Aliyeh Matlab-Zadeh, Imprisoned Activist at Evin Prison, Deprived of ‘Phone Calls’
The spouse of a women’s rights activist has reported that this prisoner held in Evin Prison has been denied phone contact.
The husband of Aliyeh Matlab-Zadeh, a women’s rights activist and vice-chairman of the Association for the Defense of Press Freedom, announced this news on his Instagram page, stating that during a meeting on Sunday, September 14, after a week without news from his wife, with one of the officials of the judicial prosecutor overseeing the prison, he was told that his wife “has been deprived of all phone contact with the outside of the prison for two months due to communicating by telephone with prisoners from other prisons and blackening the conduct of prison officials in connection with corona.”
According to Sedra Abdollahi, Ms. Matlab-Zadeh personally decided to cut off her visits.
He further stated that through the families of some prisoners, he learned that Aliyeh Matlab-Zadeh, in protest of the illegal process of deprivations imposed, strictness toward prisoners, and until these deprivations are lifted, will not meet with anyone and has also announced this matter to prison authorities.
Sedra Abdollahi, referring to the implementation of new strict changes against prisoners and the women’s ward by prison officials, further stated: “Aliyeh Matlab-Zadeh’s complete severance of contact with the outside causes greater concern, and the responsibility for any incident regarding her health and that of other prisoners in such circumstances rests with the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic and the prison.”
Ms. Matlab-Zadeh, who is a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, was sentenced in 2017 to three years in prison by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court on charges of “gathering and conspiracy against national security” and “propaganda against the system,” a sentence that was upheld by Branch 36 of Tehran Province’s Court of Appeals.
Ms. Matlab-Zadeh, who began serving her sentence from October 2020 despite the prevalence of coronavirus, was granted leave from July 20 after contracting the virus in prison. She ultimately returned to Evin Prison on Monday, September 8.
Source: Voice of America
