Hengaw’s Exclusive Report: 150 Members of Justice-Seeking Families Arrested, 21 Sentenced to Imprisonment and Flogging in 20 Months
Hengaw: Tuesday, September 10, 2024
On the eve of the second anniversary of the state-sanctioned killing of Jina Amini and the beginning of the Woman, Life, Freedom (Jin, Jiyan, Azadi) movement, Hengaw Organization for Human Rights publishes an exclusive report highlighting the growing pressure on justice-seeking families, particularly those who lost loved ones during the movement. At least 150 individuals have been arrested, and 21 have been sentenced to imprisonment and flogging since the start of 2023.
Between January 2023 and mid-September 2024, at least 150 members of justice-seeking families, many of whom lost a loved one during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, were arrested by the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Among those arrested, 58 were women, 88 were men, and 14 were children under the age of 18. Several individuals have been arrested multiple times, with some facing two or three detentions.
Geographical Distribution of Arrests:
According to Hengaw’s records, the largest number of arrests occurred in Kurdistan (Sanandaj) province, with 44 cases, representing 27.5% of the total. West Azerbaijan (Urmia) province followed with 32 cases, making up 20.5% of the arrests.
• Kurdistan (Sanandaj) Province: 44 cases
• West Azerbaijan (Urmia) Province: 32 cases
• Tehran Province: 11 cases
• Khuzestan Province: 10 cases
• Isfahan Province: 9 cases
• Mazandaran, Qazvin, and Razavi Khorasan Provinces: 8 cases each
• Gilan Province: 6 cases
• Alborz Province: 4 cases
• Ilam, Lorestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and Hamadan Provinces: 2 cases each
Separation of Arrests by Month
According to the report, in 2023, at least 116 justice-seekers—individuals pursuing accountability for the deaths of their loved ones—were arrested by Iran’s security agencies. The month with the highest number of arrests was June, with 31 cases. In addition, 29 and 24 arrests were registered in September and August, respectively.
Year 2023:
• January: 1 case
• March: 4 cases
• April: 7 cases
• May: 6 cases
• June: 31 cases
• July: 5 cases
• August: 24 cases
• September: 29 cases
• October: 1 case
• November: 8 cases
Year 2024:
• January: 3 cases
• February: 1 case
• April: 10 cases
• May: 4 cases
• June: 2 cases
• July: 6 cases
• August: 4 cases
• September: 2 cases
Type of Arrested Individuals:
80% of those arrested since the beginning of 2023, equivalent to 120 cases, were close family members of individuals killed during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
• Family members of slain individuals from the Woman, Life, Freedom movement: 118 cases
• Individuals injured during the 2019 November protests and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement: 10 cases|
• Other justice-seeking families: 11 cases
• Supporters accompanying justice-seeking families of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement: 7 cases
Institutions Responsible for Arrests:
According to the report, the majority of arrests were carried out by the Intelligence Department, with at least 126 justice-seekers arrested by its forces in the last 20 months.
• Intelligence Department: 128 cases
• Intelligence Department of IRGC: 10 cases
• Execution of Sentences’ Court Department: 9 cases
• Morality Police: 1 case
73 Years and 8 Months of Imprisonment and 160 Lashes for 21 Individuals Related to Victims of “Woman, Life, Freedom” Movement
In the last 20 months, at least 21 individuals related to victims of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement have been sentenced to a total of 73 years and 8 months of imprisonment by the judicial system of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Additionally, four of these individuals were sentenced to a total of 160 lashes along with their prison terms.
Among those sentenced, six are women, and one is a 15-year-old child.
Names of the Justice-Seeking Family Members Sentenced:
1. Hashem Saedi: Father of Sarina Saedi (killed during during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Sanandaj) – 6 months and 15 days in prison, 40 lashes (Bukan Criminal Court).
2. Hassan Amini: Brother of Mohammad Amini (killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Sanandaj) – 6 months and 15 days in prison, 40 lashes (Bukan Criminal Court).
3. Abdulrahman Nasri: Father of Mateen Nasri (killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Sanandaj) – 6 months and 15 days in prison, 40 lashes (Bukan Criminal Court).
4. Arman Habibi: Brother of Aram Habibi (killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Sanandaj) – 6 months and 15 days in prison, 40 lashes (Bukan Criminal Court).
