A report on Political Prisoners of the Iranian Azerbaijan and Kurdistan

Mohammad Sedigh Kaboodvand
Mr. Kaboodvand director of the “Defense of Human Rights “organization of Kurdistan – who is now in prison- informed his family that his life is threatened in prison.
In this conversation he told his family that 2 prisoners with dangerous criminal records have been transferred to his cell. (This is one method used by the interrogators to force prisoners to co operate with prison officials.)
Mr. Kaboodvand has been pressured to dismantle the “Defense of Human Right “organization. He is still healing from injuries received under torture.

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Saeed Matinpour
Mr. Javanbakht has also reported that a student activist who has recently been released from jail has reported that Saeed Matinpour , journalist and a human rights activist from Azarbaijan ,has been tortured in the Intelligence Ministry Prison accused of spying. The Interrogators wanted him to make false televised confessions against himself.
Mrs. Atefeh Taheri, spouse of Mr. Matinpour, stated that her husband had told her in a couple of short telephone conversations that “he was still alive”!
Mr. Matinpour's family had not been aware of his whereabouts for a long time.
Mr. Matinpour is 32 years old and has his masters’ degree in Philosophy from Tehran University.

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Amir Abbas Banayi Kazemi
Amir Abbas Banayi Kazemi (who is a political activist currently in Tabriz Prison) has been brutally tortured in jail and as a result he has a number or broken teeth and his face is completely bruised, according to his mother who had called the Turkish language program of "radio America”.
Amir Abbas Banayi Kazemi was in the Intelligence Ministry prison in Tabriz for one month and later was transferred to section 9 of the Tabriz Prison.

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Saleh Kamrani
Saleh Kamrani, lawyer representing "Shamse Tabrizi" Newspaper and a number of political prisoners in Azarbaijan was kidnapped on August 18, 2007, by the Intelligence Ministry Officials while attending a wedding ceremony in the city of Karaj. He has recently called his wife to let her know that he is being held at Evin Prison.
Mrs. Asghari, is extremely worried and concerned about the condition of her husband in the Evin Prison.

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Jalil Ghanyloo
Jalil Ghanyloo, a political activists from Zanjan has brutally been tortured in 209 of Evin Prison and is in a terrible psychological state, according to his brothers testimony.
Alireza Javanbakht, spokeman for the Committee for the Defence of Political Prisoners in Azarbaijan has stated that Mr. Ghanyloo was first arrested simultaneously with the “International Mother Language Day” and then released after 26 days while depositing a $30,000 bail.

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Hadi Hamidi Shafigh
Hadi Hamidi Shafigh, a 23 year old student in architecture from Tabriz has recently been sentenced an extra 7 months imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court in Orumiyeh.
He had previously been charged 10 months for “participating in illegal demonstrations” but this time new charges were brought against him by the Public Prosecutor such as “possession of a CD that insult Khamenei (The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Regime) and Khomeini ( The founder of the Islamic Regime.) ”
It has been reported that two of Mr. Shafigh's fingers have been broken as a result of torture by the Intelligence Ministry Officials.