“Condemn February 14 Protests or Return to Prison”

Government critics Mohammad Nourizad and Abdollah Ramazanzadeh have been called back to Evin prison after having been released on bail. Ramazanzadeh, an executive member of the reformist group, Islamic Iran Participation Front, was called back to Evin Prison on Saturday.

Ramazanzadeh was arrested in the post-election clampdown on reformists and sentenced to six years in prison on three charges: “acting against national security”, “propaganda against the regime” and “keeping classified information.”

A senior member of the Participation Front, Mohammadreza Khatami, commented: “Abdollah Ramazanzadeh returned to Evin prison, which has been filled with Greens [Iranians jailed for their support of the Green Movement]. He was told that he had to ‘either give a public interview and issue an announcement condemning the February 14 protests and the Islamic Iran Participation Front or return to prison’. He chose to do the right thing rather than sell his freedom and pride.”

The protest movement that has taken shape, following the allegations of fraud in the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009, has come to known as the “Green Movement”.

Nourizad, an Iranian journalist and filmmaker, was also called back to prison following his leave on bail, returning to Ward 350 of Evin prison.

Nourizad has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison and 50 lashes for writing letters to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, that were critical of the leader’s reaction to post-election developments. He is charged with “propaganda against the regime and insulting officials.”

Original Persian Reports by Nourizad.net and RAHANA English Report by RAHANA | Edited by Persian2English