Torture Archives – KHRN

October 22, 2024

Brothers attempt suicide after torture in Orumiyeh Central Prison

Fardin and Farhad Aghazadeh, two brothers imprisoned in Orumiyeh Central Prison, have attempted suicide after being tortured by prison officials and placed in solitary confinement, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned. The brothers, who were arrested for fighting and sentenced to prison and fines, used sharp objects in their suicide attempt on 18 October and were transferred to the prison infirmary. KHRN has learned…

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April 23, 2024

Kurdish political prisoner denied medical care despite torture injuries

Kurdish political prisoner Keyvan Rashozadeh continues to be denied medical treatment for injuries sustained as a result of torture by prison authorities, as he enters the seventh day of his hunger strike in solitary confinement at Orumiyeh Central Prison. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned that despite his injuries, Rashozadeh has been denied access to medical services on the orders of Peyman Khanzadeh,…

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March 4, 2024

Orumiyeh prison officials step up torture, pressure on prisoners

The authorities in Orumiyeh Central Prison have recently increased pressure and torture on prisoners after more than 800 prisoners signed an open letter calling for the removal of Peyman Khanzadeh, the head of the prison. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learnt that on 3 March, Akbar Maheri, the head of Section 1-2, and several prison guards severely beat two prisoners, Towhid Ghaznavi and…

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February 26, 2024

Kurdish prisoners tortured before execution on espionage charges

Kurdish prisoners Aram Omari Berdiani, Rahman Parhazou, and Vafa Hanareh, convicted of “involvement in intelligence cooperation and espionage for Israel”, were severely tortured by prison officials in Orumiyeh Central Prison just hours before their execution, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned. The three Kurdish men and Nasim Namazi, an Azerbaijani-Turkic woman, were executed in Orumiyeh Central Prison on 28 December 2023 on charges…

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January 11, 2024

Kermanshah police torture Kurdish detainee to death

Law enforcement forces in Kermanshah have tortured to death Payam Abdi, a 35-year-old Kurdish man recently arrested in the city, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned. On 9 January, a police officer informed Abdi’s family of his death and asked them to retrieve his body from the military hospital in Kermanshah. When the family arrived, however, conflicting statements emerged, with law enforcement officials claiming…

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August 24, 2023

Imprisoned Kurdish rapper Saman Yasin exposes torture in audio message

Imprisoned Kurdish rapper Saman Yasin, who was arrested by Iranian security forces during anti-government protests in Tehran last September, has described in a new audio file the physical and psychological torture he has endured, including staged executions and the infliction of a nose injury, as a result of intense interrogation by security officers aimed at extracting forced “confessions”. The message was recorded before Yasin was…

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July 10, 2023

Ministry of Intelligence tortures two Kurdish civilians to death in Orumiyeh

The detained Kurdish civilians Musa Esmaeili and Peyman Galvani have been tortured to death over the past two days in the Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan province, north-west Iran. Esmaeili, a 31-year-old father of two, was arrested by security forces on 7 May in the village of Pasveh in Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan province, and taken to the Ministry of Intelligence detention…

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Prison guards torture civilian to death in Tehran

Prison guards at the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary killed prisoner Saman Darvishi under torture on 8 May, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned. The 31-year-old prisoner, from Harsin in Kermanshah province, was arrested about a year ago for robbery. The prisoner was also beaten several times last year on the pretext that he had injured a law enforcement officer while in custody, KHRN has…

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September 16, 2022

Iran: Kurdish woman dies after arrest and tortutre by morality police in Tehran 

Mahsa (Zhina) Amini died on 16 September after she was hospitalized following her arrest and torture by morality police in Tehran.  She passed away at the intensive care unit of Kasra Hospital in Tehran.  She was arrested on 13 September for having worn the hijab “inappropriately” and was beaten by the morality police on the way to a detention facility.  Her family members and civilians gathered outside the…

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PUBLICATIONS

Monthly Report of November 2024

In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…

KHRN’s special report on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

The following report, published to mark 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, documents cases of femicide, arrests, sentencing,…

Monthly Report of October 2024

In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…

Iran executed at least 138 Kurdish prisoners over past year

On 10 October 2024, marking the World Day against the Death Penalty, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has documented the execution of at…

Monthly Report of September 2024

In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…

Monthly Report of August 2024

In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…

Monthly Report of July 2024

In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…

Monthly Report of June 2024

In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…

Monthly Report of May 2024

In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…

Monthly Report of April 2024

In its monthly reports, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) highlights cases of human rights violations in Kurdistan and violations of the rights of…

Kurdistan Human Rights Network’s Annual Report

This report addresses the violations of the human rights of Kurdish civilians in Iran during the Iranian year 1402 (21 March 2023 – 19…

Monthly Report of November 2024

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 November to 30 November.

