HRANA News Agency – On August 11, agents from the Ministry of Intelligence raided the home and optician’s shop of the Khanjani family in Tehran, and arrested Babak Mobasher and his father-in-law Alaeddin Khanjani and four employees: Nasr `Arushi Moqaddam, `Ata’llah Ashrafi, Ruhollah Manzui and Javad Salehi.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), One of those arrested (apparently Javad Salehi) was reported to have been released when it was discovered that he was a Muslim.
Iranian media reported this as the smashing of a big spectacle-smuggling network, and said there were eight arrests, without giving names. Bail for Babak Mobasher and Nasr `Arushi Moqaddam was set at 25 billion rials, and 20 billion was demanded for `Ata’llah Ashrafi. These three have been charged with subverting the economy of Iran.
Ruhollah Manzui was released on bail of 1 billion rials. A billion rials is equivalent to about 37,000 US dollars or 28,000 euros, so bail of 20 or 25 billion rials is exceptionally heavy. Alaeddin Khanjani remains in Evin prison, where he is held in block 209, a section run by the Ministry of Intelligence.
