Latest news with #RezaKhandan
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘A new wave of repression': fears for Iran's political prisoners after Israel war
Life for Reza Khandan has only got worse since Tehran's Evin prison, where he was an inmate, was hit by an Israeli airstrike on 23 June. The next night, the 60-year-old human rights activist – who was arrested in 2024 for his support of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement – was moved to another jail in the south of the capital, where he has told family conditions are hard to endure. 'My father and others do not have beds and are forced to sleep on the floor. He once found six or seven bedbugs in his blanket when he woke up,' said his daughter Mehraveh Khandan, who described 'horrific' sanitary conditions in the prison. Families of political prisoners in Iran say conditions have worsened since the end of the 12-day war and that they fear vulnerable detainees will bear the brunt of what activists say is a broader crackdown by the Iranian authorities, whose legitimacy was shaken by Israel's campaign. The fighting began on 13 June with a barrage of hundreds of Israeli airstrikes that Israel said were aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran quickly responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones. The air war brought in the US and continued until both sides agreed a ceasefire. An unknown number of prisoners were moved by the Iranian authorities to other detention facilities in the aftermath of Israel's strike on Evin, which killed 71 people, including some in the jail and others in its vicinity. The whereabouts of many is unknown but those who have been in contact with relatives have said their new jails are even worse than Evin, which was notorious for the torture of political detainees. Mehraveh, who is based in Amsterdam, said: 'The only cooking water available to prisoners was salty until Sunday. [And] in recent days we have witnessed the disappearance of several prisoners who were already facing the death penalty or long sentences.' Many families have not heard from their loved ones, as long queues have formed for the few phones in detention facilities. Asso Azizi, whose sister Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish aid worker, is on death row, said he had not heard from her in two days. She and other women were transferred to Qarchak prison, which is described as overcrowded and unsanitary. 'Unfortunately, they were not even able to take their personal and sanitary items with them,' Asso said. Besides the unsanitary conditions, Asso is terrified that the authorities may expedite his sister's death sentence, which she was handed in July 2024 'solely in relation to her peaceful humanitarian and human rights activities', according to Amnesty International. The Iranian authorities charged her with armed rebellion against the state. 'There is a concern that just as the process of dealing with her case was very hasty and fast, confirming this sentence in only three days, that now they will execute this sentence to create terror among the people,' Asso said. As conditions worsen in prison, activists and residents of Tehran have also described a wave of repression as the country reels from the war. Security forces have set up checkpoints across the country, stopping pedestrians and checking their mobile phones, sometimes detaining people based on their online activity. The security crackdown comes as the Iranian authorities grapple with the extensive Israeli intelligence penetration of its forces and a wave of online criticism. According to Iranian state media, 700 people have been arrested on charges of collaborating with Israel during the 12-day war. The New-York based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has said hundreds more were arrested in Tehran and six people were executed on espionage charges. Iran's parliament is considering a bill that allows for broader use of the death penalty for those who are accused of collaborating with foreign powers, with judicial authorities specifically referencing espionage with Israel. Hadi Ghaemi, the CHRI's executive director, said: 'Iranian authorities are locking people up incommunicado without cause or access to a lawyer, and sending them to the gallows on 'national security' charges in order to terrorise the public and re-establish control.' The Iranian prison system is murky, particularly for political prisoners. The legal system is plagued with secret trials and allegations of torture. Tracking detainees through the labyrinthine Iranian security apparatus is often a challenge. For families of Iranian political prisoners, the days ahead will be filled with fear. Mehraveh said: 'It is clear that a new wave of intense repression has begun, more severe than ever before. We are deeply concerned.'
