Iranian of the Day

ICHRI: In a September 22 interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, wife of Saeed Matinpour, an Azarbaijan civil activist and journalist who is currently serving his eight-year prison term, said that she submitted her husband's latest request for conditional release and furlough to Tehran Prosecutor's Office that day. Saeed Matinpour has served four years of his eight-year sentence and he can qualify for conditional release.

"I am at a state where I no longer have any hope in the Iranian judicial system. I have frequently visited judicial organizations for more than four years, but they have not told me the truth even once. These days I only talk to carry out my duty of trying to get my imprisoned husband's voice outside of the prison, not because I have any hope in the Iranian judicial authorities. Today I delivered Saeed's second and last letter, requesting conditional release and furlough, but I don't know whether this letter will be answered or whether it will remain unanswered like the other letters," Atieh Taheri told the Campaign.

"Saeed's case, from beginning to present has been on an illegal path. There was never any trial court for him in which he could defend himself. For nine months he was kept in solitary confinement, interrogated, tortured and finally sentenced to eight years in prison. His interrogators determined this sentence and sent it to Judge Salavati to sign, but Saeed was never taken to a court. His illegal sentence that had been issued without a trial was enforced and now he has served half of it. He spent four years in prison without even a single day of furlough and we are now pursing his conditional release," Atieh Taheri added.

Saeed Matinpour, 37, studied Philosophy at Tehran University and wrote in Zanjan Newspaper and Weekly. He was also an activist in human rights and ethnic rights area. He was arrested on May 25, 2007 for having participated in a seminar in defense of the rights of Turkish-speaking people in Turkey. Saeed Mantipour was tried in Branch 15 of Tehran Revolutionary Court under Judge Salavati on charges of "connection with foreigner," and "propaganda against the regime," and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Saeed Mantipour is serving his sentence inside Tehran's Evin Prison.

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"In response to my letters, they only say that the IRGC does not approve Saeed's leave, but they never say the reason for the IRGC's disapproval. A few weeks ago, when I went to the Prosecutor's Office to submit a furlough request, the Assistant Judge told me that so long as my husband does not write a pardon request, there will be no furlough. But Saeed does not want to write a pardon request at all. He says I did not do anything that was against the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran and I was never found guilty in any court of law, so I can't request a pardon for it," Atieh Taheri told the Campaign about her four years of letter writing to the authorities.

"During his nine months in solitary confinement, Saeed developed acute spinal problems. He now suffers from severe back and neck pains which unfortunately continue. Once, when they wanted to transfer him to a hospital, Saeed refused to be taken in handcuffs and footcuffs, and they refused to transfer him," said Saeed Matinpour's wife about his physical conditions.