Location of Two Kurdish Political Prisoners Unknown

International Campaign for Abolishing the Death Penalty in Iran, Eghbal Moradi, the father of Zaniar Moradi, the Kurdish political prisoner condemned to death, told the International Campaign for Abolishing the Death Penalty in Iran yesterday that there is no news on his son since four days ago when he was transferred out of ward 4 in Rajai Shahr ‘Gohardasht’ prison. Eghbal Moradi lives in Iraq Kurdistan.

He said, “A few days ago, I learned that [my son] was transferred out of ward 4 in Rajai Shahr prison (Karaj)…Our family in Iran said that since the day of Zaniar’s transfer, there has been no contact or news on his condition.”

His father said that he believes the transfer is related to a recent letter that Zaniar Moradi wrote with Loghman Moradi from prison and had published in the media. The two young men are co-defendants in the same case and both are held in an undisclosed location. Zaniar’s father expressed concern about their wellbeing and the speculation and possibility of secret executions.

The family members of Loghman Moradi, the Kurdish Iranian citizen on death row, have been left in the dark since ten days ago when prison guards transferred Loghman from Rajai Shahr ‘Gohardasht’ prison to an undisclosed location.

His father Esman Moradi told the International Campaign for Abolishing the Death Penalty in Iran, “After Loghman’s cellmate informed us of his transfer to an unknown location, we travelled to Tehran for a follow up on his condition and detention location. Prison authorities have informed us about his visitation ban. All my efforts have so far proven fruitless.”

He added, “They are not willing to give out any information about my son’s detention location or condition. However, we are continuing our follow ups with judicial authorities through the lawyer. We are deeply concerned about the uncertain situation of my son.”

According to Esman Moradi, the lawyer Hassan Payedar has appealed the execution sentence by the lower court, but he has not received any response from judicial authorities regarding whether the appeal was accepted. The lawyer is not willing to give interviews to the media about his client’s case file.

Zaniar Moradi and Loghman Moradi are accused of spying for Britain and participating in the July 5, 2010 assassinations of Saadi, the son of Marivan’s Friday Prayer Imam, and two other individuals named Hadi and Abdollah.

The announcement of their charges and the broadcasting of their false confessions by Press TV, the English language global news network owned by the Islamic Republic of Iran, occurred simultaneously in November 2010. It was indicated then that they had accepted the allegations against him.

In their recently published letter addressed to the public, Zaniar Moradi and Loghman Moradi declared that all their false confessions were extracted under torture and they were threatened with sexual assault by interrogators.

On December 28, 2010, the publication Iran Daily, quoting Judge Abolghasssem Salavati, the head of branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, reported that Zaniar Moradi and Loghman Moradi were sentenced to death by public hanging on the charges of “Moharebeh”[enmity against God] and “Causing sedition and depravity on Earth”.