Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Email: womencommittee.ncri@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION
The systematic violation of basic human rights of women continued over the past year in Ira n in
greater dimensions compared to the previous years.
The execution of 15 women, eight stoning and dozens of other death sentences issued for women, the
arrest of dozens of women’s rights activists on national security charges and at least 150,000 women on
mal-veiling charges show the extent of measures undertaken by the mullahs’ misogynous regime to
crack down on this potent force of opposition. At the same time, secret chain murders of female
prisoners were reported in Gohardasht and other prisons.
Dozens of women, relatives of PMOI members in Ashraf City, were arrested, tortured and jailed under
unbearable conditions. Mahsa Naderi, 19, suffering from severe bladder infection, Kobra Amirkhizi,
56, who lost her eye sight under torture, Shabnam Madadzadeh who had a heart stroke in prison at
the age of 21, Hamideh, Khadijeh and Fatemeh Nabavi, Zahra Asadpour Gorji, 51, Nazilla Dashti and
Fatemeh Zia’ii are among those arrested before the uprising in June and held without providing any
medical treatment.
In the mean time, the campaign to enforce compulsory veiling continued. The Iranian regime’s airport
officials announced that they had prevented 128 women from leaving the country because they had
not properly covered themselves. They issued over 170,000 warnings to women at the airports for the
same reason, and forced another 6,800 women to sign pledges to behave themselves. The supreme
leader’s representatives in different cities said improperly veiled women were the infantry force of the
enemy and should be dealt with seriously.
In mid-June, when the Iranian people found an opening to cry out their long-held demand for
freedom, women assumed their natural and righteous place at the forefront of this popular movement
for regime change. The blood-drenched face of Neda Agha Sultan with her open eyes became the
symbol of this powerful movement.
The world’s media reported extensively on the courageous role of Iranian women.
Mothers of those killed or arrested by government troops have comprised a major, steady engine of
anti-government protests over the past nine months. Once, over 30 of them were arrested and taken
into custody, but all were released after a week due to their staunch resistance in prison, demanding
their freedom. At the same time, young women and girls demonstrated tremendous courage in
confronting the troops assigned to suppress them. However, they have paid a heavy price for doing so.
The State Security Force created special female units and police stations to deal with women.
Hundreds of women arrested during the uprising have been taken to unknown location(s) and no
news is available on them.
Women’s wards in Evin and Gohardasht prisons are over-crowded. Nearly 10 people are held in small
cells made for only two and the number of cells fo r women have been increased several folds.
Torture, including rape, of female prisoners has been reported extensively. The raped and charred
body of Taraneh Moussavi was abandoned in the outskirts of Tehran.
Zahra Jabbari, 37, whose sister and brothers presently reside in Ashraf, revealed during her mock trial
that her nails had been drawn to extract false confession from her. She was sentenced to moharebeh
(enmity with God) along with three other women.
There have also been reports of secret burial of female political prisoners, some with heads crushed
under torture.
The Iranian Resistance draws the attention of all human and women’s rights advocates to these grave
violations of women’s rights in Iran and to take immediate and effective measures to help e nd this
situation.
The present book compiles the facts of women’s rights abuse in Iran from March 2009 to March 2010.
7
Contents
Introduction pg. 7
Contents pg. 9
Arbitrary arrests
- Political arrests pg. 49
- Social arrests pg. 65
- Prison condition pg. 67
- Prison sentences pg. 81
9
Systematic violations of the right to life
Execution and death sentence
Execution
May – 2009
11
the gallows, her parents had even visited her in jail where she had excitedly informed them there was
to be an appeal so new evidence could be heard. Twenty -four hours later, she was dead .
Iran leads the world in executing juvenile offenders, according to human rights groups, accounting for
two-thirds of such deaths in the past four years…Lawyers in Tehran estimate that at least 130 more are
waiting on death row .It was the fate to which these young individuals were doomed that Ms Darabi
sought to highlight through her haunting paintings. 'Delara is not alone,' she wrote to the pr esident of
Stop Child Executions. 'Delaras are trapped in prisons and in need ... of defenders of human rights
and humanity '.
Many of her images are monochrome, the harsh charcoal lines depicting anguished, tortured faces.
Others incorporate disturbing splashes of red, spattering the white headscarves of female prisoners, or
washed across the background to suggest the hell of incarceration . (The Independent – May 4, 2009)
Gilan Prosecutor: Delara’s family relied on outside media and foreign countries
Gilan's Prosecutor said, "Delara's death sentence was confirmed by Mr. Shahrudi, the head of the
Judiciary and unfortunately Delara's family relied on outside media and foreign countries to put
pressure on the Judiciary to save their daughter from execution instead of trying to get a pardon from
the victim's family.”
"Delara Darabi who committed murder at 17 was executed at 23 and was fully grown from Iran's legal
standpoint,” he added. (Ham Mihan News – May 7, 2009)
Iran hangs 3 men and 1 woman in Evin Prison
Six out of 10 people who were taken to the gallows to be executed today were able to get a respite from
the families of the victims while four others were executed.
Nine out of ten of these prisoners were men and the youngest man was 17. A woman named Zeinab,
who was sentenced to death for killing her husband, was among these prisoners.
From these convicts, four people including Zeinab, Hamid, Safar-Ali and Hassan-Ali were hanged
while six others received a 6 month respite. (Fars state -run news agency – May 6, 2009)
Iran hangs 9 people for murder, drug trafficking
Nine people, including a 30-year-old woman, have been hanged in Iran, state media reported
Thursday…Five others convicted of drug trafficking were hanged in the southeastern city of Kerman,
some 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) southeast of the capital, Tehran, state radio reported. It did not say
when they were hanged.
No other details were immediately known. The nine were only identified by their first names. The
country does not publish official statistics on executions. (AP – May 7, 2009)
Two more prisoners executed; three including woman await execution
Two prisoners were hanged in the prison yard on Monday morning and three other prisoners
including a woman await execution in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. On May 11, Hossein Baqeri, 32 and
Alireza Malek-Mohammadi, 35 were executed in this prison.
A female prisoner by the name of Maryam Rezayi-Poor was transferred from the women's ward to
solitary for execution. (Human Rights and Democracy Activist s in Iran – May 11, 2009)
Iran hangs pair for drug trafficking: report
Iran has hanged a woman and a man convicted of drug trafficking in the northern city of Qazvin, the
government newspaper Iran reported on Thursday.
The woman only identified by her first name as Azita, 30, and the man, Mohammad, were hanged in
prison on Wednesday for smuggling three kilos (6.6 pounds) of crack cocaine, the report said .
The pair had been arrested in May 2007 with the drugs on their way to the northern city of Rasht, it
added. (AFP - May 14, 2009)
Woman, three men hanged in Iran
A woman and three men have been hanged in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, a newspaper
reported on Saturday.
The woman, identified only by her first name Afsaneh, was executed on Wednesday for killing her
husband with the help of her lover, the Etemad newspaper said .
The other convicts hanged on Wednesday were an Afghan man found guilty of raping a 50-year-old
woman, an Iranian drug trafficker and a murderer, the report said .(AFP - May 23, 2009)
July
August
September
October
13
Iran hangs two women and four men
Iran has hanged five convicted drug traffickers plus a murderer in a prison in the southwestern city of
Ahvaz, the Kayhan newspaper reported Tuesday.
The report said that on October 6, a man and two women convicted of drug trafficking and identified
respectively as Abdollah J., Khadijeh J., and Fouzieh J. were hanged.
The same day, a man who was identified as Karim A. was hanged after being convicted of murder.
The report added that on October 8, two drug traffickers, identified as Oday B., and Saad B., were sent
to gallows.
The newspaper gave no further details of the executions . (AFP - Oct 13, 2009)
Iran Executes one woman and four men
The death sentence of Sohaila Qadiri, convicted of killing her five day old baby was carried out in the
morning in Evin Prison. Four men were also hung with her. (Committee of Human Rights Reporters
– Oct. 21, 2009)
Background information:
Woman to be executed this week despite being 'legally' pardo ned
The death sentence of Sohaila Qadiri convicted of killing her 5 day
old child will be carried out this week with the request of the
prosecutor.
Qadiri was sentenced to death with the request of the prosecutor by
the 71st branch of the Penal Court and this sentence was upheld by
the Supreme Court. Last year, after many attempts to find the father
of the child and with the persistent cooperation of the father of the
child (M.Q) to save Sohaila, a plea was surrendered to the family
Soheila Qadiri in court court to prove their spousal relationship.
Finally the court recognized their spousal relationship which meant
that the child which was the outcome of this marriage belonged to M.Q according to law and that he
was the legal parent of the 5 day old child. M.Q went to the Sentence Execution Department of the
Criminal Court and announced that he had pardoned Sohaila.
Mina Jafari, Sohaila's lawyer said regarding her client, "No one knows Sohaila's real name, her place of
residence, her age or anything about her past. She ran away from her father's home at the age of 16 to
escape a forced marriage".
"She was forced into prostitution in various cities to make a living and was raped and even group raped
on several occasions", she added.
"We cited the fact that Sohaila suffered from a mental illness after she gave birth but unfortunately the
court doctor confirmed the mental health of Soheila. This is while everyone in prison says that she is
mentally ill", she said adding that "unfortunately, it is not clear how it is possible that w hile the
complainant (father of the child) has pardoned her, the prosecutor is requesting retribution." (Human
Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 19, 2009)
November
January- 2010
Arbitrary killings
June - 2009
15
More than 43 men and women killed in Iran unrest
In the five days of the unrest in Iran, more than 43
people were killed by security forces. More than 30
people were killed in clashes with the Ansar-e
Hezbollah, Special Guards Forces, and Intelligence
agents in Tehran while more than 13 people have also
been killed in other Iranian cities such as Shiraz,
Kermanshah, Khoram Abad, Ahvaz, Isfahan, Mashhad,
and other cities. Currently some of the injured
protesters are in very critical condition in various
Tehran hospitals. In the Hezartakhtekhabi Hospital, 4
wounded protesters are in coma.
Many detainees have been transferred to Gohardasht Prison in Karaj and Kahrizak Camp. Kahrizak is
one of the most notorious detention centers in Iran where prisons are under severe physical, sexual,
and mental torture. Reports from this detention center say that at the end of every week, Radan, the
head of the security forces in Tehran, goes to this camp with a helicopter along with a several other
agents and personally tortures detainees. Many prisoners have been killed in this prison under torture.
The families of the arrested detainees have no news on the condition of their loved ones. They go to
hospitals with pictures trying to find their relatives. The pursuit of their family members from various
regime institutions has so far been futile. There have been other reports that regime forces have
secretly buried the bodies of a number of those they have killed without notifying their families.
(Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – June 18, 2009)
Regime harasses families of dead protesters, does not hand over bodies of dead
According to reports from Tehran, the violent attacks by security forces have lead to the death of many
people.
The bodies of those who were killed for freedom have been transferred to an unknown location and
are in the hands of intelligence agents.
The names of some of those who were killed are: Maryam Mehr Azar , 24; Milad Yazdan Panah, 30;
Hamed Besharati, 26; Babak Sepehr, 35. It is reported that they were shot and killed in Azadi Street.
The families of the dead protesters gathered today outside the coroner's office. The painful scenes of
crying mothers moved everyone witnessing the scene. These families were forced to stay outside the
coroner's for hours demanding to receive the bodies of their loved ones but nobody would answer
them. They were told that their bodies were not there and that they had to go to the intellige nce
agency to pursue this case. When the families went to the Intelligence agency staff department, no one
answered them there either.
Intelligence agents threaten these families in various ways to prevent them from disclosing the names
of their loved ones who were killed by security forces. They have been told that if they do, they will not
receive their bodies for burial. They have also been threatened with arrest. Regime forces have
subjected them to severe pressure to hide their crimes. (Human Rights a nd Democracy Activists in Iran
– June 21, 2009)
Amnesty: the Iranian authorities should disband
Bassij
Amnesty International is calling on the government of
Iran to stop using the Basij militia to police
demonstrations with immediate effect…
Basij forces are widely used to help to maintain law
and order and repress dissent, and have frequently
been accused of using extreme brutality. Many of
July
19
August
September
Eyewitness: 16 frozen bodies of men and women secretly brought to cemetery for burial
Interview with gravedigger in Behesht Zahra Cemetery who said that 16 frozen bodies were brought to
this cemetery for burial:
-What do you do in Behesht Zahra?
-I bring dirt and empty it on the graves.
Q-Your friend said you were here that night in the cemetery.
A-A lot of people had died that night. They told us they had died in an accident.
Q-What happened?
A-First a bus came with its lights off. They first told us that the bus had broken down and had come to
the cemetery to be repaired! Then it came near and we realized something was going on. They went in
that section. Then its lights were turned on and then off again. They told us to come. The bodies were
placed in the bus suitcases compartment. They were all frozen and some of them were stuck together.
They wanted to separate them with shovels and three shovel handles broke because they were in such a
hurry. Some of the bodies that were naked were stuck together with ice and when they could not
separate them, they brought down the walls of about 2 or 3 graves and threw them in together; girls
and boys were placed together in the graves… The bodies were very bloody, frozen blood… There were
a lot of undercover police on the scene…
Q-Are you sure they were police?
A-Yeah, well they all had walkie-talkies.
Q-What were they saying?
A-I wouldn't know, police stuff.
Q-Tell me about the dead bodies.
A-It was obvious it was a really bad accident!
Q-Were they young or old?
A-They were all young and dried up like wood.
Q-Why?
A- Because they were frozen!
Q-Then what happened?
A-We were bringing dirt for the graves until the morning and then we washed the bus and it left.
(Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Sep. 6, 2009)
Another woman among dead protesters
The identity of a number of other people who were killed (in the recent unrest) has been revealed.
According to reports, the identity of three more people has been revealed who were taken to Golestan
Province and handed over to their families after their death in Tehran. They are Ismaili from the city
of Khan in the Golestan Province, Dr. Maqsoud-lou from the city of Sorkhankalateh and Dr. Rahimi
(female) from the city of Gorgan. According to this report, the families of these people were banned
from freely holding ceremonies for their deaths. The family of Dr. Rahimi was told to tell people that
she had been poisoned. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Sep. 7, 2009)
21
October
December
Six people dead, two severely injured after security forces open fire on travelling family
At least eight people were killed or injured after security forces opened fire on ordinary citizens in
Iranshahr.
On January 7, security forces stationed on the Darzadeh Shahr Street in the town of Iranshahr in
Sistan and Baluchistan opened fire on a passing car for unknown reasons. This action led to the death
of the driver identified as Moradbakhsh Kadkhodayi. Four other people were killed after
Moradbakhsh's car crashed into another car which caught fire. The security forces that had opened fire
left the scene without helping the fire victims.
The wife and two children of Mr. Kadkhodayi who were travelling with him were severely injured in
this incident. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Jan. 8, 2010)
February
Deaths in custody
March- 2009
23
Charred body of raped girl found in Qazvin
Friends of Taraneh Mousavi, who was arrested on June 28 near the
Qoba Mosque, have said that her family has found her charred body
in the suburbs of Qazvin.
After one of her friends called Taraneh's home to pursue her
condition, Taraneh's parents said that her charred body was found in
the region between Karaj and Qazvin. Her family did not give any
information about the time of the funeral saying that they could no t
give any more details.
Taraneh Mousavi was arrested on June 28 while waiting for a friend
on Shari'ati Street to go to the Qoba Mosque with. She was arrested by
regime agents and her friend who was near the site of her arrest saw
that they took her away with a van.
Two weeks after her arrest, an unidentified person called her home
telling her mother that she was hospitalized in Karaj's Khomeini Hospital. The unidentified person
said that Taraneh was taken to the hospital after she had an accident. Taraneh's mom said that others
had called before placing Taraneh in the scene of the clashes near the Qoba Mosque and that she was
arrested but the caller said that Taraneh had nothing to do with the events of the Qoba Mosque and
she was probably involved in a moral issue because she wanted to hang herself with her IV tube in the
hospital. He also stated that the reason she was hospitalized was because of a tear in her uterus and
rectum. Her family went to the hospital but hospital officials deny that Taraneh wa s hospitalized there.
One of the personnel said that an unconscious girl with braided hair was brought to the hospital by a
number of people who looked to be "members of Hezbollah", only to be taken out of the hospital
again.
The statements made by the unidentified caller shows that intelligence agents and plainclothes agents
want to Taraneh's family to think that her case was nonpolitical in an attempt to impel them to think
that their daughter had moral issues so that after hearing about her death, they would not pursue the
reason behind her death.
It is not strange that her family would not give information about her funeral and how she died
because all the families of the victims of recent events are threatened by security forces and intelligence
agents that if the families hold their funerals and other ceremonies in their memory with the presence
of people, one of their other loved ones will get into serious trouble. (Zirzamin Weblog – July 16, 2009)
August
November
Gohardasht Prison officials rape then murder female prisoners to hide evidence: report
According to reports from Gohardasht Prison, there have been serial killings in the Women's Ward in
Gohardasht Prison in Karaj. This has so far led to the death of several female prisoners. Those who
order and execute these murders record their deaths as 'suicide' or 'not having access to drugs' in their
death certificates.
According to reports, the last of these victims was Hedieh Moveidi. The tragic death of nine women
has so far been confirmed in section 7 of the Women's Ward in this prison. But reports say that the
actual number of deaths are higher than this. There are also a number of eyewitnesses who are willing
to describe the details of these deaths with the names of the victims and those were involved to an
independent international committee on the condition that their safety is guaranteed.
The victims who are between the ages of 22 to 30 were all arrested for 'improper veiling' or drug use.
They were confined to solitary for more than a month in very hard conditions. They were forced to
accept what the interrogators demanded to be transferred out of solitary. The interrogators forced
them to confess to false deeds and immoral acts with promises and threats. After this, they made new
cases against the women, sent these cases to court and sentenced them to heavy punishments. They
then used these defenseless women as their sex slaves constantly raping and sexually abusing them to
destroy their body and soul. When they showed resistance or protested they were transferred to hall 21
in section 7 which has very hard conditions.
These women were given mind altering addictive drugs instead of sedatives by a number of people in
the women's ward who call themselves psychiatrists. These so called psychiatrists gradually increased
the doses of these drugs until their victims became addicted to them.
There are 'drug mafias' in various sections of the female wards used to distribute drugs and suppress
and kill dissenting prisoners. They kill their victims after a while to erase their tracks.
One of the young women who was killed was Mahnaz Akbar Tehrani. She was transferred to solitary
cell with shackles and was hanged in her cell. She was left hanging for 12 hours.
The names of a number of women who were murdered in the serial killings in section 7 of the
Women's Ward are as follows:
1. Mahnaz Akbar Tehran – Date of death 2009
2. Hedieh Moveidi – Date of death 2009
3. Shirin Zoqhi Futovat – Date of death 2009
4. Catherine Safa Kermanshahi – Date of death 2005
5. Mina Molki – Date of death 2005
6. Fereshteh Rajab Zadeh – Date of death in 2005
25
7. Arezu Abdi – Date of death 2005
8. Hanieh Hadian – Date of death is unknown
9. Fereshteh – her last name and date of death will be announced in the future
The head of section 7 is a woman named Simin Jalilvand. The serial killings are carried out by gangs
working under her supervision. She summons dissenting prisoners to her office after every murder
telling them that the victim has not committed suicide and that she has bee n killed in order to
threaten the dissenters. A number of the initial serial killings were ordered by the former head of this
ward identified as Maryam Khadem Sharifi aka Maryam Mohammadi. (Human Rights and Democracy
Activists in Iran – Nov. 14, 2009)
January – 2010
Death sentence
March- 2009
Innocent woman forced to confess to murder under torture on verge of execution; report
Hakimeh Hassan Zadeh is another Iranian woman who is unjustly
on the verge of execution. On April 26, 2008, criminal
intelligence department investigators placed Hakimeh as the main
suspect in the murder of Eidan Baluchi, 33, who was one of
Hakimeh's relatives. From that day on, Hakimeh has been in and
out of detention centers and placed under various physical and
mental tortures to confess to whom the murderer was and her
relationship with him.
Hakimeh has repeatedly announced her innocence to the head of
the criminal intelligence department and judge presiding over her
case saying that she only intended to help Eidan, but unfortunately the torture and the repeated claims
that she is the murderer has reached the point where this woman has no motivation to live and has
signed a document as the murderer of Eidan.
It is notable that Hakimeh was transferred to the criminal intelligence department in Tehran for
further investigation where she was under various tortures for two months. As a result, one of her
teeth broke and eyewitnesses have said that due to the severity of the electric shocks she received, s he
was taken to court on a wheelchair.
Hakimeh does not have a lawyer as a means of defending herself and a death sentence will be issued
for her in the next few days. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – March 24, 2009)
April
May
27
June
Woman to be executed
Branch 20 of the Supreme Court sent Shahla Jahed's case to the executing
sentences branch of the Criminal Court which puts the accused one step away
from the gallows.
Jahed was accused of killing a former soccer player's wife in 2002. (state-run
Jam-e-Jam online – June 3, 2009)
July
August
October
November
29
The Prosecutor subsequently announced that there was enough evidence against Reihaneh confirming
that she has committed intentional murder and that she was lying in saying that she it was self defense.
In light of this, an indictment for intentional murder was issued for this 19 -year defendant and she was
tried and sentenced to death by the 74 th branch of court. (E'temad Daily – Nov. 27, 2009)
January – 2010
February
Stoning to death
May - 2009
January – 2010
33
Inhumane treatment and cruel punishments
Torture, rape, abuse, flogging and humiliation
March - 2009
35
Torture in Shahpur detention center in Tehran
According to reports from Tehran's criminal intelligence department located at Shahpur Square, a
number of people have died under torture in this detention center. One of these victims was 33 -year-
old Hossein Tavakoli Berazjani.
On July 17, 2008, Tehran's security and intelligence agents raided the apartment of the Tavakuli
Berazjani family at 11:30 pm arresting all the members of this family present at the time. These men
and women were tortured in their house until 2am. Agents shot at Sudabeh Shahpur, 50, hitting her
in the neck. All the arrestees were taken to this city's criminal intelligence department. The reason for
this attack was claimed to be keeping a gun in the house and clashing with State Security Agents.
Some of the people arrested were, Tan-naz AbolHosseini Ahmadi (16 year old female), Khosro Qaedi
(17 years old), Mahnaba Tavakoli Berazjani (26 year old female), Fatemeh Farahani (female), Sudabeh
Shadpur (50 year old female), Abas Tavakoli Berazjani (38 years old), Hossein Tavakoli Berazjani (33
years old), and Mohsen.
They were kept two in a cell on the first days of their arrest. These cells, aka "cells of death" did not
have windows and was unbearably hot in the month of July.
The tortures inflicted on this family were as follows:
The skin of the sensitive parts of the prisoner's body were pressed with pliers, pressing toe nails with
pliers, beating the prison repeatedly for a long time with clubs and other objects, tying the hands and
feet of the, prisoner from the back and keeping the prisoner in this position for a long time, hanging
the prisoner from the ceiling until the prisoner passes out, depriving the prisoner of drinking water in
the hot summer weather, the prisoner was only allowed to use the restroom twice in 24 hours, the
judge handling their case threatened the women arrested wer e with rape, pulling a bag over the head of
the prisoner while he was being tortured Jumping on the hands and feet of the prisoner while they
were handcuffed, the prisoners witnessed the torture of their family members or heard their cries while
they were being tortured and other forms of torture.
Hossein Tavakoli Berazjani was killed under this medieval and severe torture while his whole body had
turned black from the torture.
Currently some of the women and girls who were arrested in this incident are suffering from severe
mental illness especially the younger ones and those who witnessed the torture of their brothers,
uncles, and aunts.
Abas Tavakoli Berazjani has currently been transferred to ward 2 in Gohardasht Prison and his legal
case is in an undetermined state. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – March 24, 2009)
April
Female political prisoner will be kept in solitary for two more months
According to reports from Semnan Prison controlled by the Ministry of Intelligence, Khadijeh Naba vi
will be kept in solitary confinement for two more months. Nabavi was arrested on April 8 after agents
raided her place of work. She was taken to an unknown location and then transferred to a solitary cell
in this prison. This political prisoner is the wife of Zuhor Nabavi, a writer for Sarzamine Ariari
Magazine who is also in prison. Zuhor had defended his wife, disclosing that she was unjustly arrested
and imprisoned. In addition to her own child, Khadijeh Nabavi was the guardian of 5-year-old Roya,
the daughter of political prisoner Hamideh Nabavi. Currently, four members of this family are in
prison. Seyed Zuhor Nabavi, a writer for the Sarzamineh Aria Magazine has been sentenced to four
years of prison and is kept in ward 350 of Evin Prison. Hamideh Nabavi has been sentenced to a year
of prison on charges of participating in a ceremony to commemorate the memory of political prisoners
who were executed in 1988 and is currently in the women's ward in Evin Prison. Fatemeh
Nabavi has been in Semnan Central Prison in an undetermined state since February 20 and Khadijeh
Nabavi is also in Semnan Prison. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – April 20, 2009)
Female student activist and brother kept in solitary for 62 days
According to reports from the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, Shabnam Madadzadeh and her
brother Farzad Madadzadeh have been kept in solitary
confinement for 62 days in ward 209.
These two have been imprisoned in this condition since
they were first arrested on February 19. They were allowed
to call their family three times in this time and according
to their family in their last phone call on Monday April 20,
they could not talk comfortably and they were told what to
say over the phone. Their tone showed that they were
under severe pressure. They were told to say that their
family should not attempt to go to court to pursue their
case until they were told. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Apr. 21, 2009)
May
37
'The first few days, I was interrogated for several hours, from morning until evening, blindfolded,
facing a wall, by up to four men, and threatened ... I was in solitary confinement for several days,'
Saberi said.
Those days in isolation, when nobody knew where she was, were the 'most difficult time for me,' said
Saberi.
'I prayed a lot -- I prayed more than I ever have in my whole life '.
After several weeks, Saberi was put in a cell with 'other political prisoners,' she said .
She drew strength from her fellow inmates, whom she described as 'some of the most admirable
women I've met, not only in Iran, but all over the world .
'They're not willing to give in to pressure to make false confessions or to sign off to commitments not
to take part in their activities once they're released; they would rather stay in prison and stand up for
those principles that they believe in,' Saberi sa id.
'Many of them are still there today,' she said . (AFP - May 28, 2009)
June
Bassij brutally beat and injure students including female students in Tehran
More than 10 students of the Chamran University's School of Technique were brutally beaten and
injured after Bassij forces (RGC’s militias) from this university armed with (electric) shockers, electric
clubs, tear gas, and pepper spray among other things, attacked them. Four of these students were
transferred to hospital.
A female student was also violently taken to the Bassij office in the university and was brutally beaten.
Her mobile phone was also confiscated by the Bassij commander. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – June 5,
2009)
August
39
"(The interrogator) was not joking about the rape or the accident", he says. I did not hear anything else.
I was desperately trying to distance myself from him as he was getting closer. He reminded me of my
interrogator who insisted I write the details of the sexual movie he was describing with g lee…
I am left with an ill and broken spirit, terrified of all men. I cannot have a normal relationship with my
husband anymore. My spirit is so ill that I have to see a psychiatrist. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Aug. 16,
2009)
Iran's Karroubi ready to present proof on rape claims
Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi called on Wednesday for a meeting with senior officials to
present evidence backing his controversial allegations that post -election detainees were raped in jails.
Karroubi, who has come under fire from hardliners over his claims, made the call in a letter addressed
to parliament speaker Ali Larijani, his party website reported .
'I urge you to hold a meeting with the heads of the three powers of government (judiciary, legislative
and executive), the prosecutor general and the head of the Assembly of Experts and Expediency
Council, where I will inform you of my documents on sexual assault in some jails,' he said .
He has also charged that some people arrested in street protests sparked by President Mahmoud
Ahamdinejad's re-election, have been tortured and beaten to death in jail . (AFP - Aug 19, 2009)
Judge sexually exploits mother of raped 16-year-old boy to save son
Babak Daad, journalist and blogger in Iran said in an interview with VOA TV, "T he judge who showed
the mother of a 16-year-old the scene of his rape by a large prison agent said that if you want to save
your son you have to pay 10,000 dollars so we can free him. This is the story of a woman who was
forced to provide the money to free her son and was forced to give in to the perverted demands of the
judge residing over her son's case". (VOA TV – Aug. 21, 2009)
Cooperation Front of Iran: women prisoners are forced to confess to false immoral acts
The website of the Cooperation Front has issued a statement disclosing the "heinous, immoral, and
illegal" acts of the government in violating the private space of prisoners. This statement says in part,
"There are reports that many respectable and political women were arrested only to put into lerable
physical and mental pressure on them in violation of their private space and to force them into giving
immoral confessions against themselves or other people". (Nurooz Website – Aug. 23, 2009)
Female journalist pressured into confessing to illegiti mate relationships
Hengameh Shahidi, journalist and member of the National Confidence Party (which belongs to
Karoubi) who has been in detention from 55 days ago in ward 209 in Evin Prison has gone on a
hunger strike in protest to the actions and treatmen t of her interrogators.
This journalist was transferred to a two-person ward after 50 days in solidarity. According to her
family, she sounded very tired and ill in a recent telephone call from prison.
An informed source has told us that Shahidi is under severe pressure to confess to false immoral
relationships and since she is not willing to confess, she has been beaten. According to this source, she
has gone on a hunger strike in protest to questions asked by her interrogators. He family is very
concerned for her mental and physical condition in light of the fact that she suffers from a heart
disease and low blood pressure. (Rooz website – Aug. 25, 2009)
Security Forces rape Baha'i girl in front of brother; murder brother in front of sister
Arqavan, 18 and her brother Zahed, 20, who are the children of Dr. Mahmoud Shokrayi, were
arrested on July 21 while going to their sick grandmother's house.
While torturing Zahed, security forces demand that his sister strip in front of her brother. The sister
stripped to save her brother, but her brother became unconscious. (Government forces) then violently
raped the sister. When the brother regained consciousness, he started screaming and weeping and
agents killed him in front of his sister.
Now the girl has gone mad, walks on her hands and feet, and makes animal noises. She is on the verge
of death.
Dr. Shokrayi was arrested on charges of being a Baha'i in Shiraz and was jailed for many years in the
beginning of the revolution. He went to Isfahan after his release where he is a prominent doctor. (Be
Sooye Azadi (In the Direction of Freedom) Website – Aug. 26, 2009)
Iran Parliamentary Special Committee confirms jail rape
One member of the Special Parliamentary Committee, which was established to investigate the ev ents
after the elections, has said that they have reached the conclusion that "some detainees who were
arrested in the events after the elections were raped with clubs and soda bottles".
