Iranian University Student Jailed For Carrying Working Tools In Car

Farzad Marzbani, 24, studied mechanics at Tehran’s Payam Noor University and worked in a company with one of his professors until he was taken into custody three months ago.

Marzbani was stopped at a police checkpoint on September 28 while he was carrying his working equipment and tools in the trunk of his car.

He was sentenced to three years in prison for allegedly "acting against national security" and is now waiting for his appeal to be heard.

Marzbani’s relatives have been under pressure from security forces to not talk about the young man’s fate, but a person close to the family decided to tell his story to IranWire. 

"Farzad had gone to a language school to register for a German class. On his way back, he picked up classmates to take them to their desired destinations. He dropped off the last person in Yousefabad neighborhood and continued his way, but police manning a checkpoint in Jihad Square stooped his car at around 8:00 p.m.," the source said.

“He called his parents so they wouldn't worry if he came back home late. He also gave his family the location of the checkpoint. But after that, calls to his phone went unanswered.”

The next day, police told the family that Marzbani was taken to a Fateb Unit station, where they were informed that he will be transferred to the Greater Tehran prison.

After five days, Marzbani called the family from the prison and said he was going through continuous and difficult interrogations.

"Farzad's field of study and job are both related to mechanics, and it’s normal if he has his working equipment in the car. After inspecting his car at the Jihad Square checkpoint, they arrested him with petrol and metal tools related to CNC (Computerized Numerical Control), lasers and lathes," the source said.

CNC is the automated control of machining tools by means of a computer.

In custody, interrogators “repeatedly asked him where he was trained and what group he was connected to,” the source said.

“He has been under pressure to reveal the identity of people he didn’t know."

"Farzad has a very calm and introverted personality. He is a responsible and sensitive young man who lives alone with his parents after his older brother got married.”