According to a report by the Baluch Activists Campaign, on June 24, 2019, Zaman Malek Mohammadi, son of Azim Khan, was shot at directly and killed by Criminal Investigations officers and Police forces in the town of Jalaq in the Kahkan region.

A source with knowledge of the case stated: “Last night, Zaman Malek Mohammadi was a guest at the home of one of his friends when the agents surrounded the house. The owner of the house asked the officers to show a warrant for entering the premises.”

The source with knowledge of the case continued: “The agents did not show a warrant and instead started to curse, insult, and beat the owner. Hearing the ruckus, Zaman Malek Mohammadi came out of the house, at which time the officers started to fire at him without [asking] any question and [waiting for an] answer. Zaman Malek Mohammadi was shot by the Criminal Investigations Police officers.”

The source with knowledge of the case further stated: “The agents searched the house and did not find anything suspicious or illegal. They immediately put Zaman Malek Mohammadi in the back of the police car and took him to the police precinct instead of taking him to the hospital. They waited around there for about an hour and then called the emergency ambulance. Zaman Malek Mohammadi died on the way to the hospital.”

The source with knowledge of the case added: “The Criminal Investigations officers and the chief of the Jalaq Police precinct, Shahrokhi, were looking to frame Zaman Malek Mohammadi and to identify him as a person who had violated the law.”

It must be noted that, every year, tens of ethnic Baluch citizens are killed in police shootings and their families’ complaints bear no fruit.

See the original Persian report from Baluch Activists Campaign here.

The post Report: Baluch Youth Zaman Malek Mohammadi Fatally Shot by Security Forces in Sistan and Baluchistan Province first appeared on ABC blog.

“A disaster has broken out at Qarchak” says the source. “Tear gas [has been deployed] in closed and windowless prison halls and many of the inmates are suffocating. Fires have broken out in many places and they’re filled with smoke. They’ve left some of the wounded to their own devices and have taken some others to the hospital.”

The source reports the chief reason for inmates’ protest was false promises made to them by prison officials regarding an amnesty plan, which the source describes as “psychological torture”: “Officials said last week that inmates would be pardoned by the Supreme Leader for the occasion of the 40^th anniversary of the revolution. My sister called me in a great mood and said, ‘If only it were always the revolution’s 40^th anniversary!’ They told the inmates two-thirds of them would be pardoned, but yesterday [February 7] it became clear that this wouldn’t be the case. Now that the names of those to be pardoned have come out, it’s clear that the pardons would be granted as they have before [i.e. to a much smaller number.]”

Some one thousand female inmates are imprisoned at Qarchak, according to the source.  “Most prisoners had gathered up their things following statements from officials that all of them would be freed except [those sentenced for murder in the qesas framework of Iranian law] as well as accessories to murder. The protests were nothing out of the ordinary: they pounded on their doors and walls a bit. Prison guards attacked them with batons and gas nonetheless. Inmates set fire to blankets [so that the smoke would counter the effects of the tear gas].”

The source tells ABC that when other prisoners witnessed the crackdown on their fellow inmates, even those who had not participated in the initial protest joined in, and general disorder then broke out. The source describes sub-standard conditions at the Qarchak facility: “Everything here could be protested: Bad food, bad medication, [bad water]. But the thing that would anger inmates this much is for officials to first tell them they’d go free, that they should gather up their things, and then later say there had been a mistake. If not for this, prison officials have neglected ill inmates for years. These are ordinary prisoners who have been behind bars for years. They’d gotten their hopes up that they’d be freed over all the television and radio coverage of the 40^th anniversary widespread amnesty plan. You have no idea what was going on in the visitation room! They were all saying they’d be freed!”

The post Widespread Protest Met with Beatings, Tear Gas at Iran’s Qarchak Women’s Prison first appeared on ABC blog.

