Keyvan Rafiee

Keyvan Rafiee
کیوان رفیعی
Born
Iran
OccupationsPolitical activist, journalist
Known forFounder and director of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), and Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
Websitehra-iran.org

Keyvan Rafiee (Persian: کیوان رفیعی) is an Iranian political activist. He is a former prisoner of conscience, and was arrested six times for his activities starting in 2003. He is one of the founders of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) and Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) in the United States.

Activities and detentions

Keyvan Rafiee was first arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) for protesting the election process of the Assembly of Experts in Gorgan city in Golestan Province. The arrest was apparently due to what was believed to be questioning the authority of the Supreme Leader's representative and the President of Azad University. He was kept in detention for 13 days; upon his release, he was denied the right to return to the university and continue his education.

Rafiee continued his activities and in 2004 was arrested during the anniversary of student protests on July 9; for one month he was kept in temporary detention center, ward 209 of the MOIS in Evin Prison before being released on bail. Rafiee was once again arrested on May 23, 2005, less than a year later, charged with activities aimed at boycotting the ninth presidential election, when the disputed elections brought Mahmood Ahmadinejad to power for the first term. He spent most of his detention in solitary confinement and then was incarcerated in ward 209 of the MOIS in Evin Prison, eventually being released on bail until his trial. The accusations finally led to a year of imprisonment which was then suspended for three years.

For the fourth time, Rafiee was arrested in front of Tehran University on the anniversary of December 7 (National Student's Day) only a few days after being released; this time he was kept in detention for only a short while and was released on bail at the same night.

In 2006, Rafiee founded the Human Right Activists in Iran along with Jamal Hosseini and Mahdi Khodaei. However, only a few months after starting this organization, he was arrested on May 1 by the security police as he was protesting among the workers of Tehran Bus Driver's Union on the International Workers' Day. He was beaten by police forces at the time of arrest but was released later because he used an alias.

Rafiee's last arrest was recorded on July 9, 2006, due to the latest policy of the MOIS for arresting individuals with detention records and under the pretext of crime prevention without providing any particular charge. The Ministry was concerned about activists organizing and taking part in protests in front of Tehran University. He was then transferred to ward 209 of Evin Prison, even though he had not been charged with a crime, where he spent more than 100 days in solitary confinement.

Following this period he was transferred to open prison and other wards of Evin Prison. After 15 months he was charged with actions against national security, was put on trial and sentenced by Judge Abolqasem Salavati; considering the time he had already spent in prison, he was finally released on December 22, 2007. After gaining his freedom and as he was once again summoned to the revolutionary court, he left Iran and sought political asylum in the United States.

Activities in the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI)

Rafiee is the founder of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), and he worked alongside Jamal Hosseini and Mahdi Khodaei. Since its founding in 2006, he took up various roles at HRAI, including those of spokesman and director, and a range of executive activities in this human rights organization. Rafiee is the author of a number of articles and books.

Additionally, Rafiee has established connections with various groups and reported on many issues concerning Iran's ethnic and religious minorities, workers, labor unionists, and political activists. He has trained staff, authored comprehensive reports and articles, established Committee for Opposing Censorship, established bilingual (Persian and English) websites, established coalitions with other non-profit and human rights organizations around the globe, founded Peace Mark, a monthly publication dedicated to human rights and political analysis, established and conducted Annual Statistical Analysis of human rights violations in Iran, used by major organizations around the world. He has also worked with United Nations, U.S. State Department, U.S. Congress, and other non-governmental organizations to raise awareness about human rights violations in Iran.

Rafiee founded the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) in the United States, reporting on Iranian human rights violations and news.

Publications

See also

References

  1. ↑ "سخنگوی برونمرزی فعالان حقوق بشر در ایران خواهان آزادی یگ دانشجوی بازداشت شده در جریان تظاهرات سالگرد 18 تیرماه در تهران شد" [The international spokesperson of human rights activists in Iran demanded the release of a student who was arrested during the July 18th anniversary demonstration in Tehran]. رادیو فردا (Radio Farda) (in Persian). November 21, 2006.
  2. ↑ "تصويب قطعنامه عليه ايران در پارلمان اروپا" [Approval of the resolution against Iran in the European Parliament]. BBC Persian (in Persian). November 25, 2006. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  3. ↑ "تصويب قطعنامه عليه ايران در پارلمان اروپا" [Resolution against Iran approved in the European Parliament]. BBC Persian. November 16, 2006. Retrieved February 24, 2026. The unconditional release of all political prisoners, especially Keyvan Ansari, Keyvan Rafiei, Khairollah Derakhshandeh, Abolfazl Jahandar, and Kourosh Zaim, has been called for in a European Parliament resolution.
  4. ↑ "Four human rights defenders arrested". Amnesty International Norge (in English and Norwegian). October 4, 2006. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. He was arrested on the street on 9 July. The exact reasons for his arrest are not known, but it is feared it may be in connection with his activities to publicize human rights violations in Iran." "The four men named above, all human rights defenders or former student activists, are all believed to be detained in Section 209 in Evin Prison in Tehran, where they are at risk of torture or ill-treatment
  5. ↑ رادیوفردا (October 13, 2006). "مجله: نامه سرگشاده همسر مهندس موسوی، ابراز نگرانی فعالان حقوق بشر از وضعیت زندانیان بند 209 اوین، گزارش سالانه وزارت خارجه بریتانیا در زمینه حقوق بشر و انتخابات مجلس خبرگان" [Open letter from Engineer Mousavi's wife, human rights activists' concerns about the situation of prisoners in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, British Foreign Office's annual report on human rights and the Assembly of Experts elections]. رادیو فردا (Radio Farda) (in Persian). Ward 209 is under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Intelligence and there is no supervision over it, and the interrogators of the Ministry of Intelligence are authorized to use any form of torture against political prisoners in this ward. These individuals include Engineer Mousavi Khoeini, Dr. Saeed Masoori, Keyvan Rafiei, Kianoush Sanjari, Ayatollah Kazemiini Boroujerdi, Dr. Keyvan Ansari, Abolfazl Jahandar, Khairollah Darakhshandi and Mazen, who witnessed the murder of Zahra Kazemi, Abdullah Al-Mansouri, a Dutch citizen who was extradited to Iran by the Syrian government, and a large number of Ayatollah Boroujerdi's supporters.
  6. ↑ رادیوفردا (October 28, 2006). "یک سخنگوی زندانیان سیاسی در بند 209 اوین در اعتصاب غذا به سر می برد" [A spokesperson for political prisoners in Ward 209 of Evin is on a hunger strike]. رادیو فردا (Radio Farda) (in Persian). Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  7. ↑ رادیوفردا (November 21, 2006). "تشکل های دانشجوئی به افزایش فشار حکومت بر دگراندیشان اعتراض کردند" [Student organizations protest government's increasing pressure on dissidents]. رادیو فردا (Radio Farda) (in Persian). Keyvan Rafiei is another political prisoner who was arrested on the street without reason on July 9 and transferred to ward 209 of Evin Prison. According to the report, he was held in solitary confinement for 100 days under mental and physical torture. Human rights activists in Iran say he has already gone on hunger strike twice to protest his unjustified arrest. Keyvan Rafiei was transferred to the Revolutionary Court last Wednesday, but his lawyer was not allowed to appear in court.
  8. ↑ "بررسی روزنامه های صبح شنبه ایران" [Review of Iranian Saturday morning newspapers]. Radio Farda (in Persian). June 19, 2007. The Etemad newspaper highlighted the letter from prison of human rights activist Keyvan Rafiei, writing that this human rights activist, who has been in Evin Prison since July 8 of last year, has complained about his poor conditions and criticized the postponement of court cases and his indecision. In a letter of complaint, Keyvan Rafiei complained about his poor situation and criticized the postponement of court cases and his indecision. According to this newspaper, Mr. Rafiei's trial has been postponed several times due to the absence of the prosecutor's representative and the Ministry of Intelligence.
  9. ↑ Gill, Julian (May 12, 2020). "Body found in Hermann Park identified as exiled Iranian human rights activist". San Antonio Express-News. ...said Keyvan Rafiee, the founder of Human Rights Activists in Iran who hired Ajami as an editor...
  10. ↑ Ritzen, Yarno (April 17, 2018). "New mobile apps are shaping Iran's civil society". Al Jazeera. ...said Rafiee, the founder of Human Rights Activists Iran (HRAI)...
  11. ↑ Panah, Hamid Yazdan (August 4, 2017). "'With Empty Hands But Deep Beliefs,' Jamal Hosseini Lost His Life Fighting for Human Rights in Iran". globalvoices.org. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Here's how AP reports on the death toll from Iran's protests". The Associated Press. The Associated Press. January 13, 2026.

Further reading