Iran Opens Doors of Feared Evin Prison

Haleh Esfandiari, 67, director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Middle East Program, speaks to the news media in Washington on Monday, Sept. 10, 2007, about her incarceration in Tehran's Evin prison on allegations of endangering Iranian national security. She spent more than 100 days in prison before she was released on bail, and was finally allowed to leave the country on Sept. 2. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (Jacquelyn Martin - AP)

"We look forward to the moment when this distinguished scholar will actually leave prison and be reunited with his family," Soros' spokeswoman Laura Silber told The Associated Press by telephone.

Scholar Haleh Esfandiari, 67, was released in August after 105 days of being held at Evin. She returned to her home in suburban Potomac, Md. last week and told reporters Monday that she was never physically mistreated and her jailers were polite and made her life tolerable by bringing her English-language books from Tajbakhsh.

Journalist Parnaz Azima has been prevented from leaving the country but was recently given her passport back and said she would leave Iran in the near future.

Ali Shakeri, a founding board member of the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding at the University of California, Irvine, also is reportedly being held at Evin, but media did not see him during the visit and officials have not described his release as imminent.

The facility, with about 2,500 inmates, is large with roads between the numerous buildings.

One of the blocks was for people detained on suspicion of "security crimes" _ a broad category that includes dissidents _ another was a women's facility, while others held people imprisoned for fraud, manslaughter or other crimes.

Outside one of the blocks was a swimming pool, where about a dozen inmates were taking a dip. Officials said up to 50 at a time can swim for an hour. In a large communal kitchen, inmates were cooking their lunches.

Jamshidi, the judiciary spokesman, said inmates are no longer required to wear prison uniforms.

"Respecting the character of inmates is a right we can't violate. Abandoning prison uniforms is one of many decisions in line with improving our standards," Jamshidi told reporters.

Babak Dadbaksh, halfway through a 10-year sentence for security crimes, said he had weekly private meetings with his wife inside Evin and was free to call outside day and night. His only complaint was high prices for extra food that prisoners can buy beyond daily rations.

"We have free access to telephone, bath, shower, television, swimming pool ... conditions are really fine, but we have to pay a lot for vegetables and additional food," said Dadbaksh, who would not elaborate on the security crimes he was convicted of.

Elsewhere, officials showed journalists a block with dozens of rooms where inmates can spend up to 24 hours once a week with spouses. Most were locked from the inside, though one was open, showing a bed, television and bathroom.