"A number of detainees arrested after the events of the elections were unfortunately raped with clubs
and soda bottles and this has been verified for the Special Committee", said the MP who chose to stay
anonymous. (Parliament News state-run website – Aug. 26, 2009)
September
41
agents would move the clubs on our bodies and would say, "Is this one your sister, is this one your
wife?" (Radio Farda – Sep. 25, 2009)
Young married woman victim of jail rape
In a special report about the fate of the jail rape files (some were disclosed by Karoubi), the 'Taqir'
website which belongs to (Karoubi's) Eteamd Meli Party, said that the victims have been trialed instead
of the culprits (in the rape cases).
According to this website, not only young men and women are amongst Karoubi's (rape) witnesses, but
a young married woman can also be seen who was raped and sexually abused by agents. According to
this report, Karoubi still has more solid evidence and documents and will publish them if necessary.
(Radio Germany Website – Sep. 25, 2009)
Security forces use tear gas and beat a woman trying to disperse protesters
According to reports from Tehran, security forces attacked protesters in Qâem Maqâm Street and beat
a young person. The forces also used tear gas against the protesters and beat a woman to try to disperse
the crowds. (Iran News Agency – Sep. 29, 2009)
October
January – 2010
Detained girls and women on Dec. 27, under pressure and torture in Evin Prison
According to reports, a number of girls and women arrested on Ashura (December 27) are subjected to
inhumane pressure in the quarantine and methadone wards of Evin Prison in Tehran.
In the first floor of the quarantine section known as the methadone ward about 50 women and girls
detained in the Ashura protests are kept in very bad conditions. They are handcuffed and blindfolded
while being taken for interrogations at night to other locations. They are ab used, harassed and insulted
while being taken to interrogation rooms by their interrogators. These women are interrogated for 8
continuous hours. They are intentionally interrogated at nights. The girls are threatened in addition to
being beaten. Interrogators have told some of the girls that if they do not confess to what they say, they
will be executed and that 'no one will know that you’ve been detained and hanged'.
On the other hand, intelligence agency interrogators put pressure on their families and threaten them
that if they tell anyone that their children have been jailed, their daughters will put in danger in
prison.
After making sure that their families will stay silent, the intelligence agents continue the torture and
pressure against the detainees and call their families asking them to tell their children to cooperate
with interrogators to secure their freedom. They use this method to deceive the detainees to get false
confessions from them in order to make criminal records and issue heavy sentences for them. (Human
Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Jan. 26, 2010)
45
Kurd female political prisoner speaks of cruel torture in prison
Letter written by death row political prisoner Shirin Alam Hovi from the
women's ward in Evin Prison dated Jan. 18, 2010 – I was arrested in Tehran
in 2008 by a number of plainclothes agents and was taken directly to a
Revolutionary Guards Force base. They started beating me the moment I
got there without even asking any question. I was there for 25 days. The
interrogators who were all men tied me with handcuffs to a bed. They
would beat me in the face, head and the soles of my feet with electric clubs,
cables, fists and kicks. In that time, I could not even speak or understand
fluent Farsi. When they did not receive any answers for their questions, the
beatings would start again until I passed out…
One day in the interrogations, they kicked me in the stomach so hard that I
immediately started to bleed and lost a lot of blood. Another day, one of
the interrogators came to the room. He was the only interrogator I saw
because the rest of the times I had on blindfolds. He asked me irrelevant
questions. When he did not get an answer, he slapped me in the face and
put a gun that he carried on his belt to my head.
"Answer the questions I ask", he said.
"I know that you are a member of the PJAK (Party of Free Life of Kurdistan) and you’re a terrorist. It
doesn’t make a difference if you talk or not girl, we're happy to have a member of PJAK in our hands".
One day, I was sitting with blindfolds in a chair and I was being interrogated. The interrogator used
my hand to put out his cigarette and on another day, the interrogator pressed so hard with his shoes
on my feet that my nails turned black and fell off. Or sometimes they would force me to stand all day
in the interrogation room without asking any questions. The interrogators would just sit in front of me
and do puzzles. They did whatever they could (to torture me)…
After I got back from the hospital, they decided to take me to ward 209. But because of my poor
physical condition and the fact that I could not even walk, 209 was not willing to accept me and I was
kept in that condition the whole day outside of 209 until they finally took me to the medical clinic…
(Iran Press News Website – Jan. 31, 2010)
February
47
interrogators are trying to force her into false confessions to issue heavy sentences for her in the future.
(Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Feb. 23, 2010)
Arbitrary arrests
Political arrests
March – 2009
49
intended to go to these homes when they were arrested by security forces and taken to Nilufar Police
Station. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – March 26, 2009)
April
51
According to reports from Iran, on May 13, 2009, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security
(MOIS) raided the house of Shamseddin Mehdizadeh, 60, father of three residents of Camp Ashraf in
Iraq. During the raid, MOIS agents confiscated his personal belongings and arrested him. Also
arrested on that day during the attacks were Mehdizadeh’s daughter, Monir, her husband, Ali Afshani,
and the couple’s 3-month-old baby, Amir-Hessam. They were all taken to an undisclosed location and
the family’s attempts to discover their whereabouts have not been successful. (Resistance Sources in
Iran - May 25, 2009)
June
SSF interrogates and imprisons female journalist who had revealed being harassed and beaten by
police
Saba Azarpaik, a reporter for the E'temad state-run daily, published a report in this daily last month on
her ordeal when she was arrested by the "Guidance Patrol", questioning the violent treatment of State
Security Force. She had filed a complaint against the SSF because she was insulted, beaten, and held in
detention for no reason but on Saturday, instead of seeing to her complaint; the SSF arrested and
interrogated her.
She was interrogated on charges of "insulting top political authorities, creating anxiety in public minds,
publishing lies, hitting a police officer, and insulting the police".
This is while she intended to take back her complaints, but a SSF official threatened that "even if you
back down we will not". "You have caused rebellion in the country and now people call you to get
advice on what they should do if they get beaten (by the police)", he added. (Khordad state-run daily –
June 1, 2009)
SSF attack and arrest families of arrested labor activists on May Day hodling sit-in outside
Revolutionary Court
At least 70 labor activists and families of arrested labor activists on May Day held a gathering outside
Tehran's Revolutionary Court this morning.
In this peaceful gathering, the protestors held banners, which read "release my husband" or "free my
children". This protest was met with an attack by security forces who tried to disperse t he protestors.
After the gatherers resisted, security forces arrested three women protestors. The agents arrested
Shahpur Ehsani's wife along with Mohammad Ashrafi's sister and mother. Ehsani and Ashrafi were
both arrested on Labor Day. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – June 2, 2009)
July
August
53
Sahabi's father and mother went to the Revolutionary Court today to pursue their daughter's case, but
after waiting for hours, they did not rece ive any answers on their daughter's whereabouts.
According to eyewitnesses, Sahabi was attacked with a club by an intelligence agent and was then
thrown into a green car while her head was bleeding. She was taken to an unknown location.
On the other hand, Evin officials have told the family of Fahimeh Asadi, another woman arrested
yesterday in the protest to Ahmadinejad's swearing in ceremony, that Revolutionary Guards Forces
made all the arrests yesterday and that none of the detainees were brought to Ev in Prison. (Amir Kabir
Newsletter – Aug. 6, 2009)
Security forces violently arrest young mother in front of her child
According to reports from Semnan, intelligence agents raided the home of the Nabavi family on
Monday August 17 and arrested Tayebe Nabavi.
After violently searching the home and destroying their personal belongings, they attempted to arrest
Tayebe Nabavi, but her 3-year-old son, Hanif, would not separate from his mother. The agents
violently took the crying boy from his mother's arms and started shouting and yelling at him. They
then intended to hit the boy, but Tayabe took him in her arms again to block the attack. She was
finally arrested and taken to an unknown location. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran –
Aug. 19, 2009)
Women arrested by security forces
There was to be a ceremony to commemorate the death of the
victims of the 1988 massacre on Friday August 28 but security
forces prevented the ceremony and arrested (one of the organizers)
Mansoureh Behkish at 10 am on Friday. She is the sister of 6
victims of the massacre and organized the ceremony in previous
years. (Center of Prisoners in Exile – Aug. 28, 2009)
September
October
55
Women arrested in Semnan
Fatemeh Nabavi, 28, was arrested two weeks ago after she went to the Revolutionary Court to protest a
heavy sentence issued for her by this court. She was taken to the women's ward in the Semnan Prison.
This court had fined her for 10,000 dollars or two years of prison for the crime of visiting her family in
Camp Ashraf. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Oct. 8, 2009)
Couple arrested in Mahabad
Two other residents of Mahabad were arrested while another person was summoned.
A wife and husband identified as Aziz Abdollahi and Leila Kharazian were arrested by security forces
for unknown reasons in this city on October 4.
This is while Abdollahi has a brain tumor and keeping him in a solitary cell can have a dangerous
outcome. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 9, 2009)
Iran is said to arrest wives of many prominent detainees
Iranian authorities arrested the wives and family members of a number of high-profile political
detainees at a religious ceremony in Tehran, several reformist Web sites reported Friday .
The raid happened Thursday after the family members of one detainee, Shahab Tabatabee, announced
on the Web site Norooz News that they were holding a prayer ceremony for his release. Mr. Tabatabee,
a member of the reformist party Islamic Iran Participation Front, was sentenced to five years in prison
last week.
The police raided the ceremony at a private home a few minutes after it began, according to a relative
of some of the people who were arrested.
Officers arrested nearly all the guests except for several young women who were attending with infants
and toddlers.
There were conflicting reports on the Web sites as to the number arrested. The relative, who spoke on
the condition of anonymity, said 60 people had been arrested, which would make it the largest mass
arrest in recent months…
The wife of Abdullah Ramezanzadeh, a prominent prisoner who was the government spokesman
under former President Mohammad Khatami, and the wives of several former members of Parliament
were among the detainees.
About 10 people were released Friday. About a dozen others were transferred to the notorious Evin
prison, the relative said.
He said the raid had been carried out under a warrant issued by the prosecutor general.
The arrests appeared to be a warning to the families of the detainees, who have been vocal in their
OPPOSITION to the arrests…
More than 100 people, including reform activists and journalists, are still in jail, and their relatives
have said most were being held in solitary confinement with limited access to their families or lawyer .
Authorities hinted this month that they might try to arrest the OPPOSITION leaders Mir Hussein
Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi in an effort to stop the protests …
The Special Court of Clergy also said last week that it was looking into charges against Mr. Karroubi .
On Friday, Mr. Karroubi was attacked by baton-wielding vigilantes when he visited a media exhibition
in Tehran, the student Web site Advarnews reported.
Mr. Karroubi’s white turban was knocked off, and the official Fars news agency carried a photo
showing a shoe being tossed at him. (NY Times - Oct. 24, 2009)
5 Azeri activists arrested in Tabriz
Azeri activists Navid Meshkat, Madineh Qassemi (f), Aydin Taqipour, Mohammad Mohammad-lu and
Javad Ramezan were arrested on October 23 after participating in a ceremony on the first anniversary
of the death of 'Imami' (civil rights Azeri activist who was mysteriously killed in a car accident with two
of his brothers) in Tabriz. Security forces transferred these five people from the Maralan Cemetery and
took them to police station 22. They were then taken to the Baghshomal Intelligence Agency after
being interrogated for a few hours. (Savalan Sasssi – Oct. 25, 2009)
Security forces make more arrests in Mahabad
On Sunday October 25, the Intelligence Agency of Mahabad went to the home of a political Kurd
prisoner named Jahangir Baduzadeh who has been jailed for years in the Orumieh Prison and
confiscated his books and CD's. These forces also intended to arrest Turan Baduzadeh, his wife, but
she had fled to the mountains with her young son after being informed of this matter.
The eldest son of this family was arbitrarily murdered by a security agent named Aziz Kanebi before
this.
According to other reports, these forces have also arrested a number of women and young people in
this city and villages around the city under the excuse that they had 'cooperated with an opposition
party'. These people have still not been identified. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 27, 2009)
No news on female political prisoner
According to Monireh Rabiyi's family, who had attended a gathering of families of political prisoners
outside the Public Prosecutors Office in Tehran, the 32-year-old woman who does not have a history of
political activities was summoned to the Revolutionary Court to 'submit an explanation' but was
arrested and taken to Evin Prison after she went to the Revolutionary Court. She has been charged
with 'having links to the PMOI'. Rabiyi has not been able to see her family since her arrest.
(Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Oct. 29, 2009)
November
57
Two women's rights activists arrested in Isfahan
Mohsen Parizad Moqadam and Ali Mashmuli, two members of the One-Million Signature Campaign
in Isfahan who are both student activists were arrested on November 4 near Enqelab Square in
Isfahan.
Ali Mashmuli is currently in the Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan but Mohsen Parizad Moqadam was
transferred to the city of Arak after his arrest. This is while he lives in Isfahan and was arrested in this
city. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Nov. 8, 2009)
Security forces arrest two Tehran Univ. students
According to reports, two Tehran University students named Salumeh Rahmanian (F) and Ali Asghar
Tavabi were arrested on November 17 by security forces. They were law students and members of the
Islamic Association. (Iran News Agency – Nov. 18, 2009)
Intelligence agents arrest two girl students at Shiraz Univ.
Neda Eskandari, a political science major and Khadijeh Qahremani, an agricultural student at Shiraz
University who had gone to the Disciplinary committee to inquire about punishments issued against
them were arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence.
Eskandari and Qahremani had been suspended for two semesters from education and banned from
using university facilities.
There is no information on the whereabouts of these students. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Nov. 19,
2009)
December
59
According to other reports, Special Guards Forces are standing alert with guard dogs next to the
entrances of a number of hospitals including the Hezartakhtekhabi Hospital to arrest injured
protesters who come to the hospital. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Dec. 7, 2009)
Iran arrests 6 student activists in Shiraz
Security forces arrested 3 students in Shiraz yesterday. Seyed Mohammad Mohsen Moussavi, Sobhaneh
Heidari, and Najmeh Ranjbaran (f) are students of the Technical College of the Bahonar University in
Shiraz.
In the past few days, other Shiraz students, Sayid Lotfi, Massoud Mahdavi Far and Seyed Mohammad
Hosseini were also arrested. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Dec. 8, 2009)
Security forces arrest 51-year-old woman in home
Intelligence agents stormed the home of the Jushan family in Karaj on December 7
and arrested 51-year-old Zahra Asadpour Gorgi after breaking down her door. She
was taken to an unknown location.
The head interrogator of the intelligence agency in Karaj called her in the morning
telling her that her detained son would call today in the morning and that she
should not go anywhere. Gorgi was attacked while she waited for her son's
telephone call from prison.
This political prisoner is suffering from severe heart problems and high blood
pressure and went under surgery a short while ago.
Before this, 25-year-old Reza Jushan, her son was arrested after intelligence agents stormed their home.
He was taken to ward 8 in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj and there is still no news on his condition.
(Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Dec. 8, 2009)
Two other Shiraz students arrested
Sayid Aganji, a student activist in Karroubi's election campaign and Razieh Jafari (f), a sociology major
at Shiraz University who was suspended for one semester last year were arrested by security forces.
(Amir Kabir Newsletter – Dec. 8, 2009)
Iran: More than 200 arrested in protests including dozens of women
Tehran's police chief says 204 protesters were arrested in widespread anti-government marches by
university students.
Gen. Azizullah Rajabzadeh says the protesters - including 39 women - were detained in the capital
during Monday's rallies for violating public order,' according to the state news agency IRNA. He says
they will be handed over to the judiciary after police investigation .
There has been no word on the number of arrests outside Tehran. (AP – Dec. 8, 2009)
Security forces arrest women's rights activist
Somayeh Rashidi, a women's rights activist was arrested on Saturday December 20 after answering a
summons to the Revolutionary Court and was transferred to Ev in Prison.
