Blog/Latest News

Mashhad Student Activist and Journalist Sentenced to One Year In Prison

Student activist and journalist Mohsen Sanatipour has been sentenced to one year in prison, a local human rights activist told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. The verdict was served to Sanatipour’s lawyer last week and the Enforcement Judge summoned him to begin serving his sentence.

Journalist Barred from Family Visits; May Be in Solitary Confinement

The family of imprisoned journalist Hassan Fathi has reason to believe he has been returned to solitary confinement, a source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

“We think he has been transferred to a solitary cell again, because last week when the family went to visit with him, they were told that he is barred from having visitors,” a source close to the family said. “He must be in solitary, as prisoners in the General Ward are allowed visitors. But we don’t know anything about his conditions for sure,” the source added.

Blogger Returned to Prison Two Days After Surgery

Prison authorities returned imprisoned blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki to Evin Prison only two days after his kidney operation, despite his physician’s orders for medical furlough. Ronaghi’s mother told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that this is the fourth time he has been transferred to a hospital during his prison term.

Imprisoned Student Activist Transferred To Psychiatric Ward

A source close to the family of Abolfazl Tabarzadi, 24, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that the imprisoned student was transferred from Karoon Prison to the psychiatric ward of a hospital in Ahvaz. According to the source, Tabarzadi suffers from severe paranoia and depression and prison authorities were forced to transfer him to a hospital because they were no longer able to control him inside the prison.

Angels Of Iran: The Baha’is in Iran

“The world needs to know about the plight of the Baha’is of Iran” are the stirring words spoken by Iraj Kamalabadi at the opening of this powerful short film. His sister, Fariba Kamalabadi, is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

The second video in the Angels of Iran series, “Faith and Sacrifice” weaves together accounts of nine family members of Baha’is who have faced imprisonment, torture and execution under Iran’s present government and features commentary by Glenford Mitchell, retired member of the world governing council of the Baha’i Faith who was deeply involved, at the highest levels, in the early days of the defense of the Iranian Baha’is.

Sunni Parliamentary Faction Objects to Ethnic and Religious Discrimination in Letter to Ayatollah Khamenei

In a letter addressed to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Sunni members of the Iranian Parliament asked for an end to discrimination against Sunnis, an end to religious limitations for Sunnis, and permission to construct a mosque in Tehran. In this letter, a copy of which was made available to the International Campaign for Human Rights [...]

Death Sentences Upheld for Two Kurdish Political Prisoners

The Iranian Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences of two Kurdish political prisoners, local sources told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Prison authorities from Rajaee Shahr Prison allegedly told Zanyar Moradi and Loghman Moradi that their death sentences were upheld.

Podcast 46: Iran’s Assault on Free Speech in an Interview with Mehrad Vaezinejad and Niousha Masoumi

What does the recent increase in the arrests of journalists in Iran have to do with the upcoming parliamentary elections in Iran? Mehrad Vaezinejad, a Middle East analyst based in London, explains that the two are actually related. In this Weekly Rights Podcast, he talks about the Iranian authorities’ “campaign of fear,” the latest victims of which are the recent arrests of journalists Parastoo Dokouhaki and Marzieh Rassouli. A friend of Rassouli, he talks about these arrests mean for the situation of human rights in Iran.
We also speak with Niousha Masoumi, a friend of Dokouhaki. She explains further what Parastoo’s and Marzieh’s arrests mean for Iranian society in the upcoming election. We learn more about the backgrounds of these two journalists. Check out this podcast!

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Supreme Court Says “Do-over” in Death Sentence Case

55-year-old prisoner Javad Lari’s death sentence has been overturned and sent back to the lower court. Mr. Lari’s lawyer, Manijeh Mohammadi, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that there is no evidence of moharabeh (enmity with God), her client’s charge that led to execution, and that he is innocent.
Mohammadi explained the Campaign that the charge of moharebeh was based on unrelated accusations. Under Iran’s penal code, moharebeh is meant to criminalize acts of armed action against the government.”His charges are illegally exiting the country and going to Camp Ashraf, actions against national security and propaganda against the regime by participating in assemblies after the 2009 presidential elections. But the charge of moharebeh for which he is sentenced to death is related to his membership and activities in Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK). The collection of the his charges were reviewed in such a way that led to moharebeh and we expect that the Supreme Court will hopefully change his punishment according to the petition that we submitted.”

Rally Against Censorship and Satellite Jamming at World Radiocommunication Conference

Today, Iranian protestors gathered in Geneva, demanding the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN agency, to take action on the Iranian government’s illegal internet and communications censorship. Coinciding with the start of the regulatory meeting of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) in Geneva, and organized by ITU. Iranians gathered to protest against their government’s illegal telecommunications practices.