Family of Shahbazadeh: Hossein is Deprived of Basic Rights as a 'Prisoner'

The family of Hossein Shahbazadeh, a social media activist, translator, and editor, expressed concern in their second statement on June 8 regarding reports of allegations against Hossein. The statement reads: "The previous allegations against Hossein Shahbazadeh are being repeated and intensified while he is still deprived of any of the basic rights of a 'prisoner.'" News of Hossein's arrest was reported on June 5 following a phone call he made from prison to his family. The prosecutor of Ardabil announced one of the charges against Hossein Shahbazadeh as 'communication with high-ranking Mossad officers.' Meanwhile, the Ardabil prosecutor stated on Friday that the charges against Hossein include 'communication with high-ranking Mossad officers,' 'insulting sacred beliefs,' and 'attempting to leave the country.' The family emphasized in their statement: 'We are completely unaware of Hossein's situation and do not know where he is. We do not know which agency has detained him, nor do we know if he is safe or not.' The statement clarified that Hossein had never traveled to Urmia and that his final destination was a visit with friends in 'Ardabil.' It further stated: 'The weight of the accusations is such that we will only believe news of Hossein's health from him, provided we know he is not under pressure.' Jalal Afaqei, the Ardabil prosecutor, stated in remarks published by the Fars and Tasnim news agencies, close to the Revolutionary Guards, that this social media activist was arrested on June 1 based on a letter from the Ministry of Intelligence and a judicial mandate from the Tehran prosecutor's office. This judicial official accused Mr. Shahbazadeh of 'multiple insults,' 'insulting sacred beliefs,' and 'spying for high-ranking Mossad officers,' claiming he is 'accused based on existing documents and evidence of having communicated with high-ranking Mossad officers through social media.' No evidence or documentation was provided in this regard. Hossein Shahbazadeh's arrest occurred after Ali Khamenei's account on X (formerly Twitter) published a photo of him with members of the student national volleyball team, accompanied by a caption that lacked a period. In response, Hossein simply placed a dot under this image without using any words. The Ardabil prosecutor's office accused this translator and editor of 'intending to leave the country by passing through Ardabil, Bostanabad, and ultimately going to Urmia.' On June 5, the family of Hossein Shahbazadeh stated in a statement that their son 'should first enjoy the basic rights of a prisoner,' emphasizing that 'the attribution of serious charges to Hossein less than 24 hours after his arrest, without access to a lawyer and family, raises questions and concerns.' The statement noted that 'the claim of Hossein's fleeing is also unjustifiable; he had spoken for a long time on social media about his intention to travel to Ardabil and even just hours before his arrest, he was discussing Ardabil and posting pictures of himself from there.' Mr. Shahbazadeh had also been tried and sentenced to imprisonment in 2019 for his activities on social media and accusations of 'insulting sacred beliefs and the leader of the Islamic Republic.'