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A prisoner’s Father: I Am Losing My Son. Can You Do Something?

Ahmad Batebi was arrested during the student uprisings at Tehran University in the summer of 1999 and subsequently sentenced to death. During former president Khatami, Batebi was given prison leave to go home for short periods, since president Ahmadinejad he has not been allowed to go on home leave.










On Saturday, January 6th Dr. Hessam Firoozi, Ahmad Batebi’s doctor was summoned to court where he was charged and arrested.

-Mr Batebi please tell us about your last meeting with Ahmad.

Mohammad Baqer Batebi (MB): I saw Ahmad on Monday. I have to say he was not in very good physical health. We are worried about him because he is being kept in ward 209 under very harsh conditions, unfortunately he is even deprived of sunlight, and we do not know about his food or nutritional conditions, Prison officials refused to even accept the things that I had taken for him.

-What was the reason behind Ahmad’s re-arrest? The judiciary’s spokesperson has said earlier that Ahmad has been sentenced to prison time and thus needs to return by law.

MB: the only thing that is not being observed here is the law. I don’t know why they are keeping Ahmad in high-security section of the prison. If, as the judiciary’s spokesperson says, Ahmad has been sentenced to prison time, then why is he being kept at the interrogation ward 209 and not a regular ward? Ahmad was re-arrested 5 months ago. He spent 3 of those 5 months in solitary confinement and now he is being kept in Ward 209 under semi-solitary conditions. On the other hand, some are constantly attacking Ahmad outside of prison. These actions show that they want to get rod of .I am really worried. What has he done?

-Have your efforts gotten you anywhere?

MB: we went to the revolutionary court and they said Ahmad is a prisoner and he should serve his full prison time. But we don’t understand why he is in the custody of the Ministry of Intelligence?
People at the ministry ask us not to d anything, they say let us do our job and that they don’t mean harm. But if they don’t mean harm why is Ahmad in ward 209? They are playing with our emotions. Our son is slowly losing his life and no one takes responsibility for this. I really feel that they might do something to him this time. I can see in his eyes that he is asking for help but what can I do?

(Interviewer: Hassan Zarezadeh Ardeshir-ROOZ-2006.12.12)
from: Iranian Human Rights Activitist in EU and North America (IHRAG)