Iranian Death-Row Pakhshan Azizi, A Political Prisoner, Faces Fresh Charges
New Age Islam News Bureau
20 Aug 2024
· Iranian Death-Row Political Prisoner, Pakhshan Azizi, A Political Prisoner, Faces Fresh Charges
· Iranian Official Raises Alarm Over Exodus of Nurses
· No Medical Care in Iran Prison, Reveals Jailed Sara Jahani, a Women's Rights Activist
· Iran's Police Admit Shooting ArezooBadri After 3 Weeks, But Blame Victim
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Iranian Death-row Political Prisoner Faces Fresh Charges
AUGUST 19, 2024
She was convicted of alleged
''membership in groups that waged an armed uprising against the Islamic
government and whose leaders are involved in rebellion''
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Pakhshan Azizi, a political prisoner currently held in Iran's Evin Prison and already sentenced to death, is facing additional charges.
The new case, initiated by Branch 3 of the Evin Prosecutor's Office, accuses Azizi of "rioting in prison."
The charge is reportedly connected to events surrounding the second round of the presidential election, according to the Kurdpa news website.
The development comes in addition to a death sentence handed down to Azizi last month by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.
She was convicted of alleged "membership in groups that waged an armed uprising against the Islamic government and whose leaders are involved in rebellion."
Azizi, a resident of Mahabad, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on August 4, 2023, and subsequently transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison.
She was previously detained by security forces on November 16, 2009, and released on bail after four months.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/132999-iranian-death-row-political-prisoner-faces-fresh-charges/
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Iranian Official Raises Alarm Over Exodus of Nurses
AUGUST 19, 2024
The brain drain is having a significant
impact on Iran's healthcare system, with newly built hospitals in Tehran unable
to open due to staff shortages.
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Iran's head of the Ministry of Health Committee for cabinet members selection, Ali Jafarian, has raised an alarm over the mass exodus of healthcare professionals from Iran.
In a recent statement, Jafarian described the situation of nurses migrating or leaving their jobs as "terrible" and emphasized the wave of nurses emigrating to Germany.
"One by one, nurses are learning German so that they can leave the country," Jafarian said.
He noted that a German language certificate is often all that is needed to facilitate their departure.
The brain drain is having a significant impact on Iran's healthcare system, with newly built hospitals in Tehran unable to open due to staff shortages.
The crisis extends beyond nursing. Jafarian revealed that from some smaller hospitals, as many as 30 members have emigrated in recent years.
He emphasized that the issue is not a lack of trained professionals, but rather a lack of incentives for them to stay in Iran.
"The most important reason is hope, hope for the future," he explained.
Statistics from the nursing system organization show that out of about 10,000 nursing students, around 3,000 nurses annually obtain good standing certificates to emigrate.
This exodus has reached what officials describe as a "critical stage."
The healthcare crisis is further compounded by severe medicine shortages.
Jafarian highlighted serious problems with access to medications, noting that such shortages directly increase mortality rates.
For years, nurses in Iran have voiced their frustrations about overwhelming workloads, inadequate compensation, and a shortage of employment opportunities. However, their demands have largely remained unanswered.
The misallocation of resources by the government and the recent hiring and deployment of officers to crack down on women not wearing the mandatory headscarf have created a system that undervalues the crucial role played by nurses, contributing to their mass migration.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/news/132998-iranian-official-raises-alarm-over-exodus-of-nurses/
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No Medical Care in Iran Prison, Reveals Jailed Sara Jahani, a Women's Rights Activist
AUGUST 19, 2024
Sara Jahani, a women's rights activist currently incarcerated in Lakan Prison in Rasht, has revealed deteriorating conditions and the lack of medical care for herself and fellow inmates.
In a letter, written from her prison cell, she highlighted urgent concerns about prisoner welfare and healthcare access.
Jahani reports that despite her need for medical treatment, she was denied leave for over 20 days.
She suffers from a hand injury due to a fall and has a pre-existing condition requiring medical attention.
Additionally, Jahani, who has Multiple Sclerosis (MS), was imprisoned to serve her sentence despite her chronic illness.
The activist's letter also shed light on the plight of other inmates.
She mentioned the presence of ill women with medical cases who are awaiting permission for follow-up care.
Jahani's current incarceration stems from her arrest on August 15, 2023, in Gilan province.
She was tried alongside ten other women's rights activists in a joint case heard by the third branch of the Rasht Revolutionary Court.
The court sentenced Jahani to six years, one month, and 17 days in prison on charges of "membership in a group and collusion with the aim of disrupting national security."
Initially, the execution of Jahani's sentence was postponed due to her medical condition.
However, she was subsequently arrested from a street by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and taken to Lakan prison, where she has remained for the past 20 days without adequate medical care.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/133000-no-medical-care-in-iran-prison-reveals-jailed-womens-rights-activist/
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Iran's Police Admit Shooting ArezooBadri After 3 Weeks, But Blame Victim
SOLMAZ EIKDAR
AUGUST 19, 2024
Three weeks after firing three bullets at ArezooBadri, the Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran finally took responsibility for the attack in a video report.
However, they placed the blame on ArezooBadri, a 31-year-old mother of two. She was shot in the back and initially transferred to Noor and Sari medical centers on July 22. She is now hospitalized under heavy security at Valiasr Hospital in Tehran. According to the latest reports, her condition remains critical.
Amid contradicting state media reports and police reports on the shooting, it should be noted that police officers directly firing at citizens is a recurring issue.
For days, the Islamic Republic's security apparatus managed to suppress news of the shooting. However, once details emerged, they released two contradictory reports within a short period, which is being seen by many as an attempt to distort the truth.
