Campaign

Press Release

April 21, 2021

Trial of Nahid Taghavi to Begin April 28, 2021

Access to Case Files Denied

April 21, 2021


Regarding Nahid Taghavi, 66 year old innocent German citizen arbitrarily detained in Iran since 16 October 2020.

The trial of Nahid Taghavi will begin on April 28, 2021 – Nahid’s lawyer is still being denied access to her case files.

For the first time after more than six months of pre-trial detention, Nahid Taghavi was brought before the judge on April 13, 2021. The trial begins on April 28, 2021 before Revolutionary Court branch 26 in Tehran. Nahid Taghavi's lawyer has so far been denied access to her case files, despite the fact that he has been granted power of attorney. It is unclear whether and when access will be approved. It is also unknown whether Nahid Taghavi can see her lawyer before the trial begins therefore a fair preparation process for her trial is not guaranteed.

Nahid Taghavi was relocated to Isolation Wing 2-A of Evin Prison on April 5, 2021 under the pretext of a visit to the doctor. Since then, she has been in solitary confinement in the high-security department. Her health, which was already in a severe condition, has since deteriorated.

The spokesman for the board of the International Society for Human Rights, Martin Lessenthin, explains:

“The German citizen Nahid Taghavi is innocent. She has no chance to get a fair trial. Her lawyers have no access to the files. She is a victim of political hostage-taking and the arbitrary judicial system of Iran. Her isolation and the other conditions of her detention are torture. German government must publicly address this.”

The Cologne Bundestag-member Heribert Hirte, who has taken on political sponsorship of Nahid Taghavi, says:

“The proceedings endanger the effective legal protection of Nahid Taghavi, a standard recognized worldwide according to the ICCPR [International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]. Your lawyer has no access to the files and so has not yet been able to provide trustworthy legal assistance Still, neither Ms. Taghavi nor her lawyer know the exact grounds of the indictment. My request to the Iranian side is to respect Ms. Taghavi's rights. I also appeal to grant the German embassy observer status during the proceedings.”

Daren Nair from the NGO, Hostage Aid Worldwide stated the following:

“The Iranian regime is infamous for arbitrarily detaining foreign and dual-nationals on trumped up charges and sentencing them to prison after unfair trials with limited or no access to an independent lawyer. Nahid Taghavi is an innocent German-Iranian dual-national arbitrarily detained in Iran’s Evin Prison. She was arrested, held in solitary confinement for over 6 months with limited access to medication for her high blood pressure, no access to her lawyer and limited contact with the outside world. She has not been granted consular access even through she is a German citizen and her health has unsurprisingly deteriorated as she now suffers from diabetes which was previously kept under control. Given her severe health conditions, her life would be in imminent danger if she were to contract COVID-19. As the JCPOA renegotiations are currently taking place, Hostage Aid Worldwide calls on the German government to work with the international community to free Nahid Taghavi immediately and unconditionally.”

Key points on Nahid Taghavi:

• 66 year old German-Iranian dual national

• Arbitrarily arrested on October 16, 2020

• Held more than 6 months in solitary confinement

• No access to lawyer


Regarding Nahid Taghavi, 66 year old innocent German citizen arbitrarily detained in Iran since 16 October 2020.

The trial of Nahid Taghavi will begin on April 28, 2021 – Nahid’s lawyer is still being denied access to her case files.

For the first time after more than six months of pre-trial detention, Nahid Taghavi was brought before the judge on April 13, 2021. The trial begins on April 28, 2021 before Revolutionary Court branch 26 in Tehran. Nahid Taghavi's lawyer has so far been denied access to her case files, despite the fact that he has been granted power of attorney. It is unclear whether and when access will be approved. It is also unknown whether Nahid Taghavi can see her lawyer before the trial begins therefore a fair preparation process for her trial is not guaranteed.

Nahid Taghavi was relocated to Isolation Wing 2-A of Evin Prison on April 5, 2021 under the pretext of a visit to the doctor. Since then, she has been in solitary confinement in the high-security department. Her health, which was already in a severe condition, has since deteriorated.

The spokesman for the board of the International Society for Human Rights, Martin Lessenthin, explains:

“The German citizen Nahid Taghavi is innocent. She has no chance to get a fair trial. Her lawyers have no access to the files. She is a victim of political hostage-taking and the arbitrary judicial system of Iran. Her isolation and the other conditions of her detention are torture. German government must publicly address this.”

The Cologne Bundestag-member Heribert Hirte, who has taken on political sponsorship of Nahid Taghavi, says:

“The proceedings endanger the effective legal protection of Nahid Taghavi, a standard recognized worldwide according to the ICCPR [International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]. Your lawyer has no access to the files and so has not yet been able to provide trustworthy legal assistance Still, neither Ms. Taghavi nor her lawyer know the exact grounds of the indictment. My request to the Iranian side is to respect Ms. Taghavi's rights. I also appeal to grant the German embassy observer status during the proceedings.”

Daren Nair from the NGO, Hostage Aid Worldwide stated the following:

“The Iranian regime is infamous for arbitrarily detaining foreign and dual-nationals on trumped up charges and sentencing them to prison after unfair trials with limited or no access to an independent lawyer. Nahid Taghavi is an innocent German-Iranian dual-national arbitrarily detained in Iran’s Evin Prison. She was arrested, held in solitary confinement for over 6 months with limited access to medication for her high blood pressure, no access to her lawyer and limited contact with the outside world. She has not been granted consular access even through she is a German citizen and her health has unsurprisingly deteriorated as she now suffers from diabetes which was previously kept under control. Given her severe health conditions, her life would be in imminent danger if she were to contract COVID-19. As the JCPOA renegotiations are currently taking place, Hostage Aid Worldwide calls on the German government to work with the international community to free Nahid Taghavi immediately and unconditionally.”

Key points on Nahid Taghavi:

• 66 year old German-Iranian dual national

• Arbitrarily arrested on October 16, 2020

• Held more than 6 months in solitary confinement

• No access to lawyer

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