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19-25 June 2015

Weekly Media Monitoring report for Iran
Posted on July 3, 2015

Contents

Compiled by Hussain Shorish

  1. Five prisoners hanged in Ghezelhesar prison
  2. Blogger sentenced to three years of imprisonment
  3. Four activists summoned to prison
  4. Human rights abuses under Rouhani have reached a new high
1. Five prisoners hanged in Ghezelhesar prison
Privately Owned Media

Human Rights News Activists Agency (hra-news.org)

  • Five prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement at Ghezelhesar for drug related charges earlier this month. They were all executed as families came to collect the bodies.
  • A family member of Reza Kargari, one of the executed prisoners, says that he is not against the punishment but if there were proper processing, the death sentence would not have been issued.  It took seven years to issue the sentence.
  • According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 2,600 people have so far lost their lives during the conflict in Yemen. However the death toll released by local authorities puts it much higher at about 4,300
2. Blogger sentenced to three years of imprisonment
Privately Owned Media

Human Rights News Activists Agency (hra-news.org)

  • Zine El Abidine Ghaemi, has been sentenced to 3 years imprisonment by a preliminary court. The Revolutionary Court in Ghaen tried him on 20th May, on charges of propaganda against the regime, insulting the leadership and disturbing public opinion.
  • Ghaemi, in an interview, told HRANA’s reporter: “I have been charged just because of my critical letters that I have written to the leader and the head of the Iran “Assembly of Experts” and officials in my blog or site Club, although, many of these letters have been removed after a period of time of the site and my blog was blocked and filtered, and I have objected and I hope that this sentence will be reduced.”
  • In his defense for the Court of Appeal, he ahs written that his writing reflected his obligation of establishing a difference between good and evil within the regime. It was his moral obligation.
3. Four activists summoned to prison
Privately Owned Media

Human Rights News Activists Agency (hra-news.org)

  • Four activists of “Erfan Halgheh” were summoned to Evin Prison to serve their sentences. The organization is a spiritual one, which differentiates from the traditional teachings of Islam.
  • Ardeshir Shahnawaz, Mohammad Reza Afshar, Leila Jamaat and Mohammad Tajik Pazooki, coaches of “Erfan Halgheh” Group whose sentences had just recently been confirmed in the appeal court, were summoned on the phone to Evin prison.
  • Iranian regime, since several years ago, has put dealing with the spiritual traditions, incompatible with traditional concepts of The Islamic Republic of Iran has named these traditions with titles such as “false mysticism” or “emerging mysticism”.
4. Human rights abuses under Rouhani have reached a new high
Privately owned media

National Council of Reistance of Iran (ncr-iran.org)

  • Although deemed a reformist while standing for election in 2013, Rouhani’s presidency has been clouded with human rights abuses, while executions have increased sharply. Elaheh Azimfar, a representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) for international organizations says “the crimes committed by the Iranian regime over the past two years under Rouhani's tenure have reached a climax.”
  • Under Rouhani more than 1,800 executions have occurred in a matter of less than two years, and this is the President of the regime who was supposed to be a moderate. Some 600 of these executions have been carried out since the beginning of the current year,” she said.
  • Iranians are continuous oppressed with limited access to jobs, acceptable standard of living and basic rights. Azimfar claims that Rouhani is fearful of an uprising, therefore he has intensified the crackdown.
  • She urged international human rights activists to discuss and spread information of atrocities in Iran so it may put pressure on the regime to end its dictatorship.

 

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