The investigations division of Branch 12 of the Revolutionary Court in Ahwaz set the bail on December 17 as follows for members of the Zaheri Sari family: 7 billion rials for Hattab Zaheri Sari, 7 billion rials for Amin Zaheri Sari, and 3 billion rials for Ms. Ameneh Zaheri Sari. Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court set a 3 billion rial bail for Ali Zaheri Sari.

Such hefty bail amounts were assessed despite the fact that the 57-year old Hattab Zaheri Sari receives monthly pension payments of only 10 million rials.

A 2018 report from Iran’s Center for Strategic Statistics and Information found that that in the Iranian year 1396 (March 2017 – March 2018), the average annual income of urban families in Iran was approximately 370 million rials and their cost of living approximately 330 million rials. For rural families, these values were c. 200 million and c. 180 million rials, respectively.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found that excessively high bail amounts set with no regard to a defendant’s flight risk or danger to a community, by contravening the right to liberty under human rights law, qualify a detention as arbitrary. Other human rights observers note that such bail and the lengthy pretrial detentions it may entail may infringe on the right to work guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, particularly in the case of poor defendants.

The post Extraordinarily High 20 Billion Rial Bail Set for Arrested Members of Ahwazi Arab Family first appeared on ABC blog.

The full text of the statement appears below:

In light of the fact that recent years have been dedicated in name to production and support of employment and domestic products, there is no doubt that Iran’s industrial progress is based on our workers and labor force. By providing for these workers’ primary needs and respecting their honor and dignity that, we can hope for a bright future.

Unfortunately, in the last few years this hard-working and honorable class of people has been confronted with the mercilessness of bosses and some government institutions. For some time now, owing mismanagement, greed, and a lack of transparency on the part of managers, their fundamental rights have been violated, and in many cases have had difficulty collecting their monthly wages and making do in their day-to-day lives.

Given a failure to resolve these issues, these workers have, in some instances, been left with no choice but to peacefully demonstrate in order to find a path out by drawing officials’ attention. These demonstrations have had no partisan leanings, and these workers, who have come out of our society, have no goal but to enjoy their own fundamental rights.

With an eye toward provision 27 of the Constitution, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we lawyers deem such peaceful demonstrations, undertaken for labor rights demands, to be lawful. We support these workers’ peaceful demands for their legal rights, and call on officials to heed them and solve the problems facing these honorable people’s problems.

Farzaneh Zeilabi

Seyed Jamaleddin Heidarimanesh

Shadi Rasadi

Maryam Sediq Anvari

Hamid Reza Abiri

Mansur Shakiba

Hossein Zaki

Ma’sumeh Uraki

Reza Mombeini

Hamid Heravi

Iman Shalu’i Cheharbenicheh

Neda Assadzadeh

Sajjad Chatr Sefid

Seyedeh Mahtab Rahmani

Faramarz Amiripur

HosseinAli Hatami

Mehdi Hosseinpur

Azita Shiranipur

Hamid Mohammadi

Yahya Monjezi

Narges Sidal

Faramarz Mowla’irad

Mohammad Mehdi Sayahmanesh

Ebrahim Parsamehr

Hossein Kuchak

Babak Balipur

Mohammadreza Tahmasbifar

Delavar Nuri Musa

Ruhollah Kuzehgar

Hafez Savari

Leila Khosravi

Razieh Karbala’ipur

Sa’id Qorbani Biragani

Ayat Abbasi

Kurosh Zarghami

Azim Cha’bfar

Akram Pirvand Muri

Maryam Pirvand Muri

Sudabeh Boyeri Piani

Mahbubeh Vahidi

Enayatollah Sharifinejad

Ma’sumeh Soleimani Babadi

Sa’id Musavi Sharifi

Shabnam Dadmarz

Rasul Derakhshan

Sh. P.

Afshin Karami

Arash Dowlatshahi

Seyed Mohammad Askari

AliReza Farzaneh

Farhad Karami

Ahmad Khosravi Taze Qeshlaq

The post 50 Iranian Lawyers Announce Support for Demonstrating Workers at Haft Tepeh Company first appeared on ABC blog.

