Disappearance of Azarbijani Journalist and Engineer Ebrahim Rashidi from Ardibil

HRANA – Ebrahim Rashidi, journalist and weblog writer from the province of Azarbijan, disappeared on Monday June 14, 2010 in the city of Ardibil.
On Monday afternoon this journalist and blogger was meeting with a friend at the Ardibil bazaar before disappearing on his way to his sister’s home. He has not been in contact with his family since.


According to a report by Savalan Sesi, witnesses say the security forces were pursuing Ebrahim Rashidi on his way to his sister’s home. They believe that he was detained by agents of the intelligence ministry’s office in Ardibil.

Security officials have refused to respond to questions by the Rashidi family and deny having any knowledge of his whereabouts. 

Recently, security officials searched the home of the Ebrahim Rashidi’s father in Meshkin Shahr. During the search they confiscated his writings and books.

Rashidi had been arrested in 2006 and served a five month prison term in Orumieh after being arrested in 2007.

Ebrahim Rashidi was a writer for the monthly periodical Bayaram and the banned weekly Navid e Azarbijan. He taught the Turkish language, was a member of the NGO Azartoprag, he was chairman of Professor Charbar Cultural Society in Orumieh University, and managed operations for the school paper Olduz while serving as editor for another school paper Bolut. Ebrahim Rashidi was also a poet.

This well known Azarbijani activist was detained and imprisoned on numerous occasions by security forces. In April and May of 2006, Amnesty International issued statements condemning the continued harassment and detention of Azarbijani journalists and bloggers.

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