Massoud Shafii, the Iranian attorney who defended two Americans who were detained in Iran, has been banned from travelling abroad.
AFP reports that Shafii was scheduled to fly to the U.S. on Sunday in order to visit his daughter, but his passport was confiscated at the airport with a warrant from the judiciary, and he was denied the right to travel.
Last week, Shafii was briefly detained by the judiciary and he was questioned for hours while his home was searched. Shafii reported that the questions mostly focused on the recent press conference held in New York by the released Americans, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal.
The judiciary has not announced any reason for Sahfii’s travel ban.
Three American detainees were arrested in July 2009 for illegally entering Iran through the Iran-Iraq border. They were later also charged with espionage.
Sarah Shourd, one of the three, was released on bail in September 2010 for medical reasons. Last month, Fattal and Bauer were released on bail by the order of the appellate court after being sentenced to eight years in prison.
At the press conference, the Americans criticized their treatment by the Iranian government and insisted they were innocent of the espionage charge. They also said they had heard how other political prisoners were abused under detention.