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 the result of examining news and reports published by the KHRN and fact-checking of reports published by other human rights organisations and news websites.

Executions

According to KHRN’s findings, Iran executed at least 15 prisoners in November.

While 12 of the men were executed on drug-related charges, two were executed for “premeditated murder” and one for “rape”.

Of the 15 cases, seven were executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Alborz Province.

*Explanation: The KHRN, recognizing the fundamental right to life, publishes and records news and execution statistics without regard to the ethnic background of individuals and the location of the execution. All cases reported to the organisation by credible sources are published after thorough fact-checking.

Femicide

During the past month, one woman was killed by her husband with a blow to the head and another was stabbed to death by her husband. Both cases took place in Ilam, Ilam Province, over alleged “family disputes”.

Kolbars and tradesmen

In November, one kolbar died after suffering a cardiac arrest while working in the border areas of Nowsud, Kermanshah Province; three other kolbars were shot and wounded by Iranian border guards in Nowsud and Sardasht, West Azerbaijan Province; and one suffered an ankle injury as a result of a landmine explosion in Nowsud.

Landmine explosions

On 14 November, a civilian, Ahmad Ali Mohammadi, was killed in a landmine explosion in Ilam, Ilam Province.

Detentions and arrests

Over the past month, Iranian forces have arrested at least 21 people, including activists and children.

At least seven of the detained civilians were sent to Mahabad, Tehran, Sanandaj, Marivan and Oshnavieh prisons to serve their sentences.

Sentences

In November, Iranian courts sentenced at least 12 people to punishments ranging from three months in prison to the death penalty.

Verisheh Moradi (Wirishe Moradi), a Kurdish political prisoner and a member of the East Kurdistan Free Women Society (KJAR), was among those sentenced to death. Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran convicted her on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi).

