Maryam Nayeb Yazdi

October 31, 2010 - In recent weeks, 14 political prisoners endured grueling interrogations and threats by officials in Evin prison after demanding the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate the truth about the 2009 Iranian Presidential election and the events that ensued.

The statement was issued in response to Ahamadinejad’s comment at the United Nations to ‘form an independent fact-finding committee to probe the events of 9/11″. The statement was published in a variety of online media outlets.

Interrogating prisoners after they have begun serving their prison sentence is completely illegal in Iran. Prisoners are detained under the jurisdiction of the Prison Organizations in Iran. The 14 prisoners filed an official complaint to the representative of the Tehran Prosecutor and the authorities at Iran’s Prison Organization, but no response has been given to date.

Prison officials have asked the 14 prisoners to deny signing such a statement, however they have not given in to such a demand and instead filed a complaint to the Tehran Prosecutor and the authorities at Iran’s Prison Organization against the illegal nature of the interrogations.  [The prisoners] stressed that they are serving their original prison sentences and no new charges have been filed against them, which makes the recent interrogations completely illegal.”

Bahman Ahmadi Amouie, Saeed Milad Asadi, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Ali Parviz, Ali Tajernia, Mohammad Davari, Majid Dori, Amir Khosro Dalirsani, Mohammad Farid Taheri Ghazvini, Keyvan Samimi, Kouhyar Goodarzi, Ali Malihi, Abollah Momeni, and Mohsen Mirdamadi are amongst the political prisoners who signed the statement and have endured hours of illegal interrogations by Ministry of Intelligence interrogators.

Majid Dori was interrogated a few days prior to his exile to Behbahan prison. Ali Parviz was interrogated a few days prior to his release.  Kouhyar Goodarzi was also transferred to Rajai Shahr prison a few days after his interrogation. There is growing fear that there will be further transfers to prisons with harsher conditions and new charges will be created and filed against the remaining prisoners who signed the statement.

The statement signed by the 14 political prisoners reads: “[We are] innocent victims of the incidents that occurred after the 2009 Presidential election. [As a result of] Mr. Ahmadinejad’s recent request to the United Nations, and since we were wrongfully and unjustly accused, arrested and imprisoned, we request that an independent and national fact-finding committee is established, consisting of trusted and reliable members of our communities to investigate the truth behind the election and the events that ensued.”

Editing by Maryam Nayeb Yazdi and Roya Irani 
Translation by Banooye Sabz 
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