Iran Breaking: Family of Condemned Habibollah Latifi Arrested

1745 GMT: The Guardian of London now has an article on the arrest of eight members of Habibollah Latifi's family. Reciting the narrative we have posted, The Guardian adds that its conversation with Habibollah Latifi's sister Elahe on Friday was interrupted frequently by Iranian intelligence services.

The newspaper also has this detail on the suspension of Latifi's hanging:

PUK media, an official news website of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), reported that Jalal Talabani, the president of Iraq and the founder of the PUK, had intervened to persuade the Iranian authorities to stop Latifi's execution.

However, Iran's ILNA state news agency quoted Latifi's lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, as saying that "the claim that some officials in the countries of our neighbourhood have intervened to prevent the executions of some culprits including Latifi is not true".

1030 GMT: The youngest sister of Habibollah Latifi, the only family member not arrested in last night's raid by security forces, says she still does not know where her father, three brothers, three sisters, and sister-in-law are being held.

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Iran Snapshot: The Delayed Execution of Habibollah Latifi

2130 GMT: The statement of Habibollah Latifi's sister Elahe on the delay of his execution:

Habib asked that we sincerely thank all the citizens who worked so hard on his behalf. He asked that I kiss your hands and your eyes. I want to thank every single one of my beloved country men and women who stayed up with us these past few nights, who supported us and never left our side. It was because you stayed up with us, because you felt our pain, because you contacted us and did everything in your power to help us, it was because of your pressure that Habib was not executed this morning.

All our efforts are to ensure that not only Habib’s death sentenced is overturned but that more importantly the death penalty in general is abolished in Iran. These efforts are not only for Habib but for all Iranian people. We call on the Iranian people to protest and not remain silent so that together we can ensure that the death penalty is abolished in Iran. There are so many other individuals on death row. Our goal is to ensure that their sentences are also overturned.

[Habib] was in great spirits. Today they allowed us to have a face to face visit at 9:00 a.m. Habib was well and asked us to thank all the citizens both in Iran and abroad who worked so hard to make sure that his death sentence did not take place this morning.

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Iran Interview: Sister of Habib Latifi, Sentenced to Die on Sunday

Masih Alinejad interviews Elahe Latifi, sister of condemned Kurdish detainee Habibollah Latifi:

I thought in honour of the religious month of Moharram, no executions would be carried out, but apparently that does not matter to the authorities. Our last hope is God.

One is hopeful until the last minute. Hopeful to be able to do anything for her loved one.

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