Iranian Student Activist Granted Prison Leave
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 22 October 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iranian Student Activist Granted Prison Leave , 22 October 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/527134154.html [accessed 23 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. |
Majid Tavakoli, a prominent jailed student activist and one of the symbols of Iran's embattled student movement, has been given prison leave for the first time since his arrest in 2009.
Tavakoli was arrested after publicly criticizing repression in Iran.
He was sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison on a number of charges, including insulting Iran's leaders.
In prison, Tavakoli has reportedly faced harsh treatment and gone on hunger strike to protest his conditions.
Tavakoli is widely admired for his stances and his courage to stand up to the Iranian regime.
Human rights activists and others launched an online campaign in his support after state media mocked him with pictures of him wearing female clothes after his arrest.
The opposition website Kalame reports that he has been given four days of leave.
