Iranian Activist Arrested Two Days After Prison Release

Iranian journalist and political activist Taghi Rahmani has been rearrested two days after his release on bail from Tehran’s Evin prison, RFE/RL’s Radio Farda reports.

His wife, Narges Mohammadi, told Radio Farda on May 17 that he was released late on May 15 after posting bail of 150 million tomans (around $140,000). Mohammadi is a journalist and the deputy head of the Tehran-based Defenders of Human Rights Center.

She added that in the past two days she was repeatedly called on her cell phone and told that Rahmani should return to prison to sign a document. “[On May 17 in the] morning Taghi and his lawyer went to Evin prison, but his lawyer was prevented from entering the prison, and after a while he was told not to wait for Taghi because he had been detained,” Mohammadi said.

Mohammadi also said her husband’s rearrest could be the result of a power struggle among judicial authorities, because she had fulfilled all the legal formalities to secure his release, including posting bail.

Rahmani was arrested at his home by security forces in February. Mohammadi said his arrest was carried out without a warrant and was therefore illegal.

It was the third time Rahmani has been arrested in two years. The first time was on June 13, 2009, one day after the disputed Iranian presidential election. He was taken into custody again in 2010, but released due to health problems.

Source: RFE/RL