Reza Khandan Mahabadi

Reza Khandan Mahabadi is a critic, writer, and social activist. He is also a member of the Iranian Writers' Association's board of directors. He was sentenced to prison for "conspiracy to act against national security."

• <coverage-outsourcing id='24862'> He was summoned to the intelligence service. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='24865'> Keyvan Bazhan and Reza Khandan Mahabadi were summoned to Evin Prison Courts. After that, Baktash Abtin had to appear before Evin Courts too. All three have been charged with "propaganda against the regime." </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='24863'> Branch seven of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office charged them with “propaganda against the regime, assembly, and collusion against national security and inciting women to corruption and prostitution.” Previously, the first charge was the only one in their case. The bail order was also increased from 500 million Iranian Rials to IRR 1000 million. Five days later, the IWA condemned the “fabrication of charges and cases against [our] members.” </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='24855'> Reza Khandan Mahabadi and Keyvan Bazhan (Bajan), two members of the Iranian Writers' Association (IWA) board of directors, and Baktash Abtin, one of the association's inspectors, were summoned to Branch two of Revolutionary Court of Iran. Judge Moghiseh increased the IRR 1 billion Toman bail of Reza Khandan, Baktash Abtin, and Keyvan Bazhan to IRR 10 billion. Three members of the association were arrested and sent to Evin Prison due to their impossibility of providing bail. A few days later, all three were released on bail. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='24856'> Judge Moghiseh tried Reza Khandan, Baktash Abtin, and Keyvan Bazhan. Several members of the Writers' Association appeared in court to support the three authors. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='24857'> The International Pen Association issued a statement expressing concern over the trials of Bektash Abtin, Reza Khandan Mahabadi, and Keyvan Bazhan. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='24853'> Branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Moghise, issued a prison sentence for three writers and members of the Iranian Writers’ Association (IWA): Reza Khandan, Bektash Abtin, and Keyvan Bazhan for a 2015 case. They were all convicted of “propaganda against the regime” and “assembly and collusion against national security” and sentenced to six years in prison. based on Article 134, this sentence will be effectively reduced to five years. Evidence used against them is membership in IWA, helping publication of its books such as “Fifty Years of IWA,” publishing a domestic journal, visiting the graves of Shamloo, Mokhtari, and Pooyande, and signing statements against censorship and executions. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='24854'> The Iranian Writers' Association (IWA) issued a statement in which they announced the sentence of Reza Khandan, Baktash Abtin, and Keyvan Bazhan to prison, condemning the sentence: > .. they have been tried and sentenced to prison because of their work in promoting freedom of expression and opposition to censorship. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='28173'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/2019/hranews/a-23199/?tg_rhash=22a41dd9689763'> Branch 36 of Tehran’s appellate court gave a discretionary prison sentence to three members of the Iranian Writer's Association. Based on the ruling, Bektash Abtin and Reza Khandan were each sentenced to six years. Keyvan Bazhan’s discretionary sentence was reduced to three years and six months in prison. After Article 134 application, Abtin and Khnadan will serve five years in prison each. It’s not clear how long Mr. Bazhan will have to serve in prison. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='31248'> <reference source='https://ifj-farsi.org/?p=5699'> Three members of the Writers' Association's prison sentences have been postponed. They attended the Judgment Enforcement Office along with their lawyers, but the prison sentence was postponed to another time by order of the branch's officials. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32849'> <reference source='https://ifj-farsi.org/?p=6255'> Baktash Abtin and Reza Khandan Mahabadi, members of the Iranian Writers' Association board of directors, and Keyvan Bazhan, a former member of the association's board of directors, were transferred to Evin Prison to serve their sentence. Recently, the execution of their punishment had been postponed. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='32852'> <reference source='https://t.me/kanoon_nevisandegane_iran/449'> The Iranian Writers' Association issued a statement calling for the release of three association members. The statement called the charges against Reza Khandan, Baktash Abtin, and Keyvan Bazhan "baseless" and described the Islamic Republic's behavior as "criminal" and contrary to human rights standards. The statement called on human rights organizations to respond. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='33108'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/statements/a-537/'> Pen Australia has issued a statement protesting the sentencing of three Iranian Writers' Association members, Reza Khandan Mahabadi, Baktash Abtin, and Keyvan Bazhan, to three years in prison for "protesting against censorship" and "defending the freedom of expression." It stated in its call that it is the responsibility of all organizations, writers, and advocates of freedom of expression to support them and has called for their immediate release. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='33318'> <reference source='https://www.hra-news.org/statements/a-541/'> According to reports received by HRANA, several prominent Iranian university professors and writers signed a joint letter to PEN international and human rights organizations, expressing concern over the health of prisoners of conscience and referring to the detention of Baktash Abtin, Keyvan Bazhan, Reza Khandan Mahabadi, and Khosrow Sadeghi Borujeni called on these institutions to "make the voices of these people heard by the people of the world and demand their immediate release with all their means." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='33847'> <reference source='https://t.me/kanoon_nevisandegane_iran/528'> More than 1,300 writers, poets, artists, and civil and political activists issued a statement protesting the imprisonment of Baktash Abtin, Reza Khandan Mahabadi, and Keyvan Bazhan, demanding their release. "What these authors have done is oppose censorship and defend freedom of expression for all and without any exception. The imprisonment of these free-thinking writers, especially in the escalation of the Covid-19 pandemic, is a continuation of the same process of political chain assassinations of writers and free-thinkers to stifle any voice of protest against oppression and opposition to repression." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='34816'> <reference source='https://t.me/kanoon_nevisandegane_iran/569'> The Iranian Writers' Association issued a statement condemning the execution of Alireza Nouri's prison sentence and called for him and all political and ideological prisoners to be released. The statement points out that in recent years, systematic repression and maximum pressure on activists in the field of thought and expression of growth and intensity has reached a record low, including "threats and prosecution based on false accusations and ultimately the issuance of prison sentences. They add, " We refer to the long prison sentences of poets and writers, including members of the Iranian Writers' Association, Reza Khandan (Mahabadi), Baktash Abtin, Keyvan Bazhan (Bajan), Giti Pourfazl, and now Alireza Nouri." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='37074'> <reference source='https://t.me/kanoon_nevisandegane_iran/680'> Reza Khandan (Mahabadi), Baktash Abtin, and Keyvan Bazhan (Bajan) were awarded the American Pen Association's 2021 Pen/Barbey Freedom to Write Award. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='38013'> <reference source='https://telegra.ph/%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%B1-12-22'> Reza Khandan was taken to Taleghani Hospital after worsening his COVID-19 symptoms. He had been suffering from fever, shortness of breath, cough, severe weakness, and body aches in the past few days. Despite Reza Khandan's painful condition and his referral to the Evin Prison's Medical Center, he was returned to the ward each time with some medication. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='38014'> <reference source='https://t.me/kanoon_nevisandegane_iran/734'> He was granted a medical furlough. He was transferred from Taleghani Hospital to another hospital for treatment. The security measures and the conditions of his treatment at Taleghani Hospital, where he was shackled to a bed, added to the deterioration of Reza Khandan's situation. His family and lawyers requested an extended medical furlough so that he could continue his treatment under the supervision of his family and in another hospital. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='38015'> <reference source='https://t.me/kanoon_nevisandegane_iran/738'> He was released from the hospital. His lawyer was able to extend his medical furlough for a week. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='38794'> <reference source='https://www.instagram.com/p/CcaX3GWjjtP/'> He returned to Evin Prison at the end of his medical furlough. He had recently undergone surgery, and his recovery was not over. However, the Evin court sent a notice to his bailiff, after which Reza Khandan was forced to return to prison. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='47720'> <reference source='https://t.me/kanoon_nevisandegane_iran/1009'> He was released from prison. On February 5th, 2023, the Islamic Republic's Judiciary issued a memo that announced the beginning of the process of releasing some of the protesters arrested during the 2022 national uprising. According to the judiciary's Mizan website, and latest comments made by the spokesperson for the judiciary, this "pardon" is in honor of the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and contingent on the prisoners expressing regret; The pardon is not extended to cases with charges such as "connection to dissident groups", and "destruction of public property". However, many of the released prisoners have posted videos and notes saying they never requested a pardon and never expressed regret. There are even videos of female activists taking off their hijab and chanting against the Islamic Republic in front of the prison moments after their release. The release of prisoners being called a pardon has caused massive reaction online and some activists on social media and human rights organizations consider it a PR stunt to repair some of the damage to Ali Khamenei's image. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>