Rights activist Dr. Firoozi under severe pressure in Evin

Human rights activist Dr. Firoozi is under severe physical and psychological pressure in Evin prison to accept false allegations.

RAHANA – Human rights activist, Dr. Hesam Firoozi is continually under severe pressure in Tehran’s Evin prison to accept false allegations. Following a prison visit in March, Dr. Firoozi’s wife said that he had lost about 20 kilograms in less than a month.

A recently released prisoner of Evin’s Ward 2A informed RAHANA, that Dr. Firoozi has been subject to harsh physical and psychological torture to confess and accept false allegations.

According to the released prisoner, other human rights activists are also under pressure and are being tortured at Ward 2A, which is under the supervision of the Revolutionary Guards. Currently a number of rights activists are detained in Ward 2A, including Abdolreza Ahmadi, Abolfazl Abedini, Alireza Firoozi, Milad Ebrahimian, and Mohammad Reza Lotfi, amongst others.

Blogger and human rights activist, Dr. Hesam Firoozi was arrested and taken to Evin on March 3, 2010, during a wave of arrests targeting human rights activists nationwide.

Dr. Firoozi has only called his family once since his arrest. On March 22nd, his wife visited him with the presence of [security] agents. Since that date his family has had no news of him and is increasingly concerned about his condition. Judicial authorities refuse to answer the family’s inquiries.

Abolfazl Abedini’s Mother Writes Open Letter to Sadegh Larijani

Clicking on the picture will lead you to the petition for Abolfaz Abedini. Free Abolfaz Abedini!

SIGN THE PETITION FOR ABOLFAZL ABEDINI

Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) – The mother of journalist and human rights activist Abolfazl Abedini Nasr wrote an open letter to the minister of Iran’s judiciary, requesting a fair resolve to the tormenting situation of Abolfazl Abedini in prison.

Abolfazl Abedini Nasr’s home was raided and he was brutally beaten and subdued on March 3, 2010 in the city of Ahvaz. He was later transferred to Evin prison.

Open Letter from Asareh Eyvazi to Sadegh Larijani :

Honorable Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani, head of the judicial system in the Islamic Republic of Iran:

With regards and wishing you a happy New Year. I am the mother of journalist Abolfazl Abedini. I have been witness to his imprisonment while he [continues to suffer] from poor health. His physical and emotional condition is questionable.

For five years, Abolfazl has been arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and detained in solitary confinement. [Each time] he has posted bail for his freedom with the help of compassionate individuals. In the court hearings, Abolfazl was never found guilty and he was always cleared of all charges.

What crime has he committed that he deserves to be tortured? Is defending the rights of Haft Tapeh factory workers, drivers union workers, and other organizations a crime? Is highlighting the problems in our country a crime?

I want you, the Supreme judge, with all fairness and in the presence of God, to pay special attention to my 28 year old child who suffers from a severe heart problem as a result of being held captive for the past five years. I would like you to resolve the abeyance.

I want you to be advised that if anything happens to [my son], you will be held responsible before God, the merciful.

I should also mention that Abolfazl is [currently] held in solitary confinement in ward 2A of the IRGC section of Evin prison. He has been denied the right to meet with a lawyer. It has been a month now that Abolfazl is being interrogated.

With respect,

Asareh Eyvazi, the suffering mother of detained journalist Abolfazl Abedini Nasr.

Translation by: Roxanne K | Persian2English.com

Several Journalists Severely Ill in Evin Prison

Reporters Without Borders is extremely worried about the appalling conditions in which Iranian prisoners of conscience, including many journalists, are being held. The authorities continue to detain them arbitrarily even when they are ailing and in very poor physical or psychological health.

“The lives of many journalists are now in danger,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Emadoldin Baghi, Badrolssadat Mofidi, Mehdi Mahmudian and Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand are seriously ill. We call for their unconditional and definitive release. We appeal to the Iranian authorities to act so that these lives are no longer at risk. We will hold them responsible for any misfortune.”

