On the forty-fifth day of journalist Soheil Asefi’s detention, prosecutor general of Tehran, Saeed Mortazavi, promised Asefi’s mother that her son’s case would be resolved soon.

Asefi’s mother, Nahid Kheirabi, said that Mortazavi’s behavior was “good” and hoped that her son will return home soon.

In the past 45 days, Mrs. Kheirabi has not been able to meet her son, and has only been able to speak with him periodically. She hopes that Soheil will be “at least released on bail.”

By law, the judiciary must decide whether to continue detaining Soheil Asefi or to release him on bail, as Asefi has already spent 45 days in solitary confinement.

A special committee has been established to disseminate information on Soheil Asefi’s condition and work toward his release. Last week, 720 political activists published on open letter entitled, “Release Iran’s Youth,” in which they warned about the “fate and future of Iranian society” and called for the release of Soheil Asefi and several other political prisoners.

Addressing the Iranian people, the letter states, “Forty days have passed since the imprisonment of freedom-seeking and young journalist, Soheil Asefi, in solitary confinement. His charges have no legal basis and his treatment violates the most fundamental principles of human rights. His crime is publishing articles on the Internet, none of which contain insulting material, lies, or slander. In what legal code, including the Islamic Republic’s own harsh press code, is this a crime? Where has his work overstepped the boundaries of social and ethical norms? On 13 Mordad of 1386 [August 4, 2006], along with Farshad Ghorbanpour and Masoud Bastani, Soheil was arrested simply for having published articles and interview on a website, none of which contained violations of legal or ethical norms. The two former journalists were released after posting heavy bails, but Soheil, who is the youngest of the three, was thrown in solitary. The crime of all these enlightened and brave youth of Iran is that they chose to endure hardship and oppression in their country and among their own people, rather than to escape and settle down in a free land to continue their education and lives.”

The letter’s authors also “warn officials that are exerting extreme pressure on the youth and students of the fate and future of Iranian society.” The letter concludes by stating, “Concerned with the condition of Soheil Asefi and other imprisoned journalists and students, particularly Ehsan Mansouri, Ahmad Ghassaban, Majid Tavakoli, Keyvan Ansari, Ali Derakhshandeh, and Pouya Bahandar, we ask people of Iran and all lovers of freedom across the world, and journalists, press and Internet news websites in particular, to insist on their request for the immediate and unconditional release of all aforementioned youth. The suppression of this country’s aspiring youth is synonymous to darkening the future of the country and hopes of humanity.”