Human Rights Activists News Agency
US-based Iran human rights monitoring NGO, founded 2009; primary source on death-row cases.
Last refreshed: 29 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How does HRANA document Iran's death-penalty cases from outside the country?
Timeline for Human Rights Activists News Agency
Mentioned in: Hengaw logs Tabriz hanging, two more
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Three Iran teens days from execution
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Casualty Verification Gap Widens as Hengaw Stays Silent
Iran Conflict 2026- What is HRANA Iran?
- HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency) is an independent Iranian human rights organisation founded in 2009, based in the US, that documents executions, political imprisonments, and rights violations inside Iran.Source: HRANA
- How reliable is HRANA as a source on Iran?
- HRANA is widely cited by the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Amnesty International, and Western governments as a primary source. It operates with verified sources inside Iran and publishes in Farsi and English.Source: UN Special Rapporteur
Background
Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) is an independent Iranian human rights organisation founded in 2009 and based in the United States. It monitors, documents, and publishes reports on human rights violations inside Iran, with a particular focus on cases involving the death penalty, political prisoners, and activists. HRANA operates with sources inside Iran's prison system and publishes in Farsi and English.
HRANA and Hengaw are the two principal NGOs that monitor Iran's human rights situation in real time. HRANA specialises in nationwide coverage, while Hengaw focuses on the Kurdish regions. The two organisations often corroborate each other's findings, strengthening the evidentiary weight of cases they both report. In the Pakdasht mosque fire case, both cited the denial of independent legal counsel to all four defendants.
The organisation gained prominence during the 2009 Green Movement protests and has continued publishing throughout successive waves of Iranian civil unrest. Its work is cited by the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Amnesty International, and major Western governments as a primary source for individual cases.