Her lawyer, Afruz Moghzi confirmed this report and said, "According to a summons that was
announced to my client while (regime forces) were searching her home, she went to the Revolutionary
Court in the morning. I was not allowed to be present in the court with her. Ms. Rashidi was
interrogated for about 2 hours in the Revolutionary Court and later we were informed that she had
been transferred to prison after her charges were announced to her". (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Dec.
20, 2009)
Security agents brutally attack Ashura mourners in Arak, arrest dozens of people
Ashura mourners gathered on Khomeini Street in Arak to mark Ashura. According to reports, they
were attacked brutally by plainclothes agents and security forces and a number of them were injured
and wounded.
These forces also attacked and beat mourning women and mothers which angered the people on the
scene.
According to eyewitnesses, a number of young people who came to protect the women were arrested
after being brutally beaten and were taken away with bloody faces by security forces. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Dec. 27, 2009)
January- 2010
61
Iran arrest 3 female photographers at funeral of slain nuclear physic s professor
Three photographers were arrested at the funeral of Massoud Ali Mohammadi, an assassinated
professor, today in Tehran.
In this ceremony which was held with a heavy presence of plainclothes agents and Bassij forces, 3
photographers who reportedly worked for foreign news services were arrested. They were all women
and were arrested by female police officers.
It is still not known why they were arrested and why only female photographers were arrested.
(Kalameh Website – Jan. 14, 2010)
Iran arrests couple and detains their baby in intelligence agency for several hours
On the evening of January 17, Peiman Chalaki, a political and labor activist and the former secretary
of the Free Saveh University's Islamic Association and his wife Somayeh Alami Pasand a former
member of the Participation Front and the former secretary of the Free Tehran University's Islamic
Association and their little daughter were arrested by intelligence agents and transferred to Tehran
from Saveh.
According to reports, security forces called one of the friends of this couple and summoned him/her
to the Saveh Intelligence Agency. They then separated Mana Chalaki, the couple's small child, from
her parents and handed her over to the couple's friend.
Chalaki and Alami Pasand were then transferred to Tehran by the intelligence agency. There is no
information on their exact location in Tehran. (Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Jan. 19,
2010)
53 year old female political prisoner detained in solitary in ward 209
Parvaneh Rad, 53, is a mother of two and a supporter of the Mourning Mothers who attended the
weekly protests of these mothers in Laleh Park. She was arrested on December 26 after her car broke
down. She was waiting near the Choobi Bridge for her husband to come fix the car when she suddenly
saw plainclothes agents violently beating women and girls on the street. She protested this brutal act
and was attacked and violently arrested by the plainclothes agents. She is currently detained in the
solitary cells in ward 209 in Evin Prison and her family has still not been allowed to visit her. (Human
Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Jan. 19, 2010)
Iran arrests VOA reporter along with family
One of the elements linked to anti-revolutionary (forces) who was active in the Voice of America
network and also cooperated with the anti-revolutionary opposition, escaped some time ago with his
family after his associates were arrested.
According to reports, investigation to find this person was ongoing until one week ago when his hiding
place was discovered. He was arrested along with his wife and daughter in a garden in the Luin Plain
near Tehran. (Jahan state-run website – Jan. 26, 2010)
February
Social arrests
March-2009
August
Young men and women arrested in north Iran for improper clothing
According to reports, dozens of young men and women in Northern Iran have been arrested by state
security forces in the Plan to 'Counter Social Corruption' on charges of wearing improper clothing.
This report says that security forces deployed in Mahmoud Abad in Mazandaran arrested four boys and
eight girls in only two rounds under the pretext of them not following Islamic moral rules. They were
taken to detention centers. (Iran News Agency – Aug. 25, 2009)
November
65
January – 2010
February
Prison conditions
March- 2009
April
Agent of 1988 massacre of political prisoners to preside over trial of 56-year-old female political
prisoner
According to reports from the women's ward in Evin Prison, Kobra Banazadeh, 56, will be trialed on
May 5 in the 28th branch of the Revolutionary Court on charges of "acting against national security"
and "illegally leaving the country". This trial will be judged by Mohammad Moqiseyi, aka Naserian.
Moqiseyi has presided over the trial of three other members of the Banazadeh family and has issued
heavy sentences for them. Kobra Banazadeh is currently in ward 209 and is in danger of losing her
eyesight. This political prisoner is also deprived of serious medical treatment.
Naserian is currently the head of the 28 th branch of Tehran's Revolutionary Court. He was one of the
members of the "Death Delegation" and had a direct part in the execution of the massacre of political
prisoners in 1988. He is known as a criminal for taking part in this massacre in which thousands of
67
political prisoners were executed. Several international human rights organizations have condemned
this massacre,
demanding that all the agents and perpetrators of this crime be brought to justice and trialed. (Human
Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Apr. 24, 2009)
Jailed U.S.-Iranian reporter 'very weak': father
'She is very, very weak and frail ... she is in a bad condition. She can hardly stand up,' Reza Saberi told
Reuters. 'I'm worried about her health. I'm worried about her life .' (Reuters – Apr. 27, 2009)
May
June
69
There are people from different walks of life among the detainees. From young people to normal
people and university professors who were arrested in different places or in groups. A person said that
he went out to get ice cream and on his way back he was arr ested with the ice cream still in his hand.
Eyewitnesses have said that some foreign nationals have also been seen in prison. A black person and a
Turk national, who do not even speak Farsi, were seen in Evin Prison.
A person was arrested when he was taking his wife to the hospital to give birth and he has no
information on his wife's condition. A dentist was arrested after security forces attacked his office. A
Bassiji was also amongst the detainees and because he did not look like a Bassiji he was severely beaten
when he was arrested. He claims that he even has a Bassiji card. Eyewitnesses have said that the
number of detainees is so high that ordinary prisoners are used as prison guards. Due to lack of space,
prisoners are forced to sleep on the ground and very close to each other and the risk of contagious
diseases is very high.
Detainees who were not involved in the protests when they were arrested, were beaten with clubs,
electric clubs and sticks from the very beginning of their arrest. Security for ces beat them close to
death. A plainclothes agents even shot at the thigh of a prisoner at close range. Detainees have been
tortured in Intelligence Centers, Bassij Bases, Police Stations, prisons, or unknown locations.
Witnesses reports very severe and violent torture in Bassij Detention Centers and Intelligence Centers
in Vahdat Islami Street. Those who were injured in the protests, injured via torture or have gun
wounds are not given medical treatment. Prisoners with special illnesses are not even given medicine
their families bring for them. Many of the prisoners are in critical condition. One person whom had a
broken nose said that after he asked for a doctor, he was kicked in a face with a booted leg.
The interrogations are very long and nonstop (7 to 12 hours or more). In these interrogations, they try
in various ways to get false confessions from the prisoners. They also forcefully take the mobile
numbers and emails of the detainees to control their communications with their friends.
After they are freed, their belongings are not given back to them. A prisoner was released from prison
in his underwear and a pair of slippers.
There are also sexual tortures in prison which is more of a concern regarding female prisoners and
political prisoners. Especially considering the Iranian culture, instances of sexual torture are not
disclosed and bodies are not impartially examined in the coroner’s office.
The mental state of freed prisoners is not good. Some prisoners cannot sleep because of the scenes of
torture they have witnessed. An eyewitness reported that many people had convulsions in their sleep
and many prisoners preferred not to sleep.
Instances of torture:
Those who were arrested by the Bassij or plainclothes agents were severely beaten when they were
arrested. They were then taken to intelligence detention centers, Bassij Centers and finally to the
Shapur Intelligence Department before being taken to Evin Prison. They were seriously tortured in
each of the locations. Prisoners who were arrested in this way have said that in the Shapur Intelligence
Department, agents expressed regret over why detainees were beaten so much in the other detention
centers and why "they have not saved them a place (on the body) to beat". But prisoners were still
beaten and tortured there.
According to reports, these agents broke the right side of a prisoner's head with a club and then
laughed over it and broke the left side of his head just to make it "concurrent" with the other side.
In the middle of the beatings of a prisoner, an agent pushed the other agents away saying, "you should
no abuse prisoners", then started violently beating the prisoner. After he was tired from beatings, he
ordered the others to start beating the prisoner again.
Another person said that after he asked that his handcuffs be loosened, agents tightened his cuffs to
the point that it pierced his skin and they pulled him with his handcuffs in this way for a long time.
Some prisoners have said that they were made to sit on their knees for four days facing a wall and
whenever they fell asleep, they were beaten in the head. During this time, they were only fed twice with
a very scarce amount of food.
Another prisoner has reported that the first time he was hit with an electric club, he was thrown two
meters because of the shock, but after a while, he was beaten so much that when they touch the
electric club to his hand, he does not show any reaction.
Prisoners with built bodies were beaten much more on the excuse that they had hit security forces or
had destroyed public places.
There have been reports of group beatings, beatings on the body and face with booted legs, beatings
with cables, chains, clubs, electric clubs besides the usual beating with fists and kicks. These instances
also apply to injured prisoners.
An eyewitness reports that the backs of some of the injured prisoners are completely black and bloody
due to the severe beatings. Instances of broken wrists and feet have also been reported. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – June 29, 2009)
Report on the condition of Evin's women's ward
The General Women's ward in Evin prison has turned into detention center for women who were
arrested in the recent protests in Tehran in addition to ward 240, 209 and 2A. Lack of space and
facilities in the women's ward increases the pressure on the detainees.
According to reports, about 60 of the women who were recently arrested in the protests are kept with
prisoners who take methadone (drug addicts) in hall 3 of the women's section. The lack of space has
reached the point where women who have recently been moved there sleep in the hallways with one
blanket.
The hallways have not been used in this way since the 80's and it is very unhygienic, especially for
female prisoners.
A large number of women who were injured in the protests are also kept in the medical clinic of the
prison.
The figures of the number of detainees stated in this report is only part of the real number of detainees
and due to high security measures in other sections, there is no information on the number of
prisoners Evin Prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – June 29, 2009)
Report on the condition of Evin's women's ward
The General Women's ward in Evin prison has turned into detention center for women who were
arrested in the recent protests in Tehran in addition to ward 240, 209 and 2A. Lack of space and
facilities in the women's ward increases the pressure on the detainees.
According to reports, about 60 of the women who were recently arrested in the protests are kept with
prisoners who take methadone (drug addicts) in hall 3 of the women's section. The lack of space has
reached the point where women who have recently been moved there sleep in the hallways with one
blanket. The hallways have not been used in this way since the 80's and it is very unhygienic, especially
for female prisoners.
A large number of women who were injured in the protests are also kept in the medical clinic of the
prison.
The figures of the number of detainees stated in this report is only part of the real number of detainees
and due to high security measures in other sections, there is no information on the number of
prisoners Evin Prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – June 29, 2009)
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August
73
She was taken to this ward known as the Methadone ward three days ago along with five other female
prisoners including Shiva Nazar Ahari and Mahsa Naderi.
The Methadone Ward was used for prisoners with serious addictions, which is no longer in use and
has horrible hygienic conditions. The sewage system in the bathroom has broken down and the stench
causes nausea for Shabnam and the other prisoners. (Amir Kabri Newsletter – Sep. 22, 2009)
Letter of jailed student from Evin Prison
Letter of Shabnam Madadzadeh, jailed student activist from the methadone
ward in Evin Prison: It was the last days of winter when I was forced to leave
the Teacher Training University and come to Evin. I was supposed to be
amongst my fellow classmates in the sixth semester of university. Now ward
209 is the scene of my life and education… I have stepped in a school where
every day in solitary was like 10 days. I lived in this situation for 71 days.
(There were) repeated interrogations and not having any information about
my family…
In this way I finished my last semester of university in ward 209. This is
while I wanted to finish my exams with my friends from behind the usual
benches. I wanted to be with my friends in the last years of spring and
welcome the hot summer days with them… September starts and now I have entered another
university: 'the Methadone Ward’, which has no similarities with my course and does not at all
resemble my beautiful university. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Sep. 26, 2009)
Jailed female journalist in poor health
According to reports from Iran, Hengameh Shahidi who was arrested some time ago after the elections
in Iran is in poor health in prison.
She is only taken out in the fresh air three times a week for 20 minutes and this has led to problems
for her from lack of sunlight. Shahidi, is a journalist, a member of (Karubi's) Etemad Meli Party and a
PhD student of human rights at the SOAS university. She was Karoubi's consultant on women's affairs
in the run up to the elections and was arrested on June 30. Shahidi has been held in Evin Prison in
temporary detainment from that time on. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Sep. 28, 2009)
Female political prisoner transferred to quarantine section of Evin
Atefeh Nabavi was arrested and taken to Evin Prison along with her cousin Ziaeddin Nabavi, the
spokesman for the Council in Defense of Education and a number of her friends on June 15. She was
interrogated several times in this time and because she worked with the Council in Defense of
Education she was charged with 'links to the PMOI'. She was transferred to the Quarantine section of
Evin Prison from Saturday which is known as the Methadone Ward. Her status is still undetermined
after 105 days of incarceration. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Sep. 30, 2009)
October
75
Interrogators mistreat, insult and use obscene language against her and her family and have done this
persistently in the past few weeks to bring down her morale in prison.
Her interrogators have even threatened her that they would arrest her family members and even
showed her their arrest warrants to put pressure on her. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 12,
2009)
Female political prisoner still on hunger strike in solitary confinement
Zahra Jabbari, 35, was arrested in Tehran's Quds Day protests on September 18, and is still being kept
in solitary in Evin Prison's ward 209. According to her mother, she has been on hunger strike for 10
days in protest to her undetermined status in prison. She has become very thin and weak. (Amir Kabir
Newsletter – Oct. 15, 2009)
Ministry of Intelligence refuses to release student prisoner
The Ministry of Intelligence has disagreed with reducing the detention sentence of Atefeh Nabavi to a
release on bail. The case of this political prisoner has been sent to the 12 th branch of the Revolutionary
Court and her trial is to be held on November 29. She has been charged with 'enmity with God' by
'having communications with the PMOI'. "There is no evidence to prove this charge and the only
reason she was charged is because of her family relations (to the PMOI)", her lawyer Nasrin Sutodeh
said.
Nabavi was banned from continuing her studies in the master's degree exams this year. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Oct. 17, 2009)
Deplorable condition of women and children in Evin Prison
According to reports from the women's section in Evin Prison, prison officials have stepped up t he
pressure, harassment and limitations on female prisoner and female political prisoners in this section.
One of the pressures imposed on women is the cutting off of warm water. Women prisoners were not
able to bathe for several days as a result. This led to serious problems for infants and children (who are
with their mothers in prison) who need warm water. Limiting warm water also limits the milk that
mothers make for their children with this water and also limits the tea that prisoners make with this
water. This also leads to unhygienic condition which can subject the children to various diseases.
According to reports, the prison food lacks protein. Vegetables and fruits have been omitted from the
prisoners' meals for months. The signs of malnutrition can be seen in the faces of the prisoners
especially the children.
Imprisoned children also witness the violent treatment, insults and the beatings of their mothers by
prison guards and the infighting between prisoners.
The hygienic condition of the women's section is deplorable and lice and fleas are rampant which has
turned the condition of the female section like that of an inhumane work camp. Political prisoners are
also banned from receiving serious treatment for their ailments and they are only given sedatives for
their illnesses. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Oct. 23, 2009)
Iran extends jail term of female journalist
The temporary prison term of jailed journalist Fariba Pazhuh, has been extended after she was banned
from receiving visits.
On Monday, Evin Prison officials did not let this journalist visit with her family and she was only
allowed to speak to her family for a few minutes over the phone.
