Re-arrest of Amir Shibani-Zaveh Concurrent with Khamenei's Issuance of 'Amnesty' Order

Simultaneously with the announcement of the 'amnesty' directive by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic for three thousand prisoners on the occasion of February 11, Amir Shibani-Zaveh, a political activist, was re-arrested and transferred to Vakilabad Prison. According to a report on Wednesday, February 6, by the Human Rights Activists in Iran, Amir Shibani-Zaveh, who was serving his sentence under 'open prison' conditions in Mashhad, was once again detained. Herana reported that Mr. Shibani-Zaveh was summoned by judicial authorities and subsequently transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. The re-arrest of this political activist, who was serving his sentence under open prison conditions, comes at a time when, according to reports from state media in Iran, Ali Khamenei on Wednesday, on the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran, agreed to 'pardon or reduce the sentences of over three thousand convicted individuals' by the judiciary. Amir Shibani-Zaveh had been sentenced to '10 months in prison, 18 months of travel ban, and 18 months of prohibition from activity in cyberspace' by the 5th branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Mashhad. This verdict was confirmed by the 35th branch of the Court of Appeals in Razavi Khorasan Province. This political activist was arrested in April of this year after visiting the 21st branch of the execution office of the Mashhad prosecutor's office and was transferred to Vakilabad Prison, but later judicial authorities converted his imprisonment to 'open prison.' In addition to Amir Shibani-Zaveh, judicial authorities in Mashhad last month also summoned Khosrow Ali-Kordi, a lawyer who was serving his sentence under open prison conditions, and re-arrested him. Also see: Khosrow Ali-Kordi arrested; this lawyer transferred to an unknown location. 'Open prison' means allowing a prisoner to spend hours of the day outside the prison environment. This permission is issued based on the decision of the classification council and the judicial authority issuing the sentence, and the prisoner can spend their imprisonment days during the day with activities in designated centers, including 'in industrial towns, the organization of pastures and forests, and production units' according to 'regulations set by the judicial authority' and 'return to the location designated by the judicial authority at night.' Meanwhile, the Coordination Council of Teachers' Trade Unions of Iran reported on Wednesday the confirmation of a one-year prison sentence for Hossein Vahedi (Dariush Ashkani), a board member of the Teachers' Trade Association of North Khorasan, by the 2nd branch of the Court of Appeals of this province. This teachers' union activist was accused of 'propaganda against the regime.' Currently, a number of teachers and teachers' union activists are imprisoned on security-related charges. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network also reported that Kamran Sakhtemangar, a labor activist and former political prisoner, was arrested by the forces of the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic in Jam Street in Sanandaj and transferred to an unknown location. Furthermore, according to this human rights media, the detention order for Zahid Khalidian, a merchant from the Qorveh market, who was arrested in connection with organizing a general strike in protest against the death sentences of Pakhshan Aziz and Varisheh Moradi in Kurdish cities, has been extended for another 20 days. According to this report, Zahid Khalidian and his brother, Vahid Khalidian, were arrested on Bahman 4 at their workplace without a judicial order by the forces of the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Vahid Khalidian was temporarily released after three days of detention on a bail of 300 million tomans, but Zahid Khalidian remains in Qorveh prison and has so far been deprived of the right to meet with his family and access to a lawyer. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network noted that in recent days, Nasim Vakili, Zahid Khalidian's wife, was summoned to the news headquarters of the Qorveh Intelligence Department and interrogated for several hours. Issuance of a death sentence for Manoochehr Fallah, a political prisoner. Transfer of Jamshid Sharmad's body to Germany after execution in Iran. Issuance of a 'summons for trial' for at least 17 lawyers in Mashhad. Warning from Reza Valizadeh from prison about the 'revenge project': I do not intend to commit suicide. Prevention of Aliyeh Matlabi's presence in the prosecutor's office due to lack of mandatory hijab.