Esmail Gerami
Age: 68
Activities/Rights: Retired teacher and Pensioners activist
Status: Jailed
Judicial status: Pardoned
Violations: Arbitrary arrest and detention, lack of due process, unfair trial, denial of medical care, lack of separation of crimes, ill-treatment
Esmail Gerami is a retired teacher who has been advocating for the rights of pensioners. On 8 March 2021, he was violently arrested in a peaceful protest of pensioners and activists outside the Ministry of Labour building in Tehran and released the next day. He was arrested at his home on April 3 and transferred to the Greater Tehran Penitentiary. Esmail was sentenced to five years imprisonment, 74 lashes and a two million toman fine by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court for charges of “assembly and collusion with the intention to commit a crime.” His sentence was upheld by the Court of Appeals on September 19. On October 8, Esmail and four other political prisoners were physically attacked by violent crime prisoners in the 2nd Brigade of the Greater Tehran Penitentiary. Prior to the attack, they had complained about the lack of security and requested to be transferred to another ward in their meetings with prison officials. On 24 July 2022, he was transferred to Evin Prison without prior notice. A week later, he contracted Covid-19, which exacerbated his epilepsy and other underlying conditions. Esmail was denied medical treatment for refusing to be shackled and handcuffed for the journey. He was sentenced to a further 11 months and 15 days imprisonment and 50 lashes by Branch 101 of the Fashufuyeh Public Court for charges of disrupting prison order which was later overturned by Branch 78 of the Tehran Court of Appeal. Esmail survived the 15 October 2022 attack on Evin Prison and was transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison where he was denied medical care. Esmail was released from prison on 13 February 2023 as part of the prison pardons announced to mark the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution. He was briefly detained after being arrested at a pensioners' protest outside the Work Ministry on 21 November 2023.