Behnam Ebrahimzadeh Faces New Charges in Rajai Shahr Prison

HRANA News Agency – Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, imprisoned labor activist in Rajai Shahr prison, who was transferred by force from ward 2 of Darul Quran, under the pretext of “transferring to the clinic”, to Hall 12, political prisoners’ Hall, in ward 4, following the inquisition and seizing his manuscripts by the prison security, has been threatened to form a news case against him, by the prison officials. This prisoner was seriously beaten in recent days by electronic shockers and now is suffering from severe gum infection, and is held in Hall 12, without his personal belongings.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), officers of the Office of Intelligence of Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, inspected and seized the belongings and manuscripts of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh in this prison and transferred him to another ward, in the morning of Saturday, October 15.

A close source to this labor activist explained the issue in an interview with HRANA’s reporter and said: “Behnam has a few rotten teeth and his gums are infected, due to lack of financial capability after seven years imprisonment, he went to prison’s social worker, to see if they could help him in this regard. However, the head of social workers, Mr. Mehrabadi, answered him with insults. This is his response to argue with him and then prison officials; including Mr. Zarei (Rajai Shahr prison law-enforcement chairman) and Mr. Nouri (head of ward 7) and prison guard beat him with electric shockers. The severity of beating and high voltage of shockers were to the extent that his hands and feet are still numb”.

The source added: “After this incident, the prison security after confiscating Behnam’s manuscripts, transferred him to Hall 12 of ward 4. These officials threatened Behnam that if he would make a complaint on this issue, his case as; propaganda against the regime and communicating with foreign media, would be sent to the court. The Family of Behnam are now concerned about two issues, the threat of a new case and that Behnam has a bad condition with severe gum infections, without his personal belongings in Hall 12. Behnam’s wife had got heavy eye internal bleeding due to the stress for this incident, and after being admitted in the hospital, had a surgery”.

Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, born in 1977, was arrested for the first time in 2008 on charges of graffiti and propaganda in Oshnavieh.

Mr. Ebrahimzadeh was arrested for the second time in 2009 at the same time with International Workers’ Day, along with a group of civil activists in Laleh Park in Tehran and was released on the bail after a month.

For the third time he was arrested on May 23, 2010. He was for 4 months in solitary confinement in Evin prison and was interrogated and then he was transferred to ward 350 of Evin Prison.

Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Salvati, in a short trial and without presence of a lawyer; sentenced him to twenty years imprisonment, the sentence was reduced on appeal to five years.

Behnam Ebrahimzadeh was beaten during the attack to ward 350 of Evin prison by prison guards, known as “Black Thursday”, and was transferred to solitary confinement in ward 240 for 15 days.

He was transferred to solitary confinement in Ward 209 in May 2015, and later he was illegally exiled to Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj.

Ebrahimzadeh is suffering from a slipped disc and arthritis of the neck and the efforts have not been successful in the treatment of the disease in prison. Nima, his son, has cancer and his family says that, because of Nima’s condition, difficulties in traveling and financial restrictions they are not able to visit him weekly.

Mr. Ebrahimzadeh has been repeatedly harassed and moved from one ward to another, and he was enduring his imprisonment in ward two known as “Darol-Quran” in Rajai Shahr prison without respecting the principle of separation of offenses.

While, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh’s five years imprisonment sentence ended, an appeal court reduced his new sentence from 9 and a half years imprisonment to 7 years and 10 months and 15 days, also a fine of 4,500,000 IRR, on August 1, 2015. He is charged with “gathering and colluding to commit crimes against internal and external security” and propaganda against the regime.

The sentence has been issued because of his activities in prison, when he was enduring his 5-year imprisonment sentence.

In addition, charges of “violation of detention order” and “using satellite equipment and game cards” were also part of the charges against the jailed worker. All of these charges were applied while he was in prison.

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