The son of Fariba Kamalabadi, one of the seven Baha’i leaders unjustly imprisoned in Iran, has spoken out in major Australian media outlets about her situation.
An article written by Vargha Taefi, a Melbourne-based investment consultant, about his mother was prominently displayed on Mother’s Day, 12 May 2013, in the Melbourne newspaper The Age in both the print and online editions. It also appeared in the online edition of The Sydney Morning Herald.
Mr Taefi, 30, also gave an extensive interview on the peak time Drive program on ABC Radio 774 in Melbourne on 13 May.
The media coverage comes during an international campaign, titled “Five Years Too Many”, marking the fifth anniversary of the jailing of the seven Baha’i leaders.
Last week, the Australian Foreign Minister, Senator Bob Carr, called for the release of the seven. Australian religious representatives prayed for the leaders at a forum in NSW Parliament House on 7 May.
In his article, Mr Taefi said he missed his mother and “it still hurts”.
“But I am so proud she has lived up to her beliefs, has helped others in jail and has remained strong in her faith. On Mother’s Day I pay tribute to her.”
Asserting her innocence and rejecting the charges on which she was sentenced to a 20 year prison term in 2010, Mr Taefi described in his article the manner of her arrest and the difficult prison conditions she is enduring. He also wrote about the tribute paid to her by the American journalist Roxana Saberi, who spent time with her while a prisoner in Iran.
In the radio interview, Mr Taefi elaborated on some points in his article and described his family’s experience of persecution for their faith.
Read Mr Taefi’s article published in The Age.
Watch the video from the Australian national forum, “Five Years Too Many”.