Arshiya Takdastan

Arshia Takdastan is from Noshahr. He was arrested when he was 18 during the national uprising of 2022 and was sentenced to death in a vague and rushed trial.

The national uprising of 2022 centered around the “woman, life, freedom” slogan was triggered in response to the murder of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini. The protests began sporadically in several cities and online space but in just a few days it spread to dozens of cities across Iran and the goal of the protesters changed to overthrowing the regime. <symbol-timeline></symbol-timeline>

• <coverage-outsourcing id='45546'> <reference source='https://t.me/Daadbaan2021/3705'> According to Dadban, Arshia was arrested on September 24 in Noshahr and was transferred to Sari the next day. Some have reported October 22. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='45653'> <reference source='https://t.me/Daadbaan2021/3705'> Mr. Takdastan called his family after 28 days (around this time) for the first time. Dadban reported that he was coerced and tortured in many ways during interrogation. His toe was broken under torture and they closed his eyes in solitary and the interrogators would put a gun to his head and tell him to sign what they wanted. Dadban goes on to say that Arshia was threatened that if he doesn't sign the confession, they would arrest his dad. Arshia stutters and can't talk under stress." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='45555'> <reference source='https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1401/10/15/2832175'> The first branch of the revolutionary court of Sari by judge Mohammadzadeh tried 18 citizens in one joint case and s sentenced three of them to death. According to reports from human rights groups for several days which finally got confirmed by the state media, the first branch of the revolutionary court of Sari sentenced Arshia Takdastan and Mehdi Mohammadifard each to death twice in a joint case for spreading corruption on earth and waging war against God and Islam (Moharebeh). Javad Rouhi has received three death sentences for apostasy plus the same charges as the other two defendants. According to a state news agency, Tasnim, Mr. Takdastan received the death sentence for acts such as “throwing stones and soda bottle”. Aside from the fact that the state lacks credibility, throwing a few objects cannot provoke the charge of Moharebeh and spreading corruption on earth and lead to death sentences and this is in violation of domestic and international laws and conventions. HRANA had previously reported that in addition to the death sentence, Mr. Takdastan has been sentenced to five years in prison for “agitating and provoking people to wage war and kill each other with the intent to undermine national security” and one year in prison for propaganda against the state and two years in prison for insulting the leader. In another report, HRANA explained that Mr. Mohammadifard has also received six months in prison for propaganda against the state, two years in prison for “agitating and provoking people to wage war and kill each other with the intent to undermine national security”, one year in prison for insulting the leader, and four years in prison for assembly and collusion to act against national security, adding up to seven years and six months in prison. The case has 18 defendants altogether, all of whom have received a vague one-sentence charge from the court, “causing 400 billion rials of damage to government buildings”. Assuming the claim and the times are correct, it seems the court has calculated all the damages throughout the uprising, in many places and times, and obviously, these defendants could not have been present everywhere at all times. HRANA reported that all the confession from Arshia was taken under torture and the only evidence against him in the case is “sending a message to Iran International news channel”. Another source told HRANA that Mr. Mohammadifard’s confessions were also coerced and the only evidence presented against him is a video attributed to him where the face of the accused is not visible, but the state media have accused him of making and using Molotov cocktails. The judiciary's Mizan news agency claimed that Javad Rouhi's charges were based on "damaging public property, burning a Quran, and leading the riots". His attorney Soleiman Vatandoust has rejected the accusations and said: > A review of the CCTV video shows that he was only present at the protests and there is no basis for the charges of Moharebeh or corruption on earth. There is no evidence of my client being involved in encouraging people to shed blood and fight each other, or propaganda against the state; the charge of apostasy through burning the Quran is also wrong. The court ruling has dismissed the defense and based the sentence on Mr. Rouhi's confessions which were taken under torture and severe pressure from the interrogators. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='45652'> <reference source='https://t.me/Daadbaan2021/3705'> Dadban described the torture that Arshia Takdastan went through and said he was held in solitary confinement for the whole time that he was in jail. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='47774'> <reference source='https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/01/iran-quash-death-sentences-of-young-protesters-subjected-to-gruesome-torture/'> Amnesty International released a statement demanding the immediate overturn of the death sentences of Arshia Tajdastan, Mehdi Mohammadifard, and Javad Rouhi. Amnesty wrote that the IRGC agents raped Mehdi Mohammadifard and put ice on Javad Rouhi's testicles, which is considered to be sexual torture. Amnesty went on to say that during their time in lockup, they underwent severe, cruel, and inhumane torture including getting hung up upside down, long periods in solitary confinement, taser, and lashing, death threats with a gun to their head, rape, and other sexual violence like putting ice on testicles. Amnesty goes on to say due to the severe torture, Mr. Rouhi's shoulder muscle has been torn, he is now incontinent, has a gastrointestinal illness, mobility and speech problems, his fingers were broken, and has amnesia. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='47084'> <reference source='https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/'> In a call for immediate action, Amnesty International announced that at least 14 of the people arrested during the 2022 uprising in Iran have been sentenced to death and are in danger of execution. Amnesty International stated that the Islamic Republic has violated fair trial principles and has tortured most of these individuals, namely Hamid Ghareh Hassanlou, Mohammad Ghobadlou, Sahand Nour Mohammadzadeh, Shoeyb Mirbalouch Zehi, Ebrahim Narouei, Mansour Dehmordeh, Kambiz Khorute, Javad Rouhi, Mehdi Mohammadifard, and Arshia Takdastan. by cable, whip, electric shock, mock execution, rape, and other types of sexual violence. The report goes on to say that Mehdi Mohammadifard was raped during his interrogation and had to be hospitalized. Based on the reports, Mr. Mohammadifard also experienced beatings, being hung by a foot, threats with a gun, and putting ice on his testicles during interrogation. The report also mentions the repeated torture of Hamid Ghareh Hassanlou which led to his broken ribs and interior bleeding and lung issues. Mohammad Ghobadlou has also experienced several violations and according to the medical examiner his body was wounded and bruised after the arrest. At least 14 out of dozens of prisoners named in the report have been sentenced to death and the rest face heavy charges. Toumaj Salehi, Farzaneh Tahazadeh, Farhad Tahazadeh, Karevan Shahiparvaneh, Reza Eslamdoust, Taher Hamidi, Shahram Marouf Mola, Pouria Javaheri, Heshmatollah Tabarzadi, Hamid Ghareh Hassanlou, Mohammad Ghobadlou, Sahand Nour Mohammadzadeh, Shoeyb Mirbalouch Zehi, Ebrahim Narouei, Mansour Dehmordeh, Kambiz Kharout, Javad Rouhi, Mehdi Mohammadifard, Arshia Takdastan, Mohammad Boroughani, Mehdi Bahman, Majid Kazemi, Manouchehr Mehmannavaz, Saleh Mirhashemi, Saeed Yaghoubi, Sahand Nour Mohammadzadeh, Hossein Mohammadi, Reza Ariya, Mahan Sedarat, Saeed Shirazi, Abolfazl Mehri Hossein Hajilou. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='49211'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/Mhaghasi1/status/1635303193407275010'> Attorney Mohammad Hossein Aghaei reported on Twitter that the supreme court has overturned Arshia Takdastan's prison sentence twice. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='51209'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3BpkRF4'> He was temporarily released. His attorney Mohammad Hossein Aghasi published the news of his release on his Twitter page. He also wrote, "At the initial stage, they did not allow him to have his own choice of lawyer. I was able to enter the case in the appeal stage. The Supreme Court accepted the appeal and referred the proceedings to the same branch." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>