Human Rights Bulletin ______National Council of Resistance of Iran - U.S. Representative Office (NCRI-US) No. 103 March 5, 2019

Executions continue to mount daily in Iran, which has the has the world’s highest per capita incidence of executions. That number does not include extrajudicial killings, or other deaths resulting from inhumane treatment of prisoners, who are routinely denied essential medical care, visitation rights, and are confined for lengthy periods in solitary. Minority leaders, environmentalists, labor activists, and human rights advocates are regularly arrested and charged with such crimes as “enmity against God” and “insulting the Supreme Leader,” which carry extreme prison sentences. Women continue to suffer discrimination in the workplace, and are subject to harassment and arrest for violating the dress code.

Executions:

Public hanging in northern Iran A man charged with murder was publicly hanged on February 2 in Gari Doji village, Aqqala County, Golestan Province. (ISNA & Rokna state-run news agencies – Feb. 23)

Prisoner hanged in North Khorasan Province http://www.irna.ir/nkhorasan/fa/News/83219106 According to the Public Prosecutor, a man charged with murder was hanged in Shirvan on February 23. (IRNA state-run news agency – Feb. 23)

Arbitrary Killings:

More porters shot by Iranian border guards http://kurdistanhumanrights.net/fa/?p=8229

Two porters were wounded after being shot by Iranian border forces in Baneh and Sardasht. A group of Kurdish “kolbars” were shot at Hangeh Jale village on February 20. Qarib Taji from Nannor village was injured in the foot. On the same day, another group of porters were targeted by Iranian border forces and Omid Heydari from Naghadeh was wounded. On February 17, Iranian border forces in Hangeh Jale of Baneh also opened fire on a group of porters, killing Bakhtiar Hassani, married and from the village of Bellesen. (Kurdistan Human Rights Network – Feb. 23)

Cruel and Inhuman Punishments:

Female political prisoners subjected to inhuman treatment https://women.ncr-iran.org/2019/03/02/female-political-prisoners-inhuman-treatment/

Evin Prison authorities prevented the transfer of political prisoner Atena Daemi for medical tests and care, despite her suffering from persistent dizziness and numbness in her right eye. The physician in Qarchak Prison had requested an MRI for her in May 2018, but she has not been transferred to the hospital for these tests and examinations. She is also being denied visitation. In another report, Ensieh Abulhossieni was sentenced to 3 years in absentia on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and rearrested by security forces at the airport on February 10, as she tried to leave the country. Abulhossieni was first arrested in December 2017 during the protests, and transferred to Evin Prison. She was released after a month. (NCRI Women’s Committee – Mar. 2) Woman beaten in Khoy Prison ______1747 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 1125, Washington, DC 20006

These materials are being distributed by the National Council of Resistance of Iran - U.S. Representative Office. Additional information is on file with the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. ______No. 103 Iran Human Rights Bulletin March 5, 2019

http://kurdistanhumanrights.net/fa/?p=8278

A prisoner named Zahra (surname not revealed) was beaten and chained to an iron bar for 5 hours as punishment. The 25-year-old woman was arrested on the street on February 24 for “bad hijabi” (improper attire). She was transferred to prison despite posting bail after an argument with the judge. “On February 26 at 10 pm, as Zahra was helping a prisoner care for her baby, she was mistreated by a guard on the pretext of violating curfew. As the argument between the guard and Zahra became heated, several other prison officers arrived and severely beat her,” a reliable source reported. “The guards’ behavior was so violent that her clothes were torn and her prosthetic leg detached as she was dragged out of the cell,” the source added. (Kurdistan Human Rights Network – Feb. 28)

Political prisoner held incommunicado in solitary confinement https://iran-hrm.com/index.php/2019/02/28/iranian-political-prisoner-under-harsh-conditions-in- solitary-confinement/

