The one-year prison sentence of Women’s rights activist Farzaneh Jalali has been upheld by the Provincial Court of Appeal. The sentence was issued by the Branch two of the Kermanshah Islamic Revolutionary Court in November of last year on charges of “propaganda against the state”. “My sentence was upheld by Branch 18 of the Kermanshah Court of Appeal, presided over by Judges Qalkhani and Hassanzadeh,…
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New charges may be brought against the two Kurdish labour activists Mahmoud Salehi and Osman Ismaili following an indictment filed by the Saqqez Intelligence Office, Kurdistan province. “I was summoned to the Branch 5 of the Saqqez Prosecutor’s Office on May 4, by receiving a text message. I referred to this branch after receiving the message. After studying the case, the judge told me that…
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Political prisoner Zeynab Jalalian was taken to the Qarchak Prison of Varamin on Saturday, May 2, 2020. She was abruptly transferred out of the Prison of Khoy on Monday, April 27, without anyone knowing where she was taken to. However, in response to the enquiries made by the family of this political prisoner, Khoy prison officials announced the possibility of opening a new case against…
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On the eve of International Workers’ Day, Sanandaj Intelligence Office and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) telephone summoned a number of Kurdish labour activists in addition to threatening them not to attend any non-governmental event on this day. “For several days now, as in previous years, security agencies have made threatening calls to at least 10 labour activists.” A labour activist in Sanandaj told…
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Zeynab Jalalian, a political prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment who is held at Khoy prison, was transferred to an unknown location by security forces on April 28. She suffers from conjunctive intestinal infections and internal bleeding.. She suffers from conjunctive intestinal infections and internal bleeding. “This morning, a team of security forces took Zeynab Jalalian to Khoy prison without giving any specific reason.”, an informed source told the…
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According to an informed source in Tehran, a female political prisoner named “Sakineh Parvaneh” has been transferred from Qarchak Prison in Varamin to Aminabad Psychiatric Hospital in Rey. The Kurdish civilian from Khorasan was previously held in Evin Prison, but she was transferred to Qarchak Prison in late March.”30-year-old Sakineh Parvaneh surrendered to Iranian forces on the border between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan about…
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Zeynab Ismaili, a member of the “Kurdish Peace Mothers”, was released from the Sanandaj Correctional Centre on bail on March 26, a source told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). She was arrested on February 27 by security forces at her home in Dehgolan and taken to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre in Sanandaj. This member of the Kurdish Peace Mothers…
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Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that Kurdish writer “Mojgan Kavoosi” has been sentenced to 76 months and a half in prison by the Court of Appeal while she was initially sentenced to 69 months in prison by Noushahr Revolutionary Court. Kavoosi had posted a post on her Instagram account on March 06 which stated the following:”The court rejected the contest statements of…
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A one billion tomans bail has been set for the temporary release of Fatemeh Davand by Judge Javad Ghulami, a close relative of Davand has told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN). Fatemeh Davand was arrested in Saqqez for taking part in protests against the rise in gasoline prices in Iran in November 2019. She is currently held at the Women’s Ward of…
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In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of Kurdish civilians in different regions and cities across Iran.
This report includes all cases recorded and reported by KHRN from across Iran through its own sources and verification mechanisms from 1 October to 31 October.
The restrictive environment for independent human rights organisations in Iran, coupled with the pressures faced by individuals subjected to human rights violations and their families, make it difficult to publish accurate and comprehensive reports.
It is therefore important to note that the statistics and information presented in this report do not cover all cases of human rights violations. This report is based on a review of news and reports provided by the KHRN and a review of reports from other human rights organisations and news agencies.
Executions
According to KHRN’s findings, Iran executed at least nine prisoners on drug-related charges in the prisons of Hamadan, Rasht, Khorramabad, Karaj and Khoy during the month of October.
These are the executions the KHRN has been informed of by its sources. However, the number of those executed is likely to be higher.
Civilian killings
On 28 October, Iranian state news agencies reported that a 16-year-old girl, Armita Geravand, had died after spending 28 days in a coma in the intensive care unit of Tehran’s Fajr Hospital.
Geravand was transferred to a military hospital on 1 October, and numerous news reports stated that she had been physically assaulted by government agents on the Shohada line of the Tehran metro because of her hijab.
According to various reports, Geravand had “no vital signs” from the moment she was admitted to the hospital and remained in a coma throughout her stay.
The British newspaper The Guardian reported on 5 October, citing two eyewitnesses, that Geravand had been subjected to a “physical assault” by a female morality police officer in a metro carriage. According to one witness, the morality police officer ‘violently pushed her’ after an argument.
Additionally, Iranian security forces arrested at least 15 activists and civilians, including Mohammad Geravand, a relative of Armita Geravand, during the teenager’s funeral at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in Tehran on 29 October.
Femicide
At least four women have been killed by their male family members in Sardasht, Piranshahr, Bukan and Orumiyeh in the past month.
Kolbars and tradesmen
In October, at least three kolbars were shot dead and 13 others injured by Iranian border guards in the western border areas of the country.
Landmine explosions
On 17 October, Peshawa Aliyar, a civilian from Baneh, was killed by a landmine explosion in Sulaimaniya, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Work-related accidents
On 20 October, Martin Hossein-Panahi, a 16-year-old child labourer, was killed in a factory accident in Sanandaj.
Detentions and arrests
Throughout October, Iranian forces arrested at least 29 activists and civilians, at least two of whom were imprisoned.
Prison sentences
Last month, Iranian courts sentenced at least 11 people to prison terms ranging from four months to 10 years.
Also, civilian Gholamreza Rasaei and Kurdish political prisoner Nayeb Askari were sentenced to death.
Askari, who was previously sentenced to death in absentia by the Branch Two of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan Province, on charges of “armed insurrection” through membership of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), was sentenced to death again following a retrial request and several in-person court sessions at the same branch.