The report, which covers developments also reported by the Ahwaz Human Rights Organization, appears below:

After the 22nd of September, Iranian Security agents have arrested more than 600 Ahwazi civil, cultural, political and religious activists, including youth, women, school students, and university students.

Arrests were carried out in a brutal manner, and according to the human rights activists who have reached out to families of detainees, the security agents entered the detainees’ houses by force without any prior notification or legal proof. Sources have confirmed the detainees were subjected to cruel torture during the arrest and the detainees’ current well-being and whereabouts are still unknown. All their families are extremely concerned regarding their health and safety.

In some cases, security forces abducted detainees from the streets or their workplace. The extral-judicial and unlawful arrests occurred at midnight and early morning without any judicial authorization being provided.

According to a report by human rights activists, 180 detainees have been transferred to Shiban prison in the north of Ahwaz city.  Besides, three Ahwazi Arab women are reported to be among the detainees. The first woman is identified as  Mrs. Sahba(Lamia) Hamadi who is seven-month pregnant. And two elderly women  by the names of   Zodeh Afrawi, 55- years- old  and Qiasiah Afrawi, 60- years- old

The recent abductions of Arab citizens, including activists, by the Iranian Intelligence service, is completely violating the Charter of Civil Rights and against to international and human rights law.

Despite the fact that the massive surge of the crackdown as the arrests and torture of Ahwazi activists are intensified, we have not seen any action from the Amnesty International and Human rights Watch and other human rights organizations.  This is giving Iran’s regime carte blanche to continue its human rights violations and worsening brutality and systematic disregard for international law and human rights.

We are kindly calling on you to take action to urge the Iranian authorities to release the detainees promptly and unconditionally and stop its relentless prosecution of Ahwazis.

The names of some of the detainees who have been identified by human rights activists are as follows: (attached)

