This is the third case that has been filed against him in court.
He was tried for insulting the Supreme Leader today. He is currently serving his sentence for his previous cases.
Lawyer Says U.S. Citizens’ Release By Iran Delayed
The lawyer for two American citizens detained in Iran on espionage charges said today that their release could be delayed until September 20.
Lawyer Masud Shafiei said he was seeking a signature from a judge in the case, who is to be back from vacation on September 20, to secure the freedom of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal.
Eearlier in the day, an Iraqi envoy said the release could be timed to help improve Iran’s standing as President Mahmud Ahmadinejad prepares to fly to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
“I expect that, God willing, over the next day or two, before the visit of Dr. Ahmadinejad to New York, that they will be freed,” Nazem Dabbagh told Reuters.
The comments come after Iraqi President Jalal Talabani helped to negotiate their release with Iranian officials.
Twenty-eight-year-old Bauer and Fattal, 29, were last month sentenced to eight years in prison. They had been found guilty of espionage and entering the country illegally after being arrested on the border with Iraq in 2009.
Ahmadinejad last week pledged the “immediate” release of the men, but Iran’s hard-line judiciary challenged his statement, saying they were ultimately responsible for the decision.
Iranian regime bans women from house ownership
A woman cannot own a house from the Mehr Housing Company and her husband’s name has to be registered on the house ownership papers. This is while married women were able to request to become the owner of the Mehr Housing [more than single women in the past].
In the past few weeks, many female applicants have been able to register to receive Mehr Housing but they have been faced with new reports that they have to register their homes in their husband’s names…
According to reports from the Pardis Construction Company, a large number of female applicants who had gone through many hardships to save money and transfer it to the Housing bank account, complained about this issue and even expressed their dissatisfaction to the CEO of the Mehr Housing and Pardis Construction Company. (ILNA state-run News Agency, Asre Iran state-run website – Sep. 14, 2011)
Baha’i student Expelled from University
Ava Tavakoli, a student of Hormozgan University and a Baha’i resident of Bandar-Abbas, has been expelled due to her faith after 4 semesters.
According to the Human Rights House of Iran, she was verbally told that she has been expelled due to her faith by the officials of the University Admission Organization. The written letter will be sent to her college. She will not receive the expulsion document herself but her account for class registration will be deactivated.
Incarcerated Civil Rights Activists on Hunger Strike in Tabriz
The security forces had arrested 30 people at the house of Mostafa Avazpour during the Iftar ceremony.
Currently, 15 individuals were sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment and 4 months in prison in a court in the absence of their lawyers. The status of 15 others is unknown.
Abdollah Sadoughi’s brother stated that he has been on hunger strike since his detainment and has been transferred to prison clinic after stomach bleeding.
At least 2 other detainees are on hunger strike. Attroney Mousa Barzin Khalifehlou and Mehdi Hamidi Shafagh are the hunger strikers.
Shafagh’s brother stated that they have not been able to talk to him directly but other prisoners have informed them that he is on hungers trike.
Jamshid Zarei, Taghi Salahshour and Vahid Sheikh-beglou are currently held in Intelligence Ministry and there have been no reports as to their condition.
violence forced upon Dervishes in Fars province by Iran government forces and illegal arrest of atto
Inside of Iran – Following the violence forced upon Dervishes in the province of Fars by government forces of Iran and the illegal arrest of their attorneys is still ongoing at this moment.
Additional reports of the last few days:
Ibrahim Fazli, one of the injured Sufi dervishes who were shot directly by the security forces upon entering the town of Kavar was taken to hospital. After receiving quick treatment, he was taken to an unknown location by the intelligence service. He is now transferred to Rajai hospital in Shiraz once more.
It is worth mentioning that because of his shot wounds he needs special care and concerns over his health are growing.
Other dervishes were transferred from hospital to unknown location:
Mohammad Aly Saadi, Asqhar Karimi, Ibrahim Fazli and vahid Banani were all directly shot at by the security forces on 4th September.
They were all severely injured and unfortunately Vahid Banani lost his life 6th September due to the injuries.
At 8 pm on Tuesday 13th September, Mohammad Ali Saadi and Asqhar Karimi, who both suffer from serious injuries due to the incidents that took place in Kavar, were taken from the Rajai hospital to an unknown location by civil cloth agents.
Farzad Darvish is another one of those arrested in recent days:
On 11th September, civil cloth agents and security forces raided the home of Farzad Darvish in the city of Sarvestan and without any juridical paper arrested him. He was also taken to an unknown location.