The interrogator of the second branch of the Revolutionary Court announced to her lawyer today that
her temporary jail term had been extended. This has led to concerns that she might be confined to a
solitary cell again.
"Fariba has been banned from visits on the orders of Tehran's prosecutor and neither me nor her
family can visit her", her lawyer Mina Jafari, said. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Oct. 24, 2009)
Jailed female protester banned from seeing parents
Zahra Jabari, a prisoner who was arrested in the events after the elections broke her hunger strike
because of her deteriorating health and was transferred to a two person cell from solitary in Evin
Prison.
Last Monday when Zahra's family came to visit her in prison along with her young child, only her child
was allowed to visit her. Her mother said that she was banned from visiting Zahra because of an
interview she gave regarding her imprisoned daughter. Zahra Jabari was arrested on Quds Day in a
protest march and was on hunger strike for two weeks in prison. (Human Rights Activists in Iran –
Oct. 27, 2009)
Female political prisoner threatened to end hunger strike
The heads of the Intelligence Protection Department of Evin Prison have asked Hengameh Shahidi to
end her hunger strike or face being handed over to the prison Disciplinary Committee.
This journalist went on a hunger strike refusing food and medicine two days ago. This is while Shahidi
has heart problems and is suffering from depression to the extent that she took 28 pills a day.
Continuing her hunger strike considering her mental and physical condition can be dangerous for her.
Hengameh who was a women's affairs advisor in Mehdi Karoubi's election staff has been imprisoned
for five months. (Green Wave of Freedom Website – Oct. 29, 2009)
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77
In the past days, political prisoners had protested the rule of forced fresh air time in the cold morning
weather in a letter and requested that it be revoked. Despite this, prison officials disregarded their
request and deprived these prisoners from visits.
Shabnam Madadzadeh, Mahsa Naderi, Atefeh Nabavi, Fatemeh Ziayi Azad, Nazila Dehdashti are some
of the prisoners detained in this section. ( Green Wave of Freedom Website – Nov. 9, 2009)
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December
January – 2010
February
Prison sentences
April – 2009
81
June
August
September
Female political prisoner sentenced to five years of prison for intending to visit children in Camp
Ashraf
According to reports from the female section of Evin Prison, the five year
prison term in exile to Gohardasht Prison sentence of political prisoner Kobra
Banazadeh Amir Khizi was confirmed by a court of review.
The 56-year-old political prisoner was sentenced by Mohammad Moqissei,
known as Naserian who was a member of the 'death commission' responsible
for the death of thousands of political prisoners in the 1988 massacre, for
intending to visit her children in Camp Ashraf. She was arrested by
intelligence agents in the Tehran International Airport. This is while she had a
legal visa from Iraq and was arrested a few moments before her flight.
She was charged with intending to visit her children in the company of other
mothers (of Ashraf residents) in Camp Ashraf, having 900,000 tomans,
saffron, clothes and nuts with her (when she was arrested at airport), and carrying out activities in line
with the goals of the PMOI. Kobra Banazadeh has suffered from eye problems, and partially lost her
eyesight, and is in danger of going blind. Two of her brothers, Hamid and Asghar Banazadeh who are
currently in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj have been sentenced to 2 years of prison for visiting their
family in Camp Ashraf. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Sep. 23, 2009)
October
November
December
January – 2010
Female political prisoner sentenced to 5 years of prisoner for answering phone call from uncle in
Camp Ashraf
According to reports, political prisoner Monireh Rabiyi was sentenced to five years of prison by a Judge
Pir Abassi, the head of the 26th branch of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. This heavy sentence was
given to her because she contacted her uncle in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.
This political prisoner suffers from severe lung problems and allergies and has been denied medication
since her arrest.
She only has the clothes she was arrested in and despite the cold, has been denied warm clothes.
Prison guards refrain from taking the clothes that her family brings to put pressure on her.
Monireh Rabiyi, 32, is a chemical engineer who was summoned on October 7 to the Revolutionary
Court to answer questions but was arrested by Beigi, the head of the 3 rd security branch. She was
arrested for answering a telephone call made by her uncle. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in
Iran – Jan. 22, 2010)
February
Brother and sister sentenced to 5 years of prison on charges of links to the PMOI
Shabnam Madadzadeh, the political secretary of the Islamic Association in the
Teacher Training University in Karaj and her brother, Farzad Madadzadeh were
each sentenced to five years of prison to be served in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj.
Their lawyer Mohammad Oliayi Far, announced this news saying that their
sentence was illegal and that he would request an appeal.
This brother and sister were charged with moharebeh, spreading propaganda
against the government and having communications with the PMOI. Shabnam
Madadzadeh (DOB 1988) is the assistant secretary of the Office for Consolidating
Unity Council in Tehran and a member of the Teacher Training University's
Islamic Association who was arrested on February 19, 2009 by security forces for unknown reasons and
was jailed in Evin Prison. (Jaras Website – Feb. 10, 2010)
Mother and son sentenced to prison for going to visit relatives in Ashraf
According to reports, on February 8, political prisoner Zahra Asadpour Gorji, 51, and her son Reza
Joshan, 25, were taken to the first branch of the Revolutionary Court and sentenced to one year of
prison in exile to be served in Zanjan Prison and 4 years of exile to the Gheilar Village in Zanjan by
Asef Hosseini, the head of this branch.
Political prisoner Zahra Asadpour suffers from severe heart problems and high
blood pressure and had an operation before her arrest.
Mrs. Asadpour was arrested on December 7 after an attack by agents of this
Ministry. She was thrown in a solitary cell in section 8 in Gohardasht Prison
which belongs to the intelligence agency. She was under torture and
interrogated for several weeks by a man named Mohebi, head interrogator for
the Intelligence Agency. This political prisoner and her son were arrested
before this and imprisoned for 16 months in Gohardasht Prison for visiting
their relative in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.
Reza Jushan, her 25 year old son was arrested on December 1 and thrown in
solitary in section 8 of this prison which is known as the RGC section. He was
kept in solitary for close to 2 months and was then transferred to section 4.
Attacks against students, political activists and families are carried out by Mohebi. He is a head
interrogator in the intelligence agency in section 8. This ward is made up of solitary cells like Evin
Prison's section 209 and is under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence. Mohebi, interrogates and
tortures political prisoners in this section in addition to threatening and abusing families (of political
activists). (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Feb. 15, 2010)
85
Basic freedom and rights abused
March - 2009
April
87
prison told the elderly mother of this prisoner that their son "is anti -revolution and has links to the
People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran".
"We have the right to do whatever we want to him and you can't do anything about it", this head of
intelligence told his mother.
"You have to forget your son and not come visit him anymore or send him money", he added.
As a result, 60-year-old Manijeh Shafa’at, swooned having been stressed from this abuse and was forced
to leave the prison without visiting her son. The other family members of this political prisoner were
kept in the visiting hall upon the recommendation of the head intelligence and after protesting were
only allowed a 3 minute visit with the prisoner. They were threatened afterwards and told that they
were not allowed to come for visits anymore.
Mohammad Nikbakht is a PMOI supporter who was arrested in 2004 on charges of supporting this
organization and after being tortured and beaten was imprisoned in Isfahan Prison. His father was also
imprisoned on charges of supporting his son. (Center in Defense of Prisoners in Iran – Apr. 12, 2009)
MOIS threatens families of political prisoners
According to reports from ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran, there is no information on the
condition of 52-year-old Fatemeh Ziayi and Hamed Yazarlou, two political prisoners in this prison.
Ziayi was arrested in her house on February 20 after intelligence agents raided her home and was taken
to the notorious ward 209. There has been no news on her condition since her arrest. This female
political prisoner is suffering from multiple sclerosis and has to be under constant treatment.
The Ziayi and Yazarlou families and families of other political prisoners have gone to the
Revolutionary Court several times after their loved ones were arrested, but they have not been allowed
to pursue the case of these prisoners in the third branch of this court. The head interrogator of the
Intelligence Agency has in the past few days called the families of these political prisoners threatening
to arrest them. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Apr. 23, 2009)
Regime installs security cameras in girls' schools to control students
The administrators of some schools in Tehran have installed security cameras in their schools.
"School administrators have installed these security cameras from about two months ago to control
students and indentify those who have mobiles at school", said a student in this regard .
"The school is not considered a personal space in which using security cameras causes problems", said
the head of Tehran's Education Department.
"I have not seen any laws on Education which bans the use of cameras", he stipulated. (Mehr state -run
news agency – Apr. 29, 2009)
May
Masters Degree student banned from giving exams due to 'improper veiling'
On May 19, the Protection Department of the Free Kashan University prevented a girl student from
entering the exam session on the pretext that she was not wearing the chador. The female student who
came from Isfahan to participate in Exams practically came to tears from this act and begged the
Protection agent to let her inside .‘I am in my last term for getting my master's and if you don’t let me
go in the university and participate in the exams, I will flunk this course and because this course isn’t
given in the summer, I will have to wait until October to register again because of this course", she
sobbed .
However, the agent did not heed her begging and refused to let her participate in the exams .
'This has nothing to do with us, you should have worn the chador like a good girl!', answered the
agent. (Iran News Agency – May 20, 2009)
July
Security forces search home and office of prominent lawyer and women's activist
After the illegal arrest of Shadi Sadr by plainclothes agents on July 17 in Keshavarz Boulevard while
she was trying to go to Friday Prayers, her husband, Hossein Neilchian said that a number of
government agents who introduced themselves as security police, searched her home and office. They
confiscated some documents and papers and two computers which belonged to her husband and her
daughter. This search went on for hours and in the presence of the lawyer's 10 year old daughter and
agents even searched her room. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – July 18, 2009)
Neda's mother not given permit for ceremony on 40 th day of Neda's passing
The mother of Neda Aqa Sultan said that they were not given a permit to hold a ceremony for the 40 th
day of her death.
"We wanted to hold Neda's ceremony in the mosque in Nilufar Square but they did not give us a
permit. Of course we actually wanted to have the ceremony in the Behesht Zahra Cemetery hall but we
were not given a permit". (Saham News state run website – July 27, 2009)
89
August
September
91
Elderly mother forced to sign agreement saying that her son was not killed under torture
According to reports from the Shahpour Detention Center, the mother of a man killed under torture
in the Shahpour Detention Center was summoned to this detention center and forced to sign an
agreement saying that her son was killed due to natural causes and not under torture.
Mahin Shad-pour, 67, the mother of Hossein Tavakoli Barazjani who was killed under torture in this
detention center in 2008, and Abbas Tavakoli Bararzani who is currently in ward 6 of Gohardasht
Prison in an undetermined condition, was put under pressure and threatened after she disclosed the
death of her son. Agents from the Shahpour Detention Center called her several times in the past
threatening her that she should not inquire about her son's death, otherwise they will sentence her
other imprisoned son to death and the life of the other members of her family especially young girls in
her family will be put at danger and they will disappear.
After she was threatened and intimidated in these phone calls or in person, she was summoned to the
detention center on Wednesday September 9. She was interrogated by major Narimani along with
three other agents for a few hours.
"We will execute (your other son). Don’t say a word because no one is going to hear you anyway. It's a
waste of time and no one will listen to you. You will endanger the others in this way", Major Narimani
told her. Then he put the paper in front of her and said that she had to sign it to prevent future
incidents. In the agreement, it stated that her son Hossein Tavakoli Barazjani, 33, died of natural
causes and that she did not want to press charges against anyone. Mrs. Shad-pour initially disagreed
but was threatened by the major that she would be arrested and detained. Narimani said tha t if she did
not sign the agreement, she would be arrested with her other children on charges of conspiring and
that they had a warrant for this arrest. She was finally forced to sign the paper. (Human Rights
Activists in Iran – Sep. 15, 2009)
Families bear brunt of prisoners' plight in Iran
The middle-aged woman demanded to know the fate of her daughter, Fariba Pajooh, who had been
picked up by three Intelligence Ministry agents a few days earlier .
'She will be with us for a few days,' the prosecutor tol d her calmly. 'Don't worry, she's in a good place'.
'What's the charge against her?' the mother wanted to know.
'It's said she had some foreign connection,' the prosecutor replied vaguely .
More than a month later, 24-year-old reformist journalist Pajooh is still in jail, along with thousands of
others in Iran, and her mother still doesn't know why… Mrs. Pajooh, her husband, her brother, and
the prisoner's husband take turns every day to visit the General Prosecutor's Office, aka Dadsara, in the
hope of finding some clue as to why their loved one was arrested Aug. 28 and whether she would be
released anytime soon. Their ordeal offers a glimpse into the attempts of thousands of families to find
loved ones who were detained in the crackdown following the disput ed June 12 presidential election.
Often without lawyers, an accountable system, and the rule of law, families are forced to handle the
nightmare of a complicated legal bureaucracy on their own. They very rarely have any information
about the whereabouts, health, or conditions of their loved ones. In addition, the prisoners themselves
are denied medical care and legal representation and do not even know on what charges they have
been arrested.
Fariba Pajooh's lawyer Nemat Ahmadi has not yet seen his client. Ahmadi was out of town when
Fariba was arrested. When he returned a week later, not much he could do… Two days after the arrest,
the family received first word from their daughter. Three women had seen Fariba brought to the
Dadsara that morning. Fariba had told them she was in solitary confinement in Section 209 of the
Evin Prison, controlled by the Intelligence Ministry .
She also allegedly said she was being pressured to confess to espionage and immoral behavior and that
she had been threatened with execution if she refused…
'They usually tag an immorality label on women as evidence of extramarital relationship,' said Hamid
Reza, a close relative of Fariba's. 'Things that are normally considered positive - being sociable and
making friends easily - are used as negative traits against prisoners. Fariba is an extremely kind and
friendly person. They claim to have listened on to her phone conversations as proof of her
promiscuity. Maybe they want to frame someone else and destroy him and are using Fariba as a
scapegoat,' said the relative…
Mrs. Pajooh tried to visit her daughter at Evin Prison, but was told those in solitary are not allowed to
receive visitors.
'It's more than a month that our lives have turned upside down,' said Mrs. Pajooh. 'I can't do my work.
The most I can do is sit in front of the computer and check the Web sites. Fariba's face comes in front
of my eyes. Nothing is important to me anymore … (AP – Sep. 19, 2009)
Iran officials intentionally keep families of detainees in the dark about jailed loved ones
According to reports, more than 100 family members of recent detainees who were mostly arrested on
September 18 (in the Quds Day protests) held a protest gathering outside Tehran's Revolutionary
Court and Evin Prison today. They demanded information on their loved ones and their release from
prison. The names of the new detainees have not been confirmed by the Revolutionary Court yet.
One of the methods the Revolutionary Court uses to harass families is not confirming the names of
the detainees for a number of days. This causes grave concern for their families and puts great pressure
on them. Another method, used especially to harass the mothers of detainees is that when the mother
goes to have the name of her child confirmed as an arrestee in the Revolutionary Court and shows her
ID card, she is told that her ID card is not acceptable and that she has to bring her husband's ID car or
the detainee's ID card. This is while the name of the detainee has been documented in her ID card as
her child. In light of this, the anxious mother is forced to go back to her home, it is sometimes a long
journey, and come back the next day with her husband's ID card to get an answer.
The families of detainees were told today to go home and that they cannot do anything for them and
in this way, they evade answering the families. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Sep.
21, 2009)
Iran arrests another journalist in Tehran ; mother forced into silence
Sayed Mehdi Niaki, a journalist who also worked for the Kalameh News Website before elections, was
arrested and taken to an unknown location on September 14.
"Mehdi lived alone and went missing on September 14. It seems that agents came to his home in
Tehran, arrested him and took him to an unknown location", one of his relatives said.
