Rome, January 6, 2017 – The Italian Committee of Parliamentarians and Citizens for a Free Iran learned with concern that on Wednesday, January 4, the renowned political prisoner Ali Moezzi – who is a supporter of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) – was suddenly transferred from the Gohardasht Prison, in the northern outskirts of Karaj, to an unknown location, where we believe he faces imminent threat as there is no information of his whereabouts from that moment.
Moezzi, an agricultural engineer who is 65 years old and is the father of two PMOI members, has been imprisoned several times since the 1980s. He was last arrested in 2011, sentenced to four years and later to an extra year in prison after serving the original term. Not releasing the political prisoners, adding fabricated charges, is a usual practice of the Iranian regime.
Moezzi suffers from various illnesses and has recently been released from the hospital where he had surgery for cancer. He has often been put in solitary confinement and beaten. According to his family, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) threated him that they would torture him to death.
We ask the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur for the Human Rights Situation in Iran to take urgent action in this regard, calling the Iranian regime to unconditionally free Ali Moezzi and ensure that his life and safety be respected.
The president, Achille Totaro – member of the Italian Parliament
The co-president, Hon. Carlo Ciccioli
The co-president,Hon.Elisabetta Zamparutti
The Coordinator, Dr. Antonio Stango
