Judiciary Turns-up Pressure on Families of Detained Students

Hasan Zarezade Ardeshir - 2007.06.26
http://www.roozonline.com/english/archives/2007/06/005534.php

The security office at Tehran’s Revolutionary Court posted bail for Mojtaba Derakhshandi, the father of jailed student activist Saeed Derakhshandi, for speaking to the press about his son’s medical condition. Judge Haddad, who resides over the office, also summoned and threatened the families of several other student activists, asking them to refrain from speaking to the press.

According to a Derakhshandi family member, Mojtaba Derakhshandi, who is 75 years old, was summoned to court after he called attention to his son’s dire medical condition in an interview with a news agency. And even though the Revolutionary Court has released him on bail, he and his family members have been warned not to speak to the media.

One of Derakhshandi’s friends, who is a student, told Rooz, “Unfortunately, the Revolutionary Court has increased pressure on families of students, and has even detained Saeed’s father, despite his age, even though he did not really say anything serious. This shows that they are not beholden to any laws or norms other than their own word.”

Saeed Derakhshandi was a student activist at Yazd University and was arrested last summer. Following his arrest, Saeed’s father told the press that his son’s arrest was related to his student activism.

Derakhshandi, who was kept in solitary cell at Evin’s infamous ward 209 for a long time, was eventually sentenced to three years imprisonment. He is currently being kept at Evin’s general war # 325. Saeed’s family is concerned about his physical health. It was announced earlier that Saeed was subject to physical beatings and torture in March, which hurt his back and spine, as well as left arm. According to the Derakhshandi family, though Saeed needs immediate medical attention, prison officials refrain from transferring him to a medical clinic.

Meanwhile, it was learned that one of Derakhshandi’s colleagues, Aboulfazl Jahandar, also suffers from several medical ailments. Jahandar served in the central committee of Allameh Tabatabai University’s Islamic Student Association, and was also a member of Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat’s [“Office for Fostering Student Solidarity”] general assembly.

Like his colleague Derakhshandi, Jahandar was arrested last summer. After spending several months in a solitary cell at Evin’s ward 209, he was sentenced to two and half years imprisonment by the sixth branch of the Revolutionary Court for “undermining national security” and “conspiring to disrupt public order and security.”

Lawmaker Blames Government Discrimination for Ethnic Strife
Hasan Zarezadeh Ardeshir - 2007.06.20
http://www.roozonline.com/english/archives/2007/06/005272.php

The efforts of Iranian and international human rights activists and lawmaker Akbar Alami culminated in the release of dozens of political prisoners in various cities throughout Azerbaijan. The prisoners were released ahead of the first anniversary of last year’s uprising in several provinces in Northwest Iran. Still, a significant number of political and civil activists, human rights defenders and Turkish-speaking journalists, who are among the region’s prominent figures, remain in jail.

Saeed Matinpour, law student Ghafour Habibpour, Mehdi Mohammadpour, Hossein Nasiri, Oromiyyeh University student Akbar Pashai, Saleh Molaabassi, Jalil Ghanilou, Esmail Javadi, Abolfazl Alilou, Ramin Sadeghi, Ghahreman Ghahremanpour, Adel Allahverdipour, Safar Ali Khoini, Jafar Haghnazari and Hossein Nasiri are among the detained individuals whose fate remains unclear.

These individuals do not have access to lawyers and are unable to contact their families. In many cases, their arrests were accompanied with police brutality and violence. Several families also complain that courts and the intelligence ministry do not provide accurate information about the fate or whereabouts of their loved ones.

Reports from Tabriz indicate that the number of arrested individuals during last year’s uprising is much higher than previous estimates based on released data.

Akbar Alami, who represents Tabriz in the Majlis [“Parliament”], was among the first individuals to protest last year’s crackdown on activists. Alami met in person with the head of the judiciary and published an open letter calling for the release of the detained activists. In his letter, Alami wrote, “The arrested individuals were responding to their unending love and passion for the language, culture, history and local identity by participating in demonstrations and peaceful gatherings. They were calling for the implementation of Articles 15 and 19 of the Constitution and the removal of certain cultural and economic discriminatory practices. Perhaps there were a few individuals among them who voiced their preferences in an extreme manner, but I think that the number of these extreme individuals was much less than the total number of those arrested. Furthermore, the roots of extremism must be found in the beliefs and actions of those who aim to prove their superiority by belittling and putting down local and ethnic minorities.”

During the past recent days, various political organizations and human rights groups have criticized the imprisonment of Turkish-speaking activists. Among them were Jebhe Mosharekat [“Islamic Iran Participation Front”] Zanjan branch, Sazman Advar Tahkim Vahdat [ an offshoot of “Office for Fostering Student Unity”], Student Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners, and the Committee for the Defense of Azerbaijan’s Political Prisoners.

Students Targeted for Activism , Clothing

Hassan Zarezade Ardeshir - 2007.06.10

http://www.roozonline.com/english/archives/2007/06/005123.php

Out of more than 70 students from Tehran’s Amir Kabir University who were summoned to disciplinary committees, 17 have been banned from continuing their studies. Moreover, 93 students faced disciplinary measures at the Karaj Azad University for inappropriate clothing. Several other students from universities across the country were summoned to disciplinary committees or the Revolutionary Court.

At Tehran’s Amir Kabir University, six students were arrested and dozens faced disciplinary action. In the past two weeks, about one hundred students were summoned to disciplinary committees. Seventy-one of them were summoned within the past few days.

Dozens of other students at the Amir Kabir University are still awaiting their verdicts. Many of these students were warned by university officials that they would receive disciplinary sentences if they participate in student council elections.

Meanwhile, three active students at the Amir Kabir University, Nariman Mostafavi, Naser Pouyafar and Hossein Tarkashvand, were summoned once again to appear at the Revolutionary Court. Yousef Molayi, who represents these students, says, “In the recent court appearance, my clients were told to appear at the general office for national security at the Revolutionary Court.” It must be noted that 6 Amir Kabir students are still being held and interrogated at the Evin Prison’s infamous Section 209.

Students are being targeted with disciplinary measures not just for political and social activism, but also for wearing nail polish or inappropriate clothing. During the past few months, entrances for males and females have been separated at several universities. Others have passed ordinances specifying limitations on students’ clothing and covering. Dozens of students have faced disciplinary measures on the basis of these new ordinances. In the second term of the academic year 1385-1386 [2006-2007], 93 students at the Karaj Azad University faced disciplinary measures. University officials targeted females for their nail polish and males for their “abnormal” facial hair or hairstyles.