After their release from prison, three political prisoners in Rajaeeshahr prison were beaten before the execution of their deportation sentence; Vahid Bani Amerian went unconscious
4-March-2023
Category: Prisoners، Suppression
February 28, 2023
Newsgroup: Prisoners – Suppression –
Breathing in Confinement: On Saturday, February 25, 2023, after being released from prison, Vahid Bani Amerian, Pooya Qobadi, and Seyed Mohammad Taghavi, three political prisoners in Rajaeeshahr prison, were transferred to the cities where they were sentenced to be exiled to. Their transfer was with beating and forced handcuffing and shackling.
According to “Breathing in Confinement “, the news organ of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, political prisoners, Vahid Bani Amerian, Pooya Qobadi and Seyed Mohammad Taghavi were deported to the cities of Beshagard, Nikshahr and Kahnuj following being released from prison.
According to an informed source, on Saturday, February 25th, these political prisoners were first transferred to the Police Prevention Center, located in Enghelab Square, Badrageh branch, to be transferred to the cities to which they were sentenced to be exiled. After a few hours, the agents attempted to handcuff and shackle them. However, the released prisoners resisted and did not allow this to happen.
The informed source added: “The three said that they had been released and were no longer prisoners to be handcuffed and shackled. Afterwards, plainclothes officers beat them. As a result of which Vahid Bani-Amerian went unconscious without receiving medical care or assessment. “
The source continued: “Disregarding all these, the agents transferred Vahid Bani Amerian, Pooya Qobadi and Seyed Mohammad Taghavi to the cities of Beshagard, Nikshahr and Kohnuj.”
Political prisoners Pooya Qobadi and Vahid Bani Amerian had been arrested in March 2019 and both were interrogated and tortured for three months in the cells of Evin’s Ward 209. They both were interrogated under the pressures such as incarceration in solitary confinement and the threat of arresting their close relatives.
After the complication of their interrogation, they were transferred from the solitary cells of Evin to Ward 4. And at the end of 2019, Poya Qobadi was transferred to Great Tehran Prison.
Thy both had been previously also arrested but released on bail in April 2018. In regard to their first case, they were sentenced to 5 years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the system and assembly and collusion”. They also were charged of “acting against national security through membership and effective cooperation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran”, “propaganda against the regime”, “destruction of government property”, “assembly and collusion with the intention of acting against the country’s national security”. However, their lawyers requested a retrial because of the flaws in evidence.
Mr. Taghavi was previously sentenced to 5 years in prison by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Judge Iman Afshari, for the charge of “assembly and collusion with the intention of disrupting the security of the country”. He was imprisoned since June 9, 2022.