Emaddedin Baghi is the President of the Committee for Defending Prisoners’ Rights. He has been editor-in-chief, and a writer for eight newspapers all of which have been banned. He has served a jail sentence, been fined and is currently banned from working for a period of 1 year. He has a long track record in defending the rights of prisoners, and shedding light on the legal shortcomings regarding the treatment of detainees.

In his May 17, 2007 article, Mr.Baghi criticizes Kayhan newspaper’s unjustified attack on Haleh Esfandiari. Below are extracts from the article posted on roozonline and his own website.

“How can you [Kayhan newspaper] accuse and condemn someone as a Mossad spy when there has been no case brought against her nor any investigations conducted yet?

… Kayhan is trying to limit human rights and civil society activities. The newspaper is a mouthpiece for hardliners in the regime…Given that Dr Esfandiari has not been prosecuted yet, how can this newspaper, the regime’s mouthpiece, claim that she is guilty?

We have always stated that when you are investigating an individual and interrogating them, a lawyer must be present. If there is no lawyer, even if the accused confesses guilt, that confession holds no weight.…Dr.Esfandiari is an Iranian citizen and as such, she has the right to a lawyer…Unfortunately, she has not had access to a lawyer yet, and we are worried about this situation…

All the claims made against Dr.Esfandiari by Kayhan are fabricated. Dr. Esfandiari’s husband, Dr. Bakhash has denied all the charges specifically and accurately. It is clear that there is no basis. For example, Kayhan says she was working for Mossad in the “Ayandegan’ newspaper in the past. In reality, Dr. Esfandiari was not in Iran during the stated time.

Kayhan claims that I, Emmadeddin Baghi also have an affiliation with Dr. Esfandiari organization, the Woodrow Wilson Center – but I had never heard the name of that Center, nor is there any indication of my involvement with them anywhere on their website. The only reference to me is an invitation to attend a conference at Stanford, California, which I did not even attend. This is all proof of the falsity of the allegations made by Kayhan.

We accept that we should confront a person who received funding from the United States with the specific intent to create instability in Iran, but Dr. Esfaniaris’ case appears to be more about settling political scores and retaliation than anything else. For example, before Dr. E was arrested, she was attacked and her documents and belongings were stolen. Similar incidences have occurred for me and my friends. All these actions are attempts to quash human rights activities and civil society institutions. In our efforts to defend these efforts, the regime is trying to claim that organizations such as mine are affiliated with Israel and Mossad.

Dr. Esfandiari has been traveling back and forth to Iran for years because of her love of this country. Why is it that they attack her now?… I have never met Dr. Esfandiari, but she is renowned for being a very moderate person who would never compromise Iran’s national interest.”