Mrs. Farzaneh Noori, one of the Sufi dervishes in the city of Shiraz and the mother of one of the administrators of the news site “Majzooban noor” was taken from her home by civil cloth agents and security forces without any legal papers and she too was taken to an unknown place.
Farhad Noori’s son said: “The government agents came to our house in the middle of the night of 11th September and after vandalizing our house, they arrested my mother without any legal papers and confiscated our books, our pictures of Sufi masters and my computer.
He continued: “Unfortunately, my mother has not contacted us yet and we don’t even know where she was taken to, but it seems as if the intelligence service of Shiraz in the division of “Pelak 100” is behind the arrest. My mother was also injured during the destruction of the Sufi gathering place in the city of Qom in 2006 where approximately 1500 dervishes were arrested at the same time.”
Injured dervishes are denied their health insurance:
The Dervishes who were injured from the bullets of the security forces were denied their health insurance. Injured dervishes by the recent shootings when taken to Rajai hospital in Shiraz for surgery were denied their health insurance. The hospital refused to approve their health insurance due to the pressure from the government agents.
Another lawyer of the dervishes was arrested:
Farshid Yadollahi Farsi, one of the lawyers of dervishes, was arrested on Sunday 11th September and moved to an unknown location.
Atefeh Amiri, wife of Farshid Yadollahi says about the arresting of her husband: “On Saturday 19:00 civilian cloth agents climbed the walls of the house of my husband’s relatives where we were guests. Afterwards they broke the front door and entered. Beating my husband, they put handcuffs on him and by threats and violence they took some other persons. They turned the house upside down and confiscated their laptop, identity cards, mobile phones, books and pictures. Until now, I have not heard anything from my husband and I have no clue where he is held and no one is answering my questions.”
Atefeh Amiri continued: “Mr. Yadollahi was one of the lawyers who took the case of the destruction of the Sufi gathering place in the city of Qom and because of this he was arrested and sentenced. He was also sentenced to 6 month in prison after defending the rights of dervishes in the island of Kish who were forced to close down their gathering place and many of them were arrested without any charges. He also represented dervishes in other cities as well.”
It is important to mention that until now, the location where Farshid Yadollahi and Mrs Farzaneh Noori are being held is not known.
A number of Dervishes were released on bail:
On Saturday 10th September, 14 of the arrested Dervishes were released on bail from the Adel Abad prison in Shiraz.
11 more dervishes detained in the Adel Abad prison were also set to be released on bail which they have not paid. Also there is no information on Hossein Veis Qoly, Khosrow Dorry, Hossein Asadi, Majid Motaqian.
The released Dervishes on bail are:
Said Karimian, Karaj. Abbas Haqverdy, Karaj. Masod Ahmady, Karaj. Nemat Kazemi, Karaj. Asqhar Zarei, Karaj. Akbar Ahmadi, Najafabad. Ahmad Reza Heidary, Najafabad.
Mahdi Azizi, Najafabad. Mohamad Mosavi, Najafabad. Mansor Parva, Yasoj. Esfandyar Mohamadi Zadeh, Yasoj. Mohamad Keshavarzi, Noorabad. Pejman Kashefi, Abadeh. Salar Parhizkar, Shiraz.
Dervishes set to be released on bail but are still in prison:
Hojat Vali Zadeh, Sarvestan, bail 20 million Toman bail (approximately 13596 Euros). Yadollah Parsayan, Noorabad, bail 13596 Euros. Kazem Hossein Zadeh, Noorabad, bail 13596 Euros. Abbas Pour Rostam, Kazeron, bail 13596 Euros. Aly Asqhari Saadi, Sarvestan, bail 13596 Euros. Aly Reza Saadi, Sarvestan, bail 3399 Euros. Davood Mehrad, Karaj, bail 3399 Euros. Iman Karami, Shiraz, bail 3399 Euros. Mohamad Reza Rezai, Eslamshahr, bail 3399 Euros. Hekmatollah Naderi, Shahr Kord, bail 3399 Euros. Mahram Aly Jalil Khalife, Karaj, bail 3399 Euros.
According to recent reports, the Lawyers of the dervishes who are themselves arrested are detained in division 5 of Evin prison and their case is being processed.
The lawyers who have been arrested and transferred to Evin prison in Tehran are under psychological and physical torture.
Yasser Jalali Amlashi says about the latest legal status of Sufi prisoners:
Until this day, 14th September, we have no clear information about the legal status or health conditions of the Dervishes. Only due to the follow ups done by me and my colleagues Mr.
