AHMAD
ZEI DABAD I
IRAN
ONE YEAR ON
FREE
THE PRISONERS
_____________ OF CONSCIENCE
AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL
PLEASE HELP
AHMAD ZEIDABADI
Ahmad Zeidabadi, aged about 45, a journalist for Roozonline,
an online publication based in Belgium, and spokesperson
for the Graduates' Association, which has been prominent in
seeking greater human rights in Iran, is serving a six-year
prison sentence in Reja'i Shahr prison, in Karaj, near Tehran.
He is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for the peaceful
exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and
association.
Ahmad Zeidabadi was arrested on 21 June 2009, shortly
after mass protests erupted following the announcement that
incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won the
disputed presidential election. He was held incommunicado
in [ yin Prison, Tehran, until his appearance on 8 August
2009 at the second session of a mass “show trial”.
His wife, Mahdieh Mohammadi Gorgani, was only allowed to
visit him in [ yin Prison for the first time on 17 August and
said that he was in an extremely bad physical and emotional
state. She said that Ahmad Zeidabadi told her that he had
‘His interrogator told him: “We are ordered
to crush you, and if you do not co-operate
we can do anything we want with you and if
you do not write the interrogation papers,
we will force you to eat them ‘ ‘
I Mahdieh Mohammadi Gorgani, wife of Ahmad Zeidabadi,
in an interview with Radio Farda, September 2009
•.i...• ‘ I
been held in solitary confinement for 35 days after his arrest
in a coffin-like cell only 1.5m long. He had apparently gone
on hunger strike for 17 days until doctors convinced him to
stop. His wife saw him again in mid-September, when he told
her that he had been severely beaten during interrogation.
Ahmad Zeidabadi was sentenced in November 2009 to six
years in prison and five years of internal exile in the city of
Gona bad. He was also given a lifetime ban on all social and
political activities. His sentence was upheld in January 2010.
At the end of January 2010, he was transferred to Reja'i
Shahr prison, where mostly non-political prisoners are held.
Ahmad Zeidabadi has been arrested several times previously
for the peaceful expression of his opinions. Amnesty
International campaigned for his release when he was
detained in 2000 and 2001 in connection with articles
he wrote.
ACT NOW
WRITE POLITELY WORDED LETTERS
TO THE HEAD OF THE JUDICIARY:
• calling for Ahmad Zeidabadi to be released Send your letters to:
immediately and unconditionally as he is a
prisoner of conscience, held solely for Head of the Judiciary
peacefully exercising his rights to freedom Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
of expression and association; Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur Street, Vali Asr Avenue, south of
• urging the Iranian authorities to ensure Serah-e Jomhouri
that while imprisoned, he is granted access Tehran, 1316814731
to his family, his lawyer and to adequate Islamic Republic of Iran
medical care;
Salutation: Your Excellency
• calling for an immediate, thorough and Email: info@dadiran.ir, bia.judi@yahoo.com
impartial investigation into the reports that (in the subject line: FAO Ayatollah Larijani)
Ahmad Zeidabadi was tortured and otherwise
ill-treated and for anyone found responsible
to be brought to justice promptly and fairly.
Amnesty International
International Secretariat
Peter Benenson House
AlViN ESTY 1 Easton Street www.amnesty.org
London WC1X ODW May 2010
INTERNATIONAL United Kingdom Index: MDE 13/042/2010
