36 Days of Uncertainty Regarding the Detention and Location of Abbas Vahedian

Abbas Vahedian, a writer and teachers' union activist in Mashhad, has been in detention since October 11 for unknown reasons, while his family claims they have no information about his whereabouts, and judicial authorities are unwilling to respond. Hengameh Vahedian, the child of this activist, told Radio Farda: "In recent days, I have visited the information center, the court, and the prison in Mashhad, but I received no answers." Hengameh Vahedian stated that just moments before his arrest, her father had sent a short message to a friend indicating that intelligence agents were about to arrest him, but after that, his mobile phone was turned off. She further explained that when she visited the court, judicial officials told her that "no order for her father's arrest had been issued." This statement from judicial authorities comes despite the claims of two other children of Abbas Vahedian, who were present at home during their father's arrest, stating that agents had a warrant in hand when they entered the house to arrest him. According to Abbas Vahedian's family, during the 36 days of his detention, he has had only two or three very brief phone calls with his family, during which he informed them that he is unaware of his detention location. His family claims that in these short phone calls, he was not allowed to discuss the reasons for his arrest or his conditions in prison. Abbas Vahedian, a 49-year-old writer and union activist, worked in the field of teachers' union rights, assisting earthquake victims in Kermanshah, and helping the families of political and ideological prisoners in Mashhad. His published works include the book "The Return of Genghis Khan."