Iranian student organization urges judiciary to release Zeidabadi

Iranian Student Organization Advar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat called on the Head of Iran’s Judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani to release Ahmad Zeidabadi, Secretary-General of their organization.

In their letter they maintain that it is months since the required bail for Ahmad Zeidabadi was posted by his family and yet he remains in prison.

They add that rather than releasing him upon posting the bail, he was transferred to Rejai Prison in Karaj which according to Advar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat is not suitable for political prisoners. The transfer has caused great difficulty for Zeidabadi’s family visits since they have to travel between the two cities to accomplish these visits.

Ahmad Zeidabadi was arrested in June of 2009 after the disputed presidential elections in Iran and has been sentenced to six years in prison, five years exile to Gonabad and lifetime ban from political and social activities.

The reformist organization maintains that Zeidabadi’s sentence is “unfair and against national legal provisions.”

Five thousand protesters have been arrested in the past nine months of protests against the outcome of the disputed presidential elections in June. In recent day, the judiciary has been releasing a number of these detainees on hefty bails.

Reformist websites report that Mehdi Arabshahi, another Tahkim-e Vahdat member was released on a $200,000 bail. He was arrested in December of 2009 and was under pressure to submit to “forced confessions.”

Asad Miladi and Bahareh Hedayat, two other members who were arrested around the same time still remain in custody.

Human Rights Reporters Committee also reports that one of their detained members, Saeed Haeri was released on a $100,000 bail.

He was also arrested last December along with his colleagues, Shiva NazarAhari and Kohyar Godarzi who still remain in custody after over 80 days in Evin Prison.