OUTSPOKEN JOURNALIST ZEYDABADI GOES ON HUNGER STRIKE
TEHRAN First of Feb. (IPS) Mr. Ahmad Zeydabadi, an outspoken journalist affilited with the nationalist-religious movement started a hunger strike Wednesday to protest his illegal detention as well as bad jail situation imposed on him.
According to his wife, Mrs. Mahdyeh Mohammadi, Mr. Zeydabadi has been transferred from a section of the Evin prison to another one where are held common law prisoners, drug traffickers, smugglers and other criminals on orders of Mr. Sa’id Mortazavi, a hawkish judge appointed by Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i to deal with the reformist and independent press and journalists.
Speaking to the Persian service of the BBC, Mrs. Mohammadi said « all I know is that he had been transferred by force fom section 3 were are held students and political prisoners to section 5 of Evin and placed under conditions very difficult to bear, even for a strong man like him », she said.
She said in the new section, Mr. Zeydabadi is in a small cell filled with 30 inmates, all of them common criminals, some of them sleeping on the floor.
Mrs. Mohammadi repeated that the aim of the authorities is to « break the nerves » of her husband, to « force » him in « confessions » dictated by them and filmed and written addmission of being wrong, promising he would stop journalistic and research activities.
A member of the "Iran Farda" bi-weekly that was banned with other independent publications, mr. Zeydabadi was arrested more than five months ago and not yet tried.
« What they are after is to humiliate my husband. Is to persuade him to co-operate with them in admitting he had been wrong all along, to forces him to confess to his mistakes. In one word, they want to place my husband in the same awkward position they had placed Mr. Ebrahim Nabavi and Mr. Mas’ud Behnud », she added.
She was referring to the case of the two prominent journalists, respectively a popular satirist and a veteran political commentator who, under pressures, confessed that they had bee wrong in opposing and criticisin the conservatives but also promised to never write again, kissing goodbye to journalism.
« These people are divorced with humanism and the rights of others. They consider themselves as not being answerable for their misconducts. Look what they have done with this old man of Sahhabi. They consider themselves above all others », she said in an outburst, referring to the conservatives.
Yet, she expressed the « strongest convinction » that he husband would « never bow » to those who want to musle him, « as they have done with others ».
In order to put maximum psychologial pressure on mr. Zeydabadi, the authorities have approached her mother and sisters in the southern city of Sirjan, warning them if he does not co-operate, me may never get out of prison.
« Association of the Families of Jailed Journalists », formed by the and wives of five influential newsmen, reformist deputies, international human rights and press associations have all strongly denounced the « illegal » incrarceration of both Mr. Zeydabadi and other Iranian journalists.
In the follow-up of the press crackdown ordered by the fundamentalist leader, publishers of the banned reformist dailies « Payam Azadi » (Message of Freedom) and « Aban » were summoned to the hardline press courts, charged with new accusations brought against them by the Tehran prosecutor, sources told Iran Press Service.
Though no details of charges against them were provided, but sources said « same package charges » as offence against the leader, propagating lies, confusing public opinion, activities against the state etc. would be invoked by the court.
Iran's judiciary closed down more than 30 independent publications and jailed many reformist journalists and activists after Ayatollah Khameneh’i said the reformist press had become the «nest of the enemy ». ENDS ZEYDABADI 1201