• Ahmad Amin Ghezi( Ghias Ghezi),writer, researcher and cultural activist from Zowieh Ameri neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Saeed Ali-Raza Nazari 63 years old,from Al-Safi neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Sajad Silawi,25 years old, from Al-Safi neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Jawad Badawi,26 years old, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Shani Shmosi from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Khalil Silawi from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Jamil Silawi from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Sadegh Silawi from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Fares Shamosi from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Ali Mazrah from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Samir Silawi from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Riaz Shamosi from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Ali Heydari ,Shayea’s son, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Yousef Khasrgi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Jawad Hashemi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Ali-Raza Deris ,from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Maher Masodi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Riaz Zahyri, from Shahrak-Aahwaz neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Khaled Silawi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Mokhtar Masodi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Ali Albaji, from Albaji village, arrested in Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Mohammad Masodi,from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Jader Afrawi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Aghil Shamosi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Saeed Jalil Mosawi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Aisa Badawi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Hadi Abidawi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Saeed Sadgh Mosawi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Ahmad Heydari, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Milad Afrawi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Aadel Zahyri, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Abdolah Silawi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Abas Badawi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Mohsan Badawi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Farhan Shamosi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Mohamad Amori, 26 years old, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Naeem Heydari 24 years old, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Araf Ghazlawi, Hanon’s son, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Kazam Ghazlawi ,Hanon’s son, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Ali Alhyee, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Shaker Sawari 29 years old, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Saeed Ghasam Mosawi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Fazal Shamosi, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Sohrab Mojadam,27 years old, from Darwishiah, Kot-Abdolah, Ahwaz city
• Karim Mojadam, from Kot-Abdolah
• Jafar Hazbawi, 28 years old, Aneed’s son, from Kot-Abdolah
• Ahmad Hazbawi, 28 years old, from Kot-Abdolah
• Araf Naseri ,30 years old, Aeedan’s son, from Kot-Abdolah
• Osameh Temas, 26 years old, from Shakareh neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Ahmad Temas,28 years old, from Shakareh neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Mohamad- Moamani Temas, 55 years old, from Shakareh neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Saeed Jasem Rahmani(Mosawi), 33 years old, from Alawi(Hai-Althawra) neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Majed Kaldawi, Sadon’s son, from from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Saeed Hamod Rahmani(Mosawi), from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Hatam Sawari, from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Jasam Kroshat, 45 years old, from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Nori Neissi, from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Hossein Heydari, from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Adnan Sawari, from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Mohammad Heydari,25 years old, from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Majed Sawari, from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Ali Sawari, from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Mohammad Sawari, Sabah’s son, from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Ali Mazbani-Nasr(Sawari), from Alawi neighbourhood (Hai-Althawra), Ahwaz city
• Ahmad Kroshat, Kazam’s son, from Ahwaz city
• Jafar Aobidawi, from Zahireh(Goldasht) neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Ahmad Bawi, from Zahireh(Goldasht) neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Ali Shejairat (Abo-Farogh), from Amoelha, Ahwaz city
• Mahmod Dorghy, from Amoelha, Ahwaz city
• Aziz Hamidawi, from Amoelha, Ahwaz city
• Amoid Bachari, from Amoelha, Ahwaz city
• Ramin Bachari, from Amoelha, Ahwaz city
• Jamil Ahmad-Pour, from Azizeh neighbourhood(Kheshair), Ahwaz city
• Fahad Neissi , from Shahrak-Ahwaz, Ahwaz city
• Jamil Heydari, 33 years old, from Kampolo, Ahwaz city
• Majed Heydari, 25 years old, from Kampolo , Ahwaz city
• Ahmad Hemri, 29 years old, bachelor , from Mandali neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Ali Sawari, 23 years old, Chaseb’s son , from Azizeh neighbourhood(Kheshair), Ahwaz city
• Danial Adel Amjad, 43 years old, from Mashali neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Mosa Mazraeh, from Abo-Hmaza , Khafajeh city
• Abdul-Rahman khasreji, 32 years old, from Kot-Saeed-Naeem,Khafajeh city
• Mahdi Mazraeh, 22 years old, Aziz’s son ,from Abo-Hmaza , hospital employee, Khafajeh city
• Ahmad Swedi, from Hajeh village , Khafajeh city
