Follow the latest human rights events in Iran throughout December 2018 here.
Ahmad Niami, a member of the Baha'i community in Iran, was released from Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj on Friday, December 29, after serving a 10-year sentence. He was arrested in 2008 along with six other Baha'i leaders and was charged with 'collusion and conspiracy against national security and propaganda against the regime.'
A resolution accusing Iranian officials of 'human rights violations' was passed on Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly. 84 countries voted in favor of the resolution, while 30 voted against and 67 abstained. Countries such as Russia, China, Oman, Pakistan, Iraq, India, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Venezuela voted against the resolution. The resolution criticizes the number of executions, judicial processes, the detention of journalists and civil activists, the implementation of corporal punishments, freedom of expression, internet filtering, the status of ethnic and religious minorities, and women's rights in Iran. This resolution had also been approved about a month earlier in the UN Third Committee.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian citizen imprisoned in Iran for two and a half years, has requested conditional release from the prosecutor's office. Her lawyer, Mahmoud Behzadi-Rad, told IRNA that his client has served more than half of her sentence and is eligible for parole. Nazanin was arrested in April 2016 at Tehran airport by IRGC intelligence agents while attempting to leave Iran and was charged with collaborating with anti-regime institutions and participating in 'soft overthrow' activities, resulting in a five-year prison sentence. Efforts by the British government to secure her release have so far been unsuccessful.
Mohammad Moghadam, the lawyer of Farhad Meythami, reported the 'deterioration' of his client's health following a hunger strike in prison. Moghadam stated on his Facebook page: 'I met with Farhad Meythami in prison and discussed the hearing regarding his charges scheduled for December 19 in Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. My client's health condition is very serious due to the hunger strike, to the extent that he is using a wheelchair to move around.' According to him, Farhad's weight has dropped to 44 kg and he needs to be transferred to a hospital for treatment. This physician and civil activist has been in prison since July 30.
Yekta Fahendaj Saadi, a Baha'i citizen residing in Shiraz, was sentenced in absentia to 11 years in prison by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in the city. This Baha'i citizen was charged with 'propaganda against the regime' and 'forming a group aimed at undermining the security of the country.'
Amir Chamani, a civil activist in Tabriz, was sent to prison to serve his sentence. He was sentenced to six months in prison by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Tabriz for 'propaganda activities against the regime in favor of opposition groups.'
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, former chief of staff to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was sentenced to five years in prison. Gholamhossein Esmaili, head of the Tehran judiciary, announced that Mashaei's first charge was 'collusion and conspiracy to commit a crime against national security,' for which he was sentenced to five years in prison. Mashaei has been in prison for nine months and has also been sentenced to one year for 'propaganda against the regime' and six months for 'insulting judicial authorities in the course of their duties.'
Sheyma and Shokufeh Zanganeh, two Christian converts residing in Ahvaz, have been detained since December 2. The two sisters are being held in Sepidar prison in Ahvaz, with a bail set at one billion tomans for their release. There is no information available regarding their status or the reasons for their detention.
Mustafa Daneshju, a lawyer and activist for Gonabadi dervishes, was sentenced to eight years in prison. According to the Majzoban Noor website, which reports on Gonabadi dervishes, Daneshju was charged with 'collusion and conspiracy against national security,' 'propaganda against the regime,' and 'disturbing public opinion.' This lawyer, who has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times in the past, has been in prison since July of this year.
Several Baha'i citizens were released on bail, including Parvan Ma'navy and Elham Salmandzadeh, who were released after two months of detention. At the same time, five other Baha'i citizens in Tabriz, named Monica Alizadeh, Shabnam Eysikhani, Shahryar Khodapanah, Kambez Misaqei, and Khairallah Bakhshi, were also temporarily released on a bail of 250 million tomans after one month of detention.