Madjid Ghaffari and Mehraneh Atashi
Case of Acclaimed Photographer is One of Hundreds Who Have “Disappeared” Into the Prison System
No information on renowned artist and photographer Mehraneh Atashi
February 3, 2010 – The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI)
The ICHRI reported that Mehraneh Atashi, an internationally recognized photographer, and her husband Majid Ghaffari were arrested at their home in Tehran on January 11, 2010. While the officials have not released any information on the charges, reports indicate that Mehran and Majid are being held in solitary cells in ward 209 of Evin Prison.
The two prisoners are not permitted to access a lawyer, and other than one short phone call made, they are also not allowed to contact their families.
“The arrest and detention of Mehraneh Atashi and her husband are, unfortunately, typical of hundreds of other arrests where Iranian citizens have been snatched by authorities and held without information or explanation, which are tactics of a terror state” said Aaron Rhodes, a spokesperson for the Campaign.
30 year old Mehraneh Atashi is a prominent and internationally acclaimed photo artist whose work has been displayed in major exhibitions around the world. She has worked for numerous newspapers, magazines, and television programs. However, in the past few years, she discontinued her job as a photojournalist to concentrate on her artistic photography.
The ICHRI had already warned about security officials widely arresting Iranian citizens without providing any documents that indicate their crime.
Aaron Rhodes emphasized that “Mehraneh Atashi and all the individuals who are arbitrarily arrested and detained are being deprived of their basic rights to freedom, even though it is guaranteed by paragraph 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that has also been signed by Iran.”
As reported by the Campaign previously, a standing, blanket arrest warrant is being used by Iranian security agents to massively detain Iranian citizens in the absence of evidence of criminal activity and analysis of specific cases by independent judicial authorities.
The United Nations General Assembly passed a Resolution in December 2009, which called for engagement by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions with regard to detained persons in the Islamic Republic.
The Campaign calls for the immediate release of Mehraneth Atashi, her husband Madjid Ghaffari, and of all who are being detained arbitrarily.
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