Human Rights Defenders at Risk in Iran

 Sunday, February 22, 2015

Iran has never been an eminent region to be a Human Rights activist, but the situation deteriorated significantly crucial under Rouhani�s cabinet according to the reports.


Civil activists, especially Human Rights activists, are persecuted because of their activity by officials of Iran during the life history of the regime since 1979. 

Human Rights activists have affirmed that Iran is a one of the countries that freedom is highly surrounded, and no opposition is tolerated.

Iran have assigned the highest ranking of the mass arrests of activists, brutal methods of torture, long-term imprisonment, denial of education and occupation, excruciating life in the prisons of nationwide.

Undecided condition and detention of civil activists is the formula that the regime imposes them. Many activists are allegedly captured; too often there is no evident reason.

Torture, beating, mock execution and brutal interrogation are the other norms at the prisons of Iran that most of them are unknown due to weak media and Human Rights organizations. Fractured captives are thrown into solitary confinement and interrogation rooms, where the goal of inquisition through inhuman and cruel methods. Prison conditions are alarming and worrying, as the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, and many NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have upheld.

This report has pointed of some activists who were pursued, persecuted and arrested by the regime of Iran.

 

Mr. Abdolfattah Soltani, a human rights lawyer, was arrested on 16 June 2009 during demonstrations after the presidential election that many voters have believed in fraud election. Mr. Soltani was accused of 18 Years Imprisonment, Exile to Borazjan City and 20 Years denial of Attorney in Revolutionary Court on 2012.

He suffers from heart disease, blood pressure fluctuating and anemia disease, as of yet, he is deprived of receiving effective health care.

 

Mr. Mohammad Seddigh Kaboudvand, a human rights activist and journalist, was arrested on first of July 2007 and sentenced to ten years and six months imprisonment on the charge of acting against national security in Revolutionary Court of Tehran. He suffers from a kidney infection, hypoglycemia and extreme physical weakness due to excruciating life in prison. 

 

Mr. Seyed Mohammad Seyfzadeh, a human rights lawyer, was arrested after unrest of the presidential election in 2009 due to his protests against results of the election. He received eight years imprisonment in Revolutionary Court of Iran. Mr. Seyfzadeh also suffers from kidney disorders and prostate disease.

 

Miss. Negar Haeri, a human rights lawyer, is kept in prison on the charge of legal advice to prisoner's relatives. Negar was reportedly beaten by criminal prisoners who were persuaded by officials of the prison. She is held alongside criminal inmates at women ward of Gharchak prison in Varamin city. She is still in undecided condition, and her temporary detention has been extended several times.

 

Mr. Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah, a human rights lawyer, was arrested with along Maliheh Dadkhah, Sara Sabaghiyan, Bahareh Dawallou and Amir Raeisiyan by Public Security Police of Iran in his office on 8 July 2009. He was convicted to nine years imprisonment, ten years deprivation of attorney practicing, lashes and fine on 2011. Dadkhah has been on the charge of defense of political prisoners, dismissed students, Gonabadi Dervishes, Pastor (Yousef Nadarkhani) who sentenced to death and his human rights activities.

 

Seven of the executives, lawyers and activists of Dervishes rights have been totally convicted to 56 years imprisonment at 15 branch of Revolutionary Court in Tehran. Theses seven Dervishes rights activists who are sentenced, including Hamid-Reza Moradi Sarvestani (webmaster of Majzooban.org) four years and six months imprisonment and four years and six months suspended sentence, Reza Entesari (photojournalist, webmaster of Majzooban.org and Dervishes rights activist) four years and six months imprisonment and three years and six months suspended sentence, and Mostafa Daneshjou (Dervishes lawyer), Farshid Yadollahi (Dervishes lawyer), Amir Eslami (lawyer and webmaster of Majzooban.org), Omid Behrouzi (Dervishes lawyer), Afshin Karampour (juristic) each one of them has been sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment and two years and six months suspended sentence. They have been also deprived of membership in groups, parties and press activity about five years

 

Miss. Mahnaz Mohammadi, a documentary maker and women rights activist, was arrested in her house by Revolutionary Guards officials and taken to Evin prison on 26 June 2011. Mahnaz went to the prison to serve her imprisonment term when she had been convicted to five years prison on the charge of propaganda and collusion against the regime of Iran in Revolutionary Court which chaired by Mohammad Mogheyseh on 7 June 2014.

 

Mr. Reza Shahabi Zakariya, a labor activist and member of Syndicate of Workers of Bus Company, was arrested and taken to prison by officials of the regime of Iran on 12 June 2010. Reza had convicted to six years imprisonment on the charge of propaganda against the regime and acting against national security at 15 branch of Revolutionary Court in Tehran by Judge Salavati after having months in the prison. He had been also twice on hunger strike due to his undecided condition during the detention.

 

Mr. Shahrokh Zamani, a labor activist, was arrested by officials of Intelligence Service of Iran at his workplace in Tabriz city on 2012. After a while, he was totally sentenced to 11 years and six months imprisonment on the charge of collusion and acting against national security and insulting to the Supreme leader of Iran in the Revolutionary Court.

