Despite the trial session: Morteza Semyari’s continued detention in solitary confinement
Morteza Semyari, Central Council member of the Office to Foster Unity (Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat), continues to remain imprisoned in solitary confinement in Ward 240 of Evin prison. One of the student activists of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said, “While the Social Secretary of the Office to Foster Unity (Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat) is still in solitary confinement, even though his trial has already started, and even while his last defense has been prepared. His incarceration in solitary confinement is solely for the purpose of applying pressure to make him give in to the illegal demands of the interrogators and torturers.
It has been said that Ward 240 of the Evin prison belongs to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence, and this security agency keeps members of the jailed Central Committee of the Office to Foster Unity (Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat) in solitary confinement and applies physical and psychological pressure on them, trying to force the central members of this Student Union to announce the dissolution of the organization.
It should be noted that Morteza Semyari, following an invitation the European Parliament extended to him to attend an official and transparent meeting with the members of its delegation during a trip to Tehran, was arrested, charged, and tried for this meeting, which has not yet happened. This has caused adverse reactions and protest from Ms. Barbara Lochbihler, Chairman of the Europe Parliament Iran Delegation, causing the cancellation of the said trip to Tehran. She has requested that Iranian authorities release Semyari from detention, which has taken place because of this meeting. In her letter to Iran’s ambassador in Brussels, Ms. Lochbihler demanded unconditional freedom of Mr. Semyari. It is also worth mentioning that Morteza Semyari said in his court proceeding that his reply to this invitation was that he would attend this meeting only if the European Parliament would coordinate it with Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
