Ailing political prisoner’s mother arrested

According to a close source who spoke to Fatemeh Alvandi, she was released after a few hours after Iranian authorities made a promise to take care of Mahmoudian’s ailing condition. The Iranian authorities also ordered Alvandi to not conduct any more interviews with the media regarding her son’s situation in prison.

Translation by Banooye Sabz
Additional editing by Persian2English

Fatemeh Alvandi, incarcerated political prisoner Mehdi Mahmoudian’s mother was reportedly arrested on orders of the Prosecutor’s office. According to reports by Kaleme, Mehdi Mahmoudian’s family had been gathering in front of the offices of the Tehran Prosecutor’s to protest the lack of attention to the political prisoner’s basic civil rights.

The news of Fatemeh Alvandi’s arrest was posted today on the personal web blog of Fakhri Mohtashamipour, the wife of incarcerated reformist Mostafa Tajzadeh.

Mehdi Mahmoudian, a member of the Islamic Participation Front was arrested at his house on September 16, 2009, after exposing the atrocities that had occurred at Kahrizak prison. He was behind bars for a short period at Evin prison before being transferred to Rajai Shahr ‘Gohardasht’ prison in the city of Karaj. Mahmoudian was charged with “Colluding and conspiring against the regime” and sentenced to five years in prison.

While in prison, he wrote an open letter addressed to the Supreme Leader of Iran exposing the dire conditions at Rajai Shahr prison, including the repeated rape of prisoners.

Mahmoudian was finally transferred to a hospital, in order to receive treatment for partial collapse of the lungs, an illness that was brought about because of the harsh conditions in Rajai Shahr prison.

Over the past two years Mahmoudian’s mother had repeatedly requested that the Tehran Prosecutor grant her son medical furlough. Following his operation, Mahmoudian’s family once again requested an extension to his furlough so that he may recover from his surgery, a request that was nonetheless denied by the prison authorities.

Last month, Fatemeh Alvandi conducted an interview in which she spoke of her son’s dire condition and the importance of a medical furlough to allow her son to rest and recover outside of prison. According to Alvandi, Mahmoudian’s physicians had reiterated that he needs access to fresh air in order to avoid a relapse of his condition. It goes without saying that the prison conditions are not conducive to a speedy recovery and Mahmoudian’s only hope is the support he receives from his cell mates.

It is worth mentioning that in the past couple of months, prison officials had promised Mahmoudian and his family that if the family would refrain from giving interviews on the status of his health, he would eventually be transferred to Evin prison and granted medical furlough. With the passing of each month, however, this promise was never kept.

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