The following information was provided during a 3 December 1996 telephone interview with a specialist of Iran in England.

The source was unaware of whether this prison currently holds political prisoners. The source added that the Ghast prison was used for the detention of political prisoners in the 1980s.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Specialist on Iran, England. 3 December 1996. Telephone interview.

Three oral sources did not have information on this subject.

On-Line search of newspapers in the Lexis-Nexis database.

Arabies [Paris]. Bi-monthly. 1994-1996.

The Middle East [London]. Monthly. 1994-1996

Middle East International [London/New York]. Bi-monthly. 1994-1996

Monde arabe Maghreb-Machrek [Paris]. Quarterly. 1994-1996

Middle East Report [Washington]. Bi-monthly. 1996.

News From Middle East Watch [New York]. monthly. 1994-1996

Mideast Mirror [London]. Daily. 1996.

The Jerusalem Report [Jerusalem]. Various dates.

The Lebanon Report [Beirut]. Monthly. 1996.