a Christian who was arrested in her home by
security forces on December 16 was held on December 30 in the Mashhad Revolutionary Court.
Hamideh Najafi, who is a Christian convert was arrested because of her faith and beliefs. She was kept
under the control of intelligence agents for 14 days because of what was called 'extracting confession
and carrying out investigative procedures' in the Mashhad Detention Center. She was finally
sentenced to three months of prison and the transfer of her child's custody to the Welfare
Organization in a court without a lawyer.
Security forces arrested and beat her husband in front of her, because she persisted on keeping her
faith. After this issue, Mrs. Najafi signed a paper saying she lacked mental stability.
According to this confession and because of the fact that (she) is not mentally stable and is not a fit
guardian, the right to the custody of her 10 year old child was taken away from her and transferred to
the country's Welfare Organization. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Jan. 4, 2010)
February
Women arrested for 'unconventional hair covering'
On Thursday January 9, security forces stopped 34 motorists in Tehran because of their
unconventional Hijab (covering) in addition to arresting 8 people who had completely taken off their
Hijab (scarves and…). These people were taken to prison.
Despite the fact that it was announced that 16 Baha'is were arrested during the seditions on Ashura,
initial investigations regarding detainees has shown that there are at least 80 Baha'is amongst the
detainees. (Ayandeh state-run website – Jan. 12, 2010)
No news on condition of jailed Baha'i woman
Jinus Sobhani, a Baha'i who worked with the Human Rights Activists in Iran
has not contacted her family after being incarcerated for more than one month
in a solitary cell.
She was arrested along with her husband, Artin Ghazanfari, in their home and
has not contacted her family after more than a one. Being deprived of a lawyer,
the obscurity of her case and lack of information on her condition has led to
worries for her family and husband. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Feb. 19,
2010)
109
Violence against women
March – 2009
New plan to suppress women
On the eve of the (Persian) New Year and start of the spring season that has been known as the
summit of State Security Forces activities and severity, the deputy commander of t he SSF announced
new plans to counter improper veiling.
"New standards for improper veiling in the new year will be set and announced in the next few days",
Radan said.
Radan announced that Bassij Patrol cars will deal with what he called "public signs of corruption" from
now on. The SSF deputy did not elaborate on what "public signs of corruption" meant. He also
underlined that prisoners "are not supposed to have a good time in
prison" and that places have to exist where criminals do not have a good time. (Farhang-e Ashti staterun daily – March 1, 2009)
15-year-old girl commits suicide in Tehran metro
On February 28, travelers on Navab Metro saw that a young girl went and stood on the railway just
minutes before the arrival of the train. A number of passengers tried to grab her hand and pull her off
the railway but she resisted and was tragically crushed between the train and platform. This 15 -year-old
girl named Leila has told her friend that she was going to commit suicide but her friend had not
believed her. (Iran state-run daily – Mar. 1, 2009)
SSF head of Public Places Department: Taxi drivers who don’t have proper appearance will be dealt
with
The head of the State Security Forces Public Places
Department announced that from now on women
who go to rent cars and also drivers of rental
companies who give services have to have proper
appearance according to Islamic norms.
"If a women goes to a car rental but does not wear
proper clothes according to the specified standards
or treats the driver in an improper fashion, they will
both be seriously dealt with. This means that the
Public Places Police will deal with the driver or
company while the SSF deal with the improperly
dressed woman", Najafi said.
"This plan will be carried out in Tehran which includes the cities of Tehran, Shahre Rey and
Shamirant", he added. (State-run ILNA – March 3, 2009)
SSF head of Public Places Department: Women who wear "unconventional manteaus" will be dealt
with
The head of the State Security Forces Public Places Department of the Islamic Republic of Iran
pointed to the execution of the clothes and fashion law and said that this law cannot be cancelled in
any season.
Mohammad Najafi threatened women who "spread the culture of improper veiling or clothing in the
society by wearing vile clothing or those who make our society look secular or unreligious", saying that
they will be "severely dealt with".
111
According to him, "after buying a conventional manteau from a store, women quickly take the
manteau to a tailor and turn it into an unconventional manteau and then wear it and the SSF will deal
severely with these people". (Radio Germany – March 3, 2009)
(Note: A manteau is a long cloak women are forced to wear in public.)
SSF ban hiring of men in women's clothing stores
The head of the State Security Forces in the Greater Tehran Region said, "From now on, hiring men
in shops which sell women's clothing is banned and
those who do not follow this will be seriously dealt
with".
"Shop owners will be warned that from now on men
will be prevented from working in women's clothing
stores and only the cashiers can be men and the rest
of the employees have to be women. Also, those who
do not have a proper appearance and are out of the
norms, for example the sellers or even the buyers will
be seriously dealt with", he added.
"Women who go to clothing stores should give the necessary warnings to sellers or shop owners who
are improperly dressed or have improper veiling", Rajab Zadeh stipulated. (Entekhab state -run daily –
March 3, 2009)
Female university student murdered mysteriously in north Tehran
Police officers of Qolhak Police Station 124 were informed of the discovery of the body of a young girl
in her house in Ekhtiarieh Street on March 4, 2009. Banafsheh, 18, was an industrial engineering
university student.
The murder scene was prepared in a way to show that Banafsheh had committed suicide, but it was
discovered that she had been killed by a severe blow on the head. The murderer cut Banafsheh's vein
attempting to show that she had committed suicide. (Iran state -run daily – March 7, 2009)
SIU’s dean: Students who do not follow Islamic dress code will
be summoned to ‘Disciplinary Committee’
The dean of Sharif Industrial University (SIU) said that SIU is
the only university, which has had continuous surveillance on
improper veiling for 12 years without a break.
"The communiqué that was announced to all governmental
institutions on veiling in the past is still being carried out", he
added.
"Women who have unconventional veiling will receive notices
from female employees at the university entrance", he said.
This head of university said that after four or five times of verbal notices, students will be summoned
to the university's disciplinary committee. (Mehr state -run news agency – March 10, 2009)
26,000 vigilante forces to counter "improper veiling" in New Year holiday in Isfahan, Regime
official
The vice chief of the Prohibiting Vice and Promoting Virtue Staff in Isfahan announced that 26,000
vigilantes will be stationed in hotels, terminals, airports, train stations, busy streets, tourist areas and
bridges.
"These people have the obligation to guide travelers and also the people of Isfahan and to prohibit vice
and promote virtue on the New Year holiday", said Mohsen Mor tazavi.
"With the support of the Judiciary, an itinerant judge will also be present on the scene to deal legally
with these sorts of cases", he added.
"Currently, 220,000 shops in Isfahan are under the supervision of the police and their transgressions
are documented and are being dealt with day and night ", Mortazavi said. (State -run IRNA – March 13,
2009)
Poverty-stricken mother self-immolates in Qaraveh
A 30-year-old woman known only as S. Kh. Set herself ablaze because of family problems due to
poverty in Qaravah (a city in Kurdistan). She died in Sanadaj Hospital.
