Human Rights Abuses in Iran

Security forces beat young man for having long hair
Iran News Agency – Jan. 8, 2009: On January 7th, a police officer and two soldiers stopped and arrested a 21-year-old man on the street on the charge of having long hair and "improper clothes". The man resisted and they beat him with batons. This young man repeatedly said, "Is this a crime, why are you hitting me?" while he was being beaten.

Prison officials deny medical treatment to female political prisoner
Human Rights and Democracy Activists – Jan. 8, 2009: According to reports from the women's ward in Evin Prison, Hamideh Nabavi, who has chronic allergies, has been denied medical treatment. She was under medical supervision before her arrest but has now been deprived of genuine treatment. Prison officials use her illness as a tool to pressure her. She has to wear warm clothes to lower her chances of catching a cold. However, since her arrest, prison officials have denied her warm clothing and she only has the clothes in which she was arrested. The temperature in the area is below zero. In one of her visits with her family, while she was hugging her 5-year-old child, a prison guard started threatening her in front of her child, telling her that they would not give her visitation rights anymore. Her child and family are allowed to visit her only every few weeks. 

Kurdish shopkeeper killed under torture
Kurdistan Media – Jan. 8, 2009: According to the PDKI (the Democratic Party of Kurdistan) on January 4, a shopkeeper in Bookan named Hashem Ramezani died due to mental and physical torture inflicted on him by Criminal Intelligence Department agents in Mahabad. Ramezani, who was married, was arrested 10 days before his death on charges of dealing smuggled goods. The Criminal Intelligence Department severely tortured him over the 10-day mperiod, although they had no evidence of his "dealing". Despite his family's efforts, the regime’s officials have refused to hand over his body.

Security forces kill man in protest gathering
Amir Kabir Newsletter – Jan. 7, 2008: A number of people staged a protest gathering in Khomeini Shahr outside the governor's office on Monday, January 5. Some of these protesters said that they were protesting because a large number of people participating in the annual Shiite mourning ceremony were arrested the day before. These protesters were demanding the release of the arrested mourners outside the governor's office when the State Security Forces shot tear gas into the crowd and bullets into the air to disperse them. According to unofficial figures, this attack led to the death of one person in the gathering and injured another person, who is currently in critical condition.

Husband and child of "improperly veiled" woman arrested
Iran BBB – Jan. 7, 2008: This Sunday State Security Forces "Guidance Patrol" in Vali Asr Street in Tehran gave notices to 17 girls for "improper veiling" and arrested eight of them. In one of these cases, the agent's treatment of a woman who was with her husband and child lead to the arrest of the couple and child.

Iranian of banned Bahai faith executed for rape 
AFP – January 1, 2009: Iran has hanged a man who is an adherent of the banned Bahai faith after he was convicted of rape and adultery, the Khorassan newspaper said on its website today.  The report did not give the exact date of the execution but said that the man, identified as Houshang Kh., was probably hanged towards the end of 2008.  http://bahaisonline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2124&Itemid=2