The following conducted report by HRANA has mentioned the human rights situation across Iran in 2016;

Ethnic Rights

According to the HRANA statistics unit, 113 human rights violations cases reported in 2016 that at least 366 citizens have been arrested. Further, at least 70 detainees were sentenced to 996 months in prison, 276 months suspended prison term, and 4105 lashes in the courts. In the total 113 cases, 99 human rights violations have been reported for at least 554 people. The arbitrary arrests of ethnic minorities have been risen by 8% in 2016 compared to 2015 statistics and reports, and court sentences were risen by 95%.

Religious Rights

 

In the religious minorities' category, at least 90 citizens have been arrested, nine people were beaten, three religious places were closed, 195 economic activities deprivation reported, 49 summon cases, 49 cases of education deprivation. The judiciary department totally issued 4968 months prison terms for 52 people of the religious minorities' community. The reports indicated that 97 human rights abuse cases occurred against at least 795 citizens. In the field of the rights of religious minorities, the Baha'Is with a 38% share of human rights abuses reports, and Sunnis, Christians, Dervishes, Yarsans respectively with 36%, 10%, 8%, 6% are on the top of diagram of monitoring.

The arrests of religious minorities have been decreased by 28%, however, the court sentences were risen by 24%. The monthly religious rights violations cases in 2016 have fallen 12% over 2015.

The report has mentioned certain issues on Baha'I community abuses including at least 96 arrests of Baha'I citizens, nine trials in the Islamic Republic of Iran's courts, closing at least 140 Baha'I-owned shops, deprivation of education and burial, BCR Group quoting Baha'I News agency.

At least 96 citizens have been arrested by security forces in several cities across the country in 2016 for their belief in the Baha'I faith. In addition, 12 imprisoned Baha'I citizens were granted furlough in the past year.

According to the news, nine trial sessions was held at the regime's court whereupon many of the citizens were sentenced to heavy sentences for ambiguous charges. At least 140 shops were closed in several cities owned by Iranian citizens of Baha'I faith. At least 129 university entrance examination applicants have been refused in Iran because of the Baha'I faith of the applicant. The authorities banned several Baha'I families to bury their beloved ones in their own cemetery.

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Freedom of Speech

 

In 2016, 561 freedom of expression reports have been disclosed, and 155 internet censorship cases on social media, 25 seizures of publications, three deliberate disturbing internet network, 242 arrests, 215 beating cases, 36 threatening cases, and 335 summon cases by the Islamic Republic of Iran's security organizations were confirmed.

Job Security

At least 87 reports have been received including 45 arbitrary arrest, 5,837 closing shop, confirmed rights groups. In addition, five citizens sentenced to 195 months in prison for vague charges. In this category, 11,610 individuals have been subjected to human rights violations. The rate of arrest in the job security category has been risen by 58%, and prison term sentences were increased by 66%.

Academic Rights

According to reports, 47 human rights abuses have been recorded including 39 arbitrary arrests, 169 summons, and seven expulsion cases. The reports indicated that 17 human rights abuse cases occurred against at least 1,619 academics and students. Academic rights violations have been increased by 100%, arbitrary arrests were risen by 90%.

The Right of Life (Execution)

In 2016, at least 300 reports have been recorded including 457 death penalty sentences and 508 executions, 500 men and eight women, which 32 executions of them were occurred in public. 59% of the executed persons were allegedly sentenced to death for drugs-related crimes, 27% for murdering, 6% for rape, and 4% for security-political charges.

From the total 300 reports, 301 violations for 971 citizens were recorded.

In examining issuing and executing death penalty in courts across the country based on crime, drugs-related crimes stand at the first place with 59% and murder is the second with 27%.

Alborz province with two main and populated prison in the country has the first place with 32%, the second is West Azerbaijan with 12%, and Razavi Khorasan holds the third place in executing death penalty.

Rajai Shahr prison and Urmieh Central Prison stand at the top in executions in the country.

According to statistics, 6% of executions are carried out in public.

2% of the executed were women, 62% men, and gender of 36% is unknown. Executing women has been doubled comparing to 2015.

Fars province holds the first place in execution with 23% of the whole public executions in the country.

During the last year, 81% of the executions have been carried out in secret or without announcing in the media.

Executions have been decreased by 22% comparing to 2015. Issuing death penalty has been also decreased by 14%. The number of executions in public have also been decreased by 20% compared to 2015.

Monthly executions have been decreased by 4% compared to last year, and the most rise in the number of executions have been reported in August and the greatest decline was reported in February and March.

Cultural Rights

In this field, 96 reports of human rights violations were recorded including an arrest, 2 people sentenced to 108 months in prison, 12 months suspended sentence, and $12,000 USD fine, 834 prevention of artistic productions release have been reported, 30 people have been deprived of attending lectures or concerts were cancelled, four historical places have been destroyed and two places were being neglected of rebuilding. The arbitrary arrest rate has been increased by 100%, and judicial decisions were risen by 100%.

Laborers Rights

In 2016, 637 laborer rights abuse cases have been reported including 118 arbitrary arrests, 14,813 laborers have been expelled, and dozens of workers have not received their wages for totally 810 months. At least 1,117,870 individuals have been laid off, 7,802 workers have been died due to unsafe workplace conditions, and 989 people were injured. 117,386 laborer cases have been reportedly deprived of insurance, 4,324 workers are in an undecided situation, and 53 workers have been summoned by security forces. 60 laborers totally have been sentenced to 962 months in prison, 64 months suspended sentence, and 2700 lashes. 167,983 people have been subjected of human rights abuses in this category, and arbitrary arrest of citizens have been risen by 88%, and prison term sentences were increased by 52%.

Children Rights

At least 228 cases were received in this category that 13,621 child abuse cases have been recorded, 32 cases of child trafficking, 15 rape cases, 155,902 malnutrition cases, 9,823 child laborer cases, 395,436 cases of educational services deprivation,

Women Rights

In this field, at least 65,964 women have been subjected of domestic violence, at least 18 acid-throwing cases were reported, and 41 killing of honor cases also were recorded. From the total 163 reports, 128 violations for 39,297 citizens were recorded. The arbitrary arrest in this category have been decreased by 86% compared to 2015.

Prisoners

In this category, from the total 657 reports, 55 prisoners have been beaten, 208 medical care deprivation cases, 314 cases of transferring to solitary confinements, 155 hunger strike cases, 131 exile cases, 467 threaten cases, 13 ill-related death cases, six lacking of lawyer cases, 6,333 cases of keeping at inappropriate locations, 252 deprivation of relatives meeting cases, 244 undecided situation cases, and three torture cases were recorded. From the total 657 reports in the category, 845 violations for 8,491 citizens were reported.

 

Sentences

In 2016, Iran's judiciary authorities issued 13,501 months prison-term sentences and 772 months suspended sentences that 195 months prison-term are related to trade section, 996 months prison-term and 276 months suspended sentences for ethnic minorities, 4,968 months prison-term for religious minorities, 6,380 months prison-term and 432 months suspended sentences for freedom of speech section, 962 months prison-term and 64 months suspended sentences are for laborer section.

In addition, the citizens have been sentenced to more than $377,5000 USD fine and at least 19,587 lashes.

In the last year, verdicts and sentences against citizens have been reportedly increased by 20%.

Arrests

Iran security forces arrested at least 2,467 citizens on the vague charges because of civil and political activism. The number of arbitrary arrests has been increased by 48%.     

 

Translated by: Kaveh Taheri

Photos Credits by Google.