In Iran, Fears That a Prominent Prisoner Detained In Election Upheaval Could Die in Jail

WASHINGTON, Jul 1 (IPS) - Iranian authorities should release a prominent reformist detained during recent post-election unrest to a medical facility because he has suffered harsh interrogations and inadequate medical care that could have life-threatening consequences, said a prominent human rights group Wednesday.

Saeed Hajjarian, a prominent reformist journalist and politician, was arrested on Jun. 15 without charge, said Human Rights Watch (HRW). The arrest was made despite the fact that Hajjarian is severely disabled and requires constant medical attention.

Hajjarian, 55, has been severely disabled and ill since an assassination attempt against him in 2000. HRW called for Iranian authorities to release Hajjarian to either a medical facility – so that he will receive the necessary specialized care – or to his family so that they could care for him.

"It's bad enough that the authorities would detain a man as ill as Saeed Hajjarian in their crackdown in the protests," said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW Middle East director, in a release. "But the conditions, harsh treatment, and intense pressure to make a false confession are putting his life at risk."

Hajjarian was one of hundreds or even more than a thousand, by some estimates, of prominent reformists arrested by authorities for "orchestrating" the post-election violence in Tehran after the disputed victory of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Jun. 12.

The election results touched off massive, nonviolent demonstrations in Iran’s cities. Many of the reformers and others arrested were detained before the protests even swelled to their largest numbers, raising the specter that authorities were rounding up prominent members of the opposition to foil mobilization over the disputed poll.

Hajjarian’s arrest came three days after Ahmadinejad’s victory and as opponent and Hajjarian’s ally, Mir Hussein Moussavi, accused the government of election fraud.

His wife, physician Vajiheh Marsoussi, told HRW that Hajjarian’s condition was seriously deteriorating after her recent visit.

Hajjarian was a senior intelligence official in the 1980s before he became a leading strategist in the reformist movement. In 1997, Hajjarian was a political adviser to President Mohammed Khatami (1997-2005) and was a member of Tehran’s city council in 1999.

His newspaper, Sobh-e Emrooz (This Morning), played a major part in exposing Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence’s involvement in a series of killings and disappearances that took place in the late 1990s.

The investigation by Hajjarian’s newspaper suspected the involvement of Mostafa Pour Mohammad and Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ezhei. Mohammad was formerly the interior minister under Ahmadinejad and is now serving as the director of the General Inspection Organization. Ezhei is the current intelligence minister.

"Hajjarian played a critical role in exposing official involvement in a series of murders of intellectuals in the 1990s," said Whitson. "The fact that two of the major figures linked by his newspaper to the killings remain in senior positions raises serious concerns for his safety in custody."

The assassination attempt on Hajjarian took place on Mar. 12, 2000 in front of Tehran’s city council building when he was shot in the face by a gunman on a motorcycle. A Basiji militia member, Saeed Asgar, was arrested for the attempt but was released shortly after he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Hajjarian sustained severe brain and spinal cord injuries after the attack and has remained largely wheelchair-bound. The HRW report states that "he requires constant medical care to monitor his condition, nursing assistance, and multiple medications," but has continued to be an outspoken advocate of reform.