Iran: youths released from prison face enormous difficulties

Sho’le Pakravan, the mother of Reyhane Jabbari in Iran

By: Mrs. Sho’le Pakravan

Fereshte Asanlu hosted a gathering of mothers in Iran. We were all worried about a young man recently released of prison and engulfed with heavy debts. For a few days after returning home they see their friends and relatives. Then, real life kicks in. Unemployment, living problems… Let me explain more.

Omid Alishenas, the son of Simin, is a construction engineer. He was sentenced to 10 years behind bars for his activities for labor children! It has been a few months since he has been released from prison under a very heavy bail. However, he remains unemployed.

Months ago when Arash Sadeghi and my dear Golrokh came to my home I asked him what is your job? He said I am unemployed. I said it is obvious there will be no government jobs for you. But what about opening a store to sell goods? He said for such a permit he would have to work for many months to finally earn a profit. I said yes. He also said how do I know how long I will remain out of prison? At any moment they may issue a new verdict and force me to return to prison.

Did you get his point? They don’t even know for how long they will remain outside of prison and seek a job based on that! The same conditions are providing major problems for Atena Daemi and Farghadani, and the rest who have been released under heavy bails.

There is also the issue that they undergo such severe beatings by interrogators that they truly have no ability to do any heavy work. Arash had spent months without any treatment for his broken ribs and dislocated shoulder. If Sattar ever returned home, would he be able to work with his crushed body and broken bones? Or would he be forced to stay home and suffer from all his wounds?

The mothers in the small gathering were all worried about the children who were under intense living conditions and unemployed. Let’s assume Omid wasn’t single and had a wife and kids. What would he have done? What would Baddaghi have done with a wife and two small kids? And hundreds of other prisoners? Of course, when a resisting figure or intellectual is unemployed and facing problems making ends meet, there is a serious possibility that he will set aside his beliefs. This is despite the fact that the names mentioned above have not given up on their beliefs.

We made arrangements to think a bit and bring suggestions on how to practically resolve their problems. We hope to reach a solution by finding old friends.

It was Houri Golestani’s birthday and a chocolate cake was placed on the table. We took a couple of pictures, listening to Houri’s prayers for the Iranian people and our dear youths. However, many became sad after Maryam Karim Beigi phoned her mother. The noise of plainclothes agents harassing them by ringing her doorbell over and over again, infuriating this young woman. She was already suffering from the hard burden of finding the body of Mostafa, Shahnaz’s son, and she was still resisting. We went home with Shahnaz, hugging Maryam so she would know we would always be there for her. Our boys and girls will never be alone and they can always count on their mothers, even if they are living alone at home. We are determined to teach those plainclothes agents a lesson, so they would know they have no right to get anywhere close to our loved ones.

Our arms are also always open for working women and teachers. We are always with them and are energized by their struggle.

An old mother passing away while her imprisoned child was away was yet another important matter that gained the attention of the visiting mothers. [Authorities] signed a bail of (around $40,000 to $50,000) and informed [Abdulfattah Soltani] exactly after his mother passed away, to deprive him of a last farewell. This is nothing but these officials not respecting at all any deep family relations.

P.N.: The 16-year prison sentence issued for Narges Mohammadi, and 39 years for Golipour, came to much surprise for many people and raised suspicions of such strange prison sentences being linked to the strange bails issued recently. The government and judiciary are currently demanding trillions of rials in bail from the people [more than $35 million] to have inmate’s sentenced to strange verdicts be released.