Imprisoned activist Bahareh Hedayat From Evin Prison: “This is illegal sir!”

Prominent women’s rights and student activist, Bahareh Hedayat has written a letter from prison to her husband Amin Ahmadian.

Bahareh penned this letter after finding out that despite the fact that under the new Penal Code she had completed her sentence, and a release order had been issued for her by the Court of Appeals, the prosecution illegally had kept her in prison and had illegally enforced a two year suspended sentence which dates back to 2007.

Following is the translation of Bahareh Hedayat’s letter to her husband Amin:

It was in the afternoon, I was sleeping, a sleep as if you put your body in a corner and told it, “Stay right here, I’ll be right back”, and then you yourself went wandering in the alleys of your mind’s imagination; imagining a simple life…

“Get up Bahar, you must go to the sentence enforcement office”.

While my body got dressed and went down the stairs, I myself also reached the bottom of the stairs & said, “We’ll go in together….”

In the sentence enforcement office they showed me a hand written letter that said my release order had been issued four days ago, and just today my two years suspended sentence was enforced….

I am sitting down and looking at the letter but my body is standing up speaking with the man behind the desk: “My release order was sent here on Saturday and you did not implement it?! Then under what sentence have you kept me here in the last 4 days? By a collective magic trick?”

“This is illegal sir!” No not illegal, it’s a fraud affecting our lives….Just as usual.

“See Mrs. Hedayat, even if they had released you, with this same sentence, they would have re-arrested you, so what would have been the point?”

“No they couldn’t have, it had legality issues”…

“How long is two years, Amin? How many missing you? How many wandering around? Anyhow, it’s not mister so and so’s fault either. They have given him instructions, he is just following orders.

I get up and go stand by the window…You are somewhere out there, somewhere close, in one of those streets…

“I will file a complaint about this man”.

“You have the right to file complaint about anyone you wish”…and then he laughs. And I think about our lives.

“See my dear, the prosecution had initiated this case in mid June, and a few days would have not made any difference.”

If our lives had a shape, it would have been a sine curve. A tangent graph with two irrelevant axes. An axis that moves step by step; 4, 5/4, 5, do you see the line? You can see the beginning and the end: 6, 7, 8; Step by step, point by point, year by year.

I put my finger on 6 and draw a line to 8: two numbers, two years: one can read books, can write, can translate, you can even play around the entire time.

Even if you don’t do anything, the time will pass. But that one is a scary axis, a progressive continuity. An endless line with no visible end to it, it seems that it goes to the deepest part of the chambers of the heart, to all the invisible yearnings, home, light, routines, countless small dreams.

The teacher says, “leave it be, there is no end to it, it’s infinite, an endless line has no number”.

I hear the Judge’s voice from afar, clean cut, & prayers performed, “Well this is it, goodbye”.

I think about you, and all the light switches that you will have to turn on by yourself….

The teacher says, “The weight of your change is in this axis…it has no numbers…you can only imagine it”.

The office hour is over, the prison compound is quiet, everybody is on the way back to their homes: “Is there anything you want?” They get some fruit, bread, tomatoes…

“I am here”,
“You are back”…

Weightless words, a simple joy, and a voice that asks, and a voice that answers, in a home with lights turned on…

Where are you now Amin? How have you been enduring this, damn it?…

“Let’s go Mrs. Hedayat”. My body and the guard are going back to the ward…I remain behind right here…by the window…in the alleys of my imagination…

Bahareh Hedayat
Evin prison
August 22, 2015

Source: Keleme

On Hunger Strike Dr. Mehdi Khazali, Suffered A Heart Attack And Admitted To A Hospital

Following is translation of a Facebook post by Dr. Mehdi Khazali’s son, Mohamad Saleh Khazali:

It is now 3:00 am on the first day of Ramadan.

Friday night I heard that father is in dire health. I became very upset and tried very hard to get help for him.

