TEHRAN, Iran

Araz News: South Azerbaijani linguistic rights activist Ali Rezayi was released on May 10 after having been detained for more than three months at Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison. According to local activists, Tehran’s Revolutionary Court charged Rezayi with “assembly and collusion with the aim of endangering national security” and was temporarily released on a bail of 150 million toman (roughly $50,000).

Ali Rezayi was arrested while en route to Mehrabad Airport on April 4 to catch a flight scheduled for Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. His detention was due a conscious effort by Iran domestic intelligence apparatus (Etelaat) to prevent him from participating in planned events celebrating International Mother Language Day.

Rezayi is a veteran activist in the “Azerbaijani National Movement” and had routinely been threatened by intelligence agents for his work in promoting linguistic rights for Iran’s Azerbaijani minority.

Rezayi’s wife, Shiva Dadashzade, was laid off from her job at Payam Noor University after being interviewed by Voice of America about his arrest in April.

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