Unfair Trials

May 21, 2013

Kahrizak Plaintiff Withdraws Murder Suit Against Mortazavi; No Witnesses Summoned

Kahrizak Plaintiff Withdraws Murder Suit Against Mortazavi; No Witnesses Summoned The tenth session of the trial of former Tehran Prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi and two other officials for the deaths in Kahrizak Prison of three detainees in 2009 opened yesterday with the father of one of the victims withdrawing his “participation in murder” suit against Mortazavi. The eleventh and final session of the trial is being held today, and so far none of the plaintiffs’ witnesses have been summoned.... read more
May 20, 2013

Karroubi’s Letter to Khamenei Denounces Security Forces

Karroubi’s Letter to Khamenei Denounces Security Forces Mohammad Hossein Karroubi, the son of political dissident under house arrest since February 2011 Mehdi Karroubi, has written a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei decrying the continued confiscation of personal items security forces took in February 2013.... read more
May 20, 2013

Kurdish Death Row Prisoner Transferred, His Lawyer Arrested

Kurdish Death Row Prisoner Transferred, His Lawyer Arrested A Kurdish political prisoner sentenced to death has been transferred back to Orumiyeh Central Prison after spending 15 months inside the Semnan Central Prison, a local source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Habibollah Golparipour had been transferred from Semnan Central Prison to an undisclosed location in the second week of May. His lawyer, Massoud Shamsinejad, was also reportedly arrested the week of May 12, 2013.... read more
May 14, 2013

“I Didn’t See A Need to Summon Those Witnesses,” Says the Kahrizak Judge

“I Didn’t See A Need to Summon Those Witnesses,” Says the Kahrizak Judge The eighth trial session of judges implicated in the Kahrizak Detention Center case was held on Monday, May 13 at Branch 76 of Tehran Penal Court under Judge Siamak Modir Khorasani. As in the previous seven sessions, the court session was held behind closed doors. Saeed Mortazavi, the main suspect charged with "participation in murder," Judge Ali Akbar Heydarifar, Judge Hassan Zare Dehnavi, and Judge Haddad's lawyer, in addition to plaintiffs and their lawyers were present.... read more
May 13, 2013

Kurdish Political Prisoner Transferred to Undisclosed Location, in Danger of Imminent Execution

Kurdish Political Prisoner Transferred to Undisclosed Location, in Danger of Imminent Execution Habibollah Golparipour, a Kurdish political prisoner on death row, was summoned by the Semnan Central Prison officials on May 9 and informed that he must prepare himself for transfer to an undisclosed location, a local source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Golparipour was not informed of the reason for his transfer. The source told the Campaign that considering the political prisoner’s death sentence has been finalized by the Supreme Court, there is concern that read more
May 13, 2013

UN Experts Call for Immediate Release of Imprisoned Iranian Baha’i Leaders

UN Experts Call for Immediate Release of Imprisoned Iranian Baha’i Leaders Four United Nations Human Rights experts urged Iran to release the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders today, according to a press release issued by the UN Office of the Baha’i International Community. Nearly five years since they were arrested, the seven leaders remain imprisoned solely because of their religious beliefs.... read more
April 16, 2013

Dervish Lawyers in Dire Health at Evin Prison

Dervish Lawyers in Dire Health at Evin Prison Seven Dervish lawyers being held at the Intelligence Ministry’s Ward 209 at Evin Prison have not had access to light in months and have developed various illnesses, the wife of one of the lawyers told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Sedigheh Khalili, the wife of imprisoned lawyer Hamidreza Moradi, added that officials have warned them not to give interviews to the media.... read more
April 10, 2013

Abrupt Reversal of Ceased Prosecution Keeps Seifzadeh in Prison

Abrupt Reversal of Ceased Prosecution Keeps Seifzadeh in Prison The judicial orders for imprisoned lawyer Mohammad Seifzadeh, charged with “illegal border exit with the intent to act against national security,” have changed from “ceased prosecution” to “guilty” without notice, causing him to remain in prison even after serving his initial sentence on separate charges.... read more
April 2, 2013

Kurdish Prisoner Sentenced for Murder Without Evidence

Kurdish Prisoner Sentenced for Murder Without Evidence An Orumiyeh Penal Court found a Kurdish political prisoner guilty last week of murdering two Revolutionary Guards members, though no evidence, witnesses, nor confessions were presented in the case, a local activist told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. The prisoner, Ali Ahmad Soleiman, had previously completed a six-year prison term on political charges but had not been released.... read more
March 28, 2013

Death Row Prisoners on Hunger Strike in Iran

Death Row Prisoners on Hunger Strike in Iran Six Arab-Iranian prisoners have been on hunger strike at Ahvaz’s Karoon Prison since March 3 in protest of the judicial process in their cases and their extreme sentences, a cousin of two of the prisoners told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Five of the prisoners have been sentenced to death, the sixth to 20 years in prison, due to their participation in a nongovernmental organization that promotes Arabic language and culture.... read more
March 28, 2013

Investigation of Haleh Sahabi’s Death Closed Without Visual Evidence Review

Investigation of Haleh Sahabi’s Death Closed Without Visual Evidence Review Two years after the death of Haleh Sahabi at her father’s funeral, a Tehran Court has declared she died of “natural causes” and closed the investigation. In an interview with Rooz Online, Sahabi’s husband stated that the court refused to review films and photographs pertaining to the incident despite the court testimonies of four eye witnesses who had seen an individual strike Sahabi before her death.... read more
March 22, 2013

UN Human Rights Council Overwhelmingly Votes to Renew Iran Mandate

UN Human Rights Council Overwhelmingly Votes to Renew Iran Mandate (March 22, 2013) The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran welcomes the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 26 to 2 vote to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran for the third consecutive year. The Campaign also urged Iranian authorities to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur and allow him to enter the country.... read more