Political activists summoned, interrogated and threatened in recent weeks

Committee of Human Rights Reporters – According to obtained reports, in the past weeks at least 50 student and political activists were interrogated and threated by Intelligence agents after being summoned via phone calls. The reports indicate that some of the warrants came with the charge of “propaganda against the regime.” The detained activists were required to post bail or provide a warranty to secure their release.

One of the activists who was detained last week said to CHRR, “I received a phone call with a summons order to appear at Nobonyad Square [in Tehran] but all of a sudden without warning I was arrested. Handcuffed and blindfolded I was transferred to the headquarters of the Ministry of Intelligence (per what I was told by the officials) and placed under preliminary interrogations. Per the interrogating officials, the files for political activists that originated during the events that occurred after the presidential elections are being reopened and reviewed for a renewed examination.

After the preliminary interrogations were done, a group of us were transferred blindfolded and handcuffed to a different area of the city. We were taken to Haft-e Tir Square into a building now designated for handling these cases. During our time in custody several interrogations took place focused on bringing up issues from the past, with efforts to generate fear and panic. This went on until I was released with a number of others after posting bail. Now we are to follow up on our court files and wait for our ‘divine punishment’ according to one of the officials.”

The building in Haft-e Tir Square, which is alluded to by the above activist, is the Mersad detention center. The Intelligence Unit of the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its counterparts used the facility in 2009 during the time of mass protests and widespread arrests in the aftermath of the disputed presidential elections.