Her husband was unemployed and they had two very young children. (Kurdistan Human Rights
Watch News Agency – Mar. 15, 2009)
Teenage girl sets herself ablaze in Islamshahr
According to reports, and 18-year-old girl named Mahssa, set herself ablaze at 6am on Friday March 25
in Islamshahr. According to this report, she committed suicide due to family and financial pressures.
(Iran News Agency – March 25, 2009)
So-called security leads to frequent disappearances of women
Twenty-four girls have disappeared in Arak City – southeast of Tehran, center of Markazi Province –
from a few days before the Persian New Year to the sixth day of the New Year –less than two weeks –
and no news has been published on that to alert the population on these incidents. There is still no
information on these girls.
Considering that Arak is a small city and therefore important news gets out immediately, there is no
information on these horrible incidents and no adequate investigation has been done, proving the
incompetence of the State Security Forces. (Iran News Agency – Mar. 28, 2009)
Teenager sets herself ablaze in Kermanshah
Sixteen-year-old Samira Jamali, set herself ablaze in Qazanchi Village in Kermanshah Province on
March 24, 2009, and unfortunately died in the hospital.
Samira committted suicide after her father banned her from continuing her education.
The suicide rate has increased in Kurdish areas in the recent month, but these incidents are not
published in state-run media. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Mar. 29, 2009) April
Five members of One Million-Signature Campaign summoned to court
Five members of the One Million Signature Campaign were summoned to court. Nafisseh Azad,
Parastu Allahyari, Nahid Keshavarz, Sara Imanian, and Mahbubeh Hossein-zadeh Banna received
citations and have to be at the Revolutionary Court on April.
Nafiseh Azad received the citation on March 18, which sais that she has to be at the Justice Judiciary
Complex in Tajrish, north of Tehran, on April 14. According to this citation, she was summoned
because of an "SSF report".
Nahid Keshavarz, Sara Imanian, and Mahbubeh Hossein-zadeh have also received written citations
summoning them to the 28 th branch of the Revolutionary Court. These three members of the
Campaign must also present themselves to the Revolutionary Court on April 15, 2009. (Change for
Equality Website – Apr. 3, 2009)
Woman commits suicide in Kurdistan
Edalat Kh., 30-year-old woman, committed suicide and died in Deh golan, a city in Kurdistan during
the Iranian New Year holiday.
Her close relative said her motive behind the suicide was her age and loosing the chance to get
married. (Amir Kabir newsletter – Apr. 4, 2009)
113
Man kills young sister over cup of tea
A young girl died in the hospital because of asphyxia. “I was very tired and asked her to bring me a cup
of tea but she did not pay attention, and replied that she could not do that, and continued her work,”
Baqer, her brother said.
“I got so angry therefore I put my hand on her mouth and nose and pressed it. I became regretful
immediately and took her to hospital but unfortunately I couldn’t survive her,” he added. (Change for
Equality website – Apr. 5, 2009)
Judiciary and Security officials prevent publishin g any news on serial murders of women
Ismail Ahmadi Moqadam, the top commander of the State Security Forces (SSF) admitted news on
judiciary and security scandal on the case of serial murders of women in Abadan.
Moqadam informed that in this case, which 15 women and a man were killed, the innocent people
were arrested and sentenced to death.
‘Unfortunately the judge following the case had condemned to death those charged for murder,’ he
pointed out. According to Ahmadi-Moqadam, this scandal was disclosed after compulsory confessions
of two arrestees on the killings and closing the file, the serial murders continued.
The security and judiciary officials prevent details of the serial murders of women in Abadan and
similar cases in Karaj, Varamin and Gilan to be published.
Last year, at least fifty women in four different serial murders were killed but even state -run newspapers
such as Iran were banned to publish the news.
During the interrogations, those identified as main convicts and were introduced as suspects to SSF of
almost all cases were either set free, or discharged of any conviction after a while.
The judiciary and security officials have never explained any reasons for their actions.
In August 2001, news of serial killings of women in Mashh ad leaked to public; almost all victims of the
case were either imprisoned or arrested by the SSF and had file with them. (Amir Kabir Newsletter –
Apr. 6, 2009)
Security agents arrest women's rights activist in Marivan
State Security Forces arrested Najibeh Sobhani on March 7 in Marivan. She is women's rights activist
whose activities are against honor killings in Marivan and is a member of the Marivan Center in
Defense of Children's Rights. Najibeh was also active in organizing Women's Day and Children's Day
ceremonies.
She was detained by the SSF for organizing a ceremony for International Women's Day and there has
been no information on her location and condition since her arrest. (Association Defending Political
and Human Rights Prisoners in Iran – Apr. 2009)
Hezbollah: female drivers who do not have ‘proper veiling’ must pay fine
Ya-Sarallah, publication of Ansar-e Hezbollah in its latest issue while criticizing the SSF for not
punishing women drivers with 'improper veiling' with paying a fine, asked them to define similar fines
for such drivers, and those who listen to loud music, as those who speed. (Asr-e Iran, state-run website
– Apr. 8, 2009)
According to mullahs’ law, father not punished for burning daughter to death
On August 1, 2008, officer in charge of the Police Station No. 130, in Naziabad district, was informed
on a tragic death of Somayeh, 27-year-old woman.
Eventually Kazem, her 56-year-old father confessed that he killed her daughter on his own because she
had many suspicious telephone contacts; hence, he guessed that she had possibly affair with stranger
men.
“I tied her feet and hands not to let her run away then took her to bath room and smearing her with
gas,” he said. According to article-220 of Islamic punishment law, father and predecessor of father are
not charges for killing their child. However, according to the Jury, Kazem sentenced to 10 years in
prison for making public disorder. The verdict can be reviewed within 20 days. (Siasat-e Rooz daily –
Apr. 9, 2009)
Secret circular and wandering women for a room in hotel
The head of the State Security Forces, while stating there is an invisible contact between the SSF and
registration system of hotels, said, “according to such system there is no reason not giving entrance
permission to women by hotels’ reception.”
Nevertheless, in reality hotels avoid giving women entry permission.
“The condition to let a single woman to enter the hotel is a letter from the Public Places Department
(PPD),” the person in charge of Jahan-Nama Hotel reception in Tabriz says.
“The PPD had ordered this circulation, and accordingly the condition to give entry permission to a
single woman is only a letter from the PPD,” he added.
It seems that hotel owners obey secret circulations, which give them a uthorization not to admit single
woman to their hotels without a letter from PPD. (ILNA, state -run news agency – Apr. 10, 2009)
Arefeh, 7-year-old, victim of mullahs’ misogyny culture and prevalent poverty in Iran
On March 23, the third day of Iranian New Year known as Norooz Eid, a 7-year-old girl with a very
poor-health was wandering in north of Tehran. She was moaning and her back had signs of cigarette
burns. Arefeh was not able to talk and was in a physical and mental disastrous state.
When she was four her parents were divorced because of psychological, disorder of Farshid, her father.
According to law, Farshid was her sponsor and he got married again. Her stepmother tortured Arefeh.
Her state was so disturbing that the fostering court denied her sponsorship to Farshid, giving it to her
mother. Nevertheless, Arefeh’s mother could not keep her because of financial poverty and eventually
registered her in a public nursery.
