Sareh Mansouri

Sareh Mansouri (Zahra Sedighi Hamedani) was once arrested by the Iraqi Kurdistan police and once by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for her sexual identity and sexual orientation and her social media activities in support of the rights of the LGBTQ community,

• <coverage-outsourcing id='40783'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3cxrjRh'> She gave an interview in a BBC Persian documentary about the conditions of the LGBT people in Iraqi Kurdistan. In the video published on 6Rang, she said after this interview she was arrested by Iraqi Kurdistan police and was released on bail 21 days later. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40780'> <reference source='https://6rang.org/17321/'> While crossing the Turkish border she was arrested by IRGC agents in West Azerbaijan province. According to 6Rang, Sareh had previously sent videos to her friend about the possibility of her arrest. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40784'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3ISUDh2'> West Azerbaijan IRGC intelligence office announced the arrest of “the leader of a network that smuggles Iranian girls for prostitution and supports homosexual groups”. It seems the announcement is about Sareh Mansouri. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='41905'> <reference source='https://6rang.org/73231/'> According to 6Rang, the IRGC intelligence has taken control of Sareh’s Telegram channel with about 1200 followers, where she used to post live videos and interviews about the rights of the LGBT community. According to the report, the channel’s profile picture was changed to the IRGC logo, and posted a message saying: “Protecting family values is the red line for the anonymous soldiers of IRGC intelligence.” </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40788'> <reference source='https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/MDE13/5180/2022/fa/'> She was arraigned by the investigator at the sixth branch of the revolutionary prosecution’s office of Urmia. In an emergency report, Amnesty International announced that she has been charged with corruption on earth by promotion of homosexuality, collusion with dissident media, and promoting Christianity. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40787'> <reference source='https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/MDE13/5180/2022/fa/'> Amnesty International called on all its members across the world to ask Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, chief justice of Iran’s judiciary to release Zahra Sedighi Hamedani (Sareh Mansouri). The statement mentions that she has been kept in Urmia IRGC intelligence solitary confinement for 53 days. Quoting Sareh, Amnesty International wrote that during her time in solitary confinement under intense interrogation, she was repeatedly insulted and ridiculed about her identity and appearance, and was threatened with execution, physical harm, or losing custody of her two children. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40790'> <reference source='https://www.aparat.com/v/lrHby'> Tasnim News Agency, close to IRGC, released a video in which Sareh was accused of “trafficking 1000 Iranian girls and women to Erbil, promoting homosexuality, gambling, scam, and normalizing illegitimate sexual relations and promoting it online. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40789'> <reference source='https://6rang.org/72908/'> 6Rang wrote that after the arrest of Sareh some of her friends were arrested and forced to make confessions against Sareh and themselves in front of the camera. According to 6Rang, these individuals were promised that they would be released, and the videos will not be publicized. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40859'> <reference source='https://6rang.org/72963/'> She was banned from leaving the country and was sentenced to pay a fine of 53 million rials. 6Rang also reported that the 111th branch of the criminal court of Urmia cleared her of the charge of promoting corruption and prostitution, reasoning that the charges regarding online activity have been referred to the revolutionary court. The verdict was approved by the appeal court. According to 6Rang, participating in the trafficking of women and girls was not among her charges in this court and it doesn’t seem to be among the charges brought by the revolutionary court either. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='41917'> <reference source='https://www.ilgaasia.org/news/ReleaseSarehNow'> Ilga Asia, released a joint statement with 55 other international organizations in support of Sareh Mansouri. The statement condemns the illegal process of her arrest and torture by IRGC and demanded that all charges are dropped and for she is to be released immediately and unconditionally. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='41719'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3D1i0UH'> She was sentenced to death. The human rights organization Hengaw reported that Zahra Seddighi Hamedani (Sareh Mansouri) and Elham Choobdar have been sentenced to death by the revolutionary court of Urmia on the charge of spreading corruption on earth through the promotion of homosexuality. According to Hengaw, they received their sentences in the women’s ward of Urmia Prison. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='41720'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/MizanNewsAgency/status/1566706588919939073'> Mizan News Agency, the organ of the judiciary confirmed the death sentences of Zahra Sedighi Hamedani (Sareh Mansouri) and Elham Choobdar are “members of a human trafficking group that smuggles young girls and women” and their charge is spreading corruption on earth. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='41759'> <reference source='https://t.me/Amnesty_International/2192'> Amnesty International strongly condemned the death sentences of Zahra Sedighi Hamedani and Elham Choobdar for “spreading corruption on earth” and asked Iranian authorities to reverse the sentences immediately and release the two. According to Amnesty International, the sentences were based on discriminatory conjecture about the sexuality of the two women, and in the case of Zahra Seighi Hamedani (Sareh Mansouri) it was also peaceful activism in defense of the rights of the LGBT community. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42012'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3BIQI4E'> DW wrote that the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement expressing regret over the death sentences of Sareh Mansouri and Elham Choobdar and emphasized France’s support for the rights of homosexuals and the country’s global opposition to the death sentence. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42005'> <reference source='https://www.instagram.com/p/CiSTfPpMSwQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link'> The Instagram channel for 6Rang reported that Sareh has attempted suicide and was transferred to Razi hospital and returned to Urmia Central Prison later. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42011'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/BTahzibLie/status/1567871428036288513?s=20&t=GL6iZgBZfz40DBDxfRqrMw'> The Dutch special representative on human rights affairs released a statement expressing EU members’ concern about the death sentences of Zahra Sedighi Hamedani (Sareh) and Elham Choobdar. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42008'> <reference source='https://ir.voanews.com/a/iran-execution-death-penalty-lgbtq-activists-human-rights/6739321.html'> The spokesperson for UN Human Rights Office said these death sentences for Zahra Sedighi Hamedani (Sareh) and Elham Choobdar are deeply concerning. She went on to say that the two were sentenced to death in an unfair trial without due process on the vague charge of spreading corruption on earth. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42007'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/FarahaniReports/status/1568482201091588097?s=20&t=rWClYT01RDrHzp_Wh70Mqg'> Mohammad Farahani, the editor-in-chief of Mizan News Agency, the official organ of the judiciary tweeted that Sareh Mansouri is a member of a human trafficking ring and denied the news of her suicide attempt. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42006'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3QPhqN2'> Her health and mental state were reported in poor condition. IranWire reported that she had committed suicide by taking pills, and said the prison guards searched all the women’s wards and left surveillance devices. According to IranWire, about 20 women stay in each room of the women’s ward in Urmia Prison. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='41995'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3eVXZVC'> The official organ of the judiciary, Mizan, published a report claiming Sareh Mansouri, Elham Choobdar, Sohaila Motezaei, and Alireza Farjadkia, are leaders of a “human trafficking ring” who are accused of “deceiving and smuggling women and young girls to a neighboring country with the promise of education and employment”. In this report, all these individuals are accused of “widespread promotion of depravity and organized entity for sale of Iranian women”. According to the report’s claims, Soheila Mortezaei is the ringleader, guiding and supporting this organized corruption, and she has been working in a hair salon and keeping 50 percent of the profit from selling the girls. Ali Reza Farajdkia is also a defendant in this case. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>