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Interview with woman on death row Akram Mahdavi: “I am Happy with Death”

Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR) – In August 2006, Akram Mahdavi’s [second] husband was killed and she is a co-defendant in the case. She recently wrote a letter to Haj Kazem, the director of Rajai Shahr prison. Mahdavi stated that she “cannot endure the tortures in prison anymore.” She has demanded for her case to be reviewed as soon as possible. She has also requested to be executed if she does not receive a pardon from the victim’s family.

[Translator note: In Islamic Sharia law, the family of a murder victim has the right to choose between Qesas, an eye for an eye (execution), or blood money in exchange for the life of the accused to be spared]

The interview has been conducted by Saba Vasefi, an activist for the rights of women and children.

Vasefi: Why did you attempt to kill your husband?

Mahdavi: I was 13 years old when I was forced to marry my cousin. When I realized he had also married a wealthier older woman, we got divorced. After he became a [drug] addict, I gained custody of my daughter. I took my eleven year old daughter with me to my second husband’s home, but she was always complaining about her step-father. She said that he “[sexually] touched and abused” her. Even one night, he went in my daughter’s bedroom [insinuating that some form of misconduct took place].

My [second] husband was 75 years old and I was 21. I was never happy with him, nor liked him. I was poor so I endured his harassment. However, when the safety of my daughter was in stake, I could not tolerate it any longer.

My family is really poor. I have five brothers and two sisters. One of my sister’s has hemiplegia and I have epilepsy. My family was just thinking of a way to have one less dependant. My second husband did not inform me he also has other wives; his children told me about them. One of his wives is in Khomein (in the province of Markazi, central Iran), the other one lives in Tehran. Another one is the mother of the children who are now seeking Qesas. Their mother has passed away. I was his fourth wife. Deep down, I was happy with my second husband. He was taking care of me after all. If it weren’t for him, who would have supported me and my daughter?

Vasefi: Did you ever try to get a divorce from your second husband?

Mahdavi: Yes, I tried, but I didn’t succeed. I remember when I went to the court, the judge asked, “What hasn’t he given you that you want a divorce?” I replied, “It’s not a matter of finance. He is 75 years old and I am embarrassed to walk with him in the street. [My family] forced me to marry this old man. I tell everyone he is my father-in-law. My daughter is young and he is subjecting her to inappropriate conduct.” The judge, however, did not listen to me at all. He only addressed my husband’s concerns.

Vasefi: Why did your husband not agree to give you a divorce?

Mahdavi: Well, I was younger than his other wives.

Vasefi: How did you murder your husband?

Mahdavi: My accomplice brought me 30 Diazepam pills. My daughter went to school and my husband went to work. At 11:00am, my accomplice came over and hid in the closet. I had changed my mind, but he encouraged me [to go forward with the plan]. He reminded me of my husband’s bad traits. At 1:00pm, my husband returned home. After he drank the beverage containing the pills, he fell asleep.

My accomplice advised me to stab him. I replied that I cannot. He responded, “If you don’t, I will kill you along with your husband.” I threw the knife and it hit my husband’s neck. He woke up and said, “Akram, has somebody broken in?” I replied, “No.” Then, my accomplice stabbed him 36 times. After killing my husband, he punched the wall with his bloody hand and said, “He was a tough one to kill.”

I fled home and left my daughter with my aunt. When I returned, the accomplice had burned everything. Out of fear, I fled to the north of Iran. I called my daughter. She had also drunk from the same beverage. She was crying, “Haji is dead, I don`t know who killed Haji.”

Vasefi: Do you think the sentence issued to you is a fair one?

Mahdavi: The court should not have condemned me to Qesas (the death penalty). I did not even stab him. The accomplice should have received it.

Vasefi: Why did your accomplice insist on murdering your husband?

Mahdavi: I think he knew my husband and had some feud over a bad account. My husband was an antique seller.

Vasefi: How were you arrested?

