Tag Archives: Prisoner Abuse

Prominent Iranian Journalist and Prisoner of Conscience, Isa Saharkhiz, Presents Written Statement of Defense to Court

by Negar Irani on July 19, 2010 Translator’s Note: I am translating Isa Saharkhiz’s moving defense behind closed doors of the Revolutionary Court in parts as it is too long to translate in one piece. In Part I Mr. Saharkhiz provides an overview of the circumstances in which he was forcefully and illegally arrested on [...]

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Radio Zamaneh: Forced labour for Iranian political prisoners

Radio Zamaneh | June 19, 2010 Iranian prison authorities have been subjecting political prisoners in section 350 of Evin Prison to forced labour, Kaleme website reports. The prison authorities contend that due to the “commencement of construction in the prison” since the “prison is running out of adequate space for prisoners” decision has been made [...]

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Iranian Student Leaders Given Lengthy Prison Sentences

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty | May 20, 2010 By Golnaz Esfandiari Bahareh Hedayat and Milad Asadi, senior members of Iran’s largest pro-reform student group, Daftar Tahkim Vahdat (Office to Foster Unity), have been given lengthy prison sentences. Hedayat received 9 1/2 years, while Asadi was given seven years. The charges against them included [...]

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Exclusive Video: Nobel Laureate, Dr. Shirin Ebadi in Vancouver Discusses Human Rights In Iran, Talks to Iran News Now

On Friday, April 23, 2010, Dr. Shirin Ebadi appeared at the Kay Meek Centre in West Vancouver to give a lecture on the appalling human rights situation in Iran since the Islamic Republic came into being in 1979 and since the disputed presidential election of 2009 that gave Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term in office. [...]

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Prisoners start hunger strike in Evin Prison

Source: Radio Zamaaneh | February 23, 2010 Political prisoners in Section 350 of Iran’s Evin Prison have started protest efforts to harsh prison conditions and issuance of unfair sentences by going on hunger strike on alternative days until the anniversary of Iran’s controversial presidential elections on June 12. Relative of one of the organizers of [...]

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Pedestrian: The Man in Sorrow

Source: Pedestrian | April 12, 2010 Ezatollah Sahabi is the 80 year old head of Iran’s Nationalist-Religious political alliance. He has spent years in prison, in both the pre and post revolution eras, and here he reflects on the state of prisons in Iran and laments all the young lives who are unjustly and mercilessly [...]

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275 Days in Prison–Issa Saharkhiz’s Poor Health after Hunger Strike

(International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran) | April 5, 2010 Journalist Issa Saharkhiz’s health has taken a turn for the worse after going on a hunger strike in March. In an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, his son, Mehdi Saharkhiz, said that his father has lost 20 Kg over [...]

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Letter by Saeed Malekpour: A Shocking Account of Torture, Interrogation & Forced Confessions

(Reporters and Human Rights Activists if Iran) | March 27, 2010 My name is Saeed Malekpour. I was arrested on October 4th, 2008, near Vanak Square (in northern Tehran) by plainclothes agents who did not present an arrest warrant or identification. Malekpour was born in May 1975. He graduated from Sharif University of Technology with [...]

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Fatemeh Karoubi speaks out after Karoubi home vandalized by pro-government vigilantes

(Radio Zamaaneh) | March 15, 2010 Assailants attack Iranian opposition leader’s home Fatemeh Karroubi announced that her husband, opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi is under threat and pressure because of blowing the whistle on the “dirty crimes” that took place following the elections and claimed that if the pressures persist, she will have to “publicize many [...]

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Iran puts 12 policemen on trial over Kahrizak prison deaths

(Reuters) | March 9, 2010 TEHRAN — Iran put 12 policemen on trial in an army court on Tuesday over last summer’s deaths of at least three anti-government protesters at notorious Kahrizak jail, state media reported. The case has caused major embarrassment to the Islamic republic, which acknowledged, after months of denial, the deaths as [...]

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Majid Tavakoli Returns to the Revolutionary Court

(RAHANA) | February 22, 2010 RAHANA – Majid Tavakolo was taken back to the Revolutionary Court in Tehran in prison uniform and with laceration marks above his right eyebrow. Tavakoli was not given any reason for his appearance before the court. He was detained in solitary confinement for 3 weeks before today’s court appearance. According [...]

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Complete Text of Karroubi Letter to The Iranian People (14 September)

Translated by an Iranian activist via Twitter and originally posted in the great online publicationEnduring America. As you know, I as your servant have written several letters to the authorities about the post-election events. I could have never predicted that in the Islamic Republic, they would answer people’s peaceful demonstrations with batons and bullets. I [...]

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Eyewitness Account of the Conditions in Evin and How Amir Javadifar Died

When we arrived, we were body searched and were beaten again at the court yard of the precinct. First they put us in a cage and insulted us in obscene language. Police officers in the precinct were not in charge. Plain clothes forces were beating us with baton through the bars and were laughing at us. The cage was small and we could not move. Then we were taken to another part of the precinct and from there they took us to the basement. We had to keep our heads low during the movements while they were beating us at the back of our heads. Once in the basement, our Ids were taken.”

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Jailed Protesters’ Brutal Deaths Spark Fury in Iran

Regime Releases 140 Detainees in Apparent Bid to Ease Pressure From Opposition; Reports of Violent Interrogations Abound By FARNAZ FASSIHI Reports from Tehran families in recent days of receiving the bodies of relatives arrested at opposition rallies who later died from violent treatment in prison have fueled anger at the government. Among the dead is [...]

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Green Report #15 – Fresh News from Iran – Summary of tweets on Iran from Wednesday, July 1

Khatami criticized the government in a new, harsher tone that suggested outright contempt today. He called the elections a “coup d’état against democracy.” He asked, “How can the Iranian people calm down when their votes were stolen? When their blood is and has been shed? When they are being hauled away and arrested en masse? When the government and media blatantly ignore them?” He asked, “How is a National reconciliation even remotely possible in a country that is turning into a police state?” He went on to say that what’s happening now in Iran “is a direct violation of the very rights people are promised in the constitution.” He accused the media of attempting to provoke further unrest and violence and denounced the governments’ attempts at censorship. He predicted that Regime’s establishment would fail if this were to continue.

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Feature: Instagrams from Iran (picture compilation)

A few pictures from Iran, taken by ordinary people and posted to Instagram

Iran Feature: Former Detainee Sarah Shourd “The Plight of Iranians and 3 Decades of US Foreign Policy”

The incredible thing for me was that so many Iranians worldwide took the time to care about us despite the thousands of other political prisoners they have to worry about. “I’m an Iranian boy ashamed for what our government did to three American hikers,” another message on Facebook says. “I want you to know Iranian people are with you and against their own government. Iran’s regime is not chosen by Iranian people. They kill and torture us and we are all in a very big prison named Iran.”

Iran Feature: The Supreme Leader Is Worried — Three Developments You Probably Don’t Know

Our partner, EAWorldView, has published a ground-breaking piece on Iran’s Supreme Leader. This is a must-read.

Live-blog: Russia, what’s next?

Live-blog: Egypt Elections, Day 1

A historic day: The first post-Mubarak elections in Egypt

Journalist Mona Eltahawy’s harrowing ordeal – beating, sexual assault and arrest in Egypt – in her own words and tweets

“The past 12 hrs were painful and surreal but I know I got off much much easier than so many other Egyptians.”