IRAN: A BRIEF REPORT ON CONDITION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS

INU staff,

Former political prisoner rearrested and sentenced to prison: Allah-Verdi Rouhi, 63-year-old former political prisoner, has been rearrested and sentenced to 12 years in prison by Revolutionary Court of the city of Karaj. He has previously been arrested several times and detained for long periods of time in solitary confinement under physical and psychological torture by interrogators of the intelligence ministry, but temporary released on heavy bail. The reason for his rearrest and sentencing is his children’s membership in PMOI and their presence in Liberty prison in Iraq, Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran reported on August 17. 

Former political prisoners sentenced to heavy imprisonment: Hassan Sadeqi, a political prisoner of the 1980s, and his wife Mrs. Fatemeh Mothana, also a political prisoner of the 1980s, have been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court presided by interim head of the branch, Ahmadzadeh. This court is under executive order of the intelligence ministry interrogators and has a reputation in issuing illegal and heavy sentences. These two former political prisoners have been detained previously on February 2013 after the agents of Intelligence ministry raided their home because they held a memorial ceremony for Mr. Sadeqi’s father, Gholam Hossein Sadeqi, a member of the PMOI who died last year on January 23 in Camp Liberty due to medical siege imposed on the camp by Iraqi suppressive forces. They were released temporary on heavy bail on February 2014 before they were summoned to the court.  

Prisoner stages hunger strike to protest inhumane prison condition: On Thursday August 14, Vali Mohammad Abravesh, a prisoner incarcerated in Ward 4 of Zahedan’s central prison was transferred to solitary confinement in quarantine section because he protested against inhumane condition of the prison. Immediately after his transfer, he staged a hunger strike in protest and is currently in poor health condition. This prisoner has been sentenced to four years imprisonement because of carrying guns, a charge he denies.    

Political prisoner transferred to Rajaei Shahr prison: On August 14, political prisoner Arzhang Davoudi was transferred to Ward 12 of Rajaei Shahr prison near Karaj after months of exile, solitary confinement and harassment. After spending more than 10 years in various prisons across Iran, he was recently sentenced to death by branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Karaj despite completing his original prison sentence. He was charged with “membership of Mojahedin (PMOI) and supporting the goals and activities of the group in prison” after the intelligence interrogators produced false documents against him. His home was also confiscated. He denies the charges. 

Another brutal raid on Evin’s Ward 350 by Khamenei’s henchmen: Following last April’s raid on Ward 350 of Evin prison, agents of Evin prison’s protection unit raided Ward 350 of the prison on Wednesday August 13 and under the pretext of conducting an inspection transferred 75 prisoners to Ward 7 of the quarantine section. During the inspection, the suppressive agents first transferred all prisoners to hall 2 of Ward 7, locked the doors and then destroyed most of the prisoners’ personal items and confiscated many of their belongings.

 

http://irannewsupdate.com/news/human-rights/1524-iran-a-brief-report-on-condition-of-political-prisoners.html