Said Qolamian and Dr. Harsini, we have been able to exchange our law license for the cases of some of the dervishes who are, Hamidreza Moradi Sarvestani, Reza Entesari, Alyreza Roshan, Aly Karami, Mostafa Abdi, Mehran Rahbari, Aly Moazami, Nosrat Tabasi, Mahdi Hosseini, Aly Astorki and Mahdi Osanlo. Neither the lawyers of the imprisoned dervishes nor their family have been able to meet with the dervishes.
For this reason we have no information about their status. Their case is still under investigation and so we are not able to proceed without the permission of their interrogator. Until now, we can only represent the Dervishes on paper. We still have no information about their case and the location where they are being held. It is worth mentioning that none of the family members or lawyers have been able to meet with the imprisoned Sufi Dervishes in Tehran and Shiraz and the efforts for receiving information about their health and location have not been successful.
Three Student Activists Arrested in Sanandaj
HRANA News Agency – Over the past few days, three student activists, Mehdi Dohago, Milad Karimi and Soran Daneshvar, have been arrested by security agents in the city of Sanandaj.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), when three members of Democratic Union of Kurdish Students were summoned to the Intelligence Agency’s office in Sanandaj, they were arrested. There has been no news of them thus far. Mehdi Dohago is the secretary and Milad Karimi the deputy secretary of Democratic Union of Kurdish Students. Soran Daneshvar is responsible for the coordinating committee of the Union.
Previously, when Democratic Union of Kurdish Students was declared illegal, and the authorities shut down the Union, Mehdi Dohago was also detained, and other members were summoned to the Intelligence Agency’s office multiple times.
Democratic Union of Kurdish Students has issued a statement in relation to recent arrests. In part of the statement, the Union says, “Student organizations including the Union from the day it was established in 2004 have utilized rationality, tolerance and non-violent principles as their guiding values to independently pursuit activism within the framework of the constitution. The government’s policies towards such student organizations and the Union prove the nature of a totalitarian system aiming to purge all thoughts, voices and religious and linguistic diversity into one unit. Meanwhile, imposing heavy consequences on dissent in the society is the means by which the government is striving to reach its unattainable goals in Kurdistan.”
Last week during an orchestrated effort to increase pressure on civil and trade organizations in Kurdistan, eight member of Teachers’ Union were arrested on charges of acting against the national security, the membership in Teachers’ Union of Kurdistan and defending the families of those executed and political prisoners. The activists were later released because of the pressure exerted by teachers who attended gatherings to protest against these arrests.
Khodadad Rashidi Hanged In Urmia for Moharebeh
HRANA News Agency – On Saturday morning, September 17, 2011, a citizen was hanged on prison grounds in Urmia Central Prison.
According to a report by Mukrian News Agency, Khodadad Rashidi was arrested five years ago, charged with the crime of Enmity with God (Moharebeh) and sentenced to death. Khodadad Rashidi was hanged early this morning in Urmia, and his body was delivered to his family.
Khodadad Rashidi’s attorney, Ehsan Mojtavi, has confirmed his client’s execution.
Detained Activists on Hunger Strike in Tabriz
HRANA News Agency – Abdollah Sadoughi, an Azerbaijani social activity, is suffering from stomach bleeding following 17 days of hunger strike. He was arrested on August 24, 2011 together with 30 other activists in Tabriz while they broke their fast during Ramadan with an evening meal called Iftar.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on August 24, 2011, a group of 30 activists were gathered in Mostafa Avazpour’s house in Tabriz in order to break their fast and discuss the failure of Iranian Parliament to adopt measures to stem the gradual drying of Lake Orumieh. Intelligence and security forces raided this gathering and arrested everyone.
Currently, fifteen individuals who were amongst those detained have been tried without being presented by counsel and sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison with 2 years of this prison term suspended.Fifteen other individuals are still in a legal state of limbo.
Abdollah Sadoughi’s brother talked with Radio Farda about this hunger strike and said, “Since August 24thwhen he was arrested, he has been on hunger strike in Intelligence Agency’s detention center. His hunger strike has led to stomach bleeding, and he has been taken to the prison medical clinic.” Abdollah Sadoughi’s brother also confirmed that although the hunger strike had to end, his brother is still not able to eat any food.
Abdollah Sadoughi’s brother added that he has visited Abdollah in prison once, and without an arraignment, an order to imprison Abdollah for one month has been issued.