Farshid who was aware where Arefeh was looked after, presented a request to sponsor her again, and
he succeeded to take her back from nursery in November 2008. (Etemad, state-run daily – Apr. 11,
2009)
According to mullahs’ law, when a father can kill his daughter without any punishment, is violence
against a small girl avoidable?
Architecture like prison for girls’ schools
According to many experts, blocking girls’ school from outside world surrounded with very high walls,
or buildings encircling the yard, is prison like architecture. (Amir Kabir newsletter – Apr. 12, 2009)
Bassiji Forces in university affront feminists
Bassiji Forces (paramilitary forces of IRGC in universities) in Technical Department used their graffiti
board in presenting feminist women as ‘pro-immorality’ through offensive photos and writings.
This informal pro-government repressive body in the Technical College of Tehran University used its
board as graffiti warfare against those defending equal rights for women. (Iran news agency – Apr. 13,
2009)
Minister of Guidance: The media causing confusion in SSF fight against ‘improper–veiling’ dealt
with severely!
Mohammad-Hossein Safar-Harandi, the Minister of Guidance, warned that media causing disorder in
the State Security fight against ‘improper-veiling’ would be harshly dealt with. Mehdi Kolhar,
Ahmadinejad’s informant advisor, announced in a strong support letter to Ahmadi Moqadam, the
head of SSF to deal firmly in ‘mal-veil’ plan. Safar-Harandi while supporting the plan to deal with
‘improper-garment’ of girls and boys declared that he wouldn’t let public media to cause disruption in
the SSF related job. He said the SSF mission does not contradict the relevant work carrying out by
chastity and veil staffs; on the contrary, they are supporting the activities of them. Ahmadinejad
advisor emphasized that this job was a kind of worship and negligent paving the way for vice would be
dealt with. (Etemad, state-run daily – Apr. 14, 2009)
115
Iran Guidance Minister: newspapers that disrupt fight against improper veiling will be harshly dealt
with
Safar Harandi, Iran's Guidance Minister supported the plan to counter improper clothing for girls and
boys and announced that he will not let the media disrupt the work of State Security Forces.
Criticizing media that disrupted the work of the SSF, he said, "These media should know t hat they will
be somewhat tolerated but if they continue their actions, they will be forcefully dealt with".
"(Fighting with) improper veiling is a small part of what the SSF does and the main goal is to deal with
those who dangerously trample the rules of the society", he pointed out. (E'temad daily – April 14,
2009)
GEM of 108: Iranian women ranked 103
According to the latest figures published in a report on gender competency prepared by the UN, Iran
ranked 103 out of total of108 countries. The UN definition on Gender Enabling Measures (GEM)
depicts direct relation with the economical and political active role of women. This measure illustrates
the quota of women in the parliament, legislation, top officials, and their position among technical
workers and experts and it shows the effect of gender inequality in country’s economical independence
and earning. This report illustrates the worse gender inequality leads to decreasing trend in human
development. (Sarmayeh state-run daily – Apr. 15, 2009)
Repressive measures against university students led to new suicide
At night April 24, a female student committed suicide in the Tehran University’s dormitory
compound surprising students. The Ministry of Science, Tehran University dean had restricted that
the news on students suicide should not be leaked to the media.
The female students of the dormitory immediately informed the male classmates that Ms. Sondos
Mohammadi had committed suicide. She is a first year Kurdish student studying communication in
the Social Science Department of Tehran University.
The reasons for her suicide included, getting annoyed by ‘Herasat’ – “Protection Department of
University” – on several occasions, ordering her continuously on the dress code and her appearance
while her family imposed her to get married.
The third suicide was not published since ‘Herasat’ and ‘Disciplinary Committee’ imposed restriction.
On March 10, the third suicide happened; she was a 23 -year-old student in technical department. She
had committed several times by using a large number of pills, who was also survived by transferring her
to an emergency unit. (Iran news agency – Apr. 15, 2009)
A teenage, 14-year-old girl, torched herself
A few months after the tragic murder of Fereshteh Nejati by his father, Roqieh Nejati, her cousin set
herself ablaze in Kani Dinar town – place of Fereshteh’s murder – on April 13, 2009. She was
transferred to Marivan Hospital but died few hours later with 90% burnt body. The cause of her death
is protest against improper treatment and her harassment by her family. (Amir kabir newsletter – Apr.
17, 2009)
Note: Fereshteh’s father who caught her throat was set free.
Brother set ablaze her sister
On April 13, 17-year-old Sara died and her file full of her wishes closed.
Sara lived in a poor family, and was forced to work since 15. After a while, she decided to marry but
faced with her brother’s strong disagreement. One day when nobody was at home, he smeared Sara
with oil and set her on fire. Consequently, Sara died few days later. (Amir Kabir newsletter – Apr. 17,
2009)
Female journalist disappears after taking picture of student sit -in
On April 16, 11 local journalists were arrested in Arak University and only after the editor of their
weekly gave a written commitment (not to cover student protests), were they released. Ms. Bigluyi, who
is one of the oldest journalists in Arak and was able to take pictures of Arak University students' sit -in
from outside the university and print it in this weekly, has disappeared from a few days ag o. (Iran News
Agency – Apr. 18, 2009)
In a public court, even Nahid’s husband prevented to enter
On April 15, eventually the time approached to consider charges against Nahid
Keshavarz, an Iranian woman activist. The first charge against her was participating in a
gathering outside the Revolutionary Court, and the next was collecting signature in
Park in April 2007. Both charges against Mrs. Keshavarz considered as acts against
national security.
It was not announced the court was secret neither in the court’s record nor by the
judge, hence it was a public session, but even her husband prevented to enter the
court. (Radio Farda – Apr. 19, 2009)
A woman hanged in southern Tehran
On April 18, a worker faced with a hanged body of Mina, 46-year-old woman in her hut while working
in a field in southern suburb of Tehran. In the onset of the investigation, signs of kicking her back
were observed on her dress, and the autopsy proved that she had broken scalp and right arm, but the
cause of death was hanging,” the investigation officer of Tehran’s district 37 proposed.
“Most probably, perpetrator or perpetrators hanged her after beating and injuring her while she was
unconscious and defenseless,” he added. (ISNA, state-run news agency – Apr. 20, 2009)
More than 60,000 women in prison in Iran
Director of cultural organization of prisons in Iran announced that there are more than 60,000
women in Iranian prisons.
According to him, women include 5 to 7% entries to prisons and their average age is between 27 and
29. The most prevalent offense is narcotic drugs.
“22% of prisoners are young and between 27 and 33 thousands youngsters from 19 to 25-year-old are
being imprisoned annually,” he added. (Shahrzad News, state -run website– Apr. 21, 2009)
SSF beat hit and arrest a girl in Tehran for ‘improper-veiling’
On April 21, the State Security Forces in Tehran attempted to arrest a girl for ‘improper – veiling’ but
she resisted and the SSF agents started beating and hitting her, pushing her forcefully into the police
car. Then they searched the crowd, seizing mobile telephones and destroying all information inside
them to prevent any picture or film taken from their savage operation. (Iran news agency – Apr. 22,
2009)
Regime enforces backward culture on Mazandaran beaches
The head of the Mazandaran Islamic Advertizing Center said that the whole country "even beaches
have to be Islamic to keep with the Islamic power of the country".
