Hamid Babaei

He is an Applied Math graduate from Sharif University of Technology and has a Masters degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from University of Science and Industry, and a Ph.D. in Finance from Liege University in Brussels. Some believe he was arrested by the security forces as a warning to Iranians abroad not to return to the country

<coverage-outsourcing id='8091'> He entered Iran with his wife. Five days later he was summoned to Intelligence ministry and was asked to help provide information on Iranians living in the French speaking part of Belgium in return for him and his wife becoming faculty members at an Iranian university. He was told that the last person in this position had returned to Iran. Mr. Babayi refused to accept. A few days later in the airport, he found out that he was not allowed to leave the country. His wife Kobra Parsajoo provided this information in February 2013 in an interview with Rooz </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8092'> After he returned home from the airport, he was contacted by the Intelligence ministry and was summoned again. This time his refusal led to his arrest and transfer to Ward 240 in prison </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8093'> He was transferred from Ward 240 to Ward 209 after 20 days. During his time in these two wards, he was kept in the solitary cells, was not allowed to call his family, and was denied hiring an attorney </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8094'> He was transferred to Ward 350 of Evin Prison </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8096'> Sudwind reported that his family are still not allowed to hire an attorney, and his wife is under pressure from security forces </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8095'> According to Sudwind, his trial was held with Judge Salavati presiding. In this 10 minute trial, without hired attorney and in the silence of his court-appointed attorney, and without getting a chance to defend himself, he was sentenced to 6 years in prison and 4 years suspended prison time for the charges of "espionage", "Acts against national security through cooperation with enemy states". Taghato reported that according to people close to him, the court has considered his student scholarship as the evidence of his cooperation with the government of Belgium </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8097'> Kobra Parsajoo told Rooz that because his case was publicized, her visitations with Hamid Babayi were stopped by the order of Tehran's deputy attorney general </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8102'> Kobra Parsajoo wrote an open letter to Hasan Rouhani on her Facebook page, in which she criticized that she has witnessed "No change" in the country and that by returning to Iran, they have "fallen into the trap" of the Intelligence ministry and "the Government of Wisdom and Hope" </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8110'> "Bamdad Khabar" published a translated extract of a report by Belgium's RTBF channel. In response to a question by the RTBF reporter, Belgian foreign minister, Didier Reynders said: > This afternoon my Iranian peer was contacted. It seems like they are willing to cooperate in this matter. But we did not have access to the whole case, and you would agree that everything cannot be changed just by one article in today's newspaper. We have to be in constant contact with Iranians on this matter and have conversations. Conversations about Hamid Babaei and unfortunately many other cases </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8104'> Amnesty International, and ULB and ULG universities organized a demonstration in front of the Islamic Republic embassy in Brussels and asked the Iranian government to release this innocent student </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8098'> It was reported that his verdict was confirmed verbatim in branch 54 of the appeal court by Judge Movahed </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8103'> In a gathering in front of the European parliament in Belgium, his attorney said he is ready to travel to Iran to free Babaei. The gathering held in Brussels was against Human Rights violations in Iran </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8099'> He was sent to Ward 7 along with a number of political prisoners. Several reports indicating the terrible conditions of the prisoners' residence were published around the same time </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8108'> According to his wife's Facebook post, he lost consciousness and was transferred to Evin Prison's clinic </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8100'> It was reported that he became convulsive and unconscious in Quarantine </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8101'> Hamid Babayi's wife, Kobra Parsajoo, was arrested and sentenced to six months suspended prison for infrorming the public about his case </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8109'> In her Facebook page, Kobra Parsajoo reported that the Tehran's attorney general has opposed the transfer of Hamid Babaei to the dentist despite the consent from the judicial doctor and the warden of Ward 7. She wrote that he submitted his transfer request for the treatment of his "heavily infected gums and teeth" to Evin Prison medical center and the Tehran's attorney general, and after six and a half months the judiciary doctors and warden of Ward 7 have agreed to the request. According to Kobra Parsajoo, although the prosecutor verbally agreed to his transfer on the condition that she will not accompany her husband during the treatments, recently the prosecution's office has announced its opposition to Hamid Babaei's transfer in writing </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='7867'> After the prisoners' protest to mandatory yard time in cold winter weather and lack of warm clothing for the prisoners in ward 8 of Evin Prison, Asoo Rostami, Amir Amir Gholi, and Amir Houshang Navayi were moved to solitary confinements in ward 240 and went on hunger strike. Omid Alishenas, Saeed Shirzad, and Masood Arab Choobdar also went on hunger strike in their support. Shortly after, these three were also transferred to solitary confinements in ward 240 along with Hamid Babayi and Abbas Rostami </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8106'> According to "Peace Activists in Exile Campaign", after writing a strongly worded letter to Mr. Khodabakhshi, the supervising judge in Evin Prison, in response to his insulting treatment of Hamid's wife,Hamid Babaei was first transferred to Evin's Ward 8, then to solitary cells, and finally exiled to Rajayi Shahr Prison's solitary cells for a few days and was detained in Ward 1 of this prison </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8107'> According to "Peace Activists in Exile Campaign", the Scholars at Risk Institute published a statement criticizing Hamid Babaei's health conditions in Rajayi Shahr and demanded the enforcement of international human rights standards such as his access to medical