According to various reports, in addition to Abdollah Sadoughi, at least two other Azerbaijani activists who were arrested on August 24, 2011 are on hunger strike. These activists have been identified to be Mosa Barzin Khalifehlou and Mehdi Hamidi Shafiegh. Mosa Barzin Khalifehlou is an attorney who has previously defended a number of social activists throughout Iran.
During an interview with Radio Farda, Mehdi Hamidi Shafiegh’s brother said, “We haven’t been able to contact Mehdi directly so far and hear about his current condition from his own lips. However, his friends who were with Mehdi in Intelligence Agency’s detention center, after being transferred to Tabriz Prison, have told us that Mehdi was on hunger strike.”
Despite repeated inquires from the judiciary, the investigation unit and other government entities, Mehdi Hamidi Shafiegh’s family still has not been given any accurate information about his current condition.Mehdi Hamidi Shafiegh’s brother has reported that in addition to Mehdi, four other activists remain in the Intelligence Agency’s custody and have not yet been transferred to prison.
Jamshid Zaraie, Taghi Salahshour and Vahid Shiakh Baglo are still in Intelligence Agency’s detention center while no information has been given to their families. Investigators have told one of the families of these individuals that they will remain in Intelligence Agency’s custody for two more weeks.
Since August 26, 2011, demonstrations against government’s policies towards Lake Orumieh have continued. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, Iranian security forces in eastern and western Azerbaijan and Ardabil provinces have arrested hundreds of people. After protests escalated, the Iranian government announced that a 950 million dollar budget has been allocated to restore Lake Orumieh.
Lake Orumieh has lost half of its water thus far. In some parts of the lake, water has receded as much as 10 Kilometers. It has been estimated that Lake Orumieh will dry out completely in three years if the current trend continues. Mohammad Bagher Sadogh, Deputy of Natural Environment in Iran’s Environmental Protection Agency, has said, “As a result, 10 billion tons of salt in the form of a dust storm will descend upon 6 million residents of the surrounding regions.”
Hold Ahmadinejad Accountable for Iran’s Human Rights Crisis During UN Visit
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran – Iranian Government Ignores Calls to Cooperate With the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran
Questions to Ask Ahmadinejad
(14 September 2011) Member states of the United Nations as well as the international media should focus on the ongoing human rights crisis in Iran as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives in New York to attend the 66th session of the UN General Assembly, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.
The Campaign specifically called on Ban Ki-Moon, the U.N. General Secretary, and all diplomatic representatives of member states who will meet Ahmadinejad during his visit, to express serious concerns about the grave human rights situation in Iran and to demand an immediate end to widespread violations of Iran’s international obligations and harsh repression of its citizens’ rights. In particular, the Campaign urged all international actors to call on Ahmadinejad to cooperate with the recently-appointed Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and immediately release Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, two leading opposition leaders who have been under de facto house arrest without any judicial process for the past seven months.
“Ahmadinejad comes to town as an unprecedented human rights crisis grips the country. This is an important opportunity for diplomats, journalists and ordinary citizens to challenge him on Iran’s record of abuse and express their disapproval in the strongest possible terms,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the Campaign’s spokesperson.
The Campaign stressed that today in Iran freedom of assembly is all but non-existent, hundreds of people are illegally detained, freedom of expression is at its lowest point in years, torture and ill-treatment in prison are rampant, and rising numbers of executions have made Iran the world’s largest executioner on a per capita basis.
The Campaign welcomed the news of the probable release of the two American hikers, Joshua F. Fattal and Shane M. Bauer, on the eve of Ahmadinejad’s arrival, but pointed out that authorities have held them for more than two years without any substantive evidence supporting the espionage charges against them. Their detention and sudden release is seemingly another example of politically motivated arrests and prosecutions by the Iranian Judiciary and impunity for officials that bend Iranian laws and violate human rights.
“Ahmadinejad is trying to use the hikers’ release for political gains on the international stage. No one should be fooled,” said Ghaemi. “The question is why were these young men deprived of their liberty for so long on trumped up charges and without proper judicial proceedings? Moreover, why isn’t anyone held accountable for this injustice?”
“While Ahmadinejad and the Iranian regime feign magnanimous humanitarian intentions, hundreds of prisoners of conscience continue to languish inside Iranian prisons under alarming conditions,” added Ghaemi.