Shukrain stipulated that "not only beaches but in private beach towns Islamic norms have to be
followed and the fact that they are private does not mean they can be unrestrained".
"The presence of 'cultural forces' on beaches and building mosques and prayer centers and other
cultural foundations in necessary to further create a healthy atmosphere", he added. (Shahrzad News –
Apr. 22, 2009)
SSF: Guidance Patrols start their operations firmly after 15 days
“New round of Guidance Patrols’ activities is going to start
within 10 to 15 days,” the top commander of SSF
announced. In a press conference, he informed that they
start their activities firmly and strongly. According to
Rajabzadeh, Guidance Patrols never suspended but by
removal of some failures in the past, they will be operational.
(Shahab News state-run website – Apr. 22, 2009)
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Professor verbally abused and threatened to beat girl student for ‘improper veiling’
Yesterday on April 22, a literature professor verbally abused a female student of the Literature
Department of Razi University in Kermanshah for not following what he called “Islamic veiling.” A
large number of students witnessed this scene. The professor verbally abused this student threatening
her with beatings and attempted to seize her university ID card. Witnesses report that the appearance
of this female student was quite norma l and plain. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Apr. 23, 2009)
All of those charged of intentional murdering of Dr. Zahra acquitted
“In relation to intentional murder of this case a verdict was issued banning any prosecution against all
offenders. This communiqué was instructed all governments’ staffs by the
first branch of Prosecutor’s office of district 28 on April 23, 2009,” this was
an official notification sent to Dr. Zahra Bani-Yaquoub’s family by General
Office of the Public Prosecutor and Revolutionary sta ffs of government.
“The prosecution ban means all the convicts have been acquitted. This
implies that the judge did not pay any attention to all the documents we and
the team of lawyers presented to the court,” Said Mr. Abol-Qassem BaniYaqoub, father of the victim. (Iranian Women Center – Apr. 24, 2009)
Background information: Ms. Zahra Bani-Yaqoub 27-year-old physician who voluntarily served in very
far away and poor villages in Iran. On October 12, 2007, while she was with her fiancée in the park in
Hamedan (a western province), she was arrested by ‘prohibiting vice, promoting virtue’ agents –
corrupt agents of the regime forcing people, in particular women, to obey their medieval orders but
violating the minimum standards of human behavior themselves – and transferred her to ‘anti-vice’
detention center. Two days later, the agents announced she had hanged herself in the detention.
Mullahs’ officials have destroyed all the evidences including her dress and the garment they claimed
she used for hanging herself, and they did not hand in the victim’s belongings to her family and her
lawyer.
Orumieh’s Imam: Women, who challenge Islamic veil, should die together with their husbands and
fathers!
“I don’t know how women with ‘mal -veil’ are still alive 28 years after Islamic Revolution. These women
who challenge ‘Islamic veil’ must die together with their husbands and fathers,” Gholam -Reza Hassani,
Friday Prayer’s Imam of Orumieh – Center of Western Azerbaijan, said in one of his sermon talking
on women issue. (Amir Kabir newsletter – Apr.25, 2009)
Arrested women's rights activist in Evin's 209
The International Human Rights Campaign announced today that Maryam Malek ,
a member of the One-Million Signature Campaign and a reporter on family court
issues in Iran was arrested on April 24 after she was summoned to a police station.
She was interrogated in an Intelligence Detention Center and transferred to Evin
Prison on April 25.
The assistant prosecutor of the second branch of the Revolutionary Court charged
this activist to "spreading propaganda against the government" and "membership in the One-Million
Signature Campaign.” A bail of 21,000 USDs has been confirmed for her release but she cannot afford
such a high bail. She is currently in Evin Prison.
This 26-year-old student has written many articles on violence against women and social injustice
against women in family courts in Iran. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Apr. 27, 2009)
The secret of Tous quarantine revealed
There is an educational center for women at the road between Mashhad and
Tous (East northern Iran). For a few months, people of that district observed
peculiar activities raising their curiosity. After enquiries, they found that this
is a detention center for ‘street women’ and there are 500 of them
incarcerated in a very inhuman condition. It is noteworthy that because of extreme sensitivity among
people of Mashhad against ‘street women’ some of them should live all their life in this horrible
detention center. (Iran news agency – Apr. 27, 2009)
17-year-old girl commits suicide for being harassed by school administrator
On Thursday April 23, a 17-year-old girl named Esrin R. in Sanandaj who attended the Parvin E'tesami
School in this city consumed a large number of pills to commit suicide after an inappropriate
treatment by school officials. She is currently hospitalized and in critical condition.
These school officials affiliated with the government had put pressure on this girl because she had
brought a mobile phone to school. (Iran News Agency –
Apr. 27, 2009)
Appalling condition of female detention center
This is the only detention center in Mashhad – center of
Khorassan Razavi Province and a very big city – for
women. This place lacks the minimum hygienic
standards. The whole detention is 60 square meters
placing more than 50 women, including a 13-year-old
teenage. Those charged for smuggling narcotic drug, old
tramp women with Alzheimer disease, adolescent girls
who had arrested in ‘vice houses’ are all detained
together without any classification in this very small place. The detention also lacks enough light.
Today, there are an eight-day baby, one and four-year-old infants.
Some are temporary detained and should be released soon but have been here for more than two
months. The prisoners are deprived from any hygienic appliance and bathroom. They are also denied
from visiting right, and providing their needs from outside. There are addicted convicts to Crack
cocaine and Sheesheh (chemical heroin) who vomit in such a closed unhygienic place causing more
contaminated unbearable condition.
Their nutrition is disastrous, frequently prisoners beg for a piece of bread. Henchwomen as a common
and routine practice beat hit and humiliate them.
Mashhad women police station was launched with a lot of propaganda in 1999. At its opening
ceremony, it was said that this is an especial police station giving the women the chance to defend their
rights easier while these allegedly offender women are deprived from their basic rights even accepted
and signed by the mullahs’ regime. (Association of Political Prisoners in Iran – Apr. 28, 2009)
Distressing self-immolation of two young women in Oshnavieh Town
Asskeh Khaki, 20, and Helaleh Fatmeh Kurdi, 21, set themselves on fire because of family difficulty…
both women had one-year-old infants. (Resistance Forces in Qazvin – April 28, 2009)
The forth-serial killing of women in Qazvin
On April 27, Ghiasabad Police Station in Qazvin found body of a woman in Minoodar town. It
seemed that she was killed a few hours earlier. Government tries to prevent the news of this serial
killing be published increasing the public awareness. (Resistance Forces in Qazvin – April 29, 2009)
A young nurse had heart attack due to guidance patrol conduct
A mother of a young woman whose daughter died from heart attack persuaded a persecution against
an agent of the guidance patrols in the public prosecutor's office yesterday.
