The Iranian polity and media were shocked by the security service’s raid on a prayer gathering held at the house of the mother-in-law of Shahab Tabatabaei, a detained member of the Islamic Iran Participation Front (Jebheye Mosharekat).  The attack was condemned by ayatollah Montazeri and regarded by ayatollah Sanei as a sign of conservatives’ weakness, who, in his view, “cannot tolerate even a prayer gathering.”  

On Thursday, security forces raided the house of Shahab Tabatabaei’s mother-in-law, arresting more than 71 individuals and transferring them to an unknown location in a van.  The majority of the detainees were family members, relatives or friends of political prisoners.  The judiciary has remained silent on the raid and no government institution has yet taken responsibility for the act.

Interrogation about November 4

Although some of the detainees were released in the past two days, a number of them have been transferred to the Evin Prison.  One released detainee told Rooz, “During the 24 hours that I was in detention, they asked me and other detainees about plans for November 4.  When they raided the house the lights were off and we were praying for the release of our prisoners.”  

According to him, interrogators asked detainees questions about plans for November 4, (the anniversary of the 1979 U.S. embassy takeover, which the opposition seeks to use to protest the Islamic Republic).  Security officers believe that families of political prisoners are mobilizing the public for protests on that day.

This interviewee added, “During the interrogation, they continually brought up our interviews and remarks about our beloved detainees behind bars, and insisted that you are not allowed to grant interviews and that you are setting the country on fire with the interviews.  But we are extremely worried about our beloved detainees.  Our only recourse is to grant interviews and speak up about their condition because they have not left us any other way.”

Families of Political Prisoners Not Safe

Responding to recent confrontations, Mrs. Mohtashamipour, the wife of Mostafa Tajzadeh, a reformist leader currently behind bars, told the Parleman News website, “The situation has gotten so bad that they abuse the innocence of families of political prisoners in this manner.  We don’t even feel safe in our own homes.”

She then warned, “Although different recourses were open to us to protest the treatment of our love ones, we have not utilized any until now for the sake of the regime.  But we see that they treat the families of political prisoners so savagely, so we warn the authorities right now that, if these behaviors continue, we will have a strong and firm response.”  

According to various reports, families of political prisoners have discussed the raid on their Komeil prayer gathering with grand ayatollahs.  Yesterday, they visited the offices of grand ayatollahs Montazeri, Sanei, Makarem Shirazi, Mousavi Ardebili and contacted the office of ayatollah Safi to brief them on the incident.  

Reacting to the news, ayatollah Montazeri harshly condemned “the attack on the families of political prisoners” and “the extreme misfortune that the Islamic Republic confronts religious gatherings such as the Komeil prayer.”  

Ayatollah Sanei blamed the conservatives’ weakness for the raid on the Komeil prayer gathering, adding, “When the families of political prisoners and pious people are attacked, especially at a religious gathering, the meaning is that their opponent is weak! Meaning that the gentlemen cannot tolerate even a prayer gathering.”

This grand ayatollah invited the families of political prisoners to show restraint, patience, and continue their efforts in disseminating information.  

A number of families of political prisoners released a statement calling for the release of their loved ones, addressing the country’s authorities: “If the Islamic Republic judiciary does not examine our demands, we preserve the right to file our complaint with international tribunals and stage sit-ins and hunger strikes to further inform the world about the injustice that we are suffering.  Perhaps they would understand our pain.”

Latest News from Detainees

According to reports, except for Shahab Tabatabaei’s mother-in-law, Morteza Elviri’s wife and Fayezeh Abtahi, Mohammad Ali Abtahi’s daughter, everyone else present was arrested.  Mrs. Abtahi was not arrested because her young child was with her.

Some of the detainees who have been transferred to the Evin Prison include: cartoonist Hadi Heidari; sixth Majlis representative Mohammad Kianoush-Rad; journalist Mahboubeh Haghighi; Mohammad Amin Shirzad, son of former Majlis representative Ahmad Shirzad; Abdollah Ramezanzadeh’s brother; Amin Mirabzadeh; Shahab Tabatabaei’s brother-in-law; and Participation Front member Saeed Nourmohammadi, who was recently released from prison on bail.

Maryam Tabatabaei and Mrs. Minouei, Esmaeil Sahabeh, Meysam Varechehr, Mohammad Hossein Khorback, Mojtaba Fazel Meibodi (son of hojjatoleslam Fazel Meibodi) are also among the detainees transferred to the Evin Prison.  

Also Mohammad Reza Jalaeipour, Elaheh Mojarradi¾wife of Mohsen Mirdamadi¾Shahab Tabatabaei’s wife, Abdollah Ramezanzadeh’s, Mehdi Shirzad’s wife, Saeedeh Kordinejad and several other detainees were released by yesterday.