• Adnaan Mazraeh , from Khafajeh city
• Mrs Sahba(Lamia) Hamadi, from Koi-Abozar neighbourhood, Khafajeh city
• Hassan Harbawi, from Khafajeh city
• Ali Swedi, from Hajeh village Khafajeh city
• Faiz Afrawi, 30 years old, Married from Al-Boafri village, Khafajeh, he arrested with his mother
• Mohammad-Amin Afrawi, 37 years old, from Al-Boafri village, Khafajeh city, he arrested with his mother
• Abas Moghinami, 26 years old from Hajeh village, Khafajeh city
• Mortiza Bit-Sheikh-Ahmad,24 years old, Naser’s son, from Hajeh village, Khafajeh city
• Mortiza Moghinami , 22 years old, from Hajeh village, Khafajeh city
• Aref Moghinami, 27 years old, from Hajeh village, Khafajeh city
• Hamdan Afrawi, Abas’s son, from Al-Boafri village, Khafajeh city
• Amir Afrawi, Fazel’s son, from Al-Boafri village, Khafajeh city
• Ali Afrawi, Hamad’s son, from Al-Boafri village, Khafajeh city
• Mohammad Mohamadi( Abiat), 22 years old, from Hamidiyeh city, arrested with plastered feet
• Ghasem Kabi(Kabawi), 24 years old, from Hamidiyeh city
• Mahdi Saedi, 27 years old, from Hamidiyeh city
• Lami Shamosi, from Hamidiyeh city
• Aadel Afrawi, from Hamidiyeh city
• Mahdi Koti, from Hamidiyeh city
• Ali Koti, from Hamidiyeh city
• Satar Koti, from Hamidiyeh city
• Ali Mansori, from Hamidiyeh city
• Ali Saki, Amrawah’s son, from Howeyzeh city
• Abas Saki, Abad-Ali, from Howeyzeh city
• Abo-Shalan Saki, from Howeyzeh city
• Khazal Temimi(Fazeli),30 years old, from Shiban area, Ahwaz city
• Ali Sawari,30 years old, Sahi’s son, from Shakareh neighbourhood, Kot-Abdolah
• Mostafa Sawari,25 years old, Sahi’s son, from Shakareh neighbourhood, Kot-Abdolah
• Khaled Abidawi, 25 years old, from Shakareh neighbourhood, Kot-Abdolah
• Abas Heydari, 23 years old, from Shakareh neighbourhood, Kot-Abdolah
• Mortza Amiri, from Darwisheh neighbourhood, Kot-Abdolah
• Yasin Amiri, 23 years, from Darwisheh neighbourhood, Kot-Abdolah
• Sadegh Heydari,28 years old, Ghasem’s son, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Jalal Nabhani, from Ameri neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Khaled Hazbawi, 40 years old, married, from Kanteks( Majd) neighbourhood, Kot-Abdolah
• Mohammad Hazbawi, 30 years old, Abdul-Karim’s son, from Kanteks( Majd) neighbourhood, Kot-Abdolah
• Raza Batrani, 34 years old, from Kanteks( Majd) neighbourhood, Kot-Abdolah
• Tareq Amiri, 24 years old, from Darwisheh neighbourhood, Kot-Abdolah
• Jamal Mojadam , 25 years old, from Darwisheh neighbourhood, Kot-Abdolah
• Mosa Mazraeh, 25 years old, Studying in university, from Khafajeh city
• Rashid Kroshat, from Mandely neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Hakim Kroshat , Manan’s son, from Ahwaz city
• Mrs Zodeh Afrawi, 55 years old, from Al-Boafri village, Khafajeh city
• Mrs Qaisiah Afrawi, 60 years old, from Al-Boafri village, Khafajeh city
• Jawad Mahnapour(Afrawi), from Al-Boafri village, Khafajeh city
• Ali Moghinami, from Hajeh village, Khafajeh city
• Hossain Hamodi( Sabhani),25 years old, from Azizeh neighbourhood (Khashair), Ahwaz city
• Yahiah Borwieh, from Ahwaz city
• Naji Salimy( Kabi), Salman’s son, from Bit-Mahmed village, Shush city
• Yahiah Salim, Naji’s son, from Bit-Mahmed village, Shush city
• Azim Shawerdi, Abed’s son, from Khanafreh village , Falaheh( Shadegan) city
• Ibrahim Shawerdi, 31 years old, Kanan’s son, from Khanafreh village , Falaheh( Shadegan) city
• Khaled Albokhanfar, Saed’s son, from Khanafreh village , Falaheh( Shadegan) city
• Ahmad Shawerdi, 24 years old, Abdoljalil’s son, from Khanafreh village , Falaheh( Shadegan) city
• Mahdi Shawerdi, 17 years old, Hasan’s son, from Khanafreh village , Falaheh( Shadegan) city
• Adnan Khanafreh, from Khanafreh village , Falaheh( Shadegan) city
• Moslem Farajolah, married, from Shushtar city
• Anwer Ashory, 26 years old, Derchal’s son, from Bit-Ashor village, Falaheh(Shadegan)
• Mohamad-Raza Jalali,26 years old, Hasan’s son, from Koi-Abozar, Khafajiah city
• Rahim Amin-Por ( Heydari) ,from Zaheriah( Goldasht), Ahwaz city
• Mahdi Aobidawi, 25 years old, from Khafajeh city
• Mostafa Jalali, 29 years old, married, from Khafajeh city
• Loghman Sharafi( Khasraji), married , from Tasfeh area, Ahwaz city
• Yousef Marawna , 18 years old, Aasi’s son, from Malashiah neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Abdolah Haiati , Kazam’s son , from Saeed-Khalaf neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Nader Haiati , Kazam’s son , from Saeed-Khalaf neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Mostafa Basirey , Azat-Alah’s son , from Kyan-Abad neighbourhood , Ahwaz city
• Kazam Sayahi , Faleh’s son , from Hamidiyeh city
• Mansor Askari , from Koi-Alawi, Ahwaz city
• Yahia Aobidawi , 28 years old, from Hamidiyeh city
• Ghasam Aobidawi , 26 years old , from Hamidiyeh city
• Jafar Aobidawi , 28 years old , from Hamidiyeh city
• Hassan Bit-Said , 30 years old, from Hamidiyeh city
• Ali Mazraeh , 29 years old , from Hamidiyeh city
• Adel Zabi , from Koi-Alawi neighbourhood , Ahwaz city
• Araf Abiat , from Koi-Alawi neighbourhood , Ahwaz city
• Nader Sharifi , 50 years old, from Malashiyeh neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Najem Heydari , 30 years old, from Koi-Alawi neighbourhood , Ahwaz city
• Rasoul Chaldawi , 27 years old, from Koi-Alawi neighbourhood, Ahwaz city
• Saeed-Fahad Alawi , 24 years old , Abolhail’s son, from Shawoor , Shush city
• Abdul-Hamid Kanani , 25 years old , from Shawoor, Shush city
• Amin Solimani , 27 years old, Naser’s son , from Shawoor, Shush city
• Mohammad Aobidawi , 26 years old, Aisa’s son , from Shawoor , Shush city
• Walid Haiawi , 28 years old, Mahmod’s son, from Shawoor , Shush city
• Hassan Berisam ( Kanani), 24 years old, from Shawoor , Shush city
• Jasem Ghanami Sowidi , 27 years old, Married , from Hajeh village, Khafajeh city
• Halim Sawari , 46 years old, from Khafajeh city, arrested with two of his children
• Aghil Sawari, 20 years old, Halim’s son , from Khafajeh city
• Raza Sawari , 17 years old, Halim’s son , from Khafajeh city