She claimed that, Sara, her daughter, was a night shift in a hospital in Tehran and was going back to
her student hostel next morning on April 23, 2008 while a Guidance patrol stopped her in Vanak
Square. An agent of this patrol pushed her into their car and took her to anti-vice police station taking
her photos like criminals. Sara went back home in the evening and slept forever. Her mother
prosecuted against the guidance patrol but he was set free because there was no evidence proving his
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guilt. “If he wasn’t guilty why he transferred himself to another city after two days,” her mother
protested to the interrogator of the case. (Sarmayeh, state-run daily – April 30, 2009)
Girls molested twice more than boys
Association Protecting Children held its annual conference on April 28 marking the May Day. “Since
February 19, 41 molesting cases of children reported that 64% of them were girls and 36% were boys,”
the Association’s domestic director said. (Shahrzad News – April 30, 2009)
May
SSF enter Free University in Tehran, injure female student
On Monday April 27, State Security Forces in Rudehan – a town in the outskirts of Tehran – who
were stationed outside the Free University in this town prevented students from stopping outside of
the school which lead to clashes between students and these forces.
SSF agents prevented students from stopping at the Taxi stops, and bookstores close to the university
and after checking their university cards, used force and threats to disperse them.
These agents used very offensive language in insulting students, especially female students. The
university's Protection Department agents did not support students after SSF agents entered the
university with clubs and tear gas and only watched the scene and in some instances threatened and
dispersed the students. Later on, the SSF and head of the Protection Department started examining
the clothes and veil of female students. As a result, after SSF "dealt" with a female student, she was
severely injured in the nose. Her nose started bleeding so severely that SSF agents and Protection
agents were forced to immediately take her to the university's Red Crescent. (Amir Kabir Newsletter –
May 1, 2009)
Houses of women activist in Tehran raided and searched at night
Repression against the May Day is ongoing. “Government agents who seized all belonging of our
children could give us the key of their hous e after they left. I am seriously worried. When they take my
daughter without a warrant how could I trust that they would not put something in her house and
then exploit it against her,” Gohar Baiat, mother of Jelveh Javaheri said. (Change for Equality web site
– May 1, 2009)
Worrying surge of violence against wives and self -immolation of women in Gachsaran
“Surge in constant number of divorce in Gachsaran - city in southwestern Boyer Ahmad vaKohgiluyeh Province – is worrisome due to violence against wives, and it is increasing day by day,” a
member of Islamic Council (state-run council) of Gachsaran warned. “Women demanding to get
divorced are those who are beaten savagely by their husbands,” he added. “Plans in support of women
do not implement and are just kept on ice. Unfortunately, there is no office for defending women,
give consultation, and guidance to them in this province. (ISNA, state -run news agency – May 2, 2009)
No information on Shahnaz Gholami, Azarmehr Blogger’s writer
Shahnaz Gholami, Azeri journalist and Azarmehr Blogger’s writer has been imprisoned for more than
two months. Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah, lawyer of her previous case, has expressed having no
information about her and stated that his client had no contact with him. According to Dadk hah, Ms.
Gholami has received new charge and for the reason he was not able, to get information about her and
she didn’t have any contact with him, and he cannot do anything as her attorney.
Ms. Gholami was arrested in Fall 2008 for two months in Intelligence Ministry detention center and
then was transferred to dangerous addicted women ward in Tabriz Prison. She was forced to go on
hunger strike due to her unbearable condition. She was put on trial and condemned to six months of
prison after her release. Her previous charge was “propaganda against the regime.”
She has a very young daughter and very old parents and has no one to follow up her case. That is why
there is silence and unawareness on this jailed journalist and blogger. (Human Rights Activists in Iran
– May 3, 2009)
Is this Girls’ hostel or prison?
This is photo of female students’ dormitory in Hamedan – central city of western Hamedan Province.
All the windows are covered by fixed metallic cover - such that no light could get through the windows
and nobody can look out and the vice versa, even worse than bars! – This is among more restrictions
imposed on university girl students in recent years. As you can see, there is not much difference
between their dormitory and prison. (Amir Kabir newslet ter – May 3, 2009)
SSF beat and hit girl for wearing white coat
On Saturday May 2, Guidance Patrol agents who were stationed in Rashid Street in Tehran-Pars
District in Tehran stopped a girl wearing white coat, wore her a black veil forcefully and led her to
patrol car while telling her off rudely. The girl was begging them to let her go but they beat and hit her,
and throwing her into the car taking her to the police station. (Iran news agency – May 4, 2009)
Tehran prosecutor defends installing closed cir cuit cameras in girls’ school!
Mahmoud Salar-Kia, deputy prosecutor of Tehran believes that school is not a private place and
“school’s officials must control the behavior of students.”
On Monday 4 May, in an interview with IRNA, state-run news agency while he was comparing the
closed circuit cameras with school principal stipulated that it was “useful.” (Farda Radio – May 4,
2009)
Publishing case of juvenile girl offence in media was the cause of her execution: Judiciary spokesman
A matter questioned in Judiciary press conference was the execution of Delara Darabi and a reporter
asked why she was hanged on Friday while as a tradition nobody is executed on this day? And on the
other hand why her lawyer and family were not present at the scene? And more importantly why the
head of judiciary’s order for stopping the hanging was not implemented?
“Friday is not an exceptional day for execution. As far as I know her lawyer and family were informed
on the matter. It should be considered that making the matter to t he media and the internal and
external fuss could give the opposite result and blood owners would persist on execution more,”
Jamshidi, Judiciary spokesman replied. When Jamshidi’s speech was finished at the press conference
Miss Dalara Darabi’s lawyer who was present in the press conference declared that he was not
informed on her hanging. ‘If you have any claim then you should refer the case to judiciary officials,”
Jamshidi replied. (BBC Radio website – May 5, 2009)
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Man killed his wife while visiting him in prison!
A man, 46, killed his 27-year-old wife while visiting him in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz. This man after
having quarreled with his wife strangled her to death by her scarf. The Supreme Court confirmed his
execution sentence. (Keyhan, state-run daily – May 5, 2009)
Note: This is dubious case, since prisoners’ visits either are not face to face or being controlled by
prison guards.
SSF: cars carrying dogs and passengers with ‘improper cover’ to be seized for 2 months in Qom
The Head of Public Security Police in Qom announced that drivers and passengers who did not follow
Islamic and social norms in this province would be prosecuted.
"In light of the religious atmosphere in Qom and in line with advancing the social security and
morality plan, State Security Forces will deal with drivers who break the norms, rules and regulations",
he said.
"Drivers and passengers who do not have proper (Islamic) covering will be prosecuted and their cars
seized for two months,” Khorasani said.
"Cars that carry dogs will also be seized and pounded and the relevant people will be legally dealt
with,” he added. (IRNA state-run News Agency – May 5, 2009)
Gender segregation in Najafabad University in Isfahan
Officials of Free Islamic Najafabad University in Isfahan have gender segregated transport services of
the university. The university officials had gender segregated the entrance by installing several
searching gates. These gender segregation attempts have raised students’ protest in universities
including this university. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – May 6, 2009)
No information on young female student
Mahssa Naderi, 19, a university student was arrested and transferred to solitary confinement in Ward
209 of Evin Prison, which is run by Intelligence Ministry. She was charged for political activity and
since her arrest, her fate is unknown.
In February 20, she was arrested by Intelligence Ministry agents in her house.
