Free Human Rights Activist And Former Secretary of Azad University Islamic Association in Shahr-e Rey, Mehdi Khodaei

UPDATE Hrana 2013-04- 23

Editor: Human Niazi
Translator: Houman Niyazi

HRANA News Agency – Mehdi Khodai and Mohammad Davari have returned to the section 350 of the Evin prison while their vacation has been finished.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Mehdi Khodai and Mohammad Davari returned to the Evin prison couple of hours ago.

Mehdi Khodai is the former secretary of the Islamic Society of Shahre Rey Azad University and a member of Human Rights Activist has come for vacation on March 20, 2013 after 3 years.

Mohammad Davari is the Editor of Saham News Website and had been in the prison since September 2009. He had a heart problem when he heard his brother’s death and was transferred to hospital. He had been on the vacation since February 20, 2013 however he was not allowed to take part in his brother’s funeral.
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Recently, prison authorities have rejected imprisoned student and human rights activist, Mehdi Khoaei's request for medical leave.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), It is around three years that Mehdi Khodaei and his family are trying to get medical leave, but recently, prison authorities has rejected the request.

Mehdi Khodaei is the former Secretary of Azad University Islamic Association in Shahr-e Rey, and a human rights activist. He was an electrical engineering student at the time of his arrest. Khodaei was arrested on 2 March 2010, five days after receiving a sentence of four years in prison on the charge of "acting against national security through organizing gatherings." Previously, he had spent 38 days in detention in the summer of 2008.

After his arrest on 2 March 2010, he was transferred to IRGC's Ward 2-A inside Evin Prison, where he spent ten months in solitary or two-person cells. Khodaei's family had no information about him for months after his arrest. During his detention inside Ward 2-A, he was subjected to repeated interrogations and severe physical and psychological pressure to make forced confessions against himself.

Khodaei was tried on 21 August 2010 in Branch 28 of Tehran Revolutionary Court, with Judge Moghisseh presiding. On 12 October 2010, Khodaei was sentenced to an additional three years in prison on charges of "acting against national security through organizing gatherings," and "propagating against the regime."

Separately, in December 2010, his earlier four-year prison sentence was upheld by a Tehran appeals court. Therefore, with his three-year prison term also upheld, Khodaei is currently serving his seven year prison term. In late December 2010, Khodaei was transferred to Evin Prison's General Ward 350. Despite his long prison term, he has not been allowed furlough since his detention. Khodaei remains defiant and active in prison and has participated in several protest hunger strikes and has signed several group letters in prison.