On Monday, February 19, 2018, the court hearing for Civil Rights activist, Farhad Salmanpour Zahir was held. He refused to attend the court hearing in protest to the lack of independence judge and the abstention of the jury.
According to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners, Farhad Salmanpour Zarhi’s court hearing was held in Revolutionary Court Branch 15 at 11:00 AM.
Farhad Salmanpour Zahir, who has disclosed the $150 million fraud by Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi during the Ahmadinejad administration, as well as has released documents related to drug trafficking by Judge Salavati, was absent from the court. Due to his absence, most likely the court will reach the verdict in his absence.
A well-informed source close to Farhad Salmanpour Zahir told Campaign ” On September 18, 2017, Farhad Salmanpour was detained by the Tabriz’s Intelligence Office and transferred to the Evin prison’s ward 209. After intense and continued interrogations, the judiciary system claimed that he has disclosed judiciary official and confidential documents and should confess the name of the person who he has given the document to. Thus, he was transferred to the Judiciary Counter Intelligence’s section 241 and there, he has been subjected to interrogation and severe physical and mental torture.”
The source also adds that during the interrogation in ward 241 of Intelligence Protection’s ward 241, he has been assaulted and tortured and it caused him serious neck and disks area complications, as well as asthma.
Farhad Salmanpour Zahir’s disclosure of the $150 million fraud by Makarem Shirazi during Ahmadinejad’s time during his Voice of America interview is the reason for his arrest. This money was the budget for abroad templars students’ expenses.
The other reason for his arrest is his disclosure along with credible documents on one of the high judiciary judge involvement in the transit of drugs to Malaysia.
Currently Farhad Salmanpour Zahir is facing charges such as acting against the internal and external security of the Islamic Republic, propaganda against the regime, disturbing public opinion and insulting the sanctities.