It is noteworthy that Mohssen Naderi, Mahssa’s father has been imprisoned since a year ago on the
same charges. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – May 8, 2009)
Three women's rights activists arrested in Qom for defending a girl on danger of ‘honor killing’
Fatameh Masjedi, Maryam Bidgoli and Gholamreza Salami, three women's rights acti vists were arrested
yesterday in Qom. Fatemeh Masjedi and Maryam Bidgoli are women activists for encouraging
traumatized women in Qom to increase their ability for living. They were involved defending a young
girl who was in danger of ‘honor killing’ and in this case they were engaged with some influential
figures in Qom. They are also members of a campaign to gather a million signatures to a petition
demanding equal rights for women in Qom. Gholamreza Salami is a researcher and co-writer of
‘Movements of Eastern Women’ book. (Meidan Zanan (Women's Ground) website – May 9, 2009)
Head of Moral Security Police: we will deal severely with western style clothing
The head of the State Security Forces Moral Security Police said that according to the law, printin g
indecent western writings and pictures on clothing is forbidden.
"Police will severely deal with Satanist groups without any tolerance,” he said.
"According to the law, the writing of the slogans of the Arrogance (reference to the US), and printing
indecent pictures and words on clothing is forbidden and will be dealt with", he stipulated.
"The distribution of the culture of chastity and the veil in the society is one of the most important
tools for fighting against the propaganda and weapons of the enemies,” said Ruzbehani. (Mehr staterun news agency – May 9, 2009)
Students protest to sexual segregation in university
Students of the Free University in Tehran staged a gathering in protest to sexual segregation at this
university and the reactionary plan to build a wall in the library to separate the girls and boys and
prevented the building of this wall.
More than 200 students blocked the area the wall was to be built, and forced university officials to
retreat their plan. (Aftab, state-run website – May 10, 2009)
Free universities ordered to impose gender segregation of students
According to a notice to free universities, gender segregation must be imposed.
“According to the circular issued by Free Universities Central Organization classes of boys and girls
must be separated,” a professor of Tabriz Free University said.
“Most of professors are not agree to execute this notice and believe that gender segregation of
university students is offending students,” he added. (Iran news agency – May 10, 2009)
Dreadful murder of young woman in Tehran
On Saturday May 9, a young woman, 17, was killed by her husband with knifes under the pretext of
‘honor killing’ in Haft-Chenar District in Tehran, according to news published by Judiciary system.
It is noteworthy to mention that under Islamic Republic ruling system a great number of women and
girls are murdered by men excused as ‘honor killing’. (Payam website – May 10, 2009)
A young woman killed in Naqadeh
Sahar Begi, a young woman resident of Naqadeh town in Kurdistan was killed by her father and
brother on April 29. Report says that the reason for her murder was that she decided to get married
with a man without permission of her family. (Women Council Website – May 10, 2009)
“Smuggling Iranian girls from 10 to 17-year-old to Dubai are a common matter in all countries,”
former woman MP
Most of Iranian girls smuggled to Dubai and United Arab Emirate are between 10 and 17 -year-old.
“There are such matters in hidden layers of any country… publishing such a matter now, is just
platform against Islamic countries who claim morality,” Nayereh Akhavan-Bitaraf, a woman MP from
Isfahan in eight term of legislative body says. “The people in charge and custodians must be
accountable…,” she says as other officials who also proclaim not having any information on bargaining
of Iranian women in UAE. (Ham-Mihan (Compatriot) website – May 11, 2009)
Repressing women not even had chance of gathering for May Day
Ten days of the International Labor May Day have passed, but several dozen arrestees of the May Day
commemorators in Tehran are still imprisoned.
“My mother’s condition is awful in prison. She is in Quarantine ward with 15 other women. I do not
know how many women were arrested. However, as far as I know they are in the w ard of “Metadon”
designated for addicted. They are barred from visit. They are deprived from anything even shopping
from prison. They are not allowed to make phone call.
“They don’t even treat the attorney properly and he cannot help much in such circumst ances… No
gathering took place, and nobody said anything or did any movement. They suddenly attacked, beat,
and arrested them,” said Pegah Farajollahi, daughter of Maryam Mohsseni, one of the women arrestees
on May Day. (Farda Radio – May 12, 2009)
Women arrested on May Day detain in addicted ward
About 14 women arrested on May Day are detained in cellblock of addicted. Among them are some
journalists and bloggers.
Their lawyers and families have not been allowed to visit them despite that they have been arrested 11
days ago before unperformed May Day Ceremony in Laleh Park of Tehran. Their families go to the
Revolutionary Court everyday but just face aggression of the SSF bearing no result.
“About 14 women of those arrested on May Day are detained in the addicted ward in Evin Prison in a
very awful condition. Moreover, as far as I know there are about 13-14 women detained in Quarantine
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Ward. This ward is known as “addicted” ward in Evin Prison. They are also deprived from any
necessary facility,” Maryam Hosseini’s daughter says. (Radio Germany website – May 12, 2009)
SSF beat and abuse girl for "improper veiling" on street
According to reports, Guidance Patrol agents who are stationed on Vanak Square in Tehran beat a 20 year-old girl in public on charges of "improper veiling" on May 12.
A female agent initially called the girl and forced her to a police booth. The girl who was extremely
terrified and begged for them to leave her alone was then beaten by agents and forcefully arrested.
(Iran News Agency – May 13, 2009)
Girls’ schools or Prisons?
In girls schools wearing short socks and jeans, and make up are forbidden, and for such cases, the
parents are summoned to school. All girls’ schools should install bars on the windows and paint them
with dark color not giving a chance for a glance from outside… (Iran Press – May 16, 2009)
Government agents beat and hit a reporter of state-run daily for her short coat not aware of her
position
On Thursday May 14, when I got off taxi in Vanak Square quickly in the evening… Ms. ‘Samiran’, a
guidance force called me. She said your coat is over your knees four fingers. I accepted and said I will
go back home right away. Your colleague said how I could be sure that you would do that, and asked
for my identity card. Your other colleague whom I noticed she was Fatemeh M. added that it should be
cleared if I have previous cases or not for having coat four finger above my knees! I told them my name
and surname. “how can be sure you are telling us your true identity?” Ms. M. replied, and Ms. N. told
me to give my mobile phone. “Communication Minister has cut it off,” I replied. And suddenly Ms. N
said are you making fun of us? And pushed me to the floor and they dragged me on the pavement
towards the guidance patrol car… They didn’t care not just about my coat position covering my body
even my scarf was not covering my hairs. I didn’t want to get up the van, therefore they took my hands
and feet and threw me in the van. I don’t remember how many times my head was banged… I don’t
have any witness how many times they stoke my shoulder in the van, because there were nobody there
watching us.
In the van, Ms. N. threatened me strangely, explaining I am taken
to where and what they would do to me. Thinking of what would
be going happen to me was so horrifying that I pressed my finger
to record her words since there was no witness there may later I
could find someone to listen…
In the Vozara Detention Center, Colonel sat in front of me
asking me what I had recorded? “Your officers threatening
words,” I replied.
