Mahdieh Golroo Remains in Solitary Confinement Two Months After Arrest, Charges Unclear

Despite completion of interrogations for Mahdieh Golroo, a women’s rights activist who was arrested on October 23, 2014, a day after she attended a gathering in Tehran to protest acid attacks on several women in Isfahan, her judicial case has not moved forward and her family remains uninformed of her charges, a source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Mahdieh Golroo has spent her entire detention period inside a solitary cell in the IRGC’s Ward 2-A at Evin Prison.

Golroo’s family has met with her twice since her arrest, according to the source. “Unfortunately, the visits have been in the presence of [intelligence] agents, therefore Mahdieh has been unable to tell her family anything about the interrogations and her charges. All she said was that she doesn’t know the reasons for her detention, and that she hasn’t done anything this time to deserve such treatment and solitary confinement,” said the source.

“During her second visit with her family on Monday, December 8, Mahdieh told them that her interrogations ended 10 days ago. However, when Ms. Golroo’s family went to the investigative judge to inquire about her case, he told them that the case report has not yet been forwarded to him, therefore he can’t talk about the charges,” said the source, adding, “her physical and psychological state seemed good, but she has spent 45 days in solitary confinement in a room that has a toilette, therefore she has not been able to leave that 5- to 6-square meter room even on the excuse of using the restroom.”

After arresting her on her way to work on October 23, security forces went to her home, searched the premises, and confiscated personal items such as a laptop computer and her cell phone.

Golroo’s temporary detention orders are valid until December 24, and her family hopes that the fate of her case will be determined by that date, so that she can be released on bail, according to the source.

Mahdieh Golroo was a “starred student” from Allameh Tabatabaee University, who was banned from continuing her education during the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presidency. She was a member of the Mehdi Karroubi campaign during the 2009 presidential election. She was arrested on December 2, 2009, and a Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to two years and four months in prison on charges of “propaganda against the state,” and “assembly and collusion with the intent to disrupt national security.” She was released on May 19, 2012, after serving 30 months in Evin Prison. Following the 2013 election of Hassan Rouhani and the emergence of hope for the return of “starred students” to universities, along with many others, Golroo submitted a request to the Science Ministry to be allowed to return to her studies, but her request was not granted.