Weekly Human Rights report by International Organisation to preserve Human rights in Iran.
Responses to Human Rights Violation in Iran
1. On the 16th of February ten of the political prisoners in Gohar-dasht Prison in support of the rights of workers have announced that they will go on hunger strike.
with the names of Mr 1-Afshin Osanlou 2-Afshin Heyratian 3-Khaled Hardani 4-Zaniar Moradi 5-Shahrokh Zamani 6-Saleh Kohandel 7-Abbas Baadfar 8-Ali Jabbari 9-Loghman Moradi 10-Mohammad Banazadeh Amir Khizi,
2. On Monday the 18th of February 2013 Jafar Afshari a political prisoner in Orumieh Prison went on hunger strike for the third time by sewing his lips together. The political prisoner was then sent to solitary confinement.
3. Mrs Shirin Ebadi a Nobel Peace Prize holder and six other major Human Rights Organizations have issued a statement to request that the Iranian authorities immediately end the house arrests of the former presidential candidates Mehdi Karoubi, Mir Hosein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard and also end the unreasonable harassment and arrests of their children.
4. Friday afternoon on the 15th of February, at a glorious event in the city of Trondheim, Norway, a student peace award was awarded to Majid Tavakoli a student activist. Majid Tavakoli, was a student at the Tehran Poly Technique University and was arrested for the third time on the of 7th December 2009 for speaking out in defense of students rights in the university
Women’s Rights
1. Kokab Mousavi, the eldest daughter of Mir Hosein Mousavi, has been summoned to Evin Prison Court once again on the morning of Monday the 18th of February and has been interrogated for three-hours by the security forces of the prison.
Universities and the Academics
1. Amir Mohammad Some’e Moghaddam a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Ferdousi in Mashhad was expelled from the university because of the pressure of the security forces. Some’e Moghaddam is a student activist who worked in student news publications and was arrested in the aftermath of 2009 presidential elections.
2. In the past week a group of students at the University of Payame Noor in Marivan protested against the decision made to transfer three Kord students to the University of Payame Noor in the Sanandaj branch. The university officials disrespectfully threatened them.
3. On the 10th of February 2013 Hesamodin Ghorbani, a student activist in the University of Yasouj who was arrested a year ago by the intelligent security service, was fined with 20 lashes and 350,000 Toman.
4. In the court of appeal in the Province of west Azarbaijan, it was announced that a student of social sciences called Jamaal Ghader-Nejaad, from the University of Payam Noor, in the city of Miyan-do-aab, was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. The lawyer of this student said; “the reason for the accusation is for joining one of the opposition parties’.
5. On the 21st of February the president of the Azad University, Alireza Golshani from city of Shahrekord, ordered the security forces to attack the offices of the Islamic Forum for students. They occupied the office and seized all items in the office.
The Labours and and vulnerable people in the society
1. According to reports, employees of a reputable company owned by Mr Farshid and Mr.Hamid Abulfattahi, which specialised in making tunnels and roads, has now taken up a new project to make a dam, called “sadde Javeh”. These employers have refused to pay 4 months salary to 300 of their workers. If the workers complain about their wages, they will be threatened to leave their jobs. In some cases, employees have already been fired.
2. On the 14th of February, approximately 20 workers of the Nima Sazeh Company protested in front of the office because they were not paid 2 months of their wages.
3. Furthermore, 30 of 38 workers from Felarak Company, despite the request for 4 months of their delayed wages, were fired from their jobs. Each of the 8 remaining workers also has 8 months unpaid wages. The employers are still refusing to pay the unpaid workers.
4. On Saturday the 18th of February, a 42 year old worker in Shilat Bandar Anzali protested by setting himself on fire in public, because he was not paid his salary for one year. It is said that he is in a critical health condition.
The Sentences issued in Iran: Execution Flogging, Amputation, Imprisonment and Custody
1. On Saturday the 16th of February, a 29 year old man who was accused of rape was hanged in public in the city of Shiraz, Gas square.
