Death Sentence for Members of a Family

While the public opinion and international human rights organizations view the arrest of family members as a type of hostage taking, Rooz reports that the judiciary has issued family death verdicts for 5 individuals arrested on Ashoura day.

Rooz also uncovered a scenario pursued by the ministry of intelligence to connect Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s supporters and green movement sympathizers to the Mojahedin Khalq Organization.  This scenario has been implemented on several individuals arrested on Ashoura day to convict them of Moharebeh (enmity with God) and sentence them to death.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Nourizad was sentenced to prison and flogging and Isa Saharkhiz wrote a letter to the United Nations Secretary General on behalf of political prisoners held at Evin Prison’s ward 350.  

All Members of a Family

Motahareh Bahrami was arrested on Ashoura Day and sentenced to death, according to an earlier report from the green prisoners website.  She was arrested along with her husband, son, a relative, and one of her husband’s friends on Ashoura Day.  According to new reports, all 5 have been sentenced to death.

Motahareh Bahrami’s other son is a member of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization currently residing at Camp Ashraf in Iraq.  This familial tie to the Mojahedin Khalq Organization has provided the basis for the charge of Moharebeh and issuance of death penalty for all members of the family.  

Intelligence Ministry’s Scenario

Meanwhile, a 47-year-old teacher, Abdolreza Ghanbari, was sentenced to death after being convicted of Moharebeh.  Judge Salavati convicted the teacher of “Moharebeh through communication with anti-revolutionary groups proven by possession of suspicious emails and communication with a television network stationed abroad.”  

Rooz reports that Abdolreza Ghanbari received an email last fall allegedly from the Mojahedin Khalq Organization.  He did not respond to the email, but after some time he was contacted by an individual alleging to be a representative of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization, asking him to participate in street rallies and provide reports to the organization.  

According to information provided to Rooz by those close to Mr. Ghanbari, that individual contacted Mr. Ghanbari once again on Ashoura Day, when the high school teacher provided a one-minute report on the phone and sent a half-minute clip to the individual’s email address.
 
However, investigations by the Rooz reporter revealed that the email was not sent from the Mojahedin Khalq Organization.  Rather, it seems likely that the scenario was orchestrated by the intelligence ministry to entrap Abrolreza Ghanbari and other individuals.  

Meanwhile, a group of political prisoners held at Evin Prison’s ward 350 sent an open letter to the United Nations Secretary General to visit Iran’s political and security prisons, as well as ward 350, during his visit to Iran and hold private talks with prisoners.