Bahareh Hedayat, Political Activist, in Interrogation at Evin Prison Following Arrest

Reports indicate that Bahareh Hedayat, spokesperson of the Central Council of the Office for Consolidation of Unity and women’s rights activist, has been arrested and transferred to Branch 4 of Evin Interrogation Center.

The news website Emtedad on Tuesday, February 22, confirmed the arrest of Bahareh Hedayat and reported that this political activist informed her family in a contact that she is present at Branch 4 of Evin Interrogation Center for the presentation of charges.

Journalist Reyhaneh Tabatabaei also confirmed this news on her Twitter page.

Previously, it was reported that Bahareh Hedayat disappeared after being summoned to the university security office, with no news of her whereabouts. It was suspected that she had been arrested by security agencies.

Following the 2009 election events, Bahareh Hedayat was arrested and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on charges of acting against national security and insulting Ayatollah Khamenei and the then-president of Iran.

In recent months, security pressures on political activists, students, and journalists in Iran have increased.

International human rights organizations and the United States government have accused the Islamic Republic of violating freedom of expression and suppressing civil activists, and have called for the release of journalists imprisoned solely for performing their duties and profession.

The U.S. State Department also states that the Iranian regime has arrested thousands of protesters, civil activists, workers’ representatives, and others in the past two years.

Source: Voice of America