Maher Kaabi, an Arab-Iranian political prisoner who is serving his prisoner sentence in exile in Ardabil prison, wrote a letter to the UN Special Rapportuer, detaililing the regime’s pressures on his family.
This letter reads in part:
With greetings and respect to Dr. Asma Jahangir the United Nation Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Iran. I am Maher Kaabi, a 19 year old political prisoner. I’m a construction major and of the Arab Iranian minority. I was arrested in 2011 by the Intelligence Ministry for my human rights activities. After the interrogations, where I was tortured (my front teeth were smashed and I was threatened to give forced interviews and give forced confessions to Press TV) I was sentenced to 10 years of prison which I had to serve in the Central Ardabil prison. During the six years of imprisonment, I was constantly and severely abused by the authorities and prison managers.
I was 19 when I was arrested and now that I am over 25 years of age, I have not once seen outside of the prison.
Apart from me, my older brother has also been sentenced to 15 years of prison, which he is also serving in exile in the Central Kerman Prison of on charges of spreading propaganda against the government. Ahmad Kaabi, 27 years old, suffers from spinal complications and unfortunately nothing has been done for his devastating state. Like me, Ahmad has also been in exile for six years.
I will now explain something to you that has severely pained me for a couple of days. My mother,Sharife Faraj-Allah Kaabi, is 48 years old. She has constantly received threating phone calls by the Intelligence Ministry’s agents. The last telephone call was on Tuesday October 17and had a heart attack. I thank God that my father got to her on time and saved her life. She was hospitalized for two days and now her condition is stable.
Is this justice?
My plea to you Dr. Jahangir is that you take urgent measures into this issue and by putting pressure on the the regime, help us regain our rights.
Thank you very much,
Maher Kaabi, political prisoner
October 18, 2017
Central Ardabil Prison – Section 7
