Iran Frees Journalists, Professor On Ashura
March 1, 2010 at 4:11 AM by AHN · Leave a Comment
Tehran, Iran (AHN) – Four journalists and a retired professor taken prisoner in Iran Dec. 27 were released Sunday, officials reported.
Journalists Abdolreza Tajik, Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, Behrang Tonkaboni and Mohammad Javad Mozafar, and former professor Mohammad Sadeq Rabani were arrested during a protest late last year.
Mozafar is also a prisoners’ rights activist, according to reports.
Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi reportedly will free any prisoners of recent unrest because of the upcoming Iranian New Year which falls on March 21.
However, any prisoners who were arrested during Ashura (the Muslim holy day) will face more severe penalties, according to Iranian officials. The five prisoners were released on Ashura.
Both Mozafar and Tajik were reportedly freed on $100,000 bail. The bail amounts for the two other journalists and professor were not immediately available.
The five prisoners were released from Tehran’s Evin prison on Sunday.
