26 June-2 July 2015
Weekly Media Monitoring report for Iran
Posted on July 10, 2015
Contents
Compiled by Hussain Shorish
- Executions have increased by 40% compared to last year
- Mehdi Farahi Shahndiz sentenced to 9 years in prison for insulting the leadership
- Civic activist sentenced to 6 months to prison
- Sunni Imam must leave his hometown and mosque
1. Executions have increased by 40% compared to last year
Privately Owned Media
Iran Human Rights (iranhr.net)
- Iranian authorities have executed aproximatelty 570 prisoners in the first six months of 2015 compared to 411 in 2014. According to reports by Iran Human Rights (IHR), at least 1,900 people have been executed since the election of President Hassan Rouhani in June 2013.
- The report indicates that 69% of the total executions are drug related charges, with most of the executions held in the city of Karaj. 10 women and 1 juvenile were among those executed.
- Iran’s human rights situation has worsened over the years, as 2015 has the highest execution rate in more than two decades.
2. Mehdi Farahi Shahndiz sentenced to 9 years in prison for insulting the leadership
Privately Owned Media
Human Rights News Activists Agency (hra-news.org)
- Mehdi Farahi Shahndiz a political prisoner in Karaj, who has been sentenced a total 9 years imprisonment on charges of insulting the leadership in three times, must stay in prison until 2019. This prisoner recently was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment on charge of insulting the leadership. However, by an illegal action, he has not been informed of the hearing and his sentence and it was directly in the prisoners’ status.
- He was sentenced for the same charges including disturbing public order in May 2011 for three years for “breaking a glass while chanting ‘down with Khamenei.’
- Although, his first 3 years of imprisonment have been finished on 25th November 2014, the new cases prevent him from being released. 3. Four activists summoned to prison.
3. Civic activist sentenced to 6 months to prison
Privately Owned Media
Human Rights News Activists Agency (hra-news.org)
- Attila Saifi a civic activist in Miandoab, has been sentenced to 6 months imprisonment in the primary court on charges of propaganda against the regime, while he was acquitted of charges of belonging to opposition groups.
- The reason behind the sentence was mentioned in court as authorities discovered unauthorized books, leaflets, calls to ethnocentric groups and individuals. Authorities assured the court that the behavior and the findings lead to propaganda against the regime.
- Attila Seifi, who has frequently been arrested due to his civil activities, in the last case was arrested by security forces at his father’s house, on 29th February 2015, and after several hours of interrogation at the intelligence office in this city, was released on the bail. He was charged, at the time of arrest, with “ethnocentric activities” and his personal belongings, including his laptop and books were confiscated.
4. Sunni Imam must leave his hometown and mosque
Privately owned media
Human Rights News Activists Agency (hra-news.org)
- The Islamic Center sentenced Mohieddin Mohammad Zadeh, an Imam at the Kooleh village, in Diwandareh city, to leave the village. In a letter to Zadeh, they told him that he cannot continue because he does not have a relevant license, therefore he was given two months to leave his village, otherwise he’s responsible for all the consequences.
- The Head of Endowments and Charity do not recognize Zadeh as a spiritual leader; therefore he is not allowed to stay in the mosque. He has 10 days to leave, or the case will be referred to court.
- However, according to local sources, the people in the village are satisfied with the performance of his 9-year services, and the reason of this conflict is that he is a Sunni clergymen and a follower of a group, called “Maktabe Quran”, (school of the Koran) and the Islamic Major Center had attempted to fire him, under the pressures by the Ministry of Intelligence.