Situation of Zia Nabavi in Solitary Confinement Unknown

Persian2English (Siavosh Jalili) – Daneshjoo News reports there has been no information available on student activist, Zia Nabavi since more than a week ago when he was suddenly transferred to solitary confinement in the Ahwaz Intelligence Office. Prior to this recent transfer Zia Nabavi was serving his ten-year prison sentence in Ahwaz’s Karoun Prison.

According to reports, one day after his transfer to solitary confinement Zia Nabavi had been taken to the Ahwaz Revolutionary Court. Although his family was present at the court hearing, Intelligence agents did not allow Zia Nabavi to inform them of the reason behind his transfer to solitary confinement and appearance in court.
One week of Solitary Confinement, One week of Unaccountability from Officials

Intelligence agents and Revolutionary Court officials have refused to offer any explanation as to why Zia Nabavi was transferred to solitary confinement. His family is seriously concerned about the lack of response from Iranian authorities.

Currently, due to the fact that Zia Nabavi is serving his sentence in exile (I.e. city of Ahwaz, 640 KM away from Semnan, Zia’s home town), his family has no way of following up with his case except for calling authorities by phone.

Zia Nabavi, a Chemical Engineering graduate, was arrested on June 15, 2009 by Ministry of Intelligence agents. He is the spokesperson for the Advocacy Council for the Right to Education (ACRE). He passed the Master’s entrance exam for Sociology with top marks, but was banned from continuing his studies.

On January 12, 2010, branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Pirabassi sentenced Zia Nabavi to 15 years in prison (10 years of which to be served in exile in Izeh) and 74 lashes. The sentence was reduced to ten years in prison by branch 54 of the Appeals Court.

Zia Nabavi is a former member of the Central Council of the Islamic Student Association of Noshiravani University in Babol. He was transferred to Karoun Prison in early fall of 2010. In May 2011, Zia Nabavi and 25 other prisoners of conscience were transferred to another prison by the name of Clinic Camp [which had better conditions than Karoun Prison, according to Zia Nabavi]. Four months later he was transferred back to Karoun Prison.

Zia Nabavi has been in prison for more than 45 months without furlough.