Thursday, June 26, 2008

Transfer of an arrested activist to solitary confinement

Vida Dehganian , 30, a civil right activist, who was arrested on 13 June in front of the Melat park in a congregation, has been transferred to Evin prison.

Friends of Ms. Deghan , have said that she was transferred to the section after she had invoked a clash with security guards in the "women's section" of Evin prison on 23 June. The new section is under the Intelligence Ministry jurisdiction and it seems this move was aimed to put more pressure on Ms. Dehganian .

Vida Dehganian is a member of the Pan Iranian opposition party, which is considered illegal in Iran.

After the protest demonstration of people in Tehran on 13 June, which was against inflation and corruption of government Authorities, the Judiciary's spokesman, announced that 200 people had been arrested in that demonstration .

On 13 June at least 230 people were arrested in Mashad and their where-abouts is not clear. At least 5 students of Ferdowsi University of Mahshad had been amongst those arrested.

Amnesty International has released an appeal, expressing concern over the well being of Ms. Mahboobe Karami , an activist of the 1 million petition who had been in the same parkas those protesting and as consequence had been arrested.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

11 years sentence for supporting Human Rights

Mohammad Sedigh Kaboodvand , a journalist , has been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment, by the 5th Branch of the so called revolution Court , on charges of founding an organization to promote Human Rights.


"The lawyers to this case are protesting to the surprising sentence "said Mrs. Nasrin Sotudeh who is one of the attorneys to the case.
Mrs. Sotudeh insists, sentencing her client to 11 years imprisonment only for printing his thoughts, is in violation of the International Covenant of civil and political rights and Human rights.
Mr.Kaboodvand was called to the Court on 1 July 2007 in Tehran and was immediately arrested. He has been in prison since. He has been ill during this period and has suffered a stroke.
Prior to this Mr.Kaboodvand had been imprisoned for 6 months because of printing an article in the Payam newspaper .

Student arrested for visiting a relative in PMOI camp

Houd Yazerlou , 21, has been arrested after visiting his aunt in the Mojahedin Camp (called Ashraf in Iraq) after returning to Iran.

Numerous activists in Iran have released a statement protesting to Yazerlous' arbitrary arrest on 24 May 2008.

The statement reiterates concern over Mr.Yazerlous well being, saying "despite Mr.Majid Zarghamis' claim (prosecutor of the 2nd Security Branch of the so called revolutionary courts) that Mr.Yazerlou is in 209 Evin prison, there is no news of his real where-a bouts since his family's request to see him has continuously been refused and turned down.

Houd Yazerlou and his mother Nazila Dashti had visited Iraq 3 months ago to meet his aunt, who is a member of the People's Mojahedin organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Ashraf Camp.

According to Houd's Mother, Mrs. Dashti, they were both arrested after return. Mrs Dashti spent 21 days in prison, while her son was 16 days in prison. They were bailed out, each paying 200 Million and 100 million Tomans .

Nazilla Dashti adds that on 24 May, they were called informally through the person who had provided their bail to the Court for further inquiry, but Houd Yazerlou was arrested and taken way since.

Mrs. Dashti explained her ordeal while under "investigation":
"On our entering the building, we were harassed and humiliated and degraded continuously by the person who was to question us. He prevented my son from sitting down and kept him standing all through. He asked him: Are you in touch with other families of the Monafeghin? ( A term used to deface the Mojahedin in public by the Government authorities)

My child, who is not familiar with these terms and their intentions, simply answered "No sir, I know no Monafeghin".

The person who had by this time become extremely angry replied "What then?" , and my son replied : " They are Mojahedin ". This was enough to blow the top off that person. While throwing the paper and pen to my son, he said in a threatening tone "I will show you what I Mean …"

Nazila Dashti says Houd Yazerlou was sent to prison immediately after his so called interview and nothing has been heard so far of his where-abouts.

Nazilla Dashti and her husband Hani Yazerlou are former political prisoners and activists. Fariba and houd , sister and brother to Mrs.Dashti are amongst the victims of the great massacre of the political prisoners in 1988.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

A woman activist sentenced to 5 years prison

21 year old Hana Abdi, former student of PayamNoor University of Bijar , and member of women's association of AzarMerh in Kurdistan (west of Iran) has been sentenced a 5 year prison term in a remote town on the Iranian frontiers.

According to Mr.Sharif , her attorney, the so called revolutionary court has charged her with assisting a crime which was to be a threat against National Security.

The attorney has rejected the charges and reiterated that Hana Abdi's activities have not been in any way related to violence and creating terror amongst people and therefore are irrelevant.

Ana was arrested in October 2007 in Sanandaj0 west of Iran along with her colleague Ronak Safar Zadeh, by the Iranian security agents. It is reported that both activists are undergoing sever pressure and torture to confess against themselves and their friends.

Although the government has related activities of both gender apartheid activists to external political parties, but their families insist that they are and have been independent and have no relation with any political party apposing the government.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

School boy condemned 6 months imprisonment for insulting the Leader

Moham Reza Avazpoor, a schoolboy has been charged with insulting the Leader and sentenced to 6 months imprisonment by the 118th branch of the penal Court.

Prior to this Mohamad Reza was sentenced to 5months prison in the 118th Branch of Tabriz Court presided by Niakar, on charges of being a member of a political group whose aim was to destabilize the State.

The first time he was charged with writing a slogan; "I am a Turk" on the walls, in the same court to 4 months detention on 31 of September 2007.

He had testified to have been tortured violently during detention. Inhuman punishment such as such as being hung upside down for 24 hours on end from the feet while being interrogated, and prevented from eating food or using the toilet were practiced on him.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Political prisoner's life at risk

Human Right activists in Iran have warned of Arjang Davoodi's health, a political prisoner, who has been on hunger strike in Rajaei Shahr prison, in the West of Iran.


Mrs Nazanin Davoodi, has attested to this fact, after she had visited her husband in prison on 16 June.
She reported that her husband had been brought for a visit on a wheel chair and could hardly speak. She insisted that her husband's physical condition is critical and that he needs to be looked after before it was too late.
After he began his hunger strike, Mr.Davoodi released a letter in which he described that prison officials had refused any treatment for his bleeding gum and deteriorating physical conditions.
Mr. Davoodin was arrested in 2003 under the charges of propagating against the system and endangering national security by founding an illegal political group. He was subsequently sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
Prior to this, the State Prison Organization had defied its own regulation in "the separation of cases", and had transferred Mr. Davoodi to a prison in BandarAbbas amongst convicts.
This is a method used by the Ministry to crush the political prisoner's resistance.