NEWS))))))
Zahra Jabari, a female prisoner in danger of ill-health
Amnesty International said on 27 March that according to reports by human rights activists in iran, prisoner of conscious, Ms Zahra Jabari is suffering from heart problems and acute rheumatism and is hardly able to walk without aid. Medical authorities in prison have refused to treat her on the grounds that they lack proper facilities and the Evin interrogators have refused her transfer to a medical centre where she can receive proper care which her family have undertaken to pay.
Zahra Jabari, 36 married with a child was arrested on 17 September and taken to solitary in Evin. She was tortured so badly that one of her finger-nails fell. The interrogators were pressing her to ’confess’ and have even refused her family bring her fresh clothes or any visitation.
She is still wearing the same clothes she was wearing 6 months ago when arrested. Ms Jabari appeared at the revolutionary counrt 28 on 12 of March, handcuffed. Her family members were not allowed to be present. She was expected to be questioned by Mohammed Moghiseh also known as Naserian who was a member of the Commission which approved the massacre of 1988 political prisoners. The ’judge’ did not show up and the court was delayed without a set date for the next time. Ms jabari’s atorney managed to get hold of her file and said there was nothing in the file except that Ms jabari’s brother and sister reside in Camp Ashraf in Iraq, where the anti-government group, Mojahedin Khalq live. This prisoner has been badly tortured and has spent long time in solitary and with her medical condition worsening and her life in danger her family and human rights activists urge the international community to raise their voices against the brutal treatment of political prisoners in Iran especially Ms Jabari and many others like her.
EU Council declaration on free access to information in Iran
The European Unions calls on the Iranian regime’ to stop the jamming of satellite broadcasting and Internet censorship and to put an end to this electronic interference immediately.’ In a statement adapted on Monday the EU Council said: ’The EU is determined to pursue these issues and to act with a view to put an end to this unacceptable situation.’
Rafsanjani’s grandson arrested in Iran over protests
Reuters reported on March 22nd that a grandson of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been arrested for taking part in post-election protests last year, a news agency said on Monday. Hassan Lahouti was detained by security police Sunday at Tehran airport after arriving on a flight from abroad, the Fars news agency said.
A source close to the family told Fars that Lahouti, believed to be in his 20s, left the country last year, days after the presidential vote in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected. Lahouti’s mother, Faezeh Hashemi, was among several of Rafsanjani’s relatives held briefly for joining rallies in June, when the unrest first erupted.
