Sayed Ziaoddin Nabavi (; born 21 December 1983), also known as Zia Nabavi, is an Iranian student activist. He previously served nine years of a 10-year sentence on charges of "creating unease in the public mind" before being released in February 2018.

Student activism

Nabavi studied engineering at Noshirvani University of Technology in Babol, where he served on its Central Council of the Islamic Association. In 2007, he was permanently banned from university study for his political activities. Along with other banned students, he formed the Council to Defend the Right to Education to defend their rights to continue attending university. In June 2009, Nabavi attended one of the "Green Revolution" protests, which disputed the

reelection The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...

of President

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ( fa, محمود احمدی‌نژاد, Mahmūd Ahmadīnežād ), born Mahmoud Sabbaghian ( fa, محمود صباغیان, Mahmoud Sabbāghyān, 28 October 1956),

over opposition candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. Shortly after, he was arrested at his home along with his cousin , Atefeh Nabavi. He was initially charged with “gathering and colluding against national security”; “propaganda against the system”; “disturbing public order”; and “ moharebeh” (enmity against God), as well as accused with being a member of the

People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), also known as Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) or Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) ( fa, سازمان مجاهدين خلق ايران, sâzmân-e mojâhedīn-e khalq-e īrân), is an Iranian pol ...

, a banned militant group. The charges were later reduced to "creating unease in the public mind", and he was given a sentence of 15 years in prison and 74

lashes Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging has been imposed on ...

. In May 2010, a successful appeal reduced his sentence to ten years.

Imprisonment

Following his trial, Nabavi began serving his sentence at Tehran's Evin Prison along with numerous other student protesters, including

Majid Tavakoli Majid Tavakoli ( fa, مجید توکلی ; born 1986) is an Iranian student leader, human rights activist and political prisoner. He used to be a member of the Islamic Students' Association at Tehran's Amirkabir University of Technology, where h ...

and

Kouhyar Goudarzi Kouhyar Goudarzi ( fa, کوهیار گودرزی) is an Iranian human rights activist, journalist and blogger who was imprisoned several times by the government of Iran. He previously served as an editor oRadio Zamane He is a member oCommittee of ...

. The

International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran The Center for Human Rights in Iran (formerly the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran; ICHRI) is an American non-government organization that aims to promote human rights in Iran. The group started in late 2007 when several human right ...

published a letter from Nabavi in February 2010 in which he stated that he had been held for 100 days of solitary confinement and "subjected to physical and psychological torture". In July and August 2010, he joined sixteen other prisoners in a hunger strike to protest Evin's conditions after their families were allegedly assaulted by guards during a visiting day on 26 July. By February 2011, he had been moved to Karoun Prison in Ahvaz, but on 24 February was abruptly withdrawn from the prison, causing

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

to issue an "Urgent Action" that he was at risk for torture.

has declared Nabavi a prisoner of conscience and called for his unconditional release. Human Rights Watch called on the Iranian government "to release the dozens of students who remain in prison on baseless charges, and allow back into the classroom the hundreds of others who are being deprived of their education for political and religious reasons."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nabavi, Sayed 1983 births Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Iran Iranian activists Iranian prisoners and detainees Living people