Hangameh Shahidi Arrested on 'Security Charges'

A lawyer announced on Sunday, March 13, that Hangameh Shahidi, a journalist and political activist, has been arrested on 'security charges' by the second branch of the Tehran Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office. Mostafa Torkhamdani stated in an interview with ILNA news agency that 'Ms. Shahidi requested through her sister on Saturday, March 12, for me to accept her representation,' adding that 'a request for a meeting with Hangameh Shahidi to prepare a power of attorney was submitted to the second branch of the Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office.' The lawyer referred to what he called 'the announcement of security crimes in the case and the prohibition of visits' for Hangameh Shahidi, and added: 'The investigator issued an order to refer the matter for the determination of the lawyer's qualification to the esteemed Tehran prosecutor in accordance with the note of Article 48 of the Criminal Procedure Code.' He stated that if 'the qualification is established by the Tehran prosecutor,' preliminary actions for legal representation would be taken, saying: 'According to the note of Article 48 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the qualification of lawyers in security cases must be confirmed by the head of the judiciary, but it seems this matter has been delegated to prosecutors.' According to ILNA, this note states: 'In crimes against internal and external security and also organized crimes punishable under Article 302 of this law, during the preliminary investigation, the parties to the dispute select their lawyers from among the official lawyers approved by the head of the judiciary. The names of the mentioned lawyers will be announced by the head of the judiciary.' Previously, Hangameh Shahidi's family informed Radio Farda that she was arrested on March 10 in Mashhad and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran. Her family said that she briefly informed them via phone about her arrest and transfer to Tehran 'on a security flight.' The journalist was in Mashhad to attend her grandmother's funeral. On social media, including Twitter, a handwritten note from her last message before her arrest was published. In her note, Hangameh Shahidi mentioned that she had received 'warnings from some media and individuals close to the government' regarding the possibility of her arrest. She stated that if arrested, she would go on a hunger strike in protest against 'the illegal practice of restricting journalists and political activists' in Iran from the very first moment. Hangameh Shahidi, who was an advisor to Mehdi Karroubi during the 2009 presidential election, had previously been arrested in early July of that year following the post-election arrests. Reports indicated that she was sentenced to six years in prison but was released after spending about a year in detention. This journalist also has a history of heart disease, which has raised concerns for her family following her recent arrest. In this context, the repeated arrest of Hangameh Shahidi, a journalist and former advisor to Mehdi Karroubi, has led to her mother stating: 'My daughter has heart problems; I do not have 600 million tomans for bail.' Shahidi's mother added: 'Hangameh needs surgery.' Amnesty International has called for her release.