Iranian engineer victim of injustice in a big prison called Madrid

An Iranian engineer, arrested in Spain in 2011 for alleged violation of UN embargos against Iran by purchasing a helicopter, says he feels incarcerated in a “big prison” in Madrid due to the European country’s unjust treatment.

The Spanish court handling Alireza Valadkhani’s case has postponed until June 2013 a review of his case, meaning that he has to remain under house arrest up to that time.

“The court has adjourned until June 2013 the hearing to consider my appeal for getting back my passport,” Valadkhani, the 54-year-old managing director of Heli Kish Company which provides heliborne services to Iranian oil companies, told IRNA in Madrid on Tuesday.

“Meanwhile 21 months after the case was filed, it is not clear when it will be reviewed and the investigative judge has not decided to refer it to court for hearing, or closing the case,” he added.

Valadkhani complained about his daily life restrictions in a country like Spain because he is not holding a passport or residence permit, noting that he has been denied all social rights and services including health insurance coverage, bank account, work permit, travelling out of the capital and other basic human rights.

The Iranian businessman underscored mental and psychological problems he is suffering due to separation from his family, noting that he is shouldering the heavy financial burden of the proceedings on his own.

The officials of the Spanish company, which sold the helicopter to Valadkhani in violation of the UN embargoes, have been released without posting bail a long time ago, but Valadkhani was released from solitary confinement only after posting 500,000 euros as bail.

In a recent meeting with Iran’s Ambassador to Madrid Morteza Saffari, Spain’s Attorney General Eduardo Torres-Dulce admitted that his country’s judicial authorities have been dragging feet on handling Valadkhani’s case.