Abolghasem Salavati
- Judge at the Branch 15 Revolutionary Court (At least 2004- present)
- Human Rights Violation: Issuing death sentences to protesters, journalists and activists (At least 2004- present) read more
- Institution
- Islamic Revolutionary Courts
- Location
- Tehran
- Rights Violated
- Right to a fair trial, Right to life
- Description
The cases of many political and civil activists, journalists and dissidents were referred to Judge Salavati, because of his extremely harsh and unjust rulings and total disregard for the principles of fair trial and due process, especially after the events of the tenth presidential election in 2009 and the holding of "show trials led him to the forefront of the judiciary to assist security forces in cracking down on protesters and critics. Salavati is known by the Iranian activists and dissidents as the "judge of death" for issuing numerous death sentences. Among the activists, journalists, dissidents and protesters sentenced to death my judge Salavati are the following:
- Sources
Two detainees of Iran’s Post-Election Protests Were Executed, BBC Persian, 28 January 2010
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Salavati-10.pdf
Zahra Bahrami Iranian-Dutch Citizen Was Executed, Deutsche Welle, 29 January 2011
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Salavati-11.pdf
Two Prisoners Executed in Iran: Ali Saremi, Ali Akbar Siadat, Deutsche Welle, 28 December 2010
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/salavati-12.pdf
Confirmation of the Death Sentence for Two Political Prisoners: Loghman and Zanyar Moradi, Centre for Human Rights in Iran, 24 January 2012
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/salavati-13.pdf
Mohsen Amir Aslani Executed for the Different Interpretation of Quran, Deutsche Welle, 24 September 2014
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/salavati-14.pdf
Judge Salavati According to the Judiciary Official Media, FarhanNews, September 2015
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/salavati-15.pdf
- Human Rights Violation: Issuing harsh sentences for protesters, journalists and activists (At least 2004- present) read more
- Institution
- Islamic Revolutionary Courts
- Location
- Tehran
- Rights Violated
- Right to a fair trial, Right to freedom from torture, Right to liberty and security of person
- Description
Abolghasem Salavati has been responsible for issuing harsh sentences for dozens of political and civil activists, journalists and protesters without observing the principles of a fair trial. Abuse and ill-treatment of defendants and their lawyers, extrajudicial actions to pressure the defendant, holding summary trials, and ruling based on the defendant's forced confessions are special features of Judge Salavati's trials. Among the activists sentenced to long prison sentences by Salavati are:
Majid Tavakoli, 8 and a half years
- Sources
Concern about the "reoccurrence of the tragedy of the 1980’s", Deutsche Welle, 11 November, 2009
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/salavati00.pdf
Interview of Salman Sima about his client Mohammad Oliaeifar’s encounter with Judge Salavati, VOA, 2017
Report on human rights violations in the case of Athena Farghadani: From desecration in prison to telephone threats, Justice for Iran, 10 December, 2014
https://justice4iran.org/persian/reports/report-atena-faraghdani/
- Human Rights Violation: Issuance of harsh sentences to Baha'i minority (At least 2004- present) read more
- Institution
- Islamic Revolutionary Courts
- Location
- Tehran
- Rights Violated
- Right to a fair trial, Right to freedom of religion and belief, Right to non-discrimination
- Description
Abolghasem Salavati, as a judge in Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, has been responsible for the unfair trial and harsh sentencing of Baha'i citizens due to their religious beliefs.
For instance Faran Hesami, along with her spouse Keyvan Rahimian and Kamran Rahimian (Keyvan Rahimian’s brother), professors at the Baha'i Virtual University (BIHE), were arrested in September 2012, and tried in the Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Salavati. They were charged with conspiracy to disrupt national security through teaching at the BIHE to Baha'i minority citizens who are banned from entering the universities because of their beliefs.
Judge Salavati sentenced Kamran Rahimian and Faran Hesami to 4 years in prison and Keyvan Rahimian to 5 years in prison. Sadaf Sabetian. another Baha'i citizen, was sentenced to two years in prison by Judge Salavati for having links to the Baha'i Virtual University (B.I.H.E) and for "attending a meeting in defence of the right to education."
The Baha'i Virtual University (B.I.H.E) is an academic institute that was established by the Baha'i community in Iran in the early 1980s due to the ban on Baha'is entering Iranian universities since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution.
- Sources
Arrest of Faran Hesami, a professor at the Baha'i Online University, to serve his prison sentence, Hrana, 2012
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Salavati-2.pdf
Meeting with Sadaf Sabetian, Radio Farda, 28 July, 2015
https://www.radiofarda.com/pp/27159201/ppt0.html
- Human Rights Violation: Issuance of harsh sentences to Gonabadi Dervish minority (June 2013) read more
- Institution
- Islamic Revolutionary Courts
- Location
- Tehran
- Rights Violated
- Right to a fair trial, Right to freedom of religion and belief, Right to non-discrimination
- Description
In July 2013, Judge Salavati charged seven activists and lawyers of the Gonabadi Dervishes with "propaganda against the regime," "insulting the leadership," "spreading lies to disturb the public mind," "establishing and joining a deviant group," and “disrupting public order” and sentenced them to 56 years in prison.
According to this ruling; Hamid Reza Moradi Sarvestani, director of the Majzooban Noor website, the official website of the Gonabadi Dervishes, and minority rights activist, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison.
Reza Entesari, a news photographer and minority rights activist, was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months in prison.
Mostafa Daneshjoo, Farshid Yadollahi Farsi, Amir Eslami, Omid Behrozi, lawyer of Dervish Gonabadi and Noor Karampour, lawyers and directors of the Majzoobaan Noor website, were each sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.
- Sources
Total 56 years imprisonment for lawyers and Darwishes’ rights activists, Majzooban Noor, July 2013
https://justice4iran.org/persian/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/salavati-6.pdf
- Human Rights Violation: Issuing death sentences to protesters, journalists and activists (At least 2004- present) read more
- Judge at the Branch 4 of the Special Court for Financial Crimes (2019 - present)
In April 2011, the European Union put Abolghasem Salavati on its list of human rights sanctions for his involvement in gross violations of human rights. According to the EU statement, Salavati was sanctioned for his involvement in the post-election cases as the judge presiding over the “show trials” in summer 2009 and the issuance of numerous lengthy prison and death sentences to activists and protesters. According to the decision, Salavati's assets in Europe have been frozen and he has been banned from entering the European Union.
On December 19, 2019, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Abolghasem Salavati for serious and widespread human rights violations. Under the sanctions, Abolghasem Salavati's potential assets in the United States or under the control of American banks and companies will be frozen and he will be barred from entering the country. Citizens of the United States will also be banned from doing business with him.