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NCRI Human Rights Center Weekly Bulletin
April 09, 2018
Systematic
violations of the right to life
Executions,
arbitrary killings, deaths in custody, and death sentences
Execution
Man
hanged in Maragheh Prison amidst media silence
https://www.hra-news.org/2018/hranews/a-14814/
According
to reports, on the morning of Sunday March 4, a prisoner charged with murder
was hanged in Maragheh Prison. The prisoner was identified as Jalil Khademi.
Khademi was detained in 2014 and was from the town of Marand in East Azarbaijan
Province. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Apr. 6, 2018)
Arbitrary killing
Baluch
man dies in hospital after being shot by security forces
According
to reports, Abdul Wahed Reisi, son of Faghir Mohammad from Sarburgh which is
located in Qasre Qand in Sistan and Baluchestan, who was shot on March 28 by
Sarburgh Base agents, passed away in the hospital. The Baluch man had 10 bags
of rice with him. The agents responsible for the murder have been identified as
Mohammad Saburi, from Zabol, and Rohollah Saburi. State-run media have not
published the incident. The young man who was married, was buried in the
village where he lived on March 30.
(Baluch Activists Campaign – Mar. 30, 2018)
At
least 4 Afghan nationals killed, 14 wounded after security forces open fire on
car in border region
https://www.hra-news.org/2018/hranews/a-14783/
At
least 4 Afghan nationals were killed while 14 others were wounded after
security forces from the Mersad Branch of the Saravan Forces opened fire on a
car carrying Afghan immigrants across the border. The Baluch driver went into a
coma as a result of the severity of his wounds.
The killed and wounded
people were taken to Saravan Hospital and a number of the wounded Afghans are
under medical care in the ICU. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Apr. 3, 2018)
Death sentence
Women
sentenced to death for accidental death of husband
The
retribution sentence for a young woman who killed her husband was confirmed by
the Supreme Court. She was identified by her first name as Mozhgan. She was
initially acquitted of the charge of intentional murder and was sentenced to
paying
“My
husband opened the house door and went towards the stairs but then fell to the
ground. I loved my husband and did not intend to kill him”, Mozhgan said.
The death sentence was
upheld yesterday by the 32nd Branch of the Supreme Court. (ROKNA State-run News
Agency - Dec. 15, 2017)
Execution
of minor offender suffering from mental issues imminent: lawyer
https://iranhr.net/fa/articles/3271/
However,
the 1st Branch of the Lorestan Criminal Court, as a court of first instance,
refused to impose Article 91 of the Islamic Penal Code, and sentenced Mohammad
to death on February 2015.
The
verdict was then overturned in the 31st Branch of the Supreme Court and on
August 28, 2016, was seen to again in the 2nd Branch of the Lorestan Penal
Court. The court once again sentenced Mohammad to death in February 2016, which
was confirmed by the Supreme Court.
“Mr.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the Chairman for the Committee for Foreign Policy and
National Security in Majlis, who also represents Borujerd in the parliament,
wrote a letter, upon the request of the victim’s parents, to the Supreme Court
branch seeing to the case and requested that they pay special attention to the
case to help the victim’s parents”, Mohammad’s lawyer said.
“In
light of the letter and another request from the parliamentarian representative
of the Ministry of Education, who was Mr. Goudarzi at the time, the Supreme
Court did not follow the law and confirmed Mohammad’s sentence”, he added.
“We
appealed for the third time but still have not received a response from the
Supreme Court. In light of our two previous appeals being refused and since the
sentence has been confirmed, we are concerned that the execution can be carried
out at any moment”, Mohammad Agha Khani said.
“Mohammad
needs medical attention and therapy which he has not been considered”, he
added.
