Shapoor Reshnow, an Iranian civil rights activist, was arrested by security officials after an attack at his house on September 16, whereupon his wife had a miscarriage as a result of fear and anxiety in the attack.

Officials had allegedly attacked at civil rights and labor activists’ houses in the city of Andimeshk, Khuzestan Province in Iran, and detained several activists included Ali-Mohammad Jahangiri, Amir Rahimkhani along with his mother and one of the leaders of the Syndicate of Labors of Haft Tapeh SugarCane Ali Nejati on Wednesday morning on September 16, 2015, HRANA has learned. In addition, Amir Rahimkhani and his mother were released after few days.

Lately, another civil rights activist Ezatollah Jafari was arrested in Andimeshk City, rights groups said.

Another activist Neda Mostaghimi, an Iranian Green Movement activist and a member of the group known as Mothers' Laleh Park (Madaran Park Laleh) was arrested by security officials when she went to the passport office on September 20, 2015. Officials transferred her to Evin Court; she finally released after few hours interrogation by the Court chaired by Judge Nasirpoor, BCR Group has learned. Recently, she was deprived of the rights accessing her basic civil rights for two years. The sentence has been noticed by the Islamic Revolutionary Court’s Associate Prosecutor Ali-Akbar Ansari.

Miss. Mostaghimi was arrested by security officials at her workplace to serve her prison term on 3 May 2015. On 2 Jan 2011, she has been reportedly released on the bail of 100 million Tomans (33,000 $) till the sentence to be met. She was finally pardoned by the Supreme Leader direct order.

Officials, who were equipped with tear gas, had insulted and beaten her in the attack.

Miss. Mostaghimi was previously detained by officials in commemoration of deceased Amir Arshad Tajimehr on Dec 2010. She was taken to the infamous Ward Women (Ward Nesvan) at the Evin prison. Amir Arshad Tajimeh, son of the former TV and Radio presenter Miss. Mahin Shahin Far, was killed during 2009 uprising, agencies reported.

Iran’s authorities have allegedly sentenced her to three years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security” at Branch 28 in the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran chaired by Judge Mohammad Mogheyeseh.

She had an eye surgery operation as a result of an infection caused by prison pollution and medical treatment shortage.

Mr. Ansari (the Court’s Associate Prosecutor) told her “none of our business, do what you can do and find money to live”, when she had said that she got divorced with a nine-year-old girl.

Iran's security forces allegedly arrested at least six student activists on September 16, 2015, HRANA has learned. Officials arrested activists in the cities of Tehran and Karaj on Wednesday, included Hussein Jandaghian, Siyamak Molla-Mohammadi (Zhooan), Kiana (Didar) Karimpoor, Sepehrdad Saheban, Ghazal Moghadam and Mehrban Keshavarzi. They were arrested during the separate attacks at their houses and taken to Evin prison, according to the news. Security forces confiscated their personal belongings such as personal computers and books in the attack. Most of them were allegedly graduated or studied at Khajeh Nasir Toosi University. Kiana (Didar) Karimpoor, Sepehrdad Saheban, Ghazal Moghadam and Mehrban Keshavarzi were allegedly released after a while, reports have mentioned.

Accordingly, Hamed Ghasemi, an Iranian-American, was arrested when he went to Iran for his mother's funeral, HRANA stated. Officials had allegedly detained him for murder referring to Tahereh Ghasemi assassination. As a consequence of the reports, another citizen has been added on the list of four Iranian-American detained in Iran. Iran’s authorities have previously arrested dual citizenships included Jason Rezaian, an American-Iranian journalist employed as The Washington Post Bureau Chief in Tehran, Amir Hekmati, the former United States Marine, and Omid Kokabee, an Iranian experimental laser physicist at the University of Texas at Austin, who has been imprisoned after returning to Iran for a visit.

Iran’s foreign minister Mr. Mohammad Javad Zarif who has led the nuclear negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran for the past 20 months had stated:  “We do not jail people for their opinions.”

President Hassan Rouhani had also promised the release of political prisoners during his presidential campaign in 2013.  And, Rouhani promised a more moderate government with much reform to allow freedom. But, in fact, arrests and executions have escalated under Rouhani by all accounts. More than 1900 execution in the Rouhani presidential period; in the first of six months of this year, more than three execution by gallows per day it means every two hours per day, a defendant was executed in Iran.

Furthermore, President Rouhani gave assurance for many Iranians who had left Iran during the 2009 unrest to return without consequences which was certainly not true; many were arrested, jailed and given stiff sentences upon return.  Esmaeil Gerami Moghadam, Saeed Pourheydar, Majid Moghadam, Hamid Babai, Mostafa Azizi, Sarajedin Mirdamadi, Hussain Nooraninejad, Ghoncheh Ghavami and Roya Nobakht were indeed arrested for their opinions and some upon their return to Iran. 

However, President Rouhani has declared Iran is the territory of security, stability and peace. Hassan Rouhani responds to CBS’s “60minutes” question on the status of freedom of speech in Iran: “I’ve been successful, not 100 percent of course, but successful.” We have been successful moderating freedom at the universities and in the press.

 

By: Kaveh Taheri