A relative in prison: Hossein Nouraninejad

His name is Hossein Nouraninejad. I don't know him. I didn't care to know any/many of these reformist journalists when the reformists were in power in Iran. In fact, before this election fiasco, I considered them and Ahmadinejadists entities of the same fabric. But, Hossein is in prison since September 2009. He is not granted a leave (not even on bail) since then. Not even for the new year.

Hossein went on hunger strike close to two weeks ago. The country's begging the 17 of them to break their fast. Karoubi, Mousavi, old political activists, young ones are begging them to save themselves because it has become apparent to us that the world community doesn't give a damn; and the IRI is in fact happy if they die. These individuals were the hard-to-crack ones.

But, the IRI is very wrong. Because they have now encouraged me to read about this gentleman to figure out why he is given such an extraordinary hard treatment that he has gone on a detrimental hunger strike to have his voice heard.

Nouraninejad (حسین نورانی نژاد) is a journalist. and head of the Information Committee of Participation Front. (The Participation front party has issued an invitation to its members to go on hunger strike in solidarity with their jailed comrades.) His charge was "attempting to disrupt public order". Thus, sentenced to three years at first. His jail term was cut to one year, of which he has almost served all. So why is this "mild" case on hunger strike now? Why is he prevented from a short leave? why is he kept in solitary confinement? What are the evin conditions that make a man on the verge of freedom risk all his life? The IRI must answer.

His mother has gone public, in a hope to save her son. But, she was told that the prisoners on strike will face extra charges. Parastoo Sarmadi, his wife, has also joined the strike, publicly. She has also pleaded with the authorities to let them hear the messages of Karoubi, Mousavi, Ayatollah Zanjani, Abdollah Nouri, and Sohrab's mother, and numerous other opposition parties, begging them to end the strike. Interestingly, Nouraninejad's mother is also threatened to jail!

Nouraninejad has edited a book entitled: عاشورا در گذار به عصر سکولار "Ashura, in Passage Through Secularism" (2004); it is a collection of essays by a number of religious theoreticians, some founding figures of the IRI philosophy, turned its ardent critiques: Soroush, Aghajari, Ahmad Haj Seyed Javadi, Kadivar and others. It is hard to find much of his writings; but there is a little letter of her sister that tells us Hossein dreaded politics, but found himself obliged by conscience, to act ...

These men in prison are heros. They are not afraid of death. But the least we can do is to hear them out, before the candle goes out.

In fact, the IRI fears journalists, fears information, fears statistics, fears numbers ... Ahmadinejad is treating the pubic opinion as a "civil engineering" project; bulldozing his path, burning the forest, digging the graves of our civilization to erect an ugly monument, ode to his megalomania.

Hossein nouraninejad, a prisoner of conscience ...
On hunger strike ... even though his jail term was to end soon ...