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25/7/2010

According to the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, there is no news of Mohammad Mostafaei’s whereabouts since Saturday afternoon. Mostafaei is the revered Iranian human rights lawyer defending Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, sentenced to death by stoning for alleged adultery. He is also the defence lawyer for Ebrahim Hamidi, a youth sentenced to death by hanging, for alleged homosexual assault. Both believed to be trumped up charges.

His disappearance follows the arrest of his wife along with her brother who were detained last night around 23h. According to Saghi Ghahraman, CEO of IRQO, Mostafaei was summoned to District 2 of Evin Prison’s Sacred Martyr and was interrogated on Saturday July 24, as it seems the authorities wanted to know how “blood money” is collected to pay for his young clients who were sentenced to execution. Mustafaei reported on his weblog,http://www.modafe.com/NewsDetail.aspx?Id=428.

On Saturday, July 24, 2010 Mostafaei reported on his facebook page that he was summoned for more interrogation. “After being interrogate by district 2 they called me again and asked me to go and report myself. I’ll go there tomorrow (Sunday) and don’t know what’s going to happen.” He wrote. Apparently on the same day, Saturday, intelligence agents have showed up in his office to arrest him, but they didn’t find him there. His wife and his brother were arrested around the block of his office space. There are many comments on his facebook page expressing worry about his mobile phone being switched off and him not being in the office.
According to the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, later on Saturday evening, security agents went to Mostafaei’s office with an arrest warrant issued for him, but he was apparently not there. Saghi Ghahramanstated that this development might affect the cases of both clients badly, and may result in carrying out of sentences without a fair retrails, having been deprived of their defence lawyer. Saghi also called for “ trials, transparent court sessions and delivering justice without capital punishment.” She also expressed “that the lawyer and his clients need the international community's support and urgent attention.”