Saleh Nikbakht, lawyer for jailed Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, has been refused access to his client, who continues to be held without charge by Iranian authorities.
“I have tried six times to meet with [Maziar] but I failed,” said Nikbakht, who is also defending several other prominent activists and politicians who are being held in the aftermath of last month’s disputed presidential election. “The only contacts between Mr Bahari and his family were two two-minute long telephone conversations.”
The last phone call was believed to have taken place on 12 July. The Iranian judiciary has not commented on the matter.
On 15 July, over 100 of the world’s leading journalists sent a letter to Iran’s Justice Ministry requesting the release of Maziar Bahari. The petition was co-ordinated by Index on Censorship, Committee to Protect Journalists and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression