Hamid Ghassemi-Shall, a Canadian citizen and Beach resident of Iranian descent, has been in prison in Tehran, Iran, since 2008. He was arrested, along with his brother Alborz, on charges of espionage while in Iran visiting his sick mother. Alborz later died of cancer while in jail.
Ghassemi-Shall’s wife, Antonella Mega, has led an unwavering campaign to free her husband ever since. The five-year anniversary of his arrest is fast approaching, and the details surrounding her husband’s death sentence are unsure.
“We don’t know where we are in terms of that,” she said.
On Monday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m., Mega, the Beaches chapter of Amnesty International, and Iran Action Circle are organizing an event at St. John Norway church, to raise awareness of Ghassemi-Shall’s situation. Marina Nemat, author of Prisoner of Tehran, will speak at the event. Nemat was imprisoned in Evin prison in 1982, the same prison where Ghassemi-Shall is being held.
For more information, including links to the petition to free Ghassemi-Shall, other ways to get involved and Mega’s blog, visit freehamid.org.
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