Although three months have passed since the arrest of this dissident writer and filmmaker, no information has been released about his physical and/or mental health. The charges made against him are still unknown, too. His family and attorney have been unable to visit him during this time. This writer, filmmaker and blogger was arrested on December 20th of last year. “Insulting the authorities and creating propaganda against the Islamic Republic” were the charges listed in his summons letter. Mr. Nurizadeh, who was a documentary filmmaker and a columnist in Keihan, used to be famous for his fundamentalist attitudes. Continue reading »

Reports confirm continued pressure on Kuhyar Gudazi to provide his ID and password to his personal webmail and also to the website of HARANA. Article 38 of the Iranian Constitution bans any application of torture to retrieve information or confession. It also does not allow the coercion of individuals to gain confessions or oaths. Any confession or oath made under such circumstances is void and illegal. Any person acting against this article is guilty, too Continue reading »

The main reason a group of dervishes from the Gonabi Order were put on trial results from a confrontation with the security guards last summer, which ended in injury and the detention of a number of dervishes.  The story began when a dervish from the Gonabadi Order passed away last July and was buried in a private plot in Baydokht Soltani Cemetery in the city of Gonabad.

Following the burial his wife and two children, as well as another relative of the deceased and the cemetery caretaker were all detained by an order issued by Gonabad’s prosecutor.  The action led to widespread protest by family members and other dervishes, many of whom appeared in front of the court and demanded the immediate release of all detainees involved in the case.  Continue reading »

In a trial held for a number of defendants accused of participating in gatherings held on Ashura Day, Abdulreza Ghanbari was accused of Moharebeh (waging war) and received a death sentence from Judge Salavati. 

The International Human Rights Campaign has learned that Mr. Ghanbari was denied a fair trial, and he did not get an opportunity to discuss his defense strategy with his court-appointed lawyer.

On January 28, two prisoners accused of political charges, Arash Rahmanipour and Mohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani, were put to death, while their lawyers and family members were unaware the time and place of the execution. I In an audacious act seen as an affront to general public opinion, both prisoners were put to death. Continue reading »