Latest news on the condition of imprisoned activist

Iran Press News: The student committee of human rights reporters announced that activist, Omid Abbass-Gholinezhad director of public relations of Iran’s Democratic Front was arrested by the secret police of the ministry of intelligence and security in the city of Amol (provine of Mazandaron, also known as the Caspian), on August 5th. After his arrest Abbas-Gholinezhad was transferred to Tehran and was detained in the infamous ward 209 of Evin prison; the activist has now been transferred back to the local prison in his hometown of Amol.

Fariba Hedayati, Abbass-Gholínezhad’s wife who had not been notified of her husbands return to their local prison, travelled all the way to Tehran to visit her husband in prison last week, only to be informed by the Evin prison authorities of her husband’s relocation.

Fariba Hedayati herself had been arrested and imprisoned for 3 weeks in July 2004, charged with taking part in a peaceful gathering of the families of political prisoners in front of the United Nations branch in Tehran. She was found guilty by branch 26 of the revolutionary court and sentenced to 8 months suspended prison sentence enforceable at any time within a 3-year period; as a result she has been barred from either speaking to the media or actively conducting inquiries into her husband’s case.

Omid Abbass-Gholínezhad who managed to phone home from prison, a few days ago compalained of the extremely unsanitary conditions in the Amol prison.

It is worth mentioning that Abbáss-Gholinezhad was arrested along with several other activist for attending the wake of political activists and student leader, Akbar Mohammadi which was also held in Amol. During one of his early visits with his wife in the Evin prison of Tehran, the activist had mentioned the brutal and lengthy latenight interrogations.