Concerns Over the Head of the Freedom Movement of Iran

In an interview with RoozOnline, family members of the secretary general of the Freedom Movement of Iran, Nehzate Azadi, expressed their concerns about the physical health of its leader Ibrahim Yazdi, and warned that the responsibility for his health and condition rests with the judiciary and security establishment of the Islamic republic of Iran.

Ibrahim Yazdi’s son Khalil and his son in law Mehdi Noorbakhsh told Rooz that this political activist continued to be held in the solitary confinement ward 209 of Evin prison and that at the last visitation that they had with the prisoner, his was in very poor health.

Yazdi was arrested on October 1, along with a number of other members of the party, and charged with holding an illegal Friday prayer in Isfahan. All these detainees were released in the next few days except Yazdi who had been transferred to Evin prison in Tehran.

At that time Yazdi’s son Khalil told reporters, “The pressured my father to end his political activities: and now they won’t let him perform his prayers. It is unfortunate  that one needs a permit to engage in prayers in the Islamic republic. Nowhere in the world do they do this. Even in the US and Israel, saying your prayers does not need any permits. In Russia too people freely say their prayers.”

Now, 50 days into his arrest, Dr Ibrahim Yazdi’s family have expressed concern about his health. Yazdi is 70, suffers from prostate cancer and had heart surgery prior to this arrest.

World Muslims Should React
In an open public letter, Yazdi’s family members called on the world Muslims to act to release this activist. Parts of this letter read, “The police raided them while they were praying and arrested all of them. Iranian authorities who pretend to be committed to Islamic beliefs called their prayers ‘illegal’ and ‘held without a permit’, as a way to justify their illegal arrest. On two prior occasions as well the arrest of Ibrahim Yazdi’s arrest had no cause except that he engaged in writing the truth. And now again the operators of the Iranian regime are trying to use a law to portray the simple act of prayers to be a crime.”

According to the letter, the Iranian regime is said to have “exerted pressure on Dr Yazdi to dissolve one of the oldest political groups in Iran, Freedom Movement of Iran, so as to dissuade him from opposing the ruling oppressive policies. But he did not heed. Because violations of human rights and human dignity lead to discrediting religion, while he had stood for the rights of the rights of the ethnic, racial and religious minority rights such as the Sunnis.”

Members of Yazdi’s family have also published another open letter to human rights organizations.

Mehdi Noorbakhsh, Dr Yazdi’s son in law also told Rooz, “We have written two letters, one to human rights organization and another one to all Muslims around the world, whose copy with have sent to Rooz as well. The reason for the second letter is that Dr Yazdi is well known in Islamic organization. He had been particularly active in the Islamic and political organization in the US and during the last arrest, they were very helpful in this regard.”

Dr Yazdi’s son Khalil Yazdi also said that his father was well known in the US Muslim community and that they had received many letters from Muslim students. “My father was in contact with Muslims all over the world right from the beginning of his activism. Many of those who were students at the time are now in different countries, and have remained in contact with us and have expressed their concern to us. Through our letter, we call on them to write to Iranian authorities and ask them to release my father,” Khalil Yazdi said.

Grave Health Condition
This is Ibrahim Yazdi’s third arrest since the disputed 2009 presidential election in Iran. About his father’s prison condition, Khalil Yazdi tells Rooz, “We absolutely do not understand why our father continues to be kept in a solitary ward one month into his arrest. While they released all the others who were arrested with him, he is still being kept, despite his poor and precarious health condition.  Prior to this arrest, he had had heart surgery, and suffers from prostate issues and very weak physically. We are very seriously concerned about his health.”

Khalil said that his mother had visited Dr Yazdi once. She had said that his moral was good but his physical health  was of serious concern. “We call for his immediate release so that we can attend to his medical needs. We hold the judiciary and security authorities of the country responsible for anything that may happen to our father,” he added.

Mehdi Noorbakhsh told Rooz that Dr Yazdi was still being held in Evin’s Ward 209 in a solitary cell. He said that prison authorities did not allow them to take his medicine to him, adding that his physicians had asked to see Dr Yazdi, which was also denied by authorities. “Since Dr Yazdi’s wife said that he was in very poor health condition when she visited him, we are obviously very concerned. He is a 79 year old man who while having good morale, is not in good physical health,” he said. According to him, Dr Yazdi needs medical attention every 3 or 4 hours.

Ibrahim Yazdi’s son in law also expressed concern for other prisoners, some of whom faced financial problems while in prison.