Journalist Arrested, No Information Despite Promises by Authorities

Photo description: The arrest of Nazanin Khosrovani, a veteran journalist with reformist newspapers, has caused surprise among her family and friends as she has not worked as a journalist for months. Authorities have refrained from revealing her charges or detention location.

Azam Afsharian, mother of imprisoned journalist Nazanin Khosravani, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran of the plight of her daughter and family. Five days have passed since Khosravani’s arrest and no phone call has been made, despite promises by Tehran’s Prosecutor Jafari Dolatabadi that Khosravani would call her family. Authorities have  provided no information as to her detention location. “I went to the Justice Department today and met Mr. Dolatabadi. He said that Nazanin would call today, but so far she has not called yet,” she told the Campaign.

“But when I asked him about my daughter’s detention location, Evin authorities said that her name is not on the prisoner roster at Evin prison. They didn’t give me any answers. They said ‘your daughter will contact you,'” Khosravani’s mother said.

Afsharian emphasized that her daughter has been unemployed and not working for any newspapers for the past seven months. “I hope my daughter’s arrest is only a misunderstanding, and that Nazanin returns home soon, because she hasn’t done anything, and during all these months she has been at home with me,” said Afsharian.

Journalist Nazanin Khosravani was arrested by security forces at her home last Wednesday and her computer was confiscated. Two days later, security forces returned to her home. “They rang the bell for me to open the door, but because what they were saying seemed abnormal, I didn’t open the door. I called the police. When the police came, they showed their warrant to the police, but I didn’t see anything. They said they were looking for a laptop computer, which of course they didn’t find and they left. I asked them where Nazanin was and they told me that they did not have to answer this question,” explained Afsharian.

Nazanin Khosravani has worked in the political section of Kargozaran, Jomhouriyat, and Norooz newspapers in the past.