3 Mazandaran University students held behind bars

Human Rights House of IRAN -- Despite pleas and efforts on the part of their lawyers and family members for a transfer to the public ward of the prison, the 3 university students remain in the ward that houses dangerous criminals.

Ali Abassi. Maziar Yazdania, and Rahman Yaghoubi are 3 student activists who were arrested during the student protests at Mazandaran University in June 2009 following the disputed presidential elections. They had spent a period of time behind bars in Sari Intelligence Office holding cells and at Babol’s’s Mati Kola Prison.

Human Rights House of Iran reports that in 2009 the Babolsar judiciary sentenced each of these students to 14 lashes and a suspended 6-month prison term. However about 2 months ago after a gathering of students at Mazandaran University, Branch 101 of the Babolsar Revolutionary Court reversed the suspended sentences for unknown reasons, requiring the 3 students to serve their time behind bars.

The first day they were locked up again, these 3 prisoners submitted a written request for a transfer to the public ward to officials at Babol’s Mati Kola prison but to date they have not received any response or acknowledgement of their request.

Maziar Yazdania went on hunger strike for 8 days during the beginning of his time behind bars to protest being held in solitary confinement. Since his transfer to the ward holding dangerous offenders, with the consent of the prison guards he has been subjected to numerous savage attacks by convicted murderers and violent criminals.

The court dossier that was set up for Yazdania stemming from the charge of “insulting the leadership” was closed after his family tried to obtain information.

In the past weeks and months, the pressure on political and student activists at Mazandaran province has intensified considerably. Yaser Yousefzadeh, Mobin Jaafari, and Isa Bararkhani are 3 activists who were arrested in Babolsar and to date there is no news of their condition or whereabouts.

Article in Persian: http://www.rahana.org/archives/47548