Security Forces Harass Family and Friends of Blogger

Peyman Roshanzamir, a blogger and web designer from Ahvaz who was sentenced to 17 months in prison in 2011, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that security forces went to search for him at his father’s house last week, aiming to take him to Karoon Prison.

“Last week, the forces went to my father’s house twice, when I wasn’t home. They also went to the home of the person who posted my bail in 2011, so that I could be released. They threatened him that if I don’t turn myself in to prison, they will confiscate the bail collateral. Nevertheless, I have not yet received any summonses,” the Ahvazi blogger told the Campaign.

“I was able to make an appointment with the Ahvaz Prosecutor about this next week, but I have packed my bag and if necessary, I will turn myself in at Karoon Prison. I have packed a hand fan in my bag, too, because I heard that the air conditioning at Karoon Prison’s security ward is broken,” he added.

The Ahvazi blogger wrote a letter to the Tehran Prosecutor after his sentence was upheld. “I wrote in the letter that as I have been sentenced to prison on the charge of ‘insulting the Supreme Leader,’ at least take the Supreme Leader’s statement about ‘each day in solitary confinement equals 10 days spent in prison,’ and include it in calculating my sentence. According to this statement, even if each day of solitary confinement equals five days spent in prison, considering I spent 31 days in solitary inside the Intelligence Detention Center in 2011, I should be considered for conditional release now,” he told the Campaign.

“Mr. Afsharnia, the Ahvaz Prosecutor, has always had a very good relationship with families of prisoners. After he received my letter, he even ordered a review of my situation, and this is why I expected that the issue would be resolved. But after three years, I see now that the forces went to my father’s house to enforce my sentence without summons,” said Peyman Roshanzamir.

Security forces arrested Peyman Roshanzamir, owner of “Oos Peyman” blogs and Editor-in-Chief of “Haft-e-Tir” news website, at his home on January 3, 2011. He was in detention for two months, one month inside the Ahvaz Intelligence Office Detention Center and the other at Karoon Prison in Ahvaz. His trial court was held May 14, 2011, and he was sentenced to 17 months in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.” To protest his judicial process he did not offer any defense in court.

“I have paid enough for this ruling. All my websites, even the non-political ones from which I earned my living, were blocked, even though no criminal content existed on the websites. For example, in the case of one of my websites focusing on social issues, the blocking agent blocked the website because one of the articles re-published from an Iranian news website inside Iran carried the tag ‘Golshifteh Farahani’ [an Iranian actress living in France]. The article only aimed to provide information and the blocking agent didn’t even bother to read the content. Or another one of my websites was blocked just because it published a report about the Tehran market situation on Valentine’s Day! Considering these websites worked with the Post Office and the banking portal, and operate legally inside the country, blocking them will mean their permanent death, because no other organization would be willing to work with a blocked website again,” said the blogger and web designer.

Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran