Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, April 12, 2021—Amnesty International called for the immediate release of political prisoners Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi.
On Saturday, March 10, Amnesty International called on release the two elite students. “For one year [Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi] have been held without trial in section 209 of Tehran’s Evin prison, under the control of the ministry of intelligence, and have been denied access to an independent lawyer of their own choosing,” Amnesty tweeted. According to Amnesty International, these political prisoners are forced to sleep on the ground and are kept with prisoners accused of violent offenses.
Amnesty International emphasized: “Both Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi have been charged with national security offenses, including ‘gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security’ and ‘spreading propaganda against the system.’”
While detained in separate rooms, #AliYounesi and #AmirHosseinMoradi have been sleeping on the floor and also, at times, detained alongside individuals accused of violent offenses. @amnesty believes they remain held in section 209 to pressure them to make forced “confessions”.
— Amnesty Iran (@AmnestyIran) April 10, 2021
Background
Younesi and Moradi went missing on April 10, 2020. After 26 days, the Iranian regime’s judiciary admitted to having apprehended them and holding them in custody.
The Judiciary Spokesman Gholam-Hossein Esmaili said that these two elites’ students had linked up with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi were accused of trumped-up charges such as being engaged in “diversionary actions” and “attempting to carry out sabotage operations.” The spokesperson of the regime’s Judiciary said that “Explosive devices used in sabotage operations were discovered when their homes were searched.”
Younesi won the gold medal of the 12th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics, held in China in 2018. Earlier, he had won the silver and gold medals of the National Astronomy Olympiad in 2016 and 2017. Amir Hossein also won the Olympiad silver medal in 2017.
Back in June 2020, Younesi’s brother announced that the Iranian genius student has contracted coronavirus in prison. The regime has paid no attention to the health conditions of political prisoners during the Covid-19 pandemic. This has led to many infections among prisoners.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has repeatedly urged the UN Secretary-General and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to immediately intervene to save the lives of Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi, and secure their release.
Many members of parliament and personalities from across the world as well as international associations and bodies have called on the Iranian regime to release Moradi and Younesi. They include Nobel laureates, a group of members of the European Parliament, Amnesty International, parliamentary committees in the UK, Italy, Australia, Canada, and Belgium, the Human Rights Federation of Italy, the Hands off Cain NGO from Italy, the Committee of Muslims in France, Irish MPs, the International Committee in Search of Justice representing 4,000 MPs in Europe and the U.S., the committee of MPs from Romania, MPs, and dignitaries from Arab countries, and the Committee of French Mayors.
