Judiciary Summons Woman for Seeking Answers About Infant Niece’s Disappearance

Rahleh Rahemipour has been summoned to Evin Prison by the Judiciary and questioned for demanding answers about her missing infant niece, whom Rahemipour says disappeared after the baby was born in Evin Prison in 1984.  

“When I started investigating the disappearance of my brother’s daughter in Evin Prison, I attended several civil rights gatherings. Then I started getting phone calls from individuals who claimed to be from the Intelligence Ministry and wanted me to keep quiet and come to the ministry. But I told them that I didn’t know who they were, and refused to make an appearance without an official summons. Finally, on August 16 [2016], I received a summons from [the Judiciary] to appear at Evin Prison within five days,” Rahemipour told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

Rahleh Rahemipour’s summons.

According to Rahemipour, her niece, Golrou, was born in Evin Prison in April 1984. Golrou’s parents had been imprisoned for their alleged membership in Rah-e Kargar, a banned radical communist party. A few days after her birth, Golrou was taken away from her mother for “tests” at the prison clinic, but was never brought back. The authorities claimed the baby had died, but the parents were not shown the body or a death certificate. The father, Hossein Rahemipour, was executed six months later and the mother, who suffered from heart disease, was released in January 1985; her name has been withheld to protect her privacy.

On August 20 Rahemipour was questioned for six hours at the judicial complex in Evin Prison about attending peaceful demonstrations displaying a photo of her brother with the slogan, “You killed my brother. What did you do with his daughter?” She also told the Campaign that she was questioned about her meetings with civil rights and political activists as well as her interviews with foreign media.

“These are some of the accusations against me, but none of them are crimes,” she said. “The authorities wanted me to promise not to continue these activities, but I refused. I just want to know what happened to my niece and where she was buried. I won’t stop until I get the answer.”