Archive – Human Rights Reports

MOHAMMAD ALI TAHERI SENTENCED TO DEATH

Mohammad Ali Taheri has been sentenced to death in Iran for “spreading corruption on earth” through his spiritual beliefs and teachings. He is a prisoner of conscience.
URGENT ACTION
August 10, 2015

Mohammad Ali Taheri received a death sentence on 1 August for “spreading corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel arz) by establishing a new spiritual group called Erfan-e Halgheh. He had been tried before Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in two sessions, on 11 March and 29 April. He has until 20 August to appeal, which he intends to do.

Amnesty International understands that Mohammad Ali Taheri’s death sentence for the charge of “spreading corruption on earth” is based on the same spiritual teachings and practices which were relied upon in October 2011 to convict him of several offences, including “insulting Islamic sanctities”, and sentence him to five years’ imprisonment, 74 lashes and a fine of nine billion rials (US$300,000). Mohammad Ali Taheri has been since serving this prison sentence in solitary confinement in Section 2A of Tehran’s Evin Prison, which is run by the Revolutionary Guards. Amnesty International is concerned that the death sentence for the charge of “spreading corruption on earth” has come as a result of pressure from the Revolutionary Guards, which raises alarms about the judiciary’s independence and impartiality in Iran.

Please write immediately in English, Persian, French, Spanish or your own language:

Expressing concern that Mohammad Ali Taheri has been sentenced to death for his religious teachings, and pointing out that under international human rights law, the death penalty may only be used for “the most serious crimes”, which international standards limit to crimes involving intentional killing;
Calling on them to quash the death sentence and release Mohammad Ali Taheri immediately and unconditionally, as he is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of belief, expression and association;
Calling on them to ensure that pending his release, Mohammad Ali Taheri is not held in solitary confinement, as prolonged solitary confinement violates the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 21 SEPTEMBER 2015 TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: (via website http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php? p=letter
Twitter: @khamenei_ir,
@Khamenei_ar (Arabic),
@Khamenei_es (Spanish).
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
c/o Public Relations Office
Number 4, 2 Azizi Street intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
(Subject line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani)
Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Hassan Rouhani
The Presidency
Pasteur Street, Pasteur Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: media@rouhani.ir
Twitter: @HassanRouhani (English) and @Rouhani_ir (Persian)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
Additional Information

Mohammad Ali Taheri has undertaken 12 hunger strikes and attempted suicide four times in protest at his prolonged solitary confinement, lack of access to his family and lawyer and repeated threats to kill him and his wife and children. After Mohamm ad Ali Taheri’s 12th hunger strike, from 6 to 26 December 2014, the authorities granted him access to a lawyer of his own choosing. He has since been allowed access to his lawyer and weekly meetings with his wife.

The Iranian authorities and state-associated media, including news agencies Fars, Raja and Adyan, have several times declared Mohammad Ali Taheri guilty of “spreading corruption on earth” before his trial, disregarding the presumption of innocence which is a fundamental part of the right to fair trial. Iran’s National Prosecutor General, Hojjat al-Eslam Ebrahim Raisi, referred to Mohammad Ali Taheri as a “Corrupter on Earth” (mofsed fel arz) on 21 November 2014, while denying press reports that he had visited Mohammad Ali Taheri while he was in hospital as a result of another hunger strike. In August 2011, Channel Two of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting aired Mohammad Ali Taheri’s televised “confessions” in which he denounced his own teachings and called on his followers to refrain from disseminating his audio and written materials.

The Human Rights Committee, which monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party, stated in its General Comment 20 that prolonged solitary confinement may violate the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment, which is prohibited by Article 7 of the ICCPR. Mohammad Ali Taheri has spent over four years in solitary confinement in Tehran’s Evin Prison – since his 4 May 2011 arrest.

Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a party, protects “the right to free dom of thought, conscience and religion”. This right includes freedom to have or adopt a belief of one’s choice. It als o includes freedom to manifest the belief in observance, practice and teaching, either individually or in community with others in public or pri vate.

Mohammad Ali Taheri introduced the spiritual doctrine of Erfan-e Halgheh after 13 years of receiving what he claims were “spiritual inspirations” that empowered him to connect with a larger “Cosmic Consciousness”. He lawfully opened a cultural an d educational institute, also called Erfan-e Halgheh, in Tehran in 2006 to develop and disseminate his newly found s piritual beliefs, and practice them with his followers, in “healing sessions” apparently focused on alternative non -medicinal treatments. The three offices of the institute in Tehran were shut down in August 2010: Mohammad Ali Taheri had been arrested on 1 8 April 2010 and detained for over two months. According to the state-sponsored Fars News Agency, at least 30 Erfan-e Halgheh teachers have received prison sentences ranging from one to five years for “insulting Islamic sanctities”.

Name: Mohammad Ali Taheri
Gender: m

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RIGHTS DEFENDER DENIED URGENT MEDICAL CARE

Iranian human rights defender Narges Mohammadi, imprisoned since 5 May, was taken to hospital on 1 August suffering from partial paralysis. She is being denied the specialized treatment she needs, and is facing charges based on her human rights activities. She is a prisoner of conscience.
URGENT ACTION
August 5, 2015

Narges Mohammadiwas taken from Tehran’s Evin Prison to the city’s Taleghani Hospital on 1 August, she had suffered partial paralysis for eight hours that day. Doctors at the hospital advised her that she needed to be examined by a specialist in order to be treated. Despite this medical recommendation, she was returned to Evin Prison the next day without receiving specialized care.

Narges Mohammadi’s husband, Taghi Rahmani, a refugee in Paris, France, has said that Narges Mohammadi was also taken to hospital on 27 July after complaining of lung pains. He said the doctor advised that Narges Mohammadi needed to be hospitalized for treatment of a possible pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in her lungs), but she was returned to prison without receiving adequate care. The next day, prison officials refused to take her to an appointment with a neurologist for her medical history of partial paralysis.

As well as being denied the medical care she requires, Narges Mohammadi is not allowed to make phone calls to her children, eight-year old twins who recently moved abroad to live with their father as they had no caregiver in Iran.

Please write immediately in Persian, English, Spanish, French or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities to release Narges Mohammadi immediately and unconditionally, as she is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for her peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly;
Ensuring that Narges Mohammadi is immediately granted access to specialised medical care for her condition outside the prison;
Urging them to allow her regular visits and phone calls from her family, including her children, and lawyer, and ensure she is protected from torture and other ill-treatment, which the denial of medical care can amount to

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 16 September 2015 TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: (via website http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php? p=letter
Twitter: @khamenei_ir,
@Khamenei_ar (Arabic),
@Khamenei_es (Spanish).
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
c/o Public Relations Office
Number 4, 2 Azizi Street intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:
Prosecutor General of Tehran
Abbas Ja’fari Dolat Abadi
Tehran Gneral and Revolutionary
Prosecutution Office
Corner (Nabsh-e) of 15 Khordad Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
Additional Information

Narges Mohammadi was arrested at home on the morning of 5 May 2015 and taken to Evin Prison. Two days earlier, she had appeared at the first session of her trial before Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on national-security-related charges, including “spreading propaganda against the system” and “assembly and collus ion against national security.” Before her arrest, Narges Mohammadi told Amnesty International that the charges stem med solely from her peaceful human rights activism. She said that this included giving media interviews; gatherings outside prisons before executions to support the families of death row prisoners; her connections with other human rights defenders, such as Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi; and her March 2014 meeting with Catherine Ashton, the then European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Narges Mohammadi also faces the charge of “membership of an illegal organization whose aim is to harm national security” because she founded Step by Step to Stop Death Penalty, a group campaigning against the death penalty in Iran. Narges Mohammadi’s lawyers were not allowed to see her casefile before the start of her trial.

Narges Mohammadi had been previouslyimprisoned in April 2012 and released three months later, after being granted leave from prison to obtain medical treatment for a health condition which caused partial paralysis, which was exacerbated by her imprisonment. Narges Mohammadi has also suffered from seizures and temporary loss of vision. Until her recent arrest she has remained mostly at liberty. It is unclear whether her arrest is related to her previous case or only to her current charges.

In July 2015, Narges Mohammadi wrote a lengthy open letter from Evin Prison to the Public Prosecutor of Tehran, in which she said: “And I, a mother in pain who is tired of hurt and suffering, has stayed behind. My heart has been torn into hundreds of pieces. My hands – without even trying – face the sky. Dear God, please take my hands and give me the patience I need. For a long time, I won’t be able to see their [her children’s]innocent faces. I won’t be able to hear their voices. I won’t be able to smell them while holding them in my arms. Oh God, my arms feels so cold and empty without the presence of my children. My hands move towards my chest which feels as if it’s on fire. My cheekbones burn from the tears that run down my face. The lava flowi ng from my eyes feels like fire from the depths of my heart.” See https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2015/08/nargesmohammadi-tearing-my-heart-to-pieces-iran/for more information.

The Iranian authorities frequently transfer prisoners in need of medical care to hospital, but Amnesty International understa nds that prisoners are not always provided with actual medical care and instead are simply returned to prison. Whether done on purpose or by neglect, failing to provide adequate medical care to vulnerable prisoners is a breach of Iran’s international human rights obligations. The denial of medical treatment may amount to a violation of the absolute prohibition against torture and other ill-treatment, provided in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a party. Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which Iran is also a state party, recognizes the right of all persons to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners also state that prisoners who require specialized treatment must be transferred to specialized institutions or to civil hospitals. Prison medical facilities must be adequately equipped and staffed to provide appropriate medical care and treatment to prisoners.

Iran’s own prison regulations are also routinely flouted by prison and judicial officials. The regulations governing the administration of Iranian prisons stipulate that a prisoner suffering from a serious medical condition that cannot be treated inside prison, or whose condition will worsen if they stay in prison, should be granted medical leave in order to receive treatment.

Name: Narges Mohammadi

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SENTENCED TO YEARS IN PRISON FOR HER ART

Iranian prisoner of conscience Atena Farghadani has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for her art and peaceful activism. She now has 20 days to appeal.
URGENT ACTION
June 3, 2015

Atena Farghadani, a 29-year-old painter and activist, was sentenced on 1 June to 12 years and nine months in prison, on charges of “gathering and colluding against national security”, “insulting members of parliament through paintings”, “spreading propaganda against the system”, “insulting the President” and “insulting the Iranian Supreme Leader”. The charges stem from her peaceful activities, including her association with families of political prisoners, her anti-government posts on Facebook and her artwork. She held an art exhibition in memory of those killed in the crackdown that followed the contested 2009 presidential election, and drew a cartoon that satirized parliament’s efforts to pass a bill that criminalizes voluntary sterilization and restricts access to contraception and family planning services.

Atena Farghadani’s sentence follows an unfair trial before Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran that lasted less than half a day. It relied on evidence from lengthy interrogations that had been conducted when Atena Farghadani was held in solitary confinement in Section 2A of Evin Prison, without access to her family or lawyer. If her appeal is rejected, she will serve seven-and-a-half years in jail on the most serious charge, “gathering and colluding against national security”. This is under new sentencing guidelines in Iran’s 2013 Penal Code which stipulate that those convicted of multiple charges must just serve the lengthiest single sentence.

Please write immediately in Persian, English, Spanish, French or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities to release Atena Farghadani immediately and unconditionally, as she is a prisoner of conscience held solely for the peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression and association;
Urging them to ensure that her conviction and sentence are quashed;
Reminding them that Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is state party, protects the right to freedom of expression, which includes artistic activities.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 15 JULY 2015 TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: (via website http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php? p=letter
Twitter: @khamenei_ir,
@Khamenei_ar (Arabic),
@Khamenei_es (Spanish).
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
c/o Public Relations Office
Number 4, 2 Azizi Street intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
Additional Information

Atena Farghadani had first been arrested on 23 August 2014 at her house in Tehran when she was returning from a hospital visit for a hand injury. She was then held in Section 2A of Tehran’s Evin Prison, which is under the control of the Revolutionary Guards, for almost two months, including 15 days in solitary confinement, without access to her family or a lawyer. She was released on bail on 6 November. In a media interview in December, Atena Farghadani said that she had been interrogated for nine hours every day for a month and a half after her arrest.

She was rearrested on 10 January 2015 after she was summoned to a Revolutionary Court, possibly in reprisal for a video message she had published after her release, in which she explained how female prison guards had beaten her and subjected her to degrading body searches and other ill-treatment. According to her parents in media interviews, Atena Farghadani was subjected to beatings in the courtroom before being transferred to Gharchak Prison, in the city of Varamin, which does not have a section for political prisoners and where conditions are extremely poor.

Atena Farghadani started a “wet” hunger strike (taking water but not food) on 9 February in protest at her continued detention in Gharchak Prison. She apparently suffered a heart attack on 25 February and briefly lost consciousness as a result of her hunger strike. She was hospitalized outside prison and ended her strike. On 3 March, she was transferred from hospital to Section 2A of Evin Prison, where she spent another 11 weeks in solitary confinement. Since the issuance of her sentence on 1 June, she has been transferred to the General Ward of Evin Prison.

Atena Farghadani released a video message on YouTube on 28 December 2014 in which she described how she was ill-treated in prison. In this video, she said that during her detention, in order to be able to paint, she flattened and used the paper cups in which she was given milk. However, the prison guards confiscated her paintings and stopped giving her paper cups after they discovered that she had been doing this. As a result, on 17 October she hid in her clothes a couple of paper cups that she had found in the bathroom and took them to her cell. According to the video message, female prison guards went to her cell and asked her to strip naked for a body search while swearing and using insulting language. When she resisted the search, she said in her video message that the guards subjected her to beatings which resulted in her sustaining a bruised wrist and scratches on her chest. She said that the guards had learned about her taking the cups because they had installed cameras in the toilet and bathroom facilities. The prison officials had apparently told the detainees that the cameras were not operating. Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a party, provides that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. Detention is considered arbitrary when a person is deprived of their liberty because they have exercised the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the ICCPR. Detention may also become arbitrary as a result of violation of the detainee’s fair trial rights, including the rights to access legal counsel before trial, to be brought promptly before a judge, to challenge the lawfulness of detention and to have adequate time and facilities to prepare a defence. There is a presumption of release pending trial and detainees are entitled to compensation if they are held unlawfully.

Name: Atena Farghadani

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Iran: PRISON FOR anti-DEATH PENALTY activist

Anti-death penalty activist Atena Daemi has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for her peaceful activism. She has been held in Tehran’s Evin Prison since October 2014, when she was arrested. She is a prisoner of conscience. URGENT ACTION
June 4, 2015

Atena Daemi, a 27-year-old anti-death penalty and civil society activist, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on 12 May by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran after a grossly unfair trial. The trial apparently lasted no more than 15 minutes and took place at the same time as the trial of three others. She was convicted of “gathering and colluding against national security”, “spreading propaganda against the system”, “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Supreme Leader” and concealing evidence.

The charges stem from her criticism on Facebook and Twitter of executions and human rights violations in Iran, as well as her participation in gatherings outside prison in solidarity with families of death row prisoners, distribution of anti-death penalty pamphlets and her association with human rights defenders and the families of those killed during the crackdown that followed the 2009 election.

Atena Daemi had been arrested in October 2014, and spent 58 days in solitary confinement. She was then transferred to a cell shared with another person, but had no access to a lawyer.

Since being detained, Atena Daemi has been experiencing weakness in her hands and feet, and spells of blurred vision. The authorities refused her family’s request to grant her leave to receive specialized medical care outside prison, linking her medical symptoms to stress-related heart palpitations which can be treated in prison with anti-anxiety and sedative drugs.

Please write immediately in Persian, English, Spanish, French or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities to release Atena Daemi immediately and unconditionally as she is a prisoner of conscience held solely for the peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly
Calling on them to ensure that Atena Daemi receives any medical attention she may require;
Reminding them that Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party, protect the right to freedom of expression, association, and assembly.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 16 JULY 2015 TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: (via website http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php? p=letter
Twitter: @khamenei_ir,
@Khamenei_ar (Arabic),
@Khamenei_es (Spanish).
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
c/o Public Relations Office
Number 4, 2 Azizi Street intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
Additional Information

Atena Daemi was arrested by nine members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on 21 October 2014 and transferred to Section 2A of Evin Prison. For the first 20 days, Atena Daemi said she was held in a cell that was infested with insects and had no toilet facilities. She said her interrogators offered to grant her easier access to the toilet in exchange for her “co-operation”. She was interrogated on numerous occasions over a period of 58 days, often for several hours at a time. During these lengthy interrogations, she had to sit blindfolded, facing a wall.

The charge of “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Supreme Leader” appears to relate to Facebook posts where Atena Daemi made a pun on a famous statement by Ayatollah Khomeini in order to condemn Iran’s execution record over the past three decades, and another where she said his successor, Ayatollah Khamenei, was widely regarded by Iranians as a dictator. The charge of “concealing evidence” appears to relate to her failure to provide her interrogator with details of an activist friend’s Facebook and email accounts.

If the sentence is upheld on appeal, she will serve seven-and-a-half years in jail on the most serious charge of “gathering and colluding against national security”. This is under new sentencing guidelines in Iran’s 2013 Penal Code which stipulate that those convicted of multiple charges must serve the lengthiest single sentence.

Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran a state party, protect the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association. Article 19 states that “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice”. Article 21 states that “The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized” and Article 22 grants that “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others”.

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Iran: RELEASE JAILED IRANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

Iranian human rights defender Narges Mohammadi was arrested on 5 May. She is on trial for charges stemming from her human rights activities. She is a prisoner of conscience.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL- URGENT ACTION
MAY 7, 2015

Human rights defender Narges Mohammadi, was arrested at her home on the morning of 5 May after security forces threatened to break down her front door if she did not open it. She was subsequently taken to Tehran’s Evin Prison. Two days before her arrest, she appeared at the first session of her trial before Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on national security-related charges, including “spreading propaganda against the system” and “assembly and collusion against national security.” Before her arrest, Narges Mohammadi told Amnesty International that the charges against her stem solely from her peaceful human rights activism. She stated that this included giving media interviews; gathering outside prisons prior to executions to support the families of death row prisoners; her connections with other human rights activists, such as Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi; and her March 2014 meeting with Catherine Ashton, the then EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Narges Mohammadi’s lawyers were not allowed to see her casefile before the start of her trial.

Narges Mohammadi also faces the charge of “membership of an illegal organization whose aim is to harm national security” for her founding of Step by Step to Stop Death Penalty, a group campaigning against the death penalty in Iran.

Narges Mohammadi was previously imprisoned in April 2012 and released in July 2012 after being granted temporary medical leave to obtain medical treatment for an existing health condition, which was exacerbated by her imprisonment. Narges Mohammadi has suffered from seizures and temporary loss of vision. Until her recent arrest she has remained mostly at liberty. It is unclear whether her arrest is related to her previous case or only to her current charges.

Please write immediately in Persian, Arabic, English, or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities to release Narges Mohammadi immediately and unconditionally, as she has been held solely for the peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly;
Pending her release, calling on the authorities to allow her regular visits from her family and her lawyers, and to ensure that she receives any medical care she may require, including specialized care outside of prison.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 16 JUNE 2015 TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info_leader@leader.ir
Twitter: @khamenei_ir
Salutation: Your Excellency

During her first trial session on 3 May 2015, Narges Mohammadi’s lawyers told the judge that they were unable to defend her because they had not been given access to her casefile. They were due back in court on 5 May to study her casefile. She told Amnesty International that the judge has accused her of being against Islam because of her stand against the death penalty. In 2014, Narges Mohammadi was summoned twice to appear before Branch Two of the Prosecutor’s Office in relation to her present case, once on 8 November 2014 and earlier on 30 May 2014. When she obeyed the summons on 1 June 2014, she was briefly detained, after which she was released on a one billion Rial (US$40,000) bail.

Narges Mohammadi, who is the Executive Chairperson for the Centre for Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), was first arrested on 10 June 2010 in her home in Tehran. Her whereabouts were unknown for a number of weeks before she was released on 1 July 2010. She had been the target of harassment by the Iranian authorities because of her activism: in 2009, she was banned from leaving the country while she was on her way to attend a conference in Guatemala organized by the Nobel Women’s Initiative where she was scheduled to deliver a speech on the “Role of Women and Democracy in Iran”; she was also repeatedly summoned to a court for interrogation and told to stop her work with the CHRD and not to contact Shirin Ebadi.

Over the years, Narges Mohammadi’s work has earned her prizes for her human rights work in several countries. In July 2009, she was unable to travel to Italy to collect the International Alexander Langer Award, a human rights prize awarded by the Alexander Langer Foundation – a non-governmental organization promoting and defending civil rights. Her colleague, Shirin Ebadi collected the award on her behalf. Besides her work at the CHRD, Narges Mohammadi also co-founded its End Child Executions committee, as well as the National Peace Council, which aims to relax international tensions over Iran’s nuclear policy, and the Committee to Defend Free, Healthy and Fair Elections.

On International Women’s Day (IWD), 8 March 2014, while on a visit to Iran, the EU’s then high representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, who had been invited by Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, met with a group of women human rights defenders, including Narges Mohammadi. The meeting with women human rights defenders was criticized by the Iranian authorities, particularly conservative MPs in Iran, who made a formal complaint against the Austrian Embassy in Tehran, who had organized and hosted the meeting between Catherine Ashton and the women.

On 3 March 2015, Narges Mohammadi attended an all-night vigil at Raja’i Shahr prison in Karaj, north-west of Tehran, with the families of six men who were facing execution. The vigil was an attempt to stop the executions being carried out. Hamed Ahmadi, Jahangir Dehghani, Jamshid Dehghani, Kamal Molaee, Hadi Hosseini and Sediq Mohammadi were executed the following day. On 25 January 2015, Narges Mohammadi was briefly detained and was therefore unable to meet with Germany’s Vice-President, Claudia Roth, who was visiting Tehran that month. Upon her return to Germany, Claudia Roth told Deutsche Welle’s Persian news service: “We realized security agents were present everywhere…we were unable to meet with human rights activists”.
Name: Narges Mohammadi

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Iran: Serious health fears for artist on prison hunger strike

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL- PRESS RELEASE
MARCH 2, 2015

Iranian prisoner of conscience and artist, Atena Farghadani, could be on death’s door after being hospitalized following a hunger strike lasting three weeks. Amnesty International is urging the Iranian authorities to release her immediately and unconditionally.

According to her lawyer, the 28-year-old painter and activist was relocated from Gharchak Prison to a hospital on 26 February, after suffering a heart attack and briefly lost consciousness last week. She stopped taking any food, sugar or salt on 9 February in protest at her continued detention and ill-treatment at Gharchak Prison in Varamin, 50 km south of Tehran, where she was being held with individuals convicted of serious crimes. In hospital she has refused an intravenous drip.

“Her life is now literally in the hands of the Iranian authorities. She must receive the urgent medical care she needs, and the Iranian authorities must release her and all other prisoners of conscience immediately and unconditionally.”

She has vowed not to end her hunger strike unless the Iranian authorities agree transfer her to Evin Prison in the capital.

Atena Farghadani was arrested for a second time on 10 January 2015 after being summoned to a Revolutionary Court, possibly in reprisal for a video message that she issued after her first release describing her experience in detention. Her parents told reporters that she was subjected to beatings in the courtroom before being transferred to Gharchak Prison.

Her charges include “spreading propaganda against the system”, “insulting members of the parliament through paintings”, and “insulting the Supreme Leader”, based on her art exhibitions, critical paintings, and other peaceful activities such as meeting with families of political prisoners. Her lawyer has not yet been allowed to read her casefile.

Previous arrest

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards first arrested Atena Farghadani on 23 August 2014. They searched her house, confiscated her personal belongings and took her away, blindfolded.
She was then held for five days in solitary confinement in Section 2A of Evin Prison, which the Revolutionary Guards control, before being transferred to a cell shared with Ghoncheh Ghavami, a British-Iranian prisoner of conscience arrested for protesting women’s exclusion from volleyball. Atena Farghadani was held in solitary confinement for another 10 days after she started a hunger strike in protest at her detention.

Atena Farghadani later told media she was interrogated for nine hours every day over a period of a month and a half at Evin Prison. The interrogations revolved around meetings she had with families of those killed amid unrest after Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election, as well as a cartoon she had drawn and posted on Facebook.

The illustration, which depicted members of parliament casting a ballot, was critical of members of the parliament for considering a bill that sought to criminalize voluntary sterilization as part of a larger plan to restrict access to contraception and family planning services.

The authorities also brought the charge of “gathering and colluding with anti-revolutionary individuals and deviant sects” against Atena Farghadani for her art exhibition, named “Parandegan-e Khak” (“Birds of Earth”), which referred to those killed in the aftermath of the 2009 disputed election and was attended by relatives of political prisoners as well as members of the Baha’i community.

She had no access to a lawyer or her family throughout this time. After she went on hunger strike to protest her detention, the authorities released her on a hefty bail on 6 November.

Video testimony about ill-treatment at Evin Prison

According to a video message Atena Farghadani posted in late December following her release, female prison guards at Evin Prison had beaten her and subjected her to degrading body searches and other ill-treatment for trying to continue her painting in prison, using discarded paper cups and flowers from the exercise area.

She also said that the prison authorities had installed surveillance cameras in bathrooms at Section 2A of Evin Prison, which they used to catch her taking some of the paper cups from a rubbish bin. In her video message she said:
“The [female prison guards] were whispering…‘why does she want the cups?’ One of them was saying ‘rewind the film back’…. One of the guards opened the cell door violently…and shouted ‘take off your clothes’. I told them that what they were doing was illegal…one of the guards who swore a lot held my hands up, because I was resisting the body search… My right hand hit the wall and my wrist became swollen and bruised…I told them that I was on ‘dry’ hunger strike and that I would file a complaint. One of them told me ‘shut your mouth or I will hit you so hard that your mouth will be full of blood’.”

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Letter from UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis to President Rouhani concerning the case of Mr Saman Nasseem

18 February 2015

President Hassan Rouhani
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Tehran, Iran

VIA EMAIL: rouhani@csr.ir

18 February 2015

Dear Mr President

Subject: call for the stop of execution of Saman Naseem

I am writing on behalf of UNISON, the largest public service workers union in the UK representing 1.3 million members, to call on you to intervene to stop the imminent execution of Mr Saman Naseem.

UNISON understands that Saman Naseem suffered brutal and inhumane treatment after his arrest at the age of 17 and during his interrogation and his subsequent imprisonment and we were horrified to receive the news of his imminent execution.

We further understand that Saman, now 22 years of age, is to be executed tomorrow, on 19th February. After 97 consecutive days of torture, Saman Naseem ‘confessed’ to being a member of an opposition group and taking up arms against the state. Saman, who was kept in a 2 x 0.5 metre cell, was constantly tortured before being forced, while blindfolded, to put his fingerprints on “confession” papers.

According to Amnesty International, the level of torture was so severe that it left him unable to walk. Saman’s body was black and blue and he was hung from his hands and feet for hours. Saman did not have access to legal representation during this long period and he was denied access to his family who learned of his arrest through seeing a news item on state TV.

A confession extracted by using such torture methods against a young man, whatever his purported crimes, cannot have any value and credibility and we call upon the Iranian government to act within the norms of international law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Most urgently UNISON wish to see the death sentence imposed upon Saman Naseem withdrawn immediately.

We therefore urge you to intervene and call for a stay of execution in the case of Saman Naseem. The reputation of your country will be dealt another blow by going forward with this unjust and indefensible execution. The fate of Saman Naseem is in your hands. Please act before it is too late.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Prentis
General Secretary

c.c
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Leader info@leader.ir

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On the occasion of the Human Rights Day: “All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms.”

December 10th, 2014

Each year, on 10th December the world remembers the day in 1948 when all nations came together in Paris to sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The power and relevance of the recognition in the Declaration – that all human beings have fundamental rights and freedoms – is undiminished today. The UN General Assembly proclaimed 10th December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention ‘of the peoples of the world’ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.

This year’s slogan, Human Rights 365, encompasses the idea that every day is Human Rights Day. It celebrates the fundamental proposition in the Universal Declaration that each one of us is at all times is entitled to the full range of human rights, that human rights belong equally to each of us and bind us together as a global community with the same ideals and values.

Over the past decades, many initiatives have been taken to defend and protect human rights and to stop violations of these rights. This year the Convention against Torture reached its 30th year, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child is 25 years old. In 2015, the very first of the international agreements giving effect to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination marks its half century. Twenty one years ago, in December 1993, in a renewed effort in the protection and promotion of human rights recommended at the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna earlier that year, the United Nations General Assembly created the mandate of High Commissioner for Human Rights for the promotion and protection of all human rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is based on the simple truth that all people have the same basic rights everywhere and at all times. We all have human rights in theory; however, in practice some individuals and groups are not able to enjoy their full human rights.

The aim of the Declaration is to prevent abuse and discrimination of all kinds. Discrimination means making differentiation between people, restricting or broadening their rights because they belong to a particular race or ethnic group, manifest a certain religion, or support particular ideas. Discrimination can be and must be avoided first of all at the state and government level.

Human Rights in Iran
The track record of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been under close scrutiny for decades, as violations of human rights have continued despite the efforts of human rights activists in Iran and internationally, including CODIR’s campaigns.

In a recent interview with Al Arabiya, Shirin Ebadi, Iranian lawyer, rights activist and Nobel laureate, said that the situation in Iran “has not progressed at all” since President Hassan Rouhani took office about a year and a half ago. She said that Rouhani has not been able to deliver on his promises to address key human rights issues in the country.

Last October, Iran executed a 26-year-old woman, Reyhaneh Jabbari, for allegedly murdering her rapist, in defiance of international pressure to spare her life. The United Nations reported that around 411 people have been executed in Iran since the beginning of 2014.

While it is believed that human rights are universal, Shirin Ebadi maintains that “the government of Iran always claims that the issue of human rights in Iran is a domestic issue and not an international matter and it’s not up to other countries to talk about it.” Iran has not let any U.N. rapporteurs into the country for nine years, said Ebadi, citing the example of Ahmed Shaheed, the U.N.’s human rights rapporteur on Iran, who was repeatedly denied an entry visa to the country last month.

Following Rouhani’s inauguration, authorities in September of last year released at least a dozen human rights activists and political opposition figures but scores of others, jailed for their affiliation with banned opposition parties, labour unions and student groups remain in prison. The judiciary continues to target independent and unregistered trade unions. Opposition figures Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi have been under house arrest for more than 4 years, along with hundreds of political prisoners. Dozens of human rights defenders, including prominent lawyers such as Mohammad Seifzadeh and Abdolfattah Soltani, remain in prison on politically motivated charges. Nasrin Sotoudeh, winner of the 2012 Sakharov Prize, who was released in September 2013 just before Rouhani’s trip to New York to attend the UN General Assembly, was banned in October 2014 from practising as a lawyer for three years.

On 24th November 2014, Iran’s Supreme Court upheld a criminal court ruling sentencing Soheil Arabi to be hanged. The court transferred his file to the judiciary’s implementation unit, opening the way for his execution. A Tehran criminal court had convicted him in August of sabb al-nabbi, or “insulting the prophet,” referring to the Prophet Muhammad, which carries the death penalty.

The Supreme Court unlawfully added the charge of “sowing corruption on Earth” to Arabi’s case. In addition to carrying a possible death sentence, the charge also forecloses the possibility of amnesty, said Arabi’s lawyer.

According to independent reports, at least 647 cases of execution have been reported in Iran in 2014, of which 229 cases were announced by the Iranian government. In 2014 alone, eight individuals, believed to be under 18 years of age at the time of their alleged crimes, were reportedly executed. According to the report of the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran (A/69/356), four cultural rights activists from the Arab minority community, were executed in 2014. In June of this year, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, expressed concerns about the large number of executions in Iran since the beginning of the year, calling on the Iranian authorities to halt, in particular, the imminent execution of a juvenile offender, Razieh Ebrahimi. Ebrahimi was convicted of killing her husband when she was 17 years old. She was married to him at the age of 14, gave birth to a child when she was 15 and maintained that she was subjected to domestic violence.

As reported by Reporters without Borders, as of July 2014, at least 65 journalists, bloggers, and social media activists were in prison on various charges related to their speeches or writings. They include 10 women, of whom three are foreign nationals, making Iran the world’s leading jailer of female journalists and netizens. Iran is one of the world’s most repressive countries as regards freedom of information. It is ranked 173rd of 180 countries in the 2014 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters without Borders. In a statement in July 2014, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) stated that according to statistics from IFJ affiliate, the Association of Iranian Journalists (AoIJ), there were 27 journalists imprisoned in Iran – making it one of the worst jailers of journalists in the world.

In May 2014, police arrested four young men and three women after a video showing them dancing to the popular song “Happy” went viral on YouTube. Authorities released them to face trial on charges that included engaging in “illicit relations.”

Ms. Ghoncheh Ghavami, a dual Iranian-British national, was arrested on 30th June 2014 after protesting a ban on women attending volleyball matches. The male-only policy for spectators at volleyball matches dates back to 2012, when the Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry extended the existing policy on soccer matches to cover volleyball. Iranian officials claim that mixed attendance at sports events is un-Islamic and threatens public order.

Iranian women face discrimination in many areas including personal status matters related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody. A woman needs her male guardian’s approval for marriage regardless of her age and cannot generally pass on her nationality to her foreign-born spouse or their children. A woman may not obtain a passport or travel outside the country without the written permission of a male guardian. Child marriage, though not the norm, continues in Iran, where the law provides that girls can marry at the age of 13 and boys at the age of 15; and below such ages with the permission of a judge. In October, the Guardianship Council ratified the Law on Protection of Children and Adolescents with No Guardian (adoption) after they amended a provision, despite opposition, to allow adoptive parents to marry children in their care if a judge deems it to be in the latter’s best interest.

The government denies freedom of religion to adherents of the Baha’i faith, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, and discriminates against them. Government targeting of Sufis, particularly members of the Nematollahi Gonabadi sect, continues unabated.

Restrictions on cultural and political activities of ethnic Azeri, Kurdish, Arab, Turkmen and Baluch minorities persist. Schooling and education in native languages of these ethnicities is still prohibited.

The authorities have imprisoned at least 27 labour rights activists, a number of whom reportedly require urgent medical attention, including Sharokh Zamani, Reza Shahabi, Moahmmad Jarrahi, Hassan Tafah, Rasool Bodaghi, Karim Marouf Aziz, Arjang Davoodi and Mashallah Haeri. Mr. Zamani, a trade unionist and a member of the Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Labour Unions and co-founder of the Painters’ and Decorators’ Union, was arrested in June 2011 and sentenced to 11 years in prison for “acting against national security by establishing or membership of groups opposed to the system” and “spreading propaganda against the system”. He was further punished for his activism in March 2014 and transferred to another prison.

Violations of labour-related rights, e.g. Articles 20, 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which continue in Iran, include the failure to adjust workers’ wages corresponding to the inflation rate; high rates of fatal accidents at work and unsafe practices at workplaces; low rates of female representation in the labour market, with women constituting only 16 per cent of the labour force; high rates of unemployment among women (close to 21%) and particularly among women from ethnic minorities. Rights to organise, assemble and join trade unions are among the ongoing restrictions on the rights of workers to organize. Unions and unionists in Iran, as a part of the general social popular movement in Iran, are slowly but surely taking steps to protect their rights and to secure a decent living for the working people of Iran. This is no easy task and deserves strong international solidarity both on the organisational and state level and in popular peer-to-peer level.

The Committee for the Defence of the Iranian People’s Rights, CODIR, continues to campaign to abolish the brutal violation of human rights and all limitations to true democracy in Iran. We reflect the voice of the Iranian people in their struggle for true democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of media, freedom to organise, protecting the rights of minorities, and the right of people to elect and be elected at all levels of government.

On this 10th December, Human Rights Day, CODIR express its solidarity with the struggle of the people of Iran for their human rights. In today’s globalised world, the effect on nations’ lives is also globalised more than ever before in human history. The collective power of individuals and groups can have a significant impact on the lives of other nations. CODIR urges all human rights activists and organisations to stand by the people of Iran in this struggle against their oppressors.

Committee for the Defence of the Iranian People’s Rights, CODIR 10th December 2014

Iran’s human rights situation has not improved, says activist

Staff writer, Al Arabiya News

Saturday, 29 November 2014

Iran’s President Hassan Rowhani has not been able to deliver on his promises to address key human rights issues in the country, Iranian lawyer and rights activist Shirin Ebadi told Al Arabiya’s Diplomatic Avenue on Friday.

Ebadi told Al Arabiya’s New York bureau chief Talal al-Haj that the situation in Iran “has not progressed at all.”

Last month, Iran executed a 26-year-old woman, Reyhaneh Jabbari, for allegedly murdering her rapist, in defiance to international pressure to spare her life. The United Nations reported that around 411 people were executed in Iran since the beginning of 2014.

Iran has not let any U.N. rapporteurs into the country for nine years, said Ebadi, citing the example of Ahmed Shaheed, the U.N.’s human rights rapporteur on Iran, who was repeatedly denied an entry visa to the country last month.

Responding to a question whether Iran will abide with the U.N. General Assembly’s Nov. 18 resolution that urged the Islamic Republic’s leaders to conform to international law, Ebadi said: “Many resolutions have passed against Iran… and have asked Iran to make good and deliver on its international promises and obligations.”

Yet “the situation has not improved,” she added.

Not accepting Iran’s “dirty money” – meaning money gained from corrupt practices – is one of the ways in which the international community could force the Iranian leadership to rethink its policies, said Ebadi.

“I am against a military attack on Iran. I am also against economic sanctions against Iran because these too harm people,” she noted. “But there are ways that the government can be weakened without the people being harmed.”

One solution would be to forbid Iranian “violators” of human rights to enter other countries, she said.

“The government Iran always claims that the issue of human rights in Iran is a domestic issue and not an international matter and it’s not up to other countries to talk about it,” she said. “Why is it that Iran interferes in Iraq, in Syria and other countries?”

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Media Advisory: Iran must clean up human rights record at UN review

Press releases – Spokesperson available for interview in Geneva

30 October 2014

On 31 October, the UN Human Rights Council will undertake an assessment of Iran’s human rights record under the Universal Periodic Review process (UPR). During Iran’s last review in 2010, the authorities accepted a string of recommendations to improve the country’s track record on human rights, but so far these have overwhelmingly failed to be implemented.

“Rampant human rights violations continue across Iran unabated,” said Raha Bahreini, Amnesty International’s Iran researcher.

“The recent execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari after a flawed investigation and trial, is a harsh reminder that Iran remains the most prolific executioner worldwide after China and illustrates how poor its administration of justice is. The Iranian authorities must stop posturing and provide answers to the many victims of their ruthless repression about why they have failed to fulfil past promises on human rights.”

As Iran continues to deny access to the UN independent experts and Special Rapporteurs, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in, the UPR process provides a rare opportunity for UN member states to engage with the Iranian authorities over human rights.

“Without robust international pressure, Iran’s human rights prospects remain bleak. UN member states must use this as an opportunity to drive the authorities to undertake concrete pledges and implement crucial human rights reforms,” said Raha Bahreini.

Raha Bahreini, Amnesty International’s Iran researcher will be in Geneva to observe the review at the UN Human Rights Council and is available for interviews in Persian and English.

Possible talking points around Iran’s dire human rights record:

� Surge in executions, case of Reyhaneh Jabbari

� Violence against women

� Torture and other ill-treatment in detention

� Discrimination based on, sexual orientation and gender identity

� Persecution of religious and ethnic minorities

� Restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly

� Restrictions on the right to education and academic freedom

To arrange an interview contact: Sara Hashash MENA Press Officer +44 207 413 5511 or sara.hashash@amnesty.org

For further information: Amnesty International’s submission ahead of the UPR session, Iran: No progress on human rights (http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/034/2014/en)

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GUE/NGL calls for solidarity with Nasrin Sotoudeh

Human rights lawyer must not be banned from working

21/10/2014

2012 Sakharov Prize winner Nasrin Sotoudeh has been banned from practising as a lawyer for three years by an Iranian court on Monday. A sit-in in front of the Iranian Bar Association started today to protest against this ruling.

MEP Cornelia Ernst, vice-chair of the EP’s Delegation for relations with Iran, called for solidarity with Sotoudeh: “This decision to ban her from practising her profession represents renewed harassment of the Sakharov Prize winner. If Iran wants to be taken seriously, the Iranian institutions must show that they can accept dissenters and also deal fairly with them. Monday’s judgement shows just the opposite.”

GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer commented: “Human rights are universal and must be defended against arbitrary restrictions. As a lawyer in Iran, Nasrin Sotoudeh tried to defend human rights and because of that that she is now being side-lined. On-going attacks on the legal profession in Iran must come to an end. I call on Iranian legislators and prosecutors to end their campaign against human rights defenders. ”

The GUE/NGL group is made up of 52 MEPs from across Europe working for peace, solidarity, social justice, equality, democracy and human rights in Europe and beyond. It is the only gender balanced group in the European Parliament.

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“Britain’s trade union leader calls for the release of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh”

In response to CODIR’s appeal for trade unions to support the call for the release of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh from prison, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, the largest public sector trade union in Britain, has written to President Rouhani urging the release of Behnam and all other detained trade unionists in Iran. The full text of the letter is below.

CODIR’s statement of 1st Septembert 2014 included the following:

“The Committee for the Iranian People’s Rights (CODIR) is supporting the urgent campaign for the release of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, a detained trade union activist from Iran. We urge trade unions and labour movement organisations to join the initiative to call for the release of this trade unionist whose only “crime” is to campaign for trade union rights in the country… CODIR condemns these acts of violence towards labour and trade union activists and their family members in Iran. As we have emphasised previously, this is part of a coordinated policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to maximise pressure upon jailed labour activists, their colleagues and family members in order to silence them and oppress the working class movement in Iran. We stand resolutely in support of trade union rights in Iran and call for the release of detained trade unionists in the country and in particular the immediate and unconditional release of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh from imprisonment.”…

President Hassan Rouhani
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Tehran, Iran

By email rouhani@csr.ir

2 September 2014

Dear Mr President

On behalf of UNISON’s 1.3 million members working in public services in the UK, I am calling on your government to show compassion for trade unionist Behnam Ebrahimzadeh whose treatment in Evin prison is nothing short of barbaric. I am urging you to release him as his safety, and that of the many political prisoners in your country, is at risk because of the treatment he is receiving at the hands of the authorities.

He has suffered imprisonment, torture and solitary confinement, and the charges against him continue to change to ensure he remains in prison for the ‘crime’ of organising workers and being a member of a trade union.

Behnam’s family have also been targeted. I do not need to repeat the events that took place on 29 June, 2014 after his wife and son visited him in Evin prison. The family’s interrogation and intimidation by the Iranian security forces is inhuman and totally unacceptable.

The new charge of causing unrest in prison is, I believe, a pretext to issue a new sentence against him. He is now on hunger strike which will further exacerbate his declining health. I have been told on good authority that Behnam has been threatened by the prison authorities that if he does not end his hunger strike, he will be transferred to solitary confinement.

Trade unionists across the globe are being killed and threatened for their trade union activities. It is beholden upon the government of any country, including mine, to safeguard the welfare of all its citizens. Targeting workers’ representatives for doing nothing more than representing their members is intolerable in a civilized society.

Iran has a proud and ancient culture going back more than 3,000 years. The oppression of working people in the 21st century does your country a disservice, and only serves to plunge the country into further turmoil. History shows that working people can only remain in chains, both physical and metaphorical, for so long. Eventually, the will of the people will prevail.

I urge you to respect workers’ and human rights, and call for clemency for our brother, Benham Ebrahimzadeh. The reputation of your country will be dealt another blow by the continued attacks on the trade union movement. The fate of Benham and others is in your hands. Yours sincerely

Dave Prentis
General Secretary

c.c
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Leader info@leader.ir
Islamic Republic of Iran Judiciary ijpr@iranjudiciary.org and info@judiciary.ir
Ministry of Justice, Islamic Republic of Iran office@justice.ir
Rt Hon William Hague, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office fcocorrespondence@fco.gov.uk

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Iran: New wave of attacks against journalists as repression escalates

Amnesty.org
1 August 2014

A sharp rise in arrests, prosecutions and imprisonment of independent journalists in Iran signals the authorities’ utter determination to crush hopes for increased freedom heralded by the election of President Hassan Rouhani, said Amnesty International in a new briefing today.

“The way journalists are being treated puts everything journalism should stand for at risk in Iran. Anyone deemed critical of the authorities has been at increased risk of arrest and prosecution in recent months, creating an intense climate of fear where voicing any criticism has become a direct road to prison,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Programme Director at Amnesty International.

“The authorities’ zero tolerance for anything other than state-sanctioned ideas and voices means that merely reporting the news can put people at risk of incarceration.”

The wave of repression which intensified after the disputed presidential election in 2009 has reached new highs over the past few months. The authorities appear to have widened the circle of repression in a bid to crumple any aspirations for change created by the promises of increased freedoms that followed the election of President Hassan Rouhani in 2013.

Iranian journalists and foreign correspondents have faced harassment, intimidation, arrest and imprisonment for their legitimate journalistic activities. Other media workers, such as filmmakers, have also faced judicial bans preventing them from carrying out their work.

Many of those arrested are charged under provisions of the Islamic Penal Code which loosely define ‘crimes’ such as “spreading lies”, “spreading propaganda against the system”, and “creating unease in the public mind”, in effect criminalizing a wide range of peaceful activities. The authorities are also using protracted prosecutions, unserved prison sentences and denial of medical leave as threats hanging over the heads of journalists who dare to criticize authorities.

“These overly broad legal provisions have in effect been used as a tool to stop media professionals from providing independent news to the world about the social and political situation in Iran,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

“Iran’s Judiciary is toying with the law and using drawn-out trials and unserved prison sentences to coerce independent journalists into self-censorship.”

Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post’s correspondent in Iran and a dual Iranian-American national, and his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, a journalist for the United Arab Emirates newspaper the National, were arrested on 22 July 2014 in Tehran. Three days later, Gholamhossein Esma’ili, the Head of Tehran’s Judiciary confirmed the arrests, saying that further information will only be provided upon the completion of “technical investigations and interrogations”.

The whereabouts of both journalists are still unknown.

In a separate case, Saba Azarpeik, a journalist working for a number of reformist publications in Tehran, was arrested on 28 May 2014 and is also being held in an undisclosed location. She was brought before Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on 21 and 22 July to face charges of “spreading propaganda against the system” and “spreading lies” linked to her previous arrest in January 2013.

Journalist and member of the Participation Front political party Hossein Nourani Nejad, is facing six years of imprisonment after a Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced him for “spreading propaganda against the system” and “gathering and colluding against national security” in June 2014. He had been arrested on 21 April 2014 and taken to solitary confinement in Evin Prison in Tehran.

Two months before his arrest, he had returned to Iran from Australia, where he was a postgraduate student, to see his new-born child for the first time. Hossein Nourani Nejad had been arrested previously in 2009.

Another journalist, Serajeddin Mirdamadi, was also sentenced to six years in prison on 27 July on the charges of “gathering and colluding against national security” and “spreading propaganda against the system”.

Mahnaz Mohammadi, a documentary filmmaker and women’s rights activist, Reyhaneh Tabatabaei, a journalist and a former writer for Shargh and Bahar newspapers, Marzieh Rasouli, an editor of a number of reformist newspapers, and journalist Sajedeh Arabsorkhi were also among the media workers summoned in recent months to start serving prison terms handed down on them on broadly defined national security charges.

“Independent journalism is not a crime. Authorities in Iran must immediately and unconditionally release all those who have been arrested and imprisoned in recent months only for peacefully exercising their legitimate right to freedom of expression, association and assembly,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

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Supporting Prisoners in Iran

Ahmed Shaheed on Iran
2nd July 2014

Insufficient protections for civil and political rights have resulted in the imprisonment of over 895 “prisoners of conscience” and “political prisoners” in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Over half of these Iranians were sentenced for simple and protected acts such as expressing an opinion, associating with an organization that promotes cultural rights, being active on a school campus, showing up to a rally or protest, or believing in an unrecognized religion.

My recent report to the UN Human Rights Council reviews the legacy of vague and overly broad laws that lead to the arrest of Iran’s journalists, lawyers, students, and hundreds of activists that work to advance the rights of workers, women, and minorities in the country. My report also discusses the abusive practices that result in the torture and denial of fair trail standards that contribute to the unjust convictions of hundreds of human rights defenders. Some political prisoners have also been executed for their alleged crimes, includingGholamreza Khosravi Savadjani and Mah Afrid Amir Khosravi, and Ali Chebeishat and Sayed Khaled Mousavi, recently executed on Moharebeh (enmity against God) charges for their involvement in cultural rights and political groups.

The UN Human Rights Council recognizes the pivotal role that human rights defenders play in the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms globally, and reflected on the serious risks they face for their work due to “threats, attacks, reprisals and acts of intimidation”. The Council’s resounding response was to reaffirm the responsibility of Member States to protect all fundamental rights, and to recognize that national laws and practices should “facilitate the work of human rights defenders, including by “avoiding any criminalization, stigmatization, impediments, obstructions or restrictions, that violate international human rights law in a unanimously adopted resolution this past March.

Iranians both inside and outside the country continue to work to realize the Council’s proclamation at home. Recently, for example, the Campaign to Free Political Prisoners held their International Day in support of the acts of bravery to peacefully advance the belief that everyone has equal rights. The international community must continue to demonstrate its commitment to Iranians by highlighting violations, calling for the release of all human rights defenders, persisting in its support for home-grown initiatives, and applauding Iran for positive steps that strengthen human rights protections in the country. This includes the apparent stay of the executions of Sunni prisoners Hamed Ahmadi, Jahangir Dehghani, Jamshid Dehghani, and Kamal Mollaie, who were prosecuted for an alleged murder, despite their claim of being in police custody at the time the crime took place.

It is my hope that judicial and law enforcement authorities in Iran can work together to uphold international rights standards that can result in a decrease in political incarcerations and prosecutions. The international community would truly welcome these and any other steps that serve to transform rhetoric into action on the part of the Government.

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Execution of juvenile offenders breaches international law – Pillay

Ahmed Shaheed on Iran
26th June 2014

GENEVA (26 June 2014) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed concern Thursday about the large number of executions in Iran since the beginning of this year, calling on the authorities to halt, in particular, the imminent execution of a juvenile offender.

“The imminent execution of Razieh Ebrahimi has once again brought into stark focus the unacceptable use of the death penalty against juvenile offenders in Iran,” Pillay said. Ebrahimi was convicted of killing her husband when she was 17 years old. She was married to him at the age of 14, gave birth to a child when she was 15, and says she was subjected to domestic violence.

“Regardless of the circumstances of the crime, the execution of juvenile offenders is clearly prohibited by international human rights law,” Pillay added. “Judgements imposing the death penalty on people under the age of 18 and the implementation of such judgements are manifestly incompatible with Iran’s international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.”

“I urge the Iranian authorities to halt the execution of Razieh and all other juvenile offenders,” Pillay said.

Another juvenile offender, 17-year-old Jannat Mir, an Afghan boy, was hanged in April in Isfahan prison, in central Iran, for drug-related offences. He reportedly had no access to a lawyer or consular services, raising concerns about whether fair trial standards were observed in his case and those of five other Afghans executed along with him for similar offences.

Pillay expressed alarm at the large number of juvenile offenders who reportedly remain on death row in Iran. According to information gathered by the UN Human Rights Office from reliable sources, some 160 people are reportedly on death row for crimes they committed when they were under the age of 18.

The High Commissioner also condemned the execution of a number of political prisoners – at least six since the beginning of this year. Four others — Hamed Ahmadi, Kamal Malaee, Jahangir Dehghani and Jamshed Dehghani — all members of the Kurdish community, are at imminent risk of execution. They were convicted in 2010 on charges of Moharebeh (enmity against God) and Mofsid fil Arz, (corruption on earth) after trials that fell short of the international fair trial standards.

More than 250 people are believed to have been executed in Iran so far this year, with some sources suggesting a considerably higher figure. Most of the executions were carried out for drug-related offences, which do not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes” for which the death penalty may be applied in international law. At least 500 people are known to have been executed in 2013, including 57 in public.

Pillay urged Iran to immediately impose a moratorium on all executions, with a view to abolishing the death penalty.

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IFJ Demands that Iranian Authorities Free Imprisoned Journalists

IFJ
30th May 2014

The International Federation of journalists (IFJ) has joined its affiliate, the Association of Iranian journalists (AoIJ), to demand that the government of Iran follows up on its election promises by showing respect for press freedom and releasing all journalists imprisoned in the country.

According to the AoIJ, three more Iranian journalists have been imprisoned in the country in recent months – bringing the total number of Iranian journalists in jail to 23.

Two newspapers – Bahar and Aseman – have also been closed over the last six months, while the Tehran offices of the AoIJ remain closed despite repeated appeals for the country’s President, Hassan Rohani, and his government to show their commitment to media freedom by reopening them.

The three journalists who have been arrested are all being held in Evin prison, in northwestern Tehran. Hossein Noraninejad, who had been studying for two years in Australia, returned to Iran in February and had his passport confiscated at the airport. He was then arrested on 21 April.

Serajoddin Mirdamadi, who had been living in Paris, visited Iran in September 2013, but also had his passport confiscated at the airport and was prohibited from travelling. He was arrested on 11 May.

And Saba Azar Pay, a woman journalist, was arrested at the offices of her magazine, Tajarete Farda, on 26 May.

“Since Rohani’s election as President one year ago, the IFJ has repeatedly appealed to him and his government to send a strong message about media freedom in Iran by releasing journalists imprisoned in his country and reopening the offices of our affiliate, the Association of Iranian Journalists,” said IFJ President Jim Boumelha.

“There can be no more excuses. The time for action has come and the president must make good on his election promises by lifting the ban on the AoIJ offices and showing respect for the important role of journalists in the future of the Iranian nation.”

The AOIJ has expressed its deep concern regarding the stance taken by the Iran government. Ali Mazrooie, chair of the AoIJ, said: “We hoped that there would be a change in the situation of journalists and press freedom in Iran after the elections last summer and the establishment of a new government.

“Unfortunately the judicial system in Iran is still against press freedom and opposes the opening of our offices. We appeal to authorities to respect press freedom, free all detained and imprisoned journalists and reopen our offices so we can do our job and support the rights of our colleagues.”

Giving IFJ’s full backing to the AoIJ and journalists in Iran, IFJ General Secretary, Beth Costa, said: “We call on the Iranian judicial system to uphold its responsibility to respect the basic human rights that are guaranteed by the Iranian constitution and release all journalists being held in Iran.”

For more information, please contact IFJ on +32 2 235 22 17

The IFJ represents more than 600 000 journalists in 134 countries

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DOCUMENT – IRAN: THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL’S WRITTEN STATEMENT TO THE 25TH SESSION OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (3-28 MARCH 2014)

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL –
The Human Rights Situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Amnesty International’s written statement to the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council (3-28 March 2014)
14 February 2014
MDE 13/010/2014

Amnesty International submits this statement to the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council on the third anniversary of the house arrests of two Iranian opposition leaders and 2009 presidential candidates, Mehdi Karroubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi, and the latter’s wife, university professor and political figure Zahra Rahnavard, who remain in detention without charge or trial, with no possibility to challenge the lawfulness of their detention.

On 14 February 2011, the Iranian authorities placed all three opposition figures under de facto house arrest after Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi called for demonstrations in support of the popular uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa region. Despite international calls for their release, the authorities continue to hold these opposition figures and monitor their communications. Their families have also been harassed and persecuted, including by having restricted contact with them and being targeted for arrest. The three opposition figures remain in a legal limbo as no security body is claiming responsibility for their prolonged house arrest amid contradictory official statements.

Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the Iranian authorities to release the three individuals and stop the persecution of their families. The fate of the three opposition leaders is symptomatic of the stalemate in the field of human rights in Iran.

The June 2013 election of Hassan Rouhani offered some hope for an improvement in the human rights situation in Iran. However, such hopes have not materialized into substantive change for individuals who have continued to be subjected to grave human rights violations. In fact, despite this Council’s attention to the serious shortcomings in the human rights situation in Iran, the situation has remained dire in the four years since Iran’s UPR examination in February 2010.

