Iran: Families of political prisoners demand unconditional release of loved ones

NCRI – Families of political prisoners detained during Iran’s year-long uprising gathered this week in front of the Iranian regime’s prosecutor’s office in Tehran and protested against the clerical regime’s pressures on political prisoners to write pardon letters. The relatives demanded the unconditional release of the prisoners.

Regime officials had previously distributed forms among the families so that they could request pardon from the mullahs’ Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. But, the relatives voiced outrage and anger towards the clerical regime, insisting instead that their family members are innocent and will not sign forms that in essence admit to the regime’s allegations.

Faced with an angry backlash, the officials immediately began to take the forms back.

Separately, the regime sentenced a political prisoner, Ms. Maryam Akbari Monfared, to 15 years in prison. The Iranian regime arrested Ms. Monfared, a mother of three young children, during a violent raid at her residence on December 31, 2009.