The Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR) reported last week that incarcerated human rights activist Kouhyar Goudarzi, who has now been imprisoned for more than 200 days, was once again transferred from the public cells in Evin prison’s ward 209 to a solitary confinement cell.

Before his transfer Kouhyar Goudarzi was reportedly being held with another prisoner in a 10-meter cell. Ward 209 is comprised of very small cells referred to as “suites”. Kouhyar Goudarzi’s cellmate was also recently transferred to another location.

After Ministry of Intelligence agents detained Kouhyar Goudarzi on July 31, 2011, there was no news of his condition or his whereabouts- and he was kept behind bars incommunicado without the right to contact his family- for three months. During this time, Kouhyar Goudarzi endured 60 of the days in solitary confinement.

During his court hearing held on January 17th, Judge Pir-Abassi, presiding over branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, charged Kouhyar Goudarzi with “Propaganda against the regime” and “Gathering and colluding against the regime”.

As he awaits his sentencing, Kouhyar Goudarzi has also objected to his continued incarceration in ward 209 and has requested to be moved to the public ward of the prison.

Kouhyar Goudarzi is held in ward 209 even though his interrogation sessions ended a while ago. [A prisoner is supposed to be transferred to the general ward after the interrogation sessions end]. It seems that the sole reason Kouhyar Goudarzi remains in this ward is so the officials can continue to harass, intimidate, and pressure him.

Kouhyar Goudarzi, a member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR), was first arrested on December 20, 2009 and sentenced to one year in prison. He was released in December 2010 after completing his sentence.

His mother Parvin Mokhtare was arrested on August 1, 2011, one day after Kouhyar Goudarzi was detained. She is held in Kerman prison. She awaits the Appeals Court’s ruling on her [approximately two-year] prison sentence.