Ahmad Batebi is in the custody of Mortazavi

While some conservative newspapers in Iran reported in recent days that Ahmad Batebi had left the country, Mr. Batebi's father claims that his son is in the custody of Judge Mortazavi. Previously, the newspaper 'Javan' had claimed that Ahmad Batebi had left Iran after meeting with Ambeyi Ligabo, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Opinion. Ahmad Batebi, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raising a blood-stained shirt during the events of July 9, 1999, was temporarily transferred outside the prison for treatment a few days ago and met with Mr. Ligabo during this time. Shortly after this meeting, he was abducted and taken to an unknown location. In an interview with ISNA, Mr. Batebi's father mentioned his recent meeting with Mortazavi, the Tehran prosecutor, and his son's situation, stating that he went to Mortazavi to inquire about Ahmad's status and requested help in finding his missing son and bringing the kidnappers to justice. After answering various questions and being accused of involvement in his son's abduction and threatened with arrest, Mortazavi said, 'Ahmad is in prison.' He added that the Tehran prosecutor assured him that to reassure him that his son was in prison, he should write at the end of the request he prepared for finding his child that 'Ahmad is in prison,' which he did. He also expressed concern for his family's situation, stating that he had been told not to contact any media regarding this matter and had been threatened about it. Mr. Batebi's father then stated that with two days left of his son's leave, if his son's situation is not clarified, he would set himself and his family on fire and hold the authorities responsible for these events. He concluded by stating that life had become unbearable for him and his family. Previously, Ahmad Batebi, referring to the consequences of meeting and speaking with Ambeyi Ligabo, had told Radio Farda shortly after that meeting: 'We may have something like freedom of expression in Iran, but we will certainly never have security after freedom of expression, and it does not matter to us why and for what reasons we attended that meeting. What matters is that we went there, and that alone is enough to jeopardize our personal safety.'