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘A new wave of repression': fears for Iran's political prisoners after Israel war
Life for Reza Khandan has only got worse since Tehran's Evin prison, where he was an inmate, was hit by an Israeli airstrike on 23 June. The next night, the 60-year-old human rights activist – who was arrested in 2024 for his support of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement – was moved to another jail in the south of the capital, where he has told family conditions are hard to endure. 'My father and others do not have beds and are forced to sleep on the floor. He once found six or seven bedbugs in his blanket when he woke up,' said his daughter Mehraveh Khandan, who described 'horrific' sanitary conditions in the prison. Families of political prisoners in Iran say conditions have worsened since the end of the 12-day war and that they fear vulnerable detainees will bear the brunt of what activists say is a broader crackdown by the Iranian authorities, whose legitimacy was shaken by Israel's campaign. The fighting began on 13 June with a barrage of hundreds of Israeli airstrikes that Israel said were aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran quickly responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones. The air war brought in the US and continued until both sides agreed a ceasefire. An unknown number of prisoners were moved by the Iranian authorities to other detention facilities in the aftermath of Israel's strike on Evin, which killed 71 people, including some in the jail and others in its vicinity. The whereabouts of many is unknown but those who have been in contact with relatives have said their new jails are even worse than Evin, which was notorious for the torture of political detainees. Mehraveh, who is based in Amsterdam, said: 'The only cooking water available to prisoners was salty until Sunday. [And] in recent days we have witnessed the disappearance of several prisoners who were already facing the death penalty or long sentences.' Many families have not heard from their loved ones, as long queues have formed for the few phones in detention facilities. Asso Azizi, whose sister Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish aid worker, is on death row, said he had not heard from her in two days. She and other women were transferred to Qarchak prison, which is described as overcrowded and unsanitary. 'Unfortunately, they were not even able to take their personal and sanitary items with them,' Asso said. Besides the unsanitary conditions, Asso is terrified that the authorities may expedite his sister's death sentence, which she was handed in July 2024 'solely in relation to her peaceful humanitarian and human rights activities', according to Amnesty International. The Iranian authorities charged her with armed rebellion against the state. 'There is a concern that just as the process of dealing with her case was very hasty and fast, confirming this sentence in only three days, that now they will execute this sentence to create terror among the people,' Asso said. As conditions worsen in prison, activists and residents of Tehran have also described a wave of repression as the country reels from the war. Security forces have set up checkpoints across the country, stopping pedestrians and checking their mobile phones, sometimes detaining people based on their online activity. The security crackdown comes as the Iranian authorities grapple with the extensive Israeli intelligence penetration of its forces and a wave of online criticism. According to Iranian state media, 700 people have been arrested on charges of collaborating with Israel during the 12-day war. The New-York based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has said hundreds more were arrested in Tehran and six people were executed on espionage charges. Iran's parliament is considering a bill that allows for broader use of the death penalty for those who are accused of collaborating with foreign powers, with judicial authorities specifically referencing espionage with Israel. Hadi Ghaemi, the CHRI's executive director, said: 'Iranian authorities are locking people up incommunicado without cause or access to a lawyer, and sending them to the gallows on 'national security' charges in order to terrorise the public and re-establish control.' The Iranian prison system is murky, particularly for political prisoners. The legal system is plagued with secret trials and allegations of torture. Tracking detainees through the labyrinthine Iranian security apparatus is often a challenge. For families of Iranian political prisoners, the days ahead will be filled with fear. Mehraveh said: 'It is clear that a new wave of intense repression has begun, more severe than ever before. We are deeply concerned.'
The Guardian
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Helpless and trapped': political prisoners stuck in Tehran jail with no way to flee bombings
When Mehraveh Khandan heard about Israel's evacuation order in Tehran last week, the first thing she thought of was her father. Reza Khandan, imprisoned for his human rights activism in 2024, was sitting in a cell in Tehran's Evin prison on the edge of the evacuation zone. She fielded calls from her friends, who were breathless from the shock of the Israeli bombs as tens of thousands fled the Iranian capital. Her father, by contrast, had no way to flee. He was stuck. 'It was the most helpless and trapped moments in my entire life. That was the clearest image for me of our situation as Iranians: one captures us, so the other can strike us,' the 25-year-old said from Amsterdam. On Monday, Mehraveh's worst fear was realised when Israel struck Evin prison. Grainy CCTV footage showed the entrance exploding and the gate crumbling, with Iran's judiciary confirming damage to parts of the prison. Relatives of prisoners told the Guardian there were injuries reported in wards four, seven and eight – where Reza was being held, though he was unharmed. 'Their heads are slightly injured from the force of the explosion, the blast wave caused their heads to hit the wall and swell,' said Hussein*, an Iran-based relative of the human rights lawyer Mohammed Najafi, who is imprisoned in ward four. 'The prisoners are worried.' The Guardian could not independently verify claims of injuries within the prison. Mehraveh is just one of many whose family members were detained for political reasons by the Iranian government. They now fear for the safety of their loved ones stuck in prisons, unable to flee the bombs. The Israeli defence minister's office said the prison attack was part of a larger assault on 'regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran'. Detainees and human rights activists have called for the temporary release of prisoners until fighting has stopped. A group of detainees, including Reza, sent a letter to the head of Iran's judiciary on Wednesday calling on him to temporarily release prisoners, citing an Iranian law that allows for conditional releases during war time. 'Prisons are not equipped with air raid warning systems, shelters or safe evacuation routes … especially ward eight of Evin prison, which is in an even more vulnerable state and does not even have a single fire extinguisher,' the letter read. Mehraveh and other family members of detainees were not optimistic that the Iranian government would approve the releases, noting a pattern of increasing repression during times of crisis. For Reza Younesi, whose 25-year-old brother Ali Younesi has been held in Evin prison since 2020, conditions have already gotten worse. On Wednesday, his family received news that Ali had been moved from Evin to an unknown location and that attempts by lawyers to locate him had proved fruitless. 