Imprisoned Journalist–70 Days In Prison, One Phone Call, One Visit

A source close to the case of imprisoned journalist, Nazanin Khosravani, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that despite claims that she is charged with “acting against national security,” during her only meeting with her family, she told them that she has not accepted the charge as she has not done anything to warrant such an accusation.

According to the said source, security officers who refuse to present any evidence of the journalist’s wrongdoing, continue to pressure her in different ways to accept these charges. Refusing to grant her permission to make phone calls or to have visitations with her family, holding her in solitary confinement, and keeping her in a state of judicial limbo are some of the ways they are pressuring Khosravani. All this is despite the fact that the Prosecutor’s Office authorities have stated that Nazanin Khosravani’s investigations are complete.

Human rights activists fear that pressure on this imprisoned journalist is mounting as her case continues to be kept in secrecy and she is not allowed to have contact with her family. Judicial authorities and the Prosecutor’s Office authorities continue to maintain silence about these fears. Last Wednesday, Nazanin Khosravani’s family were told that her case was sent to court. However, after her lawyer and family members went to the courts, they realized that the case had not been forwarded.

Since her arrest in early November, she has only been able to call her family once, six days after her arrest. Last week, she was able to visit with her family for the first and only time since her arrest. The family’s efforts to visit with her again, or to be able to talk to her on the telephone have been futile.

Nazanin Khosravani was arrested on Wednesday, 2 November 2010. During her only telephone call to her family on 8 November, she told them that she was in solitary confinement inside Evin Prison. Reasons for her arrest and her charges have not yet been announced by judicial authorities.