Today (Saturday June 28), they informed us that my father has been taken to the emergency room at Imam Khomeini hospital.

Immediately we went to the hospital. When we arrived, I met with a very frail father who has lost about 18 kilos in 8 days of being on hunger strike, and whose voice could barely be heard because of a dry mouth & throat.

Dr Mehdi Khazali – June 28, 2014

The doctors insisted on connecting him to an IV but he refused.

About an hour ago we received the results of his EKG. They told him, yesterday, when he stopped breathing, he had suffered a heart attack and must immediately be admitted to CCU.

As a result of not drinking water, his blood had thickened and this is the reason for the heart attack.

It was the responsibility of Rejaei Shahr prison’s infirmary to attend to him, but unfortunately their job has become attending to the executed and doing the ritual wash of the dead. They are not familiar with providing care for the ill.

My father asked me about the news coverage of his case. He said that he is doing his duty, and hopes to God that those on the outside perform their duty well.

I complained about the news coverage regarding his case and told him that the domestic sites totally censor any news about him, because they have been ordered not to publish anything about him.

But I don’t understand why the news sites outside of the country are not giving his case much coverage.

I have one thing to say: Those who doubt and question his hunger strike, please go to the emergency room at Imam Khomeini hospital and see for yourselves what being on hunger strike has done to him.

You can then see a person who until last week was mountain climbing, and now in one week’s time barely has the strength to walk.

On the first dawn of Ramadan, I ask all our friends and associated to please pray for the health and release of my father and the release of all the political prisoners and for our society to gain wisdom.

And it is only for us to deliver the Manifest Message. (Quran, Ya-Sin: 17)

Mohamad Saleh Khazali
Son of Dr. Mehdi Khazali
Sunday June 29, 2014
3:40 am

Dr. Mehdi Khazali was arrested by the Intelligence Ministry’s special forces on June 21, while he was on a family trip in Mazandaran (N. Iran). He was transferred to Rejaei Shahr prison and incarcerated in the death row prisoners ward. He started his hunger strike upon arrest.

Source: Azadegan

Kazem Barjesteh Sentenced By Appellate Court In Absentia While Imprisoned In Evin

The Tehran Appellate Court has upheld the 5 year imprisonment sentence of Green Movement activist, Kazem Barjesteh on charges of assembly and collusion with intent to act against the national security.

Simultaneously with the Attorney General’s escalating threats against the Iranian Diaspora who are planning to return to Iran, Branch 54 of the Appellate Court upheld the 5 years imprisonment sentence of Kazem Barjesteh in absentia.

Kazem Barjesteh, an activist in Mir Hossein Mousavi’s 2009 presidential campaign, was arrested on February 16, 2014 at Imam Khomeini International Airport upon his return to Iran, and was transferred to Ward 350 of Evin prison.

Last month, Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Moghayeseh, refused Barjesteh’s request for a hearing to protest his sentence that was issued in absentia by the lower court.

Based on this unusual judicial process, the 5 year imprisonment sentence of Kazem Barjesteh was upheld by the Appellate Court, while he has been imprisoned for more than four months, and has never been given the opportunity to appear before a court to defend himself.

This political prisoner and his defense attorney were never even given any information as to which branch of the Appellate Court would review his case.

This unusual action by the court occurred while Kazem Barjesteh was not even given a chance to defend himself. Yesterday the Attorney General made a statement saying that it’s to the best of interest of those who have left the country and are under indictment to return to Iran. He further said that he suggests those under a warrant to return to Iran to follow up on their cases.

Kazem Barjesteh, an activist in the campaign headquarters of Mir Hossein Mousavi’s 2009 presidential election, was arrested during the bloody events of Ashura (December 2009). He was released on bail after 35 days of imprisonment.

During his initial trial he was not able to appear in court to defend himself due to his living in Germany as a post-graduate Philosophy student.

This illegal sentencing process deprived a defendant’s basic right to defend himself.

