Over 600 Writers and Civil and Political Activists Call for Freedom of Imprisoned Writers
Over 600 writers, poets, journalists, artists, and civil and political activists, in support of statements from the “Iranian Writers’ Association in Exile” and the “Iranian Pen Society in Exile,” have called for the release of imprisoned writers including Reza Khandan Mahabadi, Baktash Abtin, and Keyvan Bazen, three members of the Iranian Writers’ Association.
According to Hrana news agency, citing the Iranian Writers’ Association in Exile, over 600 writers, poets, journalists, artists, and civil and political activists have called for the freedom of imprisoned writers.
In a section of this statement, referring to the arrest of three members of the Iranian Writers’ Association, Reza Khandan Mahabadi, Baktash Abtin, and Keyvan Bazen, for serving their prison sentences, it states: “The baseless charges against these three writers are ‘propaganda against the system’ and ‘assembly and conspiracy to act against national security,’ which include ‘publication of the Association’s internal newsletter, participation in drafting the Association’s history book, and issuing statements and attending commemoration ceremonies for Mohammad Jafar Pouyandeh, Mohammad Mokhtari, and Ahmad Shamlu.’
In recent weeks, other writers, poets, and journalists have also been summoned to Islamic Republic courts or imprisoned: Arash Ganji, Giti Poorfazal, Arman Esmaili, Shabnam Ashoori, Ailwargholi Vand, Nada Pirkhezraei, Arash Jouhari, Andisheh Sadri, Mina Rad (released on Monday, October 21), Khosrow Sadeqi Brojeni, and others are among these individuals.”
In another section of this statement, signed by the Iranian Writers’ Association in Exile and the Iranian Pen Society in Exile, referring to the fact that the Islamic Republic government “over more than four decades of criminal and human rights-violating rule has killed dozens of writers, poets, and journalists and subjected hundreds of these individuals to beatings, humiliation and degradation, social deprivation, exile, imprisonment, and torture,” it states: “Let us stand firm in our belief in defending these writers, that is, in defending freedom of thought, expression and the pen, and in protecting human dignity and honor, and let us strengthen our commitment to imprisoned writers. We, the signatories of this ‘statement,’ call for the swift revocation of sentences issued regarding imprisoned writers and the freedom of all political and ideological prisoners, dissidents, and activists in professional and civil movements.”
Baktash Abtin, Reza Khandan Mahabadi, and Keyvan Bazen, three members of the Iranian Writers’ Association, were arrested on Saturday, September 26, after appearing at the sentence execution unit of Evin Prosecutor’s Office and were transferred to Evin Prison to serve their sentences.
Previously, the Tehran Province Court of Appeals, on December 29, 2019, sentenced these individuals to a combined 15 years and six months of imprisonment. According to the verdict, which was served to their defense lawyers on Saturday, December 28, Baktash Abtin and Reza Khandan Mahabadi, two members of the Iranian Writers’ Association’s executive board, were each sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment, and Keyvan Bazen was sentenced to 3 years and six months of imprisonment. These citizens had previously been sentenced to a combined 18 years of imprisonment in Tehran Revolutionary Court.
Source: Hrana