Two weeks ago, prison authorities transferred activist Mehdi Farahi Shandiz to solitary confinement in Karaj’s Central Prison. He has been denied phone calls and visits, raising concerns about his condition. On February 11, the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Revolution, Farahi Shandiz chanted slogans of “down with dictator” and “down with Khamenei” in protest to 40 years of torture and executions under the tyrannical rule of the mullahs. Prison guards attacked him in his cell and violently transferred him to solitary confinement. Farahi Shandiz, 57, is an electrical engineering graduate from ’s Industrial University. He was sentenced to nine years in prison for three separate charges of “insulting the Supreme Leader,” six years of which were for charges brought against him while he was in prison. The labor activist who worked as a private high school tutor was first arrested at a gathering on International Labor Day on May 1, 2009 at Laleh Park in . He was released nine months later after spending most of his detention in solitary confinement in the Intelligence Ministry’s Ward 209 at Evin Prison. He was rearrested in June 2010 and charged with “insulting the Supreme Leader.” During a month-long detention in the Kahrizak detainment facility in southern Tehran, Farahi Shandiz was “severely tortured and beaten,” according to reports. He was released on bail two months later. In May 2011, Branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced him to three years in prison. Farahi Shandiz began his sentence in January 2012 and has been in prison ever since. (Iran HRM – Feb. 28)

Prison Conditions:

Critically ill political prisoners denied urgent medical treatment https://iran-hrm.com/index.php/2019/02/25/critically-ill-iranian-political-prisoner-denied-urgent- medical-treatment/

Since mid-December 2018, the warden of Raja’i Shahr Prison has denied several political prisoners medical treatment. The ban started after a prisoner convicted of murder escaped during transfer to the hospital, but is now only enforced against political prisoners, a number of whom suffer from serious illnesses. They include Saeed Shirzad, Hassan Sadeghi, Majid Assadi, Shahram Pourmansour, Arash Sadeghi, Mohammad Banazadeh Amirkhizi and Hamzeh Savari. Iranian authorities have a long history of denying medical care to punish prisoners or force them into making false confessions. Officials are responsible for multiple documented cases of death or irreparable harm suffered by political prisoners denied proper medical care. Saeed Shirzad is suffering from severe damage to both his kidneys, but has been barred from going to the hospital despite his family having paid for his treatment. Arrested by the Intelligence Ministry in June 2015 for helping the children of political prisoners pursue education, Shirzad, 29, is serving a five- year sentence for “assembly and collusion against national security.” On December 8, 2017, Shirzad sewed his lips shut and began a hunger strike to demand improved prison conditions. For about 40 days, ______National Council of Resistance of Iran – U.S. Representative Office Page 2 ______No. 103 Iran Human Rights Bulletin March 5, 2019

he drank only water through a straw until authorities agreed to consider his request and he was hospitalized. Political prisoner Mohammad Banazadeh Amirkhizi, 72, is suffering from a meniscus tear and prostate issues, sleep disturbances and forgetfulness. He was sentenced to 11 years for “assembly and collusion against national security” and “spreading propaganda against the government.” Majid Asadi, 36, suffers from a duodenal ulcer, a liver cyst, a herniated disc, and spinal rheumatism. He should receive special hospital treatment every month. He has been sentenced to six years for “assembly and collusion against national security” and “spreading propaganda against the state.” Diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, Arash Sadeghi has lost the ability to move his right arm due to an untreated infection on his shoulder. Sadeghi has been serving a 19-year prison sentence for his peaceful political activities since 2016. He hasn’t been to a hospital since September Political prisoner Hassan Sadeghi is at risk of going blind after torture by intelligence agents resulted in glaucoma. He is also suffering from an infection in his stomach and small intestine and a severe gastric ulcer. Sadeghi was detained at the age of 16 in 1981 for supporting the MEK. He was severely tortured, and finally released after six years. He still suffers from the consequences of the torture inflicted on him in the 80’s. Sadeghi is currently serving a 15-year prison term. His wife, Fatemeh Mosana, has also been sentenced to 15 years. Shahram Mansourpour has served 18 years in prison. He suffers from a spinal disc inflammation, but is banned from going to the hospital despite his urgent need of surgery and medical treatment. Political prisoner Hamzeh Savari is suffering severe pain from a tumor behind his right knee which has impaired his ability to walk. Doctors have said that not removing the tumor will cause serious damage. Arrested at the age of 16 in 2005, he was sentenced to life in prison on charges of “acting against national security”, “enmity with God” and “corruption on earth”. (Iran HRM – Feb. 25)

