Tawhid Qureshi and Hamzeh Darvish Transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison After Six Days of No Contact

“Tawhid Qureshi” and “Hamzeh Darvish,” two Sunni prisoners who were transferred to an unknown location six days ago under the pretext of summoning by the prison health affairs office, have been returned to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.

An informed source told Voice of America: These two Sunni prisoners, who were transferred to an unknown location by Rajai Shahr Prison officials on Saturday, June 18, were returned to their previous ward in Rajai Shahr Prison on Thursday, June 23, and it was revealed that during this period they had been transferred to Ward 2-A under the supervision of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence unit.

It is said that these two political prisoners experienced unconventional and violent treatment during their transfer and return to the prison, including the use of handcuffs, shackles, and blindfolds.

According to this informed source, during this period, in addition to the interrogation of the two Sunni prisoners, Mr. Qureshi was sent to Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to address a new case opened against him by the Ministry of Intelligence. With the protest of this ideological prisoner over the violation of legal rights during the court proceedings and the absence of a lawyer in the court session, he refused to answer the judge’s questions.

Tawhid Qureshi was arrested by security forces in early Ordibehesht 1393 (April 2014) and was tried after one year. The primary court initially sentenced Mr. Qureshi to 10 years in prison, a sentence that was reduced to 7 years with consolidated sentences to approximately four years of enforceable prison time in the appellate court.

Hamzeh Darvish, a Sunni prisoner, claims that in 1393, forces from a fundamentalist group based in Syria deceived him, took him to Turkey, and then transferred him to Syria. He spent some time in ISIS prison and then escaped to Iran after obtaining a safe passage letter from the Iranian embassy in Turkey, introducing himself to security forces. He even had the opportunity to be released on bail and worked as a finch breeder.

After one year of freedom, Hamzeh Darvish was arrested again on a bail order and in an ambiguous trial held by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He has been in prison for more than two years.

Source: Voice of America