Reports Indicate ‘Arrest’ of Hossein Ronaghi, Civil Activist
Reports published on social media networks indicate that Hossein Ronaghi, a civil activist, has been detained by security forces.
Mr. Ronaghi is a human rights defender and internet freedom advocate who had spent several years in prison due to his civil activities. This civil activist is among those active on social networks in defense of human rights and freedom of expression.
Official authorities have not yet responded to reports regarding his detention.
Meanwhile, Hassan Ronaghi tweeted that “My brother has been missing since he left the house this morning. According to some friends, he has been contacted several times by an unknown organizational number”.
He added: “If anything happens to Hossein, the Supreme Leader’s office, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the judiciary are responsible”.
Majid Tavakoli, a civil activist, also tweeted that “There has been no news from Hossein Ronaghi since this morning and his family and I (his friends) are very concerned”.
He added: “Hossein is a hero of freedom and over the past two decades has worked the most for internet freedom. He has always been the voice of the people with courage, and has fought for democracy, human rights, and a free Iran”.
In his last tweet published on Tuesday, Hossein Ronaghi criticized a plan called “Seyyanat” regarding internet in a parliamentary commission, considering it based on “the opinion and will” of the leader of the Islamic Republic.
This civil activist wrote: “If you cannot write the truth about the Seyyanat plan and internet censorship, do not sprinkle soil on the truth. The Seyyanat plan is a decision of the system’s entirety based on the opinion and will of the leader of the Islamic Republic who said: ‘Cyberspace must be managed’, reformists and principalists were together in this cycle as executors and followers of orders!”
In another tweet, he expressed the opinion that “Basically, the government has a problem with the free flow of information and free media, and all its efforts are to ensure that something called ‘the internet’ does not exist!”
Mr. Ronaghi added: “The government’s task is clear, which is why we must know which people around us play a role in censorship and suppression!”
Hossein Ronaghi was first arrested in 2009 following protests against the results of the presidential election and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in the Revolutionary Court on charges of membership in the Iran Proxy network, insulting the leader, and insulting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the then-president.
He was released from prison in September 2015 following the deterioration of his health condition, but in March of the same year was again summoned to the Evin Prosecutor’s Office and arrested.
Source: Radio Farda