"His mother knows of his arrest but due to the threats made against her, she is terrified and is not
willing to confirm his arrest by the agents. She was told to wait in silence for the return of her son.
Now, six days after his arrest, it is still not known where he is detained", said his close relative. (Green
Wave of Freedom Website – Sep. 21, 2009)
Officials increase control of students in Tehran's Beheshti Univ.
According to reports, in the ongoing illegal activities by the Protection Department of the Beheshti
University in Tehran, students who have criticized university officials in social internet networks, have
been dealt with under the pretext that they have insulted university officials …
A woman identified as Rezayi who is in charge of controlling the dormitory curfew of female students
and their appearance, accuses girls of attending parties and having dates with their boyfriends if they
come back after 9pm and sends them to the Disciplinary Committee under this excu se.
Despite the fact that university officials’ claim that they have a budget shortage, it seems that the
Protection Department does not have this shortage. From the summer of last year, an ultra
professional control system has been set up in the university by the Sharq Fakhr Iman (East Fakhr
Security) Company with a budget of more than 500,000 dollars.
93
Every day, in addition to the normal patrols in the university by agents of the Protection Department
and Disciplinary Committee, unidentified men also patrol the university campus and constantly deal
with students for various reasons. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Sep. 23, 2009)
October
95
Atefeh Nabavi was trialed in the 15 th branch of this court on charges of having communications with
the PMOI. She was alone in the trial because she did not have a lawyer. (Human Rights Activists in
Iran – Oct. 25, 2009)
Female students harassed by agents in Sharif Industrial Univ. in Tehran
According to reports, female (agents) with chadors (black head to toe garb) in groups of three walk
around in the Sharif Industrial University in Tehran and warn girls regarding their dress, makeup, nail
polish, hair and hair color and force them to write commitments not to appear in this way in
university.
If students protest this treatment, they are taken to the university Protection Department and dealt
more seriously with. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Oct. 25, 2009)
Tehran Free Univ. separates male and female classes
The School of Political Science of the Central Tehran Free University separated the classes of girl and
boy students. This was done on the request of Dr. Ashrafi, the head of the Political Science Group.
This matter has not only led to discontent amongst students and professors but has also caused
problems in class schedules. (Nurooz Website – Oct. 27, 2009)
November
97
December
Iran denies women's rights activist right to see lawyer and subjects her to pressure
Women's rights activist Mehrnoosh Etemadi said in a 5 minute visit she had with
her family in prison that she was 'under pressure'. This is while her lawyer Mina
Jafari who went to Isfahan to see her client was banned from seeing Etemadi by
Isfahan's judicial officials.
According to reports, the case investigator has said that he needs Mehrnoosh for
'further investigation' and has not accepted the bail (provided by her family). This
is while 10 days after the arrest of this women's rights activist and despite the fact
that a document has been provided to court showing that the bail order issued by
the Isfahan Court has been provided, judicial officials refrain from accepting the bail. Merhnoosh
Etemadi has been charged with being a member of the One-Million Signature Campaign (advocating
change in the constitution). (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Dec. 5, 2009)
Iran fires teacher because of political a ctivities
Samira Sadri, a member of the Policies Council of the Office for Consolidating Unity was fired after
seven years of teaching.
"After being summoned a number of times to the Protection Department of the Ministry of Education
and Ministry of Intelligence it was verbally announced to me that because of my political activities in
the past and my current political activities and because of the activities of my husband (Ali Jamali the
head of the Politics Committee of this Group) I am banned from teaching". (Committee of Human
Rights Activists in Iran – Dec. 25, 2009)
Regime forces interrogate hospitalized injured protesters
According to reports, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence with the cooperation of the Protection
Department in hospitals interrogate injured people who have been brought to hospital and records
their names and details.
On Sunday December 27, intelligence agents who were stationed in the Protection Department and
Intelligence Department in hospitals from before took pictures of the faces of injured patients. They
were then given forms to fill out with questions like, 'Where were you injured, why were you injured,
and did you participate in the protests.' They also recorded the addresses and phone numbers of the
injured people and asked several other questions. This is while the injured protesters were bleeding
and in great pain. Most of the injured people were young men and women who had fractured heads,
noses, legs and hands.
The medical personnel in these hospitals tried to quickly treat the patients and release them to prevent
their arrest from the hospital. The doctors had no other choice than to release a number of the
protesters who had to stay hospitalized as a result of severe beatings by security forces. (Human Rights
and Democracy Activists in Iran – Dec. 28, 2009)
January – 2010
99
The official website of the Office for Consolidating Unity stated these details in its website:
- This accident took place in the middle of the main university street in a curve that goes directly to the
computer school. This is the most crowded area in the university and this could have happened to any
of the students.
- Trucks are banned from travelling in Tehran at day. This is while this dump truck has been moving
about in this university for days. Before this, students had protested this issue to the Protection
Department and university officials several times. The fact that the truck was in the university in at day
is the direct responsibility of the univ ersity and the head of the university.
- On Saturday evening, this same truck with the same driver was speeding by the library and came close
to hitting a student. This student protested this issue and even went to the Protection Department.
Despite this, the driver, who did not even have a drive's license was not prevented from continuing his
work.
- University officials have placed the driver in the center of attention to hide their own incompetence.
- In every construction project, there is a monitoring system. The monitor and head of this project was
the head of the university. This means that the person responsible was the head of the university.
(Human Rights Activists in Iran – Jan. 26, 2010)
Wife of paralyzed political prisoner hospitalized as r esult of regime threats and abuse
According to reports, on Sunday January 24 at about 2 pm, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in
Rasht stormed political prisoner Hadi Abed Bakhoda's house and searched his home. They
subsequently interrogated his wife for several hours which led to her hospitalization.
In this attack, three agents of the Ministry of Intelligence participated. They violently searched their
home and broke some of their personal items, while confiscating their satellite receiver, and
educational CDs that belonged to their children. These agents then verbally summoned Mehri Javan
Mahjoub Doust, Abed Bakhoda's wife to the intelligence agency in Rasht.
On Monday January 25, Mrs. Mahjoub Doust went to the Intelligence Agency and was interroga ted for
close to 5 hours. The interrogation was about her interviews with international foreign media, the
dangerous physical state of her husband in prison and other issues. Two interrogators were present in
her interrogation. One of the interrogators threatened Mrs. Mahjoub Doust saying 'Aren't you worried
about your children and yourself?'
They threatened her children to death in these interrogations. Mrs. Mahjoub Doust had a heart attack
as a result of the agents' threats and violent behavior and the interrogators were forced to take her to
the hospital. She was hospitalized for a few hours.
The Rasht prosecutor and Ministry of Intelligence have blocked the financial means of this family and
they are in a very bad financial state. This is while this family has to pay for the medical treatment for
Abed Bakhoda in prison. Whoever intends to give financial support to them is threatened by
intelligence agents and they have even told Mrs. Mahjoub that financial help she receives has to be
transferred to the bank account of the Revolutionary Court.
On the other hand, the physical condition of political prisoner Hadi Abed Bakhoda who has spinal
cord damage is deteriorating and he cannot move on his own or attend to his personal work. Several of
his organs have lost their natural function and he has to be hospitalized in hospital. Despite this, he is
still imprisoned and (officials) refuse to release him. The head of the prison, the prison doctor and the
judge seeing to his case have accepted that he go on a medical leave but intelligence interrogators in
Rasht refuse to let him go.
Bakhoda was sentenced to two years of prison by the 2 nd branch of the Revolutionary Court and was
arrested on November 8 and taken to Rasht Prison. He was imprisoned and tortured in the 80's for
supporting the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran. Regime forces shot him upon his arrest (in
the 80's) which resulted in his spinal cord damage. He cannot walk and his bladder, kidneys and
digestive system have been severely damaged. His brother Hormoz Abed Bakhoda was executed in the
80's for supporting the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran. (Human Rights and Democracy
Activists in Iran – Jan. 27, 2010)
February
101
Suppression of religious and ethnic minorities
March – 2009
April
103
Baha'i woman arrested in Hamedan
Suror Surorian, was arrested in her house by security forces in Hamadan on April 11.
Agents of the Intelligence Agency searched her house confiscating some of her personal items
including religious books. After their search, security agents took this 25 -year-old master's degree
student of business management with them to the Intelligence Agency in Hamedan but now, she is
being kept in an unknown location. Her parents are extremely concerned for their daughter's safety.
(Human Rights Activists in Iran – Apr. 12, 2009)
Baha'i prisoners not freed on bail despite prosecutor's verdict
According to a verdict passed by the General Prosecutor of Fars Province, Haleh Hushmandi, Keyvan
Karami, Farham Ma'sumi and Afshin Ehsanian who had been arrested by agents of the Intelligence
Agency in the last two months in Shiraz and kept in Detention Center # 100 were supposed to be
freed on April 2 on bail. However, the case interrogator has so far prevented the release of these four
Baha'is.
Haleh who has been under mental and physical pressure in prison is suffering from a serious heart
disease and is banned from any kind of treatment. There are serious concerns for her physical health.
(Human Rights Activists in Iran – Apr. 16, 2009)
Regime agents attack and terrorize Baha'i family in Semnan
Unknown assailants attacked the house of a Baha'i three times in seven days.
The city of Semnan has witnessed extensive pressure and abuse against Baha'is in the last few months.
Some examples of this abuse are attacks against Baha'i homes with hand grenades, the destruction of
their cemetery and widespread summonses and arrests along with house searches and seizures.
In the past week, motorcycle riders assailed the house of Yahya Hedayati three times in the middle of
the night with stones. During these attacks, the windows of Hedayati's house broke and his family
especially his old mother was subjected to serious danger. These attacks have put severe mental
pressure on this family.
The legal pursuits of this family has not had any results and there are fears that these attacks are
organized. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Apr. 21, 2009)
May
July
August
105
Mehran Bekri, Rostam Sahli Fard and Peyman Zuhi who are in Yazd Prison, are Baha'i leaders who are
under severe torture. (Kurdistan Media – Aug. 31, 2009)
October
November
107
December
January – 2010
February
109
Violence against women
March – 2009
111
According to him, "after buying a conventional manteau from a store, women quickly take the
manteau to a tailor and turn it into an unconventional manteau and then wear it and the SSF will deal
severely with these people". (Radio Germany – March 3, 2009)
(Note: A manteau is a long cloak women are forced to wear in public.)
SSF ban hiring of men in women's clothing stores
The head of the State Security Forces in the Greater Tehran Region said, "From now on, hiring men
in shops which sell women's clothing is banned and
those who do not follow this will be seriously dealt
with".
"Shop owners will be warned that from now on men
will be prevented from working in women's clothing
stores and only the cashiers can be men and the rest
of the employees have to be women. Also, those who
do not have a proper appearance and are out of the
norms, for example the sellers or even the buyers will
be seriously dealt with", he added.
"Women who go to clothing stores should give the necessary warnings to sellers or shop owners who
are improperly dressed or have improper veiling", Rajab Zadeh stipulated. (Entekhab state -run daily –
March 3, 2009)
Female university student murdered mysteriously in north Tehran
Police officers of Qolhak Police Station 124 were informed of the discovery of the body of a young girl
in her house in Ekhtiarieh Street on March 4, 2009. Banafsheh, 18, was an industrial engineering
university student.
The murder scene was prepared in a way to show that Banafsheh had committed suicide, but it was
discovered that she had been killed by a severe blow on the head. The murderer cut Banafsheh's vein
attempting to show that she had committed suicide. (Iran state -run daily – March 7, 2009)
SIU’s dean: Students who do not follow Islamic dress code will
be summoned to ‘Disciplinary Committee’
The dean of Sharif Industrial University (SIU) said that SIU is
the only university, which has had continuous surveillance on
improper veiling for 12 years without a break.
"The communiqué that was announced to all governmental
institutions on veiling in the past is still being carried out", he
added.
"Women who have unconventional veiling will receive notices
from female employees at the university entrance", he said.
This head of university said that after four or five times of verbal notices, students will be summoned
to the university's disciplinary committee. (Mehr state -run news agency – March 10, 2009)
26,000 vigilante forces to counter "improper veiling" in New Year holiday in Isfahan, Regime
official
The vice chief of the Prohibiting Vice and Promoting Virtue Staff in Isfahan announced that 26,000
vigilantes will be stationed in hotels, terminals, airports, train stations, busy streets, tourist areas and
bridges.
"These people have the obligation to guide travelers and also the people of Isfahan and to prohibit vice
and promote virtue on the New Year holiday", said Mohsen Mor tazavi.
"With the support of the Judiciary, an itinerant judge will also be present on the scene to deal legally
with these sorts of cases", he added.
"Currently, 220,000 shops in Isfahan are under the supervision of the police and their transgressions
are documented and are being dealt with day and night ", Mortazavi said. (State -run IRNA – March 13,
2009)
Poverty-stricken mother self-immolates in Qaraveh
A 30-year-old woman known only as S. Kh. Set herself ablaze because of family problems due to
poverty in Qaravah (a city in Kurdistan). She died in Sanadaj Hospital.
Her husband was unemployed and they had two very young children. (Kurdistan Human Rights
Watch News Agency – Mar. 15, 2009)
Teenage girl sets herself ablaze in Islamshahr
According to reports, and 18-year-old girl named Mahssa, set herself ablaze at 6am on Friday March 25
in Islamshahr. According to this report, she committed suicide due to family and financial pressures.
(Iran News Agency – March 25, 2009)
So-called security leads to frequent disappearances of women
Twenty-four girls have disappeared in Arak City – southeast of Tehran, center of Markazi Province –
from a few days before the Persian New Year to the sixth day of the New Year –less than two weeks –
and no news has been published on that to alert the population on these incidents. There is still no
information on these girls.
Considering that Arak is a small city and therefore important news gets out immediately, there is no
information on these horrible incidents and no adequate investigation has been done, proving the
incompetence of the State Security Forces. (Iran News Agency – Mar. 28, 2009)
Teenager sets herself ablaze in Kermanshah
Sixteen-year-old Samira Jamali, set herself ablaze in Qazanchi Village in Kermanshah Province on
March 24, 2009, and unfortunately died in the hospital.
Samira committted suicide after her father banned her from continuing her education.
The suicide rate has increased in Kurdish areas in the recent month, but these incidents are not
published in state-run media. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Mar. 29, 2009)
April
113
Man kills young sister over cup of tea
A young girl died in the hospital because of asphyxia. “I was very tired and asked her to bring me a cup
of tea but she did not pay attention, and replied that she could not do that, and continued her work,”
Baqer, her brother said.
“I got so angry therefore I put my hand on her mouth and nose and pressed it. I became regretful
immediately and took her to hospital but unfortunately I couldn’t survive her,” he added. (Change for
Equality website – Apr. 5, 2009)
Judiciary and Security officials prevent publishin g any news on serial murders of women
Ismail Ahmadi Moqadam, the top commander of the State Security Forces (SSF) admitted news on
judiciary and security scandal on the case of serial murders of women in Abadan.
Moqadam informed that in this case, which 15 women and a man were killed, the innocent people
were arrested and sentenced to death.
‘Unfortunately the judge following the case had condemned to death those charged for murder,’ he
pointed out. According to Ahmadi-Moqadam, this scandal was disclosed after compulsory confessions
of two arrestees on the killings and closing the file, the serial murders continued.
The security and judiciary officials prevent details of the serial murders of women in Abadan and
similar cases in Karaj, Varamin and Gilan to be published.
Last year, at least fifty women in four different serial murders were killed but even state -run newspapers
such as Iran were banned to publish the news.