  • Executions
  • Femicide
  • Kolbars
  • Landmine explosions
  • Detentions and arrests
  • Sentences
NameFromCharged withExecution dateExecution locationExplanation
1 Omid Sheikh-Kanlou MilanSalmasRape3 Nov Orumiyeh Central Prison
2 Faramarz Entesari Nurabad, Lorestan Province Drugs6 NovGhezel Hesar Prison in KarajArrested 7 years ago
3 Jalil EghbalzadehSahneh Drugs6 NovGhezel Hesar Prison in KarajArrested 4 years ago
4 Mojtaba Ghassemi HarsinPremeditated murder6 NovGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
5 Mohsen Moradi Nurabad, Lorestan Province Drugs13 NovGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
6 Jafar Rastegar Harsin Drugs13 NovGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
7 Hamzeh TarkashvandKangavar Drugs13 NovGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
8Amanj AziziRabat, Sardasht Drugs15 NovOrumiyeh Central PrisonArrested 8 years ago
9 Rahim FaghiriSalmas Drugs17 Nov Birjand Central Prison 34 years old
10 Mostafa SouriKangavar Drugs20 NovDieselabad Prison, Kermanshah
11 Shir-Ali TarkeshbandSahneh Drugs20 Nov Lakan Prison in Rasht55 years old, arrested 4 years ago
12 Amir-Hossein Pataghi Sarpol-e Zahab Drugs21 Nov Hamadan Central Prison33 years old, arrested 5 years ago
13 Meysam NouriQorveh Drugs21 Nov Hamadan Central Prison
14 Moslem Jafari Nurabad, Lorestan Province Drugs24 NovGhezel Hesar Prison in Karaj
15 Jahangir (Moslem) RahimiSaqqezPremeditated murder26 Nov Saqqez Prison
NameIncident locationIncident dateExplanation
1 Unknown Ilam20 NovKilled by husband with a blow to the head due to alleged “family disputes”
2UnknownIlam29 Nov46-year-old, stabbed to death by husband due to alleged “family disputes”
NameFromIncident locationIncident dateDead/InjuredExplanation
1 Mardin ShokriPavehNowsud2 NovInjuredShot by border guards
2 Jabbar Zarei Sardasht Sardasht5 NovInjuredShot by border guards
3 Asaad Firouzbakht JavanrudNowsud5 NovInjuredShot by border guards
4 Ahmad Rezaei JavanrudNowsudMid NovInjuredSuffered ankle injury in landmine explosion
5 Mohammad Karim Azagh SarvabadNowsud23 NovDied Cardiac arrest during work as kolbar
NameFromIncident locationIncident dateKilled/InjuredExplanation
1 Ahmad Ali Mohammadi Ilam Ilam14 NovKilled
Name FromDetention locationDetention date ActivityLocation held and latest status
1 Zhina Modares Gorji Sanandaj Sanandaj2 Nov Women’s rights activistTaken to Sanandaj prison to serve 16-month sentence
2 Morteza Seydi Kamyaran TehranEarly Nov Labour activistTaken to Tehran’s Evin Prison to serve 2-year sentence
3 Hemin Mohammadi Sanandaj Sanandaj5 NovCivilian
4 Jafar Ardalan SanandajSarvabad5 NovCivilianBeaten and arrested
5 Mohammad Karimi SanandajSarvabad5 NovCivilianBeaten and arrested
6 Hamid Salehinezhad SanandajSarvabad5 NovCivilianBeaten and arrested
7 Sina Asadi Hakim SanandajSarvabad5 Nov 15-year-old childBeaten and arrested
8 Masoud MohammadiBukanBukan6 NovCivilian
9 Amir Babuoli Mahabad Mahabad7 NovCivilianTaken to Mahabad prison to serve 7-year sentence
10 Adel Pirouzi Marivan Marivan9 NovCivilianTaken to Marivan Prison to serve 1-year sentence
11 Mohammadreza Gheytarani Mahabad Mahabad12 Nov Arrested during Women, Life, Freedom uprisingTaken to Mahabad Prison to serve 6-month sentence
12 Reza Ahmadpour BanehBaneh14 NovCivilian
13 Mohammad RasoulpourOshnaviehOshnavieh16 NovCivilianTaken to Oshnavieh prison to serve 1 year and 6 months in prison
14 Pouria Ahmadi Sanandaj Tehran17 Nov Civil rights activist and former political prisonerTaken to Tehran’s Evin Prison to serve 3-month sentece
15 Seyran Khosravi Sanandaj Sanandaj19 Nov Civil activist
16 Fereydoun Soltani Takab Takab22 NovCivilian
17 Hiva BahmanBukanBukan24 NovCivilian
18 Behzad DadkhahSaqqezSaqqez25 NovCivilian
19Amir Mohammad-KhaniDivandarrehDivandarreh27 Nov Civil rights activist and former political prisoner
20Abdollah GholizadehBukanBukan30 NovCivilianBeaten and arrested
21Hemin GholizadehBukanBukan30 NovCivilianBeaten and arrested
NameFromCharged withDate sentencedIssuing courtSentenceExplanation
1 Edris Ali SardashtEspionage for Israel5 Nov Branch Two of Islamic Revolutionary Court in OrumiyehDeath penalty
2 Azad Shojaei SardashtEspionage for Israel5 Nov Branch Two of Islamic Revolutionary Court in OrumiyehDeath penalty
3 Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of IraqEspionage for Israel5 Nov Branch Two of Islamic Revolutionary Court in OrumiyehDeath penalty
4 Nasser BekrzadehOrumiyehEspionage for IsraelEarly Nov Branch Two of Islamic Revolutionary Court in OrumiyehDeath penalty
5 Verisheh Moradi SanandajArmed insurrection (Baghi)10 Nov Branch 15 of Islamic Revolutionary Court in TehranDeath penalty
6Srwa ShiriBukan Propaganda against the state in favour a Kurdish opposition partyMid Nov Branch 101 of Bukan Criminal Court Two 8 months imprisonment
7Peyman ShiriBukan Propaganda against the state in favour a Kurdish opposition partyMid Nov Branch 101 of Bukan Criminal Court Two6 months imprisonment
8 Ali Allah-Veysi Sanandaj Acting against national security17 Nov Branch One of Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj 1 year and 6 months imprisonment
9 Srwa Pour-Mohammadi Sanandaj Forming or joining a group with the intention of disrupting national security25 Nov Court of Appeal of Kurdistan Province 5 years imprisonmentKurdish language teacher, boeard member of Nozhin Socio-Cultural Association
10 Edris HajipourBukan Propaganda against the state 26 Nov Branch 101 of Bukan Criminal Court Two 3 months imprisonment
11 Hemin Ebrahim HamzehBukan Propaganda against the state 26 Nov Branch 101 of Bukan Criminal Court Two 3 months imprisonment
12 Rashid RahimiBukan Propaganda against the state 26 Nov Branch 101 of Bukan Criminal Court Two1 year imprisonment