Activist’s Wife: “My Husband Was Under Pressure From Security Authorities”

Following the disappearance of political activist Hoda Saber, his wife, Fahimeh Jamshidi, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that her husband’s disappearance cannot be without reason. Jamshidi added that her husband, who is a distinguished political figure, has been under pressure from security officials. She said that she and her children have searched hospitals and other public locations in search of Saber and have been unsuccessful in finding him. Expressing concern about Saber’s condition, the family has requested that authorities reveal his detention location.

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran was informed on Saturday, 24 July 2010, that Hoda Saber, a Nationalist-Religious activist, had disappeared, although Saber’s lawyer, Mohammad Sharif, called the disappearance an “abduction.” Forty eight hours later, security and judicial organizations have neither confirmed his arrest, nor have they provided any answers to his concerned family about his disappearance.

Fahimeh Jamshidi told the Campaign that she and her husband spoke last on Saturday night to make arrangements to pick each other up, but he was not seen nor heard from again. The Saber family’s search for any leads about him have been fruitless and they demand information about him. Some reports quote Mohammad Sharif to have said that his client had been under surveillance for the past two weeks.

Hoda Saber was previously arrested in 2000 along with several other Nationalist-Religious activists. A lower court sentenced him to ten years in prison and ten years’ deprivation of social activities. An appeals court later commuted the sentence to five and a half years in prison and suspended it at this stage.

According to Mohammad Sharif, Saber had received several telephone calls about serving his prison sentence during the past few months, and had demanded official documents from the Judiciary in this regard.