During the interrogations, those identified as main convicts and were introduced as suspects to SSF of
almost all cases were either set free, or discharged of any conviction after a while.
The judiciary and security officials have never explained any reasons for their actions.
In August 2001, news of serial killings of women in Mashh ad leaked to public; almost all victims of the
case were either imprisoned or arrested by the SSF and had file with them. (Amir Kabir Newsletter –
Apr. 6, 2009)
Security agents arrest women's rights activist in Marivan
State Security Forces arrested Najibeh Sobhani on March 7 in Marivan. She is women's rights activist
whose activities are against honor killings in Marivan and is a member of the Marivan Center in
Defense of Children's Rights. Najibeh was also active in organizing Women's Day and Children's Day
ceremonies.
She was detained by the SSF for organizing a ceremony for International Women's Day and there has
been no information on her location and condition since her arrest. (Association Defending Political
and Human Rights Prisoners in Iran – Apr. 2009)
Hezbollah: female drivers who do not have ‘proper veiling’ must pay fine
Ya-Sarallah, publication of Ansar-e Hezbollah in its latest issue while criticizing the SSF for not
punishing women drivers with 'improper veiling' with paying a fine, asked them to define similar fines
for such drivers, and those who listen to loud music, as those who speed. (Asr-e Iran, state-run website
– Apr. 8, 2009)
According to mullahs’ law, father not punished for burning daughter to death
On August 1, 2008, officer in charge of the Police Station No. 130, in Naziabad district, was informed
on a tragic death of Somayeh, 27-year-old woman.
Eventually Kazem, her 56-year-old father confessed that he killed her daughter on his own because she
had many suspicious telephone contacts; hence, he guessed that she had possibly affair with stranger
men.
“I tied her feet and hands not to let her run away then took her to bath room and smearing her with
gas,” he said. According to article-220 of Islamic punishment law, father and predecessor of father are
not charges for killing their child. However, according to the Jury, Kazem sentenced to 10 years in
prison for making public disorder. The verdict can be reviewed within 20 days. (Siasat-e Rooz daily –
Apr. 9, 2009)
Secret circular and wandering women for a room in hotel
The head of the State Security Forces, while stating there is an invisible contact between the SSF and
registration system of hotels, said, “according to such system there is no reason not giving entrance
permission to women by hotels’ reception.”
Nevertheless, in reality hotels avoid giving women entry permission.
“The condition to let a single woman to enter the hotel is a letter from the Public Places Department
(PPD),” the person in charge of Jahan-Nama Hotel reception in Tabriz says.
“The PPD had ordered this circulation, and accordingly the condition to give entry permission to a
single woman is only a letter from the PPD,” he added.
It seems that hotel owners obey secret circulations, which give them a uthorization not to admit single
woman to their hotels without a letter from PPD. (ILNA, state -run news agency – Apr. 10, 2009)
Arefeh, 7-year-old, victim of mullahs’ misogyny culture and prevalent poverty in Iran
On March 23, the third day of Iranian New Year known as Norooz Eid, a 7-year-old girl with a very
poor-health was wandering in north of Tehran. She was moaning and her back had signs of cigarette
burns. Arefeh was not able to talk and was in a physical and mental disastrous state.
When she was four her parents were divorced because of psychological, disorder of Farshid, her father.
According to law, Farshid was her sponsor and he got married again. Her stepmother tortured Arefeh.
Her state was so disturbing that the fostering court denied her sponsorship to Farshid, giving it to her
mother. Nevertheless, Arefeh’s mother could not keep her because of financial poverty and eventually
registered her in a public nursery.
Farshid who was aware where Arefeh was looked after, presented a request to sponsor her again, and
he succeeded to take her back from nursery in November 2008. (Etemad, state-run daily – Apr. 11,
2009)
According to mullahs’ law, when a father can kill his daughter without any punishment, is violence
against a small girl avoidable?
Architecture like prison for girls’ schools
According to many experts, blocking girls’ school from outside world surrounded with very high walls,
or buildings encircling the yard, is prison like architecture. (Amir Kabir newsletter – Apr. 12, 2009)
Bassiji Forces in university affront feminists
Bassiji Forces (paramilitary forces of IRGC in universities) in Technical Department used their graffiti
board in presenting feminist women as ‘pro-immorality’ through offensive photos and writings.
This informal pro-government repressive body in the Technical College of Tehran University used its
board as graffiti warfare against those defending equal rights for women. (Iran news agency – Apr. 13,
2009)
Minister of Guidance: The media causing confusion in SSF fight against ‘improper–veiling’ dealt
with severely!
Mohammad-Hossein Safar-Harandi, the Minister of Guidance, warned that media causing disorder in
the State Security fight against ‘improper-veiling’ would be harshly dealt with. Mehdi Kolhar,
Ahmadinejad’s informant advisor, announced in a strong support letter to Ahmadi Moqadam, the
head of SSF to deal firmly in ‘mal-veil’ plan. Safar-Harandi while supporting the plan to deal with
‘improper-garment’ of girls and boys declared that he wouldn’t let public media to cause disruption in
the SSF related job. He said the SSF mission does not contradict the relevant work carrying out by
chastity and veil staffs; on the contrary, they are supporting the activities of them. Ahmadinejad
advisor emphasized that this job was a kind of worship and negligent paving the way for vice would be
dealt with. (Etemad, state-run daily – Apr. 14, 2009)
115
Iran Guidance Minister: newspapers that disrupt fight against improper veiling will be harshly dealt
with
Safar Harandi, Iran's Guidance Minister supported the plan to counter improper clothing for girls and
boys and announced that he will not let the media disrupt the work of State Security Forces.
Criticizing media that disrupted the work of the SSF, he said, "These media should know t hat they will
be somewhat tolerated but if they continue their actions, they will be forcefully dealt with".
"(Fighting with) improper veiling is a small part of what the SSF does and the main goal is to deal with
those who dangerously trample the rules of the society", he pointed out. (E'temad daily – April 14,
2009)
GEM of 108: Iranian women ranked 103
According to the latest figures published in a report on gender competency prepared by the UN, Iran
ranked 103 out of total of108 countries. The UN definition on Gender Enabling Measures (GEM)
depicts direct relation with the economical and political active role of women. This measure illustrates
the quota of women in the parliament, legislation, top officials, and their position among technical
workers and experts and it shows the effect of gender inequality in country’s economical independence
and earning. This report illustrates the worse gender inequality leads to decreasing trend in human
development. (Sarmayeh state-run daily – Apr. 15, 2009)
Repressive measures against university students led to new suicide
At night April 24, a female student committed suicide in the Tehran University’s dormitory
compound surprising students. The Ministry of Science, Tehran University dean had restricted that
the news on students suicide should not be leaked to the media.
The female students of the dormitory immediately informed the male classmates that Ms. Sondos
Mohammadi had committed suicide. She is a first year Kurdish student studying communication in
the Social Science Department of Tehran University.
The reasons for her suicide included, getting annoyed by ‘Herasat’ – “Protection Department of
University” – on several occasions, ordering her continuously on the dress code and her appearance
while her family imposed her to get married.
The third suicide was not published since ‘Herasat’ and ‘Disciplinary Committee’ imposed restriction.
On March 10, the third suicide happened; she was a 23 -year-old student in technical department. She
had committed several times by using a large number of pills, who was also survived by transferring her
to an emergency unit. (Iran news agency – Apr. 15, 2009)
A teenage, 14-year-old girl, torched herself
A few months after the tragic murder of Fereshteh Nejati by his father, Roqieh Nejati, her cousin set
herself ablaze in Kani Dinar town – place of Fereshteh’s murder – on April 13, 2009. She was
transferred to Marivan Hospital but died few hours later with 90% burnt body. The cause of her death
is protest against improper treatment and her harassment by her family. (Amir kabir newsletter – Apr.
17, 2009)
Note: Fereshteh’s father who caught her throat was set free.
Brother set ablaze her sister
On April 13, 17-year-old Sara died and her file full of her wishes closed.
Sara lived in a poor family, and was forced to work since 15. After a while, she decided to marry but
faced with her brother’s strong disagreement. One day when nobody was at home, he smeared Sara
with oil and set her on fire. Consequently, Sara died few days later. (Amir Kabir newsletter – Apr. 17,
2009)
Female journalist disappears after taking picture of student sit -in
On April 16, 11 local journalists were arrested in Arak University and only after the editor of their
weekly gave a written commitment (not to cover student protests), were they released. Ms. Bigluyi, who
is one of the oldest journalists in Arak and was able to take pictures of Arak University students' sit -in
from outside the university and print it in this weekly, has disappeared from a few days ag o. (Iran News
Agency – Apr. 18, 2009)
In a public court, even Nahid’s husband prevented to enter
On April 15, eventually the time approached to consider charges against Nahid
Keshavarz, an Iranian woman activist. The first charge against her was participating in a
gathering outside the Revolutionary Court, and the next was collecting signature in
Park in April 2007. Both charges against Mrs. Keshavarz considered as acts against
national security.
It was not announced the court was secret neither in the court’s record nor by the
judge, hence it was a public session, but even her husband prevented to enter the
court. (Radio Farda – Apr. 19, 2009)
A woman hanged in southern Tehran
On April 18, a worker faced with a hanged body of Mina, 46-year-old woman in her hut while working
in a field in southern suburb of Tehran. In the onset of the investigation, signs of kicking her back
were observed on her dress, and the autopsy proved that she had broken scalp and right arm, but the
cause of death was hanging,” the investigation officer of Tehran’s district 37 proposed.
“Most probably, perpetrator or perpetrators hanged her after beating and injuring her while she was
unconscious and defenseless,” he added. (ISNA, state-run news agency – Apr. 20, 2009)
More than 60,000 women in prison in Iran
Director of cultural organization of prisons in Iran announced that there are more than 60,000
women in Iranian prisons.
According to him, women include 5 to 7% entries to prisons and their average age is between 27 and
29. The most prevalent offense is narcotic drugs.
“22% of prisoners are young and between 27 and 33 thousands youngsters from 19 to 25-year-old are
being imprisoned annually,” he added. (Shahrzad News, state -run website– Apr. 21, 2009)
SSF beat hit and arrest a girl in Tehran for ‘improper-veiling’
On April 21, the State Security Forces in Tehran attempted to arrest a girl for ‘improper – veiling’ but
she resisted and the SSF agents started beating and hitting her, pushing her forcefully into the police
car. Then they searched the crowd, seizing mobile telephones and destroying all information inside
them to prevent any picture or film taken from their savage operation. (Iran news agency – Apr. 22,
2009)
Regime enforces backward culture on Mazandaran beaches
The head of the Mazandaran Islamic Advertizing Center said that the whole country "even beaches
have to be Islamic to keep with the Islamic power of the country".
Shukrain stipulated that "not only beaches but in private beach towns Islamic norms have to be
followed and the fact that they are private does not mean they can be unrestrained".
"The presence of 'cultural forces' on beaches and building mosques and prayer centers and other
cultural foundations in necessary to further create a healthy atmosphere", he added. (Shahrzad News –
Apr. 22, 2009)
SSF: Guidance Patrols start their operations firmly after 15 days
“New round of Guidance Patrols’ activities is going to start
within 10 to 15 days,” the top commander of SSF
announced. In a press conference, he informed that they
start their activities firmly and strongly. According to
Rajabzadeh, Guidance Patrols never suspended but by
removal of some failures in the past, they will be operational.
(Shahab News state-run website – Apr. 22, 2009)
117
Professor verbally abused and threatened to beat girl student for ‘improper veiling’
Yesterday on April 22, a literature professor verbally abused a female student of the Literature
Department of Razi University in Kermanshah for not following what he called “Islamic veiling.” A
large number of students witnessed this scene. The professor verbally abused this student threatening
her with beatings and attempted to seize her university ID card. Witnesses report that the appearance
of this female student was quite norma l and plain. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Apr. 23, 2009)
All of those charged of intentional murdering of Dr. Zahra acquitted
“In relation to intentional murder of this case a verdict was issued banning any prosecution against all
offenders. This communiqué was instructed all governments’ staffs by the
first branch of Prosecutor’s office of district 28 on April 23, 2009,” this was
an official notification sent to Dr. Zahra Bani-Yaquoub’s family by General
Office of the Public Prosecutor and Revolutionary sta ffs of government.
“The prosecution ban means all the convicts have been acquitted. This
implies that the judge did not pay any attention to all the documents we and
the team of lawyers presented to the court,” Said Mr. Abol-Qassem Bani-
Yaqoub, father of the victim. (Iranian Women Center – Apr. 24, 2009)
Background information: Ms. Zahra Bani-Yaqoub 27-year-old physician who voluntarily served in very
far away and poor villages in Iran. On October 12, 2007, while she was with her fiancée in the park in
Hamedan (a western province), she was arrested by ‘prohibiting vice, promoting virtue’ agents –
corrupt agents of the regime forcing people, in particular women, to obey their medieval orders but
violating the minimum standards of human behavior themselves – and transferred her to ‘anti-vice’
detention center. Two days later, the agents announced she had hanged herself in the detention.
Mullahs’ officials have destroyed all the evidences including her dress and the garment they claimed
she used for hanging herself, and they did not hand in the victim’s belongings to her family and her
lawyer.
Orumieh’s Imam: Women, who challenge Islamic veil, should die together with their husbands and
fathers!
“I don’t know how women with ‘mal -veil’ are still alive 28 years after Islamic Revolution. These women
who challenge ‘Islamic veil’ must die together with their husbands and fathers,” Gholam -Reza Hassani,
Friday Prayer’s Imam of Orumieh – Center of Western Azerbaijan, said in one of his sermon talking
on women issue. (Amir Kabir newsletter – Apr.25, 2009)
Arrested women's rights activist in Evin's 209
The International Human Rights Campaign announced today that Maryam Malek ,
a member of the One-Million Signature Campaign and a reporter on family court
issues in Iran was arrested on April 24 after she was summoned to a police station.
She was interrogated in an Intelligence Detention Center and transferred to Evin
Prison on April 25.
The assistant prosecutor of the second branch of the Revolutionary Court charged
this activist to "spreading propaganda against the government" and "membership in the One-Million
Signature Campaign.” A bail of 21,000 USDs has been confirmed for her release but she cannot afford
such a high bail. She is currently in Evin Prison.
This 26-year-old student has written many articles on violence against women and social injustice
against women in family courts in Iran. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – Apr. 27, 2009)
The secret of Tous quarantine revealed
There is an educational center for women at the road between Mashhad and
Tous (East northern Iran). For a few months, people of that district observed
peculiar activities raising their curiosity. After enquiries, they found that this
is a detention center for ‘street women’ and there are 500 of them
incarcerated in a very inhuman condition. It is noteworthy that because of extreme sensitivity among
people of Mashhad against ‘street women’ some of them should live all their life in this horrible
detention center. (Iran news agency – Apr. 27, 2009)
17-year-old girl commits suicide for being harassed by school administrator
On Thursday April 23, a 17-year-old girl named Esrin R. in Sanandaj who attended the Parvin E'tesami
School in this city consumed a large number of pills to commit suicide after an inappropriate
treatment by school officials. She is currently hospitalized and in critical condition.
These school officials affiliated with the government had put pressure on this girl because she had
brought a mobile phone to school. (Iran News Agency –
Apr. 27, 2009)
Appalling condition of female detention center
This is the only detention center in Mashhad – center of
Khorassan Razavi Province and a very big city – for
women. This place lacks the minimum hygienic
standards. The whole detention is 60 square meters
placing more than 50 women, including a 13-year-old
teenage. Those charged for smuggling narcotic drug, old
tramp women with Alzheimer disease, adolescent girls
who had arrested in ‘vice houses’ are all detained
together without any classification in this very small place. The detention also lacks enough light.
