Report on the Latest Situation of Arsham Rezaei in Rajai Shahr Prison, Karaj

Arsham (Mahmoud) Rezaei, an imprisoned civil activist, has been serving his five-year sentence in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj since November 18, 2024. Since his transfer to the prison by order of Amin Vaziri, the judicial officer overseeing political prisoners, Mr. Rezaei has been deprived of the right to contact his family by telephone. Arsham Rezaei was transferred from Rajai Shahr Prison to an unknown location on November 20, 2024, and after three days was returned to the prison’s security ward. He was ultimately transferred on December 20, 2024, after approximately one month of detention in the security ward, to the general ward of Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.

According to a report from Hrana news agency, the news organ of the Human Rights Activists organization in Iran, Arsham (Mahmoud) Rezaei, an imprisoned civil activist, has been serving his five-year sentence in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj since November 18, 2024.

Mr. Rezaei has been deprived of the right to contact his family by telephone since his transfer to the prison. It is reported that Amin Vaziri, the judicial officer overseeing political prisoners, has ordered that if Mr. Rezaei needs to use the phone, he must submit a request, and if approved to contact his family, he would be transferred to the prison’s information protection office.

Mr. Rezaei was arrested on November 18, 2024, to begin serving his five-year sentence and was transferred to one of the solitary confinement cells in Rajai Shahr Prison known as the “suite.” He was again transferred from Rajai Shahr Prison to an unknown location on November 20, 2024, and after three days was transferred to one of the solitary confinement cells in the security ward of the prison. He was ultimately transferred on December 20, 2024, to the political ward of Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.

Arsham Rezaei was arrested on January 8, 2019, by Sepah intelligence forces in Tehran and was temporarily released from Evin Prison on November 13, 2019, after posting a bond of 200 million tomans until the completion of legal proceedings.

The court session to review the charges against this civil activist was held on March 20, 2019, in Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court under the presidency of Judge Mohammad Moghisseh, without the presence of a lawyer and without prior notice. He was sentenced to a total of eight years and six months imprisonment for the charges of propaganda against the system, gathering and conspiracy with intent to act against national security, and insulting the supreme leader. This verdict was ultimately upheld in identical form by Branch 36 of the Tehran Province Court of Appeals under the presidency of Judge Seyyed Ahmad Zargar.

With the application of Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the more severe punishment of five years imprisonment for the charge of “gathering and conspiracy with intent to act against national security” applies to him.

Source: Hrana