Mounting Pressure on Houshang Fanaian in Amol Prison

HRANA News Agency – Iranian Intelligence Agency has increased the pressure on Houshang Fanaian who is serving a four year sentence in Amol Prison, Mazandaran Province. Houshang Fanaian is a Baha'i citizen recently charged with and convicted of acting against national security and membership in Facebook.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on Sunday, May 29, 2011, security agents contacted Glarh Fanaian, Houshang Fanaian’s daughter, by phone and summoned her to the Iranian Intelligence Agency. Glarh Fanaian has requested a written summon before complying with the order.

Following Glarh Fanaian’s demand for a written summon, intelligence agents informed Houshang Fanaian in prison that since his daughter refused to comply with the summon to explain the contents of a letter she wrote before the Persian New Year, an arrest warrant had been issued for her.

Additionally, on Tuesday, May 31, 2011, intelligence agents visited Amol Prison once again and demanded from Houshang Fanaian the document outlining his defense and gave him ten minutes to prepare it. Houshang Fanaian refused to comply with the order and stated that his defense would be prepared in consultation with his attorney during the allotted twenty days allowed by law.

Houshang Fanaian, a Baha'i citizen from the city of Amol, was detained last March and has been in prison since then. Recently, he was sentenced to 4 ½ years in prison for acting against national security, membership in Facebook and writing a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader. Houshang Fanaian who was informed of the verdict against him a few days ago has 20 days to file an appeal.