Habib Esiyved

Habib Esiyved

He was the founder and one of the leaders of "Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz." This political group is also known as the "harakat an-nidhal." He was Abducted in Turkey. Mr. Esiyved is also known as "Habib Farajullah Chaab" and "Habib Kaabi". He was born in Shushtar and was working as a bank manager.

Habib Osayvad was Abducted in Turkey. Iranian state media accused him of some "armed attacks" in Khuzestan. <symbol-timeline></symbol-timeline>

  • <coverage-outsourcing id='33862'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/2LK0pZ4'> According to the Turkish Government News agency, Habib Esiyved traveled to Turkey to meet someone named "Saberin. S". Mr. Osayvad was anesthetized and abducted by members of the gang led by "Naji Sharifi Zindashti" after getting in a van. The kidnappers, who were members of a group affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence, took him to the city of Van and then, on October 10th, transported him to Iran illegally. Ms. Saberin also went to Iran illegally afterward. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='33347'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-54764406'> Habib Osayvad traveled to Istanbul. It seems he had planned to leave Turkey about a week later (October 15). "According to Turkish police, Habib Osayvad went to the Turkish airport on October 15, but there is no information available from him from that date," his wife, Hoda Havashmi, told BBC Persian. It seems that Habib Osayvad was "abducted or exchanged with Iran by the Turkish government" on October 15. Given that Turkey may have a role in Mr. Osayvad's disappearance, Turkey's information is not considered accurate. Mr. Osayvad's lawyer hoped that the Swedish government would negotiate with Turkey to prevent Mr. Osayvad's extradition to Iran. Finally, Mr. Osayvad's arrest was announced on October 30, 2020, on the Ahvaz Liberation Movement website and Arab sources. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='33351'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3jZ1nfl'> The Islamic Consultative Assembly news agency confirmed the arrest of Habib Osayvad and said he is being held in one of the Ministry of security's detention centers in Tehran. This report alleged that Mr. Osayvad was the "Planner of armed attack on the Ahvaz Military parade in 2018.» Mojtaba Zolnuri, Qom city's representative in the parliament, called Mr. Osayvad a "terrorist" and called the activities of "Ahwaz Freedom Movement supporters" subversive. Although the MP did not mention Mr. Osayvad's arrest in Turkey, he confirmed the arrest took place abroad </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='33352'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3erl5PQ'> Mojtaba Yousefi, the representative of Ahvaz city in the parliament, said: > The Ahvaz Liberation Movement group made several terrorist attacks on Iran, and they seek ethnic divisiveness in Iran." He thanked the security services and stressed that "Mr. Osayvad will be severely punished after the interrogation. Habib Osayvad may be sentenced to death on charges imposed by the Iranian government. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='33354'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3oZOyFo'> "Qatar cooperated with Turkey in deceiving my husband, and then Ankara handed him over to Iranian intelligence service," Hoda Havashmi told Al-Arabiya about Habib Osayvad arrest. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='33437'> <reference source='https://www.imna.ir/news/454959/%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B3%D8%B1%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%87-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87%DA%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B2%DB%8C%D9%87-%D9%81%DB%8C%D9%84%D9%85'> The television of the Islamic Republic of Iran broadcast a video of the forced confessions of Habib Osayvad. Ministry of Intelligence officers arrested Mr. Osayvad and currently keeping him in this organization detention center. Considering the Islamic Republic's techniques to deal with political opponents, at least part of Mr. Osayvad's confessions was obtained by force. In this video, Mr. Osayvad was accused of armed attacks, including the armed attack on the military parade in Ahvaz. According to Mr. Osayvad, "Habib Nabgan, Isa Savari, and Yaqub Neisi were involved in the armed attack on September 22, 2018 (Ahvaz parade)." The show's narrator has also accused him of involving "armed robberies" such as "Robbery from Saderat Ahvaz Bank and a contracting company." The Iranian government has recognized Harakat an-nidhal as a "terrorist" group for many years, and this video also emphasizes this issue. In addition to "armed attacks" on military forces, he is also accused of "bombing" in Khuzestan. The narrator also claimed: > Several of their operations in recent years failed with the control of the security forces. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='33865'> <reference source='https://ipa.united4iran.org/media/file_evidence/%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%AF.pdf'> Iran's Ministry of Intelligence has released images entitled "Secret correspondence of the members of The Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz with the Saudi Arabian intelligence service." Some issues referred to in these pictures are as follows: > 1- Funding request for studio equipment and holding rallies abroad 2- Providing political and military training to the inhabitants of Ahwaz and preparing them for jihad and martyrdom on their path toward a revolution 3- Establishing solidarity among the Arabs and improving relations with other non-Fars ethnic groups 4- Targeting economic interests for the purpose of security sabotage 5. Forming a security apparatus. These are just brief summaries of dozens of cases reported by the Ministry of Intelligence. You may find the images published by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence under the following link. The allegations made in these images have not been investigated by Atlas and are mentioned only to complete the prisoner's profile. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='33861'> <reference source='https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iran-intelligence-turkey-kidnap-plot/2020/12/12/818e0c30-3b2c-11eb-8328-a36a109900c2_story.html'> According to the information provided to The Washington Post by a security official, Habib Osayvad "was abducted in Turkey by an Iranian criminal group that collaborated with the Iranian security apparatus and was transferred to Iran by this group." According to this security official, "Mr. Osayvad had come to Turkey to meet someone named Ms. Saberin. S" One of Habib Osayvad's relatives had a conversation about the case with the Washington Post: > Mr. Osayvad had borrowed 100 thousand euros (100,000 euros) from Saberin.S a year ago. His trip to Turkey was for the purpose of borrowing more money." Mr. Osayvad "got into a van after appearing at the meeting point. He was then anesthetized and transported to Iran through the city of Van's border"; According to this report, the gang members had bought plastic bracelets from a store a few hours before they abducted him. A person named Naji Sharifi Zindashti is the main suspect in this case. According to Turkish security officials, Zindashti is "a drug trafficker and was arrested in Turkey in 2007 for possession of 75kg of heroin. Based on the information given in Washington Post's report, this is not Naji Zeindashti's only legal case: > He was also arrested in 2018 on murder charges and was released from prison due to the case's failure in providing enough evidence." Naji Sharifi Zindashti is accused of "collaborating with the Iranian security apparatus in abducting and assassinating the Iranian state's dissidents." In Iran as well, Mr. Zindashti has a history of detention on charges of "drug trafficking." He is said to have "escaped when he went on a temporary release while serving his prison sentence." Naji Zindashti "started cooperating with the Iranian security apparatus in the past years"; The assassinations of Saeed Karimian, the director of GEM TV, and Massoud Molavi, a former member of the Iranian Ministry of Defense, who had turned into a dissident of the government, "were carried out by the gang led by Mr. Zindashti. So far, 11 people connected with this case have been arrested in Turkey. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='33863'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/2LK0pZ4'> According to the Turkish Anadolu News Agency, 13 of the 15 gang members involved in the "abduction" of Habib Osayvad were detained by the Turkish security forces, two of whom have been released on parole. Based on this report, Turgan.D, Naji Zindashti's brother-in-law, played an influential role in the mission. He is also accused of "espionage against Turkey." At some point, the report refers to the meetings the gang members and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence had."Naji Sharif Zindashti and his partner, Nihad Ashan, organized to have meetings about Cha'ab with Iranian intelligence agents in Tehran and Urmia. His brother-in-law, who had traveled to Iran in August, attended these meetings as well. "As a result of these meetings, it was decided for Saberin S. and Cha'ab to meet in Istanbul." As referred to in the previous records, "Naji Sharifi Zindashti's gang has been responsible for at least three abductions and assassinations of dissidents of the Iranian state in Turkey." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='34722'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/37idLnp'> IPA reported that in recent days the Intelligence Ministry agents have arrested at least 22 relatives of Mr. Esiyved. Two of them named Khaled Kaab and Hossein Farajollah Chaab live in Shushtar, and the other 20 live in Alaliyeh village where he was born. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='34736'> <reference source='https://prisonatlas.com/%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%aa%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%84-%d8%ad%d8%a8%db%8c%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d8%b3%db%8c%d9%88%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%87-%d8%a7%d9%87%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b1/'> IPA reported that Intelligence Ministry agents recently brought Habib Esiyved and Ali Majdam face to face in the lockup but there is no detail available from their conversation. Habib Esiyved was transferred to Ahvaz Intelligence lockup about a month ago. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='37534'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-58405713'> BBC reported that the Islamic Republic's state TV aired a documentary called "Peace Only for Me". The documentary contains the forced confessions of Habib Esiyved which accuses the Swedish government of armed and terrorist activities against the Islamic Republic. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='37533'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-58862836'> BBC reported that the Islamic Republic's state TV aired the forced confessions of Habib Esiyved for the third time. The program is called "Ngahshe Bar Ab (Foiled Plans) and it focuses on the "confessions" and "documents" discovered through Mr. Esiyved. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='37532'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3nLRbfv'> The public and revolutionary court of Tehran officially indicted Habib Esiyved. Based on the indictment, he was charged with managing and leading the "Hareka Alnezal group, planning and executing several bombings and terrorist missions in Khuzestan province, and destruction of public property with the intent to fight the Islamic Republic. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='37536'> <reference source='https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-59366593'> BBC Persian reported that according to the new secretary general of Haraka Al-Nezal, after his kidnapping in Turkey, Habib Esiyved was taken to the Iranian consulate in Istanbul, and there under torture, he agreed to do video confessions. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='38156'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/Arash_sadeghii/status/1484189272886308872?s=20'> The first trial session of Habib Esiyved was held in branch 26 of the revolutionary court of Tehran presided by Judge Afshari. The charges against him are leading a dissident group, bombing government and private buildings, and destruction of public property. The images from the court show photos of the members of the armed forces killed in the attack on the military parade in Ahvaz in front of Mr. Esiyved and there is no attorney sitting next to him. The trial was held without the attendance of independent media, and the government media clearly shows bias against Mr. Esiyved. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='42838'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3zh5rSH'> His last trial session was held at branch 26 of the revolutionary court of Tehran presided by Judge Iman Afshari. During the trial, the representative of the prosecutor emphasized that "Habib Kaabi (Esiyved) had planned against the national security" and demanded the maximum punishment for him. Judge Afshari announced in the session: > Based on the indictment and the evidence and documents of the case and the confessions of the defendant, he was informed of the charges of corruption on earth through forming a terrorist group (Haraka Al-Nezal) and its intention to fight the Islamic Republic. Mr. Esiyved offered no defense. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='49178'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/Amir_hashemii/status/1634846676639969280'> The public relations manager of the supreme court announced in a tweet that Habib Esiyved's death sentence has been confirmed. Hashemi wrote: > His death sentence on the charge of corruption on earth through leading dissident group Haraka Al-Nezal and many terrorist operations in Khuzestan province and causing the death and injury of 274 countrymen, was confirmed by the supreme court. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='49179'> <reference source='https://www.iranintl.com/202303128005'> Sweden confirmed the death sentence of Habib Esiyved. In a letter published by Iran International, the Swedish Foreign Minister announced that his country's embassy has been in constant communication with Iranian officials about Mr. Esiyved's situation and the embassy's request for a meeting with Mr. Esiyved or the presence of Embassy representatives in court has been denied. The statement condemns the death sentence "under any condition." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='50989'> <reference source='https://prisonatlas.com/%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%88%d9%85%d8%aa-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%af%d9%88%da%af%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%9b-%d9%be%d8%b1%d9%88%d9%86%d8%af%d9%87-%d8%b1%d8%a8%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b4-%d9%88-%d9%82%d8%aa%d9%84-%d8%ad/'> In an interview with Atlas, Saeed Hamidan, the secretary general of the Hizb an-Nidhal, in response to the question, if the an-Nidhal was not responsible for the attack on the Ahvaz parade, why did they accept responsibility for it, he emphasized that the an-Nidhal never claimed responsibility for this attack, although Habib Nebagan and Yaqub Hor Tostari celebrated it. According to Mr. Hamidan, "When the leadership of Harakah al-Nidhal gathered in the central committee, they criticized the position