Reports
indicate that Mohammad Kalhor, who is now 18, was transferred in late February,
from the correctional facility to the Central Borujerd Prison, which is for
adults. His case was simultaneously sent for implementation. (Human Rights
Organization of Iran – Apr. 3, 2018)
Prison
Prison conditions
Academic
activist still in jail despite making bail
According
to reports, academic activist Mohammad Habibi who was detained in his place of
work on March 3, is still in prison despite a bail order that was issued for
him by Evin Prison’s court on March 17. The bail has been paid in full. The 2nd
Branch of Evin Prison’s court has announced his charges as “gathering and
conspiring with the intent of disrupting national security” and “spreading
propaganda against the government”. Mr. Habibi’s relatives were told that he
would be kept in custody until after the Nowruz holidays. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Mar. 31, 2018)
Report
on deplorable conditions in Gorgan’s Amir Abad Prison
https://www.hra-news.org/2018/hranews/a-14780/
A
number of political prisoners including Ruzbeh Gilasian and Nima Saffar are
serving their prison terms in Amir Abad prison in Gorgan.
The
quarantine of Amir Abad prison has 20 rooms facing each other. The rooms lack
entrance doors and each room has four bunk beds. According to the number of
beds, it can hold 160 prisoners. One room has been allocated to clerics who are
detained for political and nonpolitical reasons…The hygiene of the quarantine
has bene reported as unsuitable. Reports indicate that the drinking water for
prisoners is provided from unsanitary well water which has led to
gastrointestinal and kidney diseases among prisoners.The quarantine also lacks
medical professionals and cases of prescribing wrong medicines have led to
serious health threats for prisoners. There are only two showers, with very
cold water, for all the prisoners in the quarantine. The section does not have
a kitchen or refrigerator and prisoners are fed unhealthy food and do not have
access to dairy products and meat…Reports also indicate that there is only one
phone booth, which is out of service most of the time, which limits prisoners’
access to their families and loved ones.
The
guards’ treatment of prisoners has also been described as very violent and
reports indicate that prison officials do not hesitate to use violence and beat
prisoners.
The
ventilation system is faulty and prisoners usually breathe in dusty air. (Human
Rights Activists in Iran – Apr. 2, 2018)
Political
prisoners kept in prison for more than 1,200 days in state of limbo in Sistan
and Baluchestan
According
to reports, 10 detainees from Nasirabad in Sistan and Baluchistan Province have
still not received their final verdicts and are kept in a state of limbo in
prison despite promises from officials that they would soon be released on
bail.
The
prisoners were tried on charges of “acting against national security” but there
is no information on the details of their cases. The detained men had told
their families that they were tortured to make dictated confessions. (Baluch
Activists Campaign – Apr. 1, 2018)
Report
on condition of political prisoners in Orumieh Prison
http://www.kurdpa.net/farsi/idame/72746
Political
prisoners who are detained in Section 12 in the Central Orumieh Prison are kept
in unsuitable conditions. Political prisoners Osman Mostafapour, Hedayat
Abdollahpour, Amir Peighami, Ali Arasteh, Azad Mohammadi and Saeed Sangar are
held in Unit 5 while Ibrahim Isapour, Saman Nasim, Moloud Yazdanpanah, Keivan
Mostafapour along with prisoners from other Kurdistan regions are kept in Unit
3.
According to an informed source from Orumieh Prison, according to the law all prison facilities should be provided in the political prisoners’ section but the door to the political prisoner’s hall is always locked.
According to an informed source from Orumieh Prison, according to the law all prison facilities should be provided in the political prisoners’ section but the door to the political prisoner’s hall is always locked.
“Only
one hour is devoted to political prisoners for exercising on Mondays and
Wednesdays. Political prisoners are only allowed one hour to shower on
Thursdays. Prison officials open the doors of Halls 9, 10 and 11, where
prisoners with drug addiction, HIV and skin diseases are kept, so they can mix
with political prisoners who can contract their diseases”.
According
to the informed source, the prisoners are deprived from healthy food and are
forced to pay for their own food.
“Political prisoners are
forced to shower with cold water in winter and in summer, prison officials cut
off the cold water and they’re forced to shower with hot water”, the source
added. (Kurdpa – Apr. 4, 2018)
Kurd
political activist detained to serve prison term
https://www.hra-news.org/2018/hranews/a-14789/
Hunger
striking political prisoner transferred to hospital in critical condition
Golrokh
Iraie was transferred to the hospital yesterday on April 3 on her 60th day of
hunger strike due to her deteriorating health as a result of gallbladder damage
and persistent vomiting of bile.
Mrs.
Iraie has lost more than 20kg and her ability to walk.