Seven months after the formation of the new administration, freedom of expression, association and assembly remain severely restricted, and incommunicado detention, torture and other ill-treatment, continue to be used routinely. The authorities continue to convict individuals in trials marred with irregularities. They resort extensively to the death penalty, imposed largely for crimes that do not meet the criterion of “most serious” crimes. No concrete measures have been taken to eliminate discrimination against women and members of ethnic and religious minorities who face widespread discrimination in law and practice.

Iran has so far refused to co-operate with this Council’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and has prevented independent assessment of the human rights situation in Iran by ignoring repeated requests made by UN human rights experts and NGOs to visit. Despite its 2002 standing Invitation, Iran has not received a visit from a Special Procedure since 2005.

Amnesty International urges the Human Rights Council to demand that Iran’s stated commitment to co-operation with international human rights mechanisms be demonstrated by receiving visits by the Special Rapporteur on Iran in the near future and ensuring that state bodies extend full co-operation to him.

Administration of justice

Administration of justice in Iran remains severely flawed. Arbitrary arrest and detention, incommunicado detention, solitary confinement, the lack or limited access to legal representation during pre-trial detention and the trial itself, forced and televised confessions, and unfair trials continue unabated.

The draft Code of Criminal Procedure includes some provisions that if implemented could ensure better compliance with Iran’s international human rights obligations; though, in practice, the restrictive interpretation of certain articles could still be used to deny detainees such rights as access to a lawyer from the time of arrest. The draft Code also fails to fully clarify which security agencies have the power of arrest.

There is widespread impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations, and allegations of torture and other ill-treatment, used routinely and widely, are not impartially and independently investigated. No-one has yet been brought to justice for the death of blogger, Sattar Beheshti, who died in custody in November 2012 allegedly as a result of torture or other ill-treatment while in custody. A medical examiner’s report has stated that he died from internal bleeding in his lungs, liver, kidneys, and brain. Despite this, in December 2013, a court in Tehran closed the case against the interrogator accused of his murder after it dismissed the murder charge and determined the killing to be “quasi-murder”. According to the family’s lawyer, a new complaint must be filed for the new charge to be pursued.

Death penalty

Iran remains the second highest executioner in the world. In 2012, state authorities and media acknowledged 314 executions. In addition there were at least 230 executions not officially announced, bringing the total to at least 544 executions. It is believed that in 2013 much more than 600 people were executed in total. This includes individuals who may have been under 18 at the time of the alleged offence, despite the absolute prohibition in international law on the execution of juvenile offenders. Most of the people executed had been convicted of drug trafficking.

The revised Islamic Penal Code, signed into law in 2013, continues to include the death penalty, including for crimes that do not constitute “most serious crimes” under international law. These include drug trafficking, sexual relations outside marriage, “apostasy” and vaguely worded crimes such as “corruption on earth” (ifsad fil-arz) and “enmity against God” (moharebeh). The Code also maintains the punishment of stoning for “adultery while married” and only limits the scope of the death penalty for juvenile offenders for some crimes, thus falling short of its obligations of an absolute prohibition.

Death sentences are frequently imposed following legal proceedings that violate international fair trial standards, including through the use of forced “confessions”. Such “confessions” – occasionally televised on state TV – are often accepted as evidence in courts.

Secret and “retaliatory” executions have been carried out over the past year. In January 2014, Hadi Rashedi and Hashem Sha’bani Nejad, both members of Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority, were executed in secret. They had been shown “confessing” on a state television channel before their trial. Amnesty International understands that the families of the men were not told the exact date of their executions, and have not received their bodies. The families were told by an Intelligence Ministry official that they were not permitted to hold a public memorial service for the men and had only 24 hours to hold a private ceremony at home.

On 26 October 2013, the authorities in Sistan-Baluchestan province executed at least 16 Baluchi prisoners in an act of retaliation after a Sunni armed group, Jaish-ul-Adl (Army of Justice), reportedly killed 14 border guards in the city of Saravan in the same province, near the border with Pakistan, the previous day. A judiciary official in the province announced the same day that the individuals had been executed in response to the border attack. He said that eight of those executed had been convicted of “enmity against God” and “corruption on earth” for their alleged membership in an armed militant group in Sistan-Baluchestan province. The other eight had been convicted of drugs offences. Such executions in retaliation for an act in which the prisoners were not involved puts into question the principles of criminal law, the foremost of which being that individuals should not be punished for a crime they did not commit.

Academic freedom

Amnesty International welcomes the positive changes in the area of higher education; in particular, the return of a number of students previously banned from pursuing higher education in universities. In September 2013, the interim Minister of Science, Research and Technology, Ja’far Tofighi, announced that the Ministry had established a working group to investigate complaints from banned students and academic staff. At the end of 2013, the Ministry reported that 126 banned students had been allowed to resume their studies.

Hundreds of other students, however, continued to be barred from higher education solely because of their peaceful exercise of their rights or due to official discrimination that bars members of unrecognized religious groups, including Baha’is, from accessing higher education in Iran. Numerous students remain imprisoned for their peaceful activism or on account of their conscientiously held beliefs.

Student activist Maryam Shafi’ Pour, who has been banned from university education, has been detained since 27 July 2013. She spent over two months in solitary confinement in Section 209 of Tehran’s Evin Prison without access to a lawyer, before being transferred to the prison’s general ward. She was a member of the women’s committee of Mehdi Karroubi’s campaign for the 2009 elections. She is currently on trial on national security-related charges that appear to stem from her peaceful political activities.

Omid Kokabee, a member of Iran’s Turkmen minority and a post-graduate physics student in the USA, was arrested at Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran in January 2011 while waiting for his flight back to the USA. He was held in solitary confinement for 15 months, subjected to prolonged interrogations, and was pressured to make “confessions”. His televised trial in May 2012 before a Revolutionary Court in Tehran was marred with irregularities. He was denied the right to legal representation until his trial and no evidence was presented against him in court other than his well-known and public affiliations with academic institutions in the USA. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for having “connections with a hostile government.” In November 2012, a General Court sentenced him to a further 91 days’ imprisonment for receiving “illicit payments” in connection with the scholarships he had received for his studies.

Amnesty International welcomes the initiative announced in January 2014 by Ali Younesi, Hassan Rouhani’s aide on ethnic and religious minority affairs, that the education of ethnic minority communities in their mother tongue is on the government’s agenda. While this is a welcome step, the Iranian authorities must demonstrate that their words go beyond mere rhetoric by taking concrete actions to ensure that ethnic and religious minority groups, including Bahai’s whose religion is not recognized under the Iranian Constitution, and whose students are banned from university education, have equal access to primary and higher education.

Iran must also eliminate all discriminatory policies against women, including gender quotas and the exclusion of women from some fields of study. In January 2014, student and women’s rights activists presented to parliament 2000 signatures in support of a statement opposing the gender quota system used to discriminate against women in the 2012 and 2013 university entrance exams.

Amnesty International urges members of the Human Rights Council to respond to the grave human rights situation in Iran by adopting a resolution that addresses the widespread gross and systematic human rights violations in Iran and renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran.

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IRAN: Release opposition leaders under house arrest three years on

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL –
PUBLIC STATEMENT
14 February 2014
AI Index: MDE 13/009/2014

The easing of restrictions placed on former presidential candidates Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife, university professor and political activist, Zahra Rahnavard, since the election of President Rouhani is not enough, warned Amnesty International on the third anniversary of the house arrest of the three opposition figures. The opposition leaders have been held without charge or trial for three years, with no possibility to challenge the lawfulness of their detention. The organization urges the Iranian authorities to immediately end their arbitrary detention and stop the harassment of their families.

The three opposition figures remain in a legal limbo as no security body is claiming responsibility for their prolonged house arrest amid contradictory official statements. In October 2013, Iran’s Justice Minister, Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, said that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council was reviewing their house arrests but a month later Iran’s Prosecutor General and Judiciary spokesperson, Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje’i, said that “those who were put under house arrest after the 2009 election were criminals and had oppressed the people,” and that “no changes have been made in their punishment.” On 16 January 2014, Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi stated during a conference that the “country would have witnessed renewed protest, unrest, and demonstrations had there been a trial” and therefore authorities have determined that “they should remain restricted.” On 4 February 2014, Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi announced that the opposition figures “could be pardoned” if they repent and promise to abide by the country’s laws, a position confirmed by Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje’i on 11 February 2014 when he announced that “as long as the sedition leaders do not repent, nothing else will be done and their situation will remain the same”.

In February 2011, the Iranian authorities placed all three individuals in effect under house arrest after Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi called for demonstrations in support of the popular uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa region. Despite repeated international calls for their release, not only have the Iranian authorities refused to release the opposition figures but have also subjected their family members to harassment and persecution

The authorities have prevented all three individuals from meeting and communicating regularly with other members of their families. In October 2013, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard’s daughters were permitted a short visit with their parents for the occasion of the Shi’a Muslim holy day, Eid al-Ghadeer, but were allegedly assaulted by female security officers during the visit. In February 2013, two days before the second anniversary of the arbitrary house arrests of their parents, Zahra and Narges Mousavi, daughters of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard, and Mohammad Hossein Karroubi, son of Mehdi Karroubi were arrested. They were released later the same day.

Of particular concern to Amnesty International are the health conditions of the three figures, all of whom are suffering with physical ailments and have at times been unable to have access to adequate medical care. In July 2013, Mir Hossein Mousavi was finally allowed to visit a hospital under the supervision of security officers after suffering from a heart condition for one year. In October 2013 he told his daughters of his wife’s health condition, as Zahra Rahnavard appears to suffer from high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats.

Mehdi Karroubi’s health has also been deteriorating since his house arrest; he has had no proper access to sunlight and fresh air and has been suffering of osteoporosis and very low vitamin D levels. He had been held in a Ministry of Intelligence safe house in Tehran since his house arrest until he was moved to his own home in Tehran on 2 February 2013 where he is under watch by security officers. The windows in the safe house had been covered with dark sheets, stopping any sunlight from coming in. According to Mehdi Karroubi’s son, Mohammad Hossein Karroubi, his father’s doctors in November 2013 had said that in order to stop his health from deteriorating further, Mehdi Karroubi would need access to direct sunlight and physiotherapy, among other medical treatments. In January 2014, Fatemeh Karroubi, Mehdi Karroubi’s wife, said that her husband had been hospitalized for nine days after undergoing back surgery in a Tehran hospital.

In August 2012, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, issued an opinion that the Iranian authorities had violated not only international law but also Iranian law by arbitrarily detaining Mehdi Karoubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Zahra Rahnavard. The Working Group recommended that the Iranian government release them immediately and provide them with compensation as provided for in Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party.

Background

Mir Hossein Mousavi, former Prime Minister and Mehdi Karroubi, former Speaker of Iran’s parliament, had been presidential candidates in the 2009 election in which the incumbent President Mahmoud

Ahmadinejad was declared the winner, in disputed circumstances. The announcement of his victory set off huge protests in Tehran and other cities, which the authorities violently suppressed, followed by arrests and show trials of journalists, government critics, and opposition activists linked to the campaigns of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. After the election, authorities tightly monitored and controlled the movements of both men and their wives, and suspended the presidential candidates’ newspapers Etemad-e Melli and Kalameyeh Sabz. In mid-February 2011, in the wake of their joint appeal for Iranians to demonstrate in support of pro-reform protests in Egypt and Tunisia, the men and their wives were placed under house arrest without court orders.

Public Document

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For more information please call Amnesty International’s press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org

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IRAN: President Rouhani must deliver on human rights promises

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL –
PUBLIC STATEMENT
25 November 2013
AI Index: MDE 13/048/2013

In the first 100 days of President Rouhani’s government, human rights in Iran have remained a low priority despite earlier promises made during the presidential campaign, said Amnesty International. The organization urges the Iranian authorities to go beyond the rhetoric and to take urgent and concrete measures? to address the country’s deplorable human rights situation.

On 24 November 2013, President Rouhani posted on Twitter “[t]omorrow is 100th day since cabinet was formed & government has been in office. Glad to have reached agreement before 100th day”. For years, Iran’s human rights situation has been overshadowed, both internationally and at home, by discussions about the country’s nuclear programme. Now that an agreement has been reached, there must not be any more delays in addressing Iran’s dire human rights situation, as shown by the United Nations General Assembly resolution, overwhelmingly adopted on 19 November 2013.

Despite initial positive developments – notably the release of a few political prisoners and the reinstatement of some banned university students and lecturers, Iran’s prisons remain full of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, many of whom suffer from lack of adequate medical care. While prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was released from prison on 18 September 2013, scores of other prisoners convicted on vaguely worded offences are still languishing in jail. They include:

prominent human rights lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, serving a 13-year prison sentence for “spreading propaganda against the system”, “gathering and colluding against the state”, and “establishing an illegal group” – the Centre for Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), which he co-founded with Noble Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi;

trade unionist Reza Shahabi, serving a six-year prison sentence for “gathering and colluding against state security” and “spreading propaganda against the system”;

Bahareh Hedayat, a student and women’s rights activist, serving a 10-year prison sentence for “gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security”;

journalists and brothers Khosro Kordpour and Masoud Kordpour, who were sentenced on 10 November 2013 to a six-year imprisonment and a three-and-a-half-year imprisonment sentence respectively, for “gathering and colluding against national security” and “spreading propaganda against the system”;

Navid Khanjani, a human rights activist is serving a 12-year prison sentence in relation to his peaceful work for human rights organizations. Navid Khanjani has been suffering from numbness in his left foot as a result of spinal injuries and is denied adequate medical care;

Omid KOkabee, an Iranian physicist and a PhD student in the USA is serving a 10-year prison sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for having “connections with a hostile government” after a Revolutionary Court convicted him in a trial marred with irregularities. Amnesty International believes that he is held solely for his refusal to work on military projects in Iran;

Maryam Shafi’ Pour, a student activist and member the women’s committee of Mehdi Karroubi’s electoral campaign during the 2009 election, has been held since her arrest on 27 July 2013. Her first court hearing was on 21 October 2013 in a Revolutionary Court in Tehran and she is still detained in Evin Prison awaiting the outcome of her trial. It appears that she has been accused of having contacts with family members of the opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi.

Opposition leaders and 2009 presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, along with Zahra Rahnavard, a political activist and wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi, continue to be held under de facto house arrest since February 2011. On 24 October 2013, Narges Mousavi, Mir Hossein Mousavi’s daughter, reported that she was slapped in the face and bitten by a female intelligence officer after visiting her parents along with her sister Zahra Mousavi. She said the attack happened after she protested against degrading body searches. The Minister of Justice on 30 October stated that President Rouhani’s administration would not participate in any effort to release the opposition leaders and Zahra Rahnavard and appeared to also deny the assault against Narges Mousavi stating that it amounted to “noise from the media”.

During his electoral campaign President Rouhani made promises regarding freedom of the press, yet journalists continue to face arrest and detention solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression. On 28 October 2013, the Press Supervisory Board, under the authority of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, banned the reformist newspaper Bahar after it published an article the Ministry deemed to be “distortive of the history of Islam”. Security forced subsequently arrested Ali Asghar Gharavi, the journalist who wrote the article, on 11 November 2013.

Amnesty International is alarmed by the increasing rate of executions in Iran, particularly since President Rouhani took office. While the implementation of death sentences are under the responsibility of the Judiciary in Iran, whose Head is directly appointed by the Supreme Leader, President Rouhani has yet to take a stance against the ever increasing rate of executions in the country. On 25 October 2013, the authorities executed Habibollah Golparipour and Reza Esmaili, both political prisoners from Iran’s Kurdish minority, on national security charges. Then on 26 October, another 16 individuals from Iran’s Baluchi minority were executed. According to the Justice Chief of Sistan- Baluchestan province, southeast Iran, the executions were carried out in “retaliation” for a border attack by a Sunni armed group that had reportedly killed 14 border guards in the city of Saravan in the same province, near the border with Pakistan, although the executed men were not involved in that attack and reportedly had been sentenced to death several years earlier. On 4 November, officials executed another Kurdish prisoner, Sherko Moarefi, who had been sentenced to death after an unfair trial before a Revolutionary Court. Officially, 331 executions have been acknowledged by Iranian authorities for 2013 but reliable sources have reported at least 262 additional executions during the year. At least 367 of these executions have taken place since President Rouhani’s electoral victory in June 2013. For all of 2012, 314 executions had been officially acknowledged, but with reliable reports of at least 230 additional executions, the total for that year was believed to have been at least 544.

The scant progress thus far achieved has been in the field of academic freedoms. Under the Interim Minister of Science, Research and Technology, Ja’far Tofighi, a number of students who were “starred” and banned from higher education were said to be permitted to enrol in university during the current academic year. Some university lecturers, who had been forced to retire after the contested 2009 presidential elections, were also reportedly permitted to return to teaching. Amnesty International welcomes this news, but also urges the authorities to lift all bars placed on the pursuit of higher education, including the discriminatory policies which restrict women’s access to higher education and those against members of religious minorities such as Baha’is who are not permitted to attend university.

Human rights violations are rife in Iran. Torture and other-ill treatment, particularly during pre-trial detention are common and are committed with impunity; scores of prisoners of conscience including, journalists, human rights defenders, trade unionists, and students continue to receive grossly unfair trials based on vaguely worded national security charges; and women and members of ethnic and religious minorities continue to face widespread discrimination in law and practice.

Despite its 2002 standing invitation, Iran has ignored repeated requests from UN human rights experts to visit the country and has not allowed in the country any such mechanism since 2005.

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IFJ Calls on Iranian Government to Immediately Release Illegally Detained Journalists

21 November 2013
IFJ

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called for the Iranian government to immediately release all journalists who are being illegally detained in the country. The call came after a meeting between the IFJ general secretary, Beth Costa, and Leila Liaghat, the wife of imprisoned Iranian journalist Alireza Rajaei.

Rajaei, who is also a board member of the Association of Iranian Journalists (AoIJ), has been in detention for more than 30 months without charge or access to due legal process. He was arrested in May 2011, a few weeks after he was sacked from his job at the National Iranian Radio and Television without receiving payments.

Ms Liaghat had to flee Iran with her two children for safety after a lengthy campaign of pressure and intimidation by Iranian security agents.

According to Rajabali Mazrooei, the chairman of the IFJ affiliate in Iran, the Association of Iranian Journalists (AoIJ), who also attended the meeting, there are at least ten other journalists who have been detained for years without charge.

“These are flagrant violations of basic human rights and these cases also violate the Iranian constitution which give the country’s citizens the right to a fair trial,” said IFJ General Secretary Beth Costa. “We call on the Iranian government to take immediate action required to put an end to the tragedy facing the journalists and their families.”

On 5 November, the IFJ sent a letter to the President of Iran, Hassan Rohani, calling for the release of journalists imprisoned in the country and the reopening of the offices of the Association of Iranian Journalists.

For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 17
The IFJ represents more than 600 000 journalists in 134 countries

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Jailed trade unionist’s health at risk

URGENT ACTION – UA: 306/13 Index: MDE 13/043/2013 Iran
Date: 7 November2013

Iranian trade unionist Reza Shahabi, held in Tehran’s Evin Prison, is in urgent need of medical care that he cannot obtain in prison. He is serving a six-year prison sentence. Reza Shahabi is a prisoner of conscience who must be released immediately and unconditionally.

Reza Shahabi (also known as Reza Shahabi Zakaria), treasurer of the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed), was taken to Imam Khomeini Hospital outside of Evin Prison on 19 October 2013 for severe back pain and numbness in his left foot. He has had chronic back pain since surgery was performed on his spine in May 2012 and he has received “injections” from prison medical officials for the pain, though the underlying condition appears to have not been treated.

Hospital doctors concluded Reza Shahabi required care outside of prison and said that without further treatment he may suffer paralysis on the left side of his body. Doctors have written to the prison administration and the office of the Prosecutor of Tehran of their diagnosis that Reza Shahabi requires medical care outside of prison

Reza Shahabi has previously gone on several hunger strikes in protest at the Iranian authorities’ treatment of him and other prisoners, including denial of medical leave. He ended a 22-day hunger strike on 7 January 2013 before being released on medical leave in protest at the Iranian authorities’ denial of his repeated requests for leave. His medical leave ended on 15 April 2013. Medical leave is temporary release from prison for medical treatment.

Reza Shahabi is serving a six-year prison sentence in Section 350 of Evin Prison after being convicted in April 2012 of “gathering and colluding against state security” and “spreading propaganda against the system” by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, charges connected to his trade union activities. He has also been fined 70 million rials (US$5,700) and banned from all trade unionist activities for five years. In July 2012 Branch 36 of Tehran’s Appeal Court upheld his sentence.

Please write immediately in Persian, Arabic, English, or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities to release Reza Shahabi immediately and conditionally as he is a prisoner of conscience held solely for his peaceful trade unionists activities;
Urging them to ensure that Reza Shahabi is given without further delay access to the medical treatment required for his condition outside of prison.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 19 DECEMBER 2013 TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid
Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info_leader@leader.ir
Twitter: @khamenei_ir
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
c/o Public Relations Office
Number 4, 2 Azizi Street intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@dadiran.ir (Subject line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani)
Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Hassan Rouhani
The Presidency
Pasteur Street, Pasteur Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: media@rouhani.ir
Twitter: @HassanRouhani (English) and @Rouhani_ir (Persian)
Salutation: Your Excellency Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
Additional Information

On 2 November 2013 a number of political prisoners in Evin Prison began a “wet” hunger (taking water but not food) strike in protest at the Iranian authorities’ denial of adequate medical care to sick prisoners. Those on hunger strike include lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, a co-founder of the Centre for Human Rights Defenders (CHRD). Amnesty International understands the hunger strike has spread to Raja’i Shahr Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran.

The Union (or Syndicate) of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) was banned after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Workers resumed the union’s activities in 2004, although it is not legally recognized. On 22 December 2005, police arrested 12 of the union’s leaders at their homes, but soon released four of them. Other members were arrested three days later after they went on strike to call for the release of their colleagues. Hundreds more were arrested during a further strike in January 2006 (see Amnesty International, Iran: Arbitrary arrest/possible prisoner of conscience/medical concern: Mansour Ossanlu (MDE 13/002/2006), http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/002/2006/en and Amnesty International, Iran: Fear of torture or ill-treatment/ incommunicado detention/ possible prisoners of conscience (MDE 13/008/2006),http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/008/2006/en).

Reza Shahabi was arrested in June 2010. Detained incommunicado for some weeks, he later contacted his family and told them he was being held in Tehran’s Evin Prison. In September 2010, after the authorities announced Reza Shahabi could be released on bail, his family paid the required 600 million rials (US$50,000) only to have the authorities demand a further sum equivalent to US$100,000. He began a hunger strike on 4 December 2010 in protest at his continued detention. Seven days later, Reza Shahabi was hospitalized as his health deteriorated. Due to his continuing poor health, Reza Shahabi ended his hunger strike on 19 December 2010. On 22 November 2011 Reza Shahabi began another hunger strike which lasted 30 days. Following hospitalization and requests from supporters and fellow trade unionists, Reza Shahabi ended his hunger strike.

Other trade unionists have been arrested or harassed, including members of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company (HTSCC) Trade Union, which is also not recognized by the government. Ali Nejati, a former leader of the HTSCC Trade Union, was arrested on 12 November 2011 and taken to Dezful Prison to begin serving a one-year sentence related to his peaceful trade union activities. He was released on 24 September 2012 after completing his sentence. On 20 October 2012, he was summoned to Branch One of the Office of the Prosecutor in Shoush in the western province of Khuzestan for questioning. It appears that this was because he had given a speech in Iran’s Kordestan province and sang a “provocative” folksong. He was summoned once more on 31 December 2012 to Branch Four of the Office of the Prosecutor in Sanandaj regarding the same case. Ali Nejati’s wife, Shahnaz Nejati, who is also a member of the HTSCC Trade Union board, was arrested on 27 November 2011 by members of the Ministry of Intelligence in Khuzestan province. She was released 24 hours later. On 28 October 2012, Branch 102 of the General Court of Shoush acquitted her of charges of “spreading propaganda against the system”, “publishing lies”, and “causing unease in the public mind”. In November 2012, Shahnaz Nejati received a summons ordering her to go to Branch Two of Dezfoul Revolutionary Court on 15 December 2012. Amnesty International understands that she has been informed that she is charged with “propaganda against the system”, though the outcome of this trial is not clear.

Rasoul Bodaghi, a member of the Tehran Teachers’ Trade Association, was arrested in September 2009. He was sentenced to six years in prison for “spreading propaganda against the system” and “gathering and colluding against national security”. In January 2011, an Appeal Court confirmed Rasoul Bodaghi’s sentence and banned him from taking part in any civil society activities for five years. According to reports, he was severely beaten by two prison officers in May 2010.

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Equity condemns imprisonment of Iranian actress

5 November 2013

Pegah Ahangarani, a 24-year-old actress, has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for the alleged crime of “action against national security and links to foreign media”.

Ahangarani, has appeared in around 20 films and has been detained twice since the protests in 2009 over the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, although she was released without charges. The latest charges levied against her appear to lack any evidence.

Ms. Ahangarani recently spoke at a public meeting and urged Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, to appoint a culture minister who would be able to deliver promises on “freedom of thought and expression.”

Equity’s International Committee for Artists Freedom, which campaigns for freedom of expression and against the persecution of performers and creative workers is appalled by this judgement and calls for the immediate release of Ms Ahangarani.

Commenting on this case, Equity’s General Secretary Christine Payne said: “This is not the first time female performers and artists have been targeted in Iran. Last year Golshifteh Farahani was prevented from returning to Iran following publication of nude photos of the actress in Le Figaro magazine. In 2011 Marzieh Vafamehr was sentenced to 90 lashes and one year in jail for her role in starring in the Australian film My Tehran for Sale. Several actors and directors have also been persecuted and imprisoned by the regime.”

Equity’s President Malcolm Sinclair added: “Equity is outraged at the imprisonment of Pegah Ahangarani and stands in solidarity with our international partners who are campaigning for her release. Freedom of thought and expression is a fundamental right and we applaud Ms Ahangarani’s efforts to bring about change in her country.”

More information about this case is available from CODIR the Committee for the Defence of the Iranian People’s Rights

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IFJ Reiterates Call for Release of Imprisoned Iranian Journalists and Opening of Iranian Union

05 November 2013

The International Federation of Journalists has reiterated its call for the President of Iran, Hassan Rohani, to release journalists imprisoned in the country and reopen the headquarters of the country’s Association of Iranian Journalists (AoIJ).

In a letter sent to the President, the IFJ welcomes the President’s approach to press freedom in Iran over the last five months. “Since your election, we have welcomed every statement you have made about press freedom in Iran and the role of journalists in upholding the right of Iranian citizens to receive reliable and trustworthy information,” says the letter, signed by IFJ President Jim Boumelha.

However, the letter advises the President that the world community of journalists have been horrified by the judicial process that has put journalists in Iran in jail and the abusive treatment they face every day they spend in prison.

The letter also reminds the President of his view that “guilds and association are the best way to run the social affairs of society,” and expresses its hope that this will mean the offices of the Association of Iranian Journalists (AoIJ) can be reopened.

In addition, the IFJ notes the President’s position on social media in Iran, recalling his interview on CNN when he described social networking as a welcome phenomenon and supported the right of the people of Iran to “access all information globally and use it.”

The IFJ expresses its hope that the President’s public statements mark the beginning of the end of tactics used to intimidate independent media and create self-censorship such as blocking websites, banning publications and surveillance of legitimate journalistic work.

The IFJ adds: “However, for all these laudable statements to start having an impact, it is crucial that your government orders the lifting of the closure of the Association (AOIJ) and the immediate release of journalists in jail.”

The letter follows a call made by the IFJ on 17 June of this year, shortly after the President came to power, which requested that the President-elect make good on his promises and end intimidation and violence against journalists in Iran.

As part of its campaign for the re-opening of the AoIJ office in Tehran, the IFJ and its affiliates have organised a number of events on Iran in recent years. Most recently, on 25 June the IFJ took part in a round table discussion at the European Parliament about the ‘Future for Freedom of Expression and Independent media in Iran,’ while on 24 October, the IFJ was involved in the ‘Free Iranian Journalists’ campaign’s discussionfor UK parliamentarians at the House of Commons in London.

For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 17
The IFJ represents more than 600 000 journalists in 134 countries

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Free Iranian journalists’ campaign continues

Mon, 28/10/2013

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has welcomed the success of the ‘Free Iranian Journalists’ campaign to hold a roundtable discussion at the House of Commons in London and hosted by the NUJ parliamentary group.

Jeremy Corbyn MP, Ben Wallace, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Iran, Ali Mazrooi, president of the IFJ-affiliated union in Iran, the Association of Iranian Journalists, Jim Boumelha IFJ president and John McDonnell MP participated in the event focusing on the current situation of press freedom and journalists still in jail.

Jim Boumelha, NUJ member and IFJ president said:

“We are reinvigorating our campaign since the election of Hussein Rouhani and this meeting is part of this.

“We have reacted forcefully to every one of his public declarations, especially the comment that ‘guilds and associations are the best ways to run social affairs of the society.’ We are making the re-opening of the Association headquarters our priority and will continue to press for the release of journalists in jail.”

This meeting follows on from a briefing at the European Parliament in June about the future for freedom of expression and independent media in Iran, a few days after Rouhani was elected. At that briefing the IFJ expressed its hopes that the President-elect’s public declarations signaled a change from the hostile attitudes against the independent media from the outgoing administration.

In a letter to the new president Jim Boumelha wrote:

“Your words of ‘new opportunities ‘and ‘constructive interaction’ and your emphasis on ‘Iranian people bringing back hope throughout their turnout and participation’ ring true. However, they will have a fuller meaning if you re-open the space for free journalism by ordering the lifting of the close of the Association and release journalists in jail.”

Mazrooi recalled how since the 2009 presidential elections, more than 160 journalists have been jailed and similar numbers have been forced to flee Iran. More than 30 newspapers and magazines have been banned.

Today around twenty journalists remain in Iranian jails, some of them since 2009. Three have been released in recent days but all have completed their jail sentence. There isn’t any legal process for the detention of journalists. They are jailed because they are deemed to have ‘acted against national security’ and they continue to be subjected to inhuman treatment ranging from flogging to solitary confinement and denial of hospital and family visits.

Mazrooi explained the targeting of his association which was forced to close in August 2009 on the order of the government’s general prosecutor. Two AoIJ board members remain in prison (Mr Rajaei and Mr Mogheseh) and two others are out on bail waiting for their appeal (the union’s general secretary Mrs. Badrossadat Mofide and its vice-president Shamsolvaezin Mashaallah).

Ben Wallace MP highlighted the current window of opportunity and pledged the support of his parliamentary group in pressing for an end to violations of journalists rights, including intimidation of journalists and their families and censorship, as well as blocking of websites and bans on reporting issues of public interest.

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Iran: Lives of two death row inmates from Kurdish minority at risk amid surge in executions

Mon, 28/10/2013

Two death row prisoners from Iran’s Kurdish minority are at imminent risk of being executed after the Iranian authorities carried out 20 death sentences over the weekend, Amnesty International warned today.

“This surge in executions shows that behind words and promises, the Iranian authorities continue to rely on state-sponsored killing, sparking fears that Zaniar Moradi and Loghman Moradi, two Kurdish minority prisoners on death row, could be next,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

“These and all other executions must be halted immediately. While the Iranian authorities have a responsibility to bring those suspected of criminal offences to justice, the death penalty should never be used, as it is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.”

Iranian prisoners are routinely sentenced to death after unfair trials, and despite allegations of torture being used to extract “confessions” in pre-trial detention.

Zaniar Moradi and Loghman Moradi, both death row prisoners from Iran’s Kurdish minority, claim they were tortured into “confessing” to the 2009 murder of the son of a senior cleric in Marivan, Kurdistan province. They were sentenced to death in December 2010 after being convicted of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) and “corruption on earth” for the murder. They were also convicted of participating in armed activities with Komala, a Kurdish opposition group, which conducted armed struggle against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“Even the most basic requirements of Iranian law seem to have been flouted and it seems that the prisoners and their families were not notified and families only learned of their executions when they went to visit their loved ones,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Habibollah Golparipour executed

Among those executed over the weekend was Habibollah Golparipour, another Kurdish minority political prisoner for whom Amnesty International has campaigned.

On the morning of 25 October, he was transferred from solitary confinement in Oroumieh Prison, West Azerbaijan Province, north-west of Iran, to an unknown location and executed the same evening. His family was not notified beforehand After his execution, the Iranian authorities have reportedly refused to hand over his body to his family adding to their distress.

Habibollah Golparipour was sentenced to death in a five-minute trial in March 2010. He had been arrested in September of the previous year in north-western Iran and convicted of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) through his alleged cooperation with a banned armed group, the ‘Party For Free Life of Kurdistan’ (PJAK). According to the court documents, he had denied any armed activity. He subsequently wrote a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, alleging he was tortured during interrogation – but these allegations were never investigated.

‘Retaliation’ killings

On 26 October, Ebrahim Hamidi, Justice Chief of Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, announced that 16 individuals had been executed that morning in “retaliation” for a border attack a day earlier. The Sunni armed group, Jaish-ul-Adl (Army of Justice), had reportedly killed 14 border guards in the city of Saravan in the same province, near the border with Pakistan.

According to the Public Prosecutor, Mohammad Marzieh, the executed men had been sentenced to death several years earlier. The provincial Justice Chief said that eight of those executed had been convicted of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) and “corruption on earth” (ifsad fil-arz) for their alleged membership in an armed militant group in Sistan-Baluchestan Province. The other eight individuals had been convicted of drugs offences.

“Executing prisoners for an attack they clearly were not involved in and boasting that it is in ‘retaliation’ for that attack puts into question the very principles of criminal law, the foremost of which being that nobody should be punished for a crime one has not committed,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

A sharp rise in executions

A drop in the number of executions in Iran in 2012, compared to the previous year, sparked hope that the Iranian authorities were making an effort not to resort so often to the death penalty. But 2013 has again seen a sharp rise in the number of executions in Iran.

The Iranian authorities have officially acknowledged 304 executions so far in 2013 but reliable sources have reported at least 234 additional unacknowledged executions during the year.

“Iran’s new government has been cautiously lauded on the world stage for limited signs of progress, including releasing some prisoners of conscience. But the renewed dependence on the death penalty gives a startling example of one area where the Iranian authorities are clearly stubborn,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

In his 4 October 2013 report, Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on Iran, called on the Iranian authorities to declare a moratorium on all executions; ban public executions, including stoning; and limit capital punishment to offences considered to be serious crimes under international law. In their reply to the Special Rapporteur’s draft report, the Iranian authorities defended their execution record by stating that the death penalty is a recognized punishment in international instruments for the most serious crimes.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all circumstances.

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Iran: New President must deliver on human rights campaign promises

Press releases
2 August 2013

The Iranian authorities must seize the opportunity presented by a change of leadership to fulfil the aspirations of many Iranians and undertake a complete overhaul of human rights in the country, said Amnesty International ahead of the inauguration of the new President this weekend.

Hassan Rouhani, the 64-year old cleric who has been described as a moderate, will be sworn in as President on Sunday 4 August 2013. Amnesty International has published a set of recommendations to the Iranian authorities, setting out a road map to address the abysmal human rights situation in the country.

“For too long Iran has failed to live up to its human rights obligations under domestic and international law. After years of repression and international isolation, the Iranian authorities must stop posturing and acknowledge the severity of human rights violations in the country,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“Hassan Rouhani and the Iranian authorities can no longer ignore people’s demands for their rights to be respected. The hopes of Iranians must not be crushed yet again. The inauguration must be used as an opportunity to desist from hateful practices such as discrimination, torture, arbitrary detention and unfair trials which can lead to death sentences”.

Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to uphold the rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly for everyone. The organization is also calling for provisions of Iran’s Penal Code that infringe on such freedoms to be repealed or amended.

“Iranians chanted the names of opposition leaders under house arrest upon the announcement of the election results. As a first step, all prisoners of conscience, jailed solely for peacefully exercising their rights, must be immediately and unconditionally released,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Opposition leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, along with Mousavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, herself a political activist, have been held under unofficial house arrest since February 2011 and must also be released.

Undue restrictions on the media, telecommunications services, as well as on the activities of NGOs and trade unions must also be revoked.

During his electoral campaign, Hassan Rouhani made a number of pledges that could improve Iran’s dire human rights records. Among these was a plan to issue a “civil rights charter” calling for the equality of all citizens.

Amnesty International is urging the Iranian authorities to amend or abolish all laws and practices that discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, ethnicity, gender or other status.

The incoming President has also made several promises to improve women’s rights. Amnesty International is calling for the authorities to repeal or amend all laws that discriminate against women, including any laws that place restrictions on women’s access to work or education. A comprehensive law that protects women against all forms of violence must also be introduced.

For many years students have been repressed, imprisoned and denied their right to education. The right to higher education must be based on merit alone without discrimination on grounds of sex, ethnicity, nationality, religious beliefs or any other status. The new administration must take steps to guarantee that all students and lecturers who have been arbitrarily banned from studying or teaching are allowed to resume their previous roles.

Over the past decades, the routine use of torture and other ill-treatment by security forces has been a hallmark of the way the Iranian authorities operate. A clear stance that such abuses will no longer be tolerated is needed. The definition of torture as a criminal offence must be clarified under Iranian law. Iran’s revised Islamic Penal Code, which still allows for the application of corporal punishment, including flogging and amputation, as well as stoning for adultery must also be amended.

Iran remains one of the most prolific executioners in the world. The authorities must take concrete steps to abolish the death penalty, in particular, for juvenile offenders.

Urgent reforms to the criminal justice system, guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary and ensuring fair trials for all Iranians, must also be prioritised. The use of televised forced “confessions” must end.

All human rights violations must be independently investigated and those responsible held accountable for their actions. As an immediate step to signal a change in policies, Iranian authorities must allow UN human rights experts and NGOs including Amnesty International to visit Iran.

The international community must also assess the human rights impact of sanctions and ensure they are not contributing to violations of the economic and social rights of people in Iran.

“Unless concrete changes are made immediately, the change of leadership will simply be a squandered opportunity,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

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Iran: New President must deliver on human rights promises

Press releases
17 June 2013

The victory of Hassan Rouhani, a 64-year-old cleric, in Iran’s presidential election, presents a new opportunity to address human rights abuses in the country, Amnesty International said today.

Hassan Rouhani, described as a moderate and a pragmatist, made a number of pledges to improve Iran’s dire human rights record during his electoral campaign, for which he must be held accountable in the coming months.

He plans to issue a “civil rights charter” which calls for equality for all citizens without discrimination based on race, religion or sex. It also calls for greater freedom for political parties and minorities, as well as ensuring the right to fair trial, freedom of assembly and legal protection for all.

“The proposed charter – if delivered and implemented – presents the potential for a decisive first step forward for human rights in Iran, “said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Programme Director.

“However, people don’t want empty promises and rhetoric but rather expect concrete measures. It starts with the release of political prisoners, including opposition leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi as Iranians chanted in the streets after the announcement of the results of the election”.

“During his first speech today, President-elect Hassan Rouhani said he will never forget the promises he has made to the Iranian people. Amnesty International will be monitoring his actions to make sure he keeps his word.”

The President-elect has been critical of gender segregation in educational facilities and has also made several promises to improve women’s rights in Iran, including proposing new draft bills on women, establishing the country’s first Ministry of Women, and ensuring gender equality, including in relation to job opportunities.

In addition, Hassan Rouhani has emphasized the importance of freedom of expression, including by criticising internet restrictions, and the need to allow government criticism to make way for true progress.

Following Rouhani’s election victory, supporters chanted slogans in favour of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. Both politicians were placed under house arrest by the Iranian authorities after calling for protests in solidarity with anti-government uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia in 2011. Human rights groups and the United Nations have repeatedly called for their release.

“The election of Rouhani represents an opportunity for the authorities to re-assess the importance of adhering to the rule of law. They should release all prisoners of conscience now and end the harassment of rights activists, journalists and their families,” Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said.

“Hassan Rouhani has a chance to make a real difference to the lives of people in Iran but it remains to be seen whether, and to what extent, he can and will deliver on his electoral promises in order to bring in true reforms.”

As a concrete and symbolic step to match promises made, Amnesty International urges Hassan Rouhani and the Iranian authorities to cooperate with the United Nations human rights mechanisms, including by immediately allowing the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran to visit the country.

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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FEATURE – Trial by camera – “TV confessions” and the death penalty in Iran

AI Index: MDE 13/017/2013 11 April 2013

“

Making someone ‘confess’ to their crimes on national television before their trial has even started makes a mockery of international fair trial standards.

”

Source:

Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

It was called “Terror Club” – an hour-long “documentary” that aired on Iranian state TV in August 2012. The 12 individuals – seven men and five women – featured in the show, appeared, one by one, in front of a camera, “confessing” to their involvement in the killing of Iranian nuclear scientists over the past year.

Beyond their starring role on television, no clear details about the arrest and detention of these 12 people are known. It is not known if any of them have been charged or tried – despite the recent announcement that 18 unnamed people will shortly go on trial for these murders. But it is known that all 12 could face the death penalty if they are found guilty of the alleged killings.

Televised confessions
This type of televised “confession” is far from uncommon in Iran.

Suspects are forced to appear on national or local television to admit to alleged crimes – often before their court proceedings have even started. These “confessions” are then accepted as evidence in court, seriously undermining any prospect of a fair trial.

Many defendants have later retracted their “TV confessions”, stating that they were coerced into making them, sometimes under torture.

But these TV “confessions” are part of an overwhelmingly unjust trial system in Iran. The accused frequently face extended pre-trial detention which far exceeds limits provided for in Iranian law. In this time, they are routinely denied access to a lawyer or their family for weeks or months while the “investigation phase” is concluded, during which many are tortured or otherwise ill-treated. In such circumstances, the trial itself – often cloaked in secrecy – is inevitably unfair.

Shocking figures
In Amnesty International’s report on death penalty statistics across the globe in 2012, the section on Iran once again makes for grim reading. The country is the second highest executioner in the world, only behind China.

At least 314 executions were officially acknowledged by the authorities in 2012, but the real number is almost certainly much higher. More than 200 additional executions were reported to Amnesty International by reliable sources.

One highly illustrative example of the use of the death penalty in Iran that features in the Amnesty International report is that of five Ahwazi Arab men who are currently on death row, some of whom were forced to confess on television to “crimes” they later retracted.

The five men – Mohammad Ali Amouri, Sayed Jaber Alboshoka, his brother Sayed Mokhtar Alboshoka, and teachers Hashem Sha’bani Amouri and Hadi Rashidi – are activists for Iran’s minority Arabic-speaking Ahwazi population, which faces discrimination by the central government. In the early 2000s, the men started an organization called al-Hiwar (“Dialogue” in Arabic) to promote Arab culture in the province of Khuzestan in south west Iran.

But after violent protests broke out in Khuzestan in April 2005, the authorities responded with a crackdown on Ahwazis, and revoked the permit of al-Hiwar. Forced underground, the five men reportedly started collecting information on human rights abuses against Ahwazis and spreading it outside of Iran.

After years of harassment by the security services, the five men were finally arrested in early 2011, a few months before the anniversary of the April 2005 protests, when tensions often run high in Khuzestan.

They were initially held in an unspecified location without access to lawyers or contact with their family members. There are reports that several of them were tortured in custody.

Two of the men – Hashem Sha’bani Amouri and Hadi Rashidi – then appeared on the Iranian state TV channel PressTV in December 2011 and were seen “confessing” to national security “offences” including – in the case of Hadi Rashidi – participation in an attack on four officials. But it was more than another six months before they faced trial. All five were sentenced to death after convictions of “enmity against God” and ” corruption on earth”.

Kamil Alboshoka, 29, grew up with the five men, two of whom are his cousins and the other three close friends. In 2006, he fled Iran for London where he has become an outspoken campaigner for the right of Ahwazis.

“It was very difficult to see Hashem and Hadi on TV, confessing to something I know they did not do. I know that the authorities in Iran use the death penalty against Ahwazi Arabs to suppress us,” he said.

Mockery of justice
In Iran, death row inmates can be executed at short notice, and there is no need for the authorities to inform the families prior to the execution. Kamil has been badly affected by the stress of knowing that his friends and cousins – handed death sentences in July 2012 – could be killed any day.

“I have not had a balanced life since July. I have had problems sleeping and I can’t concentrate. I even had to postpone my university exams because I wasn’t able to study,” he said.

“But I know that it is even worse for the families who still live in Iran. Some of their parents have suffered heart attacks. Mohammad Ali’s father can barely speak anymore.”

In March 2013 the five men started a hunger strike in protest against their death sentences, as well as against the torture they say they have been subjected to in custody.

“Making someone ‘confess’ to their crimes on national television before their trial has even started makes a mockery of international fair trial standards,” said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“The trial of these five men was grossly unfair. We and other human rights organizations have been campaigning for their death sentences to be overturned and for them to be granted a retrial which complies fully with international fair trial standards.”

“And allegations of torture – sadly an all too common occurrence in Iran – must be investigated independently with anyone found responsible for abuses brought to justice.”

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IRANIAN HUNGER STRIKERS IN CRITICAL CONDITION

Amnesty Int., URGENT ACTION, UA: 88/13 Index: MDE 13/018/2013 Iran Date: 12 April 2013

Two men imprisoned in Adel Abad Prison in Shiraz, south-west Iran, are in critical condition after a prolonged hunger strike protesting the harsh treatment of dervishes, including lawyers, in Tehran’s Evin Prison. They have been beaten, have lost consciousness several times, and are being kept alive by intravenous drips in prison.

Saleh Moradi and Kasra Nouri, are Gonabadi dervishes from the Nemattolah Gonabadi order, one of Iran’s largest Sufi orders. They started a “wet” hunger strike (taking water but not food) on 15 January in protest at the illegal transfer of seven dervishes, including lawyers, imprisoned without trial, to solitary confinement in Tehran’s Evin Prison. On 21 March, both men intensified their protest by entering into a “dry” hunger strike (refusing water as well as food). They have reportedly each lost 35 kilos and are thought to be in critical condition. A source close to the men said that on 25 March, prison security officials and officials from the Ministry of Intelligence bound their hands and feet and force-fed them bread in an attempt to break their hunger strike. This was reportedly filmed by the authorities to ‘prove’ they had ended their hunger strike. On 1 April, Kasra Nouri was transferred to a Ministry of Intelligence facility and reportedly severely beaten before being taken back to Adel Abad Prison. Both men have been moved to the prison infirmary where they are receiving fluids through intravenous drips.

Saleh Moradi, journalist and a manager of Majzooban-e Nour website (a Sufi news agency that reports on human rights violations against dervishes) and Kasra Nouri, a network member of the website, were detained in September 2011 and January 2012 respectively, during a wave of arrests of Gonabadi dervishes. They were arrested in connection with their activism and accused of “spreading propaganda against the system” and “acting against national security” but have yet to stand trial. They have been denied access to lawyers since their arrest.

Please write immediately in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities to allow Saleh Moradi and Kasra Nouri regular access to adequate medical care from medical professionals acting in accordance with medical ethics, including in civilian hospitals with specialized facilities, and not to coerce them to end their hunger strike, and to ensure that they are treated humanely at all times and not punished in any way for their hunger strike;

Calling on them to release the men unless they are to be promptly charged with internationally recognizable criminal offences and tried according to international fair trial standards and to immediately grant them access to lawyers of their choosing;

Urging them to investigate allegations that they were tortured. Anyone found responsible for abuses should be brought to justice in accordance with international fair trial standards.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 23 MAY 2013 TO:

Governor of Adel Abad Prison

Ghassemi Eskandari

Adel Abad Prison

Shahrak-e-Shahid Motahhari

Edalat Boulevard

Shiraz

Iran

Salutation: Dear Sir

Head of Judiciary in Fars Province

Doctor Khodaiyan

Shohada Square

Central Judicial Compound

Shiraz

Fars Province

Email: khodaiyan@dadfars.ir

Salutation: Dear Sir

And copies to:

Secretary General High Council for Human Rights

Mohammed Javad Larijani
c/o Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave

South of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: larijani@ipm.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION

IRANIAN HUNGER STRIKERS IN CRITICAL CONDITION

ADditional Information

Kasra Nouri and Saleh Moradi were both detained during a wave of arrests when over 60 Gonabadi dervishes were detained in the Iranian cities of Kavar, Shiraz and Tehran between September 2011 and January 2012. On 10 September 2011 Saleh Moradi was arrested by security officers during a raid on his home in Shiraz, Fars Province, south-west Iran. Security officials presented no arrest warrant at the time but transferred him to the Shiraz Ministry of Intelligence Detention Centre, known simply as No.100, where he was reportedly tortured for two months until he was transferred to Adel Abad Prison. Kasra Nouri was arrested on 11 January 2012 but released on 26 February after making a bail payment of 500 million Rial ($14,164 at the time of writing). He was re-arrested on 14 March 2012 and reportedly held incommunicado in the Shiraz Ministry of Intelligence detention centre before being transferred to Adel Abad Prison. His family were not informed of his whereabouts and were only permitted to visit him four weeks after his arrest.

On 9 April 2013, the Head of Adel Abad Prison, Ali Mozafari, visited Kasra Nouri and Saleh Moradi in the prison infirmary, hugged them, and broke down in tears. He immediately resigned from his position in protest, stating that it was beyond his powers to alter their “unjust” situation. He has since been replaced by Ghassemi Eskandari.

The men are on hunger strike in protest at the deteriorating health and illegal transfer of seven dervishes, lawyers and managers of Majzooban-e Nour website from Tehran’s Evin Prison’s general ward, Section 350, to solitary confinement in Section 209, which is under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence. The seven dervishes, four of whom are lawyers, Afshin Karampour, Amir Eslami, Farshid Yadollahi, and Mostafa Daneshjoo, and three others, Hamid-Reza Moradi Sarvestani, Omid Behroozi, and Reza Entesari, were all detained around the same time in September 2011. Since their arrests, formal charges have not been brought against the men but they have been accused of “spreading propaganda against the system” and “acting against national security”. Despite this, in January 2013, Judge Abolghasem Salavati from Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court summoned them to court. The men complained about the illegality of their imprisonment and the lack of due process in their case and refused to take part in a trial when they were summoned. In a punitive act, the authorities transferred the men from the general ward to solitary confinement. Under international law, individuals must be promptly charged and brought before a court to hear their charges.

Members of religious minorities in Iran, including dervish communities, suffer discrimination, harassment, arbitrary detention, and attacks on community property. Gonabadi dervishes, who in Iran consider themselves to be Shi’a Muslims, have faced rising harassment in recent years. The arrests in September 2011 followed weeks of rising tension after the Supreme Leader gave a speech in Qom, the main centre for religious study, denouncing “false mysticism” and encouraging his audience to speak to the public about the “dangers” of religious minorities in Iran, including Sufis (see UA: 280/11 Index: MDE 13/080/2011, http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/080/2011/en).

Several prominent clerics in Iran have issued fatwas attacking Sufis. Ayatollah Lankarani said in 2006 that Sufis were “misleading Iranian youth” and that “any contact with them was forbidden”. Hundreds were arrested in Qom in February 2006 following protests over the destruction of their place of worship (hosseinieh); see UA 43/06 (Index: MDE 13/018/2006, http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/018/2006/en). Hosseiniehs in other towns and cities have been destroyed or closed. At least four teachers were dismissed from their employment in 2008 on account of their participation in Sufi practices. In October 2008, seven were arrested in Esfahan, and five in Karaj, near Tehran, apparently on account of their affiliation to the order.

Name: Kasra Nouri and Saleh Moradi

Gender m/f: m

UA: 88/13 Index: MDE 13/018/2013 Issue Date: 12 April 2013

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Iran must release journalists detained in newspaper office raids

28 January 2013

Iran must release all journalists being held solely for carrying out their legitimate work, Amnesty International urged after at least 14 reporters were arrested in the past three days amid police raids on newspaper offices.

The journalists are reportedly accused of cooperating with “anti-revolutionary” Persian-language media organizations outside Iran.

“This latest example of locking-up Iran’s journalists is a result of draconian restrictions on reporting which violate the right to freedom of expression and must be relaxed,” said Ann Harrison, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.

“All journalists who are imprisoned in Iran merely for peacefully doing their job should be released immediately and unconditionally.”

The latest to be arrested – Keyvan Mehrgan, formerly of the newspaper Shargh, and Hossein Taghchi – were reportedly arrested today.

Security forces stormed the offices of several Tehran-based publications at the weekend, according to Iranian media. Ten journalists were arrested in five simultaneous raids on Sunday, while two were reportedly arrested on Saturday.

Security agents reportedly searched and videotaped the premises. They also searched some of the journalists’ homes. Some had phones and press permits confiscated.

The arrests reportedly took place after warrants were issued by the Court of Media and Culture.

The journalists arrested on Sunday have been transferred to an unknown location while the two detained on Saturday were reportedly taken to Evin Prison.

The latest series of arrests follows the return to jail of Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand, who was sent back to Evin Prison on Friday after being released on furlough for medical treatment in December 2012.

Kaboudvand, who is in poor health, is serving a 10-and-a-half-year sentence imposed for his journalism and human rights work. It was the first time he has been allowed furlough since his arrest in 2007.

Journalists in Iran face numerous restrictions on their legitimate work, which includes peaceful criticism of the authorities and reporting on human rights issues.

Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mohammad Hosseini, said today that the arrests of the journalists are unrelated to their work.

However, last week Prosecutor General Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei seemed to forewarn of the sweep, saying at a 21 January press conference: “Tomorrow, if any of these individuals is arrested for a criminal act, you…will scream and yell, whereas unbeknown to you that individual was the mouthpiece of the enemy.”

He also said that, according to “reliable sources”, several Iranian journalists in the country were working with westerners and “anti-revolutionaries”.

The publications targeted over the weekend are Bahar, Shargh, Arman, Etemad, Aseman Weekly and the Iranian Labour News Agency. The pro-government Tabnak news website has also been suspended.

“It appears that the journalists targeted are victims of the government’s paranoia about what they claim is a ‘soft revolution’ orchestrated by Western governments,” said Harrison.

“Sadly, this is nothing new. Many media workers face constant harassment and intimidation by the authorities, who react ruthlessly to the slightest whiff of criticism.”

Dozens of journalists have been harassed, detained and imprisoned in recent years and detainees’ families have also been harassed or temporarily detained.

Many of those arrested solely because of their peaceful professional activities before and after the disputed June 2009 election remain in prison, often held in poor conditions.

“The welcome news last week that four imprisoned journalists had been granted temporary release should not have been used as an excuse to fill their places with yet more journalists,” said Harrison.

“All journalists held solely for their legitimate work must be released immediately and unconditionally as they are prisoners of conscience.”

Background

The names of those arrested on Sunday and Monday are: Akbar Montajebi (Aseman Weekly), Emily Amraei (Bahar newspaper), Motahareh Shafie and Narges Joudaki (Arman newspaper), Pouria Alemi and Pejman Mousavi (Shargh newspaper), Sassan Aghaei, Javad Deliri and Nasrin Takhiri (Etemad newspaper), Saba Azarpeik, Keyvan Mehrgan, (Shargh), and Hossein Taghchi.

Milad Fadai Asl, the political editor of Iranian Labour News Agency and Soleyman Mohammadi, a reporter from the reformist Bahar newspaper, were reportedly arrested by security forces on Saturday night and taken to Tehran’s Evin prison.

Sassan Aghaei has been previously arrested a number of times, including in 2002 when he was arrested in connection with holding an illegal gathering marking the anniversary of 1999 student demonstrations which were brutally repressed by security forces. Milad Fadai Asl was arrested in December 2009 and sentenced to a one-year prison sentence after conviction of “spreading propaganda against the system”.

Shargh newspaper has been banned several times in the past, including for nearly three years between August 2007 and April 2010. It was banned again for three months in September 2012 after publishing a cartoon some officials deemed offensive to veterans of the Iran-Iraq war.

