Radio Fardah Interview With Mohamad Sedigh Kaboudvand

Radio Fardah’s Katozian: Shirko Jahani made a short phone call to his family and assured them he was alive.

Mohamad Sedigh Kaboudvand: The first hour after news was received about Mr. Jahani having a heart attack the Iranian FBI (Itlaad) announced he was alive and well.
Katozian: He had contact with his family?
Mohamad Sediq Kabudvand: Mr. Jahani’s mother wanted to see her son and speak with him very badly. The government did not grant her requests at first, but then gave permission for a very short phone call. This morning he did call his mother and told her he was alive.
Katozian: Do you think he has given up his fast?
Mohamad Sedigh Kaboudvand: I am sorry, I don’t know what has happened with his fast and if he is still fasting, I still don’t know where he was taken and where he would be right now.
Katozian: What is the last you heard of his case?
Mohamad Sedigh Kaboudvand: Right now he might be in an Itlaad facility. He was detained in the first place for speaking with foreign news agencies and organizing a discussion about a woman who was imprisoned in Mahabad- these are the only reasons he was jailed. Why Itlaad has him, and which Itlaad facility he is held in, we don’t know. No answers have been given to us regarding the case.
Katozian: Why did people say he had died in custody?
Mohamad Sedigh Kaboudvand: Mr. Jahani had been fasting since the first day he was jailed, and two days after he began his fast he announced he would no longer speak to anyone in the government until he was freed. This was the reason they transferred him to an unknown location. After this his family and our organization did all we could to get some answers and some news regarding him. We were unsuccessful in obtaining any information, and this is why the rumors started that he was given poison, or had a heart attack, or was in a coma, because people began to manufacture reasons why the government would not allow us to see him or know anything about his welfare.

Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan
http://www.insaniyet.com
Translated by Samrand Moradi