Iranian Elite Imprisoned since One Thousand and Five Hundred Days ago

HRANA News Agency – Omid Koukabi, Iranian elite student, has been kept in Evin prison for approximately 1500 days so far.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Omid Koukabi, elite Physics student who has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, passed his 1500th day in prison.

Omid Koukabi is the selected Olympiad student and post-doc student in the major of Atomic physics and laser in Texas University in USA, who was arrested in airport when he wanted to depart Iran on February 2011.

He got the rank 39 in the national entrance examination and third rank in Chemistry Olympiad. He had finished his PhD in Barcelona, Spain and for continuation of his educations he was invited to Texas University.

First, his charges were announced as collusion and acts against the national security but later espionage was added to those charges. Finally, court pleads him not guilty. Then persecutors and interrogators accused him of coordination with conflicting government of USA. This accusation was based on attending international conference and presenting papers as evidence. Moreover, according to ministry of foreign affairs of Islamic Republic of Iran, USA is not considered as conflicting government.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison after 15 months of illegal detention.

Need to be mentioned, Mr. Koukabi has translated the Atlas of Human Rights book with accompany of Mr. Seyed Mehdi Khodaei and published it by Arman Shahr publications.

Sometimes ago, tens of Iranian and international university profs, including 8 Nobel Prize winners, asked for his freedom by sending a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei.

Omid Koukabi is the winner of the prize of Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, by non-governmental organization of Association for the Advancement of Science America.