CRY FREEDOM.net
formerly known as
Women's Liberation Front
'Insight is the first step of resistance against any ideologic form of dictatorial and misogynistic oppression'

Manifest - Oct 26, 2025
Slaughterhouse Rape

Manifest - Start August 31, 2025
Matriarchism is alive and kicking
UPDATE with New Story: Sept 19, 2025:
Tunisian women react to gender remarks: A consequence of patriarchal mentality
Earlier stories embedded:
Sept 10, 2025: Rûken Nexede on ‘Jin Jiyan Azadî’: Philosophy of freedom, equality
And “How Fiercely We Cling to Life” – A Prison Letter from Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee

Manifest - Axis of Evil - J´Accuse :-)
August 8 025

Tribute to KIAN PIRFALA, 9 years old and victim of the Islamic Republic's savagery 10 years ago

Editors' info: About a possible change of the name of the outlet:
and no, the URL www.cryfreedom.net will not change in this. Too much hassles and as such the outlet
is too well known to run that risk. Still, to enhance the content of it the
name online will be incl. a logo named
´Woman, Life, Freedom - MENA News Agency
covering the news from the Middle East and North Africa and covering all the Arabic muslim world.
Any feedback, negative or positive, on this is more than welcome at info@cryfreedom.net
Thank you for your time and input.

 HEAR JINA AMINI'S VOICE
And do read also the above linked  incredible December 2023 update!

despite the mullahs' regime to force it down!
Her mother speaks out loud and clear
UPDATED: September 29 - 16, 2024
Second Anniversary of Jina Amini's
state-sanctioned murder
incl. Commemorating Bloody Friday
a wave of arrests of her fellow-citizen

Overview of news about the Second aniversary of Jina Amini's state-sactioned murder September 2024


JINA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams and her death.

Read also: Armita's Story: Iran's Generation Z Rebellion Against the Ayatollahs

Ongoing since Oct. 3, 2024:
Commemoration of the Fallen for
Freedom Part6
 Click here for previous Commemorations  
And more commemorational stories
Tortured to Death: The Story of Atefeh Na'ami
Violence During Woman, Life, Freedom Protests

HAIL TO THE IRANIAN WOMEN'S REVOLUTIONISTS FALLEN FOR FREDOM
against the supreme leader, the arch-reactionary Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, and his placeman president. The message of the women when the former president visited a university was plain: <give way or get lost> in 2023 and still is.
IN MEMORY OF ASRA PANAHI (16)- JINA MAMINI (22) - NIKA SHAKARAMI (16), SARINA ESMAILZADEH (16) HADIS NAJAFI (20), AND MORE WOMEN WHO WERE ASSASINATED SO FAR BY THE IRANIAN AXIS OF EVIL.
  Click here for a total list so far
Updates Dec 29, 2025

UPDATES OF THE UPRISING  AND REVOLUTION AROUND THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF JINA AMINI IN CUSTODY OF THE REGIME'S ATTEMPT AND CRUELTY TO TRY AND CRUSH IT.

This links to a page that is in full dedicated and a tribute to Jina Amini who, with stilll 'till today too many other sisters gave their life for freedom. Long live a long and free Iran And do read also the above linked  incredible December 2023 update! despite the mullahs' regime to force it down! Her mother speaks out loud and clear UPDATED: September 18, 2025 Full story of the Third anniversary of Jina Amini´s death September 29 - 16, 2024 Second Anniversary of Jina Amini's state-sanctioned murder incl. Commemorating Bloody Friday and earlier news about a wave of arrests of her fellow-citizen

We all grief for the loss of our sister / daughter of Iran Armita Gevarnand:   Read her updated story here   & Actual news:  Generation Z Leads Hijab Rebellion on Tehran’s Streets and Earlier Stories and more

Sisters 4 each other - Sisters 4 All
UPDATE: Dec 13 - Nov 12, 2025
Narges Mohammadi arrested and supporters soon after too
Death sentence of Kurdish political prisoner Varisheh Moradi overturned
Zahra Tabari, Sentenced to Death, Appeals for Global Solidarity
Nov 3 - Sept 25, 2025
Zahra Shahbaz Tabari - Sentenced to Death After 10-Minute Trial
& her son speaks out: "She´not afraid to die"
& Sharifeh Mohammadi’s Death Sentence Commuted to 30 Years in Prison
& Maryam Akbari-Monfared - Iran’s Regime Raises Pressure on Families of Political Prisoners
&  Maryam Akbari-Monfared - Continued Denial of Medical Care in Qarchak Prison
Earlier reports

Sisters 4 each other, Sisters 4 All
Narges Mohammadi: "Tyranny will fall"
Pakhshan Azizi: "You dictator, I am Arash, fire responds to fire,"
Sharifeh Mohammadi: "Finally, one day, I will sing the song of victory from the summit of the mountain, like the sun. Tomorrow belongs to us"
Varisha Moradi: "Resistance is life"
 in continuation of the resistance of the 4 sisters and others
read all their previous fights

 When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
 and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.

Symbol of resistance of Iranian women
Narges Mohammadi - Jina Amini : "With war there cannot be democracy"

Jina Amini Lives On


Describing Evin Prison as a “Hotel”
Jinhagency - Womens News Agency - Dec 25, 2025
{Describing Evin Prison as a “Hotel” Sparks Criticism Over Distorted Reality
A video of former Iranian parliament member Faezeh Hashemi calling Evin Prison’s women’s wing a “hotel” sparked widespread reactions, with activists describing her remarks as propaganda intended to deny documented human rights abuses in Iranian prisons.
News Center — Human rights organizations criticized Faezeh Hashemi’s recent remarks about Evin Women’s Prison, arguing that they ignore documented reports of torture, mistreatment, and denial of medical care. They called for independent inspections of Iranian prisons. A short video circulated via Iranian security-affiliated media showed the journalist and former Islamic Consultative Assembly member Faezeh Hashemi claiming that “Evin Women’s Prison is like a hotel with many facilities.” The clip was widely shared on official and unofficial platforms, as well as social media, sparking significant reactions, particularly among former political prisoners and families of inmates.
Reactions from Political Prisoners and Critics
Former political prisoners, human rights activists, and social media pages supporting detainees rejected the characterization of Evin as a “hotel.” They cited multiple reports documenting torture, denial of medical care, and ongoing security pressures inside the prison, viewing Hashemi’s statement as an attempt by authorities to distort reality. Activists who experienced imprisonment firsthand stressed that the portrayal “does not reflect at all” their lived experiences, describing its circulation via pro-security media as propaganda aimed at denying human rights violations. Critics have long highlighted attempts by authorities to present a polished image of prisons through selective visits or curated reports, practices previously described by political prisoners and human rights groups as “face-showing exercises.” Publishing such videos, especially by prominent figures from the ruling family, can simultaneously neutralize civil protests and legitimize the existing prison system.
Faezeh Hashemi and the Political Context
Faezeh Hashemi, former parliamentarian and daughter of the former Iranian president, has repeatedly written about prison conditions and openly disagreed with political detainees. Analysts note that her positions have occasionally drawn criticism from opposition prisoners and revealed tensions within opposition circles. Nonetheless, critics emphasize that official narratives should not obscure documented human rights violations.
Why Critics Call It “Propaganda”
Opposition observers cite three reasons for labeling the video as propaganda:
It was published by media closely linked to security agencies, raising questions about neutrality.
Numerous independent reports and documents from Evin and other detention centers—including testimonies from political prisoners and human rights organizations—document torture, lack of medical care, and prolonged confinement under harsh conditions. A narrative presented by a ruling family member may signal locally and internationally an attempt to deflect allegations of prisoner abuse.
Media and Legal Implications
The video reinforced two conflicting narratives: supporters hailed it as proof of proper conditions, while opponents and victims’ families described it as a deliberate attempt to conceal human rights violations. Independent lawyers argue that in light of extensive documentation of judicial pressure, denial of medical care, and retaliatory practices in prisons, selective statements from a prominent figure with her own incarceration history should not be taken as evidence of general prison conditions. Meanwhile, three female political activists—Bakhshan Azizi, Vorisheh Moradi, and Zahra Shahbaz Tabari—face death sentences in Iranian prisons, with Azizi and Moradi currently held in Evin. Many human rights activists and former political prisoners view the video not as an impartial report but as part of a narrative that downplays documented complaints and international evidence. They stress that the government’s appropriate response should be transparency, allowing independent prison access, ending politically motivated releases, and addressing verified human rights violations rather than producing curated video portrayals of reality.} Video-Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/describing-evin-prison-as-a-hotel-sparks-criticism-over-distorted-reality-38225


