Blogger dies in Iran's Evin prison

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP)called March 19 for an immediate investigation into the March 18 death of an Iranian blogger imprisoned in Tehran's notorious Evin prison‎.

Omidreza Mir Sayafi, 28, who we previously blogged about as the blogger of the Rooznegar website (which can no longer be accessed) that was not able to appeal against his convictions by Iranian authorities for “insulting” Islamic Republic’s and “publicity against the government”, was said to have committed suicide by Tehran’s Evin prison officials, as said by Sayafi’s lawyer, Muhammad Ali Dadkhan.

Dadkhan‎ said that before his death, Sayafi ‎had expressed concerns about his health, "‎but the doctors there didn't take this seriously and said he was faking it."

Sayafi began his prison term in February.

"We are alarmed by the sudden death of blogger Omidreza Mir Sayafi and demand an immediate, transparent investigation into what happened," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "We send our condolences to Sayafi's family and friends."

Tehran’s Evin prison; which is infamous for the numerous political prisoners, journalists, and bloggers being held there; has CJP suspicious about Sayafi’s death and worried about other prisoners being detained there.

"Sayafi's death greatly increases our concern for Roxana Saberi's well-being," Dayem said.

Iranian-American freelance journalist Roxana Saberi is currently being held in Evin prison. She has been detained since late January. Iranian-Canadian blogger Hossein Derakhshan has also been detained since November 2008, but his whereabouts remain unknown.

By Eka Obaigbena
Group: Iran

Blogger arrested before being able to appeal against jail sentence

Reporters Without Borders called for the release of blogger Omidreza Mirsayafi (http://rooznegaar.blogfa.com), who was sentenced to two years in prison for “insulting” the Islamic Republic’s leaders and six months in prison for “publicity against the government.”

Mirsayafi, the blogger of Rooznegar (which can no longer be accessed), was not able to appeal against his conviction before his arrest because his lawyers did not receive a copy of the court’s sentence in time to file the appeal. This copy of the court’s sentence, which the court handed down on 15 December, has still not been received.

Mirsayafi told Reporters Without Borders that his blog posts were mostly about traditional Persian music and culture.

“I am a cultural blogger, not a political one. Of all the entries I posted online, only two or three were satirical. I did not intend to insult anyone,” Mirsayafi said.

Mirsayafi is meanwhile still facing separate charges of “insulting the prophet of Islam” and “attacking the sacredness of Iran” before a Tehran assizes court.

By Eka Obaigbena
Group: Iran