 

The post Mass Arrests of Ahwazi Activists Following Shooting Attack on Parade first appeared on ABC blog.

Najafi was arrested suddenly and unexpectedly on the morning of October 28 for purposes of sentence implementation despite the fact that, per Iranian law, he should have been formally summoned to Arak’s Branch Two Sentence Implementation Court following a time period prescribed by law.

Payam Derafashan, Najafi’s lawyer, called the judiciary’s actions “contrary to the law”: “The law foresees a time period and the necessity of a summons so that an individual can prepare evidence that he or she cannot, for any reason, bear the punishment, and turn it over to a judge for referral to a medical expert.”

Lawyer Derafshan stated that Najafi is affected by a severe case of diabetes for which he has taken medication for years. One effect of the diabetes is that even small injuries sustained by Najafi take a long time to heal. Najafi has been sentenced to 74 lashes among other punishments; if carried out, such a flogging sentence may represent a mortal danger to him.

“Given the lawlessness regrettably apparent [in this case], it’s not at all unlikely that the flogging sentence will be carried out in just the same way” Derafshan added.

Derafshan further explained: “If the retrial request at the Supreme Court were to have been granted, the sentence would have likely been overturned and its implementation halted. Just 10 minutes afterwards, however, a text message arrived telling me that Najafi’s case had been given over to Arak’s Sentence Implementation Branch Two. On Sunday [October 28] morning, contrary to the law, with no summons or respect for the legally-prescribed period of time, my client was suddenly arrested for purposes of sentence implementation, and they announced this fact to him and his family.”

Najafi and ten other civil society activists in Markazi Province have been given sentences of jail time and flogging. Charges leveled against some of these defendants stem from their work distributing information on the case of Vahid Heidari, a young man who died in law enforcement custody following a crackdown on widespread protests in January 2018.

The post Iranian Lawyer Mohammad Najafi Arrested, Faces Grave Medical Danger as Flogging Looms first appeared on ABC blog.

