Sajjad Shahabi, a presenter and announcer of state television, released from prison; his crime was 'brotherhood'

Sajjad Shahabi, a presenter and announcer of state television, who was arrested over a month ago 'for the crime of brotherhood' and transferred to Evin Prison, was released on bail on Saturday, June 20. The Persian section of the International Federation of Journalists announced that Mr. Shahabi, who was arrested on May 2 during a raid by intelligence agents at his father's home, was temporarily released on June 20 on a bail of one billion tomans until the end of the judicial proceedings. This federation stated that the bail decision had been issued in previous weeks, but officials had refrained from accepting it and releasing this journalist. Additionally, 'Shima Shahabi,' the editor of the Persian section of the IranWire website and the sister of this television presenter, wrote on her personal Instagram page: 'All personal and electronic belongings, including his mobile phone and some currency along with his father's mobile phone, were seized by the agents and have not yet been returned.' Mousa Barzin, a lawyer residing in Turkey who is aware of Sajjad Shahabi's case, told the Persian section of Voice of America on June 7: 'Sajjad went on a hunger strike for 12 days during the interrogation, and the security forces arrested him due to his sister's activities as a journalist outside of Iran, and they have charged him without evidence with conspiracy against national security.' According to Mr. Barzin, 'the entire process of the case' of Shima Shahabi's brother 'indicates that Sajjad Shahabi was arrested because his sister Shima is a journalist abroad, and this is to pressure him and supposedly force him into silence.' This lawyer emphasized: 'In our view, all these behaviors are completely contrary to the laws that the Islamic Republic itself has established.' Previously, Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, in his latest report to the UN Human Rights Council, reported on the pressure on the families of political and civil activists outside of Iran and called for extensive investigations by international human rights organizations in this regard. Reporters Without Borders, in its latest report published in May, described the state of media freedom in Iran as 'worrisome' and considered the Islamic Republic 'one of the most repressive governments in the world' in this regard.