treatment </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8105'> According to "Peace Activists in Exile Campaign", professors and students at Liege University participated in a gathering in the main hall and the street around this university while holding up and hanging Hamid Babaei's photos and notes in support of this imprisoned student. It was said that the posters will remain until he returns to the university </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8118'> Taghato reported that since his transfer to Rajayi Shahr Prison, he was denied access to his scientific books and ever since yesterday, he and all the other political prisoners were denied access to prison library </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8113'> In a meeting with Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, Didier Reynders, the Belgian foreign minister was briefed on Hamid Babaei's case. He responded to Hassan Rouhani's request for student exchange by saying: > Yes, of course we want to reestablish our student exchange program, but this has to be done in a completely safe environment. After his return to Belgium, he told the media that Mr. Babaei's case is going through good changes </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8114'> According to Taghato, Kobra Parsajoo, Mr. Babaei's wife who is also a Ph.D. student in Chemistry at Brussels Free University, has been barred from leaving the country since his arrest </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8111'> Authorities at Rajayi Shahr Prison refused to transfer Hamid Babaei to the hospital despite the order by the judiciary and the scheduled appointment. Babaei's wife said that his request for a temporary leave has also been denied by the security department </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8112'> According to "Taghato", in an event organized by Amnesty International which was attended by human rights activists, Mr. Babaei's friends, classmates, and university professors in Belgium, they demanded his freedom </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8115'> Amnesty International released a statement announcing that he is in urgent need of medical attention </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8116'> International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported that he has been denied temporary leave ever since his arrest, and despite meeting the legal conditions, he has been denied parole. According to the report, Hamid Babaei has suffered tooth and gum infection in Rajayi Shahr Prison, and his transfer to hospital for treatment is being "obstructed". The report states that despite the letter from the prosecution, and the scheduled appointment made and paid by the family, the prison authorities still refuse to transfer him to outside medical centers </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='12154'> Kobra Parsajoo published a post on her Facebook page in which she described her and Hamid's wandering between Rajayi Shahr Prison, Evin's Verdict Enforcement office, the prosecution's office, and the supreme court in order to submit the appeal request. She describes in detail how the authorities and employees at different departments weasel out of accepting the letters or further complicate the case conditions by providing false information </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8117'> His article titled "Kind Father, Heroic Nation, and Hapless Money: The Door is Swinging on the Same Old Hinges" in criticism of Rouhani administration's economic policies was published in Taghato website. In addition to this article, he has released several other articles on Iran's economy </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8497'> Amnesty International released a statement announcing that Judicial authorities are denying him medical attention and refusing to transfer him to a hospital. According to the statement, he is suffering from an ear infection and needs surgery </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='8639'> In her facebook page, Kobra Parsajoo wrote that Hamid Babaei's appeal request has been denied by the supreme court, and also his charges have been changed in the supreme court to "encouraging the public to commit crime, crimes against domestic/external security" </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='10015'> International Campaign for Human Rights reported that the ministry of Intelligence has opposed his parole despite the decision of the authorities at Rajayi Shahr Prison </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='11468'> Authorities at Rajayi Shahr Prison denied Babaei's visitation with his wife because he "insulted the Master (Supreme Leader)" </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='11668'> Taghato published a letter from him. In this letter, Hamid Babaei heavily criticizes the conducts of the Intelligence ministry interrogators and claims that the Attorney General's office, the supreme court, and the Prisons Organization all do the biddings of the Intelligence ministry. The letter is documented in the Supporting Evidence section of this page </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='12961'> Kobra Parsajoo wrote on her Facebook page that this morning when she went to Rajayi Shahr Prison for a visitation, she was informed that Hamid Babaei has been transferred to Ward 209 in Evin Prison </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='19455'> After the collective transfer of the political and ideological/religious prisoners of Rajaei Shahr prison to a new ward, a number of them began a hunger strike.This widespread hunger strike led to the prison guards and staff’s mistreatment of prisoners’ families, threatening of prisoners, putting prisoners in solitary confinement and withholding medical treatment and medicines. The collective protest was met with the media reaction of the judiciary, and the support of human rights organizations and some of the civil and political activists. Because some of the prisoner terminated their strike sooner and some of them were, also, transferred to solitary cells, the list of names changed during the period of the hunger strike, but in general, the names of prisoners who partook in the hunger strike, whose names have been confirmed by verified lists, are as follows: Majid Asadi, Jafar Eghdami, Saeed Shirzad, Saeed Masouri, Shahin Zoghitabar, Reza Akbari Monfared, Abolghasem Fouladvand, Hasan Sadeghi, Reza Shahabi, Mohammad Nazari, Payam Shakiba, Mohammad Banazadeh Amirkhizi, Mohammal Ali Mansouri, Ebrahim Firouzi, Amir Ghaziani, Vahid Sayad Nasiri, Hamid Babaei, Zanyar Moradi, Loghman Moradi, Houshang Rezaei and Saeed Pourheydar. Among them Saeed Shirzad, Reza Shahabi, and Mohammad Nazari’s hunger strike lasted longer than 50 days.The last two, had continued their hunger strike in protest to the situation of their own cases </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='20386'> According to Hrana, he is incarcerated in ward 7 </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='26028'> According to IPA, he was released from prison </coverage-outsourcing>