Elaheh Fouladi, Forough Taghipour, and Zahra Safaei
WNCRI - in Women's News - Dec 26, 2025
{Deteriorating Conditions of Female Political Prisoners in Evin: Severe Unsanitary Conditions, Illness, and Medical Deprivation
Reports received from the women’s ward of Evin Prison indicate a dangerously escalating health and medical crisis affecting female political prisoners. The situation marked by the spread of serious illnesses, systematic denial of medical care, and severely unsanitary living conditions, poses an immediate threat to the lives of detainees, particularly elderly prisoners and those suffering from chronic or serious diseases. Approximately 60 women political prisoners are currently held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison. Inmates report widespread contamination of corridors and rooms, along with the constant presence of rodents and insects. The number of rats alone is estimated at around 100 and continues to increase. Accumulated waste, the absence of regular cleaning, and extremely poor hygiene standards have significantly increased the risk of infectious diseases in an already unsafe environment. The situation has become even more threatening given the systemic and widespread deprivation of access to medical care and essential medications. Following an earlier report published on International Human Rights Day that highlighted the critical health conditions of several female political prisoners, including Fatemeh Ziaii, Shiva Esmaili, and Marzieh Farsi, further investigations reveal that the physical condition of additional prisoners is also deeply concerning.
Zahra Safaei, who suffers from heart disease and has two stents, has not undergone any medical examination for over seven months and is experiencing severe cardiac pain.
Elaheh Fouladi suffers from acute knee problems, including a large mass, a torn meniscus, and spinal canal stenosis, resulting in constant pain, yet no effective treatment process has been reported.
Tahereh Nouri is affected by sleep apnea and endures severe physical weakness.
Forough Taghipour is suffering from severe anemia; poor nutrition and the lack of adequate food supplies, including fresh fruits and vegetables, are identified as contributing factors to her condition.
Taken together, these conditions present a deeply alarming picture of systematic violations of the right to health and medical care for female political prisoners in Evin Prison, a situation that demands immediate intervention by relevant international institutions to hold the clerical regime accountable and attend to the situation of prisoners, especially political prisoners in Iran.} Source: https://wncri.org/2025/12/26/conditions-of-female-political-prisoners/

Iranfocus - Dec 29, 2025 Sia Rajabi
{Tehran Bazaar Shopkeepers Stage Protests in Response to Surge in Foreign Currency Prices
Some shopkeepers at the Alaeddin Mobile Market, a well-known electronics mall in central Tehran, and the Charsou Commercial Complex protested the rise in the price of the U.S. dollar by closing their shops. Videos shared on social media show a tense atmosphere around Hafez Bridge, a major overpass in central Tehran. From around the afternoon of Sunday, December 28, videos circulated on social media showing shopkeepers at the Alaeddin Mall beginning their protest from inside the complex after shutting their stores, chanting slogans such as “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid / we are all together.” Other videos show the shopkeepers leaving the mall and moving toward Hafez Bridge at the intersection of Jomhuri Street and Hafez Street in Tehran. At the same time, other videos were published showing similar protests by shopkeepers at the Charsou Commercial Complex, located opposite the Alaeddin Mall. The rise in the price of the dollar, which directly affects all sectors of Iran’s economy, has accelerated sharply over the past month. At the same time as the protests at the Alaeddin Mall, the price of one U.S. dollar in the free market surpassed 1.44 million rials. Yesterday, December 27, each U.S. dollar was trading at 1.37 million rials, while one month earlier on the same day, the free-market price was 1.14 million rials per dollar. This is while a worker’s base monthly wage barely reaches 115 dollars. In recent months, runaway inflation and the rising value of foreign currencies have intensified concerns about the deterioration of Iran’s economic conditions. Over the past year, the prices of food items in Iran have increased by an average of more than 66%. Even official sources have confirmed the uncontrolled rise in prices in Iran. The Statistical Center of Iran, a state-run body, reported on December 27 that the country’s point-to-point inflation rate had exceeded 52%.} Source: https://iranfocus.com/economy/56520-tehran-bazaar-shopkeepers-stage-protests-in-response-to-surge-in-foreign-currency-prices/

