Wednesday March 19, 2009

Mr. Omidreza Mirseyafi, journalist and weblogger, died this morning in the Evin Prison.  Approximately one month ago, Mr. Mirseyafi was sent to the Evin Prison to serve his two and half year sentence.  This morning, due to severe emotional and psychological pressures, Mr. Mirseyafi was sent to the prison clinic for treatment.  Approximately one hour ago, Mr. Mirseyafi, lost his life in the Evin Prison.  The files of suspicious deaths of inmates are not available for review until the last days of the year.

Mr. Mirseyafi was an active journalist and weblogger on cultural issues whom because of the insertion of his opinions in his weblog was charged with publicizing false accusation against high government officials and disturbing the public order. As such he was sentence to two and half years in the Evin Prison.  Mr. Mirseyafi also had a file in the general court of Tehran charging him with insulting the sacred and holy.  Those charges were to be brought against him in May of 2009.

This prisoner of conscience was suffering from emotional and psychological pressures, and even though temporary leave from prison is provided for such conditions, he was never given such a leave.  The Human Rights Activists in Iran has previously expressed serious concern regarding the suspicious deaths of political prisoners in Iran’s prisons.