Prosecutor General’s Threats

While a number of journalists and political prisoners were released yesterday, speaking to a group of families of political prisoners Tehran’s prosecutor general warned that he would not release individuals whose families had spoken about the matter to media networks.  

At the same time, the Tehran revolutionary and general courts’ public relations office announced yesterday that the sentences of 86 detainees of recent events had been confirmed.

According to the public relations office’s announcement, the detainees were prosecuted on charges of gathering and conspiracy to disrupt national security, propaganda against the regime, membership in anti-revolutionary groups, participation in illegal gatherings and disrupting public order, among others.

Abdolreza Ghanbari Sentenced to Death

Judge Salavati confirmed the death sentence for Abdolreza Ghanbari, who was sentenced to death by one of the post-Ashoura Day courts.  

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran announced that Abdolreza Ghanbari’s trial was unjust, as he lacked access to a lawyer and did not have an opportunity to defend himself.  Ghanbari is 42-years old and a resident of the poor neighborhood of Ghiam Dasht in Varamin.  He is a teacher and it is said that his only crime is his participation in the Ashoura Day gatherings and chanting slogans against he Islamic Republic supreme leader.

He was held at Ward 2 of the Islamic Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps’ detention facility following his arrest.  On 10 Bahman, without having notified his family or spoken to his lawyer, his appeared at a trial presided over by Judge Salavati and admitted to partipcating in the Ashoura Day protests and other acts.  A person close to his case said that his admissions were extracted under torture.  He has recently been transferred to the general ward of the prison.  

Meanwhile, Mohsen Mirdamadi, Akbar Montajebi, Keyvan Samimi, Rasoulov, Tara Sepehrifar, Sheikh-Attar, Farzaneh Ghasemi and Saeed Jalalifar were released.  Rasoulov was arrested along with prominent Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi and Akbar Montajebi on 19 Bahman.  Jafar Panahi continues to remain behind bars and no information is available about his fate.  

Mohsen Mirdamadi, secretary general of the Mosharekat (Participation) Party was also released after posting a 450-million Toman bail.  Mohsen Mirdamadi was arrested one day after the June 12 election coup.  

Hossein Sheikh-Attar was released after 75 days behind bars.  Sheikh-Attar was an executive at the state radio and television broadcasting corporation during Mohammad Hashemi’s tenure at the organization.  

Kayvan Samimi is a journalist and member of the Association for Defense of Press Rights.  Saeed Jalalifar is a member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters.  

Despite the Revolutionary Court’s approval and the posting of bail eighty days ago, Tehran’s prosecutor general Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi refuses to order the release of writer and human rights activist Emadeddin Baghi.  Baghi was arrested for conducting an interview with ayatollah Montazeri and has spent about 50 days in solitary conferment before being transferred to the 3-person cells in Evin Prison’s Ward 240.