HRANA- Azerbaijani activists continue to be denied the right to attorneys and visitation with their families

More than a month has passed since the arrest of some Azerbaijani activists and journalists who were detained on the anniversary of protests against derogatory caricatures printed in Iran newspaper and they continue to be denied their basic right to an attorney and to meet with their families.

The son of arrested activist Akbar Azadi tells HRANA that his father is allowed only a single one minute phone call per week.

He adds that the family has requested legal representation through a human rights organization; however they have been told that no attorney will be given access to his father’s file while he is under interrogation and to have an attorney will be only a symbolic.

In another case, relatives of Dr. Hassani, who was arrested in Karaj and transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence office in Tabriz, tells Human Rights News Agency that he has requested that they not pursue his case due to the arrest of the wife of another detainee due to her consistent request for answers regarding her husbands case.

It is believed that Mrs. Zahra Farajzadeh, wife of Ayat Mehr Ali Beygoloo, was arrested due to her persistent requests for answers regarding her husband’s file on June 19, 2010. No other information is known about her whereabouts or condition.

Dr. Latif Hassani in Karaj, Akbar Azad a journalist in Tehran, Ayat Mehr Ali Beygoloo, Bahman Nasirzadeh in Maku, Behbood Golizadeh in Miandoab, Dr. Abdolahi and Binar Farajzadeh women’s right acitivists in Orumieh, Shahram Radmehr in Meshkinshahr, Zahra Farajzadeh, Heydar Karimi, and Mahmood Fazli are just some of those detained.