Iranian of the Day

Kaleme: Security forces arrested Shirollah Dargahi, 80, on Wednesday night and transferred to him to an unknown location. Dargahi is grandfather of Arash Sadeghi, an imprisoned student activist who is at Evin Prison's Ward 350.

According to Kaleme reporter, security forces told Dargahi and his shocked wife that they were taking him away for questioning and that they would return him soon, but he has not been returned. Family of Shirollah Dargahi is extremely concerned about his health.

Last month, Dargahi wrote an open letter addressed to his grandson's interrogators at Evin. Describing the way his grandson was arrested and the following events, including telephone calls from Sadeghi's interrogator, his intimidation and abuse of Sadeghi and his family, Dargahi wrote, "Did you see all your claims about Arash's being a criminal was like satire? A bitter joke...What are you going to do with Arash? Wasn't sending him to prison for 30 months after the 2009 election, most of which he spent in solitary, enough? Isn't the physical damage Arash has sustained during his interrogations, such as his broken ribs and shoulder, confirmed by the Medical Examiner, enough? In the calls you made to me after Arash's arrest, you repeatedly told me that you had Arash under surveillance all this time and that you knew all his contacts. You must then know that after his release he didn't have a place to live?"

Arash Sadeghi is a student activist whose mother died when security forces stormed his family residence to arrest him after the 2009 election. He has been arrested several times and has served long period in solitary confinement and under torture.

* Shirllah Dargahi's complete letter to his grandson's interrogators