Posted: 19 Mar 2009 02:18 PM PDT
Editor's Note: The following report was written by Babak Salehi of Shiraz. His wife, Haleh Hooshmandi-Salehi, was summoned by Iranian government authorities on Monday. They told her to go home and that they would call when she was needed. They called on Tuesday and ordered her to appear before them yesterday, Wednesday March 18. They arrested and imprisoned her when she came to their offices. Yesterday was the last day before all government offices close for Naw-Ruz (the Iranian traditional New Year holiday, for which offices may close for as long as 2 weeks). It should be noted that Haleh Salehi was one of the 54 Baha'is who were arrested last year for participation in teaching virtues classes (with no explicit Baha'i religious content, and with the approval of parents) to underprivileged children. She has been serving a one-year suspended sentence.
Report from Shiraz:
On the morning of March 14, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence descended on our residence, and as my wife and I were travelling, they forced, threatened and compelled my mother-in-law to given them the key so they could enter. They confiscated all of our books, computer, CDs, and a great deal of personal property, such as birth certificates, national ID cards, passports, and even our young child's personal items.
They also had an arrest warrant for my wife, Haleh Hooshmandi. Since we were not in Shiraz at that time, it was decided that she would present herself upon our return to the prison building of the Ministry of Intelligence in Shiraz, known as Plock 100.
At the same time, they had gone to the home of Farham Masumi and arrested him. However, he was released later that evening.
When we returned from our trip, we went to Plock 100 and stated, "As instructed, we are presenting ourselves." The authorities responded, "Return home and we will be in touch."
They contacted us on March 17 and asked that my wife, Mrs. Hooshmandi, appear at 8 a.m. the next morning at the prison facility of the Ministry of Intelligence.
On Wednesday, March 18, we returned to the prison building and saw that Mr. Farham Masumi had also been summoned as well. The officer that came by the door to take these two inside [i.e. Mr. Masumi and Mrs. Hooshmandi] and stated, "They will come home by this evening." However, when I went back that afternoon, I was told that they would come home the next morning.
This morning [March 19, 2009], we were told, "For now they are to remain here. If there is any news, or they are permitted to meet with you, or there are other matters, they will themselves call."
When I inquired about the charges against them, the answer was, "They have been arrested for illegal activities." When I asked for further details about these "illegal activities", they had no information and only responded, "You must go to the Information Office of the Ministry of Intelligence on Zand Avenue and ask."
It is interesting to note that a few minutes earlier, they had said to Mrs. Karami, whose husband has been incarcerated for about a month, "Whatever the Information Office tells you has no authority. You must come to us for information."
I should explain that Mr. Kayvan Karami was arrested after one of his Muslim friends was detained and charged with "change of belief in the traditional religion [i.e. conversion to the Baha'i Faith]. The Information Office had said to the family of Mr. Karami, "He has been arrested in connection with the arrest of his friend, though the friend has been released on surety." They then told Mrs. Karami that the charge against Kayvan was something else, though.
Related postsWhen I contacted the Information Office, they said, "Your wife is a Baha'i, and for now that is sufficient reason for arrest." They said that if it was necessary, they would call me.
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