“God Willing, Your Daughter Is Still Alive,” Judicial Authority Tells Mother

Tehran Prosecutor’s has claimed that imprisoned journalist Nazanin Khosravani committed security offenses, some of which Khosravani has accepted, and criticized her mother, Aazam Afsharian for doing interviews with foreign media. Afsharian spoke with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and said, “I was astonished at the Tehran Prosecutor’s remarks. He said that he has met with my daughter in prison and that ‘she has committed security offenses’. But, Nazanin has been unemployed for the past year and a half and she stayed at home; this means having no job is a security crime! The Prosecutor’s words really hurt me. I was at home with Nazanin for the past year and a half and her work and life was transparent. What security offenses?”

“Nazanin has spent nearly 40 days in solitary confinement. She contacted me only for a second to say that she is in solitary confinement in Ward 209. Then, after receiving no news [about my daughter’s condition] for 40 days, the Prosecutor says in a press conference that Nazanin Khosravani has committed security offenses.  Shouldn’t I, as her mother, know what this security offense is?” Afsharian said.

Afsharian told the Campaign about the prosecutor’s criticism of her for talking to the media saying, “It’s my right to speak. Because every day I go to the Revolutionary Court, to the Prosecutor’s office, and to Evin prison and don’t get a word of answer from them.  Now I think maybe by doing interviews my voice might reach the ears of the authorities. If I knew my daughter was healthy, I wouldn’t do interviews. I wrote letters, and I begged to be allowed to visit with my daughter for a few minutes so I’d at least know that she was alive and healthy; but every time I go to the Prosecutor’s office, they’d say there is no answer to your letter yet. So I think maybe my letter has not even been read yet, or maybe they have not received my letter at all, so I am without any choice but to do interviews, so perhaps in this way they hear my voice.”

“The last time I went to the Prosecutor’s office, I was in tears. I told the Deputy Prosecutor that I would just like to know whether my daughter is alive, and he said, ‘God willing, she is alive’.  This is a very cruel answer for a mother. I merely request of the Prosecutor to allow me to have an in-person visit with my daughter so I’d know she is well, so I can see her again, and to hear her voice,” Afsharian added.