Najafi writes in his just-released report of the case: “The verdict of the Branch One Appeals Court of Markazi Province in Arak has been handed down. The original court’s decision has been upheld. The verdict issued for myself, Mr. Ali Bagheri, and Mr. Abbas Safari has been confirmed without any changes: three years’ prison and 74 lashes, the maximum enforceable punishment (one year of prison and 74 lashes for ‘disrupting public order,’ two years’ prison for spreading falsehoods, and of course Mr. Bagheri also has a sentence of six months’ prison for insulting the armed forces.) The judgment against the other individual convicted – including six of my clients – has been turned into a suspended sentence of five years.”

The court verdict mentions charges of “false and deceitful reports, including those of the murder of Vahid Heidari by armed forces and security forces” as having been entered against some of the defendants, including Mr. Bagheri.

Vahid Heidari died in custody at a police station in Arak on January 5, 2018, just days after he had been arrested in the course of protests then sweeping the country. An informed source tells Abdorrahman Boroumand Center (ABC) that “Deep fractures and protrusions were on his head: they looked like places where he’d been treated in a physically rough way.”

Though officials have denied any connection between Heidari’s arrest and the protests, claiming that he was arrested for drug-related activities, their statements regarding the case have not been consistent.

Those acquainted with Heidari told an ABC researcher: “Mr. Heidari’s family have been pressured severely by security forces to remain quiet about the incident. People who knew Mr. Heidari have testified that he was not an addict or dealer, but rather a healthy, hardworking young man.”

Najafi was one the more than 150 legal experts who signed an open letter to the head of Iran’s judiciary following the winter protests. The legal experts raised illegal treatment of protesters and announced that they would defend arrested protesters pro bono.

Arash Keykhosravi and Payam Derofshan, two other lawyers who signed the letter and had taken on the legal cases of Najafi and others arrested in Arak, have also been arrested. Keykhosravi remains in prison, while Derafshan has been temporarily released on bail.

The post Iranian Court Sentences Whisteblowers in Vahid Heidari Death in Custody Case to Jail Time, Flogging first appeared on ABC blog.

Sadeghi, presently being held at Iran’s Raja’i Shahr Prison, was scheduled for a hospital transfer on October 13. After he was first taken from his cell, authorities initially resolved to return him to a prison ward for resisting ankle shackles and prison clothes. During the course of the transfer, they changed their minds, ultimately sending him to the hospital. The story did not end there, however: while at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini hospital, prison guards beat him for greeting other people.

An eyewitness related the episode to ABC: “A few people, upon seeing Mr. Sadeghi, gave him their greetings and he responded with a hello. At that moment, a soldier chained to Mr. Sadeghi with a metal handcuff protested, saying ‘You’ve coordinated with them to come visit you? You’ve got a heavy charge on you: now you want to come up with a story [to get us into trouble] too?’ Mr. Sadeghi said, ‘My charge has nothing to do with you.’ The guard then punched him in the rib cage. Mr. Sadeghi struck the guard in the foot in response. The guard then twisted Mr. Sadeghi’s cuffed hand, and another agent punched him on the hand which had been operated on. Mr. Sadeghi had just undergone surgery to have a cancerous tumor removed.”

According to this source, individuals then rushed to separate them, telling the guards “[Arash] hasn’t done anything, just said hello to a few people.” The guard then responded: “This doesn’t concern you!” A secretary then came out and told the guards, “This is a hospital! What’s going on with you?” After the incident, an individual who appeared to be the guards’ superior arrived, to whom the guards then related the events. This individual then told Sadeghi: “It’s written on your transfer order than you have no right to visitation! You don’t have the right to say hello!”

The source quotes Sadeghi: “The term ‘visitation’ has no precise definition, and the people here aren’t family members or people close to me that I’d be talking with. Someone said hello and I answered: this doesn’t count as a visitation, and [they] don’t have the right to determine whether someone says hello or not.” When the argument escalated, Sadeghi said “I want to know who gave you the right to beat a prisoner in handcuffs.”

The eyewitness says that Sadeghi demanded in desperation to be returned to prison without seeing a doctor. The doctor and his assistant emerged from the room and asked Sadeghi to accompany them for a consultation.

