Yasuj activists tortured in jail

Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran

According to reports, student and human rights activists in Yasuj who were arrested are still under constant pressure by interrogators from the Ministry of Intelligence despite their release from prison.
These activists were arrested on February 2, 2010 in their homes after violent attacks by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence. They included Ardavan Qera-ati, arrested on February 2 who was released some time later, Hassan Akvanian, released after one week and Reza Akvanian, arrested on February 2 and released on February 11, 2010…
These activists were taken to solitary cells in the Yasuj Cental Prison. They were psychologically and physically tortured during their arrest. These tortures included beatings with electric clubs and kicks and punches in the face and head and other sensitive parts of the body. The tortures were so violent that some of the prisoners passed out under the beatings. They were struck in the nose and back and suffered injuries. The signs of torture are still evident on their noses and backs despite being released weeks before from jail. They were also deprived of sleep and forced to consume pills which made them drowsy and were then tortured to stay awake. One of the activists was mentally tortured and threatened in the interrogations that if he did not accept everything they said, they would bring his wife and rape her.
In the first 3 days of their incarceration, the tortures were very violent and constant. They were charged with instigating Yasuj University students to go on strikes and hold sit-ins, participating in the Tehran post-election protests, being members of the One Million Signature Campaign (advocating women's rights), being in contact with human rights activists, giving interviews to international Farsi radio stations, being in contact with the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, sending reports of human rights violations to outside sources in Iran, spreading propaganda against the government, and insulting government officials and the 'leadership' in their weblogs.