Hengaw - Dec 29, 2025
{Intelligence agents arrest Kurdish labor activist Abdullah Khani in Sanandaj
Iranian Intelligence Department forces have arrested Abdullah Khani, a Kurdish labor and trade union activist from Sanandaj (Sine), and transferred him to the city’s Intelligence Department detention facility. Information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights indicates that Khani, 60, was arrested at his home in the 5 Azar neighborhood of Sanandaj on Saturday, December 27, 2025, by agents of the Intelligence Department. According to an informed source, the arrest was carried out without the presentation of a warrant. Intelligence agents conducted a full search of the residence, confiscated mobile phones belonging to family members, and engaged in intimidating and verbally abusive behavior, causing distress among those present. The source added that Khani suffers from physical health problems and has a history of heart attack, raising concerns about his condition in detention. Despite repeated follow-up efforts by his family, including visits to the Sanandaj Intelligence Department, authorities have so far refused to provide clear information regarding his health status or fate. Khani has previously been arrested in connection with his labor and trade union activities. No information is available regarding the reasons for his arrest, his place of detention, or his current condition. Source: Hengaw English}: https://hengaw.net/en/news/2025/12/article-160

Iranfocus - Dec 29, 2025 Mehdi Hosseini
{At Least 1,922 Executions in Iran in 2025, Nearly Double Compared to 2024
The Iran Human Rights Monitor (iran-hrm), a human rights website, reported in its new annual report that in 2025 at least 1,956 people were executed in prisons across Iran, representing a 97% increase compared to the previous year. According to the report, among those executed, 10 people were put to death in public, in front of onlookers. These statistics cover the period from January 1, 2025, to December 20, 2025. The report states that during this period, in addition to those executed, at least 168 people were sentenced to death by Iran’s regime judiciary, and the death sentences of at least 56 individuals were upheld by the Supreme Court. It also notes that two individuals who were under 18 years old at the time of the alleged offense, legally referred to as juvenile offenders, were among those executed this year. According to the Iran Human Rights Monitor, 40% of those executed in Iran in 2025 were charged with “murder,” and 50% were executed on charges related to “narcotics.” In 2025, the highest shares of carried-out executions were, respectively, in Alborz Province, which hosts two of the country’s most crowded prisons, with 10.87%; Khorasan Razavi with 8.22%; Isfahan with 7.70%; Fars with 6.92%; and Lorestan with 4.89%. In terms of prisons carrying out executions, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, and Dizelabad Prison in Kermanshah were at the top of execution figures during this period.
Unprecedented execution figures over the past 11 years
Execution statistics over the past 11 years show that the number of executions declined from 2015 to 2020, but rose again from 2021 onward, reaching its highest level in 2025. This significant increase highlights serious concerns regarding the human rights situation and the intensification of executions in Iran.
The Iran Human Rights Monitor says that 95% of executions were carried out secretly, meaning without announcement in official or domestic media, and only 5% were reported by media outlets or internal institutions. The relentless increase in the issuance, confirmation, and implementation of death sentences in Iran in recent months has drawn widespread attention from international bodies and has been accompanied by protests inside and outside the country. On December 18, the United Nations General Assembly adopted its annual resolution on the human rights situation in Iran with 78 votes in favor. Earlier, on November 19, the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly had adopted a resolution condemning human rights violations in Iran with 79 votes in favor, a text that this year placed broader emphasis on executions, women’s rights, the suppression of protesters, and transnational repression. Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, stated on October 30 at a meeting of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly that Iran’s regime, by carrying out widespread executions, has embarked on a path of “crimes against humanity.”
Protests and strikes in Iran
According to a report by the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a human rights news website, in 2025 at least 2,606 protests and strikes took place, including 2,174 protest gatherings, 407 labor strikes, and 25 professional strikes across various sectors of the country. Among the recorded gatherings, 813 were labor protests, most of them related to wage demands, and in 40 cases workers were prevented from holding their protests. HRANA also reported 940 professional protests and five cases in which such gatherings were prevented, writing that the main focus of these protests was wage demands by professional groups, اعتراض to economic conditions, and objections to the inefficient management of state institutions of the Islamic Republic. In recent years, retirees, workers, and pensioners have repeatedly held protests and marches in various cities across Iran over the failure to fulfill their demands. The livelihood conditions of these groups have led to a significant increase in the number of professional protests and demonstrations.} Source: https://iranfocus.com/human-rights/56508-at-least-1922-executions-in-iran-in-2025-nearly-double-compared-to-2024/