2. A 38 year old man of Arab ethnicity, called ‘Sabah Loyimi’ who was arrested for drug charges on the 16th of February, he was hanged in Karoon prison in the city of Ahvaz.
3. On the morning of Monday the 18th of February 2013, Omar Shahbazi a citizen of Divan-dareh city who was accused of murder and sentenced to death by the court was executed in central prison of Sanandaj city.
4. on the 18th of February 2013, four men accused of drug smuggling were executed in the central prison of Zahedan city.
They were 24 year old Parvez Mir Baloch Zahi, 20 year old Nurzehi Muhammad Shah Zahi, 27 year old Abdullah Beraghuyi and 38 year old Ghulam Rigi Sistani. Gholam and Jafar Shahzadeh were also arrested even though no drugs were found on them.
5. The prosecutor of the Islamic revolutionary Court of Araq confirmed the execution of three drug smugglers in the city. The three were charged with drug dealing, selling, transportation and storage.
6. On Tuesday the 19th of February three people who were accused of rape were hanged in public in the Sadra area of Shiraz.
7. The Branch one of the Revolutionary Court in the city of Orumiyeh accused Ali Ahmad Soleiman, an Iraqi citizen and a political prisoner, of propaganda against the government due to his being in communication with Dr Ahmad Shahid the Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur to Iran and also for having spoken to outside media. He was charged him with one more year in prison.
8. In the previous week, the Head of the Supreme Court of Iran Ayatollah Ahmad Mohseni Gorgani has announced the verdict for the execution of Mah-Afarid Khosravi and one other person who were involved in the fraud case of three thousand billion toman
9. Zaniar Moradi a political prisoner who has been sentenced to execution, and who is in severe physical pain has been prevented from having any treatment in the hospital. The authorities told him, that since he is going to be executed there is no need for treatment
10. Behbood Gholizadeh a civil rights activist from Miyan Do-Ab city has been arrested at around 11:30 am on Saturday the 28th of February. The Intelligence officers searched his house, confiscated his computer and personal items and took him to an unknown location.
11.On Monday the 18th of February 2013, Mostafa Farjaam, a political prisoner who is in section 12 of the central prison of Oroomiyeh city, has had his sentence extended for another 18 years by the revolutionary court. Due to the intensity of the physical tortures received Mostafa Farjam has lost his memory.
12. On Friday 15th of February, a security officer raided the house of Mr Rooying, a follower of the school of thought of Doctor Ali Shariati. They interrogated, identified and video recorded all the people in the house, and arrested Mr Rooyin. Mr Rooyin was known for being very active in the publication of ChaPakhsh
13. On Wednesday the 20th of February three drug smugglers were hanged in Kermanshah city, The three were accused of possession and sales of illegal drugs such as heroin and opium. They also had a history of selling illegal drugs and imprisonment in previous years.
14. On the morning of Wednesday 20th of February Ali-M a 23 years old, was hanged in public in the “Shahrak Footbal” in Arak city. He had been charged with kidnapping and rape.
15. On the morning of Thursday 21st of February two citizens from Dehdasht town called Jokar Javad and Gholam Alizadeh, were executed in the central prison of the city of Yazd. They were arrested for the transportation and storage of illegal drugs.
The Rights of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Iran
1. On Friday the 15th of February 2 Bahai’ Students by the name of Miss Sepideh Vaziri-Pour Hagigi and Miss Samir Golshan were expelled from university because of their faith.
2. On the Morning of Tuesday 12th February the Secret Police of the City of Isfahan searched the house of a Baha’i citizen called Nava Naeemi, who lives in Baharest an area of Isfahan. The security forces confiscated his computer and his religious and personal pictures and then arrested him. He is currently been held in an unknown location.
3. In another event, on Sunday the 17th February, Mrs Shirini, who is a Sufi and the wife of Amir Islamy, the Lawyer currently representing the Sufis, was summoned by telephone to appear at the office of the security forces.