 

Mr. Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, a labor activist, was arrested and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment at 15 ward in the Revolutionary Court that was reduced by the appeal court to five years. He was also sentenced to nine years and six months imprisonment when he had spent his remaining imprisonment term in prison. He suffers from arthritis of the neck, stomach bleeding and severe pain in his gum and ears.

 

Miss. Atena Daemi, a young civil activist, was arrested by the Revolutionary Guards of Iran on 21 Oct 2014. She was taken to solitary confinement in Evin prison during her interrogation. Atena was accused of propaganda against the regime of Iran in the Revolutionary Court which chaired by Judge Mohammad Mogheyse. She is kept in Evin prison since her detention in critical condition because of her heart disease, and it is worth noting that she suffers from skin disorders and poor eyesight due to excruciating daily life and torture in the prison.

 

Mr. Saeed Shirzad, a children labor activist, was arrested in his workplace on 2 June 2014. He had been formerly arrested during the earth-quake of Ahar city in Azerbaijan province on 21 August 2012.  Saeed was exiled to Rajai Shahr due to their hunger strike in order to return their inmates from solitary confinement. The prisoners had protested against compulsory fueled in the prison yard in winter and warm clothes shortage for inmates at ward eight in Evin prison, after the protest, eight of the prisoners were taken to solitary confinement. It should be noted that Saeed had been kept in Evin prison before exile.

 

Mr. Majid Moghadam, a civil activist, was arrested by officials of Revolutionary Guards on 3 Dec 2014. Majid, is one of the victims and detainees in Kahrizak during the uprising after the presidency election in 2009, was accused of propaganda against the regime of Iran, illegal way-out of the borders and lack of Military Service ID.

 

Mr. Arash Sadeghi, a human rights activist, was arrested by officials of Revolutionary Guards in his workplace on 6 Sept 2014. Arash accused of acting against national security, of propaganda against the regime and of Facebook activities and, he is one of the students who were denied education because of his student�s activity.

It is worth noting: Arash�s detention has been frequently extended despite his critical health condition. He has had extremely painful experiences in prison�both psychologically and physically when officials raided his father�s house at 4 am on 30 Oct 2010 in order to arrest him. His mother suffered a fatal heart attack and died as a result of the shock of the raid.

 

Miss. Atena Faraghdani, a civil activist, was arrested by officials of the regime on 12 Sept 2014. After a while, she released on the bail and revealed some details of Evin prison as surveillance cameras in the bathroom hallway. Atena was again summoned to 15 branch of Revolutionary Court wich chaired by Salavati on 10 Jan 2015 and beaten brutally by officials in front of her parents in the courts. She was finally accused of acting against national security, propaganda against the regime of Iran and insulting to parliament members through drawing and thrown into the prison. After a while, she was exiled and kept in Gharchak prison of Varamin city. She has started a hunger strike due to inhumane attitude of the prison officials.

Mr. Asoo Rostami, a teacher and children rights activist, was arrested after the demonstration to support Kobani in the front of UN office in Tehran on 8 Oct 2014.

 

Mr. Omid Alishenas, a civil activist, was arrested after the demonstration to support Kobani in the front of UN office in Tehran on 4 Sept 2014.

 

Miss. Hakimeh Shokri, a women rights activist, was sentenced to three years imprisonment on the charge of propaganda against the regime of Iran and acting against national security in Revolutionary Court which chaired by Mohammad Mogheyseh on 11 April 2012. She was exiled to Gharchak prison from Evin. Hakimeh suffers from poor eyesight and gradually losing her eyesight.

 

Miss. Bahareh Hedayat, a women rights activist, was arrested after unrest of the presidential election on 2009 and sentenced to nine years and six years imprisonment on the charge of propaganda against the regime of Iran and disturbing public order.

 

Miss. Manizheh Sadeghi, a women rights activist, was arrested in her house by Intelligence Service officials in Sanandaj on 26 Nov 2014. She was sentenced to three months and a day imprisonment with no evident reason on 10 Jan 2015. Manizheh suffers from heart disease, high blood pressure and chronic headache.

 

Mr. Mehdi Farahi, a teacher and labor activist, was arrested during the International Workers� Day with along 150 persons on first of May 2010. He had been under pressure and tortured during interrogation in solitary confinement of Evin prison about nine months. Mehdi has been finally convicted to three years imprisonment on the charge of insulting to the Supreme Leader of Iran and disturbing public order at 15 branch in the Revolutionary Court, but, he was sentenced again to another three years imprisonment on the repetitive charge of insulting to Supreme Leader of Iran which prevented him from release.


Mr. Ahmad Asqari, a journalist and student activist, was arrested to serve his imprisonment term by Intelligence Service officials in his house on 13 Jan 2015. He has been convicted to five years while he was released on the bail. Ahmad was reportedly detained twice on 2009 and 2013 due to his activities in Medias such as Karoon, Etemad and Mardomsalari. �I will start a hunger strike if officials not responsible for my situation� as he told his mother through a phone call from eight ward of Evin prison.

 

Mr. Ehsan Akbari, a journalist, was arrested in Tehran on 13 Jan 2015. He is still in undecided condition as temporary detention.

 

Mr. Yaghma Fakhshami, a reporter and poet, was arrested in his house and taken to an unknown place on 24 Dec 2014. There is no any information about his situation.


By:Kaveh Taheri