UPDATE: (14 April 2009) Ali Nejati was released from Dezful Prison on 14 April 2009 after a guarantor secured his bail amount.

(23 March 2009) Ali Nejati is a leading union activist of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Factory Trade Union who was detained at his home on 8 March. Intelligence Ministry agents failed to provide a detention order but continued to search Nejati’s home and confiscate documents related to the trade union. There were no charges filed against him and no official notice given on where he was taken.

There are serious concerns for Nejati’s health and the risk or torture and ill-treatment. He is being held in incommunicado detention, even his wife has been unable to see or speak to him.

On Thursday, 12 March, a judge at Shoush Revolutionary Court issued a temporary detention order. On the same day, Judiciary officials told Nejati’s wife that he has been transferred to the prison in Dezful, a nearby city.

As Nejati’s wife attempted to visit him at Dezful prison, she witnessed his transfer out of that prison in a car. Since then, Nejati’s family has had no information about his whereabouts. When Nejati’s wife requested information from Shoush Revolutionary Court, the authorities told her that the judge who issued the order had left to celebrate the New Year and would not return until 4 April.