Mahdavi: I turned myself in. Three days later, my dad took me from Tehran to Azna so I can begin my detention in Lorestan, the province I am from. When I went to the justice department in Azna, the [officials] told me, “You have to turn yourself in to the Tehran Ministry of Intelligence, because they are looking for you.” Then, we had to return to Tehran. At 12:00am, my dad turned me in to the Shapoor [police station].

Vasefi: How many days were you held in the Shapoor [police station]?

Mahdavi: I was there nine days and I was constantly punched and kicked.

Vasefi: Given that you handed yourself in, how did the head case officer treat you?

Mahdavi: The officer in charge of my case was Mr. Darzi. He beat me up. They hung me upside down from the ceiling in a dark room. They broke three of my teeth.

Darzi would hit me in the face and ask [rhetorically], “You want a younger husband?” One time, I slapped him back because of the insults he was using against me. [As a consequence], they hung me from my hands, which were handcuffed behind my back. After that, they took me to the Vozara detention centre. There was an old lady who, God bless her soul, gave me food and water.

I would like to ask why no trial has been held for Mr. Darzi? Why has he not been punished? Where in the law does it state that when an accused is arrested, you have the right to beat her up savagely? My crime was clear. I even confessed and turned myself in. The punishment is also clear. Where in the law does it state that the [prison officials] have the right to beat a person like they are not human? Mr. Darzi insulted me by using vulgar language that can only suit himself. I did what I did to defend my daughter. If there is a God and a law, why does it only apply to us? God and the law have to be shown to them as well. Where in the law does it state that the interrogator is permitted to make a pass at the accused? Darzi told me, “Be my Siqeh [a wife for a Shia Islamic temporary marriage].”

Vasefi: When you complained about Mr. Darzi, did his behaviour change toward you?

Mahdavi: My file got handed over to case officer Boostani. He was a respected man. He would only beat me up and did not use vulgar words.

Vasefi: How many years have you been in jail?

Mahdavi: Five years. I am 34 years old. The victim’s family wants [approximately] $30,000 [USD]. I do not even have anybody who would come and visit me, let alone put that sum of money together. I am happy with death.

Vasefi: By the way, how did they find your accomplice?

Mahdavi: I did not have his address. I didn’t even know he had a family. Before they found my accomplice Behnam Zarei, they insisted that I committed the murder with the assistance of my brother. Then I remembered once I drove with my accomplice on the Qom Highway and we had a car accident. He had given his insurance and personal information to the tow truck company.

Vasefi: After your divorce from your first husband, did you work? Are you skilled in a specific trade?

Mahdavi: With the help of one of my friends, I gained a certificate in hair styling and I opened a salon.

Vasefi: Have you ever been taken to the gallows?

Mahdavi: Yes, once.

Vasefi: How was the exectuion stopped?

Mahdavi: One night at 6:00pm, Ms. Esmaeil Zadeh sent for me. She said that I had a trial date. I knew she was lying, and they wanted to carry out the sentence. I said my goodbye’s and asked for forgiveness. They took me to the solitary hall. That night, October 10, 2009, Behnood Shojaee was with me too. I went to perform the ablution [Ghusl]. At 3 AM, they took me to the gallows. When we were there, the director of the women’s ward told me, “Your lawyer has been able to obtain consent from the victim’s family to postpone your execution date.” I resembled a dead soul. They took me back to the ward. I will never forget that my family did not even come to be with me during the [attempted] execution. If they had not discriminated against their daughters, I would not be here [in the first place].

Translation by: Siavosh J. | Persian2English.com

Jafar Panahi’s Family Writes Letter: “Maybe You Are More Free in Prison”

Director Jafar Panahi’s wife and two children published a letter for him.

Jafar Panahi was arrested in early March at his house. He is currently detained in Evin prison.

The Kaleme website reports that each member of the family wrote their own personal text.

The following is the full text of the letter:

No, Jafar! the answer is no. You asked all of us as a joke and we all ignored the question, until the moment they came to our house and answered it. They were in our house and we were each in a corner. They searched everywhere in the house, but we were still standing in our corners with our hands bound. [Your] computer, camera, films, notes, and notebooks were all taken away, but it didn’t matter. I just wanted them to not be there so we can look at each other for a moment. I knew your eyes were looking for me and Solmaz.

When they were done, we finally found each other. All you could do was raise your bound hands and flash me a smile. God knows I did my best to make my smile bigger and to raise my hands higher. I thought of telling you, “It doesn’t matter, at least we are with each other: me, you, and Solmaz.” It is alright, we are always with each other. But God knows how hard I tried to put a smile on my face to hide my sadness. You always jokingly asked us, “Can one not be free in his house?”

==

Auntie died when I was little. I remember looking at you and thinking, Why is dad not sad that his sister has died? It took me a while to understand that you might be sad, but you never cried. You might be sad for a lot of things: for them [the regime] not letting your movies to be screened, for you staying home for four years, for enduring thousands of threats and bans, for them [the regime] not letting you travel abroad, for them interrogating you, and for them asking you not to think about and talk about what matters to you. Even your closest friends have asked you to be silent.

There may have been points when the smallest things in life made you sad, but you never cried. Whenever you had a reason to cry, you didn’t, until the day when you finally cried. I never thought I would be the reason for your sadness.

The night when they tried to take us away from our home, you wanted to talk. One of them was standing above us in the corridor. He was standing there for you to finish what you were saying. He made you nervous. You raised your hands to caress my face, but it wasn’t possible with bound hands. That is when you cried, “Solmaz, I am sorry that this happened because of me. Promise me you won’t be scared. Please don’t be scared.” I laughed. Me and fear? Hell no! For what? ”Daddy, promise you won’t smoke, ok? It would be a shame [to smoke] now that you have quit.” I tried my best to talk and laugh so I hid my sadness. You could have cried all these years, but you didn’t. And now, you stand in front of me with a wet face.

==

If you think that while you have been away I am feeling better, you are wrong. I am feeling maybe worse, but not better. Nobody bothers to ask me, “Panah, why are you so silent? You don’t don’t talk to anyone.” We didn’t talk much. I thought I knew better than anybody why you didn’t feel like talking; you, who loves cinema, were not working and had to stay home. I understood, but I was silent too and didn’t tell you any of this. That night I walked the streets late. I was thinking about you finally making movies [again]. I was happy that you made the decision [to not make films], because film making for you meant the return of energy and life and breaking the damn silence. I walked and thought that I will be with you in a few minutes.

I was happy when I was nearing the house. The alley was crowded. A crowd of people stood there with their wireless phones. There were also two black vans. I hid behind a tree at the entrance of the alley and looked on. Then some people began to emerge [from the house] with bound hands. All the film crew boarded the van, so did you, mom, and Solmaz. I was shocked. The vans reversed out of the alley and drove off. It was all like a movie. In the next scene, I was in a disrupted and empty house. I noticed film equipment and a movie they never let you finish remaining [in the house]. The [unfinished] movie was a narrative of a family. It was different than your other movies that took place in the heart of society. If the movie was made, it could have been the most personal movie you ever made. The final scene [of the movie I was in] was of silence that filled the house.

==

A lot of people came to our house. We each sat in a corner. I had my hands on my feet while I looked at them. I was thinking, what kind of a New Year is this? A few minutes before the New Year, my hands are bound and I feel more alone than ever sitting here without you. Solmaz and I were released a few days after [our arrest], but you remained detained. This is how we spent the last month of the year: a few hours a day in front of the prison waiting for you. The families of prisoners who were being released stood in front of the prison gates. We all clapped for them and they raised their hands and waved the sign of freedom.