of Habib Nebagan and Yaghoub Hor Tostari and condemned it. At that time, Habib Esiyved was the deputy leader of Harakah an-Nidhal. He considered this attack to be the work of ISIS and the regime. He believed that this attack would harm the Ahwaz national movement." Saeed Hamidan believes that the reception of the former leadership of Harakah an-Nidhal to this incident gave the government the opportunity to justify the suppression of Arab activists under the same accusation. One of the questions raised after the attack on the Ahvaz parade was that if Harakah an-Nidhal had nothing to do with the attack, why did some high-ranking officials of Harakah an-Nidhal know the identity of some of the attackers on the first day? In response, one of the members of Harakah an-Nidhal told the Atlas researcher: "After learning about the attack, we immediately started collecting information. After the photos of the bodies were published, a member of the group identified the faces of three of the attackers. He was from their neighborhood. He did name the other person wrongly and the existence of a fifth person was unclear. That's why Yaghoub Hor Tostari and Mohammad Hattab Ahvazi published the names of some of the attackers correctly and some incorrectly. In fact, Harakah an-Nidhal learned the names of the three attackers after publishing the photos of the bodies, not before that. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='50990'> <reference source='https://prisonatlas.com/%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%88%d9%85%d8%aa-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%af%d9%88%da%af%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%9b-%d9%be%d8%b1%d9%88%d9%86%d8%af%d9%87-%d8%b1%d8%a8%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b4-%d9%88-%d9%82%d8%aa%d9%84-%d8%ad/'> One of the most important accusations against Habib Esiyved was planning and directing the armed attack on the Ahvaz parade. In its analytical report on the case of this political activist, Iran Prison Atlas has tried to answer the question of whether there are significant reasons to show that ISIS was responsible for the attack on the Ahvaz parade. 1- One day after the attack, ISIS took responsibility for the attack by publishing a video of the attackers. 2- Harakah an-Nidal denied its role one day after the attack and at different times. 3-Less than two weeks after the attack, during a missile attack called "Moharram Strike" on eastern Syria in the areas controlled by ISIS, the IRGC announced that it had targeted "the positions of the leaders of the Ahvaz terrorist attack". 4- IRGC public relations announced on October 16, 2018, (less than four weeks after the attack) that it had killed Abu Dahi, the leader of ISIS in Diyala province of Iraq and "the main planner of the Ahvaz terrorist crime". 5- In a state-TV program (20 & 30) that aired on December 2018 (part 1, part 2), the attackers were identified as ISIS members, and parts of their background, stages of radicalization, and membership in ISIS were narrated by their families. Although televised confessions are not a basis for judgment, the implicit but logical conclusion from this program is that it clears the defendants affiliated with Harakah an-Nidhal. Some of the data from this program is compatible with the information collected by Atlas. 6- The previous attacks of Harakah an-Nidhal were isolated and were planned in such a way that the attacker was not killed, but in this attack, the attackers remained at the scene of the conflict until they were killed, in line with many ISIS operations. 7- An ISIS flag was discovered in the team house of the attackers. 8- Hassan Darvishi, a Lor Iranian citizen, was among the attackers. But all the members of the movement are Arabs. 9- The members of Harakah an-Nidhal were acquitted of the charge of terrorism in a court in Denmark. A Danish media called Politiken published details about the outcome of the court in Denmark and wrote in a part of its report: "There are several charges in this case, of which these three people (members of Harakah an-Nidhal) have been acquitted; including the charges related to money transfer. Furthermore, only one of the defendants has been found guilty of praising a terrorist attack. He is a 51-year-old man who praised the attack on a military parade in Iran on September 22, 2018. Regarding the ruling of this court, Saeed Hamidan explained to Atlas: > At first, the Danish court brought three accusations against the former leader of Harakah an-Nidhal. In the next steps, the court acquitted Saudi Arabia on charges of terrorism, money laundering, and espionage. However, it issued a guilty verdict regarding the violation of privacy and spying on Danish individuals and companies. The court also accused the former head of Harakah an-Nidhal (Habib Nebagan) that he welcomed the attack on the parade ground. Regarding the accusation of espionage, I emphasize that this was done not to gather information, but to maintain the security of members and identify possible infiltrators, especially after the assassination of Ahmed Mola Nisi. 10- After the indictment was issued and when Habib Esiyved's charges were communicated in branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, the attack on the parade was not among the charges. It is a precedent for the judicial security apparatus to change the charges over time without explanation and probably based on political and propaganda needs, but the video of the indictment shows that the prosecutor's office or the court at the beginning of the trial only proposed the charges related to the 2005 bombings. And government officials refrained from charging him for attacking the parade, although later this charge was brought up again in subsequent court sessions. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='50957'> <reference source='https://www.mizanonline.ir/fa/news/4711083/%D8%AD%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%AF'> He was executed. The judiciary's Mizan news agency published the news. He was sentenced to death in a process that did not even have the appearance of a fair trial. During his years in prison, Habib Esiyved did not have access to the outside world, his lawyer, or his family. He was locked in solitary confinement and was in the hands of the security-judicial-media apparatus of the Islamic Republic until the moment of his death. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='50987'> <reference source='https://prisonatlas.com/%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%88%d9%85%d8%aa-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%af%d9%88%da%af%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%9b-%d9%be%d8%b1%d9%88%d9%86%d8%af%d9%87-%d8%b1%d8%a8%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b4-%d9%88-%d9%82%d8%aa%d9%84-%d8%ad/'> IPA published an analytical report on the process of detention until the execution of Habib Esiyved and the charges that led to the execution of this Arab political activist. This report has specifically focused on the Ahvaz military parade and the role of Harakat an-Nidhal and explained the background of accepting the initial implicit responsibility of two Harakat nl-Nidhal members in the attack on the parade. It has analyzed the movement and explained the possible motivation of the security apparatus for attributing the attack to the movement and the kidnapping and killing of Habib Esiyved. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='50996'> <reference source='https://prisonatlas.com/%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%88%d9%85%d8%aa-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%af%d9%88%da%af%d8%a7%d9%87%d8%9b-%d9%be%d8%b1%d9%88%d9%86%d8%af%d9%87-%d8%b1%d8%a8%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%b4-%d9%88-%d9%82%d8%aa%d9%84-%d8%ad/'> Amin Riahi, director of the Iran PrisonAtlas, while condemning the execution of Habib Esiyved, criticized the lack of a fair trial for this political activist. Analyzing the mechanism of repression of Arabs in Iran, he analyzed the execution of Habib Esiyved as one of the actions of the Islamic Republic to cut the link between the Arab people's movement and other parts of Iran. Describing the birth grounds of the Arab movement in Ahvaz, Amin Riahi said about the change in the atmosphere of political activity among Arab activists: "The public atmosphere of Arab activism, which was revived in the middle of the 1990s, led to a series of basic civil and political efforts until 2005. which showed itself, among other things, in the activities of the Wefaq party and the al-Hawar (dialogue) group. Unfortunately, in the end, these actions could not stop the clearly organized policies that destroyed Arab areas in the political, cultural, environmental, and economic fields. As a result of this failure, the discourse of groups such as Wefaq and Al-Hawwar is weakened, and radical and violent approaches prevail. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
  • <coverage-outsourcing id='50997'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3VMSRor'> Following the execution of Habib Esiyved, a number of European authorities and institutions condemned the execution of this dual citizen. "Tobias Billström", the foreign minister of Sweden, published a series of tweets calling the death penalty "inhumane," and wrote that "Sweden, along with other European Union member countries, will condemn this sentence under any circumstance." The foreign minister of Sweden also announced that he has summoned the director of the Islamic Republic of Iran's embassy in this country in protest against the execution of Habib Esiyved. Hours after the news of the execution of Habib Esiyod, the Council of the European Union also condemned the execution of Habib Esiyved in a statement and, while declaring solidarity with Sweden, asked the Islamic Republic to refrain from repeating the death penalty in the future. This statement pointed out that "execution violates the indisputable right to life", and highlighted the presence of other dual-national prisoners, especially those who have European citizenship, who are facing the death sentence in Iran's prisons: > These people are deprived of consular protection and a fair trial procedure, and this is a complete violation of international laws. The foreign ministers of Finland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia also condemned the execution of this dual-citizen political activist in separate positions. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>