Atena
Daemi and Golrokh Iraie are two activists who went on hunger strike in prison
in protest to being violently transferred to Qarchak Prison from Evin Prison. A
source close to Golrokh’s family said that the Iraie family were extremely
concerned for their daughter.
“They do not know her
exact condition and do not even know which hospital she was transferred to and
when she will be released”, the source added. (Human Rights Activists in Iran –
Apr. 4, 2018)
At
least 160 demonstrations protesting state TV’s discrimination against Iranian
Arabs detained by security forces
https://www.hra-news.org/2018/hranews/a-14799/
Security forces, police
and intelligence agents attacked protesters in many instances or used tear gas.
Arab human rights activists have reported that since the start of the
demonstrations in various cities in Khuzestan, more than 160 people have been
arrested. Some of the detainees are under 20 years of age. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Apr. 5, 2018)
Political
prisoner on 34th day of hunger strike in protest to fresh air, visits, and
telephone ban
Arjang
Davoudi, who has been in quarantine during this time, has been banned from
fresh air, visits, telephone calls and a healthy diet needed for his ailments.
The
letter reads in part: “It has been 34 days that I have been on a hunger strike
only because I want a bit of air and sunshine which I have been inhumanely deprived
of since July 26, 2017 in Zabol and Zahedan prisons. This shameless and
prolonged harassment, in addition to exacerbating my heart disease and
diabetes, has affected my eyesight.
Since
January 18, after being transferred to Zahedan Prison once again, I became very
ill because I was being kept in a small solitary cell in the quarantine and I
have been banned from visits, making telephones, and communicating with other
prisoners. I have been banned from fresh air, walking, reading books,
television, providing my required medicine and food suitable for my ailments”.
(Daneshju Online – Apr. 5, 2018)
Political
prisoner denied medical treatment
https://humanrightsiniran.com/1397/53554/
Political
prisoner Arash Sadeghi, has been deprived of specialist medical treatment for a
year due to intervention from the Revolutionary Guards Corps. Reports also
indicate that during the past few months, he has suffered physical and mental
pressure in Rajaie Shahr Prison.
Due
to a prolonged hunger strike, Sadeghi needs a healthy diet, but the quality of
food at Rajaie Shahr Prison is horrific and this has aggravated his digestive
problems.The hunger strike of his wife, political prisoner Golrokh Iraie in
Qarchak Prison, has also added to the mental pressure already on him in prison.
Golrokh
went on hunger strike in protest to her illegal transfer to Qarchak Prison,
requesting that she be sent back to Evin Prison. More than 50 days after her
hunger strike, officials still refuse to meet her request.
Arash
Sadeghi, a political activist who was expelled from Allameh Tabatabaie
University, and his wife Golrokh Iraie, were arrested on September 6, 2014 by
agents of the IRGC Sarallah Base. Arash was sentenced to 15 years of prison on
charges of “gathering and conspiring against the system, insulting the founder
of the Islamic Republic, spreading propaganda against the government and
forming illegal groups” by the 15th Branch of the Revolutionary Court on
December 22, 2017 while Golrokh was sentenced to six years of prison on charges
of “blasphemy and spreading propaganda against the government”. Another four
years from a previous case was also added to Arash’s sentence making it 19
years of prison. (Human Rights in Iran – Apr. 3, 2018)
Ailing
political prisoner in critical condition
Zeinab
Jalalian, a Kurd political prisoner who has been sentenced to life in prison
and is detained in Khoy Prison, has lost the ability to eat for the past few
days due to a digestive problem. Her medicine strike has also led to her
deteriorating health. According to a close source, due to the fact that she was
deprived of medical treatment for the past few years in prison, a number of
doctors Zeinab talked to said that in light of her symptoms, she could be
suffering from foot and mouth disease. Prior to this, her father had expressed
concern over her eye problems and her overall health. “It’s not just her eyes. It’s
been years that we have talked to authorities, gave interviews and told them
that she has problems in her eye, in her intestines and digestive system and
needs treatment. It’s been years that she has been suffering in prison and no
one pays attention”, Ali Jalalian, the father of the Kurd political prisoner
said.