We were waiting for you to come down the stairs with your free hands in the air. We came every day and the number of people in front of the prison decreased. On the afternoon of the last day of the year, your cell mate was released. We were alone standing by the closed prison gate. What kind of a new year is this that they didn’t even let us spend it with you, even in front of the prison gate? They sent us home with humilation and insults. We thought of you at that moment in the new year.

All our friends came to our house for the New Year, but this only hurt us more because you were not there. Even if the entire world came to see us, we would still feel your absence. Two minutes before the New Year, I went on the balcony and cried. You are not here and I have no energy to smile to hide my sadness. It is as if nobody is ever free. When the New Year comes, I will be walking with you in prison.

==

There is always a reason to cry. Dad, I am not like you to see the reasons and still keep intact. They hurt you and I cry. They take you to prison and I cry. You stay in prison and I cry. The New Year comes while you are imprisoned and I cry. I live in a place where my New Year gift is my dad imprisoned. This is the first year that I didn’t want the New Year to come. And now that it has, I wish for it to end soon.

Holidays are more bitter than work days. During work days, at least there is hope to go forward and be free. But holidays mean total hopelessness. Sometimes, one person can fill the feeling of solitude. When that person is not there, and even if thousands of others are, you still feel more alone. There are a lot of friends in our house, but my attention is on the empty place [where you would have sat]. Do you remember how much we used to fight over that space? When you weren’t around, I would sit there and use the Internet. And now the chair is empty, but I have no desire to sit in it. I told you that there is always a reason to cry. Just looking at the chair makes me cry. I am not like you dad, not at all.

==

Since you left, I have become worse. I don’t talk with people much. I walk the dead alleys on our street. I walk around the house. I feel everywhere I go is like a movie scene and I am always present when the film crew gets arrested and taken away. With every moment of silence without you, I grow and realize that you have always been imprisoned. You told me once, “When they let me work, it is like I am in prison.”

Now I wish to see you so I can talk to you and let you know that I understand that you have been imprisoned before your arrest and that is why you didn’t talk to people. I understand that for someone who regarded cinema as part of their life, not working is like a prison. Wherever you went could have been a great spot for filming, but they didn’t let you work.

Now you are actually in prison and sitting in your cell. I don’t know, maybe you are more free now.

Happy New Year

Tahereh Saeedi (Panahi’s wife), Solmaz Panahi (Panahi’s daughter), and Panah Panahi (Panahi’s son)

Translation by: Arash Azizi | Persian2English.com

Baha’i Brothers Arrested for Second Time

Human Rights Activities News Agency (HRANA) – Two Baha’i citizens Soheil Rouhanifard and Behnam Rouhanifard have been arrested. According to HRANA, they were arrested once before earlier in the year and sentenced to nine months in prison by the Revolutionary Court in Yazd. They were [eventually] released.

On March 29, 2010 at 8:00pm, they were re-arrested in Yazd by security officials.

Translation by: Omid G. | Persian2English.com

Quranic Sciences Professor Arrested During Funeral for Montazer’s Wife

Professor Rahmatollah Bastani arrested during the funeral for Ayatollah Montazeri’s wife.

RAHANA – 51 year old professor Rahmatollah Bastani was arrested on March 28, 2010 after attending the funeral for Mahsoltan Rabani, Ayatollah Montazeri’s wife.

Bastani was released on the same day after interrogation, but he was arrested again on March 29, 2010 after the Ministry of Intelligence in Qom telephoned him.

Rahmatollah Bastani lives in Qom and holds a master’s degree in theology from the University of Tehran. He has been teaching Quranic Sciences in Sistan and Baluchestan University for more than 20 years.

The [News agency] Jaras reports that Bastani used to study electrical engineering in Ariamehr Industrial University (now called Sharif University of Technology) before the Revolution. After the Revolution, he received his master’s in theology and Islamic science.

When the universities were closed down after the Revolution, he worked for a time in the prime minister’s office under Rajayi and Mousavi.

More than 30 people were arrested at the funeral. More than ten people are yet to be released [from detention].

Translation by: Arash Azizi | Persian2English.com