4. In the same date in the city of Semnan another Bahai citizen named Mr Akbar-poor Husseini, was called to the Semnan Revolutionary Court and was subsequently arrested and sentenced to 18 months in prison, for following and advertising the Bahai faith.
5 On Saturday the 16th of February, Mr Seeiad Jaberi Ansary, the head of the Cultural Affairs Department which is part of the Iranian Ministry of the Islamic Cultural Centre, ordered all statues of Buddha to be removed from all shops in Tehran.
6. In the early morning of Sunday the 17th of February the security police in Ahvas, attacked and arrested 8 Arab human rights activists and took them to an unknown location.
7. On Wednesday the 20th February 5 armed persons who introduced themselves as Intelligence Officers without providing any form of identification arrested a Bahai citizen named Sama Raufi and took him to an unknown location.
8. In the city of Mashad, all the Bahai prisoners who requested temporary release on bail and were approved by the head of the prison had their request denied by the Intelligence security department
9. The Sufis who gathered in front of the Evin prison on 21st of February to demonstrate the mistreatment of Sufis and also to celebrate Sufi day were arrested for a number of hours before being released.
Media and Cyberspace
1. Kaveh Taheri, who was accused of acting against national security and disturbing public opinion in cyberspace, has been arrested for more than 4 months in Adel Abad prison in the city of Shiraz. The charges against him have not been specified.
2. On Monday the 18th of February an Iranian Blogger Mohammad Reza Poor-Shajari known as ‘Siamak Mehr’, suffered from a heart attack whilst inside prison.
3. On the 19th of February journalists who were working for the Elam city Publications, such as ‘Varya’, ‘Koshk’ and ‘Najva’ were arrested by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards intelligence. Reports indicate that this took place after the Iranian judiciary spokesman stated that they may be releasing some of the journalists who were recently arrested in the country.
4. Mohammad Zaynaty a journalist who was arrested in 2009 in the city of Saghez and sentenced for 30 years in prison has passed away in Minab Prison, due to severe bleeding in his stomach and having been refused any medical treatment by prison officials.
5. On the 20th of February Iranian journalist Ehsan Mazandarani was arrested by Iranian security forces.
Other human rights violations
1. On Sunday the 17th of February, Bahman Saman a political prisoner who was sentenced to death by Mahabad Revolutionary Court was transferred to Uromie’s prison in the north west of Iran. His charges are Moharebeh (which is known as) “Enmity against God” by being a member of anti-regime groups.
2. Yashar Piri, a Political activist from Tabriz was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment and 30 lashes; he was arrested in the demonstration that was held by the people of Uromia and Tabriz who are against the drying out of the Uromia Lake
3. Hassan Ark, a political prisoner who is held in Tabriz Prison, in the North West of Iran, is in a serious physical condition. He is suffering from heart disease, spinal disks and asthma and His health is getting worse due to the poor condition of the prison.
4. The court case for Ali Moezzi was held on 17th of February without him being present at court. Ali Moezzi is a political prisoner who is currently in section 350 of Evin prison
5. Ali Mohammad Shaeri, head of the Environment Protection Department stated; “it was very disappointing that the plan for reducing air pollution didn’t get enough votes, he also mentioned that 5,000 people lose their lives in a year due to severe pollution in the air.
6. On Tuesday 20th of February the guards of the Islamic republic of Iran, searched the residence houses of two villages called Gisan and Ziviyeh near Uromia in North West of Iran, and in addition they attempted to confiscate their satellite dishes. However the residences reacted to this action.
7. Despite the approval of a doctor for the political prisoner Mehdi Khodayi who needs immediate medical treatment, the prosecutor of Tehran has not allowed the approved for his treatment.
8. The Guard of the Islamic Republic of Iran have closed down three halls and entertainment centres in the city of Isfahan, and two gardens in the city of Molaroad. The reason given was that live music had been playing in these places.