5. Mohammad Vaziri: Husband of Shirin Alizadeh (killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Isfahan) – 2 months in prison (Isfahan Revolutionary Court).
6. Sadegh Mahmoudnejad: Injured during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Piranshahr – 5 years and 6 months in prison (Mahabad Revolutionary Court).
7. Kausar Eftekhari: Injured during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Tehran – 5 months in prison (Tehran Revolutionary Court).
8. Mahsa Yazdani: Mother of Mohammad Javad Zahedisaravi (killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Sari) – 13 years in prison (Sari Revolutionary Court).
9. Farzaneh Barzekar: Mother of Irfan Rezaei (killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Amol) – 2 years in prison (Amol Revolutionary Court).
10. Bahar Shiri: Mother of Ali Abbasi (killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Semirom) – 6 years in prison (Semirom Revolutionary Court).
11. Safa A’ili: Uncle of Jina Amini – 5 years, 4 months, and 17 days in prison (Saqqez Revolutionary Court).
12. Mehrdad Bakhtiari: Uncle of Puya Bakhtiari (killed during November 2019 protests) – 6 years in prison (Karaj Revolutionary Court).
13. Omid Qadimi: Brother of Foad Qadimi (killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Divandarreh) – 3 years and 4 months in prison (Divandarreh Revolutionary Court).
14. Kamal Lotfi: Father of Reza Lotfi (killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Dehgolan) – 5 years in prison (Dehgolan Revolutionary Court).
15. Manouchehr Bakhtiari: Father of Puya Bakhtiari (killed during November 2019 protests) – 1 year and 45 days in prison (Qazvin Criminal Court).
16. Mashallah Karami: Father of Mehdi (Komar) Karami (executed) – 6 years in prison (Karaj Revolutionary Court).
17. Farhad Zare’: Brother of Milad Zare’ (killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Amol) – 1 year in prison (Babol Revolutionary Court).
18. Mateen Hosni: Injured during November 2019 protests in Bukan – 2 years and 7 months in prison (Bukan Criminal Court).
19. Maryam Mehrabi: Sister of Mahmoud Mehrabi (detainee from the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, sentenced to death) – 6 years in prison (Isfahan Revolutionary Court).
20. Faramarz Brahoui: 15-year-old brother of Ismail Brahoui ( killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement) – 6 months in prison (Special Clerical Court of Khorasan Razavi).
21. Hataw Akrami: Cousin of Mehran Akrami (killed during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement) – 8 months in prison (Bukan Criminal Court).
22. Mashallah Karami: Father of Mehdi (Komar) Karami (executed) – 8 years and 10 months in prison (Nazarabad Criminal Court).
Total Sentences:
• Imprisonment: 73 years and 8 months
• Flogging: 160 lashes
Conclusion:
This exclusive Hengaw report, prepared with accurate and up-to-date data, highlights the extensive and concerning pressures faced by families seeking justice for the victims of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. The report’s analysis reveals a disturbing trend of increasing repression against human rights activists and justice-seekers over the past 20 months.
1. Significant Increase in Arrests: Since the beginning of 2023, there has been a sharp rise in arrests, with at least 150 human rights activists and family members of those killed during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement detained. This surge in arrests, particularly in the provinces of Kurdistan (Sanandaj), West Azerbaijan (Urmia), and Tehran, underscores the intensified and unprecedented pressures on these families.
2. Violation of Human Rights and Civil Liberties: The issuance of long-term prison sentences and corporal punishment, including a total of 75 years of imprisonment and 160 lashes, represents a flagrant violation of human rights and civil liberties. These harsh sentences reflect the severity and breadth of judicial repression faced by justice-seekers.
3. Continuous Restrictions and Pressures: A closer examination of the arrests and sentences reveals that the primary targets of this repression are the families of those killed during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement and victims of the November 2018 protests. These measures systematically restrict their right to seek legal recourse and aim to silence their voices.
4. Role of Security and Judicial Institutions: The majority of the arrests have been carried out by the Intelligence Department and other security agencies, demonstrating the government’s use of these institutions as tools of repression to stifle dissent and suppress litigation efforts.
5. The Need for International Action: This report underscores the urgent need for the international community to take swift and effective action to address these human rights violations and protect the rights of these families. International attention and pressure can play a crucial role in reducing the oppressive measures and addressing the ongoing human rights crisis in Iran.
