Security forces arrested journalist Fariba Pajouh on July 10 in Tehran, though a family member of hers told the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that the reasons for her arrest are unclear.
“When the forces took her, they didn’t say anything. During her telephone calls to her family, she said that she does not know the reason for her arrest. I really don’t know what she did. I only know that she has not committed any wrongdoing against the law. She is very conservative and we really don’t know why she was arrested,” the family member told the Campaign.
Fariba Pajouh, who worked for reformist newspapers, was first arrested following the disputed 2009 presidential election and released from Evin Prison on bail of US$50,000 after 124 days in detention. A lower court sentenced Pajouh to one year in prison. Branch 54 of Tehran Appeals Court later suspended the one-year sentence for five years. Fariba Pajouh has not been working with any media outlet recently.
“Yesterday morning [July 10], one female and three male agents went to Fariba’s home. They searched her home for about an hour, and then took her laptop computer and other personal items, including the satellite TV receiver, with them. They didn’t say what the reason for the arrest was. They only said that they would return her soon,” the source told the Campaign.
The source told the Campaign that Fariba Pajouh has been allowed to call her family twice. “She said she spent the night in solitary confinement, but that her conditions are good. She sounded good, too. She told her family not to worry.”
Following her case, the source said, “We went to the Hall of Justice, but we didn’t get any answers. I only hope that Fariba will return soon, because she hasn’t done anything wrong. I hope that her detention will not take long, the way the forces who were taking her said. I hope they keep their word and release her. Fariba said in her phone call for her family not to go to the Hall of Justice, because she will be released soon. The family will wait until Saturday and if she is not released by then, they will pursue her case.”
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran