76 year old man executed

Entekhab daily, Feb. 26 – A 76 year old man was hanged in Qasr prison Thursday morning.

Young woman on death row

Iran-e Emrouz website, Feb. 27 – Kobra Rahmanpour, 22, will be executed on February 28, 2004. Her last hope for survival from execution would be the family's acceptance of a blood warrant to withdraw her death sentence.

Man hanged in public

Entekhab daily, Mar. 2 – A man by the name of Kamal Jabarpour was hanged in public in Marand. He also received 74 lashes before being hanged.

Four times execution, 30 years prison for three youngsters

Sharq daily, Mar. 3 – The head of the first branch of Baneh's public court, Judge Hosseinpour issued the preliminary sentence for three youngsters in Baneh which was a total of four executions and 30 years in prison. The victims were Fou'ad F., 17, Sa'dollah R., 19, and Dalir M., 24.

Sentence for public execution

Iran daily, Mar. 4 – Hojatol Islam Taqwa sentenced a man to execution in public.

Man sentenced to Execution in Public

Jomhouri Islami daily, Mar. 10 – According to the intelligence and public relations department of Khuzistan province's judiciary, a man in Ahwaz named S. K. was sentenced to execution after undergoing the legal procedures. The sentence will be carried out in public soon.

Public Execution in Ahwaz

Jomhouri Islami daily, Mar. 14, Ahwaz – After investigation by the 22nd branch of Ahwaz's public court, Habib Z. was sentenced to death. The sentence will be carried out soon in public.

Another Execution in Ahwaz

Jomhouri Islami daily, Mar. 16, Ahwaz – According to the intelligence and public relations department of Khuzistan province, a man named Saeed S. was sentenced to death. The sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court on March 15th at 7am in the prison yard.

Arrests, Tortures and inhumane punishments

Iran won't send body of dead flogged man

The Canadian Press, Feb. 26, Vancouver - Iran has refused to send to Canada the body of a man who died after being flogged in prison, despite pleas by his family now living here, a lawyer representing the man's three sisters said Thursday. Mohsen Mofidi, 35, died last weekend, a few days after being released from prison, where he received 80 lashes for violating the Islamic republic's strict code of conduct.... According to the human rights group Amnesty International, Mr. Mofidi was accused of possessing a satellite dish and medicine containing alcohol... (Amnesty International's spokesman John Tackaberry from Toronto) said the organization's secretary general spoke with Iran's ambassador to Canada on Thursday, asking for clarification of why an apparently ill man was flogged and calling for an open, impartial investigation.

Flogging addicts upon arrest

Radio Farda, Feb. 28 – The commander of the State Security Forces of Greater Tehran told reporters, "In order to reduce this crime, from now on, every addict will receive 60 whips after being arrested, according to the law."

Afshin Ba'imani on death row

Peik-e Iran website, Mar. 2 – Statement by Students' Committee for Defense of Political Prisoners: We have been informed that Afshin Ba'imani, a political prisoner, is presently being held in the cellblock of murderers and gangsters in Raja'ii Shahr prison in Karaj, and that he is in poor psychological condition.

Afshin Ba-imani was transferred about two weeks ago from Evin to Raja'ii Shahr prison probably for the death sentence to bee carried out on this political prisoner.

Flogging, prison for 4 people

Qods, daily, Mar. 4 – The criminal court sentenced four persons to two years imprisonment, 194 whips, exile and 74 million rials bail.

Young film editor killed

Peik-e Iran website, Mar. 4 – Ardeshir Afshinzadeh, a 25 year old film editor who had been transferred to Tajrish hospital by the State Security Forces after being beaten up by the Ansar-e Hezbollah, passed away at 4am Wednesday.
It was first announced that he had attended a party and jumped form the fifth story while trying to escape, but signs of torture were visible on his body and he had no broken bones. Ardeshir Afshizadeh was immediately taken to the surgery room. According to the doctors, he had severe internal hemorrhage and his liver had been completely smashed. Five hours after leaving the surgery room and on the way to the ICU, he died of a brain hemorrhage.

Political prisoner, 27, on death row

The Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran issued a statement on March 8 announcing that according to reports from Iran, Mr. Hojjat Zamani, 27, is a political prisoner on the verge of execution because of his support for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.
The NCRI statement adds that the Zamani family is among the most respected families in Ilam Province’s Haftchehmeh region. Because of opposition to the clerical regime, the Zamani family has in the past two decades been constantly harassed by the clerical regime.

Judiciary spokesman defends "legal" torture

Payk Iran Site, Mar. 9 – Answering a question in a press conference on the death of a prisoner named Mofidi who was sentenced to flogging and died while enduring lashes, GhollamHossein Elham, spokesman for the Judiciary said, "What is the media looking for in this story? If something happens to someone in prison, is it due to actions opposing the law? It may be that someone becomes injured because of proper and legal punishments. Injuries come from the nature of the punishment which is legal not the crime and not the torture."

Freedom of expression
Imprisoned writer hospitalized for brain stroke

Peik-e Iran website, Feb. 27 – Payam Fazli Nejad, writer and journalist who was detained in an unknown location since February 22, was transferred to ICU in Baqiollah Hospital Thursday morning because of a brain stroke. An informed source who wished to remain anonymous told the committee following up on his condition, "Fazli Nejad was probably in the custody of the intelligence ministry, but that ministry had not confirmed or denied Payam's detention." The State Security Forces have intense control on Fazli Nejad's home.

Torture victim denied medical treatment in prison

Amnesty International UK, Mar. 25 - Amnesty International is extremely concerned for the health of an Iranian man who has been imprisoned, tortured and denied medical treatment after he talked to a Channel 4 'Dispatches' television team last year. Earlier this week the organization issued an Urgent Action appeal on his behalf.
Arzhang Davoodi, 46, was arrested between August and October 2003 and severely beaten after criticizing the Iranian authorities in a secretly filmed television documentary Iran Undercover – Inside the Hidden Revolution, broadcast on Channel 4 television on 2 December 2003…

Children

More than 35% of street children addicted to drugs

Khorassan daily, Feb. 29 – Some 37% of the children who work on the streets are addicted to drugs. 41% of these children make their living off of buying and selling drugs.

Trafficking gangs rent street children for 125 USD per year

Etemad daily, Mar. 7 – Research shows that a significant number of children who work on the street are leased to mafia-like child labor gangs for less than 100,000 tumans(125 USD) per year because of their families' dire financial need… These gangs make large profits from children's labor. 64% of street children suffer from heart diseases.

23,000 street children gathered in Tehran