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A Brief Report on Human Rights Situation in Iran in Shahrivar 1391[August- September 2012]

Sat 22 09 2012

Shirin Ebadi, Human Rights Defenders and Nobel Laureate, has reviewed the human rights situation in Iran in Shahrivar 1391 [August-September 2012], in continuation of her monthly reports. According to the website of the Centre for the Defenders of Human Rights [CDHR], in the first section of her report, Mrs Ebadi highlights the state of education and teachers, as well as university-related matters in Iran, such as enforcement of the gender segregation policy and its consequences.

Therefore, in her report, Dr. Ebadi draws the attention of the officials in charge to the cultural rights of citizens, and emphasizes the need to remove the difficulties and obstacles they are facing in that regard. She reaffirms that the restrictions imposed on a number of Iranian citizens owing to their gender, religion or economic difficulties are in contravention of Iran’s international obligations in the sphere of human rights.

The human rights activist continues her report by examining the human rights situation under three categories: “civil and political rights”, economic and social rights”, “cultural heritage and environment”. Mrs Ebadi concludes her report, which will appear in both English and Persian, by drawing the attention of the Iranian authorities to the cultural rights of Iranian citizens, and the need to remove obstacles and difficulties in the sphere of education. Under the “civil and political rights” section, the report highlights the arrest of 48 political and civil rights activists who were summoned by prison authorities to start their sentences. The report also refers to another instance of human rights abuse, i.e. punishment of the relatives of political prisoners who attempt to inform the public about the plight of their imprisoned family members. The report also describes the economic situation, including the 60% increase in residential property rents together with examples of non-payment of workers’ wages. Discovery of Iranian-manufactured anti-tank mines on the borders of Iran and Afghanistan is yet another instance mentioned in this report, on account of its detrimental effect on the environment. The report goes on to mention that seven individuals have been executed and another 18 have been handed down the death penalty.
The following is the text of Mrs Ebadi’s report for Shahrivar 1391, which is s published on 1 Mehr [22 September]
A Brief Report on Human Rights Situation in Iran in Shahrivar 1391[August- September 2012]
Introduction
This report is published at a time when the school year has just started and reports received from Iran reflect the violation of human rights in the cultural field. According to a report published by the World Economic Forum, Iran has been ranked 94 amongst 144 countries for the quality of the educational system. Iran’s rank is 117 in relation to schools’ access to Internet. Taking into consideration the young population of Iran and the financial resources available to the government, these statistics indicate the education officials’ disregard for educational matters.
In the coming academic year, 36 universities have closed 77 academic fields to women and a gender segregation policy has been implemented in some colleges. Jafar Tofighi, the former minister of science, research and technology, has referred to the gender segregation policy as a security and military project.
The enforcement of gender segregation policy in a number of high schools in rural areas has led to the closure of the girls’ section of these schools. As a result, a number of girls have been deprived of education.
A number of Iranian teachers are in prison, and three of them have received death sentences. Dozens of teachers have also been arrested or dismissed from their jobs simply for demanding their professional rights or protesting about their economic difficulties. To support of these teachers, a campaign has been launched by a number of cultural activists to attract the public’s attention to the plight and difficulties of this stratum of society.
Hence, the reports on human rights situation in Iran in Shahrivar 1391, which have been taken from various newspapers and websites, will appear in both English and Persian in three sections, upon verification of the sources.

Human Rights Situation in Iran in Shahrivar 1391
Section 1: Political and Civil Rights
A) Situation of Nonconformist Political-Social Activists
1. Forty-eight individuals were arrested this month. Some of them were released on bail after several days. The following are among those who have been arrested: Rashid Esmaeili, a member of the policy council of Advar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat Organization, Jamal Sheykhi, Hamed Sheykhi, Mehran Molaveysi and Soleyman Mahmudiyan, all citizens of Saghez, Hashem Hossien Panahi, a Sunni activist from Kurdistan Province, Hossein Yazdi, a reformist political activist and Maryam Salehi, a university student in Tehran, Vahed Kholusi, Shayan Vahdati, Shima Ghusheh, Mishagh Afshar, Vahid Rohani, Maziyar Esmaeil Pur, Morteza Esmaeil Pur, Hamidreza Mosibiyan, Ali Mohammadi, Mohsen Saemi, Masood Vafabakhsh, Human Taheri, Daniyal Hosseini, Nafiseh Shahidfar, Bahram Shojaei, Mohammad Arjomandi Rad, Esmaeil Salmanpur, Baghban Bashi, Nargess Kheyrollahi, Mehdi Salehi, Behruz Alavi, Milad Panahi Pur, Sepehrdad Saheban, Esmaeil Rafati, Amir Ronaghi, Zahra Fayaz, Jaefar Gholami, Kiyana Karimpur, Farnaz Ahmadzadeh, Artemis Varzandeh, Mehrnaz Ahmadzadeh, Amin Ronaghi, Reyhaneh Hesami, Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki (father of Hossein Ronaghi Maleki), Ali Taghdiri, Amir Kalhor, Sepehrdad Saheban and Sadegh Rezaei Giglvar, and two student activists, Saeid Shirzad and Saeid Aghapur.
2. Babak Maghaze, a civil rights activist, was summoned to the press bureau of the Intelligence Office in Hamedan in connection with organizing a committee to help the victims of East Azarbayejan’s earthquake. He has also been barred from carrying out any further activities related to the earthquake.
3. Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, a blogger who was previously sentenced to 15 years imprisonment but was out of prison on sick leave due to kidney problem, was beaten, arrested and taken back to prison when he travelled to Azerbaijan to help victims of the earthquake. Since his medical treatment has not been completed, he remains very ill and his physical condition reported poor by his family.
4. Shiva Nazar Ahari reported to prison to serve her four-year prison term. Jila Bani Yaghub, journalist and women’s rights activist, sentenced to a one-year prison term, was also summoned to Evin Prison to serve her term. Amin Chalaki, campaign manager for Mir Hossein Moosavi’s 2009 presidential campaign in the town of Saveh, was transferred to Evin Prison to serve his four-year term. Sorush Sabet, a student’s rights activist was taken to prison to serve his two years prison term. Mohammad Yusefpoor-Seyfi, a civil rights activist, was transferred to Evin Prison to serve his five-and-a-half-year imprisonment. Amir Garshasebi, a student rights activist, was also summoned to prison to commence his three-year sentence. Lava Khanjani, a Baha’i citizen who was barred from continuing with her studies, was also taken to prison to serve her two-year sentence.
5. Nasim Soltan Beygi, student activist in Alameh Tabatabaei University and Isa Faridi, social activist, were summoned to Evin Prison to start their prison terms. Abolfazl Ghadyani, a 67 year-old prisoner was summoned to Evin Prison to receive his 40 lashes.
6. Navid Khanjani, a Baha’i citizen who had already been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and his verdict had been upheld, was arrested and reported to the prison authorities to commence his term, when he went to Azarbayejan to help the victims of the earthquake.
7. Samin Ehsani, activist for children’s rights, has been sentenced to five years in prison. Mr. Nosrat Tabasi, a Gonabadi dervish, was sentenced to six months imprisonment and four years and six months of suspended jail term. Behnam and Bahram Jaefari were each been sentenced to a cash fine of 5,000,000 Rials. Omid Rezaei, student activist in Gilan University, was handed down an eight-month prison term. Mohammad Amin Ghaderzadeh, who has been in prison for more than seven months on a security-related charge, was sentenced to four-year imprisonment. Zaniyar Ghaderzadeh, son of Mohammad Amin, was also given a one-and-a-half-year prison term. The Court of Appeal upheld Kohyar Godarzi’s five-year prison sentence and banishment to Zabol Prison. Anisa Dehghani, Keyvan Dehghani and Sanaz Tafazoli, all Baha’i citizens, were each sentenced to six-months prison terms.
8. Mohammad Tavassoli, member of the Iran’s Freedom Movement, was summoned to the Revolutionary Court for a case, which had been dismissed previously. Behzad Nabavi, member of the Islamic Revolution Mojahedin Organization of Iran, who is currently in jail, was summoned to the court and interrogated for a new case.
9. Ruzbeh Hossein Tehrani, a released prisoner, although ranked 16 in the entrance exam for a masters’ degree in 1391 [2012], was barred from study for a third consecutive year.
10. Seyyed Morad Fathi was summoned to the Intelligence Office in Kurdistan Province.
11. Another instance of human rights violation is unfair punishment of the relatives of political prisoners who attempt to inform the public about the plight of their imprisoned family members. Shahnaz Sogand, wife of Ali Nejati, an imprisoned worker, was put on trial because she had given an interview about her husband’s predicament. Maryam Alangi, wife of Mohsen Dogmeh Chi, a political prisoner who had died in prison in March 2012 whilst serving a 10-year prison term, was handed down a three-year prison term for granting interviews about her husband. Her sentence has been upheld. Zahra (Mahbubeh) Mansuri, sister of Mohammad Ali Mansuri, political prisoner, was convicted to a two-year prison term and five years suspended imprisonment. Mohammad Hatam, father of Siavush Hatam, a student rights activist, was detained for several hours after his house was searched.
12. The condition of several prisoners of conscience was reported as poor. The Tehran prosecutor refused Ebrahim Babaei Zeydi, who had sustained injuries in the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, to receive treatment outside prison.
B) Situation Regarding Books, Media, Writers and Journalists
1. Ahmad Nur Mohamamdi Abadchi, a critic and blogger, was arrested in Ahvaz.
2. Mohammad Safar Lafuti, a Journalist, was given a five-year suspended prison term, in addition to a five-year ban from cooperating with or becoming a member of political parties and groups, and from engagement in any media and press activities.
3. Keyvan Samimi and Masood Bastani, both journalist held in Rajaei Shahr Prison, were put in solitary confinement in Ward One of that prison for several days. Isa Saharkhiz, an imprisoned journalist who was in hospital owing to his illness, was returned to Ward 209 of Evin Prison half way through his treatment. In protest at the illegal nature of his case and the authorities’ refusal to allow him to see his family, Saharkhiz refused to take his medication. As a result, his health deteriorated and he was once again admitted to hospital. .
4. Shahoo Hosseini, journalist, and Mohammad Khakpur, an Azarbayejani cultural rights’ activist, were summoned to court.
5. “Siavushan”, a quarterly analytical publication whose editor-in-chief is Hossein Mujtahid, was banned. “Avaye Salmas”, a weekly magazine edited by Ali Mohamamdi Irvanlu, was also banned.
6. The court sessions of editors-in-chief of “Asr-e Iran” website and “Khaneh” magazine were held. Morteza Shah Karami, editor-in-chief of Bamdad newspaper, was charged.
7. Performance of a play called “Drought and Lie” was cancelled in Shiraz. The performance permit for the play “Antigun” was likewise revoked. The authorities also prevented Mohammad Reza Lotfi from giving a concert in the town of Babolsar.
8. The “Cheshmeh” bookstore in Qazvin, which belongs to Ali Khoshgavari and Mohtaram Rahmani, was shut down.
9. The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance issued a directive prohibiting the press from releasing any negative reports during the Non Aligned Movement summit in Tehran. The directive included bans on reports concerning predictions or warnings about earthquakes, land subsidence in roads, power outages, as well as news about murders, assaults and robberies.
10. Some of the Iranian state media agencies changed the statement of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran. The translation of Mohammed Mursi’s address, as broadcast on the national TV of the Islamic Republic of Iran, differed from his original presentation.
11.Tehran’s prosecutor refused to grant leave to Mr. Moghiseh, an imprisoned journalist, to attend the wedding of his son.
c) Other Instances of Human Rights Abuse
1. The 15 Khordad Foundation, affiliated to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, added a half million dollar to the prize for the killing of Salman Rushdie.
2. The executions in the month of Shahrivar are yet another instance of human rights abuse. Based on reports by government websites and news agencies, the following individuals were either executed or handed down the death penalty [in Shahrivar]: Naser Jalili, Behram Nabavi, Hossein Taghiyan, Kazem Esfehani and Sajad Sadegh Zadeh, were executed. The Prosecutor-General announced that they were charged with possession and storage of drugs. Sadegh Moradi in Tehran and “H. A” in Shahrud were executed in public. According to the state media, they had been charged with rape. Meanwhile, the Chief Justice of Isfahan declared that a death sentence was handed down to an individual in Khomeini Shahr, situated in Isfahan province. And the head of Naja’s anti-narcotics police announced that 11 people had been sentenced to death. He described the charges against them as production, procurement, and trafficking of industrial narcotics.
In a famous financial case, Mah Afarid Khosravi, Mr. B. B, the legal advisor of Mah Afraid, Mr. A. Sh, financial manager of Amir Mansur Arya investment company, and Mr. S. K, the head of the Saderat Bank, were sentenced to death. Saman Nasim and Mansur Arvand who are in prison more that one year, were sentences to death. According to the official state news agencies, they were charged with moharebeh through cooperation with enemies of the government.
3. Some high schools will be closed in Buyer Ahmad Province owing to the implementation of the gender segregation policy in rural high schools. Shahid Arjomand high school in Azizi village and Silarestan high school in Ludab are amongst those schools that will be closed.
4. The public security police in Qazvin sealed 15 trade units and issued another eight with written notice for what they claimed to be non-observance of Islamic norms.
5. Siavush Turi, a 40-year-old man from Maragheh who was kept in Ward Three of Zahedan Prison, suffered a heart attack and died owing to the appalling prison conditions.
6. According to the latest statistics announced by the Iran Statistics Center, approximately 16% of the population over the age 15 are illiterate and 25% have primary education, which means that half of Iran’s population is illiterate or semi-literate.
Section 2: Economic and Social Rights
1. Iran Statistics Centre has reported a 60% increase in residential property rents.
2. Due to the bad economic conditions and shortages of raw materials, mainly because of adverse economic management and political sanctions, many workers have not been paid their overdue salaries for several months. According to Gallup, only nine percent of the adult population have a full time job. Moreover, 700 workers in the textile mill of Mazandaran including Talar, Guni Bafi, Tabarestan factories have not received any salaries for more that 25 months. Similarly, 27 workers of “Abre- Sanati of Iran” factory have not received any salaries for more than 19 months.
3. Two hundred temporary contract workers of the Ize City Council and 140 workers of “Ferro Alyaj” factory have lost their jobs following the completion of their contract. More than 280 workers of “Keysun” factory, Ahvaz urban railway contractor, were sent on forced leave indefinitely due to financial troubles. “Gharj Malard” company has dismissed 360 workers out of the total number of 430 workers.
4. Farzad Ahmadi, a worker’s rights activist, was sentenced to a four-month prison term.
5. The physical condition of imprisoned workers in Iran continues to be reported as poor. For instance, Mohammad Jarahi had problem in his neck and according to doctor a sample should be taken to detect the disease. The prison authorities have disagreed and only permitted a CT scan to be taken. Evin prison officials and Tehran’s prosecutor have not agreed to grant Reza Shahabi sick leave, despite the infection developed following surgery.
Section 3: Cultural Heritage and Environment
Reports concerning cultural heritage and environment in the month of Shahrivar also serve to indicate the unfavourable situation in those sectors.

1. More that 70% of Lake Orumiyeh has dried up. In other words, some 300,000 hectares of its total area has turned into salt marsh. This indicates the Lake’s deteriorating condition. The volume of water in the reservoir of “Zayandehrood” River at the beginning of the current water year (September- October 2012) has dropped 53 percent compared with the same period last year. Lorestan Province, especially Khoramabad despite being one of the highest rainfall areas of the country, has encountered water shortage owing to mismanagement. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused the country’s enemies of enacting a sinister plan to create a drought through cloud seeding.
2. The biggest bas-relief of Iran, in Firuzabad, is on the verge of collapse due to severe corrosion.
3. Twenty rings of anti-tank mines made in Iran were discovered on the borders of Iran and Afghanistan. This suggests that the Iranian government has attempted to manufacture and sell mines, although, this is prohibited under the Ottawa Convention.
4. Two thousand hectares of the Golestan National Park’s land were removed from the protected area.
Conclusion
At the end of this report, and to mark the beginning of the school year, I would like to draw the attention of the officials in charge to the cultural rights of citizens, and the difficulties and obstacles they are facing in practicing their rights. I would like to reaffirm that access to education is one of the fundamental human rights. The restrictions imposed on some Iranian citizens owing to their gender, religion or economic situation are in contradiction of Iran’s international obligations in respect of f human rights principles. The authorities should take into account that in a country where, according to statistics, half of the population are illiterate or semi-literate, it would be impossible to achieve sustainable development.
Shirin Ebadi
Human Rights Defendant and 2003 Nobel Laureate
22 September 2012

Note: For further information regarding the above reports, please refer to the following news websites: Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), Fars news agency, Mehr news agency, Young Journalists Club news agency, CDHR website, JARAS, Committee of Human Rights Reporters, Nedaye Azadi, Baztab, HRANA, Ghanoon, Kaleme, Mohebbat News, Sunni Online, International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Majzooban-e Noor, Melli Mazhabi, Nedaye Sabze Azadi, Radio Zamaneh, Radio Farda and BBC.

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DOCUMENT – IRAN TV “CONFESSIONS” BREACH SUSPECTS’ RIGHTS

UA: 258/12 Index: MDE 13/062/2012 Iran

Amnesty International
10 September 2012
URGENT ACTION

Iranian businessman Mazyar Ebrahimi and 11 others have been held incommunicado since their arrest in June 2012. On 6 August the five women and seven men appeared on Iranian state television “confessing” to the killing of five Iranian nuclear scientists and academics since 2010. Amnesty International fears they could face the death penalty.

On 12 June Mazyar Ebrahimi, founder of a cinema and television production company in Iraqi Kurdistan, was arrested in Tehran by Ministry of Intelligence security forces for “reasons of national security”. His family have not been informed of his whereabouts since and their requests for contact have been refused. Mazyar Ebrahimi has not been allowed a lawyer of his choosing since his arrest because his case is still “under investigation”.

On 6 August, Iranian state television channel IRTV1 broadcast a 39-minute documentary called “Terror Club” showing the alleged “confessions” of Mazyar Ebrahimi and 11 other men and women also arrested in June 2012 for involvement in the killings of five Iranian nuclear scientists and academics since 2010. The group said they had received weeks of military and intelligence training in Israel before carrying out the assassinations in Iran. The documentary did not show any evidence to support these claims, nor did it state whether they have been tried. Another man who appeared in the documentary, Majid Jamali Fashi, was executed earlier on 15 May 2012. He had also appeared in an earlier broadcast in January 2011, aired before his trial in August 2011.

The use of televised “confessions” grievously undermines defendants’ right to a fair trial, in particular the presumption of innocence and the right not to be compelled to confess guilt and are particularly disturbing in cases like this one where defendants are accused of crimes which could lead to their being sentenced to death and executed. Those accused of crimes must be treated in accordance with international human rights law and must receive trials that comply with the most rigorous internationally recognized standards for fair trial, and without recourse to the death penalty.

Please write immediately in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:

Call on the Iranian authorities to ensure that Mazyar Ebrahimi and the other 11 detainees have immediate access to their families and lawyers of their choosing and are protected from torture or other ill-treatment;

Call on them to ensure that all 12 suspects receive fair trials in accordance with international human rights law, without recourse to the death penalty, and reminding the authorities that televised “confessions” violate Articles 14 (2) and (3g) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Iran is a state party.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 22 OCTOBER 2012 TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid

Keshvar Doust Street,

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info_leader@leader.ir

Twitter: @khamenei_ir

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani

[care of] Public Relations Office

Number 4, 2 Azizi Street

Vali Asr Ave, above Pasteur Street intersection

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Secretary General High Council for

Human Rights

Mohammed Javad Larijani

c/o Office of the Head of the Judiciary

Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave

South of Serah-e Jomhouri

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir

(Subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad

Larijani)

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION

IRAN TV “Confessions” breach suspects’ rights

ADditional Information

Majid Jamali Fashi, was executed on 15 May 2012 following a “confession” made on an earlier broadcast on Iranian state television in January 2011. He was arrested in January 2010 and charged with assassinating Tehran University professor, Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, who had been killed by a bomb earlier that month.

The 11 other detainees who appear, in the documentary, to make “confessions” to the killings are: Behzad Abdoli; Firouz Yeganeh; Maryam Zargar; Ramtin Mahdavi Moshayi; Arash Kheyratgir; Maryam Izadi; Fouad Faramarzi; Nashmin Zareh; Mohsen Sedeghi-Azad; Ayoub Moslem; and Tara Bagheri. In August 2012, Iranian state television reported that 20 people have reportedly been arrested in connection with the killings but only 12 appeared to make “confessions” in the TV documentary.

Televised “confessions” have repeatedly been used by the authorities to incriminate individuals in custody. Many have later retracted these “confessions”, stating that they were coerced to make them, sometimes under torture or other ill-treatment.

Amnesty International is concerned that Mazyar Ebrahimi and the other 11 detainees have been held in incommunicado detention since June 2012, without access to their relatives or to lawyers. Incommunicado detention facilitates torture or other ill-treatment which may be used to coerce a detainee into making a “confession” which may subsequently be used as evidence in court. Prolonged incommunicado detention can itself amount to torture.

Access to a lawyer from the outset of detention is essential to ensuring a fair trial. International fair trial standards require that anyone accused of a serious crime has access to a lawyer not only during the trial itself, but also immediately on arrest and throughout all subsequent proceedings, in particular in cases of offences carrying the death penalty.

Amnesty International urges the Iranian authorities to end immediately their practice of broadcasting “confessions” and other incriminating testimonies obtained from individuals who may have yet to stand trial. Such practice constitutes a gross breach of detainees’ right to a fair trial and of Iran’s obligations under international human rights law. Article 14 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party, states that “Everyone charged with a criminal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to the law”, while Article 14 (3g) states that everyone has the right “not to be compelled to testify against himself or to confess guilt”.

In Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s TV “confession” broadcast on 11 August 2010, she appeared to implicate herself in the murder of her husband. She is facing execution by stoning for “adultery while married”.

On December 13, 2011, two members of Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority, Hashem Sha’bani Amouri and Hadi Rashidi, were featured in a programme aired by Iran’s state-controlled television station, Press TV, in which they appeared to “confess” to having carried out “terrorist activities”. Subsequently, on 7 July 2012, both men were sentenced by Branch 2 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court after conviction of charges including the vaguely-worded offences of “enmity against God and corruption on earth” (moharebeh va ifsad fil-arz), “gathering and colluding against state security” and “spreading propaganda against the system”.

Another Ahwazi Arab man, Taha Heidarian, was shown in the same programme making a “confession” in connection with the killing of a law enforcement official in April 2011 amidst widespread protests in Khuzestan. On or around 19 June 2012, he and three other Ahwazi Arab men were executed in Karoun Prison, according to activists close to the family, after apparently being convicted by a Revolutionary Court of “enmity against God and corruption on earth” in connection with the killing.

Name: Mazyar Ebrahimi, Majid Jamali Fashi

Gender m/f: Mazyar Ebrahimi (M); Majid Jamali Fashi (M); other detainees are male and female

UA: 258/12 Index: MDE 13/062/2012 Issue Date: 10 September 2012

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Iran must release prisoner of conscience Zhila Bani-Yaghoub

12 July 2012

Amnesty International
4 September 2012

“

The Iranian authorities must relax unlawful restrictions on them and release all journalists held solely for their journalism and human rights work.

”

Source:

Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Deputy Programme Director for Middle East and North Africa.

The Iranian authorities must release prisoner of conscience Zhila Bani-Yaghoub, an award-winning journalist and women’s rights activist, Amnesty International said.

The call came after Bani-Yaghoub, the editor of the Focus on Iranian Women website, was summoned to Evin Prison on 2 September 2012 to serve a one-year prison sentence.

In addition to her imprisonment, she has been banned from media and journalistic activities for 30 years after conviction of “spreading propaganda against the system” and “insulting the president”.

“The Iranian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Zhila Bani-Yaghoub, who is a prisoner of conscience held solely for peacefully exercising her rights to freedom of expression and allow her to resume her profession,” said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Deputy Programme Director for Middle East and North Africa.

“Journalists in Iran face numerous restrictions on their legitimate work, including peaceful criticism of the authorities and reporting on human rights. The Iranian authorities must relax unlawful restrictions on them and release all journalists held solely for their journalism and human rights work”.

Bani-Yaghoub had previously been tried and acquitted of similar charges on three occasions and in April 2011 was further charged with “having a personal blog without any authorization from government authorities”.

She was awarded the 2009 Courage in Journalism prize by the International Women’s Media Foundation in 2009 and the Freedom of Speech Award from Reporters Without Borders in 2010.

Bani-Yaghoub, whose husband, Bahman Ahmadi Amou’i (or Amouie), was editor at the business daily paper Sarmayeh before he was imprisoned, was arrested alongside her husband in 2009 shortly after the controversial presidential victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

She was released two months later, but her husband remained in prison where he is serving a five-year prison sentence after conviction of “gathering and colluding with intent to harm national security”, “spreading propaganda against the system”, “disrupting public security” and “insulting the president”.

On 26 June 2012, Bahman Ahmadi Amou’i was transferred from Evin Prison to Raja’i Shahr Prison where he is held in “internal exile” and was not allowed family visits for the first 50 days.

Amnesty International has also repeatedly called on the Iranian authorities to immediately release other prisoners of conscience, including journalist and political activist Isa Saharkhiz, who was detained without charge or trial for more than a year before being sentenced in September 2010 to three years’ imprisonment for “insulting the country’s leadership” and “propaganda against the system”.

In August 2011 he was sentenced to an additional two years in prison in connection with his previous activities as a journalist, increasing his prison term to five years.

Isa Saharkhiz is in poor health and spent the last six months in hospital.

On 28 August 2012 he was moved from hospital to Section 209 of Evin Prison, reported to be run by the Ministry of Intelligence.

He started a hunger strike the same day in protest against his transfer and also stopped taking his medication on 3 September 2012.

Iranian journalists face persecution

Iranian journalists expressing views contrary to those of the authorities have long been persecuted.

Dozens have been harassed, detained and imprisoned in recent years after unfair trials and many of those arrested because of their non-violent professional activities before and after the disputed June 2009 election remain in prison, often held in poor conditions,

Some are in extremely poor health, such as prisoner of conscience Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand, a journalist and member of Iran’s Kurdish minority who is serving a 10 and a half year prison term for his peaceful journalistic activities.

Some of those who have been released still remain under pressure, having been forced to make significant bail payments to secure their release.

Detainees’ families have also been harassed or temporarily detained.

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IRANIAN MAN AT RISK OF EXECUTION

12 July 2012
Amnesty International
URGENT ACTION
UA: 240/12 Index: MDE 13/058/2012 Iran Date: 10 August 2012

An Iranian man, Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani, is scheduled to be executed on 10 September, on the charge of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) for his alleged support of a banned Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI).

The family of Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani, aged 50, stated that he was told in July 2012 that his death sentence will be implemented on 10 September. Held in Tehran’s Evin Prison since July 2011, he has reportedly spent over 40 months in solitary confinement in various detention centres since his arrest in 2008, including in Section 240 of Evin Prison. After his arrest, he is alleged to have been held in a Ministry of Intelligence detention facility in Kerman, southern Iran, where he is said to have been tortured or ill-treated, reportedly after refusing to make a “confession”..

Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani was arrested in 2008 in Rafsanjan, Kerman Province, in connection with his alleged support of the pro-PMOI TV station Sima-ye Azadi (Voice of Freedom). In 2008 he was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment, three years of which were suspended. Following an appeal by the Ministry of Intelligence, the three-year suspended sentence was implemented, bringing his total sentence to 6 years actual imprisonment. Following further legal proceedings, including two retrials, he was sentenced to death after conviction of a fresh charge of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) for his alleged ties to the PMOI, which the Supreme Court confirmed on 21 April 2012.

Please write immediately in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities not to execute Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani, or anyone else sentenced to death and remind them that under international law, the death penalty can only be carried out for “the most serious crimes” which must be “intentional crimes with lethal or other extremely grave consequences;

Expressing concern that Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani did not receive a fair trial, and urging the authorities to investigate the allegations that he was tortured and to bring to justice anyone found responsible for abuses;

Calling on the authorities to make sure Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani is protected from torture and other ill-treatment; is granted all necessary medical treatment; and allowed immediate and regular contact with his lawyers and family.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 10 SEPTEMBER 2012 TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid

Keshvar Doust Street,

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info_leader@leader.ir

Twitter: “#Iran Leader

@khamenei_ir must ensure Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani is not executed”

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Tehran Judiciary

Mr Ali Reza Avaie

No. 152, corner of 17th, Before Shahid

Motahhary Ave, Sanaei Ave, Karmkhan

Zand Ave.

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: +98 21 883 26700

Salutation: Mr.

And copies to:

Secretary General High Council for Human Rights

Mohammed Javad Larijani

c/o Office of the Head of the Judicary

Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave

South of Serah-e Jomhouri

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir

(Subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION

IRANIAN MAN AT RISK OF EXECUTION

ADditional Information

In November 2009, following a new charge of “enmity against God” brought against Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court ruled that the case fell outside the court’s jurisdiction, reportedly because Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani had already been tried and sentenced for his alleged PMOI support in 2008. The Supreme Court overturned this ruling and sent the case back to Branch 26 for retrial. Following a retrial in 2010, he was sentenced to death for “enmity against God” (moharebeh). The Supreme Court overturned the death sentence and sent the case back to Branch 26 for a second time. During the second retrial, the court again sentenced Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani to death. On 21 April 2012, the Supreme Court confirmed this sentence.

Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani previously spent five years in prison, which he served in Kazeroun Prison and Adel-Abad Prison, in Fars Province, south-west Iran, from 1981 to 1986, for his alleged ties to the PMOI.

The PMOI is a banned opposition group based in Iraq which advocates the overthrow of the Iranian government. The PMOI has previously engaged in armed action against the Iranian government.

A teacher, Abdolreza Ghanbari, has also been sentenced to death for his alleged links to the PMOI. Abdolreza Ghanbari was arrested at his workplace after anti-government demonstrations took place on 27 December 2009 to mark the Ashoura religious commemorations, at the end of six months of protests following the disputed presidential election of 2009. Held in Evin Prison since his arrest, where he was reportedly tortured or otherwise ill-treated and denied access to a lawyer. Abdolreza Ghanbari was tried unfairly before Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on 30 January 2010 and sentenced to death for moharebeh (“enmity against God”) for alleged links to the PMOI. The sentence was upheld on appeal, and his request for a pardon from the Amnesty and Clemency Commission was rejected at the end of February 2012. Once his death sentence has been approved by the Head of the Judiciary, it will be sent for implementation. Others in Iran feared to be facing imminent execution after conviction of political offences are; Habibollah Golparipour, Zaniar Moradi, and Loghman Moradi (members of Iran’s Kurdish minority), Mansour Heidari, and Amir Muawi (or Mo’avi) (members of Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority); Saeed Malekpour; and Hamid Ghassemi-Shall.

The Iranian authorities resort extensively to the imposition of the death penalty, with over 600 executions reported in the country from official and unofficial sources in 2011. In November 2011, the UN Human Rights Committee, which oversees implementation of the ICCPR, expressed concern about the number of death sentences imposed and carried out in Iran in its Concluding Observations. The Committee stated that the Iranian authorities “should consider abolishing the death penalty or at least revise the Penal Code to restrict the imposition of the death penalty to only the ‘most serious crimes'”. For further information regarding the use of the death penalty in Iran in 2011, see Amnesty International: Death Sentences and Executions in 2011, (MDE ACT 50/001/2012), 27 March 2012, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ACT50/001/2012/en. So far this year, the Iranian authorities have acknowledged the execution of at least 178 people, 35 of them put to death in public. Amnesty International has received credible reports of 94 other executions which were not officially acknowledged, mostly of people convicted of drugs offences. Saeed Sedeghi is reportedly facing imminent execution after conviction of a drugs offence following an unfair trial.

Name: Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani

Gender m/f: m

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Iran must end harassment of imprisoned lawyer’s family

12 July 2012
Amnesty International

The Iranian authorities must immediately end the harassment of the family of prominent human rights lawyer and prisoner of conscience Nasrin Sotoudeh, Amnesty International said as a travel ban was imposed on Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband, Reza Khandan and their 12-year old daughter, Mehraveh Khandan.

Nasrin Sotoudeh is currently serving a six-year prison sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison on the vaguely worded charges of “spreading propaganda against the system” and “acting against national security” through membership of the Centre for Human Rights Defenders. She denies the charges.

“Imposing a travel ban on Nasrin Sotoudeh’s young daughter and her husband is a gesture, clearly intended to force her family to stop campaigning for her release,” said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“The Iranian authorities must not only lift the travel ban and stop harassing Nasrin Sotoudeh’s family but also release Nasrin Sotoudeh immediately and unconditionally, as she is a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for the peaceful expression of her beliefs and for her legitimate human rights work.”

A human rights lawyer who has represented Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi amongst others, Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested in September 2010.

She was sentenced to 11 years in prison in January 2011, but in September the sentence was reduced to six. At the same time she was also banned from leaving the country and from practising law for 20 years, reduced on appeal to 10 years.

Prison authorities have repeatedly placed her in solitary confinement and blocked her children from visiting, including in February this year, apparently because prison guards considered Mehraveh Khandan’s school uniform did not fully comply with the state-imposed dress code.

The human rights lawyer’s family have been harassed frequently in the past. In January last year, her husband Reza Khandan, who has publicly campaigned for his wife, was held overnight at Evin Prison after responding to a summons.

Khandan was questioned for about 10 minutes while blindfolded and then asked to put two of his replies in writing. He was accused of “publishing lies” and “disturbing public opinion” on account of an letter he wrote to the Prosecutor’s Office in which he complained about the conditions of detention of his wife.

He was released the following morning after a guarantee of 500 million Iranian Rials (about US$50,000 or £32,000) was provided. That sum must be paid by the guarantor if Reza Khandan fails to respond to a future summons.

“The harassment of Nasrin Sotoudeh’s family – who are standing up for her rights while she is unjustly imprisoned – is yet another sign of Iran’s overall deteriorating human rights situation,” said Ann Harrison.

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Iran urged to free prisoner of conscience on hunger strike

11 July 2012
Amnesty International

The Iranian authorities must release a journalist and prisoner of conscience who has been on hunger strike since 26 May in protest at being denied permission to visit his sick son, Amnesty International said.

Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand, a former newspaper editor and founder of the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan, is nearly half-way through a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence after having been convicted of charges relating to his journalism and human rights work.

He is being held in Tehran’s Evin Prison.

“It appears that the authorities are denying Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand the possibility to visit his ailing son in an attempt to pressure him into stopping his ongoing activism from inside prison by way of open letters to officials,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.

“Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand should not be in prison in the first place, as he is being held solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and because of his journalist and human rights work. He should be released immediately and unconditionally.”

“Further tormenting a father by denying him the right to visit his ailing son is another testament of the cruelty of the Iranian authorities”.

Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand’s son Pejman has been ill since January 2012 with an undiagnosed condition. He has been allowed only one two-and-a-half hour hospital visit with his son in February 2012.

Prison leave in Iran for family visits of this kind is permitted under the Prison Regulations, and is usually granted.

In an open letter from 27 May 2012, Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand wrote:

“The Prosecutor and the security apparatuses continue to deny [prison] leave because of their enmity, grudge and malice towards me as a human rights activist; this despite my having served half of my illegal and unjust prison sentence and my son’s incurable diseases and acute emergency situation… Therefore, to protest the illegal and inhumane behaviour of these judicial and security officials, I launch an indefinite hunger strike as of 9 PM, Saturday 26 May 2012”.

Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand’s health has also deteriorated as a result of his prolonged hunger strike. The official medical personnel and doctors have recommended he be transferred to a hospital for appropriate care.

Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand refused to be transferred as he was to be handcuffed, and he was concerned that he would be forcibly fed, including intravenously, in hospital.

He is now receiving daily injections from the prison doctors to support his weakened kidneys.

As well as his work with the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HROK), Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand was editor of weekly newspaper Payam-e Mardom-e Kordestan, which carried articles promoting the cultural, social and political rights of Iran’s Kurdish minority.

Payam-e Mardom-e Kordestan was issued with a three-year ban by Iran’s judiciary on 27 June 2004 for “disseminating separatist ideas and publishing false reports”. On appeal to the Supreme Court, this ban was lifted, though the newspaper has not re-opened since.

In July 2009, Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand appeared before Branch One of the Revolutionary Court in Mahabad, north-east Iran, on the charge of “propaganda against the system” for the publication and distribution of pamphlets about Kurdish women.

Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand reportedly told the court that “the materials printed in the pamphlet referred to in the indictment have no resemblance to the literature published by HROK. The materials brought out by HROK have the logo and the address of the organization and we can only be responsible for the materials published on the website of the organization.”

No verdict is known to have been issued in this trial.

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Iran must release imprisoned trade unionists

13 June 2012
Amnesty International
Index: MDE 13/037/2012

Introduction

On the occasion of the 101st session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) – taking place in Geneva from 30 May to 15 June 2012 – Amnesty International renews its call on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release trade unionists who have been imprisoned solely for their peaceful trade union activities in Iran. The Iranian authorities have arrested dozens of trade unionists in recent years, some of whom have been sentenced to long prison terms, and have maintained a long standing prohibition on the establishment and recognition of independent trade unions and associations.

Iran has been elected to both the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and has been elected at the current 2012 ILC to chair the Selection Committee of the ILC. Yet the Iranian authorities continue to undermine the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association, including trade union activities. Nevertheless, an active but unrecognized trade union community continues to exist in Iran, organizing protests against violations of workers rights, including the non-payment or delays in the payments of workers ‘ wages which have affected thousands of Iranian wage earners and their families in recent years.

Independent trade unions are banned in Iran. Existing Iranian law provides for two organizations that represent workers in Iran: the Islamic Labour Councils and the Assemblies of Workers ‘ Representatives (AWRs), together with their respective national coordinating bodies. However, both are government-controlled bodies: candidates standing for election to Islamic Labour Council boards are subject to discriminatory screening procedures as they must demonstrate their belief in, and practice of, Islam whilst also being faithful to the ideological basis of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Candidates may be disqualified because of their political opinions or affiliation.

Draft legislation to reform the Labour Code would, if it becomes law, continue to undermine freedom of association by prohibiting the creation of independent trade unions. Its provisions would also continue to give governmental security and intelligence bodies control over the approval of candidates permitted to stand for election to the leadership committees of workers ‘ bodies.

Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party, states that “everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests “. In November 2011, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee, which oversees implementation of the ICCPR, stated that the Iranian authorities should “ensure that the right to freedom of assembly and association is guaranteed to all individuals without discrimination, and release immediately and unconditionally anyone held solely for the peaceful exercise of this right, including […] trade unionists “.

Iran is also a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 8 of which guarantees the “right of everyone to form trade unions and join the trade union of his choice “.

As a member of the ILO, Iran has an obligation to respect, promote and to realize the principles and rights set out in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up and to strengthen its application of the fundamental rights contained in the ILO Core Conventions. This includes the right to form and join trade unions, the right to strike, and the right to collectively bargain, as contained in Conventions No 87 (1948) and No 98 (1949): Iran has yet to ratify the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention No 87 (1948) and the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention No 98 (1949). With the responsibility of membership of the ILO ‘s Governing Body comes the responsibility on Iran to uphold the highest standards of labour rights, to meet fully its obligations as a member of the ILO and to cease intimidating and imprisoning those seeking to exercise these fundamental rights.

Public May Day rallies in Iran were not permitted this year, as in previous years, as the Ministry of Interior did not grant the required permission. However, workers and others throughout Iran – including prisoners – gathered to commemorate International Workers Day on 1 May.

In Tehran and surrounding areas, workers held a number of different events. Nearly 200 workers from various Workers ‘ Mountain Climbing Groups and from different factories within Tehran province, along with their families, gathered for joint climbing events near Karaj, north-west of Tehran. In Sanandaj, Kordestan Province, north-west Iran, scores of workers – men and women -gathered on 1 May chanting, “We are workers; we are hungry ” and “Workers, workers, unite “. Security forces, arriving shortly after the rally began, dispersed the crowd, reportedly with the use of tear gas and batons. Individuals imprisoned in Section 350 of Evin Prison also celebrated May Day despite prison guards previously confiscating reading materials related to May Day.

Imprisoned Trade Unionists

Iranian trade unionists currently held as prisoners of conscience for their activism include:

1. Ali Nejati

Ali Nejati, a former leader of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company (HTSCC) Trade Union, a trade union not recognized by the Iranian government, was arrested on 12 November 2011 and taken to Dezful Prison, Khuzestan Province, to begin serving a one-year prison sentence imposed for his trade union activities. In poor health after heart surgery following a heart attack, he was granted medical leave on 7 March but was returned to prison on 8 April 2012.

2. Reza Shahabi (Zakaria)

Reza Shahabi (also known as Reza Shahabi Zakaria), the Treasurer of the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed), has been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment on vaguely worded charges relating to his trade union activities. Reza Shahabi has been detained in Evin Prison in the Iranian capital, Tehran, since June 2010. Like many other prisoners in Iran, he is believed to have been tortured in detention, including by being forced to stand for prolonged periods in stress positions, and is in poor health after numerous hunger strikes in protest at the conditions in which he is held. In around February 2012, he had complained that one side of his body was numb. However, it was not until 30 April 2012 that the prison authorities took him to hospital. In an open letter to fellow workers participating in the 2012 ILC, written in Tehran ‘s Imam Khomeini Hospital on 4 June 2012, Reza Shahabi stated that he was suffering from severe back and neck pain and was awaiting an operation.

In early 2012 it was revealed that Reza Shahabi had been sentenced to five years ‘ imprisonment for “gathering and colluding against state security ” and one year for “spreading propaganda against the system ” by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran. He has also been fined 70 million rials (approximately US$5,700) and banned from all trade unionist activities for five years. According to his lawyer, the prosecution is seeking to bring a fresh charge of “enmity against God ” for alleged contact with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), a banned opposition group, a charge which can carry the death penalty. Amnesty International believes that Reza Shahabi has been convicted solely for his peaceful trade union work, and is a prisoner of conscience.

3. Rasoul Bodaghi

Rasoul Bodaghi, a member of the Tehran Iran Teachers ‘ Trade Association (ITTA), which is affiliated to European International (EI), an international union representing education workers, was arrested in September 2009. A teacher for 20 years, he was later sentenced to six years in prison for the vaguely worded charges of “spreading propaganda against the system ” and “gathering and colluding against national security ” in connection with his activities for the association. In January 2011, an appeals court confirmed Rasoul Bodaghi ‘s sentence and banned him from taking part in any civil society activities for five years. According to reports, he was severely beaten by two prison officers in May 2010.

4. Shahrokh Zamani and Mohammad Jarahi

Painter and decorator Shahrokh Zamani and Mohammad Jarahi, both from Tabriz and members of the Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Workers Organizations, a group campaigning for the establishment of independent trade unions in Iran, are currently serving 11- and five-year prison sentences in Tabriz prison, north-west Iran. Shahrokh Zamani, Mohammad Jarahi and three other labour rights activists – Nima Pour Yaghoub, Sassan Vahebivash, and Sayed Boyuk Sayedlar – were all initially arrested in June 2011. Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Tabriz later sentenced Shahrokh Zamani to 11 years, Nima Pour Yaghoub to six years, Mohammad Jarahi to five years and Sassan Vahebivash to six months in prison after conviction of charges including “acting against national security by establishing or membership of groups opposed to the system ” and “spreading propaganda against the system “. Only Sayed Boyuk Sayedlar was acquitted. The sentences were upheld on appeal in November 2011. Shahrokh Zamani and Mohammad Jarahi were both arrested in mid-January 2012 to begin serving their sentences; Nima Pour Yaghoub and Sassan Vahebivash were believed to be at liberty at the time of writing in June 2012.

5. Behnam Ebrahimzadeh

Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, a worker at a polyethylene pipe-manufacturing factory in the outskirts of Tehran, is a member of the Follow Up Committee to Set Up Free Trade Associations and a children ‘s rights defender. He reportedly suffered two broken ribs as a result of beatings during his arrest in June 2010, and is currently serving a five-year prison sentence. Behnam Ebrahimzadeh was initially sentenced to 20 years ‘ imprisonment in December 2010 on national security charges. This was overturned by the Supreme Court, and after a retrial he was sentenced to five years in prison after conviction of “gathering and colluding with intent to harm state security “, apparently in connection with his trade unionist activities on behalf of the Follow Up Committee to Set up Free Trade Associations. This sentence was upheld on appeal in October 2011.

6. Fariborz Raisdana

Economist and academic Fariborz Raisdana, a member of both the unregistered Iranian Writers’ Association (IWA) and the Centre for Workers ‘ Rights Defenders, is currently serving a one-year sentence in Section 350 of Evin Prison. He was arrested on 19 December 2010 after speaking about the government-led subsidy programme changes in Iran on BBC Persian – the BBC’s Persian language news service – and was released on bail one month later. Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced Fariborz Raisdana to one year ‘s imprisonment on charges related to his peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association through interviews he gave to the BBC in which he criticized the government subsidies programme, as well as his membership in the IWA. The authorities have previously announced that the IWA is “not a legal entity “, although members of the organization say they have never been permitted by the Iranian authorities to register as a Guild (or Trade) Association under the Law on Political Parties, Societies, Political and Guild Associations, and Islamic or Recognized Minority Religious Associations.

7. Ali Akhavan

Another member of the Centre for Workers Rights Defenders, Ali Akhavan was first arrested on 4 June 2010, after which he was released on bail on 29 June 2010. He was later tried and sentenced to three years ‘ imprisonment, reduced on appeal to one-and-a-half-years ‘ imprisonment apparently in connection with his labour rights activities on behalf of the Centre for Workers Rights Defenders. Ali Akhavan began serving his sentence on 28 January 2012.

Amnesty International ‘s recommendations to the government of Iran

Immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience, including those imprisoned for their legitimate trade union and other human rights activities;

Ensure that all those held are protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and are granted immediate access to their families, to lawyer of their choice, and to adequate medical care;

End all victimization, discrimination, harassment and arbitrary arrest of trade unionists who are seeking to uphold their own rights and others ‘ rights;

Initiate legislation to allow workers to exercise their right to form and join independent trade unions and to collectively bargain in line with Iran ‘s obligations under international law, including granting legal recognition to all independent workers ‘ bodies and by ending harassment of their members for their peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, and their right to strike;

Ratify ILO Convention No 87 (1948) on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize and Convention No 98 (1949) on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, and ensure full compliance with the obligations of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

Appendix 1

List of material published by Amnesty International on the persecution of trade unionists in Iran

Iran: Iran ‘s workers need your support (Index: MDE 13/032/2012), Postcard, 1 June 2012, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/032/2012/en

Iran: Trade unionist given six-year prison sentence: Reza Shahabi (Index: MDE 13/027/2012), Urgent Action, 9 May 2012, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/027/2012/en

Iran: Submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Index: MDE 13/019/2012), Document, 30 March 2012, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/019/2012/en

Iran: ‘We are ordered to crush you ‘: Expanding repression of dissent in Iran, (Index: MDE 13/002/2012), Report, 28 February 2012, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/002/2012/en

Iran: Anniversary demonstrations on 14 February must be allowed to take place peacefully (Index: MDE 13/005/2012), Public Statement, 10 February 2012, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/005/2012/en

Iran: Submission to the Human Rights Committee for the 103rd session of the Human Rights Committee, 17 October – 4 November 2011 (Index: MDE 13/081/2011), Report, 21 September 2011, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/081/2011/en

Iran: Determined to live in dignity: Iranian trade unionists’ struggle for rights (Index: MDE 13/024/2011), Document, 10 June 2011, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/024/2011

Iran: Further information: Adoption of restrictive NGO law postponed (Index MDE 13/045/2011), Urgent Action, 15 April 2011, http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/045/2011/en

Iran: Parliament ignores concerns of independent civil society organisations over draft bill (Index MDE 13/044/2011), Joint Public Statement, 10 April 2011, http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/044/2011/en

Iran: New NGO law would greaten risks for activists (Index MDE 13/043/2011), Urgent Action, 08 April 2011, http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/043/2011/en.

Iran urged to scrap draft law undermining independent NGOs, Press Release, 06 April 2011, http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/iran-urged-scrap-draft-law-undermining-independent-ngos-2011-04-06

Iran: Independent civil society organizations facing obliteration (Index MDE 13/037/2011), Public Statement, 04 April 2011, http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/037/2011/en

Iran: Further Information: Four trade unionists remain in detention (Index MDE 13/013/2011), Urgent Action, 04 February 2011, http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/013/2011/en

Iran: Further Information: Imprisoned trade unionist on hunger strike: Reza Shahabi (Index MDE 13/109/2010), Urgent Action, 10 December 2010, http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/109/2010/en

Iran: Iranian trade unionists held incommunicado (Index MDE 13/063/2010), Urgent Action, 14 June 2010, http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/063/2010/en

Iran: End Repression of Independent Trade Unions (Index MDE 13/040/2009), Public Statement, 30 April 2009, http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/040/2009/en

The Governing Body is the executive body of the ILO. It is responsible for taking decisions about ILO policy, decides the agenda of the ILC, adopts the draft programme and budget for the ILO, and appoints the Director-General of the ILO. It comprises 28 government representatives, 14 employers and 14 union representatives. Iran was elected in June 2011 to serve until 2014. The Selection Committee arranges the programme for the ILC.

For further information concerning restrictions on the right to freedom of association in Iran, see Amnesty International, Iran: Submission to the Human Rights Committee for the 103rd session of the Human Rights Committee, 17 October – 4 November 2011, Index: MDE 13/081/2011, September 2011, HYPERLINK “http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/081/2011/en” http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/081/2011/en

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News: IRAN: Two members of the Iranian Writers Association arrested

13 June 2012
PEN International

PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee protests the one-year prison sentences handed down to translator and women’s rights activist Manijeh Najm Eraghi (aka Araghi) and economist and writer Fariborz Rais Dana, who were detained on 3 June 2012 and 21 May 2012 respectively for their membership of the Iranian Writers Association (IWA). PEN considers both writers to be held in violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a signatory, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.

According to PEN’s information, translator and secretary for the IWA Manijeh Najm Eraghi was arrested on 3 June 2012 after being summoned by Tehran’s State Security police, and transferred to Evin Prison to serve out a one-year prison sentence. She is charged with membership of the IWA, transmitting the association’s statements and participating in peaceful gatherings. Najm Eraghi was first arrested on 16 October 2010 and released on bail after three days.

Manijeh Najm Eraghi is a leading translator from English to Farsi, specializing in books on women’s rights. She has been translating books and articles regularly since the early 1990’s, and her publications include An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives by Pamela Abbott and Claire Wallace (first edition 2001, latest edition 2011), Feminist Thought: A Comprehensive Introduction by Rosemarie Tong, and most recentlyCapitalism, the Family and Personal Life by Eli Zaretsky. She has two further publications forthcoming, of Juliet Mitchell’s Psychoanalysis and Feminism and Virginia Woolf’s Three Guineas.

On 21 May 2012, Fariborz Rais Dana, a leading economist and member of the IWA, was summoned to Tehran’s Evin Prison to serve out a one year jail term. He had been arrested on 19 December 2010 after giving interviews to the foreign media critical of President Ahmadinejad’s economic policies. He was held for one month before being released on bail. He was later sentenced to one year in prison for a series of charges including “membership of the Iranian Writer’s Association, preparing seditious announcements against the regime, giving interviews to BBC and Voice of America, and accusing the Islamic Republic of abusing prisoners and holding show trials.”

Dr. Raisdana is a leading intellectual and reformist known for his outspoken criticism of the Iranian government’s economic and social policies, and has been subject to repeated harassment by the security services. Raisdana is a member of the Board of the IWA, and has published numerous books and articles on political economy and sociology, including Applied Development Economics, Money and Inflation, Political Economy of Development, and Globalization. For an interview with Raisdana click here

The IWA has been working for the rights of writers for over four decades, and has been under increasing pressure from the government in recent years.

Please send appeals:
Protesting the detention of writers Manijeh Najm Eraghi and Fariborz Rais Dana, who are sentenced for their membership of the Iranian Writers Association;
Calling for their immediate and unconditional release in accordance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a signatory;
Seeking assurances that they are given full access to their family, lawyer and medical care whilst detained.

Appeals to:
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei,
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street,
Qom,
Islamic Republic of Iran.

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran.

COPIES TO:
President:
His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency,
Palestine Avenue,
Azerbaijan Intersection,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

It is recommended that appeals are sent via the diplomatic representative for Iran in your country.

For further information please contact Cathy McCann at PEN International Writers in Prison Committee, Brownlow House, 50/51 High Holborn, London WC1V 6ER, Tel.+ 44 (0) 20 7405 0338, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7405 0339, email:cathy.mccann@pen-international.org

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Iran must quash human rights lawyer’s conviction ahead of prison term

4 May 2012
Amnesty International

A nine-year jail term for a prominent human rights lawyer is another nail in the coffin for freedom of expression and association in Iran and should be quashed immediately, Amnesty International warned.

Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, who is a co-founder of Iran’s Centre for Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), was sentenced in July last year after being convicted of charges including “membership of an association [the CHRD] seeking the soft overthrow of the government” and “spreading propaganda against the system through interviews with foreign media”.

Told verbally to report to the authorities on Saturday, the organization fears he is at imminent risk of imprisonment as a prisoner of conscience.

“Mohammad Ali Dadkhah’s only crime is to have defended the rights of others. He should not even have been on trial in the first place and his sentence should be quashed immediately,” said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“Sending him to prison for nine years would be a further nail in the coffin of freedom of expression and association in Iran, where spurious vague charges are frequently used in an attempt to silence those working to protect human rights.”

Mohammad Ali Dadkhah has represented many prominent clients such as prisoner of conscience Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, facing a possible death sentence for alleged “apostasy from Islam” and Ebrahim Yazdi, the 80-year-old former leader of the banned Freedom Movement, who suffers from cancer and was recently summoned to begin serving an eight-year prison term.

While in court planning to represent a client, Mohmmad Ali Dadkhah was informed by a judge on 28 April that an appeals court had upheld both his nine-year sentence and a ten-year ban on legal practice and teaching. He had received no prior notification of the appeal court ruling. He was prevented from appearing for his client.

In 2008, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah was disqualified under discriminatory selection from standing for the Central Board of the Bar Association because of his activities as a human rights defender. In 2012, despite confirmation from the current board of the Bar Association that he was competent to stand for election, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah was once again disqualified from standing.

The CHRD, which was led by Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi, was forcibly closed by the Iranian authorities in December 2008. Its members have continued to carry out their work in support of human rights but have faced repeated harassment, intimidation, arrest and imprisonment. Several are currently serving prison sentences in Tehran’s Evin Prison.

Executive Chairperson of the CHRD Narges Mohammadi was sent to Evin Prison last month. She is currently serving a six-year sentence for “gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security” and “spreading propaganda against the system”.

Abdolfattah Soltani, a prominent lawyer and co-founder of the CHRD who has been held in Evin Prison since his September 2011 arrest, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for “spreading propaganda against the system”, “forming an illegal opposition group [the CHRD]” and “gathering and colluding with intent to harm national security”.

Another founding member of the CHRD and lawyer, Mohammad Seyfzadeh is currently serving a two-year sentence on charges of “forming and being a member of an association [CHRD]…whose aim is to harm national security” and “spreading propaganda against the system”.

Amnesty International considers them all to be prisoners of conscience imprisoned for their peaceful expression of conscientiously held beliefs.

“With the targeting of the CHRD, the authorities are clearly trying to send a message that those defending the rights of others in Iran should cease their work or face prosecution. These individuals must be released immediately and unconditionally,” said Ann Harrison.

“Human rights defenders should be allowed to continue their lawful and important work without hindrance.”

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CLEMENCY DENIED FOR IRANIAN MAN ON DEATH ROW: ABDOLREZA GHANBARI

23 March 2012
Further information on UA: 102/10 Index: MDE 13/020/2012 Iran
URGENT ACTION

Clemency denied for iranian man on death row

An Iranian teacher who was convicted of m oharebeh (enmity against God) and sentenced to death has had his request for pardon rejected. He is at risk of imminent execution.