Today, there are an eight-day baby, one and four-year-old infants.
Some are temporary detained and should be released soon but have been here for more than two
months. The prisoners are deprived from any hygienic appliance and bathroom. They are also denied
from visiting right, and providing their needs from outside. There are addicted convicts to Crack
cocaine and Sheesheh (chemical heroin) who vomit in such a closed unhygienic place causing more
contaminated unbearable condition.
Their nutrition is disastrous, frequently prisoners beg for a piece of bread. Henchwomen as a common
and routine practice beat hit and humiliate them.
Mashhad women police station was launched with a lot of propaganda in 1999. At its opening
ceremony, it was said that this is an especial police station giving the women the chance to defend their
rights easier while these allegedly offender women are deprived from their basic rights even accepted
and signed by the mullahs’ regime. (Association of Political Prisoners in Iran – Apr. 28, 2009)
Distressing self-immolation of two young women in Oshnavieh Town
Asskeh Khaki, 20, and Helaleh Fatmeh Kurdi, 21, set themselves on fire because of family difficulty…
both women had one-year-old infants. (Resistance Forces in Qazvin – April 28, 2009)
The forth-serial killing of women in Qazvin
On April 27, Ghiasabad Police Station in Qazvin found body of a woman in Minoodar town. It
seemed that she was killed a few hours earlier. Government tries to prevent the news of this serial
killing be published increasing the public awareness. (Resistance Forces in Qazvin – April 29, 2009)
A young nurse had heart attack due to guidance patrol conduct
A mother of a young woman whose daughter died from heart attack persuaded a persecution against
an agent of the guidance patrols in the public prosecutor's office yesterday.
She claimed that, Sara, her daughter, was a night shift in a hospital in Tehran and was going back to
her student hostel next morning on April 23, 2008 while a Guidance patrol stopped her in Vanak
Square. An agent of this patrol pushed her into their car and took her to anti-vice police station taking
her photos like criminals. Sara went back home in the evening and slept forever. Her mother
prosecuted against the guidance patrol but he was set free because there was no evidence proving his
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guilt. “If he wasn’t guilty why he transferred himself to another city after two days,” her mother
protested to the interrogator of the case. (Sarmayeh, state-run daily – April 30, 2009)
Girls molested twice more than boys
Association Protecting Children held its annual conference on April 28 marking the May Day. “Since
February 19, 41 molesting cases of children reported that 64% of them were girls and 36% were boys,”
the Association’s domestic director said. (Shahrzad News – April 30, 2009)
May
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Man killed his wife while visiting him in prison!
A man, 46, killed his 27-year-old wife while visiting him in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz. This man after
having quarreled with his wife strangled her to death by her scarf. The Supreme Court confirmed his
execution sentence. (Keyhan, state-run daily – May 5, 2009)
Note: This is dubious case, since prisoners’ visits either are not face to face or being controlled by
prison guards.
SSF: cars carrying dogs and passengers with ‘improper cover’ to be seized for 2 months in Qom
The Head of Public Security Police in Qom announced that drivers and passengers who did not follow
Islamic and social norms in this province would be prosecuted.
"In light of the religious atmosphere in Qom and in line with advancing the social security and
morality plan, State Security Forces will deal with drivers who break the norms, rules and regulations",
he said.
"Drivers and passengers who do not have proper (Islamic) covering will be prosecuted and their cars
seized for two months,” Khorasani said.
"Cars that carry dogs will also be seized and pounded and the relevant people will be legally dealt
with,” he added. (IRNA state-run News Agency – May 5, 2009)
Gender segregation in Najafabad University in Isfahan
Officials of Free Islamic Najafabad University in Isfahan have gender segregated transport services of
the university. The university officials had gender segregated the entrance by installing several
searching gates. These gender segregation attempts have raised students’ protest in universities
including this university. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – May 6, 2009)
No information on young female student
Mahssa Naderi, 19, a university student was arrested and transferred to solitary confinement in Ward
209 of Evin Prison, which is run by Intelligence Ministry. She was charged for political activity and
since her arrest, her fate is unknown.
In February 20, she was arrested by Intelligence Ministry agents in her house.
It is noteworthy that Mohssen Naderi, Mahssa’s father has been imprisoned since a year ago on the
same charges. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – May 8, 2009)
Three women's rights activists arrested in Qom for defending a girl on danger of ‘honor killing’
Fatameh Masjedi, Maryam Bidgoli and Gholamreza Salami, three women's rights acti vists were arrested
yesterday in Qom. Fatemeh Masjedi and Maryam Bidgoli are women activists for encouraging
traumatized women in Qom to increase their ability for living. They were involved defending a young
girl who was in danger of ‘honor killing’ and in this case they were engaged with some influential
figures in Qom. They are also members of a campaign to gather a million signatures to a petition
demanding equal rights for women in Qom. Gholamreza Salami is a researcher and co-writer of
‘Movements of Eastern Women’ book. (Meidan Zanan (Women's Ground) website – May 9, 2009)
Head of Moral Security Police: we will deal severely with western style clothing
The head of the State Security Forces Moral Security Police said that according to the law, printin g
indecent western writings and pictures on clothing is forbidden.
"Police will severely deal with Satanist groups without any tolerance,” he said.
"According to the law, the writing of the slogans of the Arrogance (reference to the US), and printing
indecent pictures and words on clothing is forbidden and will be dealt with", he stipulated.
"The distribution of the culture of chastity and the veil in the society is one of the most important
tools for fighting against the propaganda and weapons of the enemies,” said Ruzbehani. (Mehr state-
run news agency – May 9, 2009)
Students protest to sexual segregation in university
Students of the Free University in Tehran staged a gathering in protest to sexual segregation at this
university and the reactionary plan to build a wall in the library to separate the girls and boys and
prevented the building of this wall.
More than 200 students blocked the area the wall was to be built, and forced university officials to
retreat their plan. (Aftab, state-run website – May 10, 2009)
Free universities ordered to impose gender segregation of students
According to a notice to free universities, gender segregation must be imposed.
“According to the circular issued by Free Universities Central Organization classes of boys and girls
must be separated,” a professor of Tabriz Free University said.
“Most of professors are not agree to execute this notice and believe that gender segregation of
university students is offending students,” he added. (Iran news agency – May 10, 2009)
Dreadful murder of young woman in Tehran
On Saturday May 9, a young woman, 17, was killed by her husband with knifes under the pretext of
‘honor killing’ in Haft-Chenar District in Tehran, according to news published by Judiciary system.
It is noteworthy to mention that under Islamic Republic ruling system a great number of women and
girls are murdered by men excused as ‘honor killing’. (Payam website – May 10, 2009)
A young woman killed in Naqadeh
Sahar Begi, a young woman resident of Naqadeh town in Kurdistan was killed by her father and
brother on April 29. Report says that the reason for her murder was that she decided to get married
with a man without permission of her family. (Women Council Website – May 10, 2009)
“Smuggling Iranian girls from 10 to 17-year-old to Dubai are a common matter in all countries,”
former woman MP
Most of Iranian girls smuggled to Dubai and United Arab Emirate are between 10 and 17 -year-old.
“There are such matters in hidden layers of any country… publishing such a matter now, is just
platform against Islamic countries who claim morality,” Nayereh Akhavan-Bitaraf, a woman MP from
Isfahan in eight term of legislative body says. “The people in charge and custodians must be
accountable…,” she says as other officials who also proclaim not having any information on bargaining
of Iranian women in UAE. (Ham-Mihan (Compatriot) website – May 11, 2009)
Repressing women not even had chance of gathering for May Day
Ten days of the International Labor May Day have passed, but several dozen arrestees of the May Day
commemorators in Tehran are still imprisoned.
“My mother’s condition is awful in prison. She is in Quarantine ward with 15 other women. I do not
know how many women were arrested. However, as far as I know they are in the w ard of “Metadon”
designated for addicted. They are barred from visit. They are deprived from anything even shopping
from prison. They are not allowed to make phone call.
“They don’t even treat the attorney properly and he cannot help much in such circumst ances… No
gathering took place, and nobody said anything or did any movement. They suddenly attacked, beat,
and arrested them,” said Pegah Farajollahi, daughter of Maryam Mohsseni, one of the women arrestees
on May Day. (Farda Radio – May 12, 2009)
Women arrested on May Day detain in addicted ward
About 14 women arrested on May Day are detained in cellblock of addicted. Among them are some
journalists and bloggers.
Their lawyers and families have not been allowed to visit them despite that they have been arrested 11
days ago before unperformed May Day Ceremony in Laleh Park of Tehran. Their families go to the
Revolutionary Court everyday but just face aggression of the SSF bearing no result.
“About 14 women of those arrested on May Day are detained in the addicted ward in Evin Prison in a
very awful condition. Moreover, as far as I know there are about 13-14 women detained in Quarantine
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Ward. This ward is known as “addicted” ward in Evin Prison. They are also deprived from any
necessary facility,” Maryam Hosseini’s daughter says. (Radio Germany website – May 12, 2009)
SSF beat and abuse girl for "improper veiling" on street
According to reports, Guidance Patrol agents who are stationed on Vanak Square in Tehran beat a 20 -
year-old girl in public on charges of "improper veiling" on May 12.
A female agent initially called the girl and forced her to a police booth. The girl who was extremely
terrified and begged for them to leave her alone was then beaten by agents and forcefully arrested.
(Iran News Agency – May 13, 2009)
Girls’ schools or Prisons?
In girls schools wearing short socks and jeans, and make up are forbidden, and for such cases, the
parents are summoned to school. All girls’ schools should install bars on the windows and paint them
with dark color not giving a chance for a glance from outside… (Iran Press – May 16, 2009)
Government agents beat and hit a reporter of state-run daily for her short coat not aware of her
position
On Thursday May 14, when I got off taxi in Vanak Square quickly in the evening… Ms. ‘Samiran’, a
guidance force called me. She said your coat is over your knees four fingers. I accepted and said I will
go back home right away. Your colleague said how I could be sure that you would do that, and asked
for my identity card. Your other colleague whom I noticed she was Fatemeh M. added that it should be
cleared if I have previous cases or not for having coat four finger above my knees! I told them my name
and surname. “how can be sure you are telling us your true identity?” Ms. M. replied, and Ms. N. told
me to give my mobile phone. “Communication Minister has cut it off,” I replied. And suddenly Ms. N
said are you making fun of us? And pushed me to the floor and they dragged me on the pavement
towards the guidance patrol car… They didn’t care not just about my coat position covering my body
even my scarf was not covering my hairs. I didn’t want to get up the van, therefore they took my hands
and feet and threw me in the van. I don’t remember how many times my head was banged… I don’t
have any witness how many times they stoke my shoulder in the van, because there were nobody there
watching us.
In the van, Ms. N. threatened me strangely, explaining I am taken
to where and what they would do to me. Thinking of what would
be going happen to me was so horrifying that I pressed my finger
to record her words since there was no witness there may later I
could find someone to listen…
In the Vozara Detention Center, Colonel sat in front of me
asking me what I had recorded? “Your officers threatening
words,” I replied.
He asked for the record player… the guidance officer’s voice was
broadcasted, while there were some other officers. Colonel told
me I informed the top officials that you were arrested, they told
me to seize your record player and your journalist’ identity card… and I was eventually set free at 9 pm
in Vanak Square… (Etemad, state-run daily – May 16, 2009)
Note: The arrestee was a journalist of Etemad state-run daily, showing them her journalist identity card
at the onset of her case.
Masters Degree student banned from giving exams due to "improper veiling "
On May 19, the Protection Department of the Free Kashan University prevented a girl student from
entering the exam session on the pretext that she was not wearing the chador. The female student who
came from Isfahan to participate in Exams practically came to tears from this act and begged the
Protection agent to let her inside .
"I am in my last term for getting my master's and if you don’t let me go in the university and par ticipate
in the exams, I will flunk this course and because this course isn’t given in the summer, I will have to
wait until October to register again because of this course", she sobbed .
However, the agent did not heed her begging and refused to let her participate in the exams .
"This has nothing to do with us, you should have worn the chador like a good girl!", answered the
agent. (Iran News Agency – May 20, 2009)
22-year-old woman died after three hours of torture by his suspicious husband
“I tightened hands, feet, of Neda, my wife, then taped her mouth shut. After that I was beating her for
three hours, eventually marked her body by knife in order to cause sever pain making her regretful of
her past behavior. Neda was fainted and I was tired and slept for few hours. At 5p.m. I noticed that she
was uncouncious,” Hedayat, 23, said. (Fars state -run news agency – May 26, 2009)
Main offense amongst SSF is sexual abuse
There have been more than 80 sexual abuse by the SSF across the country.
In a common session between the IRGC and the SSf in Rashtkhar, a participant said that from the
beginning of new year – Iranian new year started on March 21, 2009 –more than 80 sexual abuses by
the SSF have been reported involving more than 70 NCO of this force.
In a private session in eastern city of Birjand a participant had also reported that most sexal abuses had
been committed by military forces depicting their lack of believes. (Iran news agency – May 27, 2009)
Regime official: Improper veiling worse than murder
The head of Isfahan's Prohibiting Vice and Promoting Virtue said, "From our point of view, improper
veiling is the first vice and worst than murder because the pollution that is spread by improper veiling
is mental.”
"The plan for Advancing Social Security has been carried out in Ardestan with the cooperation of State
Security Forces and dealing with those with improper veiling is in our program,” he added. (Fars state -
run news agency – May 31, 2009)
Court lashes 13-year-old girls 100 times
Written by a doctor- Today I had a patient which brought me great sorrow. My patient was a 13-year-
old girl who came in with her mother. The patient complained of pain in her side and in her own
words her "kidneys.”
Her mother explained that about 10 days ago, she was sentenced to 100 lashes in court and after the
execution of the sentence and when her back was bleeding and bruised, she was allowed to come
home.
When I looked at the delicate body of the girl, I could not believe that she could have tolerated all the
pain and suffering of 100 lashes on her frail body.
She said that during the lashing, they had tied her hands and legs on the bed and at first, it was painful
but "after the first few lashes I did not feel a lot of pain.”
The poor girl explained in childish words that after she came home, the pain started and in these last
few days, "I could not sleep or stand up or walk.”
Think to yourself about how a girl that is only 150 centimeters in height and only weighs about 40
kilos with less than 13 years of age could have gotten such a heavy sentence. (Ruz Az Nou Weblog –
May 31, 2009)
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June
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man they believed was the shooter shortly after the young woman died from a gunshot wound to the
chest.
He said he had decided to speak out, despite the potential risks, which meant he would probably not
return to Iran, because 'I don't want her blood to have been shed in vain .' (AFP - June 26, 2009)
Regime forbids mourning for heroine, force her family to leave their residence
According to a German daily, the family of Neda Aqa Soltan was forced to
move from their apartment on Meshkini Street under pressure from officials.
After Neda's death, police agents followed a person who wanted to give
condolences to the family and entered their four-room apartment. Security
forces told the family that they are banned from holding any kind of
mourning ceremony for Neda. Security forces also prevented them from
hanging black drapes on the outside of their apartment as a sign of
mourning. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – June 27, 2009)
Protesting mothers arrested in Laleh Park
Security forces arrested more than 20 women who had gathered in Laleh Park
yesterday to protest the recent arrests and violence by security forces against protesters.
Some of the detainees were taken to the Shapure Detention Center.
According to reports from Tehran, State Security Forces prevented the black clothed women from
entering the park, beating them. (Amir Kabir Newsletter – June 28, 2009)
September
October
November
December
January - 2010
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