Hengaw - Dec 28, 2025
{Rasoul Yadiyar suffers broken rib and severe injuries under torture in Bukan detention facility
Rasoul Yadiyar, a Kurdish man from Bukan, has been subjected to severe physical torture since his arrest by security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His family is facing threats and pressure to remain silent about his condition. According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, despite 12 days having passed since his arrest, Yadiyar, from Gok Tepe village near Bukan, remains in legal limbo and is being held under harsh conditions in an Intelligence detention center. A source close to the Yadiyar family told Hengaw that he has been subjected to intense torture and violent interrogation, resulting in multiple serious injuries, including broken ribs, nasal fractures, hand injuries, fractured teeth, and damage to his jaw and face. Due to the deterioration of his health, Yadiyar was briefly transferred to the medical unit of the Intelligence detention facility; however, despite his critical condition, he was returned to custody without receiving adequate medical treatment. At the same time, his family has been subjected to intimidation by security agencies and explicitly warned not to speak publicly about his detention or torture. Rasoul Yadiyar was arrested on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at approximately 6 p.m., at his workplace in Bukan. He was detained without a court warrant and without being informed of any charges and has since been held incommunicado. Source: Hengaw English}: https://hengaw.net/en/news/2025/12/article-158

WNCRI - in Women's News - Dec 28, 2025
{Eight Bahaii Women Detained in Isfahan to Serve 90 Years in Prison
Eight Bahaii women residing in Isfahan were arrested on Saturday, December 27, after reporting to Branch Two of the Sentence Enforcement Office of the Revolutionary Court in the city, and were transferred to Dowlatabad Prison in Isfahan to serve their prison sentences.
Those whose sentences have begun to be enforced include Negin Khademi, Yeganeh Rouhbakhsh, Neda Badakhsh, Mojgan Shahrezaei, Shana Shoghi-Far, Arezoo Sobhanian, Parastoo Hakim, and Neda Emadi. These individuals had previously been summoned to judicial authorities in late December after receiving official notices ordering them to appear for the enforcement of their sentences. Their convictions were fully upheld in early October of this year by Branch 47 of the Isfahan Court of Appeals. At the preliminary stage, the Isfahan Revolutionary Court had collectively sentenced them to a total of 90 years in prison, along with fines and additional punitive measures. The indictment in this case was issued on April 9, 2024, by Branch 18 of the Investigative Office of the Isfahan Prosecutor’s Office. The eight women had earlier been arrested by security forces on October 23, 2023, and were released from Dowlatabad Prison over a period of approximately two months on bail, on different dates. According to sources close to their families, they were subjected during detention to psychological abuse and threats of physical torture. Among those detained are Yeganeh Rouhbakhsh and her daughter, Arezoo Sobhanian. Rouhbakhsh was only 19 years old at the time of her arrest. The charges brought against them include “propaganda against the state,” “promotion and teaching of Bahaii beliefs contrary to Islam,” and “collaboration with hostile groups against the regime.” However, these accusations lack any legal basis and stem solely from the women’s peaceful religious and educational activities.} Source: https://wncri.org/2025/12/28/eight-bahaii-women-isfahan-90-years-in-prison/

Hengaw - Dec 28, 2025
{Sunni cleric Mamosta Mohammad Salehi sentenced to five years in prison
Iranian judicial authorities have sentenced Mamosta Mohammad Salehi, a Kurdish Sunni cleric and imam of a mosque in the village of Kaltageh, Bukan County, to five years in prison. He is currently being held at Urmia Central Prison. Information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights indicates that Salehi was recently convicted by Branch Two of the Urmia Revolutionary Court on charges of “membership in groups opposed to the system” (Ansar al-Sunna) and sentenced to five years of discretionary imprisonment. According to the information, Salehi’s trial was held earlier this month after he spent nine months in legal limbo, during which his case remained unresolved. Salehi was arrested on March 18, 2025, by government forces in the village of Kaltageh. He was initially transferred to the Intelligence Department detention facility in Urmia and, after two months, moved to Urmia Central Prison. During his two months of detention at the Intelligence Department facility, Salehi was denied access to legal counsel and family visits. Source: Hengaw English}: https://hengaw.net/en/news/2025/12/article-156