The teacher, Abdolreza Ghanbari , was arrested at his workplace after anti-government demonstrations took place on 27 December 2009 to mark the Ashoura religious commemorations, at the end of six months of protests following the disputed presidential election of 2009. Held in Evin Prison since his arrest, where he was reportedly tortured or otherwise ill-treated and denied access to a lawyer. Abdolreza Ghanbari was tried unfairly before Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on 30 January 2010 and sentenced to death for moharebeh (enmity against God) for alleged links with the banned opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI). The sentence was upheld on appeal, and his request for a pardon from the Amnesty and Clemency Commission was rejected at the end of February 2012. Once his death sentence has been approved by the Head of the Judiciary, it will be sent for implementation.

The death sentence of two other prisoners convicted of “enmity against God” for alleged links with the PMOI have been commuted to imprisonment. Farah (also known as Elmira) Vazehan‘s sentence was overturned on 19 January 2011 and her case was referred to Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court which commuted her death sentence to 17 years’ imprisonment to be served in internal exile at Reja’i Shahr Prison.Javad Lari‘s sentence was overturned by Branch 32 of the Supreme Court. A lower court retried him and sentenced him to two years in prison. He has since been released. Amnesty International has no further information about Ahmad and Mohsen Daneshpour Moghaddam , who are believed to remain on death row. All were tried unfairly.

Please write immediately in Persian, English or your own language:

Urge the Iranian authorities not to execute Abdolreza Ghanbari, Ahmad and Mohsen Daneshpour Moghaddam or anyone else under sentence of death;

Express concern that all three men and Farah Vazehan were tried unfairly and may be prisoners of conscience, held solely on account of their imputed political opinions or on account of their family links to PMOI members, in which case they should be released immediately and unconditionally;

Remind them that under international law, the death penalty can only be carried out for “the most serious crimes” which must be “intentional crimes with lethal or other extremely grave consequences.”

P LEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 4 MAY 2012 TO :

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei The Office of the Supreme Leader Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Email: info_leader@leader.ir Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani [Care of] Public Relations Office Number 4, 2 Azizi Street intersection Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (Subject Line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani) Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Secretary General High Council for Human Rights

Mohammed Jayad Larijani [Care of] Office of the Head of the Judicary Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave

South of Serah-e Jomhouri Tehran Islamic Republic of Iran Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir (Subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:

Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the fifth update of UA 102/10. Further information: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/010/2011/en

URGENT ACTION

Clemency denied for iranian man on death row

ADditional Information

Abdolreza Ghanbari, father of two, is a Persian literature teacher and a lecturer at Payam-e Nour University. In an interview in August 2011, his wife, Sakineh Habibi said that he was arrested from the secondary school where he was working at the time of his arrest. He was previously involved in trade union activities with the Teachers’ Association for which he was arrested and detained for almost three months before being sentenced to a six-month suspension from teaching and exile from Sari in the north of Iran to Pakdasht in the Tehran province. His family has asserted that he has been a trade union activist and has never been involved in political activity. His conviction apparently relates to emails and a phone call he allegedly received which the authorities stated were from the PMOI. His wife has denied that he has links to the PMOI. The verdict was upheld by Branch 36 of the Appeal Court on 10 May 2011 while a subsequent request for a judicial review was rejected by the Supreme Court. He later requested a pardon from the Amnesty and Clemency Commission but on 28 February 2012 this request, too, was rejected.

Ja’far Kazemi and Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaei, also arrested during the six months of unrest following the disputed presidential election, were executed on 24 January 2011. They had also been convicted of “enmity against God” for links with the PMOI,and “spreading propaganda against the system”. Another prisoner, Ali Saremi (or Sarami) was executed without warning on 28 December 2010. He had been sentenced to death in December 2009 for “enmity against God” because of his alleged membership of the PMOI.

In January 2012, Mohammad Javad Lari, another alleged PMOI supporter who was arrested in 2009, was sentenced to death for a second time, after his initial sentence had been overturned by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court overturned his death sentence once again, and returned his case to a lower court for a further retrial, after which he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, and then reportedly released as he had completed his prison term. Ahmad Daneshpour Moghaddam and his father Mohsen Daneshpour Moghaddam were arrested along with Mottahareh Bahrami Haghighi, Rayhaneh Hajebrahim Dabbagh and Hadi Ghaemi after Ashoura and sentenced to death after an unfair “show trial” in January 2010 where they were convicted of “enmity against God” for their alleged links to the PMOI. Ahmad Daneshpour Moghaddam and his father Mohsen had their death sentences confirmed on appeal, although the sentences of the other three were later commuted.

Many of these individuals had family links to members of the PMOI resident in a PMOI camp in Iraq and had visited relatives or friends there during trips to Iraq.

Others in Iran feared to be facing imminent execution are Habibollah Golparipour, Zaniar Moradi, Loghman Moradi (all members of Iran’s Kurdish minority) Abd al-Rahman Heidari, Taha Heidari,Jamshid Heidari, Mansour Heidari, and Amir Muawi (or Mo’avi) (all members of Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority), and Saeed Malekpour.

Name: Abdolreza Ghanbari (m), Farah Vazehan (f), Javad Lari (m), Ahmad Daneshpour Moghaddam (m), Mohsen Daneshpour Moghaddam (m)

Gender m/f: both

Further information on UA: 102/10 Index: MDE 13/020/2012 Issue Date: 23 March 2012

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FIVE ARAB MEN AT IMMINENT RISK OF EXECUTION

8 March 2012
UA: 77/12 Index: MDE 13/013/2012 Iran
URGENT ACTION

Five members of Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority, including three brothers, their cousin and another man are at imminent risk of execution in public, after their death sentenceswere upheld by the Supreme Court. The sentences may be intended to deter Ahwazi Arabs in Iran from demonstrating on the 15 April anniversary of protests held in 2005.

The three brothers, Abd al-Rahman Heidari, Taha Heidari and Jamshid Heidari, their cousin Mansour Heidari and Amir Muawi (or Mo‘avi) were arrested in April 2011 in Ahvaz, during unrest taking place across Iran’s south-western Khuzestan province. Since their arrest, their whereabouts have not been disclosed to their families. On or around 5 March 2012, Ministry of Intelligence officials informed their families that the Supreme Court had upheld death sentences against the five men, after they were convicted of the killing of at least one individual, said to be a law enforcement official, on 15 April 2011. The Ministry of Intelligence also told the men’s relatives that they would be executed in public “in the next few days”. It is not known when their initial trials took place or if they had any legal representation. “Confessions” extracted under duress are frequently accepted as evidence before courts in Iran.

Please write immediately in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:

Urging the Iranian authorities not to carry out the executions and to commute the death sentences of Abd al-Rahman Heidari, Taha Heidari, Jamshid Heidari, Mansour Heidari and Amir Mo’avi and anyone else on death row;

Seeking information about the trial of all five, including whether they had access to a lawyer of their choice;

Calling on them to ensure that all five men are protected from torture or other ill-treatment, and are granted immediate and regular access to their families, their lawyers and adequate medical care.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 19 APRIL 2012 TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info_leader@leader.ir

Twitter: «#Iran leader @khamenei_ir: halt execution of Abd al-Rahman Heidari, Taha Heidari, Jamshid Heidari, Mansour Heidari and Amir Mo’avi”

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani

[care of] Public relations Office

Number 4, 2 Azizi Street

Vali Asr Ave., above Pasteur Street intersection

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (Subject line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani) or info_leader@leader.ir

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights

Mohammad Javad Larijani

High Council for Human Rights

[Care of] Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir

(subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:

Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION

FIVE ARABS AT IMMINENT RISK OF EXECUTION IN IRAN

ADditional Information

The Ahwazi Arab minority is one of many minorities in Iran. Much of Iran’s Arab community lives in the south-western province of Khuzestan. Most are Shi’a Muslims but some are reported to have converted to Sunni Islam, heightening government suspicion about Ahwazi Arabs. They often complain that they are marginalized and subject to discrimination in access to education, employment, adequate housing, political participation and cultural rights.

There were mass demonstrations in Khuzestan province in April 2005, after it was alleged that the government planned to disperse the country’s Arab population or to force them to relinquish their Arab identity. Following bomb explosions in Ahvaz City in June and October 2005, which killed at least 14 people, and explosions at oil installations in September and October 2005, the cycle of violence intensified, with hundreds of people reportedly arrested. Further bombings on 24 January 2006, in which at least six people were killed, were followed by further mass arbitrary arrests. At least 15 men were later executed as a result of their alleged involvement in the bombings.

Scores, if not hundreds, of members of the Ahwazi Arab minority were reportedly arrested before, during and after demonstrations on 15 April 2011. The demonstrations had been called a “Day of Rage” to mark the sixth anniversary of the 2005 mass demonstrations. At least three (according to the authorities) – and possibly many more – people were killed in the April 2011 demonstrations during clashes with the security forces, including some in the Malashiya neighbourhood in Ahvaz. Amnesty International received the names of 27 individuals allegedly killed. Ahwazi Arab sources have claimed the casualty figures were even higher. Amnesty International has been unable to confirm the reports as the Iranian authorities do not allow the organization to visit the country. The authorities maintain a tight control on the flow of information in and out of the province, including by preventing foreign journalists from visiting Khuzestan. At least four Ahwazi Arab men reportedly died in custody between 23 March 2011 and mid May 2011, possibly as a result of torture or other ill-treatment. Others were hospitalized around the same time, apparently as a result of injuries sustained from torture or other ill-treatment.

At least eight Ahwazi Arabs in Iran, including Hashem Hamidi, said to have been aged only 16, were executed between 5 and 7 May 2011, three reportedly in public, for their alleged involvement in the killing of three individuals including a law enforcement official (see Iran: Arbitrary arrests, torture and executions continue, Index: MDE 13/051/2011, 20 May 2011, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/051/2011/en).

Between 10 January 2012and the beginning of February 2012, in the lead-up to parliamentary elections held on 2 March 2012, between 50 to 65 individuals were reportedly arrested in at least three separate locations in the province; at least two deaths in custody have also been reported. Some Ahwazi Arabs, mostly in Shoush, called for a boycott of the elections and arrests in Shoush, north-central Khuzestan, reportedly followed the appearance of anti-election slogans painted on walls. Others may have been pre-emptive arrests aimed at preventing any gathering of Ahwazi Arabs either on the anniversary of country-wide demonstrations held on 14 February 2011 in support of the people of Tunisia and Egypt which were violently repressed, or on the 15 April anniversary of the “Day of Rage”.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee, the authoritative body which interprets the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Iran is a state party, has found that public executions are “incompatible with human dignity” and in November 2011 called on Iran to prohibit their use.

Names: Abdulrahman Heidari, Taha Heidari, Jamshid Heidari, Mansour Heidari and Amir Mo’avi

Gender m/f: m

UA: 77/12 Index: MDE 13/013/2012 Issue Date: 8 March 2012

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DOCUMENT – IRAN: FURTHER INFORMATION: EXECUTION FEARS GROW FOR IRANIAN KURDS

23 February 2012
Further information on UA: 307/11 Index: MDE 13/010/2012 Iran
URGENT ACTION

Two members of Iran’s Kurdish minority , Zaniar Moradi and Loghman Moradi, could be executed at any time. Their death sentences have been sent to the Office for the Implementation of Sentences, a body within the Judiciary, which is the final step before being called for execution .

Zaniar (or Zanyar) Moradi and Loghman (or Loqman) Moradi were sentenced to public hanging on 22 December 2010 by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court after a trial reportedly lasting 20 minutes. They were convicted of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) and “corruption on earth” for allegedly murdering the son of a senior cleric in Marivan, Kordestan province, north-eastern Iran, on 4 July 2009. They were also convicted of participating in armed activities with Komala, a Kurdish opposition group. Their sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court and have reportedly been sent to the enforcement office of the Judiciary.

Zaniar Moradi and Loghman Moradi were arrested respectively on 1 August 2009 and 17 October 2009 in Marivan. They were held without charge by the Ministry of Intelligence for the first nine months of their detention during which they were moved several times between detention facilities. Around the beginning of December 2010 they were transferred to Raja’i Shahr Prison northwest of Tehran. The two men then wrote a letter stating that during their interrogation by the Ministry of Intelligence they were forced to “confess” to the allegations of murder after being tortured and threatened with rape. Amnesty International has so far been unable to confirm reports that Zaniar Moradi was 17 at the time of his arrest.

Please write immediately in Persian, English or your own language:

Urging the Iranian authorities not to carry out the executions of Loghman Moradi and Zaniar Moradi;

Calling on them to commute the death sentences of Loghman Moradi and Zaniar Moradi and anyone else on death row, including other Kurdish political prisoners;

Calling on them to ensure that Loghman Moradi and Zaniar Moradi are protected from torture or other ill-treatment, and are granted immediate and regular access to their families, their lawyers and adequate medical care.

Expressing concern that neither Loghman Moradi nor Zaniar Moradi had a fair trial, and urging the Iranian authorities to investigate the allegations that they were tortured and to bring to justice anyone found responsible for abuses and to disregard as evidence in courts “confessions” which may have been coerced.

P LEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 5 APRIL 2012 TO :

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info_leader@leader.ir

Twitter: “Call on #Iran leader @khamenei_ir to halt the execution of Loghman Moradi and Zaniar Moradi” Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani

[care of] Public relations Office

Number 4, 2 Azizi Street

Vali Asr Ave., above Pasteur Street intersection

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (Subject line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani) or larijani@dadgostary-tehran.ir

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights

Mohammad Javad Larijani

High Council for Human Rights

[Care of] Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir (subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:

Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the first update of UA 307/11. Further information: http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/094/2011/en

URGENT ACTION

EXECUTION FEARS GROW FOR IRANIAN KURDS

ADditional Information

Loghman Moradi and Zaniar Moradi’s letter from prison also stated that during interrogations by the Ministry of Intelligence, Zaniar Moradi was repeatedly asked about his father, Eghbal Moradi, a member of the Komala Party of Kurdistan – a banned Iranian Kurdish opposition group – who lives in northern Iraq. The letter further describes that Zaniar Moradi was tied to a bed, lashed and subsequently threatened with rape prior to his “confession”.

Kurds, who are one of Iran’s many minorities, live mainly in the west and north-west of the country, in the province of Kordestan and neighbouring provinces bordering Kurdish areas of Turkey and Iraq. They experience discrimination in the enjoyment of their religious, economic and cultural rights (see: Iran: Human rights abuses against the Kurdish minority, (Index: MDE 13/088/2008, 30 July 2008 available at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/088/2008/en). For many years, Kurdish organizations such as the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and the Marxist group Komala conducted armed struggle against the Islamic Republic of Iran, although neither currently does so. The Party For Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), was formed in 2004, and carried out armed attacks against Iranian security forces, but declared a unilateral ceasefire in 2009, although it still engages in armed clashes with security forces in what it terms “self-defence. In 2011, the Iranian and Turkish governments shelled border areas where armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and PJAK bases were thought to be located (see Amnesty International, Turkey/Iraq: Investigation needed into killing of civilians in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Index: REG 01/003/2011, 26 August 2011

Amnesty International condemns without reservation attacks on civilians, which includes judges, clerics, and locally or nationally-elected officials, as attacking civilians violates fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. These principles prohibit absolutely attacks on civilians as well as indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks. Such attacks cannot be justified under any circumstances.

At least 17 other Kurdish men are believed to be on death row in connection with their alleged membership of and activities for proscribed Kurdish organizations. Some have had initial prison sentences increased to death sentences. At least 10 Kurds have reportedly been executed for political offences in recent years.

Name: Loghman Moradi and Zaniar Moradi

Gender m/f: m

Further information on UA: 307/11 Index: MDE 13/010/2012 Issue Date: 23 February 2012

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Iran must allow peaceful opposition rallies on 14 February

13 February 2012
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE

dozens injured, and hundreds detained as security forces brutally halted rallies in support of uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, Amnesty International said today.

Authorities have already mounted a crackdown on opposition protesters and and temporarily cut off access to foreign email services such as Gmail, Yahoo mail and Hotmail after an Iranian opposition coalition – the Coordination Council for the Green Path of Hope, widely known as the Green Movement, urged Iranians to silently march and protest on 14 February.

“There is a real concern that Iranian security forces may again use excessive force to quell protests across the country,” said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s interim Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“The authorities must respect people’s right to freedom of assembly and allow tomorrow’s demonstrations to go ahead peacefully,” she said.

Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have been under unofficial house arrest since February 2011.

Iran has seen increasing repression of journalists, bloggers and minority groups across the country ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections.

A wave of arrests targeting members of Iran’s ethnic and religious minorities, journalists, and
individuals with alleged links to foreign media appears to be part of a strategy to restrict free
public debate and to warn people not to protest ahead of the elections.

Some 49 members of the Ahwazi Arab minority have reportedly been arrested since 10 January this year, in at least three cities in the southwestern province of Khuzestan.

Amnesty International is also concerned over reports of the arrest of at least 12 members of the Baha’i religious minority in the southern city of Shiraz. Over 80 Baha’is are currently imprisoned or detained on account of their faith or identity.

Many writers, bloggers and social commentators have also been arrested in recent weeks.

On 17 January, Iranian authorities arrested the sister of an employee of BBC Persian – the BBC’s Persian language news service – and held her in solitary confinement in Tehran’s Evin Prison, apparently to try to pressure her sister abroad. Though she was eventually released on bail, she was forced to “confess” on camera.

The BBC says that family members of BBC Persian staff have had their passports confiscated, preventing them from leaving the country.

According to Iran’s state-licensed Mehr news agency, last week several people were also detained for alleged links to the BBC’s Persian service. BBC Persian programmes are sometimes jammed in Iran.

The Mehr report said they were involved in newsgathering, recruiting and training for Iranian journalists and had organized trips abroad for them.

BBC Persian said it does not have any staff in Iran, but added that the reports “should be of deep concern to all those who believe in a free and independent media”.

“An already dire situation seems to be worsening, with any dissenting voices being stamped out. Anyone held simply for peacefully exercising their right to free speech should be released immediately, “said Ann Harrison.

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DOCUMENT – IRAN: WAVE OF ARRESTS IN RUN UP TO PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

31 January 2012
January 31, 2012
AI Index: MDE 13/004/2012
Kaveh Ghoreishi

Amnesty International is concerned that an ongoing wave of arrests of media workers and bloggers is intended to limit freedom of expression in the run up to parliamentary elections in Iran scheduled for 2 March 2012.

The arrests indicate that the Iranian authorities are once again choosing to restrict freedom of expression and association in an apparent attempt to disrupt public discourse and potential criticism of the authorities’ record in various spheres including human rights and economic performance in advance of the start of the election campaign.

Amnesty International is urging the authorities to release all those detained in recent weeks unless they are promptly charged with a recognizably criminal offence and tried in accordance with international fair trial standards.

The organization said that the Judiciary in Iran should make it clear that everyone in Iran has the right to freely express their views, including in connection to the forthcoming elections and that restrictions and arrests of this kind violate Iran’s international human rights obligations regarding the peaceful exercise of the rights of expression, association or assembly

On 8 January 2012, the Minister of Intelligence, Heydar Moslehi announced that the authorities had arrested several “election disruptors” in Tehran who he said were “trying to carry out U.S. plots against the ninth parliamentary election process through virtual and social networks”.

Amnesty International has received information about the following individuals reported to have been arrested in recent weeks:

Labour and human rights blogger, Esmail Jafari, a journalist who writes the Rah -e Mardom blog (http://motomaden.blogfa.com/Profile/) was arrested on 28 December 2011 in Bushehr, south western Iran to start serving an eight month prison sentence imposed in March 2009 following conviction relating to “acting against national security”, though further details are not known to Amnesty International..

Fatemeh Kh er admand, a writer on social issues; Ehsan Ho u shmand (or Houshmandzadeh), a sociologist and member of Iran’s Kurdish minority, who has written about Iran’s ethnic minorities; and former prisoner of conscience Saeed Madani, a sociologist and political activist linked with the National Religious Alliance (Melii Mazhabi) were arrested separately on 7 January,2012, reportedly by plain clothes security officials..

Mehdi Khazali, the son of Ayatollah Abolghasem Khazali, a member of the Council of Guardians, was reportedly arrested on 9 January 2012. A publisher, he also writes a blog entitled Baran (http://www.drkhazali.com/). He has been arrested on three separate occasions in the past on account of his criticism of the government. He was reportedly injured in his most recent arrest.

Social and cultural researcher and women’s rights activist Parastou Dokouhaki who blogs at Zan-nevesht , was arrested on 15 January 2012. She was previously a journalist with the influential but now-banned Zanan(women) magazine.

On 17 January 2012, Peyman Pakmehr, the editor of the Tabriz News website, was arrested by local intelligence ministry officials in the north-western city of Tabriz and transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran. He was released on bail after about a week, apparently having been charged with “spreading propaganda against the system”.

Journalist Marzieh Rasouli was detained following a search of her home on 17 January 2012. Family members reportedly said that security officials arrested her for “acting against national security” without specifying what she had done. Marzieh Rasouli has written about music and publishing and is said to have previously worked with the Shargh and Etemad daily newpapers. She is believed to be held in Section 2A of Evin Prison.

On 18 January 2012, journalist Sahamoddin Bourghani was arrested. He writes for the news website Irdiplomacy. He is also believed to be held in Section 2A of Evin Prison.

Former student leader and journalist Said Razavi Faghih was arrested around 17 or 18 January 2012 at Tehran’s international airport on return to Iran from Paris and is reported to be held in Evin Prison, Tehran.

Journalist Shahram Manouchehri was reportedly arrested on 19 January 2012 by officials who searched and confiscated some of his belongings, and transferred him to an unknown location.

On 20 January 2012, reports emerged indicating that Mohammad Solimaninia (or Solimani Nia) had been arrested ten days earlier in Karaj, following a police summons. He is a translator and runs a professional networking website u24 described by some as similar to LinkedIn.

Amnesty International also said that it was concerned at the discriminatory procedure for selecting candidates for election in Iran. Candidates can be disqualified for various reasons, including ethnic identity, religious belief and political opinion, as well as their level of education.

Background

According to reports on 28 January 2012, Dr Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, the Spokesperson of the Council of Guardians, the body charged with overseeing elections said that 2,700 of the 4,877 individuals who registered to stand as candidates for the 290-seat parliament had been approved by the Council of Guardians, although those rejected still had a right of appeal against disqualification. The final list of approved candidates is expected to be finalised by 11 February 2012. In 2008, almost 7,200 individuals registered to stand for election, of which around 1,700 were disqualified from running.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party places an obligation on states to respect the rights in the Covenant for all individuals within its territory without distinction of any kind such as “race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status“. These rights include, as set out in Article 25, that: “Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, […] [t]o vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors.”

In November 2011, the UN Human Rights Committee, which oversees implementation of the ICCPR, expressed concern about restrictions in Iran on the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, as well as to participate in the conduct of public affairs.

In its concluding observations, the Committee expressed concern at the closure of newspapers and the Association of Iranian Journalists, the arrests of journalists, newspaper editors, film-makers and media workers, the monitoring of Internet use and contents, blocking of websites that carry political news and analysis, slowing down internet speeds and jamming of foreign satellite broadcasts, in particular since the 2009 presidential elections. It called on the authorities to ensure that journalists can exercise their profession without fear of being brought before courts and “release, rehabilitate and provide effective judicial redress and compensation for journalists” arbitrarily detained and to ensure that monitoring of the internet does not violate the rights to freedom of expression and privacy.

The Committee also expressed concern about the requirements for registration in election campaigns, including the right of the Council of Guardians to reject parliamentary candidates. It also expressed concern about the conduct of the 2009 presidential election, including the denial of access to international election monitors, the blocking of cell phone signals and access to social networking and opposition websites, the harassment and arbitrary arrest of political activists, members of the country’s religious and ethnic minority communities, students, trade unionists and women’s rights activists, as well as the arrest of political opposition members in February 2011, and the closure by court order of two pro-reform political parties. The committee urged the Iranian authorities to reform the election law and to “take adequate steps to guarantee that elections are conducted in a free and transparent manner, in full conformity with the Covenant, including through the establishment of an independent electoral monitoring commission“.

Public Document

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For more information please call Amnesty International’s press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org

International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK www.amnesty.org

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They Were Not Allowed to Even Say Goodbye

101 Names of Secret Executions Uncovered in Vakilabad
January 9, 2012
Roozonline.com
Kaveh Ghoreishi

In an exclusive interview with Rooz, human rights activist Asieh Amini who has been involved in gathering information about secret executions in Mashhad’s Vakilabad prison, announced, “Many executed prisoners (in Vakilabad) learned of their fate just a few hours before being executed and were not allowed to say goodbye to their family members.”

Just two months after the secretary of Iran’s human rights committee and the advisor to the head of the judiciary told reporters in New York that “No secret executions take place in Iran,” the International Campaign on Human Rights in Iran, including some Iranian human rights activists, published the details of the execution of 101 prisoners in secret in Vakilabad.

At the same time, Catherine Ashton, the representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy, expressed her deep concern about the growing number of executions in Iran and called for their suspension, including the sentence on Sakineh Ashtiani.

The average number of executions in Iran since the beginning of 2011 has been 2 per day, which places the Islamic republic of Iran as the country with the second highest number of executions in the world after China.

Mass Executions in Visitation Halls

This is the first time that the International Campaign on Human Rights in Iran is publishing the names of 101 victims of secret executions in the Vakilabad prison of Mashhad. It has requested the judiciary of the Islamic republic to immediately end secret executions and stop executions altogether.

The published list contains names of 101 individuals who are said to have been executed in the prison between June 19, 2010 and December 20, 2010. This list, which has been published along with a brief report, is the first document that presents the identities and details of many of those that have been secretly executed. The report categorizes the executions as “secret,” “massive,” and “unannounced,” adding that their trials took place without the presence of attorney’s or relatives of the victims, and that these relatives had not been informed of the executions for days that ranged from one to several after the event.

Ms. Amini believes that the actual number of secret executions exceeds the 101 number whose list has been published. She points to statements made by officials of Iran’s judiciary in the province of Khorasan and the remarks of some Friday prayer leaders in the province who she says have implicitly acknowledged in various ways the existence of secret executions.

Last October, Mohammad Bagher Bagheri, the deputy chief of the judiciary in South Khorasan province implicitly acknowledged the secret mass executions of drug criminals in a Birjand prison, the center of South Khorasan province and without mentioning similar executions in 2009 and the current year, said that 140 drug related criminals had been executed in 2010 in that prison. The Campaign said that none of the executions mentioned by Bagheri were ever announced in 2010.

While the Campaign has recorded 471 secret executions in Mashhad and other cities between January 2-11 until now, other sources point to a larger number of victims. Ms. Amini says, “From evidence gathered by witnesses and others gathered by our friends, we succeeded in collecting details on 101 victims. But we are certain that the total number of executions far exceeds this number.”

According to the Campaign, based on evidence gathered by local activists, the prisoners who were executed secretly in Vakilabad prison apparently did not know they were to be executed until the arrival of their hour of time. Officials told the victims to write their wills and take their last bath just before they were executed.

According to the report, authorities of Vakilabad hung the prisoners at about sunset in an open air hall that led to the visitation hall. In order to keep the hangings secret, officials turned off the telephone lines of the facility hours before the executions. Ms. Amini also said that even after the prisoners were informed that they would be executed, they were denied the right to inform their relatives of their fate. She said that the report that the Committee has prepared has been sent to various human rights organizations.

Shirin Ebadi, Iran’s Nobel Peace Prize winner commented on the report and asked why the Iranian government used this method of execution so eagerly. “Such a measure only creates terror and fear among the populace and has political utility while all evidence indicates that this method of punishment and its increase does not reduce the number of crimes related to drug trafficking.

The head of Iran’s judiciary Sadegh Amoli Larijani had said last December, “It is claimed that secret executions take place enmasse in Iran but I categorically announce this to be a complete lie. All death sentences are reported to the head of the judiciary. If they really have information that such secret executions take place somewhere, they should announce them so we can investigate.” Now that the list of 101 executions in Vakilabad has been published, the question is will the judiciary investigate.

Ms. Amini says it is not clear. “In the past, they used to say that some judges had unilaterally decided to stone sentenced prisoners. Today, it is not clear whether the authorities are not informed of such executions or that there is a cover up,” she said.

In his report, the special UN rapporteur on human rights in Iran wrote that the number of mass secret executions in Iranian prisons was “alarming” and adds that most of these executions take place without prior knowledge of family members or lawyers.

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Political Prisoner Issa Saharkhiz Hospitalized in Tehran

11th January 2012
iranhumanrights.org

Journalist and political activist Issa Saharkhiz has been at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran since 14 December 2011, a source close to his family told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. The source added that the political prisoner’s family is under immense pressure not to give interviews to foreign media.

“Everyone tried to keep the news about his hospitalization a secret, lest he be transferred back to prison,” the source said. “All his kin are keeping silent, hoping that he receives his needed medical care before he is returned to prison.”

Issa Saharkhiz, a journalist and the former head of the Ministry of Culture and Guidance’s Domestic Press in the Khatami cabinet, was arrested in the aftermath of the 2009 presidential election. Security forces assaulted Saharkhiz during his arrest, breaking his ribs.

“Four months ago, a specialist ordered an MRI for my father, but the Prosecutor’s Office and the Intelligence Ministry did not agree to his leaving the prison,” Saharkhiz’s son Mehdi told the Campaign on 23 November 2011. “A while later my father developed internal bleeding and needed surgery, but even then they did not agree to his leave.” Saharkhiz’s family had repeatedly requested his transfer to a hospital, offering to foot his treatment bills, but the requests had not been approved.

Since his December hospitalization, Saharkhiz has been tied to his hospital bed with handcuffs and footcuffs, a source close to the family told the Campaign. Four security forces watch Saharkhiz day and night. The source added, however, that the family’s visits have been conducted in a more relaxed atmosphere in the last few days.

After the 2009 arrest, Judge Abolghassem Salavati, “The Judge of Death” of Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, sentenced Issa Saharkhiz to three years in prison on the charges of insulting the Supreme Leader and propaganda against the regime. According to a new court ruling from 5 August 2011, he was sentenced to two additional years of imprisonment for his prior press activities. Saharkhiz is now housed in Rajaee Shahr Prison in Karaj, and has not been granted furlough since his arrest.

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Iran: Surge of secret executions for drug offences must end

15 December 2011
Amnesty.org

This year has seen a dramatic rise in the number of people – many impoverished – who are executed for drug offences in Iran, Amnesty International said today in a new report.

In the 44-page Addicted to Death: Executions for Drug Offences in Iran, the organisation finds that at least 488 people have been executed for alleged drug offences so far in 2011, a nearly threefold increase on the 2009 figures, when Amnesty International recorded at least 166 executions for similar offences.

In total Amnesty International has recorded some 600 executions reported by both official and unofficial sources this year, with drug offences accounting for about 81% of the total. The organisation called on the Iranian authorities to end the use of the death penalty against those accused of drug offences.

“To try to contain their immense drug problem, the Iranian authorities have carried out a killing spree of staggering proportions, when there is no evidence that execution prevents drug smuggling any more effectively than imprisonment” said Amnesty International’s Interim Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director Ann Harrison.

“Drug offences go much of the way to accounting for the steep rise in executions we have seen in the last 18 months. Ultimately Iran must abolish the death penalty for all crimes, but stopping the practice of executing drug offenders, which violates international law, would as a first step cut the overall number significantly.”

Amnesty International said that during the middle of 2010, it began to receive credible reports that a new wave of executions for drug offences was taking place. These included reports of secret mass executions at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, with one – on 4 August 2010 – involving over 89 individuals.

The Iranian authorities officially acknowledged 253 executions in 2010, of which 172 were for drug offences – almost 68% of the total – but Amnesty International received credible reports of a further 300 executions, the vast majority believed to be for drug-related offences.

In almost all cases executions have followed grossly unfair trials and the families and lawyers of those accused have often received little or no warning that executions were due to take place. Members of marginalised groups – including impoverished communities, ethnic minorities that suffer discrimination, and foreign nationals, particularly Afghans – are most at risk of execution for drugs offences.

Mohammad Jangali, a 38 year old trainee truck driver from the Kouresunni minority – a small community of Sunnis from the mainly Shi’a Azerbaijani minority – was executed on 10 October 2011 after the truck he was driving was found with drugs in it near Oroumieh in 2008. He is believed to have signed a coerced “confession” prepared by the Ministry of Intelligence after he was tortured.

His family were given no information about the case by the authorities until they were contacted by the prison to say that he would be executed in eight hours and they should come now if they wanted to see him. He maintained until his death that he had not known that the truck contained drugs.

Amnesty International said there may be as many as 4000 Afghan nationals on death row for drugs offences. They appear to be particularly poorly treated by the justice system.

The organisation said it had received reports of some Afghans who have been executed without being brought to trial at all, and only learnt of their impending executions from prison authorities.

Amnesty International continues to hear of executions of juvenile offenders for alleged drug-related offences, despite Iranian officials claiming that these are no long taking place.

Iran has the fourth highest rate of drug-related deaths in the world, at 91 per 1 million people aged 15-64, and is a major international transit route for drug smuggling. In recent years Iran has received international assistance, including from several European countries and the United Nations, to help stem the flow of drugs across its borders.

The European Union is providing 9.5 million euros over three years for an Iran-based project to strengthen regional anti-narcotics cooperation. The project involves German Federal Police support for the establishment of forensic laboratories in the region.

The UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has provided up to $22 million since 2005 to support training projects for Iran’s counter narcotics forces.

Belgium, France, Ireland and Japan have all previously contributed to a UNODC sniffer dog programme. The UNODC has also provided drug detection kits to Iran.

Norway, Denmark and Germany have committed to providing funding between 2011 and 2014 to support UNODC’s programme of technical cooperation on drugs and crime in Iran.

The UN programme is supposed to include work to promote reform in the Iranian justice system to help bring it in line with international standards. But in a July 2011 visit to Iran, UNODC’s Executive Director praised Iran’s counter-narcotics work without mentioning the increasing application of the death penalty for drugs offences.

“All countries and international organisations helping the Iranian authorities arrest more people for alleged drugs offences need to take a long hard look at the potential impact of that assistance and what they could do to stop this surge of executions,” said Ann Harrison.

“They cannot simply look the other way while hundreds of impoverished people are killed each year without fair trials, many only learning their fates a few hours before their deaths.”

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Annual Report 2011

Amnesty International

The authorities maintained severe restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly. Sweeping controls on domestic and international media aimed at reducing Iranians’ contact with the outside world were imposed. Individuals and groups risked arrest, torture and imprisonment if perceived as co-operating with human rights and foreign-based Persian-language media organizations. Political dissidents, women’s and minority rights activists and other human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and students were rounded up in mass and other arrests and hundreds were imprisoned. Torture and other ill-treatment of detainees were routine and committed with impunity. Women continued to face discrimination under the law and in practice. The authorities acknowledged 252 executions, but there were credible reports of more than 300 other executions. The true total could be even higher. At least one juvenile offender was executed. Sentences of death by stoning continued to be passed, but no stonings were known to have been carried out. Floggings and an increased number of amputations were carried out.

Background

Iran’s human rights record was assessed under the UN Universal Periodic Review in February; the government subsequently accepted all general recommendations but rejected those calling for specific reforms to end religious and gender discrimination and the application of the death penalty, especially against juvenile offenders. The government also rejected recommendations that it co-operate with certain UN human rights bodies.

In April, Iran was elected to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. In August, the CERD Committee expressed concern at the “limited enjoyment of political, economic, social and cultural rights” by various minority communities, in particular with regard to housing, education, freedom of expression and religion, health and employment. In September, the UN Secretary-General highlighted “many areas of continuing concern with respect to human rights” in a report to the General Assembly. In December, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution expressing concern about human rights in Iran and called for government action to end violations.

Scores if not hundreds of Iranians continued to flee the country in fear for their safety because of the high levels of repression by the authorities.

International tension persisted over Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme. In June, the UN Security Council imposed further sanctions on Iran over concerns that it was developing nuclear weapons.

Armed groups killed civilians in bomb attacks. For example, an attack in July on a mosque at Zahedan killed 21 people, including worshippers, and injured hundreds of others. Another, near a mosque in Chabahar, killed at least 38 people and injured over 50. The People’s Resistance Movement of Iran (PRMI), an armed group also known as Jondallah, claimed responsibility for both. In September, a bomb attack in Mahabad killed at least 10 people and injured over 80, including children, following which Iranian security forces were reported to have crossed into Iraq and killed at least 30 people. Kurdish groups denied responsibility for the attack.

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Freedom of expression, association and assembly

The government entrenched the severe curbs on freedom of expression, association and assembly it had imposed in 2009. The security forces were deployed in force to deter or disperse further public protests. Scores if not hundreds of people arrested in connection with the mass protests in 2009 continued to be held, most of them serving prison terms, although others were released. Scores more were arrested throughout 2010.

Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who had stood against President Ahmadinejad in the June 2009 presidential election, continued to face severe restrictions on their freedom of movement. Government supporters attacked them or their families, and newspapers were instructed not to report about them or about former president Mohammad Khatami. Two major political parties opposed to the government were banned while others remained prohibited.

The government purged universities of “secular” teaching staff and imposed education bans on students engaged in campus protests.

The authorities continued to restrict access to outside sources of information such as the internet. International radio and television broadcasts were jammed. In January, the authorities banned contact by Iranians with some 60 news outlets and foreign-based organizations. Those willing to speak to the few large Persian-language media outlets on human rights issues were threatened or harassed by security officials. Many Iranians turned to social networking websites to express their views.

The authorities banned newspapers and student journals and prosecuted journalists whose reporting they deemed “against the system”. Wiretapping and intercepting of SMS and email communications were routine. A shadowy “cyber army”, reportedly linked to the Revolutionary Guards, organized attacks on domestic and foreign internet sites deemed to be anti-government, while other sites, including some associated with religious leaders, were filtered.

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Arbitrary arrests and detentions

Security officials, generally in plain clothes and without showing identification or arrest warrants, continued to arrest arbitrarily government opponents and people seen to be dissenting from officially approved values on account of their views or lifestyle. Among those arrested were human rights activists, independent trade unionists, students and political dissidents.

Those arrested were often held for long periods during which they were denied contact with their lawyers or families, tortured or otherwise ill-treated, and denied access to medical care. Some were sentenced to prison terms after unfair trials. Others sentenced after unfair trials in previous years remained in jail.

In February, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared that three US nationals detained in July 2009 while hiking near the Iraq-Iran border were held arbitrarily. In August, it concluded that Isa Saharkhiz, a journalist and member of Iran’s Committee to Protect Freedom of the Press, held since July 2009 and sentenced in September 2010 to three years’ imprisonment for “insulting the country’s leadership” and “propaganda against the system”, was also being arbitrarily detained and should be released.
Human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested on 4 September. She remained held at the end of 2010, on trial on security charges relating to her peaceful human rights activities and defence of her clients.

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Unfair trials

The year saw a further degradation of the criminal justice system, which offered little protection of human rights. Political suspects received grossly unfair trials in which they often faced vaguely worded charges that did not amount to recognizably criminal offences. Frequently, they were convicted in the absence of defence lawyers on the basis of “confessions” or other information allegedly obtained under torture in pre-trial detention. Courts accepted such “confessions” as evidence without investigating how they were obtained.

Blogger Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki, arrested in December 2009, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on national security charges. When he complained that he had been tortured, the judge told him he “deserved it”.

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Torture and other ill-treatment

Torture and other ill-treatment in pre-trial detention remained common, facilitated by the routine denial of access to lawyers and continuing impunity for perpetrators. Methods reported included severe beatings; forcing detainees’ heads into toilets to make them ingest human excrement; mock executions; confinement in very small, cramped spaces; deprivation of light, food and water; and denial of medical treatment. In one case, a male detainee was reported to have been raped; others were threatened with rape.

In August, Gholam-Reza Bayat, a Kurdish youth, was reported to have died from internal bleeding after he was beaten in custody in Kamyaran.

Details of torture in 2009 continued to emerge. In February, a former member of the volunteer paramilitary Basij force described how tens of boys had been rounded up in Shiraz, thrown into shipping containers and systematically raped. After expressing concerns to a Basij leader, he and others were detained for 100 days without access to their families and beaten. He also alleged that he faced a mock execution.

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Impunity

Members of the security forces continued to violate human rights with near-total impunity.

The prosecution of 12 men, including 11 officials accused of committing serious abuses at Kahrizak prison before it was closed in July 2009, appeared to scapegoat low-ranking officials for only some of the serious abuses that took place after the June 2009 election, which in several cases had led to the death of detainees. Two of the 12 were sentenced to death but then pardoned by their victims’ families, as permitted under Iranian law. Nine others received prison terms.

Judicial proceedings were initiated during 2010 against at least 50 individuals in relation to abuses at a Tehran University dormitory immediately after the 2009 election.

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Human rights defenders

Human rights defenders were subject to serious human rights violations as they continued to press for greater respect for the rights of women and ethnic minorities and for an end to executions of juvenile offenders and stoning executions. Women’s rights activists, lawyers, trade unionists, ethnic minority rights activists, students and others campaigning for human rights, unfairly tried and imprisoned in previous years, continued to be held. Others faced arbitrary arrest, harassment, prosecution and unfair trials. Some were prisoners of conscience; others were banned from travelling abroad. The ban on independent trade unions was maintained.

Emadeddin Baghi, a journalist, author and head of a banned NGO that advocated prisoners’ rights who was detained between December 2009 and June 2010, began serving a seven-year prison sentence in December; he had been prosecuted for his peaceful human rights and journalistic activities.

The authorities harassed and, in some cases, arrested members of grassroots human rights organizations, including the Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR) and Human Rights Activists of Iran (HRAI).

Shiva Nazar Ahari, a CHRR member arrested in December 2009, was released on bail in September, just before receiving a six-year prison term. She remained free pending the outcome of her appeal against the sentence, more than half of which is to be served in “exile”.

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Discrimination against women

Women faced continuing discrimination in law and practice; those campaigning for women’s rights were targeted for state repression. Parliament debated draft legislation on family protection whose controversial provisions, if enacted, would further erode women’s rights. Women’s rights activists, including those mounting the One Million Signatures Campaign to demand legal equality for women, continued to face pressure.

Mahboubeh Karami, a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, was detained for the fifth time in March and held until 18 August. In September, she was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for membership of the HRAI, “propaganda against the state” and “conspiring against the state”. She remained free pending appeal.
Two women, Fatemeh Masjedi and Maryam Bigdeli, who had been convicted on charges relating to their peaceful collection of signatures for the One Million Signatures Campaign, were facing six months’ imprisonment at the end of the year after an appeal court upheld the convictions.

In April, the Supreme Leader called for renewed attention to enforcing the state-imposed obligatory dress code. In May, a “chastity and modesty” campaign based on a 2005 law was launched, targeting those who do not comply with the dress code in public, including on university campuses. In September, reports suggested that women’s enrolment in universities had dropped substantially.

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Discrimination – ethnic minorities

Iran’s ethnic minority communities, including Ahwazi Arabs, Azerbaijanis, Baluch, Kurds and Turkmen, suffered ongoing systematic discrimination in law and practice. The use of minority languages in schools and government offices continued to be prohibited. Those who campaigned for greater political participation or recognition of minorities’ economic, social and cultural rights faced systematic threats, arrest and imprisonment.

In September, four Ahwazi Arabs held since June 2009 were reported to have been sentenced to death on charges including “enmity against God and corruption on earth”.
Around 20 Azerbaijani activists arrested in May around the anniversary of mass demonstrations in 2006 against a cartoon in a state-run newspaper which many Azerbaijanis found insulting were released in November. Akbar Azad, a writer, remained held as his family could not meet the high bail set.
Mohammad Saber Malek Raisi, a Baluch youth aged 15 from Sarbaz, was reported in July to have been held without charge or trial since September 2009, possibly to force his elder brother to surrender to the authorities. In December, 11 Baluch men convicted after unfair trials were executed in Zahedan, apparently in retaliation for the PRMI bomb attack five days earlier.
Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi, a Kurdish human rights activist and member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, was held between February and May, including 80 days in solitary confinement. His trial on national security charges began in October.
In October, Arash Saghar, a Turkmen activist in the election campaign of Mir Hossein Mousavi, was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of “spying for Turkmenistan”.

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Freedom of religion

Members of religious minorities, including Christian converts, Sunni Muslims, dissident Shi’a clerics, and the Ahl-e Haq and Dervish communities, continued to suffer discrimination, harassment, arbitrary detention, and attacks on community property. Members of the Baha’i community, who remained unable to access higher education, faced increased persecution.

Dissident Shi’a cleric Ayatollah Kazemeyni Boroujerdi remained imprisoned following an unfair trial in 2007. Seven of his followers were arrested in December.
Seven Baha’i leaders arrested in 2008 were sentenced in August to 20 years’ imprisonment following grossly unfair proceedings. They were convicted of espionage and engaging in propaganda against Islam. In September, the sentences were reportedly halved on appeal.
In May, 24 Dervishes were sentenced to prison terms, internal exile and flogging for taking part in a 2009 demonstration in Gonabad, north-eastern Iran.
Yousef Naderkhani, a Christian convert and member of the Church of Iran in Rasht, was sentenced to death in October after being convicted of apostasy.

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Cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments

Sentences of flogging and amputation continued to be imposed and increasingly carried out, although it was not possible to ascertain the real total. Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council in April and June, Mohammad Javad Larijani, head of Iran’s official human rights body, insisted that the government did not consider such punishments as forms of torture.

In April, journalist and filmmaker Mohammad Nourizad was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and 50 lashes for “propaganda against the system” and “insulting officials”. He said in November that he and others had been tortured. He began a hunger strike in December.

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Death penalty

The authorities acknowledged 252 executions, including of five women and one juvenile offender. There were also credible reports of more than 300 other executions that were not officially acknowledged, mostly in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. At least 143 juvenile offenders remained on death row. The actual totals were likely to have been higher as the authorities restricted reporting on the death penalty.

Death sentences were imposed for drug smuggling, armed robbery, murder, espionage, political violence and sexual offences. The authorities imposed the death penalty and used execution as a political tool.

In January, two men sentenced to death for their alleged membership in a monarchist organization in connection with the post-election unrest were hanged without warning.
In May, four Kurds convicted for their alleged links with Kurdish opposition groups were executed.

No stonings were reported, but at least 15 prisoners, mostly women, remained at risk of stoning.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a woman whose 2006 sentence of death by stoning was under review, attracted global attention when it appeared likely that she would be executed. Those campaigning on her behalf faced harassment or arrest.

In December, an amended anti-narcotics law was published, extending the death penalty to offences involving synthetic drugs. The same month, Iran was one of the minority of states that voted against a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a worldwide moratorium on executions.

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Release of Iranian actress highlights plight of detained filmmakers

27 October 2011
Amnesty.org

The release of an Iranian actress sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in prison after appearing in a banned film highlights the need to release other detained filmmakers in Iran, Amnesty International said today. Marzieh Vafamehr, who was arrested after starring in the Australian film My Tehran for Sale was released Monday night. One scene in the film shows her without the head-covering Iranian women are required to wear, while she appears to drink alcohol in another. The actress seems to have been released after an appeal court reduced her imprisonment to three months and overturned the flogging sentence. “In recent months an increasing number of filmmakers and actors have been targeted for persecution in Iran. While the release of Marzieh Vafamehr is a welcome development, it is deeply worrying that three filmmakers are still being held in Tehran’s Evin Prison,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Middle East and North Africa “Their continued detention illustrates the Iranian authorities’ desperate efforts to stifle any form of dissent. These people have done nothing except sell their documentaries to a foreign broadcaster or make a film about a banned director.. They should be released immediately and unconditionally,” she added. Three documentary directors – Hadi Afarideh, Naser Saffarian, Mohsen Shahrnazdar ; and producer and distributor, Katayoun Shahabi were arrested on 17 September 2011. All four are believed to have sold their films to a variety of broadcasters, including the BBC’s Persian service. The Iranian authorities say filmmakers cannot cooperate with foreign satellite channels without permission. Cooperating with the BBC or the Voice of America is particularly controversial. Police chief Esma’il Ahmadi-Moghaddam recently said it was tantamount to working with enemy security services and will be treated “seriously”. Three of the group – Hadi Afarideh, Naser Saffarian and Mohsen Shahrnazdar- have since been released on bail, but Katayoun Shahabi is thought to remain in custody. Another film director, Mehran Zinatbakhsh, is also believed to have been arrested in September and is being held in Evin Prison. The exact charges against him are not known. Documentary director Mojtaba Mir Tahmasb also remains in prison after being arrested on 17 September 2011. He was jailed after making the documentary This is Not a Film, about the life of banned film director Ja’far Panahi. Panahi was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in December 2010 after being convicted of “acting against state security”” and “propaganda against the system”. He was also banned from travelling abroad and talking to domestic or international media, Another internationally celebrated director, Mohammad Rasoulof was given a six year jail term at the same time as Panahi after being convicted on similar charges. He later had his sentence reduced to one year on appeal. A travel ban against him was lifted in May this year. Both Panahi and Rasoulof remain free awaiting the implementation of their sentences. Amnesty International considers all these filmmakers to be prisoners of conscience, detained solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression in their work. The right to freedom of expression includes the “freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media”.

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Iran: Appeal for action re: Iranian prisoners in need of medical care: Health professional action

Index: MDE 13/072/2011 Iran Date: 2 August 2011

APPEAL FOR ACTION

Re: IRANIAN Prisoners IN NEED of MEDICAL CARE

At least n ine Iranian prisoners with serious health problems are being held in prison in Iran. Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to ensure adequate healthcare is provided to Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand (m), Isa Saharkhiz (m), Ayatollah Boroujerdi (m), Zahra Jabbari (f), Kourosh Kohkan (m), Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki (m), Ahmad Zeidabadi (m), Sa’id Metinpour (m) and Heshmatollah Tabarzadi (m). Those prisoners held solely on account of their peaceful exercise of their right s to the freedom of expression, association, assembly or belief should be immediately and unconditionally released.

Mohammad Sadi q Kabudvan d (m) , a 49 year old Kurdish human rights defender, is serving sentences totalling 10 and a half years imposed since May 2008 for “acting against state security by establishing an illegal group [the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HROK)]”. He is also facing other charges brought against him while in prison for his writings on women’s rights and other human rights issues. Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand suffers from kidney and prostate conditions which have been exacerbated by poor prison conditions and lack of adequate medical care. In early December 2008, he was seen by a prison doctor who noted that he was suffering from dizziness and unstable blood pressure, and that his existing kidney and prostate problems were worsening. It is believed that on 17 December 2008 he suffered a heart attack but no doctor was available in the prison clinic as it was a national holiday. He has also had one episode of unconsciousness, lasting approximately 30 minutes. Doctors at Evin prison reportedly requested that the prisoner be granted specialist assessment and treatment outside of the prison, but the request was ignored by the authorities.

It is also reported that Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand suffered two strokes in 2010 — one on 15 July and the other on 19 November. His sister said he told her that he had been seen by a neurologist after the first stroke but was not examined thoroughly and no tests were administered. Instead the physician prescribed a series of pills to take daily but did not give any details on the name, recommended use or possible side-effects of the pills.

In June 2011 Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand was seen by an independent doctor who reportedly stated that he needed to undergo two operations for hardening of the heart arteries and an enlarged prostate. Since his imprisonment Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand has lost about 20 kgs.

Isa Saharkhiz (m), a 57 year old prominent reformist journalist and commentator, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in September 2010 on charges of “insulting the leadership” and “propaganda against the system”. He has said that his ribs were broken as a result of beatings sustained during his arrest on 7 July 2009. He also has lost mobility of his right leg for unknown reasons but has been denied medical leave to seek treatment. In late November/early December 2010 he was reported to have been suffering from severe pain. It was discovered that he was bleeding internally and a medical team was brought to perform surgery on him in the prison clinic. In May 2010, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found Isa Saharkhiz’s detention to be arbitrary and requested that the Iranian Government release Isa Saharkhiz immediately and unconditionally.

In June 2011 Isa Saharkhiz was among several prisoners who went on a hunger strike to protest against the deaths of Haleh Sahabi and Hoda Saber. He was transferred to the Raja’i Shahr Prison clinic on 27 June 2011 due to his deteriorating health.

Ayatollah Boroujerdi (m), a 53 year old religious figure in Iran who advocates the separation of religion from government, was sentenced in August 2007 to one year’s imprisonment in Tehran followed by 10 years’ imprisonment in exile in the city of Yazd. Furthermore, he was defrocked and his house and all of his belongings were confiscated. Ayatollah Boroujerdi suffers from many illnesses including Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney and heart problems. He has reportedly lost significant weight while in detention. In September 2008, his doctors wrote several times to the judiciary informing them of the patient’s urgent medical problems and the need for immediate care outside of prison, but the advice was ignored. He was transferred back to Evin Prison in August 2009 where he remains in detention. According to reports, on 27 of February 2011, Ayatollah Boroujerdi was attacked and beaten by prison officials at Evin Prison. His beard was also forcibly shaved by prison officials. Recent reports suggest that Ayatollah Boroujerdi may have lost his vision in one eye and has still not been allowed to leave prison to receive medical treatment.

Zahra Jabbari (f) , 37 years old, was arrested on 18 September 2009, when mass anti-government protests were held. She was detained in Evin Prison and held in solitary confinement for seven months, apparently because she has relatives living in Camp Ashraf, Iraq — where members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), an Iranian opposition group, reside. In May 2010 she was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on charges of “acting against state security.” Zahra suffers from severe rheumatic heart disease. In June 2011 her physical and psychological conditions deteriorated and she was transferred to the Amin Abad mental hospital in Tehran.

Kourosh Kohkan (m) , a 36-year-old political activist, was arrested in January 2010 and held in Section 350 of Evin Prison, where prominent political prisoners are also held but to which the Judiciary has access. He was later sentenced to three and half years’ imprisonment and 74 lashes by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. He suffers from a meniscus tear in his knee which happened during his interrogation by members of the Intelligence. In April 2011, Kourosh Kohkan went on hunger strike to demand medical care and surgery on his knee. The prison authorities subsequently transferred him to the Taleghani Hospital in Tehran where he was operated on. However, due to lack of medical follow-up, his operated knee became infected and his leg now might have to be amputated. The authorities are still denying him further medical care.

Blogger Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki (m) was arrested on 13 December 2009 and is now serving a 15-year prison sentence, including 10 years imposed for “membership of an internet group called Iran Proxy”, and lesser terms for “propaganda against the system”, “insulting the [Supreme] Leader” [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei], and for “insulting the President”. He did not receive a fair trial and was denied access to his defence lawyer. He told the judge that he was tortured in pre-trial detention but the judge is said to have answered he “deserved it”.

Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki suffers from gallstones and severe kidney problems he developed since his arrest. Both his kidneys are infected and he has lost 80% functionality in one and 20% in the other. He underwent a first surgical intervention at the beginning of May 2011 in Hasheminejad Kidney Center in Tehran, but his kidney became infected after he was returned to prison. On 8 June 2011 he underwent a second kidney operation and was sent back to prison 14 days later. His physicians have stated that it would take three months for his kidneys to heal and that during this time it was imperative that Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki received adequate medical care in a suitable environment.

Ahmad Zeidabadi (m) a 45 year old journalist and spokesperson for the Graduates’ Association, which has promoted reform and greater respect for human rights, was arrested on 21 June 2009, shortly after Iran’s disputed presidential election. He was held incommunicado in Evin Prison until his appearance on 8 August 2009 in a mass “show trial”. He was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in December 2009, five years of internal exile, and was banned for life from all social and political activities. His sentence was upheld in January 2010. At the end of January 2010, he was transferred to Reja’i Shahr prison, where most of the other prisoners are not political prisoners. When she visited him on 23 June 2011, his wife, Mahdieh Mohammadi, noticed that he seemed very weak, and had very noticeably lost a lot of weight since her last visit at the beginning of June. She is very worried about this unexplained weight loss.

