Three Days of Crippling Cold in Nazanin Khosravani’s Cell

Azam Afsharian, mother of Iranian journalist and prisoner of conscience Nazanin Khosravani, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that her daughter’s trial has been postponed until 31 January. Afsharian also said Khosravani’s defense lawyer has been unable to review her case so far and that though more than a month has passed since the completion of investigations, authorities refuse to release Khosravani on bail.

Afsharian was able to visit her daughter today for the second time during her four-month imprisonment. “As Nazanin is a very strong individual, her morale was high. But she was very unhappy about her cold cell. She said that the cold in her cell was crippling for three days. They didn’t give her any warm clothes and the clothes I had given to prison officials two-three weeks ago, have not been given to her yet,” she told the Campaign.

“Nazanin was surprised to be woken up yesterday morning and told, ‘wake up, you have a trial court today.’ Nazanin said that she was taken to Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Courts. Quite by accident, she saw her lawyer, Ms. Gheirat in the court hallways, pursuing another case in the courts. Upset, she told the judge: ‘I have not seen the case file yet. I have gone to review the case file twice, but I was told that the case has not yet been forwarded to court.’ Ms. Gheirat then asked the Judge, Mr. Pirabbasi, to postpone the court date for a few days to allow her to appear with her power of attorney to review Nazanin’s case. Judge Pirabbasi was very kind and agreed to postpone the court date for a few days. God willing, with the wisdom we have heard he possesses in judicial matters, we hope that in that court the misunderstandings about Nazanin will be resolved,” Afsharian told the Campaign.

“When I went to see Nazanin today, she said that she was told last night that her court date is 31 January. We and Nazanin herself are very surprised, because she was informed of her last charges on 19 December 2010, and during the 1.5 months in between that time and her court date, she could have been released on bail, which, unfortunately, did not happen,” Afsharian added.

Nazanin Khosravani is a political journalist with reformist newspapers who was arrested at her home on 23 August 2010.