Hengaw - Dec 28, 2025
{Iran arrests musician Nima Mandoumi in Alborz, fate remains unknown
Iranian government forces have arrested Nima Mandoumi, a Kurdish violinist from Kamyaran, and have provided no information about his whereabouts or legal status more than 18 days after his detention. Information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights indicates that Mandoumi, 23, was detained by agents of the Intelligence Department in Alborz province and transferred to an undisclosed location. Since his arrest, authorities have not disclosed any details regarding his condition, the charges against him, or the place of his detention. According to sources close to Mandoumi’s family, the arrest followed a recent musical performance in Armenia, where he participated in a joint performance with several Israeli artists. According to these sources, the authorities cited this artistic collaboration as the reason for his detention. The sources added that Mandoumi’s parents have traveled to Tehran in recent days to seek information about their son’s situation, but their inquiries have so far yielded no results. Mandoumi was arrested on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, by agents of the Intelligence Department in Alborz province and taken to an undisclosed location. Source: Hengaw English}: https://hengaw.net/en/news/2025/12/article-154

Hengaw - Dec 27, 2025
{Two Kurdish men arrested during Newroz celebrations jailed to serve prison sentences
Two Kurdish men from Marivan, Mohammad Nikpey and Mohammad Eshtak, have been transferred to the city’s central prison to serve their sentences. They were collectively sentenced to six months in prison by the Iranian judiciary for participating in Newroz celebrations in Kurdistan. According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Nikpey (28) and Eshtak (23), both residents of the village of Ney in Marivan, were arrested on Saturday, December 27, 2025, and transferred to Marivan Central Prison to begin serving their prison terms. Recently, the Marivan Revolutionary Court sentenced each of them to three months in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the state.” The ruling was issued solely in connection with their participation in Newroz celebrations in the Sardosh area of Marivan. An informed source told Hengaw that the judicial process was carried out in violation of due legal procedure and in the absence of the defendants. The source added that the two men were subjected to torture and severe beatings during detention, resulting in rib fractures. Nikpey and Eshtak were initially arrested on March 21, 2025, during Newroz celebrations in Kurdistan by Iranian government forces. Source: Hengaw English}: https://hengaw.net/en/news/2025/12/article-153

Hengaw - Dec 27, 2025
{Iran arrests two more environmental activists in Sanandaj, bringing total to three
Iranian government forces arrested two Kurdish citizens from Sanandaj, Sabah Salehi and Saber Salehi, in connection with gatherings held under the name of the “Zagrosaneh” campaign. With these arrests, the number of detainees in Sanandaj linked to the campaign has risen to three. Information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights indicates that Sabah Salehi and Saber Salehi, both from Sanandaj, were arrested in the city on Saturday, December 27, 2025.
Hengaw had previously reported that Ramin Salehi, a 39-year-old environmental activist and cousin of Sabah Salehi, was arrested at his workplace for participating in the same event, without the presentation of a warrant.Sources say the arrests were carried out by agents of the Intelligence Department and were linked to participation in a “Zagrosaneh” campaign event held the previous day in Qaleh Hasanabad, Sanandaj. The “Zagrosaneh” campaign is an annual environmental initiative organized by civic associations, including the Sabz Chia association, aimed at raising public awareness and promoting a culture of protecting the Zagros nature. The campaign is held in response to wide-ranging threats, including deliberate fires, changes in forest land use, mining expansion, dam construction, and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, and is carried out with voluntary public participation. In a separate incident, Iranian government forces arrested Shirko Kanisanani, a photographer and environmental activist from Marivan and a member of the “Sabz Chia” environmental association, after he returned from a “Zagrosaneh” campaign event held in the village of “Ney” in Marivan County, on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. No precise information is available regarding the reasons for the arrests, the detainees’ place of custody, or their current status. Source: Hengaw}: https://hengaw.net/en/news/2025/12/article-152

