Ahmad Zeidabadi Exiled to Gonabad at Personal Expense After Six Years in Prison

Ahmad Zeidabadi, a journalist, was transferred to Gonabad in Razavi Khorasan province on Thursday, May 20, after serving six years in prison and being released from Rajai Shahr prison to begin a five-year exile at his own expense. The website "Kalemeh," close to Mir Hossein Mousavi, reported on Thursday afternoon: "Ahmad Zeidabadi was handed over to law enforcement agents for exile and was transferred to Gonabad at his own expense a short while ago." Zeidabadi's wife had previously stated that they had been informed that the imprisoned journalist would be sent directly from prison to Gonabad to serve his exile after completing his six-year sentence. On Thursday, May 20, Ahmad Zeidabadi's six-year imprisonment ended. This journalist, who holds a PhD in International Relations from the Faculty of Law and Political Science at Tehran University, was arrested following the presidential elections in June 2009. Ahmad Zeidabadi, along with several other journalists and reformist figures, was tried in the courts known as the "Velvet Coup" trials. The Revolutionary Court sentenced this journalist to six years in prison, five years of exile in Gonabad, and a lifetime ban from social and political activities. In 2011, UNESCO recognized Ahmad Zeidabadi as the winner of the "Guillermo Cano" World Press Freedom Prize. In a message to the UNESCO Secretary-General, Zeidabadi apologized for being unable to attend the award ceremony, stating: "The Revolutionary Court has deprived me of any ability to speak or write for my entire life, in addition to six years in prison and five years of exile, and thus any message merely adds to the pain and suffering of myself and my family." He added: "In my profession, I had no tools other than my pen and voice, and I did not exceed the extremely narrow and exhausting boundaries of their laws in using these two." Regarding Ahmad Zeidabadi's transfer to Gonabad, an "informed source" told Kalemeh: "Mr. Zeidabadi has served six years in prison, and now the period of exile and thereafter the lifetime ban from any political activities, participation in parties, interviews, speeches, and analysis of events, whether written or oral, has begun. We really do not know the reason for this ruling, nor does the Islamic Republic seem to consider its consequences. Issues such as the various problems his family faced during his six years in prison, but apparently, these six years were not enough." He continued: "Now he must provide for his living expenses in exile. However, the Islamic Republic has not even thought about how he will do that; as they have permanently deprived Mr. Zeidabadi of working in his field of expertise, which is writing and analyzing current social issues and journalism!" Ahmad Zeidabadi had also spent 13 months in prison in 2000 for charges of propaganda against the regime, disturbing public opinion, and acting against the regime.