Sa’id Metinpour (m) , a member of the Azerbaijani minority in Iran, is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence in Evin Prison for his peaceful advocacy of the rights of the Azerbaijani minority in Iran. He suffers from severe back pain and at the end of January 2011 was diagnosed with a lung infection. Calls for him to be granted temporary leave to seek medical care have been denied for the past two years. During his detention in 2007, his health had also suffered.

Heshmatollah Tabarzadi (m), 53, leader of the banned Democratic Front of Iran, an opposition party, was arrested on 27 December 2009 and held in Evin Prison, before being transferred to Katchoui Prison in Karaj in May 2010. He was later sent to Reja’i Shahr prison, notorious for its poor conditions. In his trial he said that he had been beaten and threatened with rape in detention and was placed under great pressure to “confess” to receiving money from abroad. Heshmatollah Tabarzadi’s son, Mohammad, has also spoken about the conditions in the prison: “There [was] no glass in the windows…so they spent days and nights in the cold winter air. They don’t take care of the inmates’ ailments…The prison food is not healthy…All of these affect their physical conditions. No matter how well they maintain their morale; such difficult conditions will weaken them over time.”

Heshmatollah Tabarzadi was initially sentenced in September 2010 to nine years in prison and 74 lashes, after conviction on five charges. On appeal, this was reduced to eight years in prison, and the flogging sentence was overturned. He has also been banned from participating in any social activities for 10 years. His health deteriorated at the beginning of July 2011 and he was transferred to the prison medical facility where he was diagnosed with a heart condition. His family is very concerned for his health.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY:

Explaining that you are a health professional concerned about human rights;

Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand (m), Isa Saharkhiz (m), Ayatollah Boroujerdi (m), Zahra Jabbari (f), Kourosh Kohkan (m), Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki (m), Ahmad Zeidabadi (m), Sa’id Metinpour (m) and Heshmatollah Tabarzadi (m), as their imprisonment appears to be politically motivated and related to their peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly;

Urging the Iranian authorities to ensure that pending their release, they receive full and immediate access to medical care, in accordance with the provisions set out in the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners;

Urging the Iranian authorities to ensure that all these prisoners are protected from any form of torture or other ill-treatment from prison guards or other detainees.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 09 September 2011 T O:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Salutation: Your Excellency

Email: info_leader@leader.ir

Twitter: “Call on #Iran leader @khamenei_ir to give prisoners immediate access to adequate medical care”

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani

[care of] Public relations Office

Number 4, 2 Azizi Street

Vali Asr Ave., above Pasteur Street intersection

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani) or larijani@dadgostary-tehran.ir

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Minister of Health and Medical Education

Her Excellency Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi. Ministry of Health, Jomhouri-ye Eslami Avenue Hafez Crossing Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: ad@mohme.gov.ir or pr@behdasht.gov.ir (in subject line: FAO Marzieh Vahid_Dastjerdi, Minister of Health and Medical Education)

Fax +98 21 8836 4100 (unreliable; please try three times and if it fails please send email)

Salutation Your Excellency

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please Try and send hard copies of letters as well as Emails. If you receive no reply within six weeks of sending your letter, please send a follow-up letter seeking a response. Please send copies of any letters you receive to the International Secretariat, attention of THE Health Team, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 0DW or e-mail: health@amnesty.org

ADditional Information

Article 229 of the Iranian Prison Regulations stipulates that a prisoner suffering from a serious medical condition that cannot be treated inside prison, or whose condition will worsen if they stay in prison, should be released by the prison authorities for one month’s medical leave, renewable, on the recommendation of a doctor and with the agreement of the Prison Director. However for most of these detainees, repeated requests for medical leave have been denied. In many cases, the Iranian authorities request an exorbitant amount of bail which the families cannot afford. For example, it is reported that the Iranian government is seeking approximately 11.5 million Iranian Rials (equivalent to $US1.1 million) in bail from the family of Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand to be temporarily released.

Additionally, prison conditions in Iran are notoriously poor, and sometimes amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

According to a 20 July 2011 report by the Iranian Students’ News Agency, ISNA, Javad Zamani, the spokesperson of the Social Affairs Committee of Iran’s parliament, said that the head of Iran’s Prison Organization, the body that manages Iran’s official prisons, told the Committee that Iran’s prisons have a capacity of 85,000 people, though that the current prison population was 235,000, noting that this has created problems, including a lack of doctors.

Similarly, according to a 27 June 2011 report in Shargh newspaper, Younes Mousavi, a member of the parliamentary Judicial Committee, recently stated openly in parliament that overcrowding in some prisons was so bad that prisoners were sleeping on stairs; and that the budget of the Prisons’ Organisation was not sufficient for clothing or food for the prisoners. He added that some prison buildings were too old and no longer fit for purpose; and that the health system of some prisons was so inadequate that it was possible that some prisoners lived in unsuitable medical conditions while in prison.

For the nine detainees listed above, the poor conditions and the denial of adequate medical care have exacerbated their medical problems. Recently at least two prisoners have died as a result of irresponsible behaviour and negligence of prison officials.

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IRAN: WOMAN DETAINED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISM

UA: 196/11 Index: MDE 13/063/2011 Iran Date: 23 June 2011 Date: 23 June 2011
URGENT ACTION

Iranian human rights activist, Mansoureh Behkish , was arrested on 12 June 2011. She is a member of the ‘ Mourning Mothers ‘ group , which campaigns against human rights violation s such as unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, and enforced disappearances . She is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Mansoureh Behkish, 54, was arrested by men believed to belong to the Ministry of Intelligence when they recognised her in a street in Tehran, at 8pm on 12 June 2011. She is now held in Section 209 of Evin Prison. She was able to make a short phone call to her mother two or three days after her arrest and again on 20 June, but could not talk about the conditions of her detention. Mansoureh Behkish suffers from a neurodegenerative disease called diffuse myelinoclastic sclerosis, or sometimes referred to as “Schilder’s disease”.

The ‘Mourning Mothers’ group mainly comprises women whose children have been killed, disappeared or detained in post-election violence in Iran since June 2009, but it quickly grew to include relatives of other victims of human rights violations and their supporters. Mansoureh Behkish has lost several members of her family who were executed in the 1980s; since then she has been an activist and has been detained several times before.

Mansoureh Behkish was among 33 women from the ‘Mourning Mothers’ group arrested during their weekly meeting in Laleh Park, Tehran, on 9 January 2010 and held for several days. On 17 March 2010, she was prevented from travelling to Italy to visit her children and her passport was confiscated. She remains banned from travel abroad.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language :

Call on the Iranian authorities to release Mansoureh Behkish immediately and unconditionally if, as appears to be the case, she is held solely for the peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association;

Call on the authorities to ensure that she is protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and grant her immediate and regular access to her family, lawyer of her choice and adequate medical care;

Urge the authorities to remove unlawful restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and assembly in Iran.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 4 AUGUST 2011 TO :

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info_leader@leader.ir info_leader@leader.ir

Twitter: “Call on #Iran leader @khamenei_ir to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Mansoureh Behkish “

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani

[care of] Public relations Office

Number 4, 2 Azizi Street

Vali Asr Ave., above Pasteur Street intersection

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani)

or larijani@dadgostary-tehran.ir

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights

Mohammad Javad Larijani

High Council for Human Rights

[Care of] Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737,Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir info@humanrights-iran.ir (subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)

Salutation: Dear Sir

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION

WOMAN DETAINED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISM

ADditional Information

The ‘Mourning Mothers’ group was set up by women whose children have been killed, disappeared or detained in post-election violence in Iran since June 2009 but it quickly grew to include relatives of other victims of human rights violations and their supporters. The ‘Mourning Mothers’ meet in silence for an hour each Saturday near the place and time of the killing of protester Neda Agha-Soltan, who came to symbolize the brutal repression meted out by security forces after the disputed presidential election of 2009. Her death was shown in footage circulated around the world Mansoureh Behkish has not herself lost a child but lost several members of her family in the 1980s and is very involved in the movement.

Mansoureh Behkish, along with other women in the ‘Mourning Mothers’ group, was first seized during the group’s weekly meeting in Laleh Park, Tehran on 5 December 2009. Members of the group were arrested again on 9 January 2010; several of them were beaten and 10 were taken to hospital (see: Iran’s ‘Mourning Mothers’ must be released, 11 January 2010, http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/irans-mourning-mothers-must-be-released-20100111).

On 9 April 9 2011, Leyla Seyfollahi and Zhila Karamzadeh-Makvandi were sentenced in connection with their membership of the ‘Mourning Mothers’. They were arrested on 8 February 2010 and appeared before Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran in May 2010 and March 2011. Leyla Seyfollahi and Zhila Karamzadeh-Makvandi were sentenced to four years imprisonment for ‘founding an illegal organisation’ and ‘acting against state security’. They remain free pending their appeal.

Between 1981 and 1988 Mansoureh Behkish lost six members of her family including a sister, four brothers and a brother-in-law. Starting in August 1988 and continuing until shortly before the tenth anniversary of the Islamic revolution in February 1989, the Iranian authorities carried out mass summary executions of political prisoners, known as the ‘prison massacre’ – the largest numbers since those carried out in the first and second year after the Iranian revolution in 1979. In all between 4,500 and 5,000 prisoners are believed to have been killed, including women.

For the past few years, Mansoureh Behkish has participated in the commemoration of the victims of the 1988 mass executions, some of whom were buried in the Khavaran Cemetery in south Tehran. This event is held yearly by relatives of the dead on or about 29 August to mark the anniversary and demand justice for their loved ones. Hundreds of those summarily executed are buried in the cemetery, many of them in unmarked mass graves. Families of the victims have been under pressure from the Iranian authorities not to hold commemorations at the cemetery or in their homes. On 29 August 2008 Mansoureh Behkish was arrested and held in Evin Prison for three days and summoned several times that year.

Mansoureh Behkish is the main carer of her elderly mother.

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DETAINED HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST RISKS TORTURE

Women’s rights activist Maryam Bahreman was arrested on 11 May 2011 by security officials, believed to be from the Ministry of Intelligence, who searched her home for three hours and then took her away as well as some of her personal possessions. She is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. Amnesty International considers her to be a prisoner of conscience, held solely for the peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression and association.
19 May 2011

Women’s rights activist Maryam Bahreman was arrested on 11 May 2011 by security officials, believed to be from the Ministry of Intelligence, who searched her home for three hours and then took her away as well as some of her personal possessions. She is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. Amnesty International considers her to be a prisoner of conscience, held solely for the peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression and association.

Maryam Bahreman is a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, also known as the Campaign for Equality, in the city of Shiraz, and was also General Secretary of Pars Women’s Organization (Sazman-e Zanan Pars), which was closed in 2007. She attended the 55th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, in New York in February-March 2011, where she spoken publicly on “Information and Communications Technologies in Iran from a gender perspective”. Shortly before her arrest, she had written a letter addressed to opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, and his wife, political activist Zahra Rahnevard, on her blog which condemned their continuing house arrest.

The officials who arrested her had an arrest warrant issued by the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz which apparently accused her of “acting against state security”. Maryam Bahreman’s whereabouts are unknown and she is believed to be held in conditions amounting to an enforced disappearance. Her family has had no news from her since her arrest.

Torture or other ill-treatment of detainees in Iran is common, and is often used to try to force them to make “confessions”, often televised, which can be used as evidence against them in court, in violation of the prohibition of torture and Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities to release Maryam Bahreman immediately and unconditionally, and all other imprisoned members of the One Million Signature Campaign held solely for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association;

Urging them to disclose her whereabouts to her family, and grant her immediate access to her family, a lawyer of her choice and any medical treatment she may require;

Calling on them to ensure that she is protected from torture or other ill-treatment.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 29 JUNE 2011 TO:

Head of Fars Province Judiciary

Mr Zabihollah Khodaiyan

Piroozi Street

Shiraz, Fars Province

Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: khodaiyan@dadfars.ir

Salutation: Dear Sir

Minister of Intelligence

Heydar Moslehi

Ministry of Intelligence

Second Negarestan Street

Pasdaran Avenue

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights,
Mohammad Javad Larijani
High Council for Human Rights
[Care of] Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST DETAINED, RISKS TORTURE

ADditional Information

The One Million Signatures Campaign, also known as the Campaign for Equality, launched in 2006, is a grassroots initiative composed of a network of people committed to ending discrimination against women in Iranian law. The Campaign gives basic legal training to volunteers, who travel around the country promoting the Campaign. They talk with women in their homes, as well as in public places, telling them about their rights and the need for legal reform. The volunteers are also aiming to collect one million signatures of Iranian nationals for a petition demanding an end to legal discrimination against women in Iran. Dozens of the Campaign’s activists have been arrested or harassed for their activities for the Campaign, some while collecting signatures for the petition.

At least seven members of the Campaign are currently in prison for their activities promoting human rights and gender equality. Most recently, Mahboubeh Karami began serving a three-year sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison on 15 May 2011, imposed for her peaceful activities in support of greater rights for women. Alieh Aghdam-Doust is serving a three-year prison sentence in Evin Prison for participating in a peaceful demonstration in June 2006 against laws which discriminate against women in Iran. Fatemeh Masjedi began serving a six-month sentence in January 2011 in the city of Qom, south-west of Tehran, in Langaroud Prison. She had been convicted of “spreading propaganda against the system in favour of a feminist group [the Campaign] by distributing and collecting signatures for a petition to change laws discriminating against women, and for publication of materials in support of a feminist group opposed to the system”. Another woman, Maryam Bidgoli, is facing imprisonment in the same case. Zeynab Beyezidi, a member of the Kurdish minority who is also a member of the Kurdistan Human Rights Organization (KHRO), is serving a four-and-a-half-year sentence in Zanjan Prison, in the north-west of the country, in connection with her membership of the KHRO and her activities for the Campaign. Ronak Safazadeh, a Campaign member who is also a member of the Kurdish minority, is serving a six-year sentence, convicted of membership of a Kurdish armed group, PJAK. With regard to the charge of membership of PJAK, her lawyer stated that “the activities of my client were limited to activities within the Azar Mehr Women’s NGO, and so her activities in PJAK were carried out toward this end as well. My client aimed to research ‘the reasons for women’s participation in PJAK under difficult conditions’.” Campaign member Behareh Hedayat, a student and women’s rights activist who was serving a nine-and-a-half-year sentence for these activities, was sentenced in April 2011 to an additional six months in prison in connection with a statement she had written in prison. Campaign member Hengameh Shahidi, a journalist and political activist, is serving a six-year sentence in Evin Prison. At her trial, the charges against her included the collection of signatures for the Campaign.

Article 19 of the Iranian Constitution provides for equal rights for all Iranians. Article 21 requires the rights of women to be protected and Article 26 allows the “formation of parties, societies, political or professional associations … provided they do not violate the principles of independence, freedom, national unity, the criteria of Islam, or the basis of the Islamic republic.” Members of the One Million Signature Campaign have always stressed that their activities fully conform to Iranian law. Articles 2 and 3 of the ICCPR, to which Iran is a state party, prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sex. Article 9 prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and Article 14 provides for the right to a fair trial, including the right of access to a lawyer. Articles 19, 21 and 22 provide for freedom of expression, assembly and association.

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Shocking Reports on the Conditions of the Political Prisoners in Iranian Prisons

15 May 2011

Rajaei Shahr prison was built to lock up prisoners with long prison sentences and dangerous offenses such as homicide, major drug dealings and armed robberies. However, nowadays the Iranian government detains a large number (around 60) of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, especially those detained after the last presidential elections, in this prison. Since November of last year, after the protests of the families of the political prisoners, these prisoners are now being kept at a different section of this prison, separate from ordinary inmates.

On Wednesday, May 11, a report in Rahesabz website affiliated with reformist groups described the conditions in Rajaei Shahr Prison in Karaj (Tehran province) as “a symbol of blatant violation of human rights” and gave shocking details about the conditions of the political prisoners in this jail. Also, in a letter to Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, journalist Mehdy Mahmoudian exposes appalling details of the hideous conditions inside the prison. Mahmoudian himself was incarcerated after the last presidential elections in Iran after releasing a report on the dreadful conditions of the notorious Kahrizak detention centre. Later, as a punishment he was sent from the Evin prison to the Rajaei Shahr prison which is one of the high-security jails in the country. After published reports about Kahrizak by journalists and activists like Mahmoudian and others about the deaths under torture and rapes of political prisoners in that make-shift prison, that centre was apparently closed.

The afore-mentioned report in Rahesabz indicates: “In the prison yard, those who are physically stronger walk around carrying condom and overtly demand sex… If a prisoner is not strong enough or the prison authorities are not eager to protect him, he will certainly be raped…” In his letter to Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the theocratic regime of Iran, Mahmoudian writes about the observations of one of the political prisoners inside the Rajaei Shahr jail: “A young boy was raped seven times overnight, and when he complained to the prison wardens and authorities in the morning, they transferred him to solitary confinement without questioning any of the offenders.” It is commonly believed that drug trafficking inside the jail facilities is done by the prison guards themselves, as the visitors are searched very rigorously and could not slip anything in. The visitation facilities, are not only in very poor conditions with broken telephone booths etc, but are closely monitored by the guards. The sanitary conditions in Rajaei Shahr are very poor with faulty toilets, dirty cells, etc…Prisoners can hardly receive any books, clothing, money or even supplementary medication like vitamins to compensate for the malnutrition. They are frequently denied telephone contact or even visitation with families. Some of the well known political prisoners, the likes of trade unionists Mansour Osanloo, journalist Issa Saharkhiz, and university student Majid Tavakoly are among those who are detained in this prison.

Conditions of female prisoners
A report on Kalemeh website indicates that all the twenty-one female political prisoners in Evin prison have been transferred to the prison’s ward called “Quarantine” also known as “Methadone” where addicts and criminals are kept in this prison. The list includes some of the prominent political prisoners in Iran such as Bahareh Hedayat, Nasrin Sotodeh, Leila Tavasoli, Atefeh Nabavy, Mehdieh Golrou…

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Iran: Fear of torture of DETAINED Iranian LAWYER

The son of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, Sajjad Qaderzadeh, and the two German journalists have been released. However, Javid Houtan Kiyan, the detained lawyer of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, may have been sentenced. He is feared to have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated.
Further information on UA: 211/09 Index: MDE 13/040/2011 Iran
Date: 07 April 2011

According to information received by Amnesty International, Javid Houtan Kiyan may have been sentenced to one year’s imprisonment, as well a five-year ban on practising law, in a trial in which he had no access to a lawyer. He is accused of telling “lies” concerning the case against his client, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, including that she was sentenced to 99 lashes and was tortured or otherwise ill-treated, both of which the authorities deny. He may also be facing further charges in relation to his alleged possession of forged identity documents. A letter attributed to Javid Houtan Kiyan alleges that he was tortured while held in solitary confinement in Section 209 of Evin Prison from 11 October to 12 December 2010. The letter said that he had been burned with cigarettes and repeatedly beaten, causing some of his teeth to be broken. He is also alleged to have been soaked with water and left for hours in the cold. He was reportedly hospitalized as a result. Amnesty International has written to the Iranian authorities urging them to investigate these reports but has yet to receive a reply.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s son, Sajjad Qaderzadeh, was released on bail equivalent to US$ 40,000 on 12 December 2010. He may now be facing criminal prosecution as a result of his campaigning activities for his mother.

The two German journalists, now named as Marcus Hellwig and Jens Koch, were released on 19 February 2011 after a court commuted their 20 months prison sentence to a fine of US$ 50,000 each.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, English or your own language:

Seeking clarification from the Iranian authorities of the current legal status of Javid Houtan Kiyan and any details of his trial, including details of the charges against him and any appeals he may have lodged;
Expressing concern at reports that Javid Houtan Kiyan was not granted access to a lawyer during his trial, and calling for him to be granted immediate access to a lawyer of his choice, his family, and to adequate medical care;
Expressing concern at reports that he may have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated, and calling for a prompt and impartial investigation into these allegations.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 18 MAY 2011 TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info_leader@leader.ir

Twitter: @khamenei_ir (please add #Iran in the body of the message which cannot exceed 140 characters, including spaces and punctuation). Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani

[Care of] Public relations Office

Number 4, 2 Azizi Street

Vali Asr Ave., above Pasteur Street intersection

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani)

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights

Mohammad Javad Larijani

High Council for Human Rights

[Care of] Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737,Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir (subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)

Salutation: Dear Sir

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the sixth update of UA: 211/09 Index: MDE 13/082/2009: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/mde 13/082/2009/en

URGENT ACTION

Fear of torture of DETAINED Iranian LAWYER

ADditional Information

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was arrested in 2005 following the murder of her husband. Initially accused of murder, her children waived their right to press charges against her as is their right under Iranian law. Instead she was charged and convicted under Article 612 of the Penal Code and sentenced to the maximum penalty of 10 years for her alleged role in her husband’s death. Her lawyer has said that this was reduced to five years in 2009 – the maximum penalty for “complicity in murder” – after he had successfully argued that she had done nothing which would have led directly to her husband’s death. Despite court documents showing that she was sentenced to a prison term in relation to the murder, the Iranian authorities are now trying to claim that judicial proceedings regarding the murder have not yet been completed and appear to be attempting to portray her as a dangerous murderer who deserves to be executed. (For further information, see Iran: Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, A life in the balance, Index MDE 13/089/2010, September 2010, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/089/2010/en)

Her case came to international attention in June 2010, and has led to the arrest and harassment of her son and lawyers. Javid Houtan Kiyan, Sakineh Mohammad Ashtiani’s lawyer, and Sajjad Qaderzadeh, her son, were arrested on 10 October in Javid Houtan Kiyan’s office along with the two German journalists who were conducting an interview with them about her case. Another of her lawyers, Mohammad Mostafaei, was forced to flee the country in July for his own safety after he was summoned for interrogation. His wife and brother-in-law were also arrested to try to force him to give himself up. Mohammad Mostafaei has since been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in absentia for “acting against national security by discussing Sakineh Mohammad Ashtiani with foreign media” and for “propaganda against the system”.

Sajjad Qaderzadeh appeared in a state television programme shown on 15 November 2010 and at a press conference, together with Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, on 1 January 2011, in circumstances suggesting that, despite the assurances they gave about their willingness to take part, the statements they made were not freely given, but were the result of some form of duress. During the press conference, Sajjad Qaderzadeh said that his mother was “guilty” but that he had called for the stoning sentence against her to be commuted. He also stated that he would take legal action against Issa Taheri who, he said, had murdered his father but who is “free”. During the press conference, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani said that she intended to take legal action against two German journalists because they had “illegally” interviewed her son about her case.

The two German journalists, Marcus Hellwig and Jens Koch, were held in Tabriz and in November were said to be facing charges of “espionage. Before their release a court sentenced them to 20 months imprisonment although the precise charges against them are not clear. Following diplomatic efforts by the German authorities, their sentence was commuted to a fine and they were released and returned to Germany.

Article 14 of the ICCPR provides for the right of an accused person to have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his defence and to communicate with counsel of his own choosing. The UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers provide that lawyers must be allowed to carry out their work “without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference.” In addition, it affirms the right of lawyers to freedom of expression, also provided for in Article 19 of the ICCPR, which includes “the right to take part in public discussion of matters concerning the law, the administration of justice and the promotion and protection of human rights”. Article 14 (3) (g) of the ICCPR also states that everyone has the right “not to be compelled to testify against himself or to confess guilt”.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Lawyers and Judges has not been permitted to visit the country despite the Standing Invitation issued by Iran to all UN human rights mechanisms in 2002.

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Iran: Parliament ignores concerns of independent civil society organisations over draft bill

10 April 2011

Public Statement

Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi and nine human and labour rights organizations today expressed dismay at parliamentary proceedings in Iran which look set to pass into law a bill which appears intended to wipe out independent civil society in the country, in violation of international standards on freedom of association and assembly, which Iran is obliged to uphold.

The nine – a mix of international and Iranian organizations – Amnesty International, Arseh Sevom, Education International (EI), Hivos, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), in the framework of their joint programme, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, FIDH’s affiliate the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights, and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran – along with Shirin Ebadi called on members of Iran’s parliament to reject the draft law.

The Bill on the Establishment and Supervision of NGOs is undergoing a final reading in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Iran’s parliament. Despite vigorous opposition from civil society organizations in the country, which would significantly be affected by the law, key provisions which will severely limit the independence of civil society organizations have already been passed by the parliament.

Civil society organizations affected by the law range from human rights, environmental and women’s organizations, through charities and organizations for the disabled, to employers’ and professional associations such as Teachers’ Associations. Political parties, trade unions and the Bar Association are regulated by different laws in Iran.

“Despite the fact that Article 26 of the Iranian Constitution permits the formation of associations, we have already seen how the heavy hand of the authorities has cracked down on NGOs engaged in human rights work and capacity building,” said Shirin Ebadi. “For example, the office of the Centre for Human Rights Defenders, which I co-founded, was shut down illegally, with impunity, in 2008 and remains closed. Now the authorities are seeking to ensure that no organization exists which can challenge their view of society in any way – including by prohibiting scrutiny of the conduct, and misconduct, of government officials”.

Among the articles of the draft bill passed in recent days is Article 6, which provides for the formation of a Supreme Committee Supervising NGO Activities, a body with no accountability to the public. This is to be chaired by the Interior Ministry and will include representatives from the Intelligence Ministry, the police, the Basij, the Revolutionary Guards Corps, and the Foreign Ministry, among others, but will have only one member representing NGOs’ interests. The committee will be empowered to issue and revoke registration permits for all NGOs, and have ultimate authority over their boards of directors.

Despite opposition from some MPs, Article 12 (d) of the draft law was also passed; this requires that demonstrations must be “non-political” and will only be permitted if authorised by the Supreme Committee. As recent history shows, the Iranian authorities do not grant permission for demonstrations that are critical of official policies. Another article that would have provided for government assistance to NGOs was not passed.

The nine organizations and Shirin Ebadi expressed particular concern about two notes to Article 12 that have been approved by Parliament. These prohibit all contact with international organizations without prior permission, including membership in international organizations, participating in training sessions or meetings abroad, signing contracts or memoranda of understanding and receiving funds or other aid from international organizations. Some MPs had also called for these notes to be removed.

“The requirement that official permission be obtained for any international contacts will undermine the right of professional associations such as the Teachers’ Trade Association to join international bodies such as ours,” said Fred van Leeuwen of Education International.

“Teachers have already faced harassment for attending EI conferences outside Iran and the Interior Ministry has sought to ban their associations. This law will enable the Interior Ministry to interfere in the internal affairs, representation and professional matters, as well as international relations of associations, and will place teachers’ representatives at even greater risk of harassment and prosecution.”

Article 43 of the proposed law, if approved, will also require all current NGOs and associations to reapply for official registration within six months or face becoming illegal. Under current Iranian law, the courts have the authority to decide whether a registered organization should be closed down.

The provisions of the proposed law run counter both to Articles 26 and 27 of the Iranian Constitution and violate the internationally recognized rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly set out in Articles 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). If approved, the new law will seriously threaten and curtail the activities of human rights defenders and other civil society activists in Iran, including women’ rights defenders such as those engaged in the One Million Signatures campaign (also known as the Campaign for Equality) of which Shirin Ebadi was the first signatory. Many women’s rights activists have already faced arrest for collecting signatures for the petition demanding an end to legal discrimination against women or while holding peaceful demonstrations and some have received prison terms.

“Women’s organizations and women’s rights activists in Iran have been at the forefront of civil society in the country,” said Shirin Ebadi. “I am seriously concerned that this law will prevent them from continuing to carry out their important work of promoting and protecting the rights of women in Iran and from benefiting from international solidarity.”

Across the world, states have recognized the vital role that independent civil society organizations play in the advancement of universal human rights standards, in ensuring protection for the environment, in promoting fair labour standards and in providing a much needed check on abuses of government power.

“Through this law, the Iranian authorities are seeking to isolate Iranian activists from the world at a time when they and the rest of the world are reaching out to each other,” said the nine organizations. “Civil society is not a threat, but a resource. Iranians do not want to be muzzled in this way, but rather wish to reach out to the global community and to share their experiences with others, in the hope that the world will become a better place for us all”.

In solidarity with the civil society groups in Iran who oppose this law, Shirin Ebadi and the nine organizations urge the Iranian authorities to scrap this bill, which fails to conform to Iran’s obligations under international human rights law regarding freedom of assembly and association, and will severely restrict access by NGOs in Iran to direct support from international organizations.

The Iranian parliament should fully respect human rights, including the rights and freedoms of human rights defenders protected under the UN Declaration of Human Rights Defenders, and desist from passing this bill in its current form into a law.

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AZERBAIJANIS ARRESTED IN LAKE PROTESTS

Further Information of UA: 69/11 Index: MDE 13/031/2011
17 March 2011

Around 70 Iranian Azerbaijanis were reportedly arrested on 2 April during peaceful demonstrations in Tabriz, and about 20 others in Oromieh, north-western Iran. The protesters were calling for Lake Oromieh to be saved, as it is at risk of drying out due to dam building. Most have been released but the whereabouts of at least five protesters remain unknown.

The demonstrations took place in Tabriz, Oromieh and reportedly other cities where Iranian Azerbaijanis live, calling on the Iranian authorities to remove dams on rivers feeding Lake Oromieh (also spelt Urmia, Urumieh, Oroumiye) which is at risk of drying. Similar to protests in previous years, the protesters brought glasses of water and poured them into the rivers feeding the lake or the lake itself. They also carried banners with slogans such as “Break down dams and let water flow into the Lake Urmia”, “Lake Urmia has no water in it and [if] Azerbaijan does not wake up now, it will be too late” and “Long live Azerbaijan”.

The demonstration in Tabriz took place by the Talkheh River (also called Aji Chai) where plain-clothed police and armed forces arrested up to 70 people and injured many. Those still in detention in Tabriz are said to include Habib Pourvali, Jalil Alamdar Milani, Ali Salimi and Sa’id Siyami. In Oromieh, the protest took place in a park in the city where up to 20 people were reportedly arrested including Sa’id Khizirlou. Most of those arrested are believed to have been released within 24 to 48 hours. The whereabouts of those still detained are unknown.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, English or your own language:
– Calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Habib Pourvali, Jalil Alamdar Milani, Ali Salimi, Sa’id Siyami and Sa’id Khizirlou and any other detained protesters, if they were arrested in connection with the peaceful expression of their views or participation in a peaceful gathering, as they would be prisoners of conscience;
– Urging the authorities to immediately disclose their whereabouts and to ensure that they are protected from torture and other ill-treatment and have access to a lawyer, their families and any medical treatment they might require;
– Urging the authorities to remove unlawful restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and assembly in Iran.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 16 MAY 2011 TO:

Head of East Azerbaijan Province Judiciary
Hojjatoleslam Sharifi,
Judiciary of East Azerbaijan,
Central Complex,
Beginning of Vali-Asr Hill,
Tabriz, East Azerbaijan 5157733135,
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 009841133201109
Salutation: Dear Sir

Head of West Azerbaijan Province Judiciary
Hojjatoleslam Sayed Mohammad Ali Mousavi
Judiciary of East Azerbaijan
Enghelab Square,
Oromieh, West Azerbaijan Province,
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [1] info@dadgostar…
Salutation: Dear Sir

And copies to:
Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights
Mohammad Javad Larijani
High Council for Human Rights
[Care of] Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737,Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [2] info@humanrigh… (subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
Salutation: Dear Sir

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Lake Oromieh is a salt lake in north-western Iran. The lake is situated between the Iranian provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan. It is the largest lake in the Middle East and the third largest salt water lake on earth. More than 40 dams have been built over 13 rivers that feed the lake and the recent draught, which started in 1999, has significantly decreased the annual amount of water the lake receives. This in turn has increased the salinity of its water which may lead to an ecological disaster in the region.

Iranian Azerbaijanis speak a Turkic language and are mainly Shi’a Muslims. As the largest minority in Iran, they make up 25-30 per cent of the population; they live mainly in the north and north-west of the country and in Tehran. Although generally well integrated into Iranian society, in recent years they have increasingly called for greater cultural and linguistic rights, including the implementation of their constitutional right to education in Azerbaijani Turkic. Article 15 of Iran’s Constitution states that Persian is the official language of Iran and that “official documents, correspondence, and texts, as well as textbooks, must be in this language and script.” It adds that “the use of regional and tribal languages in the press and mass media, as well as for teaching of their literature in schools, is allowed in addition to Persian.”

A small minority want Iranian Azerbaijani provinces to break away from Iran and join with the Republic of Azerbaijan. In recent years the authorities have grown increasingly suspicious of Iran’s minorities, many of which are situated in border areas, and have accused foreign powers such as the USA and the UK of stirring unrest among them. Those who seek to promote Azerbaijani cultural identity and linguistic rights are often charged with vaguely worded offences such as “acting against state security by promoting pan-Turkism”.

Both before, and particularly since, the disputed presidential election in June 2009, the Iranian authorities have severely restricted freedom of expression in Iran, arresting journalists (of whom scores are believed to remain in detention), imposing restrictions on the use of the internet, including social networking sites, and shutting down newspapers. Demands by ethnic minority rights activists for greater rights have, for many years, been suppressed. This pattern continues in the context of a wide and generalized suppression of most forms of dissent over government policy.

In February 2010, Iran accepted several recommendations to guarantee freedom of expression and press activities made by other states as part of a review of its human rights record before the UN Human Rights Council in the framework of the Universal periodic review (see paragraph 90, recommendations 52-58 at [3] www.upr-info.o…) but rejected other recommendations calling for an end to measures such as harassment and arbitrary arrest of writers, journalists and bloggers. It appears that, despite such public commitments, in practice, the Iranian authorities are continuing to disregard their human rights obligations relating to freedom of expression. Iran also rejected recommendations to take all appropriate measures to end all forms of discrimination and harassment against persons belonging to religious, ethnic, linguistic and other minorities (see paragraph 92).
At the beginning of March 2010, a wave of arrests of human rights defenders took place. Students, journalists and political activists have also continued to be targeted since the start of the year, and arrests have expanded to include lawyers, clerics, members of Iran’s religious and ethnic minorities such as the Baha’is, Kurds and Azerbaijanis, and those with family links to members of banned groups.

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Amnesty International – Iran: student Zia Nabavi returned to cell in Karoun

Further Information of UA: 69/11 Index: MDE 13/031/2011
17 March 2011

Amnesty International has learned that student activist and prisoner of conscience Sayed Ziaoddin (Zia) Nabavi has been returned to a prison cell in Karoun Prison, in Ahvaz, southwest Iran. He had been taken away on 24 February, apparently by Ministry of Intelligence officials, and his whereabouts had been unknown.

On 24 February, Zia Nabavi was taken without prior notice from Karoun Prison and apparently transferred to another detention facility in Ahvaz under the control of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. According to the website Kalame, which is close to opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi who is currently under house arrest, he was under pressure to make a televised recording denying the existence of “starred” students, a process of warning students again taking part in political activities. Detention facilities such as the one he was taken to are not under the supervision of the Judiciary in Iran and individuals held in them are particularly vulnerable to torture and other ill-treatment, and it can be difficult for family members to discover information about their relatives’ whereabouts. Such circumstances may amount to an enforced disappearance, which is forbidden under international law.

Amnesty International considers Zia Nabavi a prisoner of conscience, held solely for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of expression and association in connection with his activities for the Council to Defend the Right to Education. This is a body set up in 2009 by students barred from further study because the authorities imposed “stars” on them for their political activities or on account of their being Baha’is. The organization is continuing to campaign for his immediate and unconditional release.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, English, French or your own language:

Expressing concern that the circumstances of Sayed Ziaoddin (Zia) Nabavi’s transfer from Karoun Prison to a Ministry of Intelligence detention facility may have amounted to an enforced disappearance, which is prohibited under international law;
Seeking assurances that he will not face new charges in connection with his removal from Karoun Prison;
Stressing that he is a prisoner of conscience held solely for his peaceful human rights activities, and should be immediately and unconditionally released, and urging the authorities accordingly to review his conviction as a matter of urgency with a view to overturning it.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 29 APRIL 2011 TO:
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info_leader@leader.ir
via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
[care of] Public relations Office
Number 4, 2 Azizi Street
Vali Asr Ave., above Pasteur Street intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani)
Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights
Mohammad Javad Larijani
High Council for Human Rights
[Care of] Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737,Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir (subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
Salutation: Dear Sir

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country

Ambassade de la Republique islamique d’Iran
Avenue F.D.Roosevelt 15
1050 Bruxelles
eMail: secretariat@iranembassy.be
Fax 02.762.39.15

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Zia Nabavi was a student in chemical engineering at Nowshirvan University in Babol, northern Iran. He was banned from further study in 2007 after receiving three “stars”, a form of warning, for his political activities. He was arrested on 14 June 2009, shortly after attending a protest against the announcement that incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been re-elected in presidential elections held in Iran on 12 June 2009. The outcome was distputed.

Held since then, he was sentenced in January 2010 to 15 years’ imprisonment, reduced on appeal in May 2010, to 10 years’ imprisonment in internal exile.
He was initially charged with “gathering and colluding against national security”; one year for “propaganda against the system”; one year for “disturbing public order”; as well as ten years for “enmity against God” for his alleged links to and cooperation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), a banned political group, to be served in internal exile in Izeh, Khuzestan province. He was also sentenced to 74 lashes for “creating unease in the public mind”.

On appeal, he was acquitted of the first two charges, but his ten-year sentence for “enmity against God” was upheld. In the Iranian Penal Code, one of the four possible punishments for a conviction of “enmity against God” is banishment, usually imprisonment in internal exile, usually served far from the family home, making it very difficult for family members to visit the person.

Initially held in Evin Prison, Tehran, Zia Navabi was transferred to Karoun Prison, in the city of Ahvaz, south-western Iran, in September 2010. It takes his family up to 48 hours travelling to reach the prison. He was reportedly beaten on arrival and has said that the prison conditions are very poor.

Zia Nabavi was previously arrested in 2007 while studying at Mazandaran University, in relation to his participation to a sit-in protest at the arrest of a student, and was later barred from resuming his studies.

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UN report a grim reminder on human rights in Iran

1Ann Harrison, Iran researcher, Amnesty International

The publication on Monday of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon’s interim report on Iran to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva did not reveal any startling new information.

Yet, it was a grim reminder to the international community of the wide scale and range of human rights violations in Iran which Amnesty International has been documenting for years.

As the report notes, the last six months have been marked by an intensified crackdown by the Iranian authorities on human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, journalists and critics and opponents of the government.

Secretary-General Ban highlights the ongoing use of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including flogging and amputations. Such treatment is often used to extract “confessions” that are then used as evidence against arbitrarily detained defendants in grossly unfair trials.

It also draws attention to the extensive and increasing use of the death penalty, including executions of juvenile offenders – people sentenced for crimes committed when they were under 18 – public executions and sentences of death by stoning.

It reminds readers of entrenched and continuing discrimination – in some cases amounting to persecution – against ethnic and religious minorities, especially the unrecognized Baha’i minority whose entire seven-strong leadership group is in prison. It also describes ongoing restrictions curtailing exercise of such basic freedoms as the rights to peaceful assembly, association, opinion and expression.

The report further criticizes Iran’s ongoing patchy record of cooperation with international human rights mechanisms, particularly the authorities’ refusal to allow any UN thematic human rights experts to visit the country since 2005, despite a “standing invitation” that the government issued in 2002.

Amnesty International has been drawing attention to this failure since 2009, and to the fact that Amnesty International itself has been barred from visiting Iran for fact finding on human rights for over 30 years, since before the Islamic Revolution.

In conjunction with other international NGOs, we say now that enough is enough. It is high time that the international community sent a clear signal to those ruling Iran that their ongoing failure to engage with existing human rights mechanisms will no longer be tolerated. One concrete way for states to do this is by creating a Special Rapporteur on Iran to report to the Human Rights Council.

This step would create a special procedure whereby the the Human Rights Council would receive regular reports on human rights developments in Iran and so keep it under the international spotlight.

A Special Rapporteur would provide an impartial voice for the thousands of victims of human rights violations in Iran who are silenced through harassment, arbitrary arrest, torture and imprisonment and who, in some cases, have paid the ultimate price with their lives.

Some prisoners of conscience are well known and have many people around the world who are advocating on their behalf. They include courageous individuals such as imprisoned lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, AIDs expert Arash Alaei, and human rights activist Emadeddin Baghi – all serving long prison sentences – and film director Ja’far Panahi who is facing imprisonment.

Other Iranians are serving their terms in obscurity, including journalist and human rights activist Abolfazl Abedini Nasr in Ahvaz, Azerbaijani rights defender Saeed Metinpour held in Tehran, Kurdish rights defenders Zeynab Beyezidi and Ronak Safazadeh held in Zanjan and Sanandaj, and women’s rights activist Fatemeh Masjedi, imprisoned for six months in Qom solely for peacefully collecting signatures to a petition calling for changes to discriminatory laws.

Some are held in internal exile in prisons far away from their homes, like student activists Zia Nabavi and Majid Dori, and Hamed Rouhinejad, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, who was exiled to prison in Zanjan after his death sentence was overturned.

Others still are not even in prison, but are held under house arrest, or in “safe houses” belonging to one or other of Iran’s myriad intelligence agencies. They include opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, and Ebrahim Yazdi, leader of the Iran Freedom Movement, who at 80 and in poor health may be Iran’s oldest prisoner of conscience. His trial has now been postponed at least three times.

Harder still to bear is the plight of the death row prisoners. Zeynab Jalalian, a Kurdish woman sentenced for membership of PJAK waits nightly to hear if a date has been scheduled for her to follow fellow Kurds Farzad Kamangar and Shirin Alam Holi to the gallows. They were executed in May 2010.

None of these victims should be forgotten. The creation now of a Special Rapporteur on Iran would be one small but vitally important step to ensure this. It would send a much-needed message of solidarity to these individuals, and a clear warning to the Iranian government that the international community will not sit idly by while it rides roughshod over human rights.

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SEVERAL ARRESTED BEFORE IRAN PROTEST

18 FebUARY 2011
URGENT ACTION
Hundreds of people, including journalists and political activists, were arrested in Iran in advance of a demonstration called by opposition leaders and held on 14 February. The arrests appear to have been intended to prevent them participating. Their whereabouts are unknown.

Those arrested include writer and journalist Taghi (also Taqi) Rahmani, member of the banned political party Melli Mazhabi (National Religious Alliance), who was arrested on 9 February by four or five plain-clothed individuals. They entered his family’s apartment and failed to show them either identification or an arrest warrant. The residence was subsequently searched and his documents were confiscated. According to some reports, Taghi Rahmani is being held in Evin Prison in Tehran. Narges Mohammadi, Taghi Rahmani’s wife, has been summoned to court on Sunday, 20 February, though the reasons for the summons are unknown.

Mohammad-Hossein Sharif-Zadegan, a close aide to opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi during the presidential election of 2009, was arrested on 10 February. He is a lecturer in Law at Mofid University in Qom, north-west Iran, and formerly minister of welfare between 2000 and 2004. Fariba Ebtehaj, secretary and office manager to Massoumeh Ebtekar, the head of Iran’s Environmental Protection Organization and a former vice-president and advisor to former President Mohammad Khatami, was arrested on 11 February. Gholamhossein Mahmoudi, a member of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, a political party linked to former President Khatami, was detained at his home on 10 February. Sayed Sadreddin Beheshti, an advisor to Mir Hossein Moussavi, was detained at his office on 10 February.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

– Expressing concern at the arrest of all these individuals (naming them) and calling for their immediate and unconditional release if they are held solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association;
– Seeking clarification as to the whereabouts of all those detained and calling on the Iranian authorities to ensure that all are protected from torture and other ill-treatment while held, and are granted immediate access to their families and their lawyers;
– Reminding the authorities that, as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran is obliged to uphold the rights to freedom of expression and association.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 1 APRIL 2011 TO:

And copies to:
Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights
Mohammad Javad Larijani
High Council for Human Rights
[Care of] Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir (In subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
Salutation: Dear Sir

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
On 5 February 2011, Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Moussavi, two unsuccessful candidates in the disputed 2009 presidential election, addressed an open letter to Iran’s Interior Ministry, requesting permission to hold a rally on 14 February “[i]n order to declare support for the popular movements in the region, in particular, the freedom-seeking movements of the people of Egypt and Tunisia…” Despite official statements of support for the popular protests in Egypt, the authorities did not grant permission for any demonstration. On 9 February 2011, a Judiciary spokesman said that Iranians should show their solidarity by taking part in official rallies on 11 February, held to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Mir Hossein Mousavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, remain effectively under house arrest. Parliamentarians have called for them to be tried and for the “most severe” punishment to be imposed. Judicial officials have made statements that “the heads of sedition” will face trial. Others have called for the two men to be executed.

Taghi Rahmani was an advisor to Mehdi Karroubi during the 2009 presidential election. He is also a writer and a journalist and a member of the Melli Mazhabi (National Religious Allianc), which is associated with the Iran Freedom Movement (IFM), a banned political party which advocates social and political reform,.. Since the 1980s, Taghi Rahmani has been arrested and imprisoned as a prisoner of conscience for a total of 14 years for his membership of the Melli Mazhabi and his writings on reforming religion. His wife, Narges Mohammadi, is the deputy head of the Centre for Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), headed by Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, who has herself been banned from travel and arrested (see UA 133/2010, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/065/2010/en and follow ups). Following a previous arrest of her husband, Narges Mohammadi became gravely ill. After his latest arrest, she suffered a nervous breakdown and was taken to Tehran’s Iranmehr hospital.

The leader of the Melli Mazhabi, 80-year-old Ebrahim Yazdi, was initially arrested on 28 December 2009, and was released for medical treatment in February 2010. He was rearrested at a private memorial ceremony on 1 October 2010 in the city of Esfahan, south of Tehran. He suffers from cancer and other illnesses and his health is said to be precarious. He is now reported to be held in a “safe house” controlled by the Ministry of Intelligence (see Iran: Need for restraint as anniversary of Ashoura demonstration approaches, Index: MDE 13/113/2010, 14 December 2010, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/113/2010/en).

Many others were arrested in the demonstration held on 14 February, and some afterwards, although some have since been released (see UA 31/2011, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/019/2011/en).

UA: 36/11 Index: MDE 13/020/2011 Issue Date: 18 February 2011

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Iran: Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi and Rights Groups Demand Moratorium on Executions

16 FebUARY 2011

authorities have for years arrested and tried their opponents on politically motivated criminal charges such as possession of alcohol or drugs and illegal possession of arms,” Shirin Ebadi said. “They have imprisoned lawyers and journalists, some of them my colleagues, on such trumped-up charges. Given the sharp rise in executions, the lack of transparency in the Iranian judicial system and recent changes in the narcotics law, there is a great danger that authorities will use ordinary criminal charges to sentence opponents to death.”

The recent executions also raise fears for the lives of two men, Saeed Malekpour and Vahid Asghari, believed to have been sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts following separate unfair trials in which they were accused of “spreading corruption on earth.”

On January 30, the Tehran Prosecutor, Abbas Ja’fari Dowlatabadi, announced that the death sentences of two unnamed “administrators of obscene websites” had been sent to the Supreme Court for review. Human rights activists in Iran believe that he was referring to Saeed Malekpour and Vahid Asghari.

Saeed Malekpour, a 35-year-old web designer and permanent resident of Canada, was sentenced to death at the end of November 2010 for creating “pornographic” internet sites and “insulting the sanctity of Islam”. Prior to his arrest during a family visit to Iran in 2008, he had created a programme enabling the user to upload photos. That programme had then been used to post pornographic images, which he said had happened without his knowledge. He is alleged to have been tortured while being held for more than a year in solitary confinement in Evin Prison.

Vahid Asghari, a 24-year-old information technology student enrolled at a university in India, has also been detained since 2008 and reportedly tortured. He is believed to have been tried in late 2010, but the verdict has never been officially announced.

There is also concern surrounding the case of Yousef Nadarkhani. Authorities arrested Yousef Nadarkhani, a pastor in a 400-member church in northern Iran, in October 2009. He was sentenced to death in September 2010 for “apostasy from Islam”, despite the fact that no such crime currently exists under Iran’s penal code. His sentence is currently under appeal before the Supreme Court.

On January 26 authorities announced that Sayed Ali Gharabat had been executed for “spreading corruption” and “apostasy” in Karoun Prison, Ahvaz, after he, according to authorities, falsely claimed to have communicated with the Twelfth Imam. Twelver Shi’a Muslims believe that the Twelfth Imam is currently in hiding and will return to earth to bring about justice.

Freedom of religion and belief is guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), of which Iran is a state party. The covenant includes the right to change one’s religion.

Iran executes more people than any country other than China. The hundreds, if not thousands, of prisoners currently on death row may include more than 140 who were under the age of 18 at the time they allegedly committed their offence. International law prohibits the execution of persons for offences that they committed while under 18.

To put an end to this killing spree, other nations should demand that Iran immediately end these executions and respect its obligations under international law, Shirin Ebadi and the six human rights organizations said.

Iran has made consistent efforts to obstruct scrutiny of the situation in the country by international human rights mechanisms over the past five years. In light of that record, Shirin Ebadi and the organizations called on other nations to take advantage of the forthcoming session of the Human Rights Council to appoint a special envoy of the UN Secretary-General with a mandate to investigate and report on human rights conditions in Iran.

Background

Since 1979, Iran has executed thousands of men, women and even children for a variety of alleged offences.

Article 6 (2) of the ICCPR states: “In countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes in accordance with the law in force at the time of the commission of the crime and not contrary to the provisions of the present Covenant and to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This penalty can only be carried out pursuant to a final judgement rendered by a competent court.”

Iran has never signed the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, and has voted against successive resolutions by the UN General Assembly calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, most recently in December.

Human rights organizations, including the six who have joined this statement, have documented numerous human rights abuses during detention and trials. These violations include psychological and physical pressure, amounting to torture, to force prisoners to “confess” to alleged crimes, the use of extended solitary confinement, and lack of access to lawyers.

In addition, the Revolutionary Courts hold most of their trials behind closed doors, despite a requirement under Article 168 of the Iranian Constitution that trials for “political” and “press” offences should be open.

In many cases, such as Zahra Bahrami’s, lawyers of those sentenced to death are informed of their clients’ executions only after they have taken place, despite the legal requirement for 48 hours’ notice.

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Amnesty International Press Release – Iran urged to drop prison sentences against human rights activists

10 JANUARY 2011

Amnesty International has denounced the prison sentences imposed on two leading Iranian human rights defenders and urged the authorities to drop all charges against them.

Human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been jailed for 11 years on charges of “acts against national security”, “anti-regime propaganda” and belonging to the Centre for Human Rights Defenders.

The charges relate to her human rights work after the country’s disputed 2009 presidential elections. It appears that Sotoudeh may not yet have been told the verdict and sentence imposed on her.

Journalist Shiva Nazar Ahari had her four-year prison sentence imposed for “acts against national security” and other charges, confirmed by an appeal court on Sunday. She may also face flogging; it remains unclear whether this part of her original sentence, subsequently converted to a cash fine, has been reinstated.

“The sentences imposed on Nasrin Sotoudeh and Shiva Nazar Ahari are outrageous and make a mockery of justice,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“Both women have been sentenced on account of their courageous defence of human rights and the very standards and values which the Iranian government is bound by international treaties to uphold,” said Malcolm Smart. “It is truly a sorry state of affairs when such actions can be branded a threat to national security or the peddling of propaganda.”

“Nasrin Sotoudeh is a prisoner of conscience and must be released immediately and unconditionally. Shiva Nazar Ahari should not be made to serve her sentence – it should be immediately withdrawn.”

Nasrin Sotoudeh was mostly held in solitary confinement at Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison from her arrest last September until the end of her trial two months later. She is reported to have been banned from working as a lawyer for 20 years and barred from leaving Iran for 20 years.

Her lawyers are planning to appeal the verdict issued by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran and say she has never belonged to the Centre for Human Rights Defenders.

The Centre was co-founded by Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi, for whom Nasrin Sotoudeh has acted as defence lawyer. It was closed down by the Iranian authorities in December 2008.

Shiva Nazar Ahari, who was arrested in June 2009, was released on bail in September 2010. Her lawyers are said not to be planning to seek a judicial review of the case.

Amnesty International has campaigned on behalf of both women since their arrest. In November 2010 the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for Nasrin Sotoudeh’s case to be reviewed and for the Iranian authorities to expedite her release.

Shiva Nazar Ahari is a member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, a now banned organization. Other members of the human rights group have fled Iran, fearing for their safety, while other members continue to be held in Iran.

These sentences are part of an ongoing clampdown on human rights lawyers and activists in Iran, and include a range of other cases. On 30 October 2010, lawyer Mohammad Seifzadeh was sentenced to nine years in prison and a 10 year ban from practicing law.

Trials in such cases are uniformly unfair with defendants being denied access to lawyers of their choice and convicted on the basis of vague and broadly-drawn charges by courts and judges that are not independent.

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Cry freedom for Jafar Panahi

guardian.co.uk
Film Blog

Our film industry, and our film journalism industry, can be pretty cynical and exhausted. The idea of failure or career reversal is gossiped about or giggled at with embarrassment or schadenfreude. Did you hear
X’s movie has bombed! His opening weekend numbers were soft! Oh dear. He may have to go into TV. I’ve heard fully paid-up critics – otherwise as innocent as children about the finances of cinema – snort knowingly outside screening rooms that such-and-such a film “won’t do any business”, as if this makes it a bad film.

But just in case we needed a reminder that film-making actually means something, and that something is at stake in being a film-maker, comes some astonishing news from Iran. The director Jafar Panahi has been sentenced to six years in prison and banned from film-making for 20 years due to what appear to be still cloudily formulated offences: chiefly the notion he was inciting protest and discontent with a documentary he was working on. Panahi is a well-known supporter of the Green movement and the opposition to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president. He has already been arrested and jailed several times following the democratic protests of 2009. During his imprisonment in 2010 Panahi went on a hunger strike, and was bailed in May for the equivalent of $200,000 after an international campaign by film-makers including a dramatic demonstration at the Cannes prize-giving ceremony by Juliette Binoche. Now the Iranian state has spoken with chilling decision.

The social brutality, cultural nullity, political arrogance and geopolitical incompetence of this move is breathtaking. To silence an artist, and indeed to alienate possible constituencies of liberal sympathy for Iran in the west, is fantastically crass.

The Berlin film festival has already invited Panahi to join its jury in February 2011, for a start. Berlin, Cannes, Venice, London, Edinburgh, Sundance, Telluride and every film festival in the world should make Panahi their jury president, and keep doing so for every year this gross injustice is maintained. Jeremy Hunt, our culture secretary, should make representations. The Index On Censorship should clearly support Panahi.

His films are great. Offside (2006) is a gentle, deeply charming film about two women, football fanatics, doing their darnedest to defy the all-male rule at football stadia and sneak into the Iran v Bahrain qualifying international for the 2006 World Cup. For those who fear Iranian cinema is a little too sombre, Offside is lovable and humorous, a picture with a light comic touch and a shrewd internationalism and openness, which also intuited the new mood of discontent among the country’s women at the way they are patronised.

His 2003 drama Crimson Gold was a movie I, on a purely personal level, liked a little less, but which has become a firm favourite with many followers of Middle Eastern film and gained a passionate following among cinephiles. Rightly so. It’s the story of a botched jewellery heist, which backtracks to show the complex human roots of the catastrophe: an overweight, scooter-borne pizza delivery guy, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, is tempted into a criminal life with a man whose sister he is about to marry. Panahi took the model of a thriller, with resemblances to Tarantino and Kubrick, and drew from it a character study. Again, it’s characterised by insight, subtlety and compassion.

His most powerful film is probably the one for which he was awarded the Venice film festival’s Golden Lion in 2000 – and is, I suspect, the one for which some theocrats will not forgive him. In The Circle, Panahi had the nerve to show women not being submissive – or perhaps it is simply that he showed women; they were not invisible. Four female characters have been marginalised by a male society: three have just left prison and one the maternity ward. They are similar places. The meaning of that is obvious, but the power and human delineation of his film-making are not so obvious. Panahi is candid about the reality of prostitution and the sex industry in Iran. His movie blasts the hypocrisy, evasiveness and cruelty of the men in charge.

