Heshmatollah Tabarzadi trial was held

Sep 11, 2010

Yesterday morning, the third trial for Heshmatollah Tabarzadi, secretary-general for the National Democratic Front of Iran and spokesperson for the Unity Council for Democracy and Human Rights in Iran, was held in branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, headed by judge Pir-Abbasi.

Jahangir Mahmoudi, Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah, and Giti Pourfazel represented Tabarzadi during the trial. Tabarzadi’s brother and child were also present in the court room.

At the start of the trial, his lawyers protested the violation of article 168 of the constitution and called his arrest illegal. This is while two months ago, the judge had accepted the illegality of the arrest.

Article 168 of the constitution states that “political and press offenses will be tried openly and in the presence of a jury, in courts of justice. The manner of the selection of the jury, its powers, and the definition of political offenses, will be determined by law in accordance with the Islamic criteria.”

The charges of “insult to the Leadership”, “acting against state security”, “conspiring to commit crimes”, and “conspiring to destroy public property” were read by the judge to Heshmatollah Tabarzadi.

 

While judge Pir-Abbasi’s attitude toward Tabarzadi was pleasant, according to sources, interference by Intelligence service agents was clearly evident in the case, [as it was] in Tabarzadi’s first trial when no lawyers were [permitted] and only Intelligence agents were present. The judge was pressured to hand out a heavy sentence that included exile.
During this [latest] trial, the political activist protested against his arrest which he called illegal along with his suspended situation for the past eight months.

During the hour and a half trial, Tabarzadi repeatedly protested the arrest of one of his lawyers, Nasrin Sotoudeh.

The absence of Nasrin Sotoudeh was felt by Tabarzadi. He and his lawyers declared [in court] that her arrest occurred because Ministry of Intelligence or IRGC agents wanted to place pressure on them.

Tabarzadi mentioned the terrible prison conditions and the pressures placed on the prisoners and their families. He discussed the methods used in prison to extract confessions and also harshly criticized the lack of care for political prisoner Arzhang Davoudi who is currently on hunger strike.

At the end of the trial, Tabarzadi and his lawyers presented a protest letter that they wrote to express their dissatisfaction and objection to the trial, the violation of Article 168 of the constitution of the Islamic Republic, the physical torture on Tabarzadi during his initial two months of imprisonment, the extensions to the duration of imprisonment, his exile to Rajai Shahr prison in the city of Karaj, and the pressures by Intelligence units and the IRCG on the judge and its effect on the judicial process. The letter also protested the arrest of Nasrin Sotoudeh.

Heshmatollah Tabarzadi is currently detained in Rajai Shahr prison under harsh conditions and with minimal sanitation.

Editor’s Note: On September 6, 2010 it was reported by the Committee of Human Rights Reporters that a $200 thousand (USD) bail amount was issued by the Revolutionary Court for the release of Heshmatollah Tabarzadi. The bail information including the amount was not announced to his lawyers. Heshmatollah Abarzadi heard the news directly.

Source: CHRR