Hengaw - Dec 27, 2025
{Detained photographer and civil activist Omid Bagheri begins hunger strike
Omid Bagheri, a Kurdish photographer and civil activist from Islamabad-e Gharb (Shabad) in Kermanshah province (Kermashan), has begun a hunger strike in protest against his continued detention and the issuance of an open-ended detention order. Information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights indicates that Bagheri, 37, launched his hunger strike on Friday, December 26, 2025, while being held at the Intelligence Department detention center in Kermanshah. He is currently on the 13th day of his detention. Since his arrest, Bagheri has been denied fundamental legal rights, including access to a lawyer and the right to family visits. Bagheri was arrested on Sunday, December 14, 2025, while traveling from Kermanshah to Paveh. He was stopped at a temporary checkpoint and subsequently arrested with violence. He had previously been arrested in 2024 in connection with his participation in Nowruz-related ceremonies in Kurdistan and for photographing these events. He was later subjected to a security-related case and convicted on charges of “propaganda against the state,” receiving a sentence of six months of suspended imprisonment. Bagheri has long been active in documentary photography, as well as civil and environmental activism, and is widely regarded as a well-known and respected civil figure in Kermanshah province due to his years of sustained social engagement.
Source: Hengaw}: https://hengaw.net/en/news/2025/12/article-148

Hengaw - Dec 27, 2025
{Iran arrests environmental activist Ramin Salehi in Sanandaj
Kurdish environmental activist Ramin Salehi, a resident of Sanandaj (Sine), has been arrested by Iranian government forces and transferred to an undisclosed location after participating in an environmental gathering known as the “Zagrosana Campaign” in the Hassan-Abad neighborhood of Sanandaj. According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Salehi, 39, was arrested at his workplace without the presentation of a warrant on Saturday, December 27, 2025, in Sanandaj. Sources told Hengaw that his arrest is directly linked to his participation in the Zagrosana environmental event held the previous day. The Zagrosana Campaign is an annual civil society environmental initiative organized by grassroots and environmental organizations. It aims to raise public awareness and promote protection of the Zagros ecosystem amid escalating threats such as deliberate forest fires, land-use changes, mining expansion, dam construction, and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. The campaign relies on voluntary and community participation. No information is available regarding the charges against Salehi, his whereabouts, or his current condition. Source: Hengaw}: https://hengaw.net/en/news/2025/12/article-147

Hengaw - Dec 27, 2025
{Eight Baha’i women arrested to serve prison sentences in Isfahan
Eight Baha’i women — Shana Shoughifar, Negin Khademi, Neda Badakhsh, Arezoo Sabhanian, Yeganeh Rouhbakhsh, Mojgan Shahrezaei, Parasto Hakim, and Neda Emadi — have been arrested in Isfahan to begin serving prison sentences and transferred to Dolatabad Prison. According to information received by the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, Khademi (34), Shoughifar (27), Hakim (47), Shahrezaei (32), Rouhbakhsh (19), Sabhanian (48), Badakhsh (60), and Emadi (42) were summoned to Branch 2 of the Enforcement Office of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court on Saturday, December 27, 2025. After appearing, they were taken into custody and transferred to prison. Simultaneously with their arrest and transfer, the SIM cards of their mobile phones were blocked. Previously, Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court had sentenced Shoughifar, Khademi, Badakhsh, Sabhanian, Rouhbakhsh, Shahrezaei, and Hakim to 10 years in prison each, while Emadi was sentenced to five years. These women were initially arrested on October 23, 2023, by security forces and were later released on bail at different times over a two-month period pending completion of legal proceedings. Source: Hengaw}: https://hengaw.net/en/news/2025/12/article-146