Panahi is an important, powerful voice. It is disgusting that it should be silenced by the malign clumsiness of the state. British cinemas should continue to show Panahi’s films, to remind the world of the humane, civilised artist that is being silenced.

How about a protest retrospective at the BFI Southbank

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Iran jails director Jafar Panahi and stops him making films for 20 years

guardian.co.uk
By Saeed Kamali Dehghan
Monday 20 December 2010

The acclaimed Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi was sentenced to six years in prison today, and banned from directing and producing films for the next 20 years, his lawyer said.

Panahi, an outspoken supporter of Iran‘s opposition green movement, was convicted of colluding in gathering and making propaganda against the regime, Farideh Gheyrat told the Iranian state news agency, ISNA.

“He is therefore sentenced to six years in prison and also he is banned for 20 years from making any films, writing any scripts, travelling abroad and also giving any interviews to the media including foreign and domestic news organisations,” she said. Gheyrat said she would appeal against the conviction.

Panahi won the Camera d’Or at the Cannes film festival in 1995 for his debut feature, The White Balloon, and the Golden Lion at Venice for his 2000 drama, The Circle. His other films include Crimson Gold and Offside. He is highly regarded around the world but his films are banned at home.

Hamid Dabashi, a professor of Iranian studies at Columbia University, told the Guardian the sentence showed Iran’s leaders could not tolerate the arts. “This is a catastrophe for Iran’s cinema,” he said. “Panahi is now exactly in the most creative phase of his life and by silencing him at this sensitive time, they are killing his art and talent.

Dabashi said: “What Iran is doing with the artists, is exactly similar to what Taliban did in Afghanistan. This is exactly like bombing Buddha statues by the Taliban, Iran is doing the same with its artists.”

Panahi, 49, was arrested in July 2009 after joining in mourning for protesters killed after the disputed presidential election. He was soon released but denied permission to leave the country. In February 2010, he was arrested with his family and colleagues and taken to Tehran’s Evin prison.

Muhammad Rasoulof, one of the film-makers arrested at the same time, was also sentenced to six years in jail today.

Leading Hollywood figures including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola and Juliette Binoche condemned his arrest. Binoche held up Panahi’s name in protest at Cannes.

In an interview in September, Panahi said: “When a film-maker does not make films it is as if he is jailed. Even when he is freed from the small jail, he finds himself wandering in a larger jail.”

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An Appeal for Political Freedom in Iran

TheGlobalist
By Joyce Davis
Friday, November 26, 2010

Ebrahim Yazdi is the Secretary-General of the Freedom Movement of Iran and is thus considered to be a political outcast by the Iranian government. As his health fails, the Iranian government is not letting him leave the country. As Joyce Davis writes, his family has written a letter to the world to appeal to the Iranian government to free him.

The family of Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi begins its letter to the world with the proper Islamic greeting: In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. And mercy is what they are hoping for their father, one of Iran’s most famous dissidents, now in prison in Tehran.

Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi is the leader of the dissident Freedom Movement in Iran. He is 79 years old, and his health is failing. Since the election in June 2009 – which, despite igniting massive protests, returned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power – he has been in and out of prison and in and out of the hospital.

In 1978, Ebrahim Yazdi left a prosperous life in the United States to return to Iran to help overthrow the undemocratic rule of the Shah.

He has also undergone open heart surgery within the past few months, even as he continued to write and speak against those who would usurp democracy.

Dr. Yazdi once worked at Baylor Medical Center in Houston. But in 1978, he left a prosperous life in the United States to return to Iran to help overthrow the undemocratic rule of the Shah and usher in the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

He thought it would lead to democracy and rule of law. He even served as foreign minister and advisor to the late Grand Ayatollah Khomeini, considered the founding father of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

But Yazdi’s loyalty to Khomeini and his new republic hit a serious snag with the American hostage crisis. Yazdi and Mehdi Bazargan, head of the interim government, resigned their posts when Khomeini supported the hostage takers and ignored their counsel to send the Americans home.

That event catapulted Yazdi into the dangerous life of a dissident inside Iran, working against the very government he helped bring to power.

His decision to break away from Khomeini has meant living as an outcast in his own country, facing death threats and even the firebombing of his home in 1985.

In December 1997, Yazdi was arrested and sent to the notorious Evin prison in Tehran. Even after his release, he was prevented from leaving the country – and he was never allowed to challenge the rulers by running for public office.

With the outbreak of street protests after the presidential elections in 2009, Yazdi again found himself at the center of political turmoil in Iran.

His decision to break away from Khomeini has meant living as an outcast in his own country, facing death threats and even the firebombing of his home in 1985.

As his health has grown increasingly worse, his children living in the United States have grown increasingly concerned that the mercy they know as a hallmark of Islam is not in evidence in today’s Iran.

In a letter sent around the world, the Yazdi family asks the world to speak to the leaders of Iran and remind them of the high moral and religious values their Islamic state is supposed to represent.

In the letter, the family asks people to write to three key leaders of Iran, somehow believing they will actually listen.

“They are sensitive to how they are viewed around the world,” the family insists. “Your opinion matters to them.”

“Your letter will be most effective if you – respectfully and based on fundamental principles of human rights – insist that Ebrahim Yazdi and other non-violent political prisoners be released immediately.”

The family also asks Americans to “encourage your local community and religious organizations to do the same. Write to your political and religious leaders and encourage them to represent their concerns through diplomatic and other channels.”

“Let the leadership in Iran know that the world is watching,” they said, “and that we care about injustice done to the people of Iran.”

Here’s where they say to send the letters:

Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei

Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Pastor Complex, Imam Khomeini Street, Tehran, Iran

Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

President of Iran

Pastor Complex, Imam Khomeini Street, Tehran, Iran

Dr. Ali Larijani

Speaker of the Majlis Shura Islami Iran

Pastor Complex, Imam Khomeini Street, Tehran, Iran

Not neglecting practicalities, Yazdi’s family reminds Americans that postage to Iran for First Class Mail is 98 cents. And they advise that a copy of the letter be sent to:

Mr. Mohammad Khazaee

Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the United Nations

622 Third Ave, New York NY 10017

Who knows if Khamenei, Ahmadinejad or Larijani will listen to “respectful” letters from people around the world. If they have any conscience or respect for the opinions of mankind – and if they care about how common people around the world perceive Iran and Islam – Yazdi’s children just might be right.

At least it’s worth a try.

Editor’s Note: For more information about other ways to help Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi, contact: FreeEbrahimYazdi@gmail.com.

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Amnesty International: UN CALLS FOR RELEASE OF HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
URGENT ACTION
24 November 2010

On 23 November the UN human rights chief called for the release of Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. This followed the first trial session on 15 November. She has now been held for 80 days, following her arbitrary arrest on 4 September 2010. Amnesty International considers her to be a prisoner of conscience, held solely in connection with her work as a lawyer.

On 23 November 2010, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed concern for Nasrin Sotoudeh. She called her case part of a much broader crackdown on human rights defenders . Navi Pillay urged the Iranian authorities to review her case urgently and expedite her release.

At the 15 November trial session Nasrin Sotoudeh faced charges of acting against national security; gathering and colluding to disturb national security; and co-operation with a human rights body, the Centre for Human Rights Defenders (CHRD). She was permitted to see her husband face-to-face, albeit in a crowded room full of officials. It lasted around 15 minutes and he found his wife thin and frail. She had ended a month-long hunger strike on 26 October, but resumed it on 31 October, extending it to a ‘dry’ hunger strike, refusing also water. Her husband urged her to end the hunger strike, which she did. The first time he was permitted to see her following her arrest was five days before that, sitting opposite his wife behind the glass in Evin Prison’s visiting area, where they spoke via a telephone. He, along with other family members and the head of the Tehran Bar Association were not, however, allowed in the court. A session for 24 November was cancelled due to high levels of pollution in Tehran.

Nasrin Sotoudeh has represented clients ranging from juvenile offenders facing the death penalty to Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi and prior to her arrest spoke openly of the challenges she faced as a lawyer in Iran. International standards for fair trial are routinely flouted in Iran’s courts.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, English, or your own language:

Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, held solely for her peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression and association, including her work as a lawyer;
Calling on the Iranian authorities to ensure that she is protected from torture or other ill-treatment while held, and she is granted immediate and regular access to her family including her husband, and her lawyer;
Urging the Iranian authorities to act on the UN’s call to review her case urgently and expedite her release in advance of a UN-backed judicial seminar to be held in Tehran on 1-2 December, addressing fair trial issues and the treatment of detainees.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 05 JANUARY 2011 TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info_leader@leader.ir

via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English)

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani

[care of] Public relations Office

Number 4, 2 Azizi Street

Vali Asr Ave., above Pasteur Street intersection

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: Via website:http://www.bia-judiciary.ir/tabid/62/Default.aspx; 2nd box (starred)=first name,3rd box(starred)=family name,5th box (starred)=email address, last box=substance of message

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran

Mohammad Javad Larijani

Bureau of International Affairs, Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737,

Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com

Fax: + 98 21 5 537 8827 (please keep trying)

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country. Check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the second update of UA 197/10. Further information: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/099/2010/en

URGENT ACTION

UN CALLS FOR RELEASE OF HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER

ADditional Information

The court session scheduled for 24 November 2010 in Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court was cancelled due to high levels of pollution in Tehran and all government offices were closed. Up to eight further days are expected to be needed to arrange a follow up session.

Nasrin Sotoudeh’s lawyer, Nasim Ghanavi, has faced pressure from the authorities, including threats of arrest, apparently on account of her representation of Nasrin Soutoudeh.. In the days before the 15 November trial session, Nasrin Sotoudeh was permitted to meet an additional lawyer, Abdolfattah Soltani.

In her statement on 23 November, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, also expressed renewed concern for the fate of human rights defenders in Iran, noting that that Nasrin Sotoudeh’s case is part of a much broader crackdown, and that the situation of human rights defenders in Iran is growing more and more difficult. She referred to those associated with the now banned Centre for Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) a human rights body co-founded by Nobel Laureate, Shirin Ebadi, citing Mohammad Sayfzadeh. A lawyer and co-founder of CHRD, he was sentenced to nine years in prison and a ten-year ban on practicing law for “forming an association whose aim is to harm national security.” Other members of CHRD are being prosecuted on similar charges, or have been detained for shorter periods and prevented from travelling abroad, including Nasrin Sotoudeh’s lawyer, Abdolfatteh Soltani.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay also referred to the 13 November 2010 arrest of five lawyers in Tehran, on security charges. Although two, Maryam Karbasi and Roza Gharachalou, were reportedly subsequently released, the other three, Sara Sabaghian, Maryam Kian Ersi and Mohammad Hossein Nayri, are believed to be still in custody. On 13 November 2010, Amnesty International wrote to the Iranian authorities expressing concern at the arrest of five Iranian lawyers and called for their immediate, unconditional release if they are held solely on account of their legitimate exercise of their human rights.

Recent months have seen increased persecution of defence lawyers. Mohammad Olyaeifard, a lawyer and board member of the Committee for the Defence of Political Prisoners in Iran, a human rights organization, is serving a one-year prison sentence for speaking out about the execution of one of his clients, a juvenile offender (see Iran urged to release lawyer imprisoned for criticizing juvenile’s execution, 6 May 2010, http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/iran-urged-release-lawyer-imprisoned-criticizing-juveniles-execution-2010-05-06). Mohammad Olyaeifard is in poor health.

Prior to her arrest, Nasrin Sotoudeh’s assets were frozen and she was summoned to the tax office. Afterwards, she told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran she had seen that 30 other lawyers had cases of tax irregularities being prepared against them, in what would appear to be a concerted effort by the authorities to prevent these lawyers from continuing their work.. (For further information, see Iran: Lawyers’ defence work repaid with loss of freedom, Index: MDE 13/093/2010, 1 October 2010,http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/093/2010/en)

Other organizations whose members have been arrested or convicted in recent months include the Committee for the Defence of Political Prisoners in Iran and the Committee of Human Rights Reporters. Student activists and leaders have also been targeted. In her 23 November statement, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged the Iranian authorities to review their cases as well.

Further information on UA: 197/10 Index: MDE 13/106/2010 Issue Date: 05 November 2010

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Amnesty International: Appeal for the release of Hengameh Shahidi

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
November 2010

Hengameh Shahidi, a journalist and political activist, is serving a six-year sentence in Evin Prison in Iran’s capital, Tehran. Arrested shortly after Iran’s disputed presidential election in June 2009, she was held in solitary confinement in a tiny cell for 50 days. She was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment during the first four months of detention. Released temporarily on bail, she was later rearrested to serve her sentence. She is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression and association.

Hengameh Shahidi wrote for the newspaper Nowrooz until it was closed down in 2002, after which she worked freelance, writing on world affairs. She acted as an adviser on youth affairs to President Ahmadinejad’s predecessor, President Khatami, and served on Tehran’s city council. At the time of her arrest she was studying for a PhD in the UK, but had returned to Iran for the election, in which she was an adviser on women’s issues to unsuccessful presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi. She was a member of his now-banned National Trust political party.

For the first 50 days of her detention, Hengameh Shahidi was held in solitary confinement in a cell that measured only 1m x 2m. She said that during this time she was beaten and threatened with execution. She suffers from heart problems for which she may not be receiving adequate medical treatment.

Please write to the Head of the Judiciary, calling for Hengameh Shahidi’s immediate and unconditional release. Urge the authorities to provide her with adequate medical treatment while she is detained and to conduct an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into reports that she was tortured in detention. Send appeals to:

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave.
south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737
Iran

Email: info@dadiran.ir (Subject line: FAO Ayatollah Larijani)

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Iran: Human rights crisis requires international scrutiny

AI Index: MDE 13/096/2010
October 2010

In the light of the severity of the human rights situation in Iran, the Iranian authorities’ refusal to cooperate with existing international human rights mechanisms, and their rejection of many specific recommendations from member states under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, Democracy Coalition Project, Human Rights Watch, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and the International Federation for Human Rights and its affiliate, the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights, call on the United Nations General Assembly to:

request the UN Secretary-General to issue a more comprehensive report on the human rights situation in Iran;
request the Secretary-General to report periodically to the Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in Iran;
urge the UN special procedures mandates to report periodically to the Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in Iran;
appoint a special envoy of the Secretary General with a mandate to investigate and report on the human rights situation in Iran.

The mass human rights violations that unfolded in Iran after the disputed presidential election of 2009 were a reminder of the precarious nature of fundamental freedoms in the country. The authorities imposed severe additional restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly. Peaceful demonstrations were banned and protestors beaten, arbitrarily arrested and in some cases shot. Scores were killed, both in the streets and in custody.

The Iranian authorities subsequently tried hundreds unfairly, including in mass “show trials”, the main aim of which appeared to be to validate their version of events and identify scapegoats. In January 2010, two men convicted after “show trials” were executed for their involvement in demonstrations, despite their having been in custody since before the election. At least seven men and one woman remain on death row for alleged offences related to the election and its aftermath, while others have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 15 years after conviction of vaguely worded “offences” relating to “national security”. Their trials make a mockery of justice.

The trials typically take place after defendants have been held for long periods of detention – often in solitary confinement or incommunicado detention – in centres where torture and other ill-treatment are common. Poor prison conditions, including denial of adequate medical care, have also been used to bring further pressure to bear on those held and their families.

Since the adoption of the last resolution on the human rights situation in Iran, the authorities have banned some political parties; closed down newspapers; targeted human rights organizations; arrested journalists, trade unionists and human rights activists and left detainees without adequate representation as lawyers themselves had their own rights violated through arrest or harassment in an apparently deliberate attempt to undermine the role of defence counsel.

The authorities succeeded in quashing demonstrations by the end of 2009, but they continue to harass or arrest critics of the government’s human rights record and others who have expressed dissenting views, many of whom have been arbitrarily detained. The authorities have arrested women’s rights activists and sentenced them to prison terms. They have also arrested members of Iran’s ethnic minorities who have advocated for greater respect of their rights, against a backdrop of violent attacks mainly in predominantly Baluch and Kurdish areas. Members of religious minorities, particularly from the unrecognized Baha’i community, Christian converts from Islam, and Sufis have been arrested and sometimes sentenced to long prison terms.

The Iranian authorities have continued to execute more prisoners – mostly by hanging – than any country other than China. Persons belonging to minorities, including foreign nationals – particularly Afghans – figure heavily among those on death row. Many of those executed have been convicted of murder or drug smuggling after deeply flawed trials. The death penalty may also be imposed for “offences” that have no inherent lethal intent such as “adultery while married”, “sodomy”, “insulting the holy sanctities” and “establishing or membership of a group which aims to harm national security” – in violation of international human rights law. At least six people have been stoned to death for “adultery while married” since 2006. In 2009, Iran executed at least 388 individuals, including at least five juvenile offenders. Between January and October 2010, Iran executed over 220 people, including one who may have been a juvenile offender.

At least 141 juvenile offenders are currently under sentence of death for crimes that they allegedly committed when they were below 18 years of age, in violation of Iran’s treaty obligations under international law.

While the Iranian authorities have acknowledged that after the presidential election some abuses occurred in the Kahrizak detention centre, as well as in the Tehran University dormitories, they dismissed other allegations of torture – including allegations of rape – and of unlawful killings after cursory investigations. Indeed, the evidence suggests that the authorities have no intention of uncovering the truth: they have closed down the offices of persons collecting evidence of violations, and arrested some of them; they have opened a court case against defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi, who has continued to raise concerns about human rights violations; and they have brought forward persons falsely claiming to be among those listed as having died, in order to discredit evidence collected.

At the same time, the authorities are doing their utmost to prevent outside scrutiny of events, including by refusing to cooperate with international human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, while proclaiming that they are respecting their international obligations.

Iran’s standing invitation issued to all mechanisms in 2002 coincided with the end of the country-specific mandate on Iran at the Human Rights Commission. However, the seven mechanisms which have outstanding requests to visit are being obstructed in their attempts to do so. No special procedure has been permitted to visit since 2005. Indeed, the government expressly refused to accept recommendations calling for visits by some of the mandate-holders made during its Universal Periodic Review process in February 2010.

The Special Rapporteurs on torture, the independence of judges and lawyers, freedom of opinion and expression and human rights defenders, as well as the Independent Expert on minority issues, have all made requests to visit but have received no response. Meanwhile, the Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions and on freedom of religion and belief, as well as the Working Group on enforced and involuntary disappearances, have agreements in principle to visit, but the Iranian authorities have not proposed any dates.

While recognizing that Iran has submitted all outstanding reports to relevant treaty bodies, and had its human rights record considered during the UPR process and by the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in August 2010, these mechanisms are not equipped to address adequately a human rights crisis like the one which continues to unfold in Iran.

During the UPR review at the UN Human Rights Council, the government not only gave a grossly distorted account of the situation in the country; it rejected key specific recommendations on freedom of expression, association and assembly, which it denounced as politically motivated, while accepting other more generic recommendations.

In light of this track record, any Iranian initiative ostensibly aimed at increasing cooperation with human rights mechanisms, such as the invitation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the prospective resumption of EU-Iran human rights dialogue, must not deflect attention from the need for international demands for demonstrable improvements on the ground.

As member states of the United Nations are gathered for the 65th session of the General Assembly, they have once again been presented with compelling evidence of human rights violations in Iran collected by the United Nations’ Secretary General, as presented in his 2010 report submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 64/176 . Such evidence requires a robust response by the international community to respond to the failure of the Iranian authorities to address such serious human rights concerns and their obstruction of international scrutiny. Concerted action is needed to enable the people of Iran to gain greater access to the full spectrum of their internationally-recognized human rights.

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Iran urged to end harassment of rights activist facing seven years in prison

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
24 September, 2010

Amnesty International has called on the Iranian authorities not to imprison a prominent human rights defender and journalist sentenced to a total of seven years in prison, including six for recording an interview with a reformist cleric.

Emadeddin Baghi, the head of the now-banned Association for the Defence of Prisoners’ Rights (ADPR), who had been released on bail in June after six months’ detention, was told on Wednesday of his conviction for “propaganda against the system” and “gathering and colluding with the aim of harming national security” while attending a trial session for another case.

The charges were brought against him over a 2008 TV interview with the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, broadcast by BBC Persian in December 2009 following the cleric’s death.

However, when interrogated following his arrest in December 2009, Baghi was asked about his views on the death penalty; his connections to human rights groups including Amnesty International and his NGO work. The interview with Grand Ayatollah Montazeri was scarcely mentioned, suggesting he had really been arrested for his human rights work.

Emadeddin Baghi had already been sentenced in July 2010 to one year’s imprisonment and to a five-year ban on any media or NGO work, in connection with his establishment of the ADPR in 2003.

The award-winning human rights defender remains free but faces imprisonment if his appeals against his convictions fail.

“This is yet another example of the Iranian authorities persecuting Emadeddin Baghi, an activist who has been repeatedly imprisoned for his work,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa deputy director.

“His plight is emblematic of the continuing government crackdown on activists in Iran, where those who speak out against human rights violations face intimidation, arrest or worse.”

If made to serve these sentences, Amnesty International would consider him a prisoner of conscience.

Baghi, who won the 2009 Martin Ennals Award for human rights, has been systematically targeted by the authorities and has several other cases pending against him.

The 49-year-old suffers from serious heart and kidney ailments resulting from or exacerbated by poor prison conditions, including delayed medical treatment.

He was arrested on the latest charge the day after mass anti-government protests were held in Tehran and other cities during the Shi’a religious occasion of Ashoura, in December 2009.

According to Baghi’s website, in the past 30 years he has been summoned to court or for interrogation more than 85 times, fined once, prevented from publishing 13 books, been given a five-year ban on engagement in public life and received a total of 18 and a half years in prison sentences, and has already spent four and a half years in prison.

“Though currently free, Emadeddin Baghi’s life has become a living prison in a Kafkaesque world where those who promote justice for others are assured only of injustice for themselves,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Human rights activists are continually targeted for their work by the Iranian authorities. Other recent cases include the following:

Prominent women’s rights activist Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani, who was formally charged on 22 September with “propaganda against the system” for writing for a feminist website and participating in demonstrations following the disputed 2009 presidential elections. She is currently free.

On 18 September 2010, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced rights activists Saeed Ha’eri and Shiva Nazar Ahari, to prison terms on charges including “disturbing public order” and “moharebeh” (enmity against God). Sa’eed Ha’eri was also sentenced to flogging.

Currently free, both are members of the Committee for Human Rights Reporters, an organization founded in 2006 which campaigns against human rights violations.

Human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested on 4 September 2010 and is currently in solitary confinement in Evin prison in Tehran. She is not known to have been formally charged, but the reasons stated on her summons include suspicion of “propaganda against the system” and “gathering and colluding with the aim of harming state security”. Her husband and her lawyer have both been warned not to speak publicly about her situation.

Women’s rights activists Maryam Bidgoli and Fatemeh Masjedi were sentenced to one year in prison on 29 August 2010 for “propaganda against the system by collecting signatures for a petition to change discriminatory laws, and for publication of materials in support of a feminist group opposed to the system”.

They had been arrested and held for almost two weeks in May 2009. Both are members of the One Million Signatures Campaign (also known as the Campaign for Equality) which seeks to end discrimination against women in law.

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IRAN: STUDENTS LANGUISH IN JAIL AS ACADEMIC YEAR STARTS

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
22 September, 2010

As the new academic year begins on 23 September 2010, many students are languishing in jail in Iran. Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all student prisoners of conscience targeted for their political or human rights activism. Other students have been subjected to arbitrary measures and have been banned from university studies.

In particular the organization is calling on the authorities to release immediately and unconditionally imprisoned student leader Majid Tavakkoli and members of the central committee of the Office for the Consolidation of Unity (OCU – Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat), a student organization. Other members of the OCU’s central committee are free on bail but face the possibility of imprisonment in the future.

The OCU is a nationwide student organization that has been at the forefront of demanding political reform and greater respect for human rights in recent years. Since the disputed presidential election of 2009 which triggered a period of intense repression by the Iranian authorities, many of the OCU’s members around the country – including members of its central committee – have been banned from study, either temporarily or permanently; arrested; and some imprisoned. Some have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated.

Students banned from study because of their peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly are deprived of their right to education as guaranteed by Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) to which Iran is a state party.

The OCU was declared illegal by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology in early 2009. Amnesty International is also urging the Iranian authorities to allow the OCU to continue its peaceful activities and to uphold fully the rights to freedom of freedom of expression, association and assembly.

Since the election, the authorities have also interfered with university teaching, launching a purge aimed particularly of social sciences, and have dismissed or forcibly retired university staff in universities across the country, apparently on account of their political or other conscientiously held beliefs. Some have even been arrested. Such interference with university teaching and harassment of professors also constitutes a breach of Iran’s obligations under Article 13 of the ICESCR.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has clarified in its General Comment on Article 13 that the right to education can only be enjoyed if accompanied by the academic freedom of staff, which in turn requires the autonomy of institutions of higher education. In particular, the committee found that:

“Members of the academic community, individually or collectively, are free to pursue, develop and transmit knowledge and ideas, through research, teaching, study, discussion, documentation, production, creation or writing. Academic freedom includes the liberty of individuals to express freely opinions about the institution or system in which they work, to fulfil their functions without discrimination or fear of repression by the State or any other actor, to participate in professional or representative academic bodies, and to enjoy all the internationally recognized human rights applicable to other individuals in the same jurisdiction.”

Currently imprisoned members of the central committee of the OCU include:

Behareh Hedayat, aged about 29, a member of the Central Committee of the Office for the Consolidation of Unity (OCU – a national student body which has been active in calling for political reform and opposing human rights violations in recent years) is serving a nine and a half year prison sentence in Evin prison. She is also the Chair of the Women’s Committee of the OCU.

She was arrested on 31 December 2009, shortly after mass arrests following anti-government protests on the religious festival of Ashoura. Before this, in early December 2009, her recorded video speech for a conference in the Netherlands entitled “International solidarity with Iranian students’ movement. On the occasion of Iran’s National Student’s Day” had been widely circulated on the internet.

She was charged with several “offences”, including “interviews with foreign media”, “insulting the leader”, “insulting the president”, “disrupting public order through participating in illegal gatherings”, “illegal entrance and destruction of Amir Kabir University’s main entrance during Mehdi Karroubi’s [an unsuccessful candidate in the presidential election] visit to the university”.

In May 2010 Behareh Hedayat was sentenced to six months in prison for “insulting the president”, two years for “insulting the Leader” and five years for “acting against national security”. A two year suspended prison term previously imposed for her participation in the June 2006 demonstration calling for an end to discrimination against women in law was also implemented. Her nine-and-a-half year sentence was upheld in July 2010. In early September 2010 she was brought to Branch 1053 of the General Court to face a fresh charge of “disturbing public order” relating to a peaceful gathering of families and supporters of political prisoners outside Evin Prison to celebrate the Iranian New Year in March 2009. If convicted, she could face up to one year’s imprisonment and 74 lashes.

23-year-old Milad Asadi is a student of electrical engineering at Khajeh Nasir University and is also a leading member of the Office for the Consolidation of Unity (OCU), a national student body which has been prominent in demanding political reform and an end to human rights violations in recent years. He was arrested shortly before mass demonstrations against the government took place on university campuses on 7 December, which is Students’ Day in Iran, marking the anniversary of the killing of three students in 1953 by police. In May 2010, he was sentenced to seven years in prison, which was upheld on appeal in July 2010. Like Bahareh Hedayat, in early September 2010, he was brought to Branch 1053 of the General Court to face a fresh charge of “disturbing public order” relating to a peaceful gathering of families and supporters of detained student activists outside Evin Prison to celebrate the Iranian New Year in March 2009.

Other members of the OCU targeted for repression include Mehdi Arabshahi, who is the Secretary of the OCU and who was arrested on 27 December 2009 – the religious festival of Ashoura – when mass demonstrations against the government took place. He suffered a heart attack while detained, possibly as a result of torture or other ill-treatment, and was released on bail on 11 March, but has yet to be tried. He has required hospital treatment for heart problems since his release.

24-year-old Morteza Samyari, another central committee member arrested on 4 January 2010, is also currently free on bail pending his appeal against his conviction and sentence following a mass “show trial” of 16 persons on 30 January 2010. All were accused of involvement in orchestrating the Ashoura protests. He was sentenced on 18 February 2010 to one year in prison on the charge of propaganda against the system and a five-year prison sentence on the charge of “gathering and colluding with the intent to act against national security”, apparently in connection with a proposed meeting with EU representatives which never took place. He was released on bail of 500 million rials (approx US$500,000) in February 2010, and a guarantee of a further 100 millions rials (approx US$100,000.

Amnesty International is also calling for the immediate and unconditional release of student leader Majid Tavakkoli a member of the Islamic Students’ Association at Amir Kabir University in Tehran, where he studied ship-building. He was arrested outside Amir Kabir University, on 7 December 2010 after making a speech at one of the nationwide student demonstrations that day. His lawyer was not permitted to attend his trial, which took place in January 2010, after which he was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison. He was also issued a five-year ban on any involvement in political activities and on leaving the country. His conviction and sentence were upheld on appeal in September 2010.

Public Document
International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK
www.amnesty.org

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Demand Release of Human Rights Lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
URGENT ACTION 10 September, 2010

Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested on 4 September after her house and office were searched on 28 August and she was summoned to appear in court. She is currently in solitary confinement in Evin prison in Tehran. Amnesty International considers her to be a prisoner of conscience who is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Nasrin Sotoudeh has defended many high profile human rights campaigners and political activists, as well as juvenile offenders on death row. She has spoken publicly about shortcomings in the rule of law and administration of justice in the course of judicial proceedings against her clients. Her clients include Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi, who has several cases pending against her.
In recent months, Nasrin Sotoudeh has been warned she could face reprisals for her continued advocacy for her clients, and her husband, Reza Khandan, has also received threats warning him to stop his wife from defending Shirin Ebadi or she would risk arrest.

Nasrin Sotoudeh is not known to have been formally charged, but the reasons stated on the summons include suspicion of “propaganda against the system” and “gathering and colluding with the aim of harming state security”. She has not yet been granted access to her lawyer. She has not yet been able to see her family but is reported to have called them briefly on 8 September. She has two children, aged 10 and three years.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, or your own language:

– Expressing concern at the arrest of Nasrin Sotoudeh and calling for her immediate and unconditional release as she is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for her peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression and association, including her work as a lawyer;

– Calling on the Iranian authorities to ensure that she is protected from torture or other ill-treatment while held, and she is granted immediate access to her family and her lawyer;
– Reminding the Iranian authorities that UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers not only state that lawyers must be allowed to carry out their work “without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference” but also expressly recognizes that they are entitled to freedom of expression, which includes “the right to take part in public discussion of matters concerning the law, the administration of justice and the promotion and protection of human rights”.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 22 OCTOBER 2010 TO:

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: Via website: http://www.dadiran.ir/tabid/75/Default.aspx
First starred box: first name; second box: family name; third: email address
Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:
Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran
His Excellency Mohammad Javad Larijani
Bureau of International Affairs, Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737,
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com
Fax: + 98 21 5 537 8827 (please keep trying)
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Nasrin Sotoudeh was previously banned from travel on 10 December 2008, when she was due to travel to Italy to receive the first annual Human Rights Prize awarded by Human Rights International, based in Italy.

Nasrin Sotoudeh is the latest well-known lawyer to have been arrested or forced to flee the country since the disputed presidential election of June 2009. Mohammad Olyaeifard is serving a one-year prison sentence for speaking out about the execution of one of his clients, a juvenile offender (see Iran urged to release lawyer imprisoned for criticizing juvenile’s execution, 6 May 2010, http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/iran-urged-release-lawyer-imprisoned-criticizing-juveniles-execution-2010-05-06).

Mohammad Ali Dadkhah and Abdolfattah Soltani, colleagues of Shirin Ebadi, were both arrested after the election (UA 160/09 and UA 186/09) Though both were later released on bail, they have court cases pending against them which could lead to their imprisonment. Shadi Sadr, who was detained for a week after the disputed presidential election of 2009, has had to leave the country.

Mohammad Mostafaei, who represented many juvenile offenders on death row and several individuals sentenced to stoning had to flee from Iran in July after his valiant defence of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a woman sentenced to execution by stoning, contributed to an international outcry about her case and led to the arrest of Mohammad Mostafaei’s wife and her brother. Another prominent lawyer, Mohammad Seifzadeh, who remains in Iran is also facing trial.
.
Amnesty International is concerned that such measures indicate the increasing desire of the Iranian authorities to prevent Iranians – particularly those facing charges relating to their peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly – from being able to access good quality legal representation.

UA:197/10 Index: MDE 13/087/2010 Issue Date: 09 September 2010

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JOURNALIST MAY FACE DEATH PENALTY

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
URGENT ACTION 23 August 2010

Journalist and human rights defender Shiva Nazar Ahari appears to have been charged with moharebeh (enmity with God), which can carry the death penalty. Her next hearing is scheduled for 4 September 2010. She is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for the peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression and association.

Shiva Nazar Ahari, who is a member of the Iranian organization, the Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR), has been detained since 20 December 2009. Apparently charged with ofmoharebeh, under Article 186 of the Iranian Penal Code, she has also been charged with “assembly and collusion to commit a crime” (Article 610) and “propaganda against the Regime” (Article 500). Amnesty International fears that such vague charges do not amount to a recognizably criminal offence. She is being tried in Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. Judicial officials and pro-government news agencies have publicly accused the CHRR and Shiva Nazar Ahari of contacting a banned group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) , The CHRR and Shiva Nazar Ahari have strenuously denied these accusations. According to her mother, in April 2010, Shiva Nazar Ahari was charged with “causing unease in the public mind through writing on the CHRR’s website and other sites” and “acting against national security by participating in [anti-government] demonstrations on 4 November 2009 and 7 December 2009.”. Shiva Nazar Ahari denied attending the demonstrations, saying that she had been at work on those days.

She has been in solitary confinement for much of the time. In February 2010 she told her family by phone that she had been placed in a “cage-like” solitary confinement cell where she could not move her arms and legs. She has had only limited access to her family.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities to release Shiva Nazar Ahari immediately and unconditionally, as she is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for her peaceful human rights activities;
Urging them to ensure that she is protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and is granted immediate and regular access to a lawyer of her choice, her family and any medical attention she may require;
Calling on the authorities to drop any charges brought against Shiva Nazar Ahari in connection with her peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression and association, which are guaranteed by the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to with Iran is a state party.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 15 September 2010 TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info_leader@leader.ir

via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English)

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary in Tehran

Mr Ali Reza Avaei

Karimkhan Zand Avenue

Sana’i Avenue, Corner of Alley 17, No 152

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir

Salutation: Dear Mr Avaei

And copies to:

Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran

His Excellency Mohammad Javad Larijani

Bureau of International Affairs, Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737,

Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com

Fax: + 98 21 5 537 8827 (please keep trying

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the fifth update of UA 347/09 (MDE 13/132/2009). For more information see: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/132/2009/en

URGENT ACTION

JOURNALIST MAY FACE DEATH PENALTY

ADditional Information

Shiva Nazar Ahari was arrested in central Tehran on 20 December 2009 along with two male CHRR members, Kouhyar

Goudarzi and Saeed Haeri. They were taken from a bus while on their way to the funeral of a senior cleric critical of the authorities, Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, which was to take place the following day. Until around 14 February 2010, she was held in solitary confinement. Her mother, Shahrzad Kariman has said that she has inadequate food and water and poor sanitary facilities.

In January 2010, the Tehran Prosecutor, Abbas Ja’fari Dowlatabadi, told Shiva Nazar Ahari’s family in a meeting: “Experts of the case have reported that the website for the Committee is linked to ‘hypocrites’ (the authorities’ term for the PMOI), and any collaboration with the Committee is considered a crime.”

An 8 May 2010 report by online news agency Raja News, which is said to be close to President Ahmadinejad, set out nine accusations against Shiva Nazar Ahari,, none of them amounting to recognizably criminal offences. Among them were that she had had contact with the PMOI, including sending it information about prisoners; “being a member and former secretary and current spokesperson for the CHRR” and “defending political prisoners;” she had taken part in “illegal gatherings,” for some years and prepared a list of those killed in the period of the revolution. Amnesty International believes that the activities listed above amount to the legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

In an interview on 19 May with the Belgium-based news website roozonline.com, Shahrzad Kariman rejected the allegations made against her daughter in the Iranian press. She said that “We will not remain silent over this and reserve the right to file legal complaints and shall sue Raja News [and] other media that have been printing slanderous reports.” She added that: “Nobody has seen her file, not even her attorneys and the court sessions till now have been held in camera with no reporters present. No trial has been held till today either for anyone to claim that her charges have been proven. So I do not know where these newspapers have raised these accusations from.”

Shiva Nazar Ahari had previously been arrested on 14 June 2009 and held for three months, she was released on bail on 23 September. She had also been detained in connection with her student and human rights activities in 2002 and 2004, receiving a one-year prison sentence in 2005, suspended for five years.

Shiva Nazar Ahari’s first trial session was held on 23 May 2010. When her lawyer Mohammad Sharif read the case for that session, he realized that when she had first been arrested in June 2009, one of the four charges the judges had retained was moharebeh. When she was rearrested in December 2009,moharebeh had not been among the charges.

The CHRR was founded in 2006 and campaigns against all kinds of human rights violations, including those against women, children, and prisoners..

Since the June 2009 presidential election in Iran, the outcome of which was disputed, dozens of people have been killed by the security forces, using excessive force. Thousands have been arrested, mostly arbitrarily, and many have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated. Scores have faced unfair trials, including some in mass “show trials,” with well over 200 sentenced to prison terms, and at least 16 sentenced to death. The authorities have increasingly resorted to the use of extreme charges such as moharebeh to stifle the legitimate expression of dissent. In July 2010, the Supreme Court rejected Ja’far Kazemi’s request to appeal his death sentence forMoharebeh. He had been accused of contact with the PMOI and participation in the post-election demonstrations. Six other people with alleged links to the PMOI are also said to be under sentence of death.

Further information on UA: 347/09 Index: MDE 13/086/2010 Issue Date: 23 August 2010

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Sentences against jailed Iranian religious minority leaders condemned

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
10 August 2010

Amnesty International has condemned the sentencing of seven members of Iran’s Baha’i religious minority to 20 years in jail on a series of politically motivated charges.

The five men and two women, leaders of the Baha’i community in Iran who were arrested over two years ago, were convicted on Saturday 7 August of crimes including “espionage for Israel”, “insulting religious sanctities” and “propaganda against the system” by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran.

Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm have denied all the charges against them and lawyers for the seven have indicated that they will appeal.

“This verdict is a sad and damning manifestation of the deeply-rooted discrimination against Baha’is by the Iranian authorities,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa deputy director.

“These seven Baha’i leaders, some of whom are elderly, are prisoners of conscience jailed solely on account of their beliefs or peaceful activities on behalf of the persecuted Baha’i minority.”

“The seven were held for months without charge before being subjected to a parody of a trial.. They must be immediately released.”

The seven Baha’is, who were arrested between March and May 2008, faced several postponements to their trial while they remained in detention. Their lawyers were rarely allowed to visit their clients and were initially denied access to the court room. One of their lawyers, Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, has been unable to return to Iran since June 2009. In February 2010, she told Amnesty International that the seven’s file was empty and the accusations baseless.

The Iranian authorities blamed the Baha’is, among other groups, for orchestrating much of the unrest that took place on the Ashoura religious holiday in December 2009.

The Iranian authorities blamed the Baha’is, among other groups, for orchestrating much of the unrest that took place on the Ashoura religious holiday in December 2009, the last mass demonstration that took in the aftermath of Iran’s disputed presidential election in June 2009. The Baha’i community denies any such involvement.

“The authorities tried to make the Baha’i minority scapegoats for the unrest when there is no evidence that they were involved,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

The Baha’i religion is not recognized in Iran’s Constitution and Baha’is have no legal protection.

The Iranian authorities also deny Baha’is equal rights to education, work and a decent standard of living by restricting their access to employment and benefits such as pensions. Iran’s 300,000-strong Baha’i community are not permitted to meet, hold religious ceremonies or practice their religion with other believers.

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TV ‘confession’ of Iran stoning case woman criticized

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
12 August 2010

Amnesty International criticized the TV “confession” of an Iranian woman on Wednesday night in which Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, awaiting execution by stoning for adultery, appears to implicate herself in the murder of her husband.

The interview was broadcast on Wednesday 11th August, on the ’20:30′ program by Seda va Sima, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

“This so-called confession forms part of growing catalogue of other forced confessions and self-incriminating statements made by many detainees in the past year.” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

“Statements made in such televised exchanges should have no bearing on Iran’s legal system, or the call to review her case. This latest video shows nothing more than the lack of evidence against Sakineh Ashtiani”, said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Amnesty International understands that last week, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s lawyer, Javid Houtan Kiyan, submitted a 35-page request for a judicial review of her case, a response is expected on or around 15 August.

“It appears that Iran’s authorities have orchestrated this “confession”, following the call for a judicial review and now appear to be inventing new charges of murdering her husband,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director at Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa programme.

Unconfirmed reports that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has recently been tortured or ill-treated while in Tabriz Central Prison underscores Amnesty International’s concern.

“Having Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani broadcast in this manner calls into question the independence of the judiciary, at least vis-a-vis the state broadcaster, and its ability to adhere to Iran’s own laws. If the judiciary in Iran is to be taken seriously, this “confession” needs to be disregarded and assurances given that it will not affect the review of her case” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

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Iran must end harassment of stoning case lawyer

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Posted: 28 July 2010

Amnesty International has urged the Iranian authorities to stop harassing human rights lawyers amid continuing uncertainty over the whereabouts of the defence counsel in a recent controversial stoning case and the arrest of two of his relatives.

Mohammad Mostafaei’s whereabouts have been unknown since shortly after he was released from questioning by judicial officials last Saturday.

Late that evening, the Iranian authorities detained his wife and brother-in-law, prompting fears that they are being held to put pressure on Mohammed Mostafaei to turn himself in to the authorities, if he is not already being detained.

The acclaimed lawyer is defending Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, whose case became the subject of an international outcry when it was reported that she was soon to be executed by stoning.

He has also defended many juvenile offenders, political prisoners and others sentenced to stoning. Mostafaei has been a vocal critic of the administration of justice in Iran.

“Mohammad Mostafaei is a thorn in the side of the Iranian authorities and we fear that he is being persecuted in an attempt to stop him carrying out his professional activities as a defence lawyer and in support of human rights,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa director.

Mostafaei was summoned for questioning by judicial officials at Tehran’s Evin prison on Saturday but released after several hours. However he later received a telephone call summoning him back to the prison. It is not known whether he complied with this summons or not.

Mohammad Mostafaei’s wife, Fereshteh Halimi, and her brother, Farhad Halimi, were arrested on Saturday evening. They remain held and have been denied access to their lawyer.

Following his interrogation on Saturday, Mostafaei wrote on his blog that he was questioned mainly about his defence of juvenile offenders. He also wrote on his Facebook account: “It is possible they will arrest me”.

“The Iranian authorities appear intent on silencing anyone who speaks out against stoning or other issues where Iran’s international human rights obligations are clearly being violated,” said Malcolm Smart.

“Mohammad Mostafaei should be allowed to get on with his job as a lawyer rather than face arrest himself for trying to defend victims of human rights abuses.

“If Fereshteh and Farhad Halimi are held solely because they are related to Mohammad Mostafaei, or in order to place pressure on him, they are prisoners of conscience and must be immediately released.”

Fereshteh Halimi and Mohammad Mostafaei have a young daughter who is said to be in the care of her maternal grandmother.

There is a longstanding pattern of harassment and imprisonment of human rights lawyers in Iran. In 2002, Nasser Zarafshan was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, partly on trumped-up charges of possessing a firearm and alcohol offences.

Abdolfattah Soltani was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in 2005 for disclosing public documents and “propaganda against the system”. The sentence was overturned on appeal on 2007 but he was arrested again in 2009 and held for two months before being released on bail.

Other lawyers currently held for their human rights work include Mohammad Olyaeifard, who is serving a one-year prison sentence imposed for comments he made criticizing the judiciary after the execution of one of his clients, juvenile offender Behnoud Shojaee.

Other Iranian human rights lawyers such as Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi and Shadi Sadr, recipient of various international human rights awards, now work outside of Iran, fearing to return.

Mohammad Mostafaei was briefly detained following the disputed 2009 presidential election before being released on bail.

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Iran: Update to Urgent Action Appeal for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Posted: 09 June 2010
WOMAN SENTENCED TO STONING STILL AT RISK

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two, is held on death row in Tabriz Prison, north-west Iran, and could still face execution. Around 7 July, following international protests, officials in Tabriz asked the head of Iran’s judiciary to agree that her sentence of stoning to death be converted to execution by hanging.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted in May 2006 of having an “illicit relationship” with two men and received 99 lashes as her sentence. Despite this, she was then also convicted of “adultery while being married”, which she has denied, and sentenced to death by stoning.

Following an international outcry in recent weeks against her sentence of death by stoning, the Iranian Embassy in London stated on 8 July that “Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani would not be executed by stoning” but made no mention of other possible means of execution. On 10 July, the head of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights said that her case would be reviewed, although he affirmed that Iranian law permits execution by stoning. However, on 11 July, the head of the provincial judiciary in East Azerbaijan, Malek Ezhder Sharifi, said that the stoning sentence was still in place and could be implemented at any time by decision of the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani. Malek Ezhder Sharifi also said that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani had been sentenced to death in connection with the murder of her husband but this has been disputed by one of her lawyers, who says that she was pardoned by the dead man’s family but was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment as an ‘accessory’ to the crime.

On 14 July Sajjad Qaderzadeh, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s son, was summoned to Tabriz’s Central Prison, and is believed to have been questioned by Ministry of Intelligence officials who possibly threatened him not to give further interviews about his mother’s case.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language: – Calling on the Iranian authorities to clarify her current legal status, including to her son and her lawyers;

– Demand that the authorities enact legislation that bans stoning as a legal punishment and does not permit the use of other forms of the death penalty or flogging or imprisonment for those convicted of “adultery” or other crimes;
– Calling on the authorities to ensure that Sajjad Qaderzadeh will not be harassed in connection with expressions of concern he has made regarding the life of his mother.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 26 AUGUST 2010 TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info_leader@leader.ir;
via website: www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English); www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php
p=letter ( Persian)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St.Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri,Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: Via website: http://www.dadiran.ir/tabid/81/Default.aspx
(1st starred box: your given name; 2sd starred box: your family name; 3rd: your email address)
Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:
Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights
Mohammad Javad Larijani
Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 3390 4986
Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the Second update of UA: 211/09 Index: MDE 13/082/2009, 7 August 2009. Further information: www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/082/2009/en

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
During her trial, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani retracted a “confession” that she had made during her pre-trial interrogation, alleging that she had been forced to make it under duress, and denied the charge of adultery. Two of the five judges found her not guilty, noting that she had already been flogged and adding that they did not find the necessary proof of adultery in the case against her. However, the three other judges, including the presiding judge, found her guilty on the basis of “the knowledge of the judge”, a provision in Iranian law that allows judges to make their own subjective and possibly arbitrary determination whether an accused person is guilty even in the absence of clear or conclusive evidence. Having been convicted by a majority of the five judges, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was sentenced to death by stoning.

In Iran, stoning to death is prescribed as the mode of execution for those convicted of committing the offence of “adultery while being married”. In 2002, the Head of the Judiciary instructed judges to impose a moratorium on stonings. Despite this, at least five men and one woman have been stoned to death since 2002. In January 2009, the Spokesperson for the Judiciary, Ali Reza Jamshidi, confirmed that two executions by stoning had been carried out in December 2008 and said that the directive on the moratorium had no legal weight and that judges could therefore ignore it.

At least seven other women and three men are currently believed to be at risk of stoning to death in Iran (see UA 10/09, MDE 13/005/2009, 16 January 2009, UA 50/09, MDE 13/015/2009, 24 February 2009 and follow ups MDE 13/050/2009, 13 May 2009 and MDE 13/110/2009, 21 October 2009, UA 117/09, MDE 13/041/2009, 05 May 2009. Buali Janfashani and Sarimeh Sajjadi were also reported to have had their sentences of stoning upheld on appeal in January 2010.

Amnesty International is investigating reports that another woman, Maryam Ghorbanzadeh, has been sentenced to stoning, that her conviction has been confirmed on appeal, and that on or about 3 or 4 July 2010, the Deputy for the Prosecutor General in East Azerbaijan province requested the Head of the Judiciary in Iran to convert her sentence to hanging. A further woman, Azar Bagheri, is reported to have had her stoning to death sentence reduced to flogging, although the full details are not yet known.

In June 2009, the Legal and Judicial affairs committee of Iran’s parliament (Majles) recommended the removal of a clause permitting stoning from a new draft revision of the Penal Code which has been under discussion by the parliament. A draft submitted for approval by the Council of Guardians, which checks legislation for conformity to the Constitution and to Islamic Law, is reported to omit any reference to the penalty of stoning. However, the Council of Guardians could reinstate the clause on stoning.
FU on UA: 211/09 Index: MDE 13/077/2010 Issue Date: 15 July 2010

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Iran: One year on since crackdown, hundreds still imprisoned-New report

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Posted: 09 June 2010
“It’s essential that we stand up for the unjustly imprisoned and be their voice. The prisoner’s worst nightmare is the thought of being forgotten. But knowing that your plight is in the hearts and minds of people across the world, brings you a great sense of hope.”, Maziar Bahari, the Iranian-Canadian journalist for Newsweek, released after four months detention in Iran following the election.

One year on from Iran’s disputed June 2009 presidential election, Amnesty International has documented a widening crackdown on dissent that has left journalists, students, political and rights activists as well as clerics languishing in prisons.

Lawyers, academics, former political prisoners and members of Iran’s ethnic and religious minorities have also been caught up in an expanding wave of repression that has led to widespread incidents of torture and other ill-treatment along with politically-motivated execution of prisoners.

This repression is documented in a new Amnesty International report From Protest to Prison: Iran One Year After the Election which reviews a year of arrest and detention of those who have spoken out against the government and its abuses. The publication of the report marks the launch of a one-year campaign calling for the release of prisoners of conscience in Iran held since the disputed 2009 election and ensuing repression and fair trials without recourse to the death penalty for other political prisoners.

Amnesty International interim Secretary General Claudio Cordone said:

“The Iranian government is determined to silence all dissenting voices, while at the same time trying to avoid all scrutiny by the international community into the violations connected to the post-election unrest.

“The government has taken the absurd stand that virtually no violations have occurred in Iran when it presented its national report to the Universal Periodic Review by the Human Rights Council, which will adopt its final report this week. We ask them to accept recommendations relating to the treatment of prisoners and to let UN human rights experts visit the country.”

Hundreds of people remain detained for their part in the protests of June 2009 or for otherwise expressing dissenting views and the imprisonment of ordinary citizens has become an everyday phenomenon in an expanding ‘revolving door system’ of arbitrary arrest and detention. Those with only tentative links to banned groups as well as family members of former prisoners have been subjected to arbitrary arrest in the past year. Examples include:

Student Sayed Ziaoddin Nabavi, serving a 10-year prison sentence in Evin Prison. A member of the Council to Defend the Right to Education, his sentence appears to be linked to the fact that he has relatives in the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, a banned group, which the authorities claim was responsible for organising demonstrations.

Around 50 members of the Baha’i faith have been arrested across Iran since the elections – continuing to be unjustly cast as scapegoats for the unrest.

Iran’s ethnic minority communities have faced arrest and detention, during and following the election. Four Kurds were among five political prisoners executed in May without the notifications required by law in what was a clear message to anyone considering marking the anniversary with protest.

Claudio Cordone added:

“What we are calling for is very simple: the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience and for others to be tried promptly on recognisably criminal offences, without recourse to the death penalty, in proceedings which fully meet international standards for a fair trial.”

Detainees have been held incommunicado for days, week or even months while relatives remain unable to find out where they are being held or on what charges. The secrecy surrounding these arrests has made it easier for interrogators to resort to torture and other ill-treatment, including rape, and mock executions, in order to extract forced “confessions” which are used later as evidence in trial.

One woman said of a women’s rights activist held with her that: “She told us that her interrogators had attached cables to her nipples and given her electric shocks. She was so ill she would sometimes faint in the cell.”

The mother of another human rights defender, Shiva Nazar Ahari, detained without charge or trial whose case is highlighted in the report, said “I hope your daughters grow up to get married – mine grew up to be thrown into jail,” illustrating the journey taken by an increasing number of Iranians, from political and civil activism to the cells of Evin Prison and other prisons in the provinces.

Politically-motivated executions, recently taking place prior to key anniversaries when mass protests are expected, continue, with the justice system used as a lethal instrument of repression by the Iranian authorities. At least six people remain on death row charged with “enmity against God” for their alleged involvement in demonstrations and membership of banned groups.

Iran has one of the highest rates of executions in the world. To date in 2010, Amnesty has already recorded over 115 executions.

Claudio Cordone added:

“The Iranian authorities must end this campaign of fear that aims to crush even the slightest opposition to the government. They are continuing to use the death penalty as a tool of repression, right up to the eve of the anniversary of the election. The Iranian authorities blame everyone but themselves for the unrest but they are failing to show any respect for their own laws which prohibit the torture and other ill-treatment of all detainees.”

Note to editors
12th of June 2010, the first anniversary of last year’s disputed elections in Iran, will be marked by a Global Day of Action across the world, sponsored by Amnesty International and others. For more details: http://12june.org

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Iran: One year on crackdown on dissent widens with hundreds unjustly imprisoned

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
9th June 2010
“It’s essential that we stand up for the unjustly imprisoned and be their voice. The prisoner’s worst nightmare is the thought of being forgotten. But knowing that your plight is in the hearts and minds of people across the world, brings you a great sense of hope.”, Maziar Bahari, the Iranian-Canadian journalist for Newsweek, released after four months detention in Iran following the election.

One year on from Iran ‘s disputed June 2009 presidential election, Amnesty International has documented a widening crackdown on dissent that has left journalists, students, political and rights activists as well as clerics languishing in prisons.

Lawyers, academics, former political prisoners and members of Iran ‘s ethnic and religious minorities have also been caught up in an expanding wave of repression that has led to widespread incidents of torture and other ill-treatment along with politically motivated execution of prisoners.

This repression is documented in the new Amnesty International report From Protest to Prison – Iran One Year After the Election which reviews a year of arrest and detention of those who have spoken out against the government and its abuses. The publication of the report marks the launch of a one-year campaign calling for the release of prisoners of conscience in Iran held since the disputed 2009 presidential election and ensuing repression and fair trials without recourse to the death penalty for other political prisoners.

“The government has taken the absurd stand that virtually no violations have occurred in Iran when it presented its national report to the Universal Periodic Review by the Human Rights Council, who will adopt its final report this week. We ask them to accept recommendations relating to the treatment of prisoners and to let UN human rights experts visit the country.”

Hundreds of people remain detained for their part in the protests of June 2009 or for otherwise expressing dissenting views and the imprisonment of ordinary citizens has become an every day phenomenon in an expanding ‘revolving door system’ of arbitrary arrest and detention. Those with only tentative links to banned groups as well as family members of former prisoners have been subjected to arbitrary arrest in the past year.

Examples include:

Banned student Sayed Ziaoddin Nabavi serving a 10-year prison sentence in Evin Prison. A member of the Council to Defend the Right to Education, his sentence appears to be linked to the fact that he has relatives in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, a banned group, which the authorities claim was responsible for organizing demonstrations.
Around 50 members of the Baha’i faith have been arrested across Iran since the elections – continuing to be unjustly cast as scapegoats for the unrest.
Iran’s ethnic minority communities have faced arrest and detention, during and following the election. Four Kurds were among five political prisoners executed in May without the notifications required by law, in what was a clear message to anyone considering marking the anniversary with protest.

“What we are calling for is very simple: the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience and for others to be tried promptly on recognizably criminal offences, without recourse to the death penalty, in proceedings which fully meet international standards for a fair trial,” said Claudio Cordone.