The Campaign estimates over 400 prisoners of conscience are detained in Iran, for such reasons as criticizing the government or government policies, taking part in peaceful protests and being active members of minority religions. Most recently, on 10 September, authorities arrested human rights lawyer and founding member of the Defenders of Human Rights Center Abdolfattah Soltani. Soltani’s wife, Massoumeh Dehghan, told the Campaign that security forces illegally broke into his offices and confiscated several of his personal and family documents. The Campaign previously published a list, compiled by Noble Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, of 43 lawyers who have either been imprisoned or harassed since the June 2009 election.
Many detainees in Iran have reported that authorities have subjected them to torture, ill-treatment and months in solitary confinement, denied them adequate medical care, and housed them in cramped and unsanitary detention centers.
Ahmadinejad’s attendance at the U.N. calls into question Iran’s absolute lack of cooperation with international human rights mechanisms. In March 2011, the Human Rights Council in Geneva created a special mandate for a Special Rapporteur to monitor and report on the human rights situation in Iran.
Ahmed Shaheed, former Foreign Minister of the Maldives, has been appointed as the Special Rapporteur, but the Iranian regime has so far ignored his request for access to the country and refused to cooperate with his mandate. Since 2005, the Iranian government has denied access to several other U.N. thematic special experts who have requested to visit the country.
The Campaign urged all member states to explicitly call on Iran to immediately end its obstructive policies towards U.N. human rights mechanisms and fully cooperate with Shaheed’s mandate and allow him to conduct an official visit to the country.
During the past few months, the repressive policies of the Iranian regime, made more tense against the backdrop of popular uprisings in the region, have intensified. Security forces harshly put down recent demonstrations challenging environmental policies leading to the destruction of Lake Orumiyeh, arresting hundreds of peaceful demonstrators. Faranak Farid, a 50-year-old women’s rights activist detained in the northwestern city of Tabriz in connection with these protests on 3 September 2011, is reportedly suffering from torture and ill-treatment.
Despite the fact that Iranian security forces suppress protests, according to his official website, Ahmadinejad recently called for the Syrian government to implement reforms to address the grievances of Syrians. A Portuguese television station quoted him as saying, “A military solution [to Syria’s public protests] is never the right solution.” Ahmadinejad had also chastised the Mubarak and Qaddafi regimes in Egypt and Libya for their use of force against protestors earlier this year.
Yet in February of this year, Iranian authorities used excessive force to subdue demonstrations held in solidarity with the events of the Arab Spring. Ironically, Iranian authorities also violently put down massive peaceful protests demanding basic democratic and constitutional rights prompted by Ahmadinejad’s own disputed re-election in 2009.
The Campaign urged the media to question Ahmadinejad on his government’s intolerance of peaceful demonstrations at home while claiming to support protests across the region.
Iran continues to be haunted by a culture of impunity for serious human rights violations. In June 2011, two prominent dissidents, Haleh Sahabi and Hoda Saber, died from heart attacks after state agents attacked them in separate instances. Authorities failed to initiate any investigation, highlighting the impunity enjoyed by security and intelligence agents, as well as Judicial authorities, for torture and deaths of detainees and other Iranian citizens.
Iran’s accelerating implementation of capital punishment reached new heights in 2011. As of 6 September 2011, the Iranian regime has executed at least 402 individuals, only 241 of which were acknowledged by the authorities, while another 161 persons were hanged in secret and without any public acknowledgement. Most of these executions are for offenses that don’t meet international standards, including drug-related crimes, adultery, and, in one case still on death row, apostasy.
Ahmadinejad is scheduled to arrive in New York City on 15 September. During his past visits, in addition to taking part in the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly, Ahmadinejad has taken the opportunity to meet with international journalists and diplomats, dine with select groups of New Yorkers, and give public addresses.
“The Iranian regime is ramping up its repression as it sees dictatorial and authoritarian regimes all around falling apart and challenged by their restive populations. The international community should not tolerate this abhorrent repression of Iranian citizens, and should let Ahmadinejad know that they are not fooled by his prevarications and his theatrics,” Ghaemi said.
Recommended Questions for Ahmadinejad:
1. Does your government plan to allow the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, to visit your country and investigate allegations of human rights violations?
2. Do you approve of the house arrest of your former election rivals, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi? What is the basis for their confinement?
3. How do you respond to charges that high-ranking officials enjoy impunity for human rights abuses in Iran?
4. Do you feel you are in a place to criticize Arab governments in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and even Syria for their response to public protest when your own government has used force to subdue peaceful protests on many occasions?
5. How is it that Iran has become the world’s leading practitioner of the death penalty with the highest per-capita executions?