Hashem Khastar

<p>Hashem Khastar is a teacher from Mashhad. He has been jailed many times for his syndicate and political activities. Hashem Khastar has explicitly called for the change from the Islamic Republic to a democratic government. He also signed the statement called 14 people or Leadership Resignation</p>

<coverage-outsourcing id='819'> He was arrested in Mashhad's Mellat Park </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='820'> He was taken to the Revolutionary Court in shackles. His case was judged by Investigative Judge Heidari. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='821'> He was tried in Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Salmani, where he was sentenced to six years in prison. He defended himself without an attorney present in this trial. This was due to the pressure exerted by the Intelligence Ministry and the judge on his attorneys to not represent him. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='818'> He was released on bail. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='824'> Agents of the prison's Information Security and Inspection unit visited his cell and confiscated his notes. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='823'> He was transferred to the hospital in shackles in order to undergo surgery. But the guards had forgotten the keys to his cuffs so his surgery was delayed by one day. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='826'> He was transferred to Hall 102 of Ward 5 , where inmates on death row are housed, after writing a critical letter to the Head of the Judiciary and the Minister of Intelligence. He spent the last 70 days of his sentence in this location. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='828'> He was informed that he is not allowed to receive packages by mail and that any package that had been sent to him prior to this decision being made has been confiscated. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='827'> In Vakil Abad Prison, prisoners are allowed to request a bed after spending one year "Sleeping on the floor". But the defendant was denied this right on orders given by prison authorities, despite his being old and the fact that he had been incarcerated in Ward 5 for almost two years. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='829'> On the last day of his sentence he was taken to the Revolutionary Court. He was then re-arrested on orders of Investigative Judge Mansouri on charges of "Disrupting public order" , "Publishing falsehoods" , and "Propagating against the system" and transferred to Vakil Abad Prison, where he was held without the possibility of visitation. His family had no news of this happening and were insulted and ridiculed by Investigative Judge Heidari of the Revolutionary Court as they attempted to gain an understanding of the defendant's situation. He was ultimately released on bail of 100 million tomans after 45 days. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='825'> The defendant was made to pay a fine of 2 million tomans, but a portion of this amount was deducted due to the 45 days he had spent incarcerated. When he was faced with a choice between paying the remainder of the fine or facing more prison time the defendant chose the latter and was transferred to Vakil Abad Prison. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='25339'> Security forces arrested Hashem Khastar and transferred him to the pysch ward of Avicenna hospital in Mashhad. He was barred from meetings there and was forced under violence to get unidentified injections. Teachers and his family protested this behavior. The forces of intelligence ministry were finally forced to arrest his family members and some of the teachers for a short period. He was released 18 days later. IRGC forces in Mashhad and the city prosecutor, Gholamali Sadeghi, are accused of arresting Hashem Khastar, threatening his health and abusing his family </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='26482'> A strongly-worded statement was published by 14 political activists inside the country calling for the resignation of Ali Khamenei and fundamental changes to the constitution. It led to similar 14-person statements inside and outside the country </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='26484'> Fars News Agency, which is close to the IRGC, reported the following: “Today, a number of anti-regime elements who were seeking a plan to create disorder and disrupt security were arrested in a meeting in Mashhad. The arrestees have relations to the counter revolutionary groups abroad. They have relations with groups that seek the overthrow the regime and designs to organize clashes in the city.” A few days later, Hassan Jafari, the deputy provincial governor of Khorasan Razavi province who is in charge of the political department, repeated the same claims and said the political activists had not been arrested because of their letter to Ali Khamenei but because of their attempts to “overthrow” the regime and “contact people abroad.” The provincial offices of the Intelligence Ministry also published a statement that said that the arrestees were seeking “new conspiracies and chaos” and that “they had a mission as the parliamentary elections approached; they were to plan contacts with critical candidates, make them more bold in their positions and thus use open political space to create chaos and further domestic clashes. With creating new disunity, they were to further the goals of the enemies of the Iranian nation” </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='26483'> A number of political and civil activists who had gathered in front of appellate court for Kamal Jafari Yazdi were arrested. They were first sent to Vakilabad Prison and three days later to Mashhad’s Intelligence Ministry detention house. Based on some reports, all the arrested men staged a hunger strike. A number of the arrestees were signatories to the 14-person statement </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='27420'> Speaking on unsuitable prison conditions for Hashem Khastar, Sedighe Malekifard told Radio Frahng: “The toilet in Mr Khastar’s cell had problems such as overflow of sewage which is due to the decrepit state of the facilities.” According to Ms Malekifard, her husband lacks access to books, paper, pen or eyeglasses. Hashem Khastar’s interrogation was finished more than a month ago but he is still kept in the ministry of intelliegnce’s detention house. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='28116'> <reference source='https://iranwire.com/fa/features/35042'> According to IranWire, Hashem Khastar has said the following on the presence of interrogators and head of detention house in the intelligence holding cells: “Three days ago, deputy head of intelligence in Mashhad, together with head of our section in prison, and our interrogators came to prison. We spoke about the chaos in the country and people’s lack of trust. I told them of the era of Shah, when I was arrested in late 1973 due to my freedom-loving activities. Now we were at the age of Mullahs and I was once more in prison for the same reason. That people like me are in prison tells you about the conditions of our country. I don’t insist on being released.” </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='28447'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-23421/'> Fateme Maleki (Mohammad Noorizad’s wife) and Sedighe Malekifard (Hashem Khastar’s wife) staged a sit-in in front of Mahshad’s Revolutionary Courts to protest the arrest of Mohammad Noorizad. They were arrested after a few minutes. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='28927'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-23672/?tg_rhash=22a41dd9689763'> Eight people connected with the 14-person statement were sentenced to prison, exile, and social deprivations by Branch 4 of Mashhad Revolutionary Court. According to the sentence, Hashem Khastar was sentenced to 16 years in prison, three years in exile in Nikshahr, and a three-year ban on leaving the country, Mohammad Nourizad was sentenced to 15 years in prison, three years in exile in Izeh, and a three-year ban on leaving the country, Abdol Rasul Mortazavi was sentenced to 26 years in prison, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri was sentenced to 6 years in prison, Fatemeh Sepehri was sentenced to 6 years in prison, and Hashem Rajaei, Mohammad Hossein Pour and Morteza Ghasemi were sentenced to one year in prison. Due to the vagueness of the charges against these people, some of the sentences have not been recorded in the statistical section </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='29504'> <reference source='https://prisonatlas.com/korona/'> According to IPA, families of political prisoners affiliated with statement 14 wrote a letter to the judiciary and called for the release or granting leave to prisoners </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='29554'> <reference source='https://prisonatlas.com/%d9%86%d9%88%d8%b1%db%8c%e2%80%8c%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%8c-%d8%b3%d9%be%d9%87%d8%b1%db%8c%d8%8c-%d8%ae%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%b1/'> According to IPA, the ongoing arrest of Mohammad Nourizad, Hashem Khastar, Mohammad Hossein, and Fatemeh Sepehri is illegal. Lawyer Mohammad Hossein Aghasi said: According to Article 222 of Iran's criminal procedure law, Judge can be prosecuted, if the accused's bail is not accepted after the judicial order set on bail. Lawyer Ghasem Sholeh Saadi had insisted that requesting the leadership's resignation is not a crime, in a recent interview with Iran International. He also added: According to law, if the leader loses its qualificatio, must be dismissed. From this point of view, none of the defendants of this case should be found guilty under the laws of the Islamic Republic </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='29867'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2020/hranews/a-24276/'> The Khorasan Razavi Court of Appeals upheld the verdicts of the three signatories of statement 14 and reduced Fatemeh Sepehri's sentence. The court has reduced only one year of exile and ban of leaving country sentences for Mr. Nourizad and Mr. Khastar. Fatemeh Sepehri's sentence was reduced to three years and six months in prison, but Mohammad Hossein Sepehri's conviction was upheld. According to the reports, Hashem Khastar was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for the charge of "managing or developing opposition groups", and Mohammad Nourizad was also sentenced to 7 years and 6 months of imprisonment for the same charge. They have also been sentenced to prison for other charges. According to Article 134, the sentences will apply to Hashem Khastar, Mohammad Nourizad, and Fatemeh Sepehri, and probably Mr. Sepehri's sentence will be five years of imprisonment. One of the charges against them is signing the letter demanding Ali Khamenei's resignation from the leadership. Lawyer Mohammad Hossein Aghasi insisted that this movement is not considered as a crime under the Islamic Republic's law, and an acquittal must be provided for such a case </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='29914'> <reference source='https://prisonatlas.com/%d8%b2%d9%86%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%88%da%a9%db%8c%d9%84-%d8%a2%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%af/'> According to IPA, Armed riot police have been deployed around the Vakilabad prison. After the riots in various Iranian prisons, security forces have taken steps to handle other possible riots. Some political activists affiliated to Ali Khamenei's dismissal statement lost contact with their families. There were worries about these people condition </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='31821'> <reference source='https://prisonatlas.com/محدودیتهای-جدید-زندانیان-بیانیه-استع/'> IPA reported that several prisoners in the case of 14 signatories have lost their phone privileges: > Mohammad Nourizad, Hashem Khastar, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, and Kamal Jafari Yazdi. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='32518'> According to his wife, he hasn't had any communication with the family in 14 days. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='36741'> <reference source='https://www.instagram.com/p/CUCCW0aqllj/?utm_medium=share_sheet'> His wife Sedigheh Malekifard said the prison staff didn't allow her to visit her husband. They said Mr. Khastar has lost visitation and communication rights for three months. Mr. Khastar is suffering from Arthritis and must be allowed medical furlough. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='42225'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/12175'> According to the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Unions, he was tried in a new case on the charge of insulting the leader because of the letters he had released from prison. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='42224'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/12175'> Hashem Khastar, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, and Kamal Jafari are being held in an isolated room in Mashhad Prison. The Coordinating Council's Telegram channel reported that the three prisoners are completely cut off from others to a degree that even their yard time is different from other prisoners. According to the report, during his time under arrest, Hashem Khastar has only been able to have family visits in person (outside the cabin) twice. The report states that he was in solitary for six months and during that time he was only able to call his family three times. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='42226'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/12208'> it was reported by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Unions that during his three years in prison, Hashem Khastar was denied furlough. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='45496'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/14718'> The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Unions reported that Hashem Khastar and Kamal Jafari Yazdi were transferred to solitary cells in Vakil Abad Prison of Mashhad. Hashem Khastar's wife Sedigheh Malekifard said the prison guards got into an altercation with Mr. Jafari Yazdi who was experiencing severe neck pain, so Mr. Khastar intervened to stop the altercation and this led to the prison guards and the ward supervisor with the two prisoners and eventiually Mr. Jafari and Mr. Khastar suffered broken arms and legs. They were then transferred to ward 1-6 of Vakil Abad Prison. The two have been denied family visists and phone calls. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='48934'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/14970'> Hashem Khastar and Kamal Yazdi were assaulted by murder convicts in prison. Mr. Khastar's wife Sedigheh Malekifard published a letter in the Coordinating Council's Telegram channel that says her husband has been denied phone calls and family visits for over a month. She mentions that it is the fourth year of her husband's prison and during this time he has been denied furlough and only had two family visits in person. She also reported that after being transferred to ward6-1 of Vakil Abad Prison, Hashem Khastar and Kamal Yazdi were assaulted. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='50608'> <reference source='https://t.me/kalemehtv/150184'> Sedigheh Malekifard reported that a new case has been filed against her husband and he has been summoned to court on the charge of sending out a letter and audio file from prison. She said Mr. Khastar's arraignment was done through a video conference at branch 902 of the revolutionary court by investigator Alinejad, and he was told that 30 letters and six audio files have been released by his wife. According to Kalameh, Hashem Khastar in response confirmed the release of his letters and audio files but denied his wife's role. He said after seven months in solitary at the Intelligence lockup and four years in Vakil Abad Prison, he only had two family visits in person. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='50917'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/16343'> In an open letter from Vakil Abad prison, he announced that his trial session was held online without the right to have an attorney present and he was charged with insulting the leader and Khomeini, and propaganda against the state. The trial was presided by Judge Yazdankhah. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='50916'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/16343'> In an open letter from prison, Hashem Khastar explained the process of how he was framed, the trial, and how his rights were violated and he wasn't allowed even phone calls to family. He said the court claimed that his wife had helped him release the letters and audio files in order to incriminate her as well just to put more pressure on him. He said his wife has had open heart surgery and should not experience such pressure and stress. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='56876'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-43911/'> According to Harana, his trial session was held at Branch 145 of the Criminal Court-2 of Mashhad via video conference and Mr. Khastar defended himself against the accusations of spreading lies and disturbing the public mind. The report stated that during the five years that Mr. Khastar has been imprisoned in Vakil Abad prison in Mashhad, his family has managed to visit him in person only twice due to the "obstructions of the judicial authorities" in Mashhad. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='56885'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/18127'> According to the Coordinating Council of Educators' Union Organizations, Hashem Khastar announced that the meeting of the first branch of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court was held online without prior notice and without the presence of a lawyer. According to Mr. Khastar, the court judge considered one of his writings as an example of insulting the leader. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='56887'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/18127'> According to the Coordinating Council of Educators' Union Organizations, Hashem Khastar announced that he has been sentenced to two years in prison. It is not clear whether this sentence was issued for the charge of insulting the leader or for the case of publishing falsehoods. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='56888'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2024/hranews/a-46470/'> A source close to Mr. Khastar's family told HRANA that he has been ill since December with symptoms such as nausea, fever and chills, headache, and body pain. According to this report, the physical strength and weight of Mr. Zaharin have decreased and due to the negligence of the prison authorities, he has been deprived of proper medical services and transfer to medical centers outside the prison. The report stated that Mr. Khastar suffers from blood pressure and digestive diseases and due to the saltiness of prison food, he is unable to eat it, so he sometimes has to wash some food under water before eating. HRANA's report also stated that Mr. Khastar's wife suffers from heart disease and due to her old age, she is only able to visit her husband in prison only once a month, and this has caused him more stress and worries about his wife's condition. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>