May 6, 2010 - According to reports, death row political prisoner Jafar Kazemi is under torture and pressure by intelligence agents in ward 209 in Evin Prison to give an interview ('confess') on television.
This 47-year-old prison is a father of two. He has a lithographing company and lithographed all the educational books for Amir Kabir University.
Jafar Kazemi was arrested on September 18, 2009 while in a Taxi to pick up his wife who had gone on a trip. Four cars which belonged to the Intelligence Agency stopped him in 7 Hoze Square and forced him out of the car while beating him. These agents also beat the taxi driver on the street amid protests from Kazemi saying that he was only a taxi driver.
Kazemi was then transferred to cellblock 209 in Evin Prison and was under the most severe psychological and physical torture for the first 3 days of this incarceration. These tortures which went on for 72 hours left scars on his face and body and he also suffered an injury in his nose and jaw. Kazemi also lost a large amount of weight. Interrogators did not give him any treatment even while he was bleeding and continued their tortures. The interrogators then threatened him that if he did not participate in the TV confessions, they would arrest his son and wife and bring them to cellblock 209 to torture them in front of him. But Kazemi still did not give in to their demands. After 74 hours in a solitary cell, he was transferred to cellblock 350.
After widespread protests on Ashura (December 27, 2009) intelligence agents once again put him under pressure to participate in TV interviews and announce that he was arrested on Ashura and repeat the words dictated to him by his interrogators. Otherwise they would arrest and torture his wife and son in front of him.
He was once again tortured for a few hours in which two of his teeth broke and he also suffered severe injuries in his nose and shoulder. Kazemi told his interrogators that they could do whatever they wanted but he will not repeat what they told him to in front of cameras and that he would only speak the truth. He was severely tortured because one of his sons is in camp Ashraf in Iraq and Alavi, the head interrogator, has constantly reminded Kazemi of this.
Kazemi is tortured by an interrogator nicknamed Alavi. Alavi kicked and punched Kazemi in the face and broke his teeth and nose.
Kazemi's case was referred to the 28th branch of the Revolutionary Court which is headed by Moqiseh aka Naserian who was a member of the 'death commission' in charge of killing thousands of political prisoners in 1988. Because there is no evidence of any action carried out by Kazemi, Moqiseh has sentenced him to death on charges like moharebeh (enmity with God), spreading propaganda against the government, acting against national security, organizing Amir Kabir University students and being in contact with former political prisoners and their families. Mohammad Moqiseh despises former political prisoners and has stated this issue a number of times. He has even told them that 'we should have executed you while you were jailed and made a mistake in not doing so'.
Kazemi's death sentence was upheld by Ahmad Zargar, the head of the 36th branch of the Revolutionary Court of Review. Zargar was an interrogator in the 80's and tortured political prisoners. During the recent protests, he gave heavier sentences to prisoners whose cases were referred to him compared to the prisoner's initial sentences.
Death row political prisoner Jafar Kazemi was a political prisoner in the 80's. He was jailed and tortured from 1981 to 1990.
May 5, 2010 - According to reports, Mohammad Hashemi, a member of the Teacher's Organization was arrested last Wednesday in his home.
His family has said that they have no information on him since his arrest and are very concerned for his mental and physical state.
Their attempts at finding out where he is being kept have not led to any conclusion. Hashemi was arrested once before in 2006 for participating in a sit in by teachers outside the parliament.
Prisoner dies in Gohardasht Prison for not receiving treatment
May 6, 2010 - Mehdi Futohi, a prisoner who had injuries from a chemical gas attack in the Iran-Iraq war died yesterday in Gohardasht Prison after not receiving treatment on time.
He died of lung failure in cellblock 3 because prison officials did not take him the prison infirmary on time.
This prisoner had served more than 8 years in prison. He took his last breath while other prisoners were desperately trying to get help from prison officials to save his life.
Students Commitee in Iran (Supporter of PMOI)
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