A family member of a Raja’i Shahr prisoner reports that Sadeghi’s hand which had been operated upon was swollen due to the punching and that Sadeghi’s other hand was affected by bruising and swelling after being twisted in cuffs. Sadeghi has reportedly not filed complaints against the soldiers involved in the incident despite recommendations from some prison officials that he do so.

The post Political Prisoner Arash Sadeghi, under Treatment for Cancer, has been Physically Assaulted by Guards in Hospital first appeared on ABC blog.

Alipour and Ostadqader, two Peshmerga fighters affiliated with the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), were arrested by Ministry of Information operatives on August 7, 2018 on the road between Saqqaz and Bane. For over two months, they have been detained by the Ministry of Information under interrogation in solitary confinement. Their lawyer, Hossein Ahmadiniaz, reports that they have been made to give forced confessions under torture, made statements under pressure, and have yet to be granted access to a lawyer.

Lawyer Ahmadiniaz says that Alipour and Ostadqader have also been deprived of family visits. He says of his clients’ latest situation: “They’re still in solitary confinement in Ministry of Information custody. All the statements which have been obtained from them violate the seventh principle of the Islamic Republic Code of Criminal Procedure: according to this law, an accused person may remain silent until a lawyer is present. Unfortunately, given that these individuals have been tortured, this law has not been followed for them.”

Ahmadiniaz adds that the investigative judge and prosecutor in the case are furthermore not able to order the defendants out of Ministry of Information custody as they are entitled by law.

Ahmadiniaz further described obstacles to his work as a lawyer: “According to the law, lawyers are entitled to certain rights. In practice, however, they lack any sort of power. In particular, with the changes made to the Code of Criminal Procedure and the approval of Article 48, in political and security cases, only lawyers certified by the Judiciary can be present. This is contrary to the principles of fair trial, easy access to a lawyer, and the freedom to choose a lawyer.

The post Kurdish Political Prisoners Houshmand Alipour and Mohammad Ostadqader Are Being Interrogated Illegally without Access to Lawyer, Says Lawyer first appeared on ABC blog.

Sadeqi, who suffers from cancer of the cartilage, had been transferred back to Raja’i Shahr three days following major surgery for a tumor in his arm. He now suffers from a high fever and an infected wound. He was scheduled for a hospital appointment at noon on Saturday, September 22; his late arrival, coordinated by authorities, prevented him from being attended to by specialist doctors. Sadeqi therefore had to meet with a general physician, who said that Sadeqi should have been kept in the hospital at least 25 days after surgery, as doctors had originally ordered. The general physician also stated that a severe infection around the area doctors operated on is attributable to unhygienic conditions and lack of medical attention at Raja’i Shahr.

Besides the Cephalexin antibiotics Sadeqi has taken since surgery, doctors have reportedly prescribed 12 ampules of a strong antibiotic, two of which are to be given to Sadeqi in injection form daily.

The dressing on Sadeqi’s wounds must be changed once daily. Owing to a lack of sterile gauze and bandages in the Raja’i Shahr clinic, Sadeqi has been forced to use bandages already in his possession.

In the four days he spent in hospital, Sadeqi was shackled to his bed in metal hand- and ankle-cuffs. When medical personnel protested such treatment, agents accompanying Sadeqi said that the restraints had been ordered by a Mr. Rostami, prosecutor for political prisoners; Gholam Reza Ziya’i, Raja’i Shahr warden; and Maqsud Zolf’ali, head of Raja’i Shahr’s prison unit. On September 15, just three days after major surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his arm, Sadeqi was transferred back to Raja’i Shahr prison. Doctors also took samples from Sadeqi’s breast bone and underarm where the cancer was suspected to have metastasized; results from these samples are forthcoming.

The post Imprisoned Political Activist Arash Sadeqi Suffering High Fever, Infected Wound at Raja’i Shahr Prison Following Cancer-related Surgery first appeared on ABC blog.