Detainees have been held incommunicado for days, week or even months while relatives remain unable to find out where they are being held or on what charges.

The secrecy surrounding these arrests makes it easier for interrogators to resort to torture and other ill-treatment, including rape, and mock executions, in order to extract forced “confessions” which are used later as evidence in trial.

One woman said of a women’s rights activist held with her that: “She told us that her interrogators had attached cables to her nipples and given her electric shocks. She was so ill she would sometimes faint in the cell.”

Politically motivated executions, recently taking place prior to key anniversaries when mass protests are expected, continue, with the justice system used as a lethal instrument of repression by the Iranian authorities. At least six people remain on death row charged with ‘enmity against God’ for their alleged involvement in demonstrations and membership of banned groups.

Iran has one of the highest rates of executions in the world. To date in 2010, Amnesty International has already recorded over 115 executions.

“The Iranian authorities must end this campaign of fear that aims to crush even the slightest opposition to the government,” said Claudio Cordone. “They are continuing to use the death penalty as a tool of repression, right up to the eve of the anniversary of the election. The Iranian authorities blame everyone but themselves for the unrest but they are failing to show any respect for their own laws which prohibit the torture and other ill-treatment of all detainees.”

Note to Editors

12th of June 2010, first anniversary of last year’s disputed elections in Iran , will be marked by a Global Day of Action across the world, sponsored by Amnesty International and others. For more details visit: http://12june.org/

Public Document

****************************************

For more information please call Amnesty International’s press office in London , UK , on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org

International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW , UK

www.amnesty.org

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Iran: Journalists under siege

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 30 April 2010

Iranian journalists arrested since June 2009

The authorities intensified their media crackdown after last year’s election protests

Activists and protestors were prosecuted in mass ‘show trials’

The killing of Neda Agha Soltan during a demonstration was reported worldwide

“Around 70 journalists are now in the prisons of the Islamic Republic and many others, like me, are free on bail, lacking any security. We are afraid that anything that we write may be used as evidence of “propaganda against the system” or “conspiracy against national security”. My colleagues and I try to write as little as possible.” Open letter from journalist Zhila Bani Ya’qoub to the Head of Iranian Judiciary

Iranian journalists and bloggers are increasingly under siege in one of the biggest crackdowns on independent voices and dissent in Iran’s modern history.

Since last year’s disputed presidential election, which brought millions of protesters onto the streets, the authorities have intensified their long-standing suppression of both the traditional Iranian media and the rising number of “citizen journalists” who use new technology to expose human rights violations.

Iran has been described by press freedom organizations as the biggest jailer of journalists in the world.

Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa said: “Since the protests, the government’s growing bunker mentality has led to mounting waves of repression aimed at suppressing any criticism of the authorities or independent reporting on the human rights situation in the country.

“Dozens of newspapers and websites have been closed, and scores of journalists and bloggers have been arrested and are held as prisoners of conscience or have had to flee the country for their own safety.

“Contact with some foreign media has been criminalized and a new ‘Cyber-Crimes Law’ is already having major implications for freedom of expression. The authorities must urgently relax both the long standing and new sweeping restrictions and immediately release those held as prisoners of conscience.”

The Association of Iranian Journalists was closed by the authorities in August 2009 and a number of its officials arrested, including Secretary Badrolsadat Mofidi who by April 2010 had spent four months in detention without charge or trial.

Blogging, once an effective way around Iran’s draconian press censorship, is now a risky business. The once-thriving blogosphere is under fire, with those involved subjected to arbitrary arrest or harassment. Some have had to flee the country for their own safety.

Aida Saadat, a freelance journalist and human rights campaigner, active with the One Million Signature Campaign and the Committee of Human Rights Reporters was repeatedly interrogated; and beaten up while walking home. Fearing for her life, she eventually fled Iran.

She told Amnesty International: “I could not find any human rights or other organization to defend me, as a journalist. They had been silenced. The men who attacked me said ‘this is just a warning. Next time we will kill you for your activities against the people of our country…’ This is what we have been facing. I and so many others had to leave. Our lives were at stake.”

Many of the detainees and those who fled worked for papers or online publications which supported or could have been perceived as supporting the defeated reformist candidates in the presidential elections, or are freelancers, some of whom who had lost jobs with previously-banned publications while others provided an independent voice, often about the human rights situation. At one point officials arrested the entire staff of Kalameh Sabz, a newspaper established by opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Prisoner of conscience Isa Saharkhiz, a prominent journalist working with reformist candidate Mehdi Karroubi, was arrested in July 2009 during the post election unrest; by April 2010 he had yet to be charged with any offence. His son, Mehdi, a US-based blogger, explains: “What happened is at one point they realized that the media is playing a big role at getting the news out and getting the truth out. So what they did was they arrested well known journalists, so other journalists who are working will learn from this… and they will write just what the state wants them to write.”

Other targets included journalists writing on human rights issues, such as the internationally-acclaimed Emadeddin Baghi, founder of the Association for the Defence of Prisoners’ Rights. Some journalists have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms after conviction in mass “show trials”.

Detainees have faced human rights violations ranging from torture and other ill-treatment, including beatings, solitary confinement for lengthy periods, to grossly unfair trials. Many have been held incommunicado for weeks or months without charge or trial.

Some of those freed still remain under pressure, having had to give up the deeds to their – or their relatives’ – houses to raise bail. Detainees’ families have been harassed or temporarily detained; some have been warned their loved ones won’t be freed if they speak to the media about their plight.

Criminalizing contacts with foreigners: The ‘Velvet Coup’

With Iran’s media limited in their reporting by government censorship and fearful of crossing the “red line” over the decades, many Iranians have in the past tuned in to foreign radio stations, or watched international TV networks via illegal, though previously largely tolerated, satellite dishes. Since the first election of President Ahmadinejad in 2005, Iranian security forces have conducted an increasing number of raids to seize such dishes.

The authorities have also reduced the number of foreign correspondents based in Iran; when political unrest erupted in mid-2009, those remaining were barred from covering mass opposition rallies.

International media broadcasting in Persian were singled out and their Iranian contributors targeted. The BBC’s Tehran correspondent was expelled. Maziar Bahari, working for Newsweek, – one of two international journalists arrested at the time – was released only after making a dubious public “confession” following weeks of physical and psychological torture.

Prosecutors in mass “show trials” accused foreign broadcasters like the BBC and the Voice of America (VOA) of stage-managing the protests and planning a “soft coup”. Some of the accused were charged with working with foreign channels in order to “incite and provoke public opinion”.

In January, both the BBC and VOA were included on a list of “subversive” organizations which Iranians were banned from contacting. Both networks have had their satellite transmissions into Iran blocked but the truth is that now any contribution to any overseas Persian-language broadcaster is regarded as suspicious if not seditious.

From cassettes to Twitter

After decades of repression, Iranians are adept at finding a way around state censorship. In the 1970s, Ayatollah Khomeini, then an exiled opponent of the former Shah, used cassette tapes of his sermons smuggled in from abroad to denounce the Shah’s increasingly autocratic rule. Those cassettes played an important part in the subsequent Islamic Revolution.

In 1999, the closure of Salam newspaper led to mass student-led protests – and eventually to violent confrontations between them and the security forces. Over the next few years, the media became a focal point in the power struggle between conservative and reformist factions.

More than a hundred newspapers and periodicals were closed. There was a explosion of internet use as Iranian writers increasingly turned to it as virtually the only remaining forum for free expression. Internet usage in Iran in recent years has grown faster than in any other Middle Eastern country.

But the authorities have been hot on the bloggers’ heels, filtering and blocking access to many sites, ranging from those considered “immoral” or “anti-Islamic” to political websites or blogs critical of the government.

At one stage, an Iranian official claimed that five million sites were being blocked. Facebook and Twitter – used to spread information about last year’s demonstrations – were briefly shut down and other internet sites such as social networking site Badoo have been banned.

Last February, the authorities announced that access to Google’s email service was to be permanently blocked. Some tech savvy Iranians continue to find their way around the system, using filter-busting software, encryption services or “proxy” internet servers outside Iran, although they have been hampered by speed slowdowns, or even brief blockages of internet access.

The latest salvo in the battle came when the Cyber-Crimes Law came into effect in July 2009; human rights groups say it could help the authorities track down government critics. But images of the killing of Neda Agha Soltan during a demonstration in July 2009, captured by mobile phone camera and almost instantly distributed across the world, became the symbol of the futility of attempts by the authorities to conceal the truth and control new media and social networks.

It’s all led to what Mehdi Saharkhiz describes as “a cat and mouse game,” with Iranians trying to circumvent official filters as soon as they are set up. He also points to a huge rise in the number of “citizen journalists” many of whom have managed to send news or videos for posting on his US-based website.

During the 2009 protests, he says the amount of video material coming in was “staggering”. Some contributors, he says, are professional journalists who now prefer to work anonymously in order to keep under the official radar. Others may be friends or neighbours of political prisoners, or just individuals who see something they want to share with others.

“Every person has become a media,” he said. “Even taking pictures of this stuff is extremely dangerous for them. But they want to do this because they want to be heard. You can’t control 70 million people.”

URGENT ACTION: HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST ARRESTED IN IRAN

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 18 March 2010

Navid Khanjani, a member of an Iranian human rights organization, the Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR), was arrested on 2 March. Three other CHRR members are currently detained, and all are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.
Navid Khanjani was arrested at his home in the city of Esfahan, central Iran, at 11 pm by seven members of the security forces, who had a warrant for his arrest issued by the Revolutionary Court. The security guards searched his home, confiscated personal belongings, including his computer, and told him that he would be taken to Evin prison in Tehran the following day. Navid Khanjani made a phonecall on 4 March confirming he was in Evin prison.
As well as belonging to CHRR, Navid Khanjani is the founder of the Oppose Discrimination in Education Association. An independent organization created around October 2009, it advocates education for all and opposes the denial of access to education for reasons of ethnic or religiousness identity. He is a member of the Baha’i community, which is an unrecognized religious group in Iran. He was banned from pursuing his university studies because of his Baha’i faith and has since spoken out for the right to education for all over the past few years.
Three other CHRR members were released on bail this month after paying up to $100,000 each. Saeed Kalanaki was released on 2 March, Mehrdad Rahimi was released on 9 March and Saeed Jalifar was released on 16 March. There is still no further information about the three CHRR activists who are still in detention in Evin Prison, Shiva Nazar Ahari, Kouhyar Goudarzi and Saeed Haeri. None of them has had contact with a lawyer and all are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment
PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, English, Arabic, French, or your own language:
* Calling on the authorities to release CHRR members, Navid Khanjani, Shiva Nazar Ahari, Kouhyar Goudarzi and Saeed Haeri immediately and unconditionally, as they appear to be prisoners of conscience held solely for their peaceful human rights activities;
* Urging them to ensure that they are protected from torture and other ill-treatment and granted immediate and regular access to lawyers of their choosing, their families and any medical treatment they may require;
* Reminding the authorities that confessions extracted under duress are prohibited under Article 38 of the Constitution of Iran and by Article 14(g) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 28 APRIL 2010 TO:

Head of the Judiciary in Tehran
Ali Reza Avaei
Karimkhan Zand Avenue
Sana’i Avenue, Corner of Ally 17, No 152
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir
Salutation: Dear Mr Avaei

And copies to:
Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights
Mohammad Javad Larijani
Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 3390 4986
Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
Salutation: Dear Mr Larijani
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the third update of UA 347/09 (MDE 13/132/2009). For more information: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/132/2009/en, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/017/2010/en and http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/023/2010/en

URGENT ACTION
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST ARRESTED IN IRAN
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The CHRR was founded in 2006 and campaigns against all kinds of human rights violations, including against women, children, prisoners, workers and others. On or around 21 January, Abbas Ja’fari Dowlatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor told Shiva Nazar Ahari’s family in a meeting that: “Experts of the case have reported that the website for the Committee is linked to ‘hypocrites’ (the Iranian authorities’ name for the banned opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, PMOI, which has a base in Iraq), and any collaboration with the Committee is considered a crime.”
Most of the members of the “Oppose Discrimination in Education Association” (Jami’iat-e Mobarzeh ba Taba’iz-e Tahsili) are said to be Baha’i students who have been deprived of education as a result of being expelled or suspended, usually from universities. The organisation campaigns for the right to education for those excluded for reason of religious or ethnic identity or on grounds of gender discrimination.
On 11 February, Shiva Nazar Ahari told her family by phone that she had been transferred to a “cage-like” solitary confinement cell where she cannot move her arms or legs. Since her arrest on 20 December she has been held without charge or access to her lawyer. She added that she was still under pressure to accept “accusations,” whose content she does not know.
On 10 March 2010, an Iranian human rights activist, Shadi Sadr, was one of the ten awarded the United States-based International Women of Courage Award. In her acceptance speech, Shadi Sadr stated that she dedicated the award to CHRR member and founder, Shiva Nazar Ahari, stating that “her courage has been exceptional and deserving of worldwide attention.” She added that “They [the Iranian authorities] kept her for a long period in a cage-like cell so small that she could barely move her limbs.” (see: http://chrr.us/spip.php
article8819 )
Prior to their release, Saeed Kalanaki and Saeed Jalalifar were both arrested on 30 November 2009 and were held in a public section of Evin prison. Both men were forced to telephone two other CHRR members urging them to close the CHRR website. During the exchange, interrogators took the telephone away from them and threatened the other CHRR activists, telling them that if they did not stop posting information, they would be dealt with “either within prison or outside”.
Saeed Haeri, Kouhyar Goudarzi and Shiva Nazar Ahari were arrested on 20 December by police officers and officials from the Ministry of Intelligence in Tehran. They were taken from a bus which was about to drive to the northern city of Qom, where the funeral of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri took place on 21 December. They are held in Section 209 of Evin prison, which is under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence.
Following the telephone threats the Ministry of Intelligence summoned four members of the CHRR to their offices in central Tehran on 1 January. Parisa Kakaei and Mehrdad Rahimi presented themselves and were immediately arrested. Mehrdad Rahimi is a student activist and deputy head of the Committee for Defence of the Rights of Citizens in the central office of Mehdi Karoubi. He phoned his family in February and said that he was being held in a small cell with six other prisoners. He said the cell was so small that they could not even sleep comfortably; his interrogation sessions had lasted several hours, in an attempt to force him to make televised confessions.
Since the disputed presidential election in June 2009, thousands have been arrested, mostly arbitrarily and many have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated. Scores have faced unfair trial, including some in mass “show trials”, with over 80 sentenced to prison terms, and at least 12 sentenced to death, although at least one has had his sentence commuted to a prison term. Waves of arrests, notably of political activists, students, journalists and human rights activists has been taking place since a Shi’a religious festival called ‘Ashoura, on 27 December 2009 and Iran’s national day on 11 February 2010.
FU on UA: 347/09 Index: MDE 13/035/2010 Issue Date: 18 March 2010

Date: 18 March 2010

FU on UA: 347/09 Index: MDE 13/035/2010 Iran Date: 18 March 2010

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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL – URGENT ACTION: STUDENT ACTIVIST DETAINED without charge

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
STUDENT ACTIVIST DETAINED Without Charge
15 March 2010

Student leader Milad Asadi has been detained without charge in Evin Prison, Tehran, since 1 December 2009. Amnesty International believes he is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. He is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

23-year-old Milad Asadiis a student of electrical engineering at Khajeh Nasir University and is also a leading member of the Office for the Consolidation of Unity (OCU), a national student body which has been prominent in demanding political reform and an end to human rights violations in recent years. He was arrested shortly before mass demonstrations against the government took place on university campuses on 7 December, which is Students’ Day in Iran, marking the anniversary of the killing of three students in 1953 by police.

He told his family during a visit in mid-January that he had been held for 46 days in solitary confinement in a tiny cell only two metres wide and two metres long. According to the website Reporters and Human Rights Activists in Iran, Milad Asadi told his family during a prison visit in February that he would be tried on 3 March, but this is not known to have taken place.

At least three other prominent members of the OCU – Mehdi Arabshahi, Behareh Hedayat and Amin Nazari are also detained. Another – Morteza Samyari – has been released on bail after being sentenced to six years in prison. He was convicted of vaguely worded offences apparently related to his peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association, following an unfair trial.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Milad Asadi and any other students held solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression and association;
Urging them to ensure that Milad Asadi is protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and has access to a lawyer of his choice, his family and any medical treatment he may require;

Reminding the Iranian authorities that freedom of expression, association and assembly are guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Iran is a state party.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 26 APRIL 2010 TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info_leader@leader.ir

via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English)

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Provincial Judiciary in Tehran

Ali Reza Avaei

Karimkhan Zand Avenue

Sana’i Avenue, Corner of Alley 17, No. 152

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir

Salutation: Dear Mr Avaei

And copies to:

Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights

Mohammad Javad Larijani

Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh

Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri

Tehran 1316814737

Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: +98 21 3390 4986

Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)

Salutation: Dear Mr Larijan

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION

STUDENT ACTIVIST DETAINED without charge

ADditional Information

Milad Asadi sits on the Central Committee of the OCU. At least three other members of the Central Committee of the OCU are currently in detention. They are Mehdi Arabshahi, who is the Secretary of the OCU, arrested on 27 December 2009 – the religious festival of Ashoura – when mass demonstrations against the government took place; Behareh Hedayat, who is also the Chair of the Women’s Committee of the OCU, arrested on 31 December 2009, and Amin Nazari, also chair of the OCU Human Rights Committee, arrested on 27 February 2010. Another member, Morteza Samyari, was sentenced to six years in prison on 18 February for “propaganda against the system” and “gathering and colluding with the intent of harming state security”, but was subsequently released on bail pending an appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Amnesty International has previously taken action on behalf of Mehdi Arabshahi and Bahareh Hedayat during an earlier detention (See Urgent Action, (Index: MDE 13/095/2007), 27 July 2007,http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/095/2007)

24-year-old Morteza Samyari, arrested on 4 January 2010, appeared in a mass “show trial” of 16 persons on 30 January 2010. All were accused of involvement in orchestrating the Ashoura protests. He was sentenced on 18 February 2010 to one year in prison on the charge of propaganda against the system and a five-year prison sentence on the charge of “gathering and colluding with the intent to act against national security”, apparently in connection with a proposed meeting with EU representatives which never took place. He was released on bail of 500 million rials (approx US$500,000) and a guarantee of a further 100 millions rials (approx US$100,000) on 7 March 2010, pending an appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Since the disputed presidential election in June 2009, over 5,000 people have been arrested, including over 1,000 during and following the mass demonstrations on Ashoura on 27 December. Those detained include political figures and political activists, students, human rights defenders and journalists. Many have been tried in grossly unfair trials, resulting in long prison term sentences and some sentences of flogging. At least 13 individuals have been sentenced to death, of whom two have been executed and three have had their sentences commuted to prison terms. Those known to be on death row include Ahmad Karimi and Amir Reza Arefi, convicted of “moharebeh” (enmity against God) for alleged membership of the Anjoman-e Padashahi Iran, a group which advocates the restoration of a monarchy in Iran, and five unnamed individuals (two women and three men) said to have been tried and convicted in January 2010 of “moharebeh” for alleged membership of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran and organizing the Ashoura demonstrations. 20-year old Damghan university student Mohammad Amin Valian has also been sentenced to death, although his appeal has not yet been heard. He was one of five people charged with “moharebeh” during the trial of 16 in which Morteza Samyari was also tried. Video footage of him throwing stones during the Ashoura demonstrations was shown in court and was used as evidence to convict him of “moharebeh“.

“Moharebeh” is a vaguely worded criminal offence in Iranian law, usually applied to those who take up arms against the state. It can carry the death sentence.

The Iranian authorities are continuing to severely restrict freedom of expression in Iran, arresting journalists and human rights activists (of whom scores are believed to remain in detention), imposing restrictions on the use of the internet, including social networking sites, and shutting down newspapers. A renewed campaign of arrests of human rights activists began in early March 2010 (see UA 50/10, 12 March 2010,(Index: MDE 13/029/2010)).

For further information please see Iran: Election Contested, Repression Compounded, December 2009, (Index MDE 13/123/2009).

UA: 62/10 Index: MDE 13/032/2010 Issue Date: 15 March 2010

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Iran urged to release journalist jailed for political activism

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 4 March 2010

Amnesty International has called on the Iranian authorities to release a journalist and women’s rights campaigner imprisoned for her political activism in the wake of last year’s disputed presidential election.

Hengameh Shahidi began serving a six-year sentence at Tehran’s Evin Prison last week, after an appeal court ruling upheld her conviction.

Her imprisonment is the latest in a series of ongoing attacks on journalists and media outlets close to the opposition.

Shortly after her arrest, the Press Supervisory Board on 1 March 2010 closed the E’temad daily newspaper, run by Elias Hazrati, a supporter of defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi, and the weekly journal Iran Dokht (run by Mehdi Karroubi’s wife and son).

Sina, a weekly provincial newspaper, was also closed, for allegedly not operating in line with the constitution.

Hengameh Shahidi’s sentence includes five years for “gathering and colluding with intent to harm state security” and one year for “propaganda against the system”. The appeal court overturned another conviction for “insulting the president” which carried a sentence of 91 days and a fine.

Amnesty International said it considers Hengameh Shahidi to be a prisoner of conscience, held solely for peacefully exercising her rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

Hengameh Shahidi was an advisor on women’s issues to defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi during his election campaign and is a member of his National Trust party.

Originally arrested on 30 June 2009, she was held at Evin Prison for over four months before she was released on bail on 1 November after she went on hunger strike in protest at her continued detention.

During her detention, Hengameh Shahidi says she was tortured and on several occasions she was threatened with execution. Once she said she was subjected to a mock execution. Her interrogators also threatened to arrest other family members.

At her trial on 4 November 2009, Hengameh Shahidi was accused of taking part in demonstrations against the disputed presidential election result between 13 and 17 June and giving an interview to the media and collecting signatures for the “One Million Signatures Campaign (also known as the Campaign for Equality – which aims to end discrimination against women in Iranian law).

She was also accused of supporting a campaign to end executions by stoning in Iran, signing numerous statements addressed to United Nations human rights bodies about human rights violations in Iran, and publishing articles on her blog.

Hengameh Shahidi was rearrested on 25 February 2010 and taken to Evin Prison, after being summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence investigations office “to answer a few questions”. Two days later her lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaei, was shown the appeal court ruling upholding her prison sentence.

Amnesty International has urged the Iranian authorities to ensure that while imprisoned, she is granted access to her family, her lawyer and to all necessary medical treatment, including for her heart problems.

The organization also called for an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into Hengameh Shahidi’s allegations of torture in detention and for anyone found responsible to be brought to justice promptly and fairly.

Amnesty International also called for closed newspapers to be reopened and for all undue restrictions on the freedom of the press to be lifted.

Since the disputed presidential election in June 2009, the authorities have acknowledged over 5,000 people have been arrested, including over 1,000 during and following mass demonstrations on the religious festival of Ashoura on 27 December. The true number is likely to be higher.

Those detained include political figures and political activists, students, human rights defenders and journalists.

Many have been tried in grossly unfair trials, resulting in long prison term sentences and some sentences of flogging. At least 13 have been sentenced to death, of whom two have been executed and three have had their sentences commuted to prison terms.

The Iranian authorities are continuing to severely restrict freedom of expression in Iran, arresting journalists (of whom scores are believed to remain in detention), imposing restrictions on the use of the internet, including social networking sites, and shutting down newspapers.

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Iran ‘shows contempt’ for human rights by rejecting UN recommendations

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL – PRESS RELEASE 17 February 2010
Amnesty International today criticised Iran for rejecting important recommendations by the United Nations to improve human rights in the country.

The recommendations rejected by Iran include: ending the execution of juvenile offenders; upholding fair trial guarantees, investigating torture allegations, including rape and releasing people detained for peacefully exercising their human rights.The Iran delegation also only paid lip service to cooperation with the Human Rights Council.

While accepting a recommendation to cooperate with UN’s human rights experts, Iran rejected several others to allow the Council’s Special Rapporteur on torture to visit the country.

The delegation accepted the recommendation to respect freedom of religion but rejected a recommendation to end discrimination against the Bahai’s.

“By rejecting specific recommendations made by dozens of countries the Iranian authorities showed contempt for international obligations just as they have done in their treatment of their own people,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

“By promising to consider recommendations to eliminate the execution of juvenile offenders, the Iranian authorities are cynically camouflaging their existing obligation under the Convention on the Rights of the Child not to execute juvenile offending,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

The UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva has been reviewing Iran’s human rights record where the Iran delegation responded to a series of recommendations put to them by other UN member states.

The delegation accepted 123 recommendations, reserved its position on 20 other and rejected 45 recommendations.

Amnesty International is perplexed by the numerous contradictions between recommendations accepted and those rejected.

The cavalier rejection of some recommendations similar to others accepted cast doubt on the willingness of the authorities to implement the recommendations accepted.

Iran has said it is carrying out investigations into cases of torture and killing that occurred following the unrest that occurred following the presidential election in June 2009.

However, despite reports of parliamentary investigations, no one appears to have been brought to justice over the killing of Neda Agha Soltan, a peaceful demonstrator who was shot in a street in June 2009 or Mohsen Ruholamini who died in custody in July 2009.

On the other hand, it rejected recommendations on investigations of torture allegations and unlawful killings and thereby perpetuate a climate of impunity.

The country’s authorities also said they would strengthen cooperation with human rights organizations, yet they have failed to respond to repeated requests by Amnesty International to meet with members of the Iranian delegation.

“For human rights to really improve in Iran, the authorities must end the double-speak and take concrete measures, like ending the execution of juvenile offenders; ensure fair trials; halt torture and end impunity for all violations.”

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URGENT ACTION – IRAN MUST RELEASE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

5 February 2010

Human rights defender and journalist Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi was arrested in the west of Iran on 3 February by plainclothes officials believed to be Revolutionary Guards. He is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for his peaceful human rights activities. His family has not been informed of his whereabouts and he is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi,aged 25, was arrested by seven plainclothes officials at his home in the city of Kermanshah, in western Iran. His home was searched and his personal belongings, including his computer and documents related to his work, were confiscated. The arresting officials presented him with a warrant that did not specify which authority had issued it but accused him of “propaganda against the state”. His family has not been informed of his whereabouts.

Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi is a leading member of the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HROK, sometimes known as RMMK from its Kurdish name), and a member of the women’s rights group, the Campaign for Equality, also known as the One Million Signatures Campaign. He is also a journalist for Iranian news website Rooz Online, and writes for the HROK and Campaign for Equality websites. He is an active campaigner against the death penalty. He reported on the protests against the execution on 11 November 2009 of Ehsan Fattahian, a member of Iran’s Kurdish minority (see UA: 271/09 Index: MDE 13/119/2009). He was the only journalist who reported on the authorities’ transfer of Ehsan Fattahian’s body for burial in a cemetery in Kermanshah, which took place without the knowledge of Ehsan Fattahian’s family.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities to release Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi immediately and unconditionally, as he is a prisoner of conscience, arrested solely for his human rights activities and the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association;
Urging them to disclose his whereabouts immediately, and to ensure that he is protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and has access to a lawyer of his own choosing, his family and any medical treatment he may require;
Reminding the authorities that, as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran is obliged to uphold the right to freedom of expression and association.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 19 MARCH 2010 TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info_leader@leader.ir

via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English)

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani

Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)

Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran, 1316814737

Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: Via website: http://www.dadiran.ir/tabid/75/Default.aspx

First starred box: your given name; second starred box: your family name; third: your email address

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Director, Human Rights Headquarters

Mohammad Javad Larijani

Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh

Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri

Tehran 1316814737

Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: +98 21 3390 4986

Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)

Salutation: Dear Mr Larijani

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

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Nine at risk of execution over Iran protests

2 February 2010

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The nine were arrested after protests against last year’s presidential election

2 February 2010

Amnesty International has urged the Iranian authorities not to execute nine people sentenced to death who were arrested in relation to the protests that followed last year’s disputed presidential election.

The organization said it fears the Iranian authorities are planning to execute some or all of the nine in public before 11 February, the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when further protests are expected.

According to Iranian media reports, Deputy Judiciary Head Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday that, after the execution of two men last week, the nine others will be executed “soon”.

“Those sentenced did not have had a fair trial,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director. “They were denied access to a lawyer in the initial stages of their detention, and some or all appear to have been coerced into giving confessions.. It is also not clear whether those condemned have been able to exercise their right to appeal.”

Iran’s judiciary is reported to be under political pressure to execute more opposition supporters to end the continuing protests.

Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour were hanged in public last Thursday after being convicted in unfair trials of “enmity against God” and being members of Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran (API), a banned group which advocates the restoration of an Iranian monarchy.

They were the first executions known to be related to the post-election violence that erupted across Iran in June and has continued since.

“Executing people in public further adds to the already cruel, inhuman and degrading nature of the death penalty,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. “It can only have a dehumanizing effect on the person sentenced to death and a brutalizing effect on those who witness the execution, including the relatives.”

Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour were convicted by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court in October. Iran executed at least 14 people in public in 2009.

At least two of the nine others on death row, Naser Abdolhasani and Reza Kazemi, were sentenced to death in similar post-election “show trials”. The identity of the other seven is unknown.

According to Iranian officials, over 40 people have died in demonstrations since the election, which were violently repressed by the security forces. Amnesty International believes the number to be much higher. More than 5,000 people have been arrested, many of whom were tortured or otherwise ill-treated.

Scores have been sentenced to prison terms, and in some cases flogging, after unfair trials, and at least 12 have been sentenced to death. One man – Hamed Rouhinejad – had his death sentence commuted to a 10-year prison term on appeal in January 2010.

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URGENT ACTION – Iranian STUDENT LEADER sentenced

Further information on UA: 341/09 Index: MDE 13/ /015/2010 Iran Date: 02 February 2010

Iranian student leader Majid Tavakkoli, held since 7 December 2009 after a demonstration, has been sentenced to eight years and six months imprisonment after an unfair trial. He is believed to be appealing against his conviction and sentence. He is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

Majid Tavakkoli‘s trial before the Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran began on 6 January 2010 and his lawyer was not permitted to attend. He met his lawyer for the first time on 11 January. Majid Tavakkoli has only been allowed to contact his family once by phone, after his trial concluded, when he told them he was held in Evin Prison, Tehran. He has not been permitted any family visits. He has been convicted of several offences, including participating in an illegal gathering, propaganda against the system and insulting officials. As well as receiving a prison sentence, Majid Tavakkoli was banned for five years from political activities and from leaving the country..

Majid Tavakkoli was beaten as he was arrested leaving Amir Kabir University of Technology in Tehran on 7 December. He had just given a speech at a student demonstration marking Student Day in Iran, held on the Persian date of 16 Azar, the anniversary of the killing of three students by security forces in 1953. Dozens of students and others were arrested around the time of the 7 December protests, which took place in cities across the country. Many have been released, but some remain in detention. The day after his arrest, pictures of Majid Tavakkoli wearing women’s clothing were circulated, apparently intended to humiliate him.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

Calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Majid Tavakkoli, and any others detained around the 7 December demonstrations who are held solely for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly;
Expressing concern that Majid Tavakkoli’s trial was unfair as he did not have access to a lawyer and urging that his appeal be heard swiftly, with a view to facilitating his immediate release;

In the meantime, calling on the authorities to grant him immediate and regular access to his family, his lawyer and any medical treatment he may require;

Asking them to investigate promptly and impartially the reports that Majid Tavakkoli was beaten during his arrest.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 16 MARCH 2010 TO:

Head of the Provincial Judiciary in Tehran

Ali Reza Avaei

Karimkhan Zand Avenue

Sana’i Avenue, Corner of Alley 17, No. 152

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir

Salutation: Dear Mr Avaei

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani

Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)

Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran, 1316814737

Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: Via website: http://www.dadiran.ir/tabid/75/Default.aspxFirst starred box: your given name; second starred box: your family name; third: your email address

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Director, Human Rights Headquarters

Mohammad Javad Larijani

Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh

Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri

Tehran 1316814737

Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: +98 21 3390 4986

Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)

Salutation: Dear Mr Larijan

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the first update to UA 341/09 (MDE 13/131/2009).Further information: www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/131/2009/en

URGENT ACTION

irANIAN STUDENT LEADER sentenced

ADditional Information

Majid Tavakkoli, a member of the Islamic Students’ Association at Amir Kabir University in Tehran, where he studied ship-building, was arrested in May 2007 with three others, in connection with student publications said to be insulting to Islam, which the students said had been forged. He was tortured in detention and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for “propaganda against the system” and “insulting the Leader,” reduced on appeal to 30 months. He was released in August 2008 and allowed to resume his studies in southern Iran.

He was arrested in February 2009, with around 20 other students, after he took part in a ceremony commemorating the life of the first prime minister to be appointed after the February 1979 revolution, Mehdi Bazargan. Most were soon released, but Majid Tavakkoli and three others were held without trial until June 2009, when they were released on bail. Majid Tavakkoli was the subjects of UA 113/07 and updates, and UA 70/09.

According to his brother Ali in January 2010, Majid Tavakkoli has been sentenced to five years for “participating in an illegal gathering”; one year for “propaganda against the system”; two years for “insulting the Supreme Leader”; six months for “insulting the President” and to five-year ban on any involvement in political activities and on leaving the country.

The day after his arrest, Fars News Agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards and the judiciary, published pictures of Majid Tavakkoli wearing women’s clothing, and said he had been wearing them at the time of his arrest in order to escape detection. Student websites and others, which have claimed that Majid Tavakkoli was beaten at the time of his arrest, have denied that he was wearing the clothes at the time, but suggested he was forced to wear them afterwards to humiliate him.

After Majid Tavakkoli was pictured wearing women’s clothes, many Iranian men took pictures of themselves with headcoverings, often holding signs saying, “We are Majid” and posted them on the internet as part of a solidarity campaign calling for his release. See for example http://www.facebook.com/event.php
eid=198929939029#/photo_search.php
oid=198929939029&view=all

On 19 January, his mother told Voice of America Persian service, a US government-funded radio and television station in the USA which broadcasts worldwide, “I am worn out after five years. His place is not in prison. His problems should be solved in the university, not in prison. He is entitled to the freedom of speech. For three years, they have had us on a leash. We are constantly worried for our son. He has done nothing, but studied hard. He had only made a critical comment. He doesn’t deserve prison. They said we are entitled to freedom of speech. I am looking forward to seeing Majid. I want to hear my son’s voice when I see him. For a mother, it is important to see her children. It is hard to wait for children with tearful eyes and an aching heart.”

Students have been at the forefront of continuing protests at the disputed outcome of the presidential election in June 2009 as well as at the widespread human rights violations committed as the authorities banned demonstrations and cracked down violently on protestors. Dozens of people were killed by security forces using excessive force, thousands were arrested, mostly arbitrarily and many were tortured or otherwise ill-treated. Scores have faced unfair trial, including some in mass show trials, with over 80 sentenced to prison terms, and at least 12 sentenced to death, although at least one has been commuted to a prison term. Two have so far been executed.

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URGENT ACTION – THREE IRANIAN JOURNALISTS SENTENCED

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL – PRESS RELEASE Date 28 December 2009

Bahman Ahmadi Amou’i and Saeed Laylaz have been sentenced to prison terms, Bahman Ahmadi Amou’i also to flogging. Keyvan Samimi Behbehani remains in solitary confinement. All three men are prisoners of conscience.

Bahman Ahmadi Amou’i, aneditor at the business daily paper Sarmayehwhich was closed by the authorities on 2 November,was sentenced to seven years and four months’ imprisonment and 32 lashes on 4 January 2010 by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The sentence includes five years for “colluding with intent to harm national security;” one year for “propaganda against the system;” one year and 32 lashes for “disrupting public security” and four months for “insulting the president.” His lawyer is lodging an appeal within the required 20 days and will request his release on bail until the appeal is heard. He is held in Section 350 of Evin Prison. .

Saeed Laylaz, also an editor at Sarmayeh,was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran on 2 December 2009 after he was convicted of “attending illegal gatherings” and “possessing classified documents.” His lawyer has said that that his client had access to information that had been posted online and therefore not classified information. Saeed Laylaz has been refused bail and remains held in Evin Prison.

The editor of the banned magazineNameh,Keyvan Samimi Behbehani, was granted 10 days’ leave from prison on 9 December in order to attend his daughter’s wedding. He has since returned to Evin Prison where he is held in solitary confinement in Section 209.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

Calling on the authorities to release Bahman Ahmadi Amou’i, Saeed Laylaz and Keyvan Samimi Behbehani immediately and unconditionally, as they are being detained solely for their peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression;
Expressing concern that Bahman Ahmadi Amou’i has been sentenced to flogging, a cruel punishment which amounts to torture, and noting that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which strictly prohibits torture;
Urging the authorities to ensure they are not tortured or otherwise ill-treated, and that reports of torture or other ill-treatment are thoroughly investigated and anyone found responsible is brought to justice in fair proceedings.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 19 FEBRUARY 2010 TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English)

http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php
p=letter (Persian)

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary in Tehran

Mr Ali Reza Avaei

Karimkhan Zand Avenue

Sana’i Avenue, Corner of Alley 17,

No 152

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir

Salutation: Dear Mr Avaei

And copies to:

Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran

His Excellency Mohammad Javad Larijani

Bureau of International Affairs, Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com

Fax: + 98 21 5 537 8827 (please keep trying)

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the third update to UA 171/09 (MDE 13/062/2009). Further information: www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/062/2009/en, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/092/2009/en and http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/115/2009/en

URGENT ACTION

Three Iranian JOURNALISTs sentenced

ADditional Information

Bahman Ahmadi Amou’i, husband of journalist Zhila Bani Ya’qoub (who was released on 19 August) has been held at Evin Prison since his arrest on 20 June 2009. After 65 days of solitary confinement Bahman Ahmadi Amou’i was moved in late August to a cell in Section 209 of the prison, measuring 3.5 m� which he shared with two other detainees. Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court acknowledged that they were investigating him at the beginning of October but as the investigation was still incomplete they would not allow his lawyer to see the investigation file.

Saeed Laylaz had appeared before Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on 23 September to appeal against a two-month extension of his detention order but his appeal was rejected, despite an earlier order setting bail at two billion rials (approximately US$ 200,000).

Following the Ashoura commemoration on 27 December, which also coincided with the seventh-day of mourning for Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, a senior dissident cleric who had died the week before, well over a thousand people are reported to have been arrested, including 500 in Tehran, 200 in Najafabad and 600 in Esfahan. They include at least fifteen journalists: Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, Morteza Kazemian, Keyvan Mehregan, Reza Tajik, Mostafa Izadi, Mohammad Javad Saber, Behrang Tonkabani, Arvin Sedagatkish, Roozbeh Karimi, Mohammadreza Zohdi, Ali Hekmat, Sam Mahmoudi and three women, Badrolsadat Mofidi, Negin Derakhshan and Nasrin Vaziri.

Scores of people associated with opposition parties, human rights defenders and students are among many others detained since the demonstrations. The unrest on ‘Ashoura was one of the worst since the days following the June 2009 presidential election. The authorities have stated variously that between seven and fifteen people died, although have disputed that security forces were responsible for all the deaths.

‘Ashoura, the 10th day of the Islamic month of Moharram, is a Shi’a Muslim religious occasion marking the killing, or martyrdom, of Emam Hossein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad.

Since the announcement that incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won the 12 June election, which many people disputed, the authorities have used excessive force to quell largely peaceful protests. Before the recent demonstrations, the authorities acknowledged 36 deaths, while the opposition claims that over 70 have died. The authorities have acknowledged that over 4,000 were arrested, although the true figure may well be higher. Many of those detained were tortured or otherwise ill-treated in detention centres across the country. Some have alleged they were raped, although the authorities have denied this after cursory investigations and other measures which appear designed to hide, rather than uncover, the truth. Over 80 have been sentenced to prison terms or flogging in connection with the unrest, including those sentenced after mass “show trials” which began in August. At least seven have been sentenced to death – most recently Ahmad Karimi and Ali Zahed were sentenced to death at the end of December 2009.

For further information about the post-election events please see Iran: Election contested, Repression compounded (Index MDE 13/123/2009), December 2009, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/123/2009/en

Further information on UA: 171/09 Index: MDE 13/002/2010 Issue Date: 08 January 2010

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Iran: End slide to more bloodshed

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL – PRESS RELEASE Date 8 Jan 2010

Amnesty International today condemned the further and wholly avoidable loss of up to 8-15 lives in Iran during the ‘Ashoura religious commemorations.The organization called on the authorities to ensure that those attending funerals and commemorations in the coming days and weeks are guaranteed the right to assemble peacefully and to express their opposition to the current government.

“The spiral of violence is growing in Iran and the excessive force by the security forces appears to be meeting unprecedented resistance from protestors,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Demonstrations on 27 December were policed by the Basij, a plain-clothed, volunteer paramilitary force under the control of the Revolutionary Guards, and the Special Forces units of the police. In the unrest following June’s presidential elections, Basij personnel used firearms.

“The loss of life during ‘Ashoura was wholly avoidable and this slide to more bloodshed must end now,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Amnesty International has only been able to contact people in central Tehran who spoke of day-long clashes, from Vali Asr Square, College and Hafez Bridges – the latter of which security personnel used to hurl rocks at vehicles below – and Revolution Square (Meydan-e Enghlab) in the day to Mir-Damad street late into the evening as swathes of the city with covered in the smoke from the tear gas.

The funeral of 35 year old Seyed Ali Mousavi, the nephew of former presidential candidate and political leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, is expected to take place along with others in the coming days.

Iran is bound by international human rights treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that guarantee the right of peaceful assembly and expression.

“Despite Amnesty International’s and others’ advance appeals, in far too many places the authorities singularly failed to respect the rights of those Iranians taking part in ‘Ashoura commemorations to peacefully assemble and to express themselves, even in opposition to the government. We deplore the increased levels of violence and renewed killing on ‘Ashoura that was wholly avoidable.”

“The Supreme Leader and government must instruct the police to end the use of force while leaders of the Revolutionary Guard must withdraw the Basij from demonstrations since time and time again it has been shown that their actions are fuelling conflict, leading to the loss of life.”

Amnesty International again urged the authorities to invite to Iran independent human rights experts, such as those from the UN, in order to make an independent investigation into ongoing human rights violations.

“Inquiries announced by the authorities so far have been confusing and opaque and are simply not believed by most Iranians,” Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said.

Amnesty International also expressed concern at reports of arrests – possibly arbitrary – that are said to have taken place on 28 December. Reports indicate that political leader Ebrahim Yazdi had once again been detained along with three advisors to Mir Hossein Mousavi and Ayatollah Mousavi Tabrizi, a religious leader.

Human rights activist Emadeddin Baghi was detained at 06:45 in the morning, reportedly by four plain-clothed and armed men who are said to have forcibly entered Baghi’s residence. A Dubai TV correspondent, a Syrian national, appeared to be unaccounted for in the course of 27 December

Background:
The unrest on ‘Ashoura was the worst since the days following the June 2009 presidential election. As then, the mobile phone networks and internet services appeared largely disabled.

‘Ashoura, the 10th day of the Islamic month of Moharram, is a Shi’a Muslim religious occasion marking the killing, or martyrdom, of Hossein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad and an important religious and community leader.

By around 21:00 GMT on 27 December the Acting Head of the Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) for Greater Tehran, Ahmad Reza Radan had admitted to four deaths in Tehran, adding that there were 300 arrests.

One person was said to have fallen off a bridge; two in car accidents and only one man – whose identity was not revealed – was said to have been shot. It is widely believed that this was a reference to Mir Hossein Mousavi’s nephew.

Commander Ahmad Reza Radan of the Iranian police called the shooting suspicious since the police were not equipped with guns. During the unrest in June and July 2009, it appeared that only the Basij militia and members of the Revolutionary Guards were armed.

The authorities have claimed that some of those arrested belonged the illegal People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), banned since the early 1980s.

The Jonbesh-e Rah-e Sabz (JARAS) news outlet issued five names of individuals who were said to have been killed on ‘Ashoura: Mehdi Farhadinia, Mohammad Ali Rasekhinia, Amir Arshadi, Shahram Faraji and Seyed Ali Mousavi, who is said to be the nephew of Mir Hossein Mousavi, one of the presidential candidates in June’s election. Amnesty International has not been able to confirm the names issued.

Confrontation between thousands of mourners marking what is believed by Shi’a Muslims to be the martyrdom of Emam Hossein on the tenth (‘ashoura) day of the month of Moharram and security officials were reported from Tabriz, Babol and Mashhad in the north of Iran; Tehran, Qom, Najaf Abad and Esfahan in the centre and Shiraz in the south.

Notes to editors

Amnesty International spokespeople are available. To request an interview or for more information please call +44 7778 472 126
Public Document

International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK www.amnesty.org

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Iran: Joint statement by Shirin Ebadi and Irene Khan

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL For release on Tuesday, 28 July 2009

The human rights crisis in Iran is deepening daily and next week’s expected inauguration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a second term as president may spark further protests and a massive new clampdown, warned Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, and Iranian Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi today.”Three days ago, thousands of people in over 100 cities across the world joined in a Global Day of Action in protest at the numerous arrests, beatings and killings that have accompanied the Iranian authorities’ attempt to force through the declared election result, which is so widely disputed,” said Irene Khan. “The purpose was to express our solidarity with those whose rights are being violated in Iran, and to send a message to Iran’s Supreme Leader and those about him that the violations must cease. The world is watching.”

Shirin Ebadi, Iran’s most distinguished lawyer and human rights defender, is in London at Amnesty International’s invitation.

An organization that she founded in 2001, the Centre for Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), was summarily shut down by the Iranian authorities last December because of its efforts to promote human rights and defend people who were detained and tortured. At least three of its leading members – journalist Abdolreza Tajik as well as Abdolfattah Soltani and Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, both leading human rights lawyers – have been detained since the start of the election-related protests. Two of them are held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, but the whereabouts of Mohammad Ali Dadkhah is unknown, raising particular fears for his safety.

“My colleagues have been rounded up because of their work to promote justice and the rule of law, and to defend the human rights of people in Iran,” said Shirin Ebadi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. “They are now languishing in jail like so many others in my country because they stand up for universal values – the rights to freedom of opinion and expression and to register one’s protest peacefully without fear of arrest or attack by strong-arm forces like the Basij.”

Irene Khan and Shirin Ebadi cautioned that international attention and efforts must not fade, however intransigent the authorities in Tehran appear.

“People in Iran need international support now more than ever as the political divisions in Tehran play themselves out,” said Shirin Ebadi. “International attention and pressure must be sustained and intensified if it is to have impact on those calling the shots in Tehran.”

“In particular, the UN needs to play a more determined and decisive role,” said Irene Khan. “Through its human rights and other mechanisms, the UN must investigate the violations taking place in Iran and compile evidence that can be used, one day, to bring those responsible to account.”

Shirin Ebadi is visiting London as part of international efforts to highlight human rights abuses in Iran and to support a worldwide action that Amnesty International is launching in defence of the CHRD and its members, and to demand that it be allowed to reopen and continue its work.

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POLITICAL PRISONERS REMAIN IN DETENTION

AI Index: MDE 13/072/2009
14 July 2009

Amnesty International is concerned about further arrests of politicians, journalists, lawyers and others in connection with the recent disputed presidential election in Iran. Hundreds of people are believed to be detained – many held in undisclosed locations – across Iran. Scores more – possibly as many as 197 – are reported to have been arrested on 9 July 2009 at a demonstration marking the tenth anniversary of 18 Tir, the suppression of student-led protests in 1999 in which at least one student was killed and many others were tortured or otherwise ill-treated. The families of those detained for commemorating the victims of the 1999 crackdown are said to have learnt only from posters pasted up by the authorities in public places that they can find out about the detainees’ cases at court on 19 July 2009. Those detained are believed to be held in Evin Prison and at a detention facility in Kahrizak in Karaj, near Tehran.

Amnesty International is calling for anyone held solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association to be released immediately and unconditionally, and for all others to be promptly charged and tried in proceedings which meet international standards for fair trial or released. In any event, the authorities should immediately clarify the fate of all those detained in connection with recent events.

Amnesty International is also calling for a full and impartial investigation into the death of Sohrab Arabi, a 19-year-old student, who died from a bullet wound to the heart. He disappeared during a demonstration on 15 June 2009. His family was then unable to find out any information about him until 11 July when they were summoned to court where they recognized him from photographs of dead individuals. His body had apparently been at the Coroner’s Office since 19 June. There is, as yet, no information as to what happened to him between 15 and 19 June, including either the exact date, or the circumstances, of his death.

Among those reported to have been arrested in recent days are political activists, journalists, academics and lawyers. Amnesty International fears for their safety in detention, as torture or other ill-treatment of detainees is common in Iran. They include:

Journalist Massoud Bastani, who was arrested on 5 July when he went to the Revolutionary Court in Tehran to enquire about his pregnant wife Mahsa Amr-Abadi, also a journalist, who was arrested on 14 June.
Human rights lawyer Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, who was arrested on 8 July 2009 and taken from his office in Tehran, along with several colleagues. Some of his colleagues were released shortly afterwards, but Mohammad Ali Dadkhah’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Bijan Khajehpour Khoei, a business and economic consultant, who was arrested on 27 June 2009 at Tehran airport when he arrived back from a trip to Vienna and London. During his brief trip abroad, he spoke to trade officials in Vienna and met the Iran British Business Chamber in London as part of his work to support Iranian business and encourage foreign investment in Iran. His whereabouts are unknown, and his family fear for his health as he is diabetic.
Feyzollah Arabsorkhi, a former deputy trade minister and a senior member of the Islamic Revolution Mujahidin Organisation, a reformist political party, was arrested on 7 July.
Journalist Kaveh Mozaffari, who was only released from Evin Prison on 15 June following his arrest on 1 May 2009 while covering a peaceful demonstration by labour activists on International Labour Day, was arrested in the street on 9 July by security forces.
Mohammad Reza Yazdanpanah, a member of the Islamic Participation Front, was arrested in Tehran on 7 July.
Joint US-Iranian national Kian Tajbaksh, a social scientist and urban planner who has taught at universities in Iran and the USA, was arrested at 9:00pm on 9 July 2009, at his home in Tehran. Two people who identified themselves as Iranian security officials, arrived at his residence, questioned him and his wife and searched the residence for three hours, before taking him away along with two computers and other items.
Mehdi Mahdavi Azad, the director of the Shahab News site, was arrested on or around 23 June, but news of his arrest has only just been released.
Towhid Beigi, a photographer associated with the campaign of presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi, was arrested in Enqelab Square, Tehran, during the demonstrations of 9 July.
Journalist Hengameh Shahidi, a member of the National Trust Party’s Tehran branch, is reported to have been arrested on 30 June.
Majid Sa’idi, a well-known photographer for domestic and international media, was arrested on 10 July from his home.

Background information

In the month since the announcement on 13 June that the incumbent President Ahmadinejad had won the previous day’s presidential election, which hundreds of thousands of Iranians dispute, the Iranian authorities have imposed draconian restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly. Security forces, including the paramilitary Basij, have been widely deployed in the streets to prevent and disperse peaceful and other demonstrations. Communications have been significantly disrupted and Iranian publications have been banned from publishing information about the nationwide unrest since the result was declared. Foreign journalists have been banned from the streets, their visas not renewed and some foreign reporters have been arrested or expelled from the country.

According to statements by officials recorded by Amnesty International, over 2,000 people have been arrested since 12 June by the police and Basij forces across the country during demonstrations or in their aftermath. These include prominent political figures close to two of the presidential candidates, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, and to former President Khatami, who supported Mir Hossein Mousavi’s presidential election campaign. Some human rights defenders, as well as journalists have also been detained.

The authorities have acknowledged that up to 21 people were killed during demonstrations, but in at least some cases – such as that of Neda Agha-Soltan – whose death was filmed and circulated widely on the internet – they have denied that state officials were responsible, although her death does not appear to have been properly investigated. Unofficial Iranian sources say that many more protestors were killed, but it remains difficult to obtain accurate information about the total number of deaths as the whereabouts of many demonstrators remain unknown and the authorities have placed restrictions on bereaved families from holding memorial services. In the past, according to information received by Amnesty International, the Iranian authorities have under-reported deaths at the hands of security forces during demonstrations.

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Women’s rights activist and lawyer violently arrested

NEWS FLASH
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
17 July 2009

Amnesty International fears the wave of arrests of civil society activists in Iran is intensifying after lawyer and human rights activist, Shadi Sadr, was violently arrested in Tehran this morning on her way to Friday prayers.Shadi Sadr was walking with a group of women’s rights activists along a busy road when unidentified plain clothed men pulled her into a car. She lost her headscarf and coat in the ensuing struggle but managed briefly to escape. She was quickly recaptured and beaten with batons before being taken away in the car to an unknown location.

“This was an illegal, arbitrary and violent arrest in which no attempt was made by the authorities to show identification or provide any explanation for their action,” said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.”

“This is the latest of a continuing series of high profile arrests of Iranians – students, journalists, intellectuals, political and civil society activists – in the wake of protests over the disputed outcome of the presidential election.”

Amnesty International is calling for Shadi Sadr to be immediately and unconditionally released.

Shadi Sadr is the defence lawyer of Shiva Nazar Ahari, a human rights defender and member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, who was arrested at her home in Tehran on 14 June 2009, shortly after the presidential election, by security officials who searched her house and took away personal items. She is now believed to be held in Section 209 of Tehran’s Evin Prison where Shadi Sadr, her lawyer, had not been able to gain access to her.

Background
Shadi Sadr, lawyer and journalist, was the director of Raahi, a legal advice centrefor women until it was closed down. She founded Zanan-e Iran (Women of Iran), the first website dedicated to the work of Iranian women’s rights activists (http://www.raahi.org) and has written extensively about Iranian women and their legal rights. She has represented activists and journalists, several women sentenced to execution, whose convictions were subsequently overturned. She is also involved in Women’s Field (http://www.meydaan.com), a group of women’s rights activists who have launched several campaigns to defend women’s rights, including the “Stop Stoning Forever” Campaign.

Shadi Sadr was among 33 women arrested in March 2007. Most had gathered outside a Tehran courtroom to protest peacefully against the trial of five women – Fariba Davoudi Mohajer, Shahla

Entesari, Noushin Ahmadi Khorassani, Parvin Ardalan and Sussan Tahmasebi – who were accused of “propaganda against the system”, “acting against national security” and “participating in an illegal demonstration” in connection with the 12 June 2006 demonstration. Four of those on trial were also among those arrested, along with Shadi Sadr, a lawyer. Initially held in the Vozara detention centre, some were later transferred to Evin Prison. Most were released after several days, but Shadi Sadr and Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh – who is also involved in the “Stop Stoning Forever” Campaign – were held for over two weeks before being released on bail.

At a Revolutionary Court session in August 2007, which their lawyer was not allowed to attend and during which they were also questioned about their NGOs and their activities in the “Stop Stoning Forever”campaign, they were charged with illegal assembly, collusion against national security, disruption of public order and refusal to obey the orders of the police

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POLITICAL PRISONERS REMAIN IN DETENTION

UREGNT ACTION
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
08 July 2009

At least eight political leaders remain in the custody of the Iranian Authorities, two of whom are being supervised in hospital. Ebrahim Yazdi has been released. They are all prisoners of conscience held solely on account of the peaceful expression of their views, including regarding the outcome of the election.

Seven of the eight political leaders arrested in Tehran on 16 June 2009, in connection with their perceived views on Iran’s disputed presidential election or their links with former president, Mohammad Khatami remain detained. In addition to the individuals featured in the UA Mohsen Mirdamadi, a former senior member of parliament and of the Islamic Iran Participation Front (Jebhe-ye Mosharekat-e Iran-e Eslami) was also arrested on 13 June. Ebrahim Yazdi was released on 19 June, and was returned to a hospital in Tehran from where he had been arrested whilst undergoing tests.

