Somayeh Rashidi’s family not allowed to visit despite earlier promises

Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR) -

Prison officials did not let Somayeh Rashidi’s family visit her on Thursday, January 28, 2010, even though she stated in a phone call that the interrogators had given permission for a visit.

Rashidi’s family lives in Mashhad, and they had traveled a long way [to Tehran] to visit their daughter. Judicial authorities have refused to grant the family visitation rights since Somayeh Rashidi’s arrest 40 days ago. Rashidi’s lawyers, Afrooz Maghzi and Zohreh Arzani, have not been able to visit their client either, even though they have submitted an official request to do so.

Somayeh Rashidi was summoned to the Revolutionary Court on December 20, 2009, following a thorough search of her house. She was arrested in the court and sent to Evin prison.

Somayeh Rashidi is an activist from the One Million Signatures Campaign. Earlier this year, she was also banned from continuing her education at the graduate level in women’s studies.