The World Desk

 The World Desk

Michael Petrou writes about international news and Canadian foreign policy.

Categories: The World Desk

Iranian democrat beaten, on hunger strike

by Michael Petrou on Monday, May 25, 2009 12:16pm - 1 Comment

I’ve written about Iranian democratic activist Behrouz Javid Tehrani several times since meeting him in Tehran five years ago. He was first arrested during the Iranian student uprising of 1999 and has been in and out of jail ever since – always because of his protests against Iran’s illiberal theocracy and his efforts to bring a his country a greater measure of freedom. Tehrani is still in jail, in Section One of the Gohardasht Prison. A family member who met with him last week says that he has been on a hunger strike for more than 16 days and his been blindfolded, handcuffed, and beaten with batons.

Bookmark and Share
  • Blues Clair

    “Amongst his current known ailments are fresh bruises and wounds to his body as well as the loss of 50 percent of his eyesight due to head injuries inflicted by his interrogators in prison.”
    - HRW
    May 23, 2009

    Were I reside, we liked to call that enhanced interrogation.

    Something I found interesting from Mr. Petrou’s first article… Iranian Democrat Hassan Zarezadeh Ardeshir,

    “Ardeshir is opposed to economic sanctions against Iran, arguing that they will only punish Iran’s people, not its government. “

    Anyways, a truly awful story, I hope the young and brave Behrouz Javid Tehrani survives.

Previous

Next

From Macleans