Zainab
Jalalian, born in 1982, has been in prison since 2008. She has been sentenced
to life in prison and is detained in Khoy Prison located in East Azarbaijan
Province. Jalalian has been denied a prison furlough for more than 10
years. (Human Rights Monitor – Apr. 6,
2018)
Arbitrary
arrests
Social arrests
Kurd
man detained for visiting gravesite of Kurd leader
Reports
indicate that on Thursday March 29, intelligence agents confiscated the
documents
of a car belonging to a Kurd citizen identified as Behzad Khezri from Mahabad,
and subsequently summoned and detained him.
According
to an informed source, the Kurd man was arrested for visiting the gravesite of
Kurd leader, Qazi Mohammad. Other reports indicate that a number of other Kurd
citizens who had visited the Kurd leader’s gravesite were also detained but
their identities are still not known. Kurdistan civil rights and political
activists had organized a campaign on the 71st anniversary of the death of Qazi
Mohammad, who was executed by the Shah, which involves visiting his
gravesite. (Kurdpa – Apr. 1, 2018)
More
than 100 demonstrators detained amidst internet blackout in southern Iran
More
than 100 demonstrators protesting discrimination against Arab Iranians on
state-run television were detained during gatherings in southern Iran. There is
still no news on their whereabouts. According to other reports, from 9 pm on
Friday March 30, the internet was completely cut off in some cities in
Khuzestan. (Daneshju Online – Mar. 31,
2018)
Ahwaz
sugarcane company workers summoned and detained for peacefully protesting
rights
https://www.hra-news.org/2018/hranews/a-14769/
Summonses
were issued for about 20 Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Company workers following a
gathering outside of the governorate on March 28 in Ahwaz. The summons said
that the workers had to present themselves to the Shush Prosecutor’s Office at
9 am on Saturday March 31. The workers who went to the Office on March 31 were
told that it was closed for the holidays. According to reports, at 1pm on the
same day, security forces came to the Sugarcane Company with arrest warrants
for the workers and detained a number of them. The forces then went to the homes of the other
workers to detain them. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Mar. 31, 2018)
43
people charged in Iran’s Kermanshah Province for protesting against the state
Forty-three
people have been charged for protesting against the government in Kermanshah,
the capital of Kermanshah Province in western Iran, in early January 2018. The province’s Chief
Prosecutor Mohammad Hossein Sadeghi told reporters on March 28 that many of the
protesters had acted “emotionally” and under the influence of social media when
they expressed frustration with the country’s economic problems. Those who were arrested
“broke the norms,” added Sagehi, indirectly referencing those who shouted
slogans against the government and destroyed public property. “The lack of
sufficient progress should not become an excuse for some to undermine security
by rioting and creating chaos,” he said.
At
least 30 people were killed and more than 4000 arrested during the week-long,
nationwide protests that began in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad on
December 28, 2018…
The
announcement of the charges in Kermanshah comes on the heels of the news on
March 1 that cases had been opened against 41 Tehran University students for
allegedly participating in protests in the capital city in early January.
“What
we can do in terms of helping these students with their problem is to have
talks with our dear colleagues in the judiciary so that they may treat them
with the highest degree of Islamic mercy and that’s what’s being done right
now,” said the university’s Deputy Chancellor for Cultural Affairs Majid
Sarsangi.
In
January 2018, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) published an in-depth
report on the attempts by Iranian state forces to repress the protests by
blocking access to social media throughout the country.
“During
the unrest that swept through Iran on the eve of 2018, the authorities
implemented major disruptions to internet access through slowdowns and the
blocking of circumvention tools, blocked the Instagram social media platform
and the Telegram messaging app heavily used by the protesters to mobilize the
street protests, and briefly cut off Iranians’ access to the global internet on
December 30, 2017, demonstrating a new level of technical sophistication,” said
CHRI in its report. (Iran Human Rights Organization – Mar. 30, 2018)
Basic
freedom and rights abused
National
Security official says Telegram will be filtered by late April
https://www.mehrnews.com/news/4260817
The
Chairman for the Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security in Majlis
said that Telegram would be replaced by a similar domestic platform.
“I
think this will happen at least by late April”, Alaeddin Boroujerdi said adding
that the decision was made at the “highest level”.
“This
issue is important for us in terms of national security in light of the
destructive role that Telegram played in the crises of the last (Persian) year.
