IRAN'S LONGEST POLITICAL PRISONER OUT ON MEDICAL GROUND

PARIS 9^TH May (IPS) Mr. Abbas Amir Entezam, Iran's -- and probably one of the world's -- longest political prisoner was freed temporarily from jail Tuesday for urgent medical check up, his family and his lawyer, Mr. Mohammad Ali Safari confirmed.

Jailed for the first time in 1980 on his return from Sweden where he was serving as ambassador, on charges of spying for the United States, Mr. Amir Entezam was Deputy Premier and the government's official Spokesman under Mr. Mehdi Bazargan, Islamic Iran's first Prime Minister.

Kept in solitary cell and often tortured, sometimes chained to his bed for months, Mr. Amir Entezam never submitted to pressures brought against him, cried his innocence, calling for a fair and open trial instead.

He was eventually taken out of prison in 1996 to be placed under house arrest and latter on allowed to travel abroad to receive an award from the Vienna-based Bruno Kreisky Foundation for Human Rights, a nicety he refused fearing the authorities would not prevent his return to Iran.

However, he was returned to prison in February 1999, this time on charges of "insult and defamation", after he protested to President Khatami for the "deep regrets" he presented over the assassination of Mr. Assadollah Lajevardi, a former Director of Prisons Organisations known by the people as the "Butcher of Evin" because of his role in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in that notorious jail.

The Baghdad-based, Iraqi supported, financed and armed Mojahedeen Khalq Organisation claimed responsibility for the killing of Mr. Lajevardi in his women underwear shop in Tehran Bazaar.

In interviews with Iranian and foreign media, Mr. Amir Entezam, who knew Mr. Lajevardi closely for having being suffered his tortures, described in graphic details several out of 171 methods of tortures Mr. Lajevardi had invented.

Suffering from different kind of diseases like chronic authorises, digestive system complications and ear problem caused because prolonged period of tortures, Mr. Amir Enteza says he would not leave prison unless the authorities bring him to an open trial with the presence of Iranian and foreign journalists and observers.

He has never had any trial and never officially charged. ENDS AMIR ENTEZAM 9500