Although the authorities eventually acknowledged that "during the chase, the police fired three shots at the tire of this car," they sought to change the narrative.
Police's Account of the Night Badri Was Shot
On July 23, the police chief of Noor city in Mazandaran province reported that a Pride 111 car was stopped at 11:00 PM the previous night, citing the "law of using weapons." In this account, the police identified the primary "culprit", who was injured and "fled" from the cops.
This police report quickly drew public attention and concerns from human rights organizations.
Multiple sources have identified ArezooBadri as the woman involved, revealing that her car was targeted due to her hijab.
In a report published by the BBC Persian service on August 10, new details emerged from an informed source, who disclosed that Badri is currently hospitalized under "strict security measures" in the ICU at Valiasr Hospital in Tehran. The report also revealed that she "lost the ability to walk" after being shot in the back while driving.
According to the BBC source, doctors were able to remove the bullet from Badri's back after about ten days, but her lungs and spinal cord sustained severe damage.
The BBC report did not specify why the police shot at Badri's car but confirmed that "the windows of this young woman's car were tinted."
Following the publication of this report, the Mazandaran Provincial Police Command issued a second statement, acknowledging that a female passenger was injured after police in Noor city opened fire.
However, neither of these reports mentioned the name of the woman injured by the police. The second police report confirmed that "the female occupant of the car that was shot at has not fully recovered after nearly three weeks."
The IRGC's Contradictory Accounts
On August 15, Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), released a different account of the shooting, this time accompanied by a video.
The report begins with a blurred CCTV image showing a car speeding away, which the narrator claims is carrying Badri. The video then cuts to a close-up of a car with no visible bullet marks, emphasizing that the vehicle had tinted windows.
Next, the video features a woman's "forced confession," where she says, "I fled out of Park... I made a mistake... I fled... I fled... I fled," with her face obscured and voice altered. However, she does not mention any connection to ArezooBadri or the police shooting.
In the final segment, the video shows an injured person being transported by helicopter, with a caption explaining that the patient was sent to Sari Hospital.
Despite its brevity, this 56-second video raises several contradictions and unanswered questions. For example, the first part of the video shows another car, a Samand, traveling at a similar speed, yet there is no mention of it being shot at. Additionally, no police presence is visible in the footage.
The only close-up of the car allegedly carrying ArezooBadri shows the vehicle's left side, where no bullet marks are visible. Yet, the woman who "confesses" to fleeing insists she was the driver. If her claim is accurate, Badri would have been sitting on the passenger side, leaving it unclear how many bullets were fired and where they struck.
The video also shows the patient being transported during daylight, while official reports state that the shooting occurred late at night. Notably, the video report was edited seven times.
Fars News Agency further claims, quoting "a law enforcement expert," that "it is impossible that the police ordered the car to stop because of improper clothing." It argued it would be difficult to identify such details in a speeding car with tinted windows at night.
The report states that "the driver tried to escape, ignoring police orders and warning signals, including flashing lights and a police siren." It concludes that "following the law of using weapons, law enforcement officers shot at the car to stop it."
Fars also writes, without citing a source, that "information received indicates that during this chase, the police fired three bullets at the car's tyre, and one of the bullets struck one of the occupants (Ms. AerzooBadri), causing her injury."
If the details in the Fars report are accurate, the officers violated Articles 6 and 7 of the Law on the Use of Weapons by Officers. Article 6 states that officers may only shoot if there is evidence or reliable information that the vehicle is stolen or carrying fugitives, stolen items, drugs, or illegal weapons. Article 7 emphasizes that officers should aim for the leg whenever possible and avoid actions that could cause death or harm to uninvolved third parties.
Both the police reports and the Fars account claim that the shooting was part of an anti-theft operation. However, other sources, including the BBC, report that the officers fired at least once "from the driver's side."
Additionally, while independent media and the police initially reported the shooting occurred at 11:00 PM on July 22, the IRGC-affiliated news agency stated it happened on the evening of July 23.
Pressure on Badri's Family
Despite efforts by Fars News Agency and other media close to the IRGC to claim that the shooting of Arzoo Badri was unrelated to the mandatory hijab issue, none of these outlets have addressed the significant pressure placed on her family.
Reports have emerged indicating that Badri's family has been subjected to coercion, including forced confessions. The BBC highlighted that the family is only permitted to visit Arezoo for a few minutes at a time, during which their mobile phones are confiscated. Furthermore, no one is allowed to take photos or videos of her.
If Islamic Republic's official narrative about how Badri was shot is accurate, it raises questions about why her family is under such intense security pressure. Further, it is unclear why Arezoo, despite her critical condition, remains under strict surveillance by security agencies.
Badri is not the first woman to find herself in such a dire situation. In the past, Armita Geravand, a 17-year-old girl who appeared without a mandatory hijab at a Tehran metro station, was hospitalized under heavy security due to a severe brain hemorrhage and later died. Similarly, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was detained by the morality police and taken to the hospital after just one hour, where she died.
The law enforcement, military, and security forces of the Islamic Republic have a history of using direct fire against citizens, often without oversight from judicial institutions. This has led to numerous fatalities, both during protests and in incidents involving innocent bystanders.
The cases of GhazalehChelabi, DaneshRahnama, and SasanGhorbani, among others, as well as the daily targeting of kolbars and fuel carriers in border areas, illustrate the disregard for civilian lives by the Islamic Republic and its armed forces. Several human rights organizations have expressed concern over these issues.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/133002-irans-police-admit-shooting-woman-after-3-weeks-but-blame-victim/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-political-prisoner-pakhshan-azizi/d/132993