We have also reached the ability in cyberspace to define a national platform;
such as Surosh and other capacities”, he added. "The number of subscribers
on Surosh may be 3 million, while the number of subscribers on Telegram is 40
million, but when Telegram is out of circulation, people will turn to the
national platform”, Boroujerdi said. (Mehr state-run News Agency – Mar. 31,
2018)
Bushehr
Friday Prayer Imam says music is haram
http://khabarone.ir/news/15443022
A
sermon by Hassan Mosleh, the Friday Prayer Imam of the town of Borazjan in
Bushehr was published in the local Khabar-e Junoob newspaper which indicates
that he is fundamentally against music.
"In
our hadiths and traditions, there are numerous disadvantages to listening to
music”, he said.
“Some
of the most important of these damages include nerve imbalance, insanity, a
short lifespan, nerve weakness, hypertension, and depression”, Hassan Mosleh
said.
“(Music)
is also an element of prostitution and crime, and causes hearing problems,
weakness in eyesight to the extent of blindness, losing the ability to think,
loss of willpower, losing one’s zeal, sudden death, hypocrisy, loss of life’s
blessings, and leads to becoming cruel and a time waster”, he added.
According
to him, only music for funerals, military marches and cymbals are not
forbidden. (Khabar Online state-run Website – Apr. 5, 2018)
Singer
says his Tehran home was seized by judge behind 1988 massacre of political
prisoners
Danger
of hepatitis A and cholera outbreak in Khuzestan due to drought
https://www.isna.ir/news/97011503849
Referring
to the observation of several cases of hepatitis A in Khuzestan Province, the
head of the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences warned about the
effects of water shortages and droughts on the spread of diseases, especially
waterborne diseases. "The monitoring of drinking
water and food security are among the duties of the University of Medical
Sciences, and in light of current conditions, we will probably face problems”,
Dr. Iraj Nazari said.
"Currently,
there are reports of hepatitis A in Ahvaz and several other cities in the
province of Khuzestan. Also, cholera, with its peak in the first 9 months of
the year, can be aggravated by water shortages”, he added referring to
waterborne diseases.
(ISNA state-run News Agency – Apr. 4, 2018)
Children
in Sistan and Baluchistan deprived of education
https://www.radiozamaneh.com/388877
The
governor of a town in Sistan and Baluchestan Province says the majority of
those deprived of education do not have identification documents.
Homeira
Rigi, the Governor of Qasre Qand who is the first female governor of Iran,
talked to ILNA about the high percentage of children and teenagers deprived of
education in the province. "A high percentage of those who have been
deprived of education do not have birth certificates and identification
documents. Some of them are Iranians who have not been able to attain these
documents due to economic problems and cultural issues and some are foreign
nationals who share a border with Sistan and Baluchistan and live here. Their
children are born in Iran. And others marry Iranian women and their children do
not have a nationality”, she said.
However, not having an ID is not the only problem of educationally deprived children. According to Rigi, the low age of marriage among girls is one of the reasons for their dropout. Livelihood issues and poverty are another reason why children are deprived of education.
However, not having an ID is not the only problem of educationally deprived children. According to Rigi, the low age of marriage among girls is one of the reasons for their dropout. Livelihood issues and poverty are another reason why children are deprived of education.
The
Governor also said that the unavailability of educational centers for deprived
children was yet another reason these children did not attend school.
In
June 2017, Alireza Nakhi, the Director General of Education in Sistan and
Baluchestan said that 169,000 children had been identified in the province who
are in need of education. (Radio Zamaneh, ILNA state-run News Agency – Apr. 2,
2018)
Majlis
representative says child marriages prevalent in northwestern Iran
http://www.farsnews.com/13970113000429
Shabestar's
Representative in Majlis said that the plan to increase the age of marriage was
to be looked into after the Nowruz holiday.
Masoumeh Aghapour Alishahi, said that the more villages were deprived in
terms of education, culture and welfare, the more children were forced into
marriage. “Unfortunately, these kinds of marriages are more prevalent in
northwestern provinces in the country”, she added.
Alishahi
criticized the fact that in some cities, girls were traditionally married at
the ages of 13 to 15.
