Former Political Prisoner Arrested by “Unidentified Agents” Without a Warrant

Former political prisoner Majid Asadi was arrested at his home in Karaj, west of Tehran, and taken to Evin Prison on February 21, 2017 by “unidentified agents who did not show a warrant,” an informed source told the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

Asadi contacted his family on February 23 from Evin Prison by phone, but did not talk about the charges against him or specify which ward he was being held in, said the source.

At the time of his latest arrest, Asadi was working as a translator in a private company and was not involved in politics, “but his friendly relationships with former cellmates may have made the security officials sensitive towards him,” said the source.

Asadi is still suffering from the digestive problems resulting from a hunger strike he endured during his first round of prison and his condition could get worse without medical care, added the source.

The Intelligence Ministry previously arrested Asadi, 34, on July 3, 2008 while he was a student activist at Allameh Tabatabaie University in Tehran. He was released approximately three months later on bail.

In March 2010, Judge Abolqasem Salavati of Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced Asadi to four years in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security.”

Asadi began his prison term on October 5, 2011 after the Appeals Court upheld his sentence and completed the sentence on June 8, 2015.