In Iran, attorney Mohammad Mostafaei, representing Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani – a woman sentenced to stoning, has gone missing after an attempt to arrest him by the Iranian authorities. According to human rights activists, his wife and brother-in-law are in custody of the Iranian police, and are being held at Tehran’s Evin prison. CNN is reporting that Iranian officials have told Mohammad Mostafaei’s father in law that the family members arrested would be freed in exchange for attorney Mohammad Mostafaei submitting to arrest.
Attorney Mohammad Mostafaei Missing (L) and Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani (R) Sentenced to Stoning (Photo: Sky News)
On July 24, 2010, Mohammad Mostafaei’s office was reportedly ransacked and he was interrogated for four hours at the Evin prison over his representation of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. He was released and then called back for furthering questioning, and then an arrest warrant was issued for Mohammad Mostafaei.
Mina Ahadi, with International Committee against Execution and Stoning (ICAS), has stated: “Mohammadi Ashtiani’s sentence is not Mostafaei’s first stoning case, he has defended many others against execution by stoning but it was Sakineh’s story which took world attention and made the Iranian authorities angry… It is ridiculous that they [officials] have taken Mostafaei’s family as ransom, they have somehow taken them hostage. This confirms what Sakineh’s son wrote in his public letter, that there’s no justice in Iran.”
The International Committee against Execution and Stoning (ICAS) has publicized world news reports on this, and issued the following press release:
“The Wife and brother-in-law of Mohamad Mostafaei, sakine’s lawyer, arrested – No word about Mostafaei himself”
“As we reported earlier, Mr. Mostafaei, Sakine’s lawyer, was summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence at Evin Prison. He presented himself there yesterday. A post on his weblog later informed the public that the authorities at Evin prison had questioned him about some financial issues. Some time after he left the prison the authorities called him and asked him to present himself once again. However, a short while after they went to his office to arrest him. Mr. Mostafaai was not there but his wife and his brother-in-law were arrested, instead, somewhere near the office.”
“The whereabouts of Mr. Mostafaie is currently unknown. According to our sources, his office has been sealed off by the authorities.”
“We have not yet been able to identify the prison where Mr. Mostafaei’s wife and brother-in-law are currently held.”
“The Islamic Republic, under the intense pressure of the world public opinion against the stoning sentence of Sakine, has now targeted her lawyer and put him under pressure. The interrogation over financial issues, specifically, is one of the regime’s customary ways to begin a charge-fabricating process. The Islamic Republic is trying, with everything in its power, to cut off the relations between Sakine and her family, on the one side, and her lawyer and the public opinion, on the other.”
“The International Committee Against Execution strongly condemns such persecutions as those executed by the Islamic Republic against Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani’s lawyer, Mr. Mostafaei, and his family. We urge all human rights organisations to take action as soon as possible and demand the immediate release of Mr. Mostafaei’s wife and brother-in-law. The Islamic Republic must be forced to stop harassing and intimidating Mr. Mostafaei and others like him in their legal efforts to pursue justice.”
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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) rejects the barbaric practice of stoning and its targeted use in murdering and terrorizing women in Iran and around the world. We believe that that the path to ending such terrorism against women begins with support for our Universal Human Rights, including dignity, life, liberty, and equality.
We urge the public’s support in challenging such injustices and the barbaric practice of stoning.
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