Home Human Rights Summary of Repression and Human Rights Violations in Iran—August 2020

Summary of Repression and Human Rights Violations in Iran—August 2020

By
Mostafa Aslani
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In August 2020, Iranian authorities still violate human rights principles by continuation of issuing and performing death penalty, arbitrary arrests, exercising torture and other ill-treatments, and arbitrary murders

As the Iranian people continue their struggle for fundamental freedoms, justice, equality, civil rights, and the rule of law, the ruling regime amplifies the magnitude of suppression and human rights violations. In this respect, authorities respond to citizens’ cries for better living conditions with negligence or excessive sentences.

On September 2, in its latest report about human rights conditions in Iran, Amnesty International shed light on parts of torture and other ill-treatment exercised by Iranian authorities against detainees of the November protests.

“Widespread torture including beatings, floggings, electric shocks, stress positions, mock executions, waterboarding, sexual violence, forced administration of chemical substances, and deprivation of medical care

“Hundreds subjected to grossly unfair trials on baseless national security charges

“Death sentences issued based on torture-tainted ‘confessions,’” listed this organization in its new report.

Meanwhile, it is worth taking a look at the Iranian regime’s record of repression and human rights violations in August 2020:

1. Execution

In August 2020, Iranian authorities executed at least 29 people, including 27 male and two female prisoners. All executions took place in the prison. The declared age of executed prisoners ranged from 24 to 48 years.

Among executed inmates was a political prisoner, Mostafa Salehi, who was detained during late 2017-early 2018 protests in Khomeinishahr city, Isfahan province. He was secretly executed on charges of “waging war against God, ‘moharebeh,’” in Isfahan Central Prison on August 5. Based on obtained reports, criminal judge Morad Ali Najafpour had sentenced this political prisoner to death.

Two brothers Ali and Gholamreza Tahouneh were simultaneously hanged in Tabriz Central Prison, northwestern Iran, on August 6. Furthermore, on August 17, the Iranian regime executed a juvenile offender, Arsalan Yasini, in Isfahan Central Prison.

Authorities also executed two female prisoners in Mashhad city, northeastern Iran. On August 2, Mehri [last name unknown], and on August 18, Fereshteh H were both hanged in Mashhad Central Prison. In this context, the Iranian regime has executed more than 100 inmates since the beginning of 2020.

Place of Executions

Executions took place in Central Prison of Mashhad, Shahrekord, Qom, Yasuj, Isfahan, Tabriz, Rasht, Sanandaj, Yazd, Urmia, Dehdasht, Khalkhal, Zanjan, and Borujerd cities. Most executions took place in Qom Central Prison and Mashhad Central Prison.

The motifs for the executions were moharebeh, murder, and drugs.

Iran: Execution of 100 People in Less Than 6 Months; Ebrahim Raisi’s Human Rights Record

2. Arrest

During August 2020, Iran’s oppressive apparatus, including the state security forces, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), and the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC)’s intelligence branch, arrested 1,232 people on different charges:

Political Arrests

Security forces, intelligence officers, and IRGC units arrested 22 people for holding mourning ceremonies for victims of the November protests in Behbahan city, southeastern Iran, clashing with security forces, cooperating with Kurdish parties, issuing invitations for protesting rallies, and for serving prison sentences.

Arbitrary Arrests

In August 2020, 970 people were arrested by environmental patrols, security forces, cyber police called FATA, and intelligence agents on charges of illegal hunting, wood smuggling, participating in mixed-gender parties, and managing modeling pages.

The Arrest of Religious Minorities

Security forces arrested five Baha’is and Christian proselytizes.

Social Arrest

Security agents also arrested 39 people on charges of embezzlement and manipulating the foreign exchange market.

3. Torture

Iranian authorities frequently continue exercising torture against prisoners and getting forced confessions. Torture and other ill-treatments prove the weakness of the Iranian regime’s intelligence apparatus as well as the continuation of arbitrary and extra-judicial arrests against innocent citizens. In fact, interrogators compel detainees to repeat the authorities’ scenarios to hide security and judicial agents’ inability to provide reliable evidence. Different kinds of tortures are as follows:

Physical Torture

Shaker Rigi, a 19-year-old porter, known as Kolbar, was murdered under brutal punches, kicks, and tortures of IRGC border forces in Saravan base in Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeast Iran.

Also, Hamzeh Darvish was subjected to beating and torture by Rasht Intelligence Department officers at Lakan Prison in Gilan province, northern Iran.

