The Continued Arbitrary Detention of Kouhyar Goudarzi And His Mother

A relative of human rights activist and banned student Kouhyar Goudarzi, who was arrested and transferred to an unknown location on 31 July by unidentified forces, spoke with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran about Goudarzi’s arrest. “Kouhyar was a guest at a friend’s home when he, his host, and another guest were arrested. Unofficial sources told us that Kouhyar and the other two individuals with him were arrested by Intelligence Ministry forces. However, judicial and security authorities have so far maintained silence about this and we remain in a complete information blackout. We do not know which individuals carried out the arrests and with what intentions. Some of the neighbors of the home in which Kouhyar was arrested have said that plainclothes individuals entered the home by force and without showing a warrant, taking the three with them after a while.”

The way in which Kouhyar Goudarzi and his mother, Parvin Mokhtare, were arrested is a clear manifestation of “arbitrary arrests,” a violation of a citizen’s right to a fair trial, and another example of the insistence of Iran’s security forces on ignoring the Islamic Republic of Iran’s commitments to internal and international laws.

“Also, some unofficial sources told us that Kouhyar is in solitary confinement inside Evin Prison’s Ward 240 in Tehran. Considering there are no judicial orders for his arrest inside the human rights activist’s case file at the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office, there is persistent concern about his detention location and his health. We consider him abducted and vanished,” continued the source.

“If Kouhyar’s arrest was legal and he is healthy right now, why hasn’t he been allowed to meet with his relatives so far? And why haven’t judicial authorities issued a clear statement about the reason for his potential arrest and his detention location? What is the reason for the illegal arrest of Kouhyar’s mother and her detention in the dangerous prisoners’ ward inside Kerman Prison?”

“The illegal arrest of Parvin Mokhtare, Kouhyar’s mother, and her continued detention inside the Kerman Prison has also increased concern that interrogators are attempting to build a trumped up case against Kouhyar and to put pressure on him through his mother’s continued detention. We hope the judicial authorities will prevent the illegal actions of security organizations and end this illegal process, releasing Kouhyar Goudarzi and his mother as soon as possible,” said the source.