Front Line is deeply concerned following the arrest of Azerbaijani journalist and human rights defender Yaghoub Saleki Niya (also known as Ilqar Merendli) at his home in Tehran on 31 October 2007. Yaghoub Saleki Niya is one of the founders of the Committee for the Defence of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners (ASMEK). He also writes for a number of banned blogs.

Further Information

Posted 21/12/2007 On 31 October 2007, at approximately 7.00pm, officials from the Etelaat security service arrived at Yaghoub Saleki Niya's home and proceeded to search it for two hours. The officials arrested Yaghoub Saleki Niya and removed his books, camera and papers. He was taken to Evin prison in Tehran, where his wife was allowed to visit him on 5 November, on condition that his arrest and detention were not spoken about. On 10 November 2007, Yaghoub Saleki Niya's home was searched by security services for a second time and personal items were taken. Yaghoub Saleki Niya is currently detained without access to legal representation.

Yaghoub Saleki Niya has not been formally charged with any offence and the reason for his arrest remains unknown, yet Front Line believes that it is directly related to his contributions to media sites and activities in defence of human rights. He was previously arrested on 22 April 2004, when he enquired after a detained female Azerbaijani human rights defender, and was detained and interrogated for six days, after which he was released but called in for questioning. Since that time, he has been threatened by authorities and warned not to participate in any activities related to non-governmental organisations. Since 2004, Yaghoub Saleki Niya has been questioned at regular intervals.

Front Line fears for the safety of Yaghoub Saleki Niya and believes that his arrest may form part of an ongoing campaign against journalists and human rights defenders in Iran. There are currently ten journalists imprisoned in Iran. The Authorisation and Surveillance Commission has shut down a number of Azerbaijani independent publications including Dilmanj, a monthly newsletter that Yaghoub Saleki Niya wrote for. The focus of its next edition was to be Democracy and Azerbaijan but its publication was halted by the authorities on 25 September 2007.

On 25 October 2007, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the situation of human rights in Iran, recognising that “the situation in the Islamic Republic in relation to civil rights and political freedoms has deteriorated in the last two years.” The European Parliament also called for the “unconditional release of prisoners of conscience, particularly journalists.”