Immediately & Unconditionally Release Omid Alishenas, an Iranian activist

Updated on Dec 10, 2016.

Omid Alishenas, an Iranian civil rights activist, was arrested by IRGC officials in front of his father's house on Sep 4, 2014 and taken to Ward 2-A Sepah (IRGC). He was accused of the vague charges of "assembly and collusion to attempt crimes against national security", "propaganda against the regime" and "insulting the Supreme Leader of IRI" at Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran chaired by Judge Mohammad Mogheyeseh on March 7, 2015.

He was in isolation for 132 days, his relatives said. In addition, officials denied him the right to access his family (face to face meeting) for more than nine months while Omid was kept in Ward 8. Omid has just spoken to his relatives from behind bars via phone.

He, 32, was sentenced to ten years in prison, the maximum punishment by the court for his peaceful activities as a child labor activist, as well as for gatherings he attended to protest the situation of Kobani children in Syria. The sentence was announced by the Head of Office of Branch 28 on May 12, 2015, and the case has been allegedly referred for re-examination to Branch 36 of the Appeals Court chaired by Judge Seyed Ahmad Zargar. The biased court accused him of “supporting the political prisoners’ families in the 80s”, “protest against systematic human rights violence in Iran, especially in cyberspace”, “opposition to the death penalty”, and “condemning the mass execution in the 80s”.

Omid, son of Atila, was very hopeful of being released on bail; Iran's judiciary officials refused his release on bail of $33,000 (1 billion Rials) despite the initial decision for conditional release, reliable sources said, which means he will have to spend the best years of his life in the notorious Evin prison.

Finally, He was released on bail of $ 230,000 (7 billion Rials) after spending 17 months in the regime’s chambers on January 18, 2016. The appeal court will issue its final decision on July 5, 2016.

Officials had confiscated his personal belongings such as cell phones, flash memory cards, three Personal Computers and a lap top, camera and CDs.

Mr. Alishenas, who has an academic degree in the field of Civil Engineering, has reportedly experienced severe torture both physically __ psychologically in the Islamic Republic chambers. He was frequently beaten during his interrogation periods that were mostly at night; officials used the barbaric procedures such as holding in isolation where in about 2 Square Meters he was kept without basic needs.

He had been in the solitary confinements at Ward 2-A Sepah (IRGC) for 132 days, and then was transferred to the public Ward 8 amongst criminals imprisoned for serious offenses such as murder, rape, drug smuggling, embezzlement, fraud and forgery (Ward Eight is officially labeled as a financial crimes ward).

The prisoners are kept in one of the crowded wards of the prison known as the infamous Ward 8, where the unsuitable circumstances could menace their health. It is an aging office building with low ceilings which has no proper sanitary facilities and has poor air circulation.

Branch 36 of the appellate Court issued 7-year prison term against Omid Alishenas. The court was conducted by Judge Ghomizadeh.

Finally, Omid Alishenas was arrested in a raid at his father house by Sarrallah Base forces of IRGC on December 10, 2016. He was taken to Evin prison to serve his 7 year prison term.