Human Rights House of Iran – Journalist Fatemeh Kheradmand was arrested last night at her home and transferred to Evin prison. She is the wife of journalist Masoud Lavasani, who was released from Evin prison on September 8th after enduring approximately two years behind bars.According to Human Rights House of Iran, Iranian security agents, who introduced themselves as judicial agents, searched Kheradmand’s house before arresting her. During the inspection process at her home, the security agents confiscated Kheradmand’s personal items and computer. The reason for the arrest  has not been announced.Her husband Masoud Lavasani was arrested on September 26, 2009, and transferred to Evin prison. He was initially sentenced to eight and a half years in prison by the lower court, but the Appeals Court reduced the sentence to six years in prison. Eventually, the sentence was reduced to two years in prison. His sentence was issued by branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge PirAbbasi.

Three bank robbers [who robbed] the Sepah Bank in Kermanshah were publicly hanged today in Azadi Square.

According to this report, the death sentence for 48 year old Alireza Ahmadi, son of Khadad, 33 year odl Sadeq Eskandari, son of Vali and 36 year old Sasan Basami, son of Jahangir was carried out a few minutes ago. (Fars state-run News Agency, Asre Iran state-run website – Jan. 5, 2011)

Five narcotics traffickers were hanged in the Kerman and Bam prisons.

In line with the continuous fight against death traffickers [drug smugglers] and based on sentences passed by the Kerman Revolutionary Courts, Mohammad A. Ali N. and Ahmad T. were sentenced to death…

The issued sentences were carried out in Kerman Prison after legal procedures.

The Bam Revolutionary Court also sentenced Alireza B. and Hamzeh M. to death…

These traffickers were hanged in Bam Prison.

These sentences were upheld by the Attorney General and the convicts’ requests for amnesty had been denied by the Amnesty Commission. (Asre Iran state-run website, Mehr state-run News Agency, Official website of the Kerman Judiciary – Jan. 4, 2011)

The Semnan Judiciary’s Public Relations Office announced that a narcotics trafficker was hanged in Semnan in line with the decisive implementation of judicial sentences.

“This convict (A.T) who was from Sorkhas was sentenced to death by the Semnan Revolutionary Court on charges of carrying 952.3 kilograms of condensed heroin”, the head of the Public Relations Office said.

“His sentence was carried out on Wednesday morning in the Central Semnan Prison after it was upheld by the Attorney General and after legal procedures”, Mohammad Sediqi Nia added.

“His request for amnesty which was issued in two stages was denied by the Amnesty Commission after necessary probes”, he said. (Mehr state-run News Agency, Asre Iran state-run website, Official website of the Semnan Judiciary – Jan. 4, 2011)

Five death traffickers were hanged in Zanjan after their sentences were upheld in the Supreme Court.

According to reports, these five people were arrested on charges of buying, selling and carrying heroin.

After being tried and the confirmation of their sentences in the Supreme Court, they were hanged in the Central Zanjan Prison following legal procedures. (Fars state-run News Agency, Asre Iran state-run News Agency – Jan. 4, 2011)

HRANA News Agency – Roghieh Hassanzadeh’s prison term and lashes have been upheld by the Appeals Court in East Azerbaijan Province.Roghieh Hassanzadeh is a resident of Tabriz.According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the 104th branch of the criminal court in Tabriz sentenced Roghieh Hassanzadeh to 91 days in prison and 20 lashes. The 12th branch of the Appeals court in East Azerbaijan Province has upheld this ruling.Roghieh Hassanzadeh was charged with and subsequently convicted of disturbing the peace by shouting slogans against the regime

Security forces stormed a church in Ahwaz and arrested the church priest, Farhad Sabokroh, his wife Shahnaz and all the members of the church. They were taken to an unknown location with two busses and there was no news on them for hours.According to reports from Ahwaz, security forces who had covered their faces when entering the church even took away the very frightened children in the church.These agents immediately confiscated the cellphones of the church members and searched all the rooms. They also confiscated a number of computers and other appliances which belonged to the church.All the detainees except Farhad Sabokroh, his wife and two other church members are still detained and there is no news on their condition. (Human Rights Activists in Iran – Dec. 24, 2011)

UPDATE | Mehdi Mahmoudian’s mother released after a few hours.According to a close source who spoke to Fatemeh Alvandi, she was released after a few hours after Iranian authorities made a promise to take care of Mahmoudian’s ailing condition. The Iranian authorities also ordered Alvandi to not conduct any more interviews with the media regarding her son’s situation in prison.Fatemeh Alvandi, incarcerated political prisoner Mehdi Mahmoudian’s mother was reportedly arrested on orders of the Prosecutor’s office. According to reports by Kaleme, Mehdi Mahmoudian’s family had been gathering in front of the offices of the Tehran Prosecutor’s to protest the lack of attention to the political prisoner’s basic civil rights.

The news of Fatemeh Alvandi’s arrest was posted today on the personal web blog of Fakhri Mohtashamipour, the wife of incarcerated reformist Mostafa Tajzadeh.

A woman sentenced to death by stoning in Iran for adultery may be hanged instead, a justice official was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency on Sunday.The woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, ‘has two sentences, one regarding adultery for which she was sentenced to stoning, and the other for being an accomplice to murdering her husband for which she received a 10-year prison term,’ said Malek Ajdar Sharifi, head of Iran’s East Azarbaijan province’s justice department.But, ‘since we did not have facilities for stoning her,’ authorities were informed, Fars news agency quoted Sharifi as saying.Sharifi said the chief of Iran’s judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, had responded by saying that ‘since the main purpose is execution then, if there are no facilities for stoning according to sharia, it could be changed to hanging’.But Larijani decided ‘to wait to get the view of other religious scholars and then a clear decision will be taken,’ according to Sharifi.‘We said there was no hurry,’ as Mohammadi Ashtiani is serving her 10-year jail sentence, he said. ‘We are waiting for for the results of deliberations’.