'His cellmates called my mum from prison to let us know. We were hoping that maybe he's moved to another ward or even another prison, but there is no information,' said 43-year-old Younesi, speaking from Sweden. He added that he feared his brother was transferred to ward 209, where interrogations are conducted. According to a 2020 Amnesty report, security forces have been documented torturing detainees in ward 209, including through beatings and electric shocks. Ali, a student activist, was accused of possessing 'explosive devices' by Iranian authorities and of being associated with the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, which Iran considers a terrorist group. He was initially sentenced to 16 years in prison, which was reduced to six years and eight months on a recent appeal. 'This is a pattern for the regime. What they do when they are in crisis to show that they can control society is to become more aggressive, they suppress regular people in society, especially prisoners,' Younesi said. Human rights groups shared Younesi's concern. The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran warned on Thursday that 54 political prisoners on death row were at grave risk. 'There is growing fear that Iranian authorities may use the cover of war to carry out these executions, using them as tools of reprisal and intimidation to further silence dissent and instil fear across the population,' the rights group said in a statement. Last Saturday, security forces arrested at least 16 people for 'spreading rumours' and residents in Iran told the Guardian they had noticed an uptick of arrests of people critical of the regime. Iran's interior ministry has also published a video of someone confessing to working on behalf of the Mossad (Israel's intelligence service) in Iran. Families of political prisoners say Israeli airstrikes on prisons are not the answer to state repression. They say bombing prisons could put political prisoners at risk. 'We don't believe he [Najafi] is safe at all – we know both the brutality of the Islamic Republic and the intensity of Israel's strikes. When he calls us, we can hear the sound of missile launches and anti-aircraft through the phone,' Hussein said. Inside Evin prison, detainees have reportedly started to stock up on goods, fearful that the fighting outside will lead to deterioration of conditions. Ali's cellmates were buying more food from the commissary, Reza said. Checking on loved ones inside prisons has become more difficult as Iran's government has also imposed a near-complete internet blackout on its population. Mehraveh, used to speaking to her father from abroad by calling her mother who would put him on speaker on a separate phone, has been unable to hear his voice since the bombing of the prison. For Reza, whose family has not heard from his brother in six days, the lack of communication was deeply worrying. Before, Ali would call his mother every day on the prison phone, comforting her with the mundane details of his daily routine. He had recently began learning French from other prisoners, and was teaching them astronomy – his passion – in return. 'I always tell him that he needs to do sports to make sure his body is not degrading,' Reza said. 'He always says, yeah don't worry, I'm doing it … Now we have no information from him, it's a very stressful time.'
Sky News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Daughter of human rights lawyer held in Iranian prison in area targeted by Israeli missiles begs for his release
The daughter of a human rights lawyer held in a prison located in an area targeted by Israeli missile strikes has begged for his release. Mehraveh Khandan's father, 60-year-old Reza Khandan, has been in Evin prison since December, serving a sentence of four years and one month for charges of "assembly and collusion" and "propaganda against the regime" for producing pins opposing the mandatory wearing of the hijab. The prison is located in Tehran 's district 3, which is subject to an evacuation order issued by Israel on Monday due to its military targeting the area with missile and drone strikes. After Donald Trump said the city should be evacuated "immediately", Mehraveh, 25, shared a tearful video on Instagram, asking: "How can he leave Tehran, he is in prison?" This is "one of the most helpless and hopeless times of my life", Mehraveh told Sky News. She said she was imagining her father sitting in prison and hearing the explosions nearby, without having a reliable source of information to find out what was going on, as he is only allowed access to information via Iranian state media. Mehraveh, who managed to speak to her father on the phone since, said he told her the explosions "reminded him of the Iran-Iraq war when he was a soldier". "I can imagine he was [scared]," she added after last talking to him on Wednesday morning. Mehraveh said she posted her video plea because it was "the only way we could raise our voice above the deafening noise of criminal rulers endlessly hurling taunts at each other". She hopes that pressure from the international community could force Iranian authorities to release her father, as permitted under Iran's wartime law. "The Islamic Republic regime has shown in times of crisis, it only resorts to increasing internal repression, but I hope this time they react to international pressure differently," Mehraveh said. Reza, along with other inmates in Evin prison, also wrote a letter to the authorities to ask for their release, saying that the prison lacked shelters and alarms to protect against missile and drone attacks. "Not releasing them from prison is putting their lives in danger," Mehraveh said. Knowing her father is being held in a place so vulnerable to strikes was bringing her "a lot of anxiety, sleep-related issues and trouble eating", she explained. "Although I live in a safe environment, I feel captured and trapped most of the time," said Mehraveh, who is currently in Amsterdam studying fine arts. Her mother, Nasrin Sotoudeh, 62, who is also a prominent human rights lawyer, was facing a lot of stress as she was trying to get her husband released. Their daughter is also "so worried" for her younger brother Nima, 17, who fled Tehran with Nasrin to escape the Israeli attacks. Neither Mehraveh nor her mother have been able to visit Reza in prison, and the one time Nima was allowed to, the teenager was "traumatised" after being "beaten by guards". Mehraveh said she doesn't think Iran would "disappear" her father right now, like what allegedly happened to a fellow Evin prisoner this week, but worries that his contact with the outside world, currently via limited calls within Iran, could be cut off by the prison. Reza had previously gone on hunger strikes to protest the arrests of political prisoners and the conditions at Evin prison, the same jail where British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was held. Mehraveh said there is a bedbug infestation and a general lack of hygiene. "My father is also struggling with health issues, and his hospital transfer appointments have been cancelled repeatedly at the last minute because my father refuses to be handcuffed and wear the prison uniform," Mehraveh said.