Hamed Ali Mashkouh and Farshad Jahesh were tortured and interrogated by the Urmia Intelligence Department agents in Western Azarbaijan, northwest Iran.

Ali Ghaderi, Armia Ranjbari, Himan Karimi, Hiva Amini, and Varia Amini were tortured at the intelligence department of Sanandaj city in Kurdistan.

Bassem Batraei was severely tortured during his detention at Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz. He left the prison in a wheelchair at the time of his release on bail.

Security officers and special guards beat Khaled Pirzadeh in his legs and back during his transfer from Evin Prison to the Greater Tehran Penitentiary (Fashafuyeh).

During his interrogation period, Jafar Hassanzadeh was severely beaten at the IRGC’s intelligence branch in Piranshahr city, western Iran. Intelligence officers were compelled to transfer him to the hospital due to his worsening condition.

Psychological Torture

In Gohardasht Prison, western Tehran, guards deprived Qassem Abasteh, a Sunni prisoner sentenced to death, of sufficient medical care and medication despite his deteriorating condition.

After the transfer of political prisoner Majid Assadi from Gohardasht Prison to Evin Prison-Ward 209, he is still under extreme pressure, torture, and interrogation despite his worsening physical condition.

In Evin Prison, guards refuse to provide proper medical care and medication for social activist Behnam Mousivand, despite having coronavirus symptoms.

According to the order of Amin Vaziri, special assistance to political prisoners, guards returned female political prisoner Fatemeh Mosanna to the quarantine section of Evin Prison. Earlier, interrogators were forced to transfer Mosanna to Tehran Taleghani Hospital because she had fainted and her condition was worsening. Notably, the transfer was done despite her doctor’s objection and before completion of the recovery period.

Turkish activist Hamid Manafi was transferred to the Evin Prison’s clinic by his cellmates. He suffered from kidney pain. However, despite his constant pain, authorities returned him to the ward instead of providing sufficient medical care or taking him to a hospital.

In Evin Prison, authorities prevented female political prisoner Samaneh Nowruz Moradi from receiving chest surgery despite the physician’s prescription.

Abtin Jafarian, another political prisoner in Evin Prison, is still deprived of medical care for his injured jaw.

In Qarchak prison located in Varamin county, suburb Tehran, civil activist Leila Mirghafari was forcibly transferred to Aminabad Psychiatric Hospital. She was returned to jail a few days later.

In Greater Tehran Penitentiary, Jewish citizen Mashallah Pesarkohan has been deprived of medical leave and care despite his acute heart disease.

In Greater Tehran Penitentiary, political prisoner Soheil Arabi was deprived of medical care even though he had to undergo surgery two years ago. He suffers from abdominal pains and faces difficulties in moving and standing.

Following a stroke, civil rights activist Reza Mehregan feels numb in his body’s left side in Evin Prison. Guards prevented his transfer to a medical center.

The intelligence office of Kamyaran county in Kurdistan province, western Iran, conditioned medical furlough for political prisoner Changiz Ghadam-Kheiri for surgery to his cooperation with this intelligence institution. Ghadam-Kheiry is exiled at Masjed Soleiman county in Khuzestan province, southwestern Iran.

4. Arbitrary Murders

In August 2020, a number of Kolbars, merchants, and civilians were killed by the direct fire of the Border Regiment, IRGC, police forces, and intelligence agents.

Border forces opened fire and killed Arian Shahnavazi in the border areas of Rutak Khash. Iranian border regiment killed several Kolbars in different regions, including Hadi Khedri, who was killed by IRGC forces in the Baneh border, Kurdistan province, and Seraj Ahmadi in Urmia’s border area in Western Azarbaijan.

On August 4, the state security forces also opened fire and murdered a 13-year-old teenager Mohammad Reza Veisi and injured his father in Shirabad village located in the Ghahavand area in Hamedan province.

Security forces also killed two merchants Ali Ashrafian and Baram Basham suburb Zanjan city, central Zanjan province.

IRGC forces killed a livestock farmer Yousef Mohammad Abdullah Rash, in Qandil Heights in Western Azarbaijan. He had gone to purchase cattle.

In Shahryar district, suburb of Tehran, security forces targeted two cyclists. Alireza Jafarloo was immediately died and Alireza Goodarzi, who had been injured in scapula and lungs, was killed under blows of policemen’s fists, kicks, and batons.

Hamzeh and Allah Nazar Shahbakhsh were shot dead by security forces in Rigan district, in Sistan & Baluchestan province. Yasin Hunkzehi was also shot dead by IRGC agents.

Summary of Repression and Human Rights Violations in Iran – July 2020

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