International Liberty Association – New case against an imprisoned writer.

International Liberty Association: On Tuesday, 30 June 2021, Bektash Abtin, an imprisoned member of the Writers’ Association of Iran, was summoned for interrogation by Branch 4 of Evin’s Prosecutor Office. The new case against Mr Abtin is made in connection with the publication of ILA: news of his Covid infection in prison. Mr Abtin is serving a six-year sentence in Evin Prison since last October.  The new case was opened against him when he discussed the news of his coronavirus infection in April, during a phone conversation with a relative who then publicised the news. Mr Abtin was admitted to the prison clinic on 4 April 2021, after a positive coronavirus  test. But after four days he was returned from the medical unit of the prison to the public ward under pressure from Evin Prison authorities. On Friday, 9 April, 337 writers, poets and independent art and culture experts issued a statement expressing concern about the coronavirus outbreak in Evin Prison and Baktash Abtin’s Covid infection, calling for his release and the release of other writers and cultural activists in the ward. Mr Abtin was convicted in an unfair trial for trumped up charge of “propaganda against the regime” and “association with the aim of acting against national security”, in May 2019 and sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment and began serving his sentence in October 2020.