Lawyer spent 10 weeks in prison ‘for nothing’

          
          ffiAN: Lawyer spent 10 weeks in prison ‘for mthing' Babylon & Beyond http://lafincsblo .lafincs.coni'babylonbeyondJ2009/09/iran•lawyer•spen..
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          IRAN: Lawyer spent 10 weeks in prison ‘for nothing'
          September 1, 2009 I 434 am
          On the 2Bth day of Ms detention inside Than's Evin Prison, be was granted Ms first family visit.
          It was then that he found out that wMle be had
          been locked up, Ms sister had died in a car
          accident
          Prison authorities offered to let Abdul-Fatah
          Soltani attend the mourning ceremony.
          Tbere was just one condition.
          The famed human-rights lawyer had to promise
          that he wouldn't speak out to the media about
          Ms incarceration.
          He rejected the offer, missing the chance to join Ms family to grieve for Ms sister.
          “I did not believe I had done anything wrong, so accepting their condition was against mybelief and
          my principles,” Soltani, now' free, told The Times in an interview at Ms downtown office a few days
          ago. “Accepting their condition was a rubber stamp on my non-committed crime.”
          instead he vowed to prison authorities that once he was out of prison, he would haul ali of them into
          court, suing them for unjustly locking him up.
          Soltani is among Iran's small cadre of husnan-rights lawyers and is the spokesman for the Center for
          the Defense of Human Rights, wMch was co-founded by the Nobel Peace Prize-winner Shim Ebadi.
          For Ms efforts in defense of political dissidents and religious minorities accused of crimes against the
          state, he'd already done time in prison. TMs time, he lost 1 5 pounds while in jail. “It is notMng,” he
          says cheerfully, as he fasts during the holy month of Ramadan. “Good for my health.”
          Security forces stormed Ms offices on June i6, four days after Than's disputed presidential elections,
          seizing Ms computers and arresting Mm.
          About a day after he was locked up, a judge, whom he named as Majid Matin Rasekh, approached
          Mm. He accused him of “being skeptical about the results of the election,” and issued an order to
          detain him on “a temporarybasis.”
          In wards 209 and 240 of Evin, he recalled narrow
          corridors full of detainees, most of them as young
          as Ms sons. “Many of them cried and pleaded
          innocent,” he said. “Some of them said that they
          were crossing the streets, simply at the wrong place
          at the wrong time.”
          Many had voted for opposition candidate
          Mir-Hossein Mousavi and participated in
          post-election demonstrations. “They cried during
          the hasty interrogations,” he said. “I was very
          touched. They were like my sons. On what basis
          were they detained and kept in those narrow awful
          corridors? I could not help weeping as I overheard
          their lamentation.”
          From Ms cell he could overhear some of the
          interrogators sympathize with the detainees.
          “They said, ‘You are right. You're innocent. But
          when there is an unseasonable flash flood many
          innocents are washed away before they can prove
          that they are innocent”
          G o
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          ffiAN: Lawyer spent 10 weeks in prison ‘for mthing' Babylon & Beyond ... http://lafincsblo .lafincs.coni'babylonbeyondJ2009/09/iran•lawyer•spen..
          byA Turkish
          At one point he says the interrogators again
          approached him and made an offer. “They
          explicitly said, ‘If you recant, disconnect yourself
          from Shirin Ehadi's human rights center ... then
          you will be freed right now,” he recalled.
          Soltani refused.
          He says he believes that the authorities are angry at
          him for continuing to meet with other human-
          rights lawyers even after authorities shut down the
          small office of the human-rights center for operating without a permit
          “We will hold our session anywhere possible, even if we have to get together in Behesht Zahra cemetery
          in the south of Tehran or outdoors we will meet,” he boasts.
          He was questioned as to why he -- a devout Muslim -- agreed to defend the alleged leaders of Iran's
          Bahai community, who are to be put on trial next month.
          “I answered that I am human rights lawyer, we are impartial,” he says. “We are like physicians. We do
          not ask what is the religion or belief of our clients. I have defended the rights of a Basiji, a monarchist,
          Communist, converts to Christianity and Bahais.”
          But the worst experience was that of finding out his sister died. He was entitled to a one-week
          humanitarian leave but couldn't stomach the condition of keeping his mouth shut while outside.
          His brother-in-law passed away 15 days later as a result of injuries from the same crash. Again he was
          offered a one-week leave if he kept quiet. Again he refused.
          He wound up spending 72 days in prison “for nothing,” he says.
          He spent 17 of them in solitary confinement and was not allowed to shower for the first 15 days.
          He still doesn't know why he was arrested, and says be is angered that Iran's legal system has gone so
          far astray from the principles lie believed in.
          Soltani cites a story regarding the Imam A u, considered the founder of Iran's Shiite faith.
          In the story, Imam Ali claimed before a judge that a Jewish man had stolen his property. But he had
          no witnesses, and he lost the ease.
          “There should be concrete nales and laws to arrest and try people,” he says. “You cannot do it out of
          your own judgment.”
          -- Ramin fitostaghim in Tehran and Borzou Daragabi in Beirut
          Photo: Abdul-Fatah Soltani; Credit: File photo. Below, a satellite image of the massive Evin Prison
          compound. Credit: File photo
          More in: Human hghta, Iran, Iran election Perma link
          • Comments (4)
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          ffiAN: Lawyer spent 10 weeks in prison ‘for mthing' Babylon & Beyond http://lafincsblo .lafincs.con i'babylonbeyondJ2009/09/iran •lawyer •spen..
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          AOS5Y0000LC
          Tam wonder why Mr. Jimmy Carter has not said one word about ail of the Human Rights violations
          Teach English Abroad
          that this regime has done to sts own people smee the fall of the Shay by the Carter admsmstration. I
          ccredited certificates with job placement abroad
          hope Mr Obama be bnght and not foilow his foot step. if he does, God bless America. We will be in
          ccw.tranaworldachoola.com
          worst situaabon ever.
          I hope United Nation listen and not just pretend not knowing like the Hifler and the jews maaacare. Oxford Seminars
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          Posted by: benjamm I September 02, 2009 at o :i PM
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          Ihave only one thing to say, Mr. Soltani. Man Iranian Fm immensely so proud of you. con
          Posted by: nxg I September 02, 2009 at 10:28 AM
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          With heroes like Mr. Soltam hying m Iran, there must a truly bnght future for ail who bye there. Mr.
          Soltani, thank you for your impartial defense of those who are the moat vulnerable under Iran's ,0 vc ° T ESC)L com
          government.
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          What a wonderful example of a human being Mr Soltani and Shirin Ebadi are.It is an honour to share new. ForexTradingTo.corn
          this planet with people of great values where Human Rights are concerned. ioran should eb proud of English Degrees Online
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          citizens. Composition & More.
          Posted by: ZG I September 01, 2009 at ii: a AM Edocation r -
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