Four deprived University students end up in Evin Prison

Sadegh Shojaii, Mehdieh Golroo, Majid Dorri and Saiid Feizollahzade, the four students who had been deprived of their studies by the University Allameh Tabatabaii, have been arrested on Monday 24 November, after a sit-in and then transferred to Evin prison.

According to the students committee of Human Rights reporters, the four had begun a sit-in in front of the University which drew attention and support from other students.

The four students had been deprived after there were protests in Allameh for the shut down of Student press and clashes and harassments caused by the security forces of the University in the spring of 2007.

Their families had joined their protest in support of their loved ones outside the University.

Before being arrested, Ms. Mehdieh Golroo had spoken of the harassment by the University guards and said; "It was dawn, all four of us were sleep. Suddenly we were confronted with 25 people who dragged us out of the University Campus. I told them they have no right to speak and treat students like this, but the security agent began using foul language and begun hitting me instead, slapping me so much that I felt half of my face had gone paralyzed and swollen.".

At least 500 students rushed to support the four subjects and their demands; to be allowed to study.

It is noticeable that the Right to Education is one of the basic rights of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 26, and the Iranian constitution has also accepted this. But in reaction to the explosive situation and the student's activities, the Islamic Republic officials use the disciplinary committees created in the Universities to curb student movements.

Two related to the Bahai faith arrested

According to Shole Allah Verdi Gorji , her parents , Sonya Tabibian and Tarazallah, both Bahais, are being held in Sari's Intelligence Ministry.

"When we approached my parents' house we realized it was in a mess for some reason. Some o the books and documents had also been taken. There had been no contact with us neither to say that they had been taken away", Says Shohel in an interview with Radio Farda.

According to Mrs.Shole, judicial officials have agreed to release her parents with bail, but local officials of Sari, refrain from releasing them, under the pretext of "unfinished investigation".

In a visit to her parents Shole says her parents seem to be under heavy stress. Although the family has not received any official charges m but apparently during their interrogations and verbal exchange with the prosecution officer , they are supposedly "offending the sacred and also promoting this" in the region, and should not continue doing so.

Mrs. Shole says that it has been difficult to get an attorney for her parents' defense, obviously because most fear consequences of taking cases related to the Bahai faith. "If they accept, it would bear consequences for them as well" says Sholeh.

She said they have been looking for help from Lawyers without boarders, but that even is not clear to give fruit.

Iranian-American student released though bail

Esha Momeni Iranian-American student who had returned to Iran to complete her thesis involving a film documentary on women's situation -arrested on 15 October 2008-, has been released on a 198000 dollar bail from Evin prison.

According to Reza Momeni, his father, Esha is not allowed to leave Iran and has to be present in a political court hearing on charges of "acting against national security and propagating against the government".

These charges are heavy enough to have her sentenced to a life prison term.

Mr. Momeni says her daughter has lost eight kilos under stress and difficult situation in prison but is generally in a moderate situation. He emphasized that his family house has been taken ransom for Esha's bail while she is waiting to confront the judge on Tuesday to be clarified on the future process of her case. He was hopeful that her daughter would soon leave Iran for Los Angeles.

Esha was arrested by the traffic police in Tehran for driving errors but was followed to her house, arrested and her belongings searched and confiscated.

Miss Momeni had only ten weeks left to finish her course in the US, and had traveled to Tehran to complete her thesis using a documentary over women activists' campaign collecting the 1 million petition in support of Women's Rights in Iran.

Two other Iranian-Americans are now in prison, charged with "acting against National Security". Arash Alaei an Kamyar Alaei , two brothers have long been specialists working on the elimination of aids in Iran. They have also been held by the Intelligence agents in 209 of Evin prison.

Student activist condemned for 15 years imprisonment

Second Branch of the revolutionary courts of Sanandaj (Iranian Kurdistan) has sentenced Yasser Goli to 15 years prison term in exile.

"The sentence ordered by the court is only 10 lines! This court order which is supposed to be based on article 168 of the Islamic penal code has no reference on any evidence provided against my client Yasser Goli. My client has in none of his interrogations, let alone in the court sessions held against him, confessed against himself" Reiterates attorney Nemat Ahmadi.

According to Human Rights defense organization in Kurdistan (Iran), while rejecting all charges against his client of being affiliated to opposition Kurdish groups Mr.Ahmadi said: "Unfortunately there is a plot here to handicap Kurdish writers and give them guns and send them off for battle in the mountains". Mr.AHmadi continues" I see no logic in labeling civil activists as supporters of political parties, while there is no proof supporting this claim, and no crime committed to prove this and no pretext for the prison term".

Mr. Ahmadi refered to Yasser Golis' high marks in the national University exams said " Is it just to label such highly enthusiastic youth of our nation and dispose of them in different corners and prisons of our land and waste them, instead of encouraging them? What lies ahead for such youth, after they spend 15 years of their best and ripe years behind bars?".

Dr.Ahmadi adds; "I shall put on trial all judicial conscience with regards to this court decision". He then reiterated a point for the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Intelligence and said "As a jurist, I am not against clarifying crimes, but I like to ask Mr. Shahroodi and Mr. Ejei both with practical experiences in both domains, specially that the agent who has been directly involved in fabricating the case against my client has been a direct employee of Mr.Ejei ,to call my clients case from the Sanandaj tribunal and review it with a righteous conscience, the true Islamic and judicial values , so that the innocence of my client be revealed".

Yasser Goli is the first secretary of the Kurdish Student union of Iranian Universities and a civil activist in Sanandaj. It is now 13 months since Yasser has been arrested and imprisoned by the Intelligence of Sanandaj.

According to Dr. Nemat Ahmadi, he has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.