Shamsolvaezin summoned to serve16-month sentence

Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, deputy head of the Association of Iranian Journalists and spokesperson of Society for Freedom of the Press, has been summoned to serve his 16-month sentence at Evin prison.

According to Committee of Human Rights Reporters, the summons was handed to this Middle East affairs expert, demanding that he present himself at Evin prison within the next 3 days to serve his sentence behind bars.

Mr. Shamsolvaezin said, “the summons I have received demands that I present myself to serve my sentence or face being arrested.”

Judicial authorities delivered a separate warrant to Mr. Shamsolvaezin’s mother, warning her that if her son does not report to prison within 20 days, her posted bail money will be forfeited. The notice states “mindful that you are the person who posted bail for Mr. Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, according to regulations implemented in Article 225 of the Prisons Act and Article 140 of the Criminal Procedures Act, you are hereby warned that the action demanded in the above notice must take place within 20 days. If it does not take place within this timeframe, the bail that you posted will be forfeited to the government.”

Previously Judge Moghiseh residing over Branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court had handed down Mashallah Shamsolvaezin a 16-month prison sentence stemming from the charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic regime,” and “insulting the president.”

Mr. Shamsolvaezin said, “The notification to serve my sentence has been delivered to me even though the appeals court ruling has not been legally rendered. Of course this is the 5th time in recent times that I am summoned to prison. One of the times they demanded that I appear before them, then told me that I would have to go straight to prison. They claimed that the appeals court had made a ruling and had upheld my sentence. I responded that legally I should have been notified of that court ruling. After Judge Moghise handed down the original ruling with my sentence, I was told that my file would be transferred to Branch 26 of the appellate court resided by Judge Zargar.”

Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, spokesperson of Society for Freedom of the Press and a consultant at Center for Middle East Strategic Studies, was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at his home in Tehran. Security agents transferred him to prison where he spent 2 ½ months behind bars before being released on bail.

Mr. Shamolvaezin holds a Masters Degree in the field of Political Science from Lebanon University. He has served as editor of Kayhan Magazine, and has contributed to other media outlets including Jame’eh Newspaper, Toos, Neshat, and Asr-e Azadegan. He has also compiled youth and children’s books.

Source: Human Rights House of IRAN