He asked for the record player… the guidance officer’s voice was
broadcasted, while there were some other officers. Colonel told
me I informed the top officials that you were arrested, they told
me to seize your record player and your journalist’ identity card… and I was eventually set free at 9 pm
in Vanak Square… (Etemad, state-run daily – May 16, 2009)
Note: The arrestee was a journalist of Etemad state-run daily, showing them her journalist identity card
at the onset of her case.
Masters Degree student banned from giving exams due to "improper veiling "
On May 19, the Protection Department of the Free Kashan University prevented a girl student from
entering the exam session on the pretext that she was not wearing the chador. The female student who
came from Isfahan to participate in Exams practically came to tears from this act and begged the
Protection agent to let her inside .
"I am in my last term for getting my master's and if you don’t let me go in the university and par ticipate
in the exams, I will flunk this course and because this course isn’t given in the summer, I will have to
wait until October to register again because of this course", she sobbed .
However, the agent did not heed her begging and refused to let her participate in the exams .
"This has nothing to do with us, you should have worn the chador like a good girl!", answered the
agent. (Iran News Agency – May 20, 2009)
22-year-old woman died after three hours of torture by his suspicious husband
“I tightened hands, feet, of Neda, my wife, then taped her mouth shut. After that I was beating her for
three hours, eventually marked her body by knife in order to cause sever pain making her regretful of
her past behavior. Neda was fainted and I was tired and slept for few hours. At 5p.m. I noticed that she
was uncouncious,” Hedayat, 23, said. (Fars state -run news agency – May 26, 2009)
Main offense amongst SSF is sexual abuse
There have been more than 80 sexual abuse by the SSF across the country.
In a common session between the IRGC and the SSf in Rashtkhar, a participant said that from the
beginning of new year – Iranian new year started on March 21, 2009 –more than 80 sexual abuses by
the SSF have been reported involving more than 70 NCO of this force.
In a private session in eastern city of Birjand a participant had also reported that most sexal abuses had
been committed by military forces depicting their lack of believes. (Iran news agency – May 27, 2009)
Regime official: Improper veiling worse than murder
The head of Isfahan's Prohibiting Vice and Promoting Virtue said, "From our point of view, improper
veiling is the first vice and worst than murder because the pollution that is spread by improper veiling
is mental.”
"The plan for Advancing Social Security has been carried out in Ardestan with the cooperation of State
Security Forces and dealing with those with improper veiling is in our program,” he added. (Fars state run news agency – May 31, 2009)
Court lashes 13-year-old girls 100 times
Written by a doctor- Today I had a patient which brought me great sorrow. My patient was a 13-yearold girl who came in with her mother. The patient complained of pain in her side and in her own
words her "kidneys.”
Her mother explained that about 10 days ago, she was sentenced to 100 lashes in court and after the
execution of the sentence and when her back was bleeding and bruised, she was allowed to come
home.
When I looked at the delicate body of the girl, I could not believe that she could have tolerated all the
pain and suffering of 100 lashes on her frail body.
She said that during the lashing, they had tied her hands and legs on the bed and at first, it was painful
but "after the first few lashes I did not feel a lot of pain.”
The poor girl explained in childish words that after she came home, the pain started and in these last
few days, "I could not sleep or stand up or walk.”
Think to yourself about how a girl that is only 150 centimeters in height and only weighs about 40
kilos with less than 13 years of age could have gotten such a heavy sentence. (Ruz Az Nou Weblog –
May 31, 2009)
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June
Medeival condition of women prisoners in Gohardasht Prison
Women prisoners are taken to the Protection and Security Department by the prison assistant warder,
Ali Mohammadi, Turabi the head of examinations, Kermani, head of Protection and Security, Faraj
Zadeh, assistant head of Protection and Security, and Khadem, the head of ward one. These prison
officials sexually and physically torture the prisoners. The tortures are so brutal and inhumane that it
cannot be described (for moral reasons).
The prison officials brutally beat prisoners with electric clubs in front of other prisoners until they pass
out.
The pressure and torture is so severe that the number of women prisoners who commit suicide is very
high. Regime officials try to hide their atrocities in prison and prevent reports from getting out. If any
news gets out, a defenseless woman has to pay the price with brutal punishment on the pretext that she
has leaked the information.
These women have no right to protest or to request anything and if they do, they are subjected to
sexual and physical torture.
Another method used against female prisoners is to turn them into drug addicts. Prison officials give
prisoners methadone or other addictive drugs. Prison officials prescribe dangerous addictive drugs as
tranquilizer to prisoners and insist that prisoners use them. This plan has been executed in Tehran's
prisons by a person called Mahalati for a number of years now. (Human Rights and Democracy
Activists in Iran – June 2, 2009)
Suspicious death of young woman in Gohardasht prison
A female prison committed suicide to escape the unbearable torture by prison officials and passed
away, reports from ward 7 of Gohardasht Prison say.
Mahnaz Akbar Tehrani was initially taken to the Protection and Security Department in prison and
was subjected to brutal torture. The tortures where so severe that she was not able to walk on her own
and was taken to solitary with a bloody face. Female prisoners who are transferred to solitary cells get
one ration of food per day and are kept hungry. They are only allowed to use the bathroom twice in 24
hours, are banned from taking a shower, and live in catastrophic hygienic situations.
Their condition in prison is intolerable and medieval and much worse than that of men's. Rape is a
normal procedure in the Protection and Security Department or in solitary used by prison officials as
torture. Women prisoners are forced to stay in solitary cells (aka doghouse) for more than three
months in these unbearable conditions. Mahnaz was one of the many women who are subjected to this
sort of brutality. The 22-year-old committed suicide at 7 am in her cell and they found her dead body
at 12 pm. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – June 2, 2009)
State radio and television encourages and promotes violence against women at home
“Official radio television’s serial programs and films encourage and promote culture of violence against
women,” Mehri Dehqan, professor and top expert in women and family issue in Yazd said to ISNA
official news agency. (Shahrzad News Website – June 3, 2009)
Head of women center blew a fuse on joining convention of removing discrimination against
women
“Don’t you think future of country will be on the line when girls have occupied 70% of medicine seats
in universities?” Zohreh Tayebzadeh Nouri, head of women center of presidency, warned while
expressing her extreme concerns on women’s social presence.Tayebzadeh blew a fuse on Iran joining
convention removing all kind of discrimination against women. (E’temad state -run daily – June 3,
2009)
Three young girls arrested late at night
On June 1 at 12pm, three girls were stopped and arrested outside Melat Park, in Mosadeq Street b y a
patrol car of the SSF with three agents on board. The girls asked the SSF to let them free but the SSF
agent who was a woman ordered them rudely to get on the patrol car taking them to the Vozara
Detention Center. The girls begged her to release them not taking them to detention center late at
night but the patrolwoman brutally slapped one them throwing her in the car and transferred them to
the police station. (Iran news agency – June 4, 2009)
Condition of women prison
A women activist who was arrested on the May Day and was released on bail from prison about two
weeks ago said that there were 28 women living in one cell that they could hardly sit on the floor,
There were pregnant women and mothers with very young children, a place very dangerous for them.
