Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation
Activities/Rights: Environmental activist
Judicial status: 4-10 years imprisonment (54 years total)
Violations: Arbitrary arrest and detention, lack of due process, unfair trial, denial of medical care, death in custody, prolonged solitary confinement, torture and ill-treatment, access to lawyer
Sam Rajabi, Hooman Jokar, Niloufar Bayani, Morad Tahabaz, Sepideh Kashani, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, Taher Ghadirian and Amirhossein Khaleghi are all members of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (PWHF), a non-profit environmental organisation. They were arrested on 25 January 2018 by the IRGC intelligence Sarallah forces. On 9 February 2018, PWHF’s executive director, Kavous Seyed-Emami died under suspicious circumstances in custody. Their trials were held in November 2019. Morad and Niloufar were sentenced to ten years imprisonment for “collaborating with the US.” Houman and Taher were sentenced to eight years imprisonment for “collaborating with the US government.” Sam and Sepideh to six years imprisonment for “collaborating with the US government”, Amirhossein to six years for “espionage” and Abdolreza to four years for “assembly and collusion against national security.” Abdolreza was released on 7 March 2020 after serving half his sentence.
In a letter sent from prison, Sepideh recounted the physical and psychological torture they were subjected to in January, including the promise that her husband Morad Tahbaz would be hanged that day at interrogation sessions. Morad was one of the people released after a prisoner exchange between American and Iran in September 2023. Sam Rajabi was released on 3 December. The remaining five PWHF members are currently serving the rest of their sentences in Evin Prison.