“Unfortunately,
most of these marriages lead to divorce and in most cases, the children have
children of their own and this is a big problem”, the Majlis representative
said.
"Girls
who are married at a very young age suffer from low self-esteem and severe
psychological problems. Some of them get very involved in their new lives and
some get divorced, according to which, the number of child widows is also on
the rise”, Alishahi said. (Fars state-run News Agency – Apr. 1, 2018)
International
wetlands in Iran in danger of disappearing
https://www.mehrnews.com/news/4261293
The
Director General of the Social and Cultural Affairs of Golestan Governorate
expressed concern over the state of international wetlands in Golestan
Province.
“In the last few weeks
of last (Persian) year, we visited the two wetlands of Alagol and Almagol and
our field observations indicated that the wetlands in this province were drying
out”, he said: Environment researcher and
expert Ramezan Ali Ghaemi said that two thirds of the Gomeishan wetland had
dried out and described it as being in critical state.
“The
main reason for this is the nonstandard canalization of the Gomeishan wetlands
which was approved by the Environmental Organization in previous years”, he
said.
"In less than a
decade, many licenses have been issued for the development of aquaculture in
the region, and two large canals (input and output) have been built. Even the
remaining water of the output canals are streaming in the wetlands and with the
decrease of the water in the Caspian Sea, the canals act like drains and
quickly erode the lagoons”, the university professor added. (Mehr state-run
News Agency – Apr. 3, 2018)
Erosion
of Iran’s wetlands lead to more sand storms in drier regions, health
issues
https://www.mehrnews.com/news/4261317
Overuse
of agricultural irrigation endangers Lorestan river
https://www.isna.ir/news/97011202503
The
Madian River is used for irrigating the famous fig groves in the Zivdar region
in Poldokhtar.
“Although
in the past 10 years, no permit has been issued by the regional water company
for using the water of Madian River, unfortunately, since 2011 until now, the area
of the fig groves have grown about twice as large as before without
authorization and this has made the irrigation of the older groves extremely
difficult”, Dr. Reza Mirzaie said…
“The
state of the river is very disturbing and it is predicted that in June this
year its irrigational properties would reach zero percent and that it would
completely dry out”, he added. (ISNA
state-run News Agency- Apr. 1, 2018)
Gulf
dries out in Mazandaran
https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/media/1397/01/14/1689377
Galogah
is the easternmost town in Mazandaran, located near the Gulf of Gorgan.
Like the other two
coastal cities of Bandar-e Turkmen and Bandar-e Gaz, Galogah has also been
affected by changing climate conditions and human factors and its water has
greatly subsided. The recession has been greatly accelerated by human
intervention. Water abstraction and the decrease of water input, failure to
dredge canals leading to the Gulf along with decreasing humidity levels and
increasing evaporation as a result of greenhouse gases from the activities of
the Neka Power Plant, have turned the current state of Gorgan Gulf like that of
Orumieh Lake. (Tasnim state-run News
Agency – Apr. 3, 2018)
Religious
and ethnic minorities
Council
member thrown out of Yazd City Council for being Zoroastrian
Apparently,
Sepanta Niknam’s dismissal from the Yazd City Council is only because he is a
Zoroastrian and has been finalized upon the decision of the Guardian Council
and the silence of the Expediency Council. (Radio Zamaneh – Apr. 4, 2018)
Violence
against women
Report
of state of child marriages in Iran
http://aftabnews.ir/fa/news/516239
According
to the Association for the Protection of the Rights of the Child in Iran, the
number of girls who were married under the age of 15 has risen from 33,000 in
2006 to 43,000 in 2009, which shows a 30% increase in just three years. This is
while only in 2015, close to 13,000 children were divorced. Official Iranian
government statistics indicate that tens of thousands of girls and boys under
the age of 15 are being forced into marriage by their families annually.
However, the actual numbers are higher because many families in Iran do not
register or informally register child marriages…Majlis representative Tayebeh
Siavoshi, who is also a member of the women’s parliamentary faction, said that
Majlis had looked into the issue of child marriages in the parliament.
“The issue of child
marriage has been brought up in Majlis from about a year ago but due to
opposing paradigms, we still have not been able to reach a definite result”,
she said. (Aftab state-run Website - Apr. 1, 2018)
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