The Attorney General, Mohseni Ejei, in Monday’s news conference, announced that 27 people connected with the Sedition Movement have been indicted, and their cases forwarded to court for further action.

He said that the court has issued rulings for 13 people, of whom 4-5 of them were tried and found guilty in absentia. He further said that the court has not ruled yet for 14 people.

Source: Kaleme

Unprecedented 123 Years of Imprisonment For 8 People Active On Facebook In Iran

The Tehran Revolutionary Court, in another illegal action, sentenced 8 men and women, active on Facebook to more than 123 years of imprisonment.

Since the authorities have been unable to have any influence on society in trying to ban Facebook, with this action, they seem to be trying to create panic among social network users, and are using this to create and influence an atmosphere of oppression in cyber-space.

According to the opposition site Kaleme, these people who were arrested last year and were interrogated at the IRGC Ward 2-A in Evin prison, were tried and sentenced collectively to more than 123 years of imprisonment in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Moghayeseh,.

The sentences issued by lower court are as follows:

1- Roya Saberinejad Nobakht; 20 years of imprisonment

2- Masoud Ghasem Khani; 19 years and 91 days of imprisonment

3- Fariborz Kardarfar; 18 years and 91 days of imprisonment

4- Sayd Masoud Sayed Talebi; 15 years and one day of imprisonment

5- Amin (Farid) Akramipour; 13 years of imprisonment

6- Naghmeh Shahi Savandi Shirazi; 7 years and 91 days of imprisonment

7- Mehdi Rayshahri; 11 years of imprisonment

8- Amir Golestani; 20 years of imprisonment

These 8 people were charged with assembly and collusion against the national security, insulting the Supreme Leader, insulting the authorities, propaganda against the regime, blasphemy, and spreading lies and disturbing the public’s peace.

The Revolutionary Court, based on Article 134 of the new Islamic Republic’s Penal Code has issued these sentences, giving them more than half of the maximum penalty. But, according to this same Article, only the sentence for the charge with the highest maximum penalty is enforceable. In this case, that would be the charge of assembly and collusion against the national security, which carries 7 1/2 years of imprisonment.

While the issue of free access to the Internet has become one of the main challenges between the hardliner Judiciary and the administration of Hassan Rouhani and considering the inability of the hardliners to influence the cyber space activities of the people, they have resorted to giving these heavy sentences to make an example and to create an atmosphere of fear in order to stop the people from online activities.

Kaleme had previously reported regarding the IRGC’s scenario and arresting of cyber activists in the summer and fall of 2013. Those people were arrested in Tehran, Shiraz and Sari. They were all held at IRGC’s Ward 2-A in Evin prison where they were interrogated and tortured. Currently they are being held in Evin prison and Gharchak prison for women in Varamin.

Despite the fact that the IRGC interrogators have charged these 8 people with various false charges, that the Court used to convict them, Kaleme’s reporter investigations showed that activities of these 8 people were limited to criticism of the ruling establishment’s policies, poems and songs of protest, spreading the news of the events of post-2009 presidential election and political-social satires.

These activists, under pressure by the interrogators and with false promises of leniency, gave false confessions on national TV, apologizing for their actions, voicing regret for their Facebook activities, and warned about the ill effects of these social networking sites.

Source: Kaleme

Hossein Ronaghi’s Father Describing Evin’s Visiting Room Today: Everyone Was Crying. They Have Beaten Our Children

Following is an interview by the opposition site Kaleme with the father of imprisoned blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki after today’s visit in Evin with his son:

Mr. Ronaghi, today was the weekly visiting day for Ward 350 prisoners, did you visit your son? did you see your son?

Currently we are in front of Evin prison. I did have a visit with Hossein. The families of the political prisoners are by the gate outside of prison. They threw everyone out. There is no information about 20-25 prisoners who were injured and taken outside of the prison. Their families are here outside without any information. They had beaten my son, they beat him in the stomach.

