Free Ashkan Zahabian

Ashkan Zahabian, a student activist at Babol Noshirvani University of Technology was detained on Monday at noon after he had turned himself in to the Shahid Kachooie prison in Sari (the provincial capital city of the Mazandaran province).

Ashkan Zahabian is a m...ember of the General Branch of the Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat (student alumni) organization, a former member of the Central Council of the Islamic Association of Ferdowsi University and Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, and a student activist in the north of the country. In February 2010, Ashkan Zahabian, without his presence, was sentenced to six months in prison by Judge Rezaieian in the Babol Revolutionary Court.

According to reports, several days ago Ministry of Intelligence experts went to the Zahabian residence to execute the bail bond deposited by the student activist. While pricing his home, the experts announced to the family that Ashkan Zahabian was given one week from that day to turn himself in to the prison or their home would be put up for sale.

The charge against the student activist is, “Acting against national security through the formation of Islamic Associations in the north of the country”. On June 16, 2009, Ashkan Zahabian was arrested after he was beaten by members of the regime force known as Ansar. He was held for one month in solitary confinement at the Sari Ministry of Intelligence and the Mati Kola prisons.

Ashkan Zahabian has been sent to prison twice on the same charge. Recently, he was officially expelled from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, following two years of suspension. Ashkan Zahabian was 20 credits shy of receiving his Bachelor’s degree.