Iranfocus - Dec 27, 2025 Esmaeil Mohades
{Iran’s Regime Prevents Gathering of Families of 1980s Massacre Victims
Reports indicate that security and law enforcement agents of Iran’s regime prevented a group of families of political prisoners executed in the 1980s, including during the summer of 1988, from commemorating their loved ones at Khavaran Cemetery, a burial ground in Tehran associated with mass graves of executed political prisoners. Law enforcement and security agents who had been deployed at the site since the early hours of Friday, December 26, once again blocked families from entering Khavaran Cemetery by closing its gates. In addition, they prevented families from gathering at the cemetery entrance and from placing photographs of their loved ones and laying flowers. Khavaran Cemetery is the burial site of thousands of political prisoners executed in 1988, most of whom were members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran. According to these reports, despite the restrictions, some families laid flowers along the road leading to the entrance or threw their flowers over the walls into Khavaran Cemetery. Previously, there had been numerous reports of authorities preventing families of political prisoners executed in the 2000s from entering Khavaran Cemetery in Tehran to hold commemorative ceremonies. In this regard, dozens of family members and survivors of political and religious prisoners who died in the 2000s stated in a letter to Masoud Pezeshkian, published on January 24, 2025, that they have been barred from entering Khavaran Cemetery for more than eleven months and that the official in charge of the site has compounded their suffering through insulting behavior. In their letter, these families called for the “cessation of burials of other deceased individuals in this cemetery” and the “removal of all obstacles and restrictions to allow their presence and commemoration of their loved ones.” So far, no news has been published regarding any response from Pezeshkian to the families of the executed. Nevertheless, the prevention of families’ entry into Khavaran Cemetery has continued. In the summer of 1988, on the orders of Ruhollah Khomeini and based on rulings issued by bodies known as the “Death Committees,” a very large number of political prisoners were executed, even though they were serving their sentences in the prisons of Iran’s regime. Due to the secrecy of Iran’s regime authorities and institutions, there is no precise figure for the number of those executed, but according to information from the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, nearly 30 thousand people were massacred over several weeks in the summer of 1988. Khavaran families have repeatedly said that this action by the authorities is not only a desecration of the bodies of the executed, but also an effort to erase evidence of the Iranian regime’s crimes in the 2000s, particularly the massacre of prisoners in the summer of 1988. Iran’s regime not only takes the lives and the right to life of political opponents through execution and killing but also denies their human dignity by preventing commemorative ceremonies. By repressing justice-seeking families, Iran’s regime seeks to silence their calls for accountability and isolate them. It also prevents freedom-seeking people from viewing the pursuit of justice as a national responsibility and from joining these families to prevent the repetition of organized state crimes.} Source: https://iranfocus.com/human-rights/56497-irans-regime-prevents-gathering-of-families-of-1980s-massacre-victims/


Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee
NCRI - in Women's News - July 28, 2025
{“How Fiercely We Cling to Life” – A Prison Letter from Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee on the Execution of Two Political Prisoners
On July 27, 2025, the Iranian regime executed two political prisoners—Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani—in silence and without due process, announcing their deaths through a news ticker on state television. From inside the walls of Qarchak Prison, political prisoner and writer Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee penned this powerful and heartbreaking testimony. In it, she captures the collective mourning, defiance, and enduring spirit of resistance shared among incarcerated activists.
How Fiercely We Cling to Life
By Political Prisoner Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee – Qarchak Prison, July 2025
“The news came.
From there.
From them.
Their clothes were spotless. Their brows uncreased.”
On the morning of July 27, 2025,
the regime’s execution of two political prisoners
was quietly scrolled across the ticker of the state news channel.
In the quarantine ward of Qarchak Prison,
we stood beneath the flickering television screen,
lined up in silence.
No one could speak.
A heavy grief filled the air like smoke.
Eyes welled.
We stood frozen, stunned.
A few moments later, the names were added:
Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani

We had never seen their faces,
never heard their voices—
yet something in us had known them deeply.
It was as if pieces of our own flesh had been sent to the gallows—
and in truth, they had.
For months, their names echoed with ours—
in our chants, our songs,
our cries during the “Tuesdays Against Executions.”
We had shouted for them,
spoken of them in conversations through prison walls,
remembered them alongside other comrades trapped under death sentences.
Now, they had been taken.
Executed.
And the absence of them
filled our chests with fury, with aching sorrow.
We whispered to ourselves:
“We know they stood firm. We know they endured…”
We were shaken by the cruelty—
though it was no stranger to us.
They Dragged Them in Chains
The agents of repression came for Behrouz and Mehdi
with fists, with shackles,
dragging them from their cells in chains.
They had already transferred Saeed Masouri—
our symbol of endurance,
a man who has spent 25 years in unbroken captivity—
to another prison,
and now they led Behrouz and Mehdi
to their execution.

How fiercely we cling to life…

By nightfall, we had wiped the dust of mourning from our faces,
swallowed the lump in our throats.
We even rose above the cruel sneers of a few hardened cellmates—sneers that clawed at the soul.

Hand in hand,
we raised our voices.
We sang the anthem of resistance.
We honored the memory of those two
who walked the path of freedom to its final step.

They had lived, to the very end,
the truth in the words of Nazim Hikmet:

“I know they stared the enemy down with a smile.
No furrow touched their brows…”

Their memory is sacred.
Their path—paved in courage and sacrifice—will be followed.}
Source: https://wncri.org/2025/07/28/golrokh-ebrahimi-iraee-from-qarchak/

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