U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom: President Biden Administration to Support Detained Iranian Citizens
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom condemned Iranian authorities’ mistreatment of imprisoned civil rights activist Golrakh Ebrahimi Iraei following her transfer to Amol Prison.
On Wednesday, February 29, Gil Manchin, the head of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, called on the administration of President Joe Biden to support Iranian citizens who have been detained for peacefully exercising their freedom of religion and belief, in response to the mistreatment of Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraei by the Islamic Republic authorities and the sudden transfer of this civil rights activist from Evin Prison to Amol Prison.
Ms. Manchen also called on President Biden's administration to raise the severe mistreatment of Golrokh Ebrahimi-Iraei in its dealings with Iranian leaders in the coming months.
Gary Bower, another member of the commission, also referred to the Iranian authorities' mistreatment of citizens who peacefully declare their freedom of religion and belief and called on the Biden administration to continue sanctions and visa bans on high-ranking Iranian officials responsible for this cruel mistreatment.
According to some human rights news agencies, Golrokh Iraei was immediately deported to Amol Prison on Sunday, February 25, after being interrogated for at least a month and a half in the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center in Evin Prison and then transferred back to Qarchak Prison in Varamin.
According to available information, this imprisoned civil activist was transferred to the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center, known as Ward 2A of Evin Prison, on December 13, after being beaten by special prison officers, and was deprived of the right to contact and visit his family.
In late July 2019, Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraei was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison by Judge Iman Afshari, head of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, in a joint case with Atena Daemi, another imprisoned civil activist, on charges of “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic and the leadership” and “propaganda against the system.” She was arrested on November 8 of the same year at her home in Tehran and transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin.
Earlier, Voice of America reported that since Golrokh Iraei was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin on November 9, 2019, her lines of communication with her husband, Arash Sadeghi, a political prisoner in Iran, had been cut off by order of the Tehran Prosecutor General and the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization. At that time, Mr. Sadeghi was told that “you do not deserve to have phone calls or visits.”
Human rights organizations say that the Islamic Republic does not handle accusations fairly, and that sometimes innocent people have been tried and even executed.
The US State Department has also repeatedly and on various occasions condemned the violent confrontations and widespread repression of protesters, as well as the repeated and persistent violations of the rights of Iranian citizens by the ruling regime in that country.
Source: Voice of America