(Ruz website – June 8, 2009)
Cruel sentence of 10 years imprisonment in exile for female student
According to reports, Masumeh Mansuri, a computer science student at Tehran's Amir Kabir
University was sentenced to 10 years of prison in exile to Qezel Hesar Prison.
The sentence for the 24-year-old was issued by the head of the 15 th branch of the Revolutionary Court,
Judge Salavati.
Salavati summoned Hamid Mami Zadeh, Mansuri's guarantor, threatening him that if he did not turn
Mansuri in, he would be arrested.
Mansuri was arrested in 2007 by intelligence agents after going to the Revolutionary Court to pursue
her father's case. She was transferred to ward 209 of Evin Prison and was subjected to pressure and
torture for several weeks by intelligence ag ency interrogators.
Alavi, her interrogator, had threatened her to death on many occasions in the interrogations. (Human
Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – June 10, 2009)
SSF attack and beat students in Tabriz
In the recent unrest in Tabriz, a number of girl and boy students were injured. Hundreds of people
were arrested. Among the arrestees, six female students were beaten and kicked in the vicinity of the
university before their arrest. A number of young people were stabbed by security forces and were
injured. Three photographers were also arrested in Abresan Street. Undercover police agents are on
the streets and Ahmadinejad's supporters beat and insult girls and boys on the sidewalks. (Aftab state run website – June 14, 2009)
Human rights activist arrested in Tehran
According to reports at about 1:30 pm yesterday, Shiva Nazar Ahari, human rights activist and a
member of the Human Rights Reporters Committee was arrested in her office in Tehran.
This is while security forces raided her home at 1 am and confiscated some of her personal belongings.
They were not able to arrest her at that time because she was not in the house, but announced that she
has to turn herself in to the intelligence agency.
Shiva Nazar Ahari is an expelled student who had participated in peaceful protests along with other
expelled university students in the past few days. (Human
Rights Reporters Committee – June 14, 2009)
Iranian doctor blames militia for killing Neda
An Iranian doctor who claims he tried to save Neda AghaSoltan, whose killing on a Tehran street made her an icon of
the OPPOSITION, has said she was apparently shot by a
member of the Islamic Basij militia .
Arash Hejazi, who is studying at a university in the south of
England, told the BBC on Thursday the crowd identified the
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man they believed was the shooter shortly after the young woman died from a gunshot wound to the
chest.
He said he had decided to speak out, despite the potential risks, which meant he would probably not
return to Iran, because 'I don't want her blood to have been shed in vain .' (AFP - June 26, 2009)
Regime forbids mourning for heroine, force her family to leave their residence
According to a German daily, the family of Neda Aqa Soltan was forced to
move from their apartment on Meshkini Street under pressure from officials.
After Neda's death, police agents followed a person who wanted to give
condolences to the family and entered their four-room apartment. Security
forces told the family that they are banned from holding any kind of
mourning ceremony for Neda. Security forces also prevented them from
hanging black drapes on the outside of their apartment as a sign of
mourning. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – June 27, 2009)
Protesting mothers arrested in Laleh Park
Security forces arrested more than 20 women who had gathered in Laleh Park
yesterday to protest the recent arrests and violence by security forces against protesters.
Some of the detainees were taken to the Shapure Detention Center.
According to reports from Tehran, State Security Forces prevented the black clothed women from
entering the park, beating them. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – June 28, 2009)
September
Police beats girl for 'improper veiling'
According to reports from Tehran, a patrol agent from police station 147 identified as second
lieutenant Ali Kiani stopped a girl who was driving a Pride car in 150 th Street and beat the 20-year-old
girl with his club. He said he beat her because she was improperly dressed. (Iran News Agency – Sep.
22, 2009)
Police arrest and harass girls on streets of Iran for 'improper veiling '
Three girls were arrested for the crime of improper veiling in Tehranpars in Tehran on Friday
September 24 at 5 pm. They were taken to a bungalow in this area. The agents then called their
parents and told them they had to hand in their daughters ID cards. These families were also told that
they had until Saturday to go the "Corruption" Department in Vozara Street (regarding this case). (Iran
News Agency – Sep. 26, 2009)
October
Interrogators harass women in MOIS 'Inquiry Office'
The 'Inquiry Office' is a well known building in the Ministry of Intelligence which is located in the
Valiasr intersection in Tehran. Whenever interrogators and security forces intend to threaten political
and social activists without arresting them, they use this building which contains a hall and several
rooms for interrogations.
Students who have been summoned there say that interrogators put more pressure on girl students and
try to force them back for interrogations under various pr etexts.
These students have said that one of the new measures interrogators take is confiscating the girls'
personal items to summon them back to get their belongings in several stages. In a number of cases,
the agents even confiscated their purses and bags in addition to their cell phones to use to re-summon
them.
"Such a despicable and unprecedented measure is not a normal threat used against political and social
activists and maybe one can say that it shows the psyche and personality of the interrogato rs", a student
activist said. (Rooz Online Website – Oct. 14, 2009)
Security forces arrest women peddlers
In a new measure, security forces stand outside the doors of the female section of the metro to control
women coming out of the metro. If a woman h as a large bag or suitcase, she is taken aside and her bags
are checked. If she has any goods in her bags, she is arrested and all her goods are confiscated.
Women who run away out of fear are chased by the agents.
Most of these peddlers are women and girls who do not have any other source of income and are
unemployed and are forced to sell these goods in metros to make a living. (Human Rights and
Democracy Activists in Iran – Oct. 20, 2009)
November
Security forces attack peaceful protest of mothers of victims of regime violence
Mothers of those who were killed or detained (after elections) and families of political prisoners held a
gathering in Laleh Park at 5 pm. They started marching around the Ab Nama Square when they were
met with violence by security forces and were prevented from continuing their march.
Security forces and plainclothes agents used tear gas against them and a number of the women had a
hard time breathing. These forces insulted and treated offensively the mothers and young girls in the
gathering. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Nov. 28, 2009)
December
Regime steps-up suppression of women in Yazd Province
The head of the Public Intelligence and Security Police said those who not follow the Islamic dress
code will be dealt with.
"The State Security Forces will deal severely with any kind of improper veiling or improper clothing of
women and men in the country especially in Yazd. (This confrontation will) include giving notices and
guidance, arresting (offenders) and transferring them to SSF bases, informing their families and
referring their cases to judicial officials", Ali Mirshamsi said.
"If this offense is repeated, the offenders will be dealt with more severely", he stressed. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Dec. 112, 2009)
January - 2010
Regime official: presence of women in stadium is unfortunate
The assistance head of the Isfahan Seminary School said, "the presence of a woman in the Folad Shahr
Sports Center is unfortunate and the heads of the Zob Ahan Club have to answer for this measure
they have taken'.
On January 16, in a football (soccer) game between the Zob Ahan club and the Kerman Mes Club,
Fereshteh Samoui, the head of the Zob Ahan Club and the head of Women's Affairs at this club
attended the game which surprised a group of people in the stadium. (Fars state-run news agency – Jan.
18, 2010)
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Appendices
List of women executions - March 2009 to Feb. 2010
List of arbitrary killings of women - June 2009 – Feb. 2010
List of political arrests - June 2009 to Feb. 2010
List of female political prisoners - March 2009 to Jan. 2010
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