Parastoo Dokouhaki in "temporary" detention

Judicial authorities at Evin prison say Parastoo Dokouhaki will remain in detention while investigations continue.

Sources close to the journalist's family have told the Campaign to Free Parastoo and Marzieh that the order for "temporary detention" has been issued by the Judge in charge of the case. According to this report, Parastoo's family met the Deputy Prosecutor on Monday who referred their request to see the Judge to judicial authorities based at Evin prison. Once there, however, they were denied access to the Judge despite holding the official letter from the Deputy Public Prosecutor, being told, instead, that there's no case for access to the Judge as their daughter is in "temporary detention" pending further investigations.

This latest development is a major source of concern as "temporary detention" in judicial terminology of the Islamic Republic no less than often means "indefinite detention". People have been held before for long periods before trial and without recourse to due legal process.

Parastoo Dokouhaki was arrested on 15 January at her home. Two days later, her friend, another journalist, Marzieh Rasouli, was arrested in a similar fashion at her place. Marzieh's family are gravely concerned about their daughter as - unlike Parastoo - she has not made any phone calls since the day after her arrest.