Amnesty International, USA
Four young Baluchi men – Ebrahim Narouie, Kambiz Kharout, Mansour Dahmardeh and Shoeib Mir Baluchzehi Rigi – are at grave risk of execution in connection with protests in Sistan and Baluchestan province. They were sentenced to death based on torture-tainted “confessions” in grossly unfair trials. Two other Baluchi men – Mansour Hout and Nezamoddin Hout – are facing retrials on capital charges also in connection with protests.
Click here for more information.
IrIra
Iran Must be Held to Account for Lawyers’ Fundamental Rights
As the Islamic Republic’s crackdown on nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini on September 16, 2022 continues, thousands of protesters have been subjected to detention, beating, torture, and summary trials and convictions in flagrant violation of due process of law. Lawyers who attempt to defend them are also intimidated, silenced, and prosecuted. While Iran marks Lawyer’s Day and the 70th anniversary of the passage of a law for the independence of the country’s Bar Association, at least 48 lawyers have been arrested, and 10 sentenced, after representing protest detainees or raising awareness of detainees’ rights.
Iran Human Rights
Islamic Republic of Iran systematically targeted protester eyes in nationwide protest.
Considering the volume of reports of protesters being shot in the head and face by security forces in most Iranian cities, leading to many, including a significant number of young women, being blinded, Iran Human Rights considers the inhumane and unlawful act to have been systematically carried out by the Islamic Republic to crush protests. Iran Human Rights calls on citizens in Iran to send any information about anyone who has lost their sight at the hands of security forces to assist in documenting the evidence and holding the perpetrators accountable. Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Exposing the magnitude of the crimes and documenting evidence are crucial steps towards justice that require all citizens' cooperation. Islamic Republic leader, Ali Khamenei and the repressive forces under his command must know that they will be held accountable for all their crimes.” Click here for more information.
List of protesters blinded
In the past months, Iran Human Rights researchers have collected and verified information related to a number of citizens who have lost their sight in one or both eyes as a result of being shot with shotguns or paintball guns in the nationwide protests. The following list is of cases Iran Human Rights have been able to independently verify; the real number is much higher.
The New York Times previously reported that hundreds of protesters were targeted from close range, with their eyes damaged or blinded. According to this report, doctors in three Tehran hospitals (Farabi, Rasoul Akram and Labafinejad) treated more than 500 protesters with eye injuries during the nationwide protests. In Kurdistan province, at least 80 people with eye injuries were treated by doctors. Meanwhile, police chief Hassan Karami denied protesters were targeted in sensitive parts of their bodies, calling their actions “professional."
The following list compiled by Iran Human Rights will be expanded with the help of citizen journalists and made available to international organisations and the UN fact-finding mission. Viewer discretion is advised in viewing some of the photographs.
1. Raheleh Amiri, Kerman
A 30-year-old psychologist, Raheleh was shot with pellet bullets by security forces in late November; she was blinded in one eye.
2. Elaheh Tavakolian, Mashhad
A PhD student in business management, Elaheh was blinded in one eye by pellet bullets fired by security forces in October.
3. Niloufar Aghayi, Tehran
Teacher and midwifery Master’s student blinded in one eye after being shot at the doctors’ protest outside the Medical Council in Tehran in.
4. Kimia Zand, Tehran
Shot in the eye by paintball guns on October 26, her right eye was seriously injured. She has regained some sight after several operations.
5. Mohadeseh (Ghazal) Ranjkesh, Bandar Abbas
21-year-old law student, she was shot with pellet bullets, losing sight in one eye.
6. Farideh Salavatipour, Sanandaj
Shot with pellet bullets on November 17, she was blinded in one eye.
7. Yasser Alvandiani, Hamedan
A 34-year-old athlete, he was blinded after being shot at protests.
8. Ali Mohammadi, Hamedan
At 22 years old, he was blinded in one eye after being shot at protest on September 21.
9. Kowsar Eftekhari, Tehran
A Tabriz native, she was shot at a student protest in Tehran on October 12, blinding her in one eye.
10. Hossein Abedini, Tehran
A 20-year-old model, he was shot at a protest in Tehran on September 21. He was blinded in one eye and sustained injuries in the other.
11. Behzad Hamrahi, Tehran
43-year-old Hossein was blinded in the left eye after being shot at protest on November 15.
12. Hossein Hosseinpour, Mahabad
At 25, he was blinded in the left eye after being shot at a protest on November 17.
13. Kowsar (Mahbanu) Khoshnoudikia, Kermanshah
An archery champion and silver medal winner at the 2021 Asian Archery Championship Games, she was shot and blinded in one eye on December 9.
14. Parviz Yari, Kermanshah
He was blinded in one eye after being shot at the Dareh Vijeh protest.
15. Hossein Nouri, Tehran
A 25-year-old nurse, he was blinded in one eye after being shot at a protest on Valiasr Street in Tehran in September.
16. Sadegh Soufi, Bukan
A 27-year-old physical education post-graduate student, he was blinded in the left eye at the 40th day ceremony of Mahsa (JIna) Amini on November 25.
17. Hossein Bagherpour, Kerman
24-year-old mechanic, Hossein was blinded in one eye at a protest on Valafajr Street on November 15.
18. Nachirvan Maroufi, Saqqez
An 18-year-old conscript, Nachirvan was on leave when he was shot at a protest in Saqqez in September.
19. Bonita Kiani Falavarjani, Isfahan
At 6 years old, Bonita was shot and blinded in one eye while standing on her grandfather’s balcony in Malek Shahr in Isfahan.
20. Firouz Mirani, Paveh
An artist, Firouz was blinded in both eyes after being shot by pellet bullets on November 30.
21. Parsa Ghobadi, Kamyaran
18 years old and from the village of Shahini, he was blinded in both eyes after being shot by pellet bullets on November 21.
22. Ali Mohammad Rezaei, Abdanan
He was blinded in one eye after being shot by pellet bullets outside his house on November 18.
Amnesty International, USA
Native American activist Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned in the USA for over 46 years, some of which was spent in solitary confinement, serving two life sentences for murder despite concerns over the fairness of his trial. He has always maintained his innocence. Now 78 years old, he contracted COVID-19 in 2022 and suffers from several chronic health ailments, including one that is potentially fatal. Not eligible for parole again until 2024, his lawyers submitted a new petition for clemency in 2021. President Biden must grant Leonard Peltier clemency on humanitarian grounds and as a matter of justice.
On 24 January 2023, the Venezuelan National Assembly took its first step to approve a bill seeking to control, restrict, and potentially criminalize and close NGOs operating in Venezuela. If this bill passes, all Venezuelan NGOs will have to comply with abusive measures or face criminal prosecution. Measures include disclosing information on their funding, staff, and governance, and would violate the rights to association, privacy, and others, putting NGOs and their beneficiaries at grave risk of criminalization and reprisals. We call on the National Assembly to immediately put a stop to this bill and cease all attacks on civil society.
Last year, we launched a multi-year campaign to help end Israel's racist system of apartheid against Palestinians.
It was another challenging year for Palestinians, with Israeli forces continuing to kill Palestinian civilians with complete impunity. Israeli authorities enacted numerous measures that entrenched apartheid. They escalated their crackdown on Palestinian civil society and subjected the Gaza Strip to another devastating offensive. The new government of Prime Minister Netanyahu is already planning to massively expand illegal settlements, putting countless more Palestinians at risk of forced displacement.
Amnesty International issued earlier today calling on Iranian authorities to immediately halt all executions of people sentenced to death in relation to nationwide protests and condemning the arbitrary executions of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini on 7 January and warning that Mohammad Ghobadlou and others risk the same fate. On 2 January, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction and death sentence of Mohammad Ghobadlou, 22, in connection with the ongoing nationwide protests, making his sentence final and raising fears that his execution is imminent. In the past week, the authorities also announced five further protest-related death sentences imposed by Revolutionary Courts.
Amnesty International, January 11, 2023
President Biden has a critical window of opportunity to end these ongoing abuses by closing the detention center before the end of his term.
Help us close Guantánamo and ensure the transfer of all cleared detainees to countries where their human rights will be respected.
