Iranian writers detained, abducted
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 4 February 2010 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iranian writers detained, abducted, 4 February 2010, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4b87908123.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 04, 2010
Alireza Saghafi is editor of the monthly "Rahe Ayandeh."
One member of the Iranian Writers Association has been detained and another abducted in recent days, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports.
Writer Alireza Saghafi was detained by authorities on February 1 after being summoned to the Intelligence Ministry.
Saghafi, also a labor activist, had been arrested for participating in a labor demonstration. He had previously been jailed for one month and released on bail.
Simin Behbahani, a poet and one of the writers association's most prominent members, told RFE/RL that "making such arrests without any good reason is nothing new.... Over the years, [some of] our members have been killed or arrested."
Behbahani said Saghafi's wife had told her that security forces confiscated her husband's writings. "Members of the Iranian Writers Association, as the rest of the people living in Iran, have no security," Behbahani said.
Another writer, Reza Khandan, was allegedly abducted on January 29 on a Tehran street. Khandan is the co-editor of the "Iranian Legends and Fairy Tales Encyclopedia." He has not been seen since his incident.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
