Iran Snapshot: A Letter to EA About Detained Journalist Emaduddin Baghi

EA has just received this letter about journalist Emaduddin Baghi, arrested in December 2009 --- in part for interviewing Grand Ayatollah Montazeri --- and summoned this week to begin a seven-year sentence:

Dear Friends.

Emaduddin Baghi was sent behind bars today. A few days ago when Tehran was in holiday thanks to the pollution, an unknown telephone call insisted Baghi to make himself present before the court on Sunday (today, 5th of December). Today is a bad day because Baghi is imprisoned again.

This Thursday (9th of December) is the day when the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri departed this life [a year ago]. There is a probability that the government is scared of the anniversary of the late Ayatollah who was the symbol of peace and tolerance and a living symbol of defending the right of dissidents. Last year, just a few days after the Ayatollah's death, Beghi was incarcerated when the security agents invaded his home to arrest him at 6 in the morning.

I deem it necessary to mention that we are approaching the 16th of Azar (7 December) which is the Day of Students. The government scared of this day and that is why he was sent behind bars.

Baghi was sentenced to 1 year prison and 5 years deprivation of civil rights due to his activities in establishing Defending Prisoners' Rights Society and doing an interview with the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri. Besides, he was sentenced to 7 years more [i.e., a total of seven years] because of his human rights activities.

When we go through his interrogations in prison...[we find] the interrogators emphasised on two important points:

1 – He was told that the government and the security agents have in mind to resist against the outside pressures. It means that they (the security agents or the government of hooligans which are ruling in the prison) want to prove that whether he is an author, human rights activist, or the head of a human rights organization and the winner of International Awards, it doesn't matter. They try to continue putting their pressures [upon him] irrespective of the pressures from outside world.

2- One of his interrogators told Baghi that "by your detention and incarceration, human rights organizations and Iranian protestors will react for a few days and then they will be exhausted with their protest. You will be forgotten." It means they count on the silence of the people.

Baghi insisted to me to mention his suggestion again because he thinks the suggestion will have immense effect on the situation of prisons and reform in prisons. He said: try hard so that the UN approves the "International Day of Defending the Rights of Prisoners".

During his release [from prison], he was busy with his medical treatment such as surgery on his teethes. but now that he is imprisoned, the surgery is incomplete.

Pray for the health of Baghi.