Did your request for follow up from the Parliament members have any results?

Yesterday we met the Parliament members. Mr. Motahari was supposed to come here and see for himself, but unfortunately no one has come yet.

Is it clear who was responsible for the attack on the Ward 350 political prisoners?

The order for the attack came from Colonel (Faezi?). They savagely beat our children. He has threatened to do it again. The lives of our children are in danger.

Did the prisoners say this themselves, because the Prisons Bureau has completely denied this attack? What did the prisoners exactly tell you?

They sent a number of plainclothes forces and told them to beat our children. I saw my son; he said their lives are in danger. I plead and ask for help from all people, all the institutions, and whomever that could help. Our children’s lives are in danger. We must do something before something horrible happens. I ask the Representatives and MP Motahari to take immediate action.

How were you and the families of the political prisoners were treated by the officials today?

They threw us out of and currently we are standing outside of the prison. We are surrounded by guards. The family members are upset, everyone is crying. The families came here today and saw their children having been beaten. The conditions here today was pretty horrible.

Source: Kaleme

Unprecedented Violence Against Evin Political Prisoners Left Tens Injured And Moved to Solitary Confinement

Opposition site Kaleme reports in an unprecedented violent attack tens of Ward 350 political prisoners were injured and moved to solitary confinement.

In the raid on Ward 350 of Evin prison by intelligence unit of IRGC, the Intelligence Ministry’s agents and 100 Bureau of Prison security guards the political prisoners at Ward 350 were beaten by batons resulting in more than 30 of the prisoners sustaining injuries and 4 of the prisoners taken to a hospital outside of Evin prison.

Today’s attack of the political prisoners started after the prisoners protested and resisted violent inspection of the Ward. The entire incident which lasted for five hours was video taped by the guards.

More than 30 prisoners were injured, four were transferred to a hospital outside of the prison due to fractures and bleeding and 32 were transferred to solitary confinement after being beaten.

Omid Behrouzi sustained a ruptured vein, Esmaeil Barzegari sustained broken ribs, & Ali Amini sustained a fractured skull according to reports by Kaleme.

An unnamed prisoner suffered a heart attack & transferred to CCU in a hospital outside of the prison and a number of prisoners sustained broken arms & legs.

The prisoners that were moved to solitary confinement were handcuffed and blindfolded and forced to pass through a human tunnel of guards beating them as they were being taken to solitary confinement at Ward 240. The status and condition of those prisoners are unknown at this time.

Political prisoners, Abdolfatah Soltani,Mohamad Amin Hadavi,Saeed Matinpour,Behnam Ebrahimzadeh,Behzad Arabgol & Houtan Dolati are among those who were moved to solitary confinement.

Source: Kaleme

Mohsen Rahmani Arrested For Raising Mousavi’s Poster Sentenced To 7 Years

Activist Mohsen Rahmani who was arrested by security forces for raising a Mir Hossein Mousavi poster at a Hassan Rouhani presidential campaign rally on June 1, 2013, has been sentenced to 7 years imprisonment.

During imprisonment at Ward 209, Rahmani was under severe pressure and torture. Rahmani’s release was delayed by Ward 209 officials, despite bail having been set and posted, due to his body bearing signs of assault and torture. He was eventually released on bail after 50 days in Ward 209.

His case was later tried at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Moghayeseh, which led to sentencing him to 7 years imprisonment.

On his Facebook, Rahmani described the charges on which he was convicted on as, “Insulting the Supreme Leader and Imam Khomeini in cyberspace, assembly and collusion with intent to act against the national security through cooperation with A.E. and the anti-revolutionary media, propaganda against the Islamic Republic and disturbing peace and order in a presidential election campaign rally by disorderly conduct and chanting slogans in support of the sedition leader.”

