117 journalists have called on the head of the judiciary to stop prison interrogators from threatening and bullying the families of prisoners.
The Kaleme website reports that, in response to a letter published by Abolfazl Ghadiyani outlining how jailed political prisoner Alireza Rejai’s family is being subjected to abuse and threats, the journalists write: “It is not too much to ask that the family boundaries of a journalist who may be arrested for whatever reason is not violated and that his family members retain their human and civil rights to live without fear of threats and violence.”
In his letter, Ghadiyani writes that Islamic Republic interrogators have gone beyond the methods used by the infamous Savak, the intelligence forces of the former regime.
Ghadiyani addressed his letter the head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Larijani, writing: “On many occasions the indecent dealings of degenerate interrogators of the Revolutionary Guards and the Intelligence Ministry who are now ruling over the weak-willed judges in political courts with the innocent family members of political prisoners has been reported, and you have for sure heard of them but taken no action to stop them.”
“From the start, following the illegal arrest of Alireza Rejai, they have harassed his family in various ways and created the worst situation for his family,” Ghadiyani writes.
The 117 journalists refer to Ghadiyani’s reports and insist that the judiciary take immediate action to end the abuses against the Rejai family and prosecute the perpetrators.
Alireza Rejai was arrested in May of 2011 for “committing security crimes” and has been in jail since then.
Rejai, a political science scholar, has worked as director of several reformist newspapers including Toos and Jameeh.
Many prominent reformists have been arrested and persecuted following the 2009 presidential election, which was challenged by reformist candidates with allegations of vote fraud.