Labor leader faints in prison visit with family https://www.radiofarda.com/a/29788095.html

The Haft Tapeh Sugar Mill Union reports that labor leader Esmail Bakhshi “is under such tremendous pressure that he fainted during a meeting with his family” on February 24. His family and coworkers have repeatedly voiced concerns about his well-being and possible torture. The union reported last week that Bakhshi and Sepideh Qolian, an activist arrested at the same time, are being coerced to “confess” and sign a “letter of remorse.” Haft Tapeh workers went on strike last October for unpaid wages and work conditions, prompting many protests in Shush in Khuzestan. Bakhshi and Qolian were arrested in mid-November and released in December. In January, they both went on record on social media complaining of torture during their incarceration, and both were rearrested. Bakhshi is now charged with “insulting officials and propaganda against the regime.” (Radio Farda – Feb. 24)

Female political prisoners expose sham amnesty https://women.ncr-iran.org/2019/02/24/saba-kord-afshari-yasamin-ariani-amnesty/

After being released from Evin Prison, two female political prisoners, Saba Kord Afshari and Yasamin Ariani declared that their early release was only a spectacle by government officials. Both were arrested in Tehran during protests in August 2018 and taken to Qarchak Prison. They were later transferred to Evin Prison. In an interview after their release, they spoke about prison conditions and the crimes against imprisoned women. Kord Afshari said, “When I saw the situation of prisons closely, especially in Qarchak, I came to the conclusion that we in Iran have human rights in name only. In fact, in Iran, there are no human rights, let alone respect for human rights in the prisons.”

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Ariani said, “For me, this amnesty was a show, to project a good image to the international community. They want to say that we are granting amnesty to political prisoners and those who speak against us. There were only 2 months left until the end of our sentence. Maryam Akbari Monfared has been in prison since 2009.She was sentenced to 15 years and is still in prison. Or, for example, Fatemeh Mosana should have been released according to their own law, but they want to keep her in prison until 2030.” Kord Afshari added, “Unfortunately, during the short time of my arrest and imprisonment, things happened that lead me to be cynical… They pardoned me and two other friends in the women’s ward of Evin, who were sentenced to less than a year. However, we are not satisfied with this amnesty. During the time I was in prison, they came up with new charges for Atena Daemi and Golrokh Iraee. We hope that the new charges will be dismissed; otherwise, it will add a few more years to their sentences, which is really painful.” (NCRI Women’s Committee – Feb. 24)

Arbitrary Arrests:

European lawmakers call for release of Iran environmentalists https://bit.ly/2SrEzXT

In a letter to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, 26 members of the European Parliament have expressed their "strong concern" over the prolonged detention of eight Iranian environmentalists accused of spying… The MEPs said the activists’ closed-door trial, which began January 30, “falls seriously short of fair trial standards.” The MEPs noted that the hardline judge reportedly prevented a defendant from appearing in court with a lawyer of his own choosing, and later one of the defendants told the court she had been tortured in detention. The eight are accused of spying and various national security crimes. Four are charged with “sowing corruption on Earth,” a charge that can carry the death sentence in Iran. Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi has claimed the activists were “seeking proximity to military sites with the cover of environmental projects and obtaining military information from them.” Niloufar Bayani, Houman Jokar, Ms. Sepideh Kashani, Amirhossein Khaleghi, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, Taher Qadirian, Sam Rajabi, and Iranian-American Morad Tahbaz, are members of a local environmental group called the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, which was established by Iranian-Canadian sociology professor and well-known environmentalist Kavous Seyyed-Emami. Emami was arrested along with the other eight environmentalists in January 2018, but died in jail a few weeks later under suspicious circumstances. Authorities maintain that Emami committed suicide while in custody, an explanation his family reject. Iranian conservationists Houman Jowkar, Taher Ghadirian, Morad Tahbaz, Sepideh Kashani, Niloufar Bayani, Amir Hossein Khaleghi, Sam Rajabi and Abdolreza Kouhpayeh have been detained for more than a year. (Radio Farda – Feb. 26)

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Excessive Prison Sentences:

Kurdish political prisoner in isolation ward at Orumiyeh Prison http://kurdistanhumanrights.net/fa/?p=8239

Ghader Mohammad Zadeh, who has been in prison for 14 years, is being held in the “Safe ward” (formerly known as “Quarantine”) since February 20. “Along with 30 other prisoners from various sections of the prison, he was transferred on charges of breaking prison regulations. He has been denied visitation,” a reliable source told KHRN. According to the source, the location was restored last year and now “consists of three common rooms, a yard, separate WC and showers. Prisoners with a judicial order are transferred to this section for long periods of time as punishment.” Mohammad Zadeh was arrested along with Mohammad Amin Abdollahi in the city of Bukan in 2005 by security forces. The two were transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison after being detained in solitary confinement at the Ministry of Intelligence detention centers in Mahabad and Orumiyeh. Finally, after 12 months of uncertainty, the two political prisoners went on trial on charges of Moharebeh (enmity against God). The Revolutionary Court sentenced Mohammad Zadeh to 18 years of imprisonment; Abdollahi was sentenced to 18 years plus exile to Tabas prison. Mohammad Zadeh was sentenced to a further 6 months of imprisonment in February 2010 on another charge of “communication with foreign media.” (Kurdistan Human Rights Network – Feb. 25)

Masoumeh Askari, retired teacher, sentenced to 5 years https://women.ncr-iran.org/2019/03/01/masoumeh-askari-retired-teacher-5-prison/

Masoumeh Askari was arrested in Tehran on August 2, 2018, during the nationwide protests, transferred to Qarchak prison in Varamin and released after several days. The retired teacher was rearrested by security forces in December, and transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison after spending one month in solitary confinement at the Ministry of Intelligence detention center in Evin’s section 209. Askari was sentenced to 5 years in prison on February 18, on charges of “assembly and collusion” and is currently serving her sentence at Evin Prison. She has a 14-year-old boy and is his sole guardian. Iranian teachers took to the streets in at least 32 cities on May 10, 2018. Security forces in Tehran violently clashed with the protesters, resulting in several injuries and arrests. Aliyeh Eghdam-Doost, a member of the (Teachers’) Retirement Union, was among six teachers arrested. She was sentenced to 9 months and 74 lashes. Strikes and sit-ins of educators and teachers were also held on November 13 and 14, 2018. According to the Iranian Educators’ Guild, 12 teachers were arrested, 30 activists were summoned and interrogated, and over 50 teachers received threatening messages. One of the teachers arrested, Fatemeh Bahmani from Arak, is being held in Shiraz. (NCRI Women’s Committee – Mar. 1)

Basic Freedoms and Rights Abused:

Iran has barred publication of news on water shortages https://bit.ly/2EfWls5

A member of the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) has disclosed that the Supreme National Security Council has banned the publication of news reports about water-related problems, including shortages and misuse of resources. The disclosure appears to have happened inadvertently, when the official news agency IRNA quoted Ardeshir Nourial on February 23 as having said that officials in Isfahan Province ignore government directives, including the ban on publication of news reports on water shortages. Isfahan and its surrounding towns and villages have seen protests during the past year against government measures, including allocating the province's water to other areas. The measures have dried up Isfahan's main river, Zayandeh Roud, and left tens of thousands of farmers without water, endangering their livelihoods.

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The disclosure by the MP is not the first indication of Tehran's attempts to create news blackouts. The SNSC banned publication of news about nuclear developments in the early 2010s, in a bid to hide nuclear activities from international watchdogs. (Radio Farda – Feb. 25)

Concerts banned because music is too “happy,” “vulgar” http://www.irna.ir/fa/News/83216662

In Semnan, 110 miles east of Tehran, journalists were prevented from covering a concert by a band called Rastak, because a state official believes their music is too “happy.” In a related report, Abolfazl Hakimpour, the acting governor of Firouzeh, told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on February 20 that Hoorosh’s concert had been canceled even though “all necessary permits had been obtained and there was no problem for the performance.” Firouzeh, population 43,000, is located 91 miles west of , where powerful religious conservatives have repeatedly blocked officially licensed musical events by claiming they violate Islamic principles. “Islam forbids the kind of vain and pointless music that spreads vulgarity,” said Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda, the ultra-conservative Friday Prayer leader of Mashhad, in a meeting with directors of self- billed “authentic” Persian music institutes on January 31. “The problem is the way the music is performed,” he said. Mashhad remains a concert-free zone. (IRNA state-run News Agency – Feb. 20)

Kurdish Singer Rearrested in Orumiyeh http://kurdistanhumanrights.net/fa/?p=8266

Young Kurdish singer Peyman Mirzadeh, who served six months in jail last year on charges of propaganda against the state after singing Kurdish revolutionary songs, was rearrested on February 20 by security forces in Orumiyeh. He was transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence Detention Center, then to Orumiyeh Central Prison after interrogation. “The Orumiyeh intelligence Office considers any singing of epic and revolutionary Kurdish songs as propaganda against the state and cooperation with the Kurdish opposition parties,” a source close to the case reported. Several Kurdish singers and artists are arrested and prosecuted every year by security forces for propaganda against the state. (Kurdistan Human Rights Network – Feb. 26)

Laws designed to silence: The global crackdown on civil society organizations https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/act30/9647/2019/en/

…The Iranian authorities use provisions in the Islamic Penal Code to criminalize the activities of human rights defenders and civil society organizations. This has resulted not only in stopping independent human rights organizations from being able to register and operate, but also in the criminalization of even informal networks or campaigns… Consequently, individuals like prominent lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and human rights defender Narges Mohammadi have been convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms… Penal Code articles frequently used to criminalize the activities of human rights defenders and civil society organizations include: ”gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security” (Article 610), ”forming a group composed of more than two people with the purpose of disrupting national security” (Article 498) and ”membership of a group with the purpose of disrupting national security” (Article 499)… (Amnesty International – Feb. 21) ______National Council of Resistance of Iran – U.S. Representative Office Page 6 ______No. 103 Iran Human Rights Bulletin March 5, 2019

Iran vehemently rejects U.N. Human Rights report https://www.farsnews.com/news/13971211000652 https://bit.ly/2HfV3jZ

The Iranian Judiciary’s High Council for Human Rights has lambasted the United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in Iran for his latest report on the country. On February 27, UN Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman voiced concern over human rights violations in Iran, in particular the way the death penalty is implemented. He expressed deep regret that children as young as 9 years old can still be executed, noting that at least 33 minors have been executed since 2013. The Iranian judiciary’s High Council for Human Rights rejected the report as baseless, saying Rehman is "misusing his position to spread propaganda against the Islamic Republic.” The High Council for Human Rights is led by the brother of the judiciary and parliament speaker Mohammad Javad Larijani, who cautioned that if the UN high commissioner is incapable of controlling Rehman's violations and stop his misbehavior, Tehran will review its overall cooperation with the international body. Tehran has not yet responded to Rahman's allegations, which include coerced confessions; suppressing workers, teachers, and Sufi dervishes of the Gonabadi denomination; and widespread discrimination against the Kurdish, Baha'i, and Sunni minorities. (Fars state-run news agency, Radio Farda – Mar. 2)

Persecution of Religious and Ethnic Minorities:

Kurdish activists threatened on the eve of International Women’s Day and Nowruz http://kurdistanhumanrights.net/fa/?p=8286

In recent weeks, a large number of civil, political, labor, and women’s activists in , including Simin Chaichi (poet and women’s rights activist), and Seyyed Khaled Hosseini and Mozafar Salehania (labor activists and members of the Coordinating Committee for the Creation of Labor Organizations) have been summoned and interrogated by the security agencies affiliated with the Intelligence Ministry, IRGC and Law Enforcement Force. They were questioned about their activities and the possibility of celebrations on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th, and Nowruz (Persian New Year) on March 21 in Sanandaj. Some were threatened against holding or even participating in such events. A number of activists have also been questioned about their affiliation with Kurdish members of the National Unity Party and Kurdish activists who have been detained in Sanandaj in recent months. Since December, 20 people have been detained in connection with this party or with environmental activities in Kurdistan. So far, only two have been released on bail; the rest are still in detention. (Kurdistan Human Rights Network – Feb. 28)

Violence Against Women:

Marriages of girls aged 10-14 in one Iranian province exceed 900 in just one year https://women.ncr-iran.org/2019/02/26/marriage-of-girls-iranian-escalates-900/

Naemeh Sadaat Bani Kamali, a women’s affairs adviser to the Golestan Province Education Department, announced at a news conference that the 914 girls between the ages of 10 to 14 were married in 2017 in this province alone. She also revealed that six marriages of girls under the age of 10 had been reported. (The state-run ISNA news agency – Feb. 23) In an interview with the state-run IRNA news agency on February 6, Zahra Hemmati announced that a total of 98 under-15 marriages took place in Ilam, 94 of which were girl children and four were boys under 15 years of age. Parvaneh Salahshouri, head of the women’s faction in the mullahs’ parliament, told a meeting in Tehran on child marriages: “We continue to see the marriage of girls between 9 and 14 years of age… Some 6 percent of those who get married are girls between 10 and 14.” (The state-run IRNA news agency – Jan. 6)

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The Iranian regime’s experts have estimated that 180,000 under-18 child marriages take place in Iran, every year. (NCRI Women’s Committee – Feb. 26)

Iran ranks near bottom on World Bank index of women’s equality https://www.radiofarda.com/a/iran-world-bank-report-on-women-business-rights/29795786.html

Women in Iran are paid less than three-quarters of the salaries paid to their male compatriots, the World Bank said in a study published February 28. In terms of economic equality for women, Iran ranks 185 out of 187 countries included in the study, behind only Saudi Arabia and Sudan. In addition to being ranked against other nations, the countries included in the study were given scores on a 100-point scale. The Islamic Republic obtained only 31.25 points, while the global average score is nearly 75. Among the countries Iran fell behind in the scoring are the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa and Uzbekistan in Central Asia, both of which scored 70 points. According to the World Bank, Iran is the second largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region after Saudi Arabia, with an estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016 of $412.2 billion. (Radio Farda – Feb. 28)

Iranian women’s soccer team not allowed to play at Azadi Stadium https://women.ncr-iran.org/2019/02/24/iranian-womens-soccer-team-azadi-stadium/

The Iranian women’s soccer team was not allowed to compete at Tehran’s major sports stadium, Azadi, and its game with Belarus was moved to Ararat Stadium. Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, had announced that the game would be held at the Azadi Stadium, but he was overruled by the Football Federation and its officials. (The state-run ISNA news agency – February 23) In another event, a game in the women’s soccer league was delayed in Tehran, causing many problems for the soccer players who had traveled from Sirjan to compete against the Azarakhsh team. The 2-hour delay was caused by a change in location, lack of coordination and negligence of authorities. “All the players who had plane tickets between 14:00 and 16:00 missed their flights. We feel sorry for the capital’s host,” said Mastureh Yazdani, the head of the Sirjan Municipal Team. Earlier, the match between the Azarakhsh and Zob Ahan teams was held on a field so muddy that soccer players had to change their official uniform after the first half-time. (The state-run ISNA news agency – February 22, NCRI Women’s Committee – Feb. 24)

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