Sources: HRANA & Kaleme

Protesting Dervish Women Attacked, Beaten & Many Arrested And Taken To Evin Prison

During today’s Gonabadi Dervishes protest, the protesting women were attacked and beaten with batons by security forces, resulting in a number of injuries. The injured women were arrested among the other protesters arrested today and were taken to Evin prison.

Gonabadi Dervishes news site, Majzooban Noor reports 250 people were arrested during the last two days of the Dervishes protest. The site has published the names of 173 people arrested who have been identified so far.

Among those taken to Evin prison with their mothers, were 3 children ages 1.5 to 11 years old.

The following female protesters were injured during the attack by the security guard but were taken to Evin prison regardless of their injuries:

– Parisa Islami, sister of incarcerated Dervishs’ lawyer Amir Islami. She suffered broken teeth as a result of being hit by the security guards.

– Attorney, Mrs. Allaei. she suffered skull fracture and severe facial bleeding.

– Manzar Malek suffered a broken hand.

– Nazila Nouri, a physician, and Sepideh Moradi daughter of incarcerated Gonabadi Dervish member Hamid Reza Moradi, both suffered severe bleeding from their head and face.

Source: Majzooban Noor

Student Activist Maryam Shafipour Has Been Sentenced To 7 Years Imprisonment

Expelled Qazvin International University student activist, Maryam Shafipour has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran has sentenced Marymam Shafipour to seven years imprisonment on charges of “assembly and collusion with intent to act against the national security”, and “spreading propaganda against the regime”.

This banned from education student has been incarcerated at Evin prison since August 27, 2013. She was kept in solitary confinement for more than two months before she was moved to Ward 350. She was deprived of seeing her lawyer during her incarceration in solitary confinement.

Maryam Shafipour was convicted and sentenced to a total of 7 years imprisonment on the following charges:

1- Five years imprisonment on the charge of assembly and collusion with intent to act against the national security

2- One year imprisonment on the charge of membership in the Right to Education Council.

3- One year imprisonment on the charge of spreading propaganda against the regime.

Maryam Shafipour is the first student activist arrested after the election of Hassan Rouhani as president of Iran.

Maryam Shafipour was a Mehdi Karoubi campaign activist in the 2009 presidential election.

Previously it was reported by her family that she was beaten by her male interrogators during interrogation sessions for refusing to cooperate with them in giving a false confession.

Sources: HRANA & Saham News

Mohamad Metaji arrested for Texting MP’s Asking For Release Of Green Leaders, His Parents Summoned

Parents of Mohamad Metaji who sent text messages to MP Hadad Adel and other MPs asking for the release of under house arrest Green leaders have been summoned to Branch 2 of Evin Court.

Following text message sent to MP Hadad Adel by Mohamad Metaji in support of the Green Movement leaders, the magistrate at Branch 2 of Evin Court, Alireza Khorshidi issued an arrest warrant for him on December 24, 2013 which led to his arrest and imprisonment at Ward 350 of Evin prison.

Despite Judge Khorshidi issuing order for release-on-bail for Metaji, not only was he not released, but his mother was summoned to court on January 14, 2014 and interrogated. Initially, magistrate Khorshidi had intended to issue arrest warrant for Metaji’s mother, but ultimately released her on bail.

Magistrate Khorshidi also summoned Metaji’s father on January 15, and threatened to issue an arrest warrant for him.

Concerns are that magistrate Khorshidi, like many other judges in the Judiciary system operates under the influence of the Intelligence apparatuses, such that the result of sending a text message to an MP led to the arrest of the sender and the summoning of his parents.

The fact that a request made by a citizen from a Parliament member, however bold it may have been, was faced with such harsh reaction from the officials shows the lack of interest on the part of the Representatives in the voters’ wishes, and shows their collaboration with the intelligence apparatuses in pressing charges against the citizens.

This sort of behavior and reaction from the officials shows the sheer intolerance of the ruling system for any criticism from the citizens.

Source: Kaleme