(RAHANA) | February 22, 2010
RAHANA – Majid Tavakolo was taken back to the Revolutionary Court in Tehran in prison uniform and with laceration marks above his right eyebrow. Tavakoli was not given any reason for his appearance before the court. He was detained in solitary confinement for 3 weeks before today’s court appearance.
According to Bamdad Khabar, prior to today’s closed door court hearing, the student activist had previously been tried and sentenced to 8 and a half years in prison and a 5 year ban from political activities and foreign travel
Tavakoli was arrested on December 7th, 2009 as he was leaving Amir Kabir University after having given a courageous speech for the students who had gathered for the Student Day protests. He had 2 prior arrests, both of which resulted in long detention times.
Tavakoli was first arrested in 2007, and he spent 15 months in prison under physical and mental torture. He was later acquitted from the charges related to his publication of a student newsletter. He was arrested a second time in March 2009 during a memorial ceremony held for Mehdi Bazargan, the first Iranian Prime Minister after the 1979 revolution. He was released on heavy bail after having spent 115 days in solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin.