Former Tehran city counsellor, advisor to former president Mohammad Khatami and investigative journalist, Said Hajjarian was transferred from Evin Prison to hospital under the control of the security forces, possibly on 3 July. Said Hajjarian is confined to a wheelchair following an attempted assassination in 2000. His wife was able to visit him once in prison. During her visit, Said Hajjarian told her that he had been given the medication that she had delivered to the prison two days after his arrest. On the day of the visit his blood pressure was high, for which he received no treatment, he was also in a poor psychological state. He requires, on a daily basis, specialized medicines and physiotherapy, which appears to have been denied. Mohsen Aminzadeh was also transferred to a hospital in Tehran on 4 July, for reasons unknown to Amnesty International. Both men remain incustody.

On 4 July, the lawyer representing Mohammad Ali Abtahi, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Behzad Nabavi, Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, Mostafa Tajzadeh and Mohsen Mirdamadi, said that he had not been allowed to visit any of his clients and stated that “their general charge is acting against national security” and that their cases would be referred to revolutionary courts after preliminary investigation if they are charged. None of their families have been allowed to meet them.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

calling on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the political leaders and activists (please name them) and all others arrested solely on account of their peaceful views, including about the outcome of the elections, as they are prisoners of conscience;
urging the authorities to ensure they are allowed immediate access to their family members, lawyers of their choice and any medical treatment they may require, and that they are not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment;

urging the authorities to release them unless they are charged with internationally recognizable criminal offences in proceedings that meet internationally recognised fair trial standards.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 19 August 2009:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info_leader@leader.ir via website: www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English)

www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php
p=letter (Persian)

Salutation: Your Excellency, Ayatollah

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

Office of the Head of the Judiciary

Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir (subject – FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Minister of the Interior

Sadegh Mahsouli

Ministry of the Interior

Dr Fatemi Avenue

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: +98 21 8 896 203

+98 21 8 899 547

+98 21 6 650 203

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION

POLITICAL PRISONERS REMAIN IN DETENTION

ADditional Information

In the days following the announcement on 13 June that President Ahmadinejad had won the previous day’s presidential election, which hundreds of thousands of Iranians dispute, the Iranian authorities have imposed draconian restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly. Security forces, including the paramilitary Basij have been widely deployed in the streets; access to the internet and mobile phone use have been intermittently blocked or significantly interrupted. Iranian publications have been banned from publishing information about the nationwide unrest since the result was declared. Foreign journalists have been banned from the streets, their visas not renewed and some foreign reporters have been arrested or expelled from the country.

According to statements by officials recorded by Amnesty International, at least 2277 people have been arrested since 12 June by the police and Basij forces across the country during demonstrations or their aftermath. These include prominent political figures close to either Mir Hossein Mousavi, fellow presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi or former President Khatami, who supported Mir Hossein Mousavi’s campaign. Some human rights defenders, as well as journalists have also been detained. On 16 June lawyer and human rights defender Abdolfattah Soltani, was also arrested and detained (please see UA 160/09, MDE 13/059/2009, 19 June 2009:http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/059/2009/en). Journalist Issa Saharkhiz was arrested on 4 July and taken away to an undisclosed location (please see UA 181/09, MDE 13/067/2009, 6 July 2009:http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/067/2009/en) On 24 June, 70 academics met leading opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, and were arrested as they left his office. All but four were later released. Those still detained include the head of Mir Hossein Mousavi’s election campaign, Dr Ghorban Behzadian and Ardeshir Amir Arjomand who is a professor of law at Shahid Beheshti University. Hundreds of others have been arrested during demonstrations against the outcome of the election which have been met with excessive use of force. Officials acknowledge at least 21 killed although the true number is likely to be higher.

In custody Mohammad Ali Abtahi, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Behzad Nabavi, Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, Mostafa Tajzadeh and Mohsen Mirdamadi, Mohammad Tavassoli, Said Hajjarian.

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Iran: Government must stop executions of 14 men

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE
13 July 2009

Amnesty International urged the Iranian government to halt the public executions, scheduled for Tuesday 14 July, of 14 alleged members of the PRMI (People’s Resistance Movement of Iran), also known as Jondallah, a Baluchi armed opposition group.

“The 14 did not receive a fair trial and these executions must not go ahead,” said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa Programme. “The Iranian authorities must abide by their international obligations to uphold human rights and guarantee fair trials, which is all the more essential in death penalty cases.”

The 14, who include Abdolhamid Rigi, a brother of Jondallah’s leader, are due to be hanged in public tomorrow morning in the city of Zahedan, south-east Iran. They were sentenced for moharebeh – “enmity against God” – for allegedly participating in armed attacks on officials and civilians and other offences. Abdolhamid Rigi’s “confession” was recently broadcast on television even before he was tried, after he was forcibly returned to Iran from Pakistan in mid-2008.

Jondallah has carried out a number of attacks on Iranian government forces in Sistan-Baluchistan province, killing officials who were taken prisoner. Recently, Jondallah claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on a mosque in Zahedan which killed as many as 25 worshippers. Amnesty International has repeatedly condemned such abuses. Most or all of those due to be executed tomorrow are believed to have been arrested before the attack on the mosque.

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Iran: Journalists detained as news restrictions tighten

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE
26 June 2009

The Iranian authorities must immediately release dozens of journalists arrested since 12 June and who are at risk of torture in detention, Amnesty International said today as it adopted all of them as prisoners of conscience.

‘It is shocking that journalists – whose job it is to provide information to others – are being detained, on top of all the other draconian measures the authorities have taken to restrict the free flow of information about what is really happening in Iran. Rather than trying to investigate alleged abuses, the only message the authorities are sending is that they are seeking to hide the truth, both from their own citizens and the rest of the world.’

Dozens of journalists – some who also campaigned for either Mir Hossein Mousavi or Mehdi Karroubi, both candidates in the presidential election, have been detained in the past fortnight with their whereabouts mostly unknown.

For example, around 20 of 25 employees of the newspaper Kalameh Sabz arrested at their office in Haft Tir Square on 22 June are still detained and their whereabouts remain unknown. Kalameh Sabz is a newspaper established by presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi in 2009, and which has not been published since 14 June.

Since the announcement on 13 June that President Ahmadinejad had won the election, the Iranian authorities have imposed severe restrictions on freedom of expression. Access to the internet has been blocked or significantly interrupted. Iranian publications have been banned from publishing information about the unrest. Foreign news journalists have been banned from the streets, and some foreign reporters have been expelled from the country.

‘If nothing else, the authorities must immediately disclose the whereabouts of these journalists, ensure that they are not tortured or otherwise ill-treated and allow their families and lawyers access to them,’ said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. ‘Unless the authorities lift all unlawful restrictions on freedom of expression – which includes the right of journalists to report on events – and release all the journalists arrested, we can only assume they are trying to hide evidence of abuse and further silence any critical voice’.

Background:
Hundreds of politicians, journalists, academics, students and human rights defenders, have been detained, some briefly, across Iran since the election. Most are either supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi or Mehdi Karroubi, or are close to ex-President Khatami who supported Mir Hossein Mousavi’s campaign. Others have been critical of incumbent President Ahmadinejad’s policies. On 24 June, 70 academics who had met Mir Hossein Mousavi that day were arrested as they left his office. All but four were released later. Those still detained include Dr Ghorban Behzadian, the head of Mir Hossein Mousavi’s election campaign. According to official statements, well over a thousand others have been arrested during demonstrations against the outcome of the election which have been met with excessive use of force by security forces. Many were beaten, and according to the authorities, up to 21 people have been killed, although the true number is likely to be higher.

Among journalists detained in the past fortnight are:
Mahsa Amrabad, a journalist for the Etemad-e Melli newspaper founded by presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi, who was arrested from her home on 14 June.
Abdolreza Tajik, editor of the weekly magazine Farhikhtegan, who was arrested from the magazine’s offices on 14 June.
Keyvan Samimi Behbehani, editor of the banned Nameh magazine, who was also arrested at home on 14 June. He is also a member of the Centre for Human Rights Defenders’ Arbitrary Arrests Committee.
Mojtaba Pourmohsen, editor of the newspaper Gilan-e Emrooz, from the northern city of Rasht from where he hosted a programme for the Netherlands-based Radio Zamaneh, who was arrested on 15 June.
Fariborz Soroush, a freelance journalist who has given interviews to the Prague-based Radio Farda, who was reported to have been arrested on 16 June.
Saeed Laylaz, a prominent economic journalist who writes for Sarmayeh and who had been very critical of incumbent President Ahmadinejad’s economic policies was arrested on 17 June.
Mohammad Ghochani, the editor of Etemad-e Melli was arrested on 18 June at his home. According to information received by Amnesty International, he is believed to be held in Section 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran, which is controlled by the Ministry of Intelligence.
Karim Arghandehpour, a freelance journalist and blogger who used to write for various now-banned reformist newspapers, who was arrested on 14 June.

Journalists reporting for foreign news outlets have also been arrested: Maziar Bahari, who has dual Canadian and Iranian nationality who reported for Newsweek from Iran, was arrested on 21 June. Iason Athanasiadis-Fowden, a Greek national who was covering the election for the Washington Times, was arrested when trying to leave Iran on or around 19 June.

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Iran: Stop using Basij militia to police demonstrations

Iran: Stop using Basij militia to police demonstrations
22 June 2009

Following reports from Iran that members of the Basij militia have used excessive force against demonstrators – and in light of the history of abuses committed by this unaccountable branch of the security forces – Amnesty International calls on the government of Iran to stop using the militia to police demonstrations with immediate effect.

The Basij militia is a volunteer paramilitary force of men and women under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Its members are found in schools, universities, state and private institutions, factories, and even among tribes. Basij forces are widely used to help to maintain law and order and repress dissent, and have frequently been accused of using extreme brutality.

Many of those who took part in the recent demonstrations claim non – uniformed and armed personnel, whom they believed to be members of the Basij militia, used excessive force and carried out human rights violations – including beatings and use of firearms – against demonstrators on the streets. A video of a member of the Basij shooting from an building used by the Basij during the demonstrations on Monday 15 June in which at least 8 people were killed should have triggered an immediate investigation by the authorities and clear instructions should have been issued to prevent further loss of life. Another video of a young woman identified as Neda, dying apparently from a chest wound, has been widely circulated amid claims of involvement of Basij members.

The response of the Iranian authorities has not been to open a proper investigation to clarify the circumstances of any death but rather to issue further warnings that protests will be handled in a ‘revolutionary manner’ by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Basij militia and other police and security forces.

“Iranians wishing to peacefully express their opposition to recent events surrounding the election have no space to do so, as they are met with violence that has been legitimized by the highest authority in the land,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme. “It’s time for the Iranian authorities to allow peaceful protest and to remove the Basij from the streets. The policing of any demonstrations should be left to the police or other security forces which are properly trained and equipped.”

Following the speech from Iran ‘s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Friday demanding an end to the protests, there were further demonstrations on Saturday in Tehran and other cities and towns across the country. 13 people were killed according to the authorities and many more were injured. According to the government, over 400 people were arrested. Another demonstration of about 1,000 people in Tehran on Monday has been met with tear gas and arrests.

“Recent statements from the police, who denied opening fire on protestors, and from the Tehran Prosecutor-General, who blamed the killings on ‘armed terrorists’, look like an attempt to disassociate state organs from responsibility for violence,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. “This is all the more reason to stop using the Basij as there is no way for the public to even identify them, let alone bring them to account for violations. If the Iranian authorities are not able to control such a militia, they should disband it. It is irresponsible to provide weapons and then to relinquish responsibility when abuses occur”.

Amnesty International calls on the Iranian authorities to investigate fully all reports of death, including possible extrajudicial executions, and to bring anyone found responsible to justice.

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Fear of excessive use of force/torture – IRAN Demonstrators against announcement of re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/061/2009
23 June 2009

Demonstrations in Iran continued following the Iranian presidential election on 12 June. Iran’s state media reported that on 20 June, at least 475 people were arrested during post-election clashes and that up to 13 people died, and many more were injured. The true number may be higher. The security forces also used tear gas and water cannons against the protesters who were also beaten with truncheons. Amnesty International believes that those arrested are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment, and that other demonstrators are at risk of unlawful killing or even extrajudicial execution. The authorities are unlawfully restricting freedom of expression, assembly and association.

The death on 20 June of a young 26 year-old woman, Neda Agha Soltan, was captured on video and widely circulated on the Internet. Philosophy student Neda Agha Soltan was in a car with others, when they got stuck in traffic caused by protests on Kagar Avenue in Tehran. According to reports she got out of the car because of excessive heat and was then shot in the chest by an unidentified gunman, possibly a member of the Basij militia. Her family buried her the next day, but a memorial ceremony was reportedly cancelled after officials expressly forbade it. All other mosques in the Tehran area have been warned against holding services in her memory.

On 22 June, the Revolutionary Guards posted a statement on their website stating: “In the current sensitive situation … the Guards will firmly confront in a revolutionary way rioters and those who violate the law” after Presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi called on his supporters to stage more demonstrations. He also urged them to refrain from violence and show self-restraint. Later on the internet, Mir Hossein Mousavi’s supporters then urged people to carry black candles with green ribbons to demonstrate solidarity with the victims of the unrest. They also encouraged motorists to turn on their headlights for two hours from 5 pm to “show their solidarity with families of those killed during the recent events”. At least a thousand demonstrators gathered in Tehran, defying the authorities’ ban on demonstrations. Police fired tear gas and several arrests took place.

During his televised address to the nation during the 19 June Friday prayers in Tehran, the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, called for an end to street protests against the outcome of the election. Instead of instructing security forces, including the volunteer Basij militia, to act with restraint and in accordance with the law, he warned that if people continued to take to the streets, the consequences would lie with them.

On 22 June the official news agency IRNA quoted Ebrahim Raisi, a senior judiciary official, as saying on state television on 22 June that more than 450 people were detained during clashes with police in Tehran on 20 June in which at least 10 people were killed. He added that “those arrested in recent events will be dealt with in a way that will teach them a lesson,” and that a special court was studying the cases. Amnesty International urges the authorities to urgently open investigations into the killings both that are confirmed and reported.

The crackdown on media continues and the foreign media are banned from covering demonstrations.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In the days following the Iranian presidential election on 12 June, hundreds of thousands of Iranians took part in marches and demonstrations across the country, protesting against both the process and outcome of the election. After the Supreme Leader’s speech on Friday 19 June clashes between demonstrators and security forces dramatically increased. The police and security forces, including the volunteer Basij militia, have used excessive force, including beating protestors with truncheons to end demonstrations. In some cases, demonstrators have been shot with live ammunition. The death toll is rising. Since the presidential elections a total of up to 21 killings have been confirmed by state media and scores of politicians, journalists, academics, students and human rights defenders have been detained, some briefly, across Iran.

The Basij militia is a volunteer paramilitary force of men and women under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Its members are found in schools, universities, state and private institutions, factories, and even among tribes. Basij forces are widely used to help to maintain law and order and control dissent, and have frequently been accused of using extreme brutality.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:
– calling on the authorities to ensure that security forces exercise restraint in the policing of any further demonstrations in connection with the election result, and that firearms are not used except as a last resort where strictly unavoidable in order to protect life;
– calling on the Iranian authorities to stop using the Basij militia to police demonstrations with immediate effect;
– stressing that all those detained, including the 475 arrested on 20 June, must be protected from torture or other ill-treatment, allowed access to their families, lawyers and any necessary medical treatment and should be brought before a judge without delay so they may challenge the basis of their detention;
– urging the authorities to order an independent and impartial investigation into the policing of the demonstrations, particularly into all deaths which have been reported;
– calling for anyone detained solely for their peaceful expression of their views regarding the outcome of the election to be released immediately and unconditionally;
– asking the authorities to stop unlawfully restricting the freedoms of association, assembly and expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas.

APPEALS TO:
Minister of the Interior
Sadegh Mahsouli
Ministry of the Interior
Dr Fatemi Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 8 896 203/ +98 21 8 899 547/ +98 21 6 650 203
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info_leader@leader.ir

via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English)
http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php
p=letter (Persian)Salutation: Your Excellency

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 4 August 2009.

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Arbitrary arrest/Fear of torture/prisoners of conscience

Mohammad Ali Abtahi (m), 51, all political leaders
Mohsen Aminzadeh (m)
Said Hajjarian (m), 55
Behzad Nabavi (m), 68
Abdollah Ramazanzadeh (m)
Mostafa Tajzadeh (m), 53
Mohammad Tavassoli (m)
Ebrahim Yazdi, 76
Public AI Index: MDE 13/058/2009
18 June 2009

Eight political leaders have been arrested in Tehran in connection with their perceived views on Iran’s disputed presidential election, which was held on 12 June or their links with former president, Mohammad Khatami. On 17 June 2009, Ebrahim Yazdi was arrested and the other seven were arrested on 16 June. They are prisoners of conscience who should be released immediately and unconditionally. It is not known where they are held and Amnesty International fears for their safety.

Members of Mohammad Ali Abtahi’s family told Amnesty International that he was arrested by three plain-clothed policemen who had come to his home on 16 June. Following a short conversation, he gathered a few personal possessions, told his family that he was being detained and was taken away. Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a cleric, was an advisor to former Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami, holding a Vice Presidential post in the President’s second term. Mohsen Aminzadeh, who was Deputy Foreign Minister during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami, is a leading member of the Islamic Iran Participation Front (Jebhe-ye Mosharekat-e Iran-e Eslami ).

Said Hajjarian is former Tehran city counsellor and advisor to former president Mohammad Khatami and investigative journalist. He was confined to a wheelchair following an attempted assassination in 2000 in which the perpetrators argued that he was a legitimate target, or mahdour al-dam, a provision of Iranian law referring to those ‘whose blood may be legitimately spilled’, for having revealed the state’s role in a series or murders, mainly in the 1990s. His neurologist has stated that he is in need of constant nursing care and physical therapy; detention could put his life in danger.

Behzad Nabavi, a founding member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (Sazman-e Mojahedin-e Enghlab-e Eslami), a political body aligned with former President Mohammad Khatami, was a member of parliament between 2000-2004. In the 1980s he was a minister in governments headed by then Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi. Dr Abdollah Ramazanzadeh was government spokesperson while Mostafa Tajzadeh was Deputy Minister of Interior in former President Mohammad Khatami’s administration, 2001 to 2004. Abdollah Ramazanzadeh is the deputy leader of the Islamic Iran Participation Front.

Mohammad Tavassoli, is a senior member of the Iran Freedom Movement (Nehzat-e Azadi). The party’s Secretary General, Ebrahim Yazdi, was a member of the 1979 government and member of parliament following the revolution, was arrested at the Pars Hospital, central Tehran on 17 June, where he was under observation. The previous day his house had been searched and personal belongings such as notebooks and his computer were confiscated. His current whereabouts are unknown. He is said to have criticised the conduct of the 12 June election. He was returned to Pars Hospital on 18 June, possibly as a result of the deterioration in his health, but he appears to remain in custody.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On 12 June, the Ministry of the Interior announced that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won by what many consider to be an unexpectedly wide margin. The Guardian Council, a higher legislative and administrative body announced that the results were subject to their ratification and that a limited recount of ballots would be initiated. The other three candidates are said to have submitted formal complaints to the Council of Guardians, which oversees elections and a ruling on their complaints is expected within around a week days.

In the days following the election, thousands of people in favour of the incumbent took part in a rally while many thousands have taken part in marches and demonstrations across Iran that have condemned both the process and outcome of the election. Most of the demonstrations have been non-violent but in some cases violence erupted, including stone throwing and acts of arson. .The police and security forces have used excessive force, including beating and clubbing with truncheons, to control some of the demonstrations. While up to seven deaths have been confirmed by Iran’s state radio, Amnesty International has recorded up to 15 killings, including of five students, whose death remains unconfirmed.

All of those arrested, who are amongst up to 2000 other people reportedly detained across the country, represent political groups that were widely seen as favouring candidates opposed to the incumbent, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language: – calling on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the political leaders and activists named above and all others arrested solely on account of their peaceful views, including about the outcome of the elections, as they are prisoners of conscience;
– urging that they be allowed immediate access to their family members, lawyers of their choice and to any medical treatment they may require, and that they be protected from all forms of torture or ill-treatment;
– calling on the authorities to allow peaceful demonstrations to take place of those who wish to express their opinions on the elections.

APPEALS TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info_leader@leader.ir
via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English)
http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php
p=letter(Persian)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of the Interior
Sadegh Mahsouli
Ministry of the Interior
Dr Fatemi Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 8 896 203 +98 21 8 899 547 +98 21 6 650 203

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 30 July 2009.

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Iran : Violence against demonstrators marks new presidential term

Sunday 14 June 2009

The Iranian authorities must start an immediate investigation into the security forces’ violent handling of thousands of demonstrators who took to the streets on Saturday to protest against the announcement of the victory of incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Friday’s presidential elections.

Amnesty International has received reports from Iran that plain-clothes security forces unnecessarily used batons to beat and disperse non-violent individuals , injuring many people .

‘The shocking scenes of violence meted out by the security forces need to be urgently investigated and those responsible for human rights violations must be brought to justice ,’ said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme. ‘While we recognise the duty of security forces to ensure that public order is upheld, the families of those detained, the Iranian public and the international community should be told what exactly are the basis of the charges and shown how exactly those arrested were connected to violence.’

At least 170 people were arrested on Saturday during clashes between security forces and hundreds of demonstrators around the Ministry of the Interior and other areas in central Tehran. Those arrested included leading political figures who were accused by the authorities to have ‘orchestrated’ the unrest. Some have since been released.

‘We urge the Iranian authorities to ensure that all Iranians are granted the right to express themselves peacefully, to associate and to assemble. No one should be arrested for questioning the results of the elections and the Iranian authorities need to act in a transparent manner to address the concerns raised by many Iranians that results have been tampered with ,’ said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Although universities have been closed, one report received by Amnesty International indicated that some 100 riot police, wearing helmets and shields, had chased some 300 – 400 students on grounds belonging to the University of Tehran. Security personnel also used pepper and tear gas to quell the unrest, notably at the student dormitory in Pol-e Gisha, Tehran and another one in Shiraz.

In another incident, police on motorcycles beat supporters of presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, who had staged a sit-in in Vanak Square, Tehran to protest the results of the elections.

At the end of Saturday night, in parts of central Tehran, burning barricades were strewn across the road in places and clashes with security forces were continuing, including in the areas of Abbas Abad and, Saadat Abad, in areas around Tajrish.

Demonstrations also spread to other cities, including Rasht ; Mashahd; Shiraz and Ahwaz, where many of Iran ‘s Arab minority reside; Zahedan, in Iran ‘s southeast and centre of Iran’s Baluchi minority; and Oroumiye, a city mainly populated by Kurds and Azerbaijani Turkish people.

In the course of the unrest on Saturday, access to You Tube, Facebook and other social networking internet sites was blocked, as was access to a range of online news services. SMS communications were reported to be restricted. Many of these outlets carried reports which raised concerns that the conduct of the election was flawed and results had been rigged .

‘Instead of instituting an information clampdown, including by blocking video sharing social networking sites like You Tube and Facebook; along with a handful of online news sites, the authorities should openly address the concerns and criticisms clearly expressed by so many,’ Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said.

Amnesty International has called on the authorities to ensure that newspapers linked to other presidential candidates are permitted to carry the statements of those candidates.

‘We deplore that the new presidential term is heralded with widespread abuses. Amnesty International considers anyone arrested simply for demanding transparency and for questioning the results of the elections to be a prisoner of conscience, who should be immediately and unconditionally released.’

Background
Iran has witnessed a growing climate of repression and intimidation in the run-up to the elections. This has been termed by many commentators as a deliberate strategy to ensure that president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wins the election.

Prior to the closure of the polls, newspapers linked to the other candidates than incumbent President Ahmadinejad were reportedly occupied and their work carried out under the supervision of security forces.

In the hours following the closure of the polls, the Ministry of the Interior is said to have confidentially informed Mir Hossein Mousavi that he had won the elections and he was in the process of preparing for a press conference, when his office was raided on a reported verbal order issued by Tehran Province prosecutor, Said Mortazavi. At least three of Mir Hossein Mousavi’s advisors were detained. Mir Hossein Mousavi issued a statement stating that he would ‘not surrender to this dangerous charade’.

Public Document

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For more information please call Amnesty International’s press office in London , UK , on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org

International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW , UK www.amnesty.org

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Iran: Election amid repression of dissent and unrest

9 June 2009

The Iranian presidential elections are to be held this month on 12 June. The candidates are: the incumbent President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps; Former Prime Minister, Mir Hossein Mousavi (backed by former president, MohammadKhatami); and Mehdi Karroubi, a former parliamentary speaker.

While Amnesty International welcomes pledges from some of the candidates to address the prevailing discrimination against women in the country — an issue which has been forced to the forefront of the debate by the efforts of women’s rights activists – and ethnic minorities and to tackle economic issues to improve the welfare of the population, there are other serious human rights concerns which also need addressing. These include severe curtailments of freedom of expression, arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment, unfair trials and a high recourse to the death penalty (including against juvenile offenders) as well as incidents of people being stoned to death.

At least 194 people have been executed so far this year in Iran, including five women and three juveniles convicted of crimes allegedly committed before they were 18, a practice strictly prohibited under international law.
At least 140 juveniles are known to be on death row in Iran.
At least one person has been stoned to death this year in Iran, despite a 2002 directive from the Head of the Judiciary ordering a moratorium on stonings. Amnesty International is aware of seven women and three men currently under sentence of death by stoning.

The election period has also seen increased repression, both of people expressing their opinions directly about the elections, or of those seen to be opposed to the system in some way, including students, women’s rights activists, lawyers and unrecognized religious minorities, such as the Baha’is and the Ahl-e Haq.

Amnesty International is also concerned that all but four of the candidates have been excluded from standing, including all women, on the grounds of discriminatory criteria. The Council of Guardians is the body which screens all candidates for election to “ensure their suitability for the Presidency”. Article 115 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran stipulates that candidates must be from “religious and political personalities” [Persian:rejal] and possess: “Iranian origin; Iranian nationality; administrative capacity and resourcefulness; a good past record; trustworthiness and piety; convinced belief in the fundamental principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the official religion of the country.” In previous elections, the majority of candidates registered were disqualified under these criteria, including all women. The exclusion of women appears to have been as a result of an interpretation of the word rejalas meaning “men”.

Amnesty International is concerned about the increasing number of arrests in recent weeks leading up to the presidential elections, which indicates worsening repression of people who want to express their opinions:

In the pre-election period, Amnesty International has received reports suggesting increased waves of arbitrary arrests and harassment targeting in particular members of Iran’s religious and ethnic minority communities, including Baha’is and converts from Islam, students, trade unionists and women’s rights activists.

By imprisoning people for merely expressing dissenting views, the Iranian authorities are stifling the free debate which is a pre-requisite of elections. Citizens should be able to freely express their grievances and their demands so that candidates can address them.

Jelveh Javaheri, a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign (also known as the Campaign for Equality), which is collecting signatures to a petition demanding equal rights for women was released on bail on 7 June. She is one of around 150 people arrested on 1 May 2009. Most — including Jelveh Javaheri’s journalist husband Kaveh Mozaffari who is still detained along with several others – were arrested in Laleh Park in Tehran where a celebration of International Workers’ Day was being held. Jelveh Javaheri, however, was arrested at home without an arrest warrant when security officials came with her husband to search their house. She has since been charged with “acting against national security through membership in the One Million Signatures Campaign and with the aim of disrupting public order and security.” At least three other women associated with the Campaign for Equality are currently imprisoned, including Alieh Aghdam-Doust who is serving a three-year prison sentence.

The campaign of Mir Hossein Mousavi — himself a member of the Azerbaijani minority – has attracted allegations of racism after a video posted on YouTube on 14 May allegedly showed former President Mohammad Khatami (who supports Mr Mousavi) making comments belittling Iranian Azerbaijanis. Mr Khatami has since stated that the video was a fake. In the days after the video surfaced, hundreds of Azerbaijani activists held rallies and organized protests, demanding an apology from Mr Khatami. Some have been arrested and are being held in incommunicado detention.

For example, on 22 May, in a government-organized rally in El Goli (also known as Shah Golu) Park in Tabriz, in north-west Iran, a group of Azerbaijanis protested against the Khatami video and demanded that education be made available in the Azerbaijani Turkic language. Ali Reza Farshi, a professor in the Islamic Azad University of Marand, north-west of Tabriz, along with 14 other protestors were reportedly arrested and are believed to be still detained. Four of the protestors are reported to have suffered injuries and were bleeding as they were taken away. There is no information on their health.

On 27 May, Emad Bahavar, head of the youth wing of the Iran Freedom Party who was campaigning for the presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi, was arrested on charges of “propaganda against the system”. He has since been released on bail.

At least two university students — Abbas Hakimzadeh and Mehdi Mashayekhi remain detained without trial by the Ministry of Intelligence in Section 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran following their arrests in February 2009. Other students arrested with them who have since been released have said that they were tortured in detention. On 28 April 2009, a Revolutionary Court judge said that eight students, including those still detained, had been accused of cooperating with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, an opposition group based in exile. He added that they had intended to carry out some activities in the university during the forthcoming election.

Following a fierce clash in April between members of the Kurdish armed opposition group, the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK) and security forces in which at least 18 policemen were killed, dozens of Kurds are reported to have been arrested. Others were said to be detained following the eight-day visit of the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamene’i, to Kordestan Province in mid-May.

In the run-up to the elections violent unrest has intensified in Sistan-Baluchistan province in south-eastern Iran. A member of the armed Baluch group, the People’s Resistance Movement of Iran (PRMI), carried out a suicide bomb attack on a mosque in the provincial capital of Zahedan on 28 May. Up to 25 people were reported to have been killed and dozens more were injured. The PRMI said that the attack was a reprisal for the execution of several Sunni clerics in recent years. Amnesty International has condemned the attack on the mosque.

Less than 48 hours after the bombing, three men were hanged in public near the site of the attack amid claims that they were responsible. Later comments clarified that the three men had been in detention at the time of the bombing, but they had “confessed” to providing the explosives used in the bombing. Further unrest broke out afterwards with up to ten people killed, and dozens arrested.

Iran’s Baluch minority – in common with other minorities in Iran – suffer discrimination by the state authorities leading to gross violations of their economic, social and cultural rights. They live mainly in the provinces of Sistan-Balouchistan and Kerman and are believed to constitute between one and three per cent of the country’s total population of around 70 million. They are mainly Sunni Muslims, whereas the majority of Iran’s population are Shi’a Muslims.

Note to editors:

For more information, please see:

Iran: Ensure free presidential election: http://www.amnesty…

Iran: Human Rights …:

http://www.amnesty…

Iran: Worsening repression of dissent as election approaches:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/012/2009/en

Iran: Women’s Rights Defenders Defy Repression MDE 13/018/2008:

http://www.amnesty…

Public Document

For more information please call Amnesty International’s press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org

International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK www.amnesty.org

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Iran: Outrage at execution of Delara Darabi

Friday 1 May 2009

This morning, Iranian authorities executed Delara Darabi in Rasht Central Prison. She is the second person to be executed this year after being convicted of a crime she was alleged to have committed while still under 18, Amnesty International revealed today.

“Amnesty International is outraged at the execution of Delara Darabi, and particularly at the news that her lawyer was not informed about the execution, despite the legal requirement that he should receive 48 hours’ notice. This appears to have been a cynical move on the part of the authorities to avoid domestic and international protests which might have saved Delara Darabi’s life,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Delara Darabi was executed despite her having been given a two-month stay of execution by the Head of the Judiciary on 19 April.

“This indicates that even decisions by the Head of the Judiciary carry no weight and are disregarded in the provinces,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Delara Darabi was convicted of murdering a relative in 2003 when she was 17. She initially confessed to the murder, believing she could save her boyfriend from the gallows, but later retracted her confession. She was being detained at Rasht Prison in northern Iran since her arrest in 2003, during which time she developed a significant talent as a painter.

Amnesty International does not consider her trial to have been fair, as the courts later refused to consider new evidence which the lawyer said would have proved she could not have committed the murder.

Amnesty International had campaigned for her life since her case came to light in 2006, urging the Iranian authorities to commute her death sentence and calling for a her re-trial in proceedings that meet international standards.

The execution of Delara Darabi brings the number of executions in Iran this year to 140. She is the second woman known to have been executed. Iran has executed at least forty two juvenile offenders since 1990, eight of them in 2008 and one on 21 January 2009, in total disregard of international law, which unequivocally bans the execution of those convicted of crimes committed when under the age of 18.

Public Document

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For more information please call Amnesty International’s press office in London , UK , on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org

International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW , UK www.amnesty.org

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Urgent Actions on 2 detained Baha’is, a juvenile in danger of imminent execution, and 12 prisoners of conscience.

27 March 2009

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/023/2009
27 March 2009

UA 84/09 Arbitrary arrests/ prisoners of conscience

IRAN Haleh Houshmandi-Salehi (f) ] members of the Baha’i community
Farham (also known as Hadi) Masoumi (m) ]

Two members of the Baha’i community, Haleh Houshmandi-Salehi and Farham Masoumi were arrested after being summoned to appear on 18 March at the Ministry of Intelligence’s offices in the city of Shiraz, in Fars Province, south western Iran. Based on the information available, Amnesty International believes they are prisoners of conscience, detained solely because of their religious beliefs or their peaceful activities on behalf of the Baha’i community.

Farham Masoumi was arrested and released a few hours later on 15 March, following a search of his house. He was detained for a second time on 18 March when he was summoned to appear at the detention facility run by the Ministry of Intelligence in Shiraz.

Haleh Houshmandi-Salehi and her husband Mr Houshmandi were away from Shiraz on 15 March when their home was raided by officers from the Ministry of Intelligence. Haleh Houshmandi-Salehi’s mother was threatened and forced to hand over the house keys by officers who confiscated all the family’s books, CDs, computer and other personal items, including some of their child’s belongings. The officers also had an arrest warrant for Haleh Houshmandi-Salehi who was not present at the time. On 17 March, she received a telephone call in which she was summoned to appear the next day at the detention facility run by the Ministry of Intelligence in Shiraz. She was arrested when she went there on 18 March.

When Haleh Houshmandi-Salehi’s husband asked officials at the detention facility about the reason for his wife’s arrest, he was informed that she and Farham Masoumi were arrested because of their involvement in “illegal activities”. When he contacted the local Information Office of the Ministry of Intelligence he was told: “Your wife is a Baha’i, and for now that is sufficient reason for her arrest”.

Haleh Houshmandi-Salehi was amongst a group of more than 53 individuals, mostly Baha’i, involved in a programme teaching underprivileged children in the city of Shiraz. They were arrested in May 2006 even though the authorities had granted permission for their activities and later released. In August 2007, all 53 were tried by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz. They were charged with offences relating to state security. Fourteen who attended the court sessions were told orally of the verdict against the whole group. Three were each sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for “organizing illegal groups” and to an additional one year’s imprisonment for “propaganda on behalf of groups that are opposed to the Islamic system”. The other 50, including Haleh Houshmandi-Salehi, were sentenced to suspended prison sentences of four months for “participating in an illegal group” and a further eight months for “propaganda on behalf of groups that are opposed to the Islamic system”. All those involved have appealed against their convictions and sentences (see UA 25/08, MDE 13/017/2008, 25 January 2008).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Baha’i faith was founded about 150 years ago in Iran and has since spread around the world. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, the Baha’i community has been systematically harassed and persecuted. There are over 300,000 Baha’is currently in Iran, but their religion is not recognized under the Iranian Constitution, which only recognizes Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism. Baha’is in Iran are subject to discriminatory laws and regulations which violate their right to practise their religion freely, as set out in Article 18(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party. The Iranian authorities also deny Baha’is equal rights to education, to work and to a decent standard of living by restricting their access to employment and benefits such as pensions. They are not permitted to meet, to hold religious ceremonies or to practise their religion communally. Since President Ahmadinejad was elected in 2005, dozens of Baha’is have been arrested.

Members of the Baha’i community in Iran profess their allegiance to the state and deny that they are involved in any subversive acts against the government, which they state would be against their religion. The Baha’i International Community, which describes itself as an international non-governmental organization with affiliates in over 180 countries and territories, together representing over 5 million members of the Bah�’� Faith, believes that the allegations of espionage for Israel which have over the years been made against the community in Iran stem solely from the fact that the Baha’i World Centre is in Israel.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:
– calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Haleh Houshmandi-Salehi and Farham Masoumi as they appear to be detained solely because of their beliefs or peaceful activities on behalf of the Baha’i community;
– otherwise calling for their release unless they are charged with a recognizably criminal offence and brought to trial promptly and fairly;
– urging the Iranian authorities to ensure that they are not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment;
– urging the authorities to ensure that they are given immediate and regular access to their relatives and lawyers of their choice, and to any medical treatment they may require.

APPEALS TO:
Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info_leader@leader.ir
via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English)
http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php
p=letter(Persian)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of Judiciary, Fars Province
Mr Siyavoshpour
Fars Province Judiciary
Karim Khan Zand Street
Shohada Square, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@farsjudiciary.ir

COPIES TO:
President
His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: + 98 21 6 649 5880
Email: via website: http://www.president.ir/email/

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 8 May 2009.

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/024/2009
27 March 2009

UA 86/09 Arbitrary arrest/prisoners of conscience

IRAN        Delaram Ali (f)            ]
Leila Nazari (f)            ]
Khadijeh Moghaddam (f)    ]
Farkhondeh Ehtesabian (f)    ]
Mahboubeh Karami (f)        ]    members of the One Million Signatures Campaign
Baharah Behravan (f)        ]
Ali Abdi (m)            ]
Amir Rashidi (m)        ]
Mohammad Shourab (m)    ]
Arash Nasiri Eghbali (m)     ]
Soraya Yousefi (f), member of Mothers for Peace
Shahla Forouzanfar (f), member of Mothers for Peace

The 12 people named above were arrested in the capital, Tehran, on 26 March, and held in police stations until that evening, when they were taken to Evin prison. Amnesty International considers all 12 to be prisoners of conscience, held solely for the peaceful exercise of their internationally recognized right to freedom of assembly.

They were arrested as they prepared to make visits marking the Iranian New Year to families of detained activists, including students and trade unionists, and also the family of Dr Zahra Bani Yaghoub, who died in detention in suspicious circumstances in 2007.

According to the website of the One Million Signatures Campaign (also known as the Campaign for Equality) (http://www.campaignforequality.info/english/spip.php
article489), the 12 detainees’ relatives have said they have been accused of “creating unease in the public mind” and “disrupting public order”, which are offences under Articles 618 and 698 of the Penal Code, and which carry sentences of imprisonment and/or flogging.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Campaign for Equality, launched in 2006, is a grassroots initiative composed of a network of people committed to ending discrimination against women in Iranian law. The Campaign gives basic legal training to volunteers, who travel around the country promoting the Campaign. They talk with women in their homes, as well as in public places, telling them about their rights and the need for legal reform. The volunteers are also aiming at collecting one million signatures of Iranian nationals for a petition demanding an end to legal discrimination against women in Iran.

Dozens of activists have been arrested for their activities for the Campaign for Equality, some while collecting signatures for the petition. The authorities have blocked the Campaign’s website at least 19 times. The Campaign has frequently been denied official permission to hold public meetings, and Campaign activists usually hold their meetings in the homes of sympathizers, some of whom have then received threatening phone calls apparently from security forces officials, or been summoned by them for interrogation. At least one such meeting was broken up by police, who arrested those present and beat some of them. Some members have been banned from travelling abroad.

At least two other women associated with the Campaign for Equality are also in custody: Ronak Safarzadeh has been held since October 2007, and Zeynab Beyezidi is serving a four-year prison sentence. The Campaign for Equality is also calling for the release of Alieh Aghdam-Doust, who is serving a three-year sentence imposed for her participation in a peaceful demonstration against legalized discrimination against women, which was held in June 2006, before the Campaign for Equality was launched. Amnesty International considers all to be prisoners of conscience.

Mothers for Peace was launched in 2007 by a group of Iranian women to campaign against possible military intervention in Iran over its nuclear programme, and to seek “viable solutions” to the region’s instability (seehttp://www.motherspeace.com/spip.php
article84).

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:
– calling on the authorities to release the 12 (naming them), as they are prisoners of conscience, held solely for the peaceful exercise of their internationally recognized right to freedom of assembly;
– in the meantime, urging the authorities to grant them immediate and unconditional access to their families, lawyers of their choice and any medical treatment they may require.

APPEALS TO:

Head of the Judiciary
His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@dadiran.ir, shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir
(In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Islamic Republic Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p’letter (English)
http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php
p’letter (Persian)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax:     +98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)
Email:    info@dadiran.ir (In the subject line: FAO Director, Human Rights Headquarters)
Salutation:     Dear Sir

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 8 May 2009.

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/025/2009
27 March 2009

UA 87/09 Fear of imminent execution

IRAN Abumoslem Sohrabi (m), aged 24, juvenile offender

Abumoslem Sohrabi is at risk of imminent execution for a murder committed when he was 17 years old. His execution order has been approved by the Supreme Court and passed to the Office for the Implementation of Sentences, the body responsible for seeing that all sentences – including executions – are carried out.

In December 2001, Abumoslem Sohrabi from the city of Firouzabad, in Fars Province, stabbed a 25-year-old man, Amin, in what he claimed was an act of self-defence. Abumoslem Sohrabi says that Amin had raped him on numerous occasions and was harassing him at the time of the incident, by asking him out and offering him motorbike rides, but he had repeteadly refused the advances. On the day of the killing, Abumoslem Sohrabi had again refused a ride with Amin, who then threatened to tell others about their previous encounters. Abumoslem Sohrabi then said he would accept the ride, but, after mounting the motorbike, hit Amin and then ran away. Amin came after him, and they fought. Abumoslem Sohrabi managed to grab a knife that Amin was carrying knife and used it against him. He then fled the scene on Amin’s motorbike, apparently not knowing that he had killed him.

Abumoslem Sohrabi was tried by Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court in Firouzabad and sentenced to qesas (retribution) for murder committed in order to steal Amin’s motorbike. However, in a letter to the Supreme Court, the judge who issued the original death sentence retracted his ruling in the light of evidence that Abumoslem Sohrabi was a rape victim and acted in self-defence. In July 2008 Branch 33 of the Supreme Court in Tehran ordered a review of the case but the death sentence was upheld.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Iran has executed at least 42 juvenile offenders since 1990, eight of them in 2008 and one on 21 January 2009.

The execution of juvenile offenders is prohibited under international law, as stated in Article 6(5) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Iran is a state party, and so has undertaken not to execute anyone for crimes committed when they were under 18.

In Iran a person convicted of murder has no right to seek pardon or commutation from the state, in violation of Article 6(4) of the ICCPR. The family of a murder victim have the right either to insist on execution, or to pardon the killer and receive financial compensation (diyeh).

For more information about executions of child offenders in Iran, please see Iran: The last executioner of children (Index: MDE 13/059/2007), June 2007,(http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde130592007).

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:
– expressing concern that Abumoslem Sohrabi is at imminent risk of execution for a crime committed when he was under 18;
– calling on the authorities to commute his death sentence;
– reminding the authorities that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which prohibit the use of the death penalty against people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18.

APPEALS TO:

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran
Mohammad Javad Larijani
Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax:         +98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)
Email:        fsharafi@bia-judiciary.ir (In the subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
int_aff@judiciary.ir (In the subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
Salutation:    Dear Mr Larijani

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 8 May 2009.

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Prisoner of conscience IRAN Ali Nejati (m), trade unionist

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/019/2009
10 March 2009

Trade unionist Ali Nejati was arrested on 8 March by Ministry of Intelligence officers, following a raid on his home on 28 February. He appears to have been taken to a Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in the province of Khuzestan. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association.

Ali Nejati is one of the leaders of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company (HTSCC) Trade Union. On 20 December 2008 he was reportedly charged with “acting against national security” and “spreading propaganda against the regime”, in connection with interviews he and other trade union leaders gave to foreign journalists about working conditions at the plant. The interviews took place during May Day protests in 2008 against the HTSCC’s repeated failure to pay its workers on time – it sometimes delayed payment for up to five months – and other violations of their employment rights. On 20 May 2008 he was ordered to present himself for questioning at a court in the town of Shoush, Khuzestan. He was subsequently brought to trial in two court hearings on 17 and 23 February 2009, but it is not known whether a verdict has been issued.

Seven other HTSCC trade unionists were arrested and detained between 22 February and 3 March 2009, but all were subsequently released on bail by 7 March. Four of them were tried with Ali Nejati on 17 and 23 February, on similar charges. One of them has received a sentence, the details of which are not known to Amnesty International, while the other three, like Ali Nejati, do not know if a verdict has been issued against them. The arrests took place after HTSCC workers had refused to take part in elections on 22 February for the company’s Islamic Labour Council (ILC), a government-sponsored organization that controls and represses independent labour activities in the company.

The HTSCC Trade Union was formed on 22 October 2008, when its board members were elected, and is only the second independent union to be formed in Iran since the Islamic Revolution. In the course of 2008, more than 1,900 HTSCC workers had called for the dissolution of the company’s ILC and for the creation of such an independent labour body. HTSCC workers had set up a trade union in 1973, but in the early 1980s the authorities banned it when the creation of free and independent labour organizations was prohibited. The HTSCC Trade Union held elections without the permission of the Ministry of Labour, which, together with the Ministries of Industry and Intelligence, has told the HTSCC that it does not recognize the union. This lack of official status puts the union’s members at risk of prosecution.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Under Iranian labour legislation, workers are allowed to form Islamic Labour Councils (ILCs) in companies with more than 50 workers. They are not, however, permitted to set up any other labour organization. The ILCs’ objectives, under 2001 legislation, are mainly to “propagate and spread Islamic culture, and defend the achievements of the Islamic Revolution”; set up Friday prayers; recite and pay tribute to religious slogans; “establish meetings for sermons, religious discourse and lectures, on various occasions”; and “endeavour to enrich the times of rest for the workers and their families”. Defending the terms and conditions of their members’ employment does not fall within their remit. Those permitted to stand for leadership positions in the ILCs are vetted and approved by an official selection body.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English, Persian, or your own language:

-calling on the authorities to release Ali Nejati immediately and unconditionally, as he is a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association in connection with his trade union activities;
– urging them to ensure that Ali Nejati is not tortured or otherwise ill-treated;
– urging them to ensure that Ali Nejati is given regular access to his family and legal representation of his choice, and any medical treatment that he may require.

APPEALS TO:

Head of the Judiciary

His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary

Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)

Salutation: Your Excellency

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: avaei@dadgostary-tehran.ir, info_leader@leader.ir

via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php
p=letter (English)
http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php
p=letter (Persian)

Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

President

His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

The Presidency

Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: + 98 21 6 649 5880

Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

via website: http://www.president.ir/email/

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 21 April 2009

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Fear of torture and other ill-treatment: Sanaz Allahyari (f) All students
Nasim Roshana’i (f)
Maryam Sheikh (f)
Amir Hossein Mohammadi-Far (m)

04 March 2009

The four students named above, and possibly others, affiliated to the students’ rights body, Students for Freedom and Equality (Daneshjouyan-e Azadi Khah va Beraber Talab), were arrested on 01 March and have reportedly been transferred to Evin prison. Amnesty International fears that they are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment while in detention.

They may have been detained in connection with a demonstration held on 23 February, at Amir Kabir University to protest against the government burying the remains of soldiers killed during the Iran-Iraq war between 1980 and 1988 on university campuses.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Since December there have been waves of arbitrary arrests and harassment of students, particularly directed against members of Iran’s religious and ethnic minorities, trade unionists and women’s rights activists. These measures may in part be intended to stifle debate and to silence critics of the authorities in advance of the forthcoming presidential election in June 2009.More than 70 students were detained on 23 February during a peaceful demonstration held by students at Tehran’s Amir Kabir University in protest at the government’s burial on campus of soldiers’ remains

Many of the student temporarily detained during the demonstration were reportedly ill-treated. Others were taken to Police Station 107 at Palestine Square where there were also reports that students were ill-treated. Female students were said to have been insulted by police officers. Most of those arrested were released by the following morning although, more arrests of students were made in the days following the demonstration, including Abbas Hakimzadeh, Mehdi Mashayekhi, Nariman Mostafavi and Ahmad Qasaban, members of the Islamic Students Association (ISA) of Amir Kabir University.

The burial of the unknown soldiers on the university campus has widely been seen as a move by the government to seek to control student groups opposed to its policies. Burial of soldiers, called martyrs on account of their sacrifice in fighting against Iraqi forces, appears to enable non-students to enter the campus without being required to show evidence that they are students, a normal requirement for access to university premises. Students groups fear that the presence of the graves would allow unrestricted access to the campuses by security forces, including the Basij mobilization forces who are under the control of the Revolutionary Guards and would lead to further restrictions on debates and discussions relating to government policy.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English, Persian, or your own language:

-calling on the authorities to ensure that Sanaz Allahyari, Nasim Roshana’I, Maryam Sheikh and Amir Hossein Mohammadi-Far are protected against torture or other ill-treatment and are allowed immediate access to their family, legal representation and any medical attention that they may require;
– seeking specific details of the reasons for their arrest and any charges they may be facing;
– noting that if any of the students are held solely on account of the peaceful expression of their views or the exercise of their right to freedom of assembly, then they are prisoners of conscience, and should be released immediately and unconditionally;

APPEALS TO:

Head of the Judiciary

His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary

Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of Judiciary for Tehran province

Ali Reza Avaie

Tehran Judiciary

No. 152, corner of 17th Alley, before Shahid Motahhari Avenue

Sanaei Avenue, Karimkhan Zand Avenue

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: avaei@dadgostary-tehran.ir, info@dadgostary-tehran.ir

Salutation: Dear Sir

Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran

Mohammad Javad Larijani

Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)

Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri, Tehran 1316814737, Iran

Fax: +98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)

Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Javid Larijani)

Salutation: Dear Mr Larijani

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals 15 April 2009.

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Human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Amnesty International
3 March 2009

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini is greeted by supporters after arriving at the airport in Tehran, 1 Feb 1979.
The 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution provides a timely opportunity to take stock and review the sweep of human rights developments in Iran over the past three decades.

Looking back, Anne Burley, who led Amnesty International’s work on Iran from before the Revolution until the 1980s, described how opponents of the last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, would come to protest and seek action against human rights violations committed under his rule.

This group included some who no longer gave attention to human rights after the Shah was ousted and the new authorities began to commit grave abuses.

But some of those we have spoken to are long standing activists, people who helped Amnesty International in 1979 and who later faced flight or persecution for their human rights activities.

For example, prominent lawyers Karim Lahiji and Hedayatollah Matine Daftary were co-founders of the Association of Iranian Jurists in 1978. In the months before the Revolution, the association issued hundreds of statements criticising unfair trials in the Shah’s military courts, and worked to try and ensure reforms so that the judiciary should become independent and come to merit respect. They helped Amnesty International’s work but to no avail – the Revolution, when it came, failed to bring judicial reform. Thirty years later, the courts are still insufficiently independent and fail to operate in accordance with international standards on fair trial.

Hedayatollah recalled that flagrant human rights abuses took place in the months after the February 1979 Revolution amid a climate of utter lawlessness. Once, he came upon a trial over which a member of the interim government who had no legal training was presiding, which resulted in the execution of a the former Shah’s military commander.

Karim said that the Association of Iranian Jurists had been able to continue issuing statements until about May 1981, when they published an assessment of Iran’s new Penal Code, decrying the use of flogging and amputation, and the concept of retribution, or qesas, which includes a form of execution. However, Ayatollah Khomeini declared that those who opposed the new criminal code, with its Islamic basis, were denouncing Islam itself – and must be considered beyond Islam. This was� tantamount to declaring critics of the Penal Code to be unbelievers whose blood could be legitimately shed.

Following this, Karim went into hiding for 10 months before fleeing across the mountains to Turkey, then on to Paris. Meanwhile, his colleague Reza Damghani was detained and imprisoned for eight years; he died hortly after his release. In Paris, Karim founded the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) and has continued to speaking out against violations in Iran ever since.

Today, 30 years after the Revolution, the human rights situation in Iran remains dire, despite the growing demands for reform by the country’s human rights defenders and others. Students, members of Iran’s ethnic and religious minorities, women’s rights activists, manual labourers, journalists, writers and even a growing number of state officials like teachers and judges want to be able to speak out about injustices they witness, without fearing they would face arrest or torture.

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Iran: Preserve the Khavaran grave site for investigation into mass killings

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL – PUBLIC STATEMENT
20 January 2009

Amnesty International calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately stop the destruction of hundreds of individual and mass, unmarked graves in Khavaran, south Tehran, to ensure that the site is preserved and to initiate a forensic investigation at the site as part of a long-overdue thorough, independent and impartial investigation into mass executions which began in 1988, often referred to in Iran as the “prison massacres”. The organization fears that these actions of the Iranian authorities are aimed at destroying evidence of human rights violations and depriving the families of the victims of the 1988 killings of their right to truth, justice and reparation.

Reports indicate that between 9-16 January 2009, the numerous ad hoc grave markings made by the families of some of those executed in previous years were destroyed by bulldozer. The site was at least partially covered by soil and trees were planted.

Amnesty International additionally calls on the Iranian government to act on its standing invitation to UN mechanisms and to facilitate the visit to the country of the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. In his visit he should be allowed to have an unhindered access to the Khavaran site with a view to indicating how best to conduct an investigation into the events of 1988, including in relation to the unmarked graves at Khavaran.

The Iranian authorities have the obligation to conduct an impartial investigation into the events and bring to justice those responsible for the “prison massacres” in fair proceedings and without recourse to the death penalty. Destruction of the site would impede any such future investigation and would violate the right of victims, including the families, to an effective remedy.

The Iranian authorities also have a responsibility to ensure that the body of anyone secretly buried who was not the victim of a crime is returned to his or her relatives. Destruction of the grave site would prevent this from happening and inflict further suffering on the families of the victims of the “prison massacres” who have been yearly commemorating the killing of their loved ones by gathering in Khavaran. Background

Between August 1988 and February 1989, the Iranian authorities carried out a massive wave of executions of political prisoners – the largest since those carried out in the first and second year after the Iranian revolution in 1979. In all, between 4,500 and 10,000 prisoners are believed to have been killed.

Amnesty International has repeatedly called for those responsible for the “prison massacre” to be brought to justice in a fair trial without the death penalty.

For further information, see Iran: The 20th anniversary of 1988 “Prison Massacre”, AI Index: MDE 13/118/2008, 19 August 2008, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/118/2008/en , and Amnesty International’s report, Iran: Violations of human rights 1987-1990 (AI Index MDE 13/21/90).

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A Letter From Farzad Kamangar, a Political Prisoner In Rajaieeshahr Prison

Please find below the translation of the letter Farzad Kamangar wrote from prison, explaining the torture and abuse he has undergone in the past 19 months. You can find the origional letter in Farsi at http://www.f-kamangar.hra-iran.org/page6.html

A Letter From Farzad Kamangar, a Political Prisoner In Rajaieeshahr Prison

I Farzad Kamangar also known as “Siyamand” am a teacher in the city of Kamyaran with 12 years of experience. A year before my arrest I was teaching at ” Honarestane Karoudanesh.” I was also a member of the Kurdish branch of the teachers union in Kamyaran. Before the union was outlawed I was in charge of public relations. I was also a member of the writers association for the newspaper “Mahnameye Farhangi Amuzeshi Royan” which was also eventually banned from publication. I was also board member of “Zist Mehyali” Association in Kamyaran. Starting from the year 2005 I worked as a journalist as well became a member of the Human Rights Activists in Iran.

In July of 2006 I came to Tehran to follow upon my brother’s medical treatments. My brother is a Kurdish political activist. Upon my arrival in Tehran I was arrested and taken to an unknown place, it was a very small, dark basement. The cells in this place were empty, there were no blankets or rugs or sheets.

They took me to a room and as they were interviewing me they asked me about my ethnicity. When I told them that I was of the Kurdish Ethnicity they lashed my entire body. They also lashed me because of the Kurdish music which I had saved on my mobile phone.

They would tie my hands, make me sit on a chair and put pressure on the sensitive areas of my body. They would also strip me naked and threaten me with rape by various objects such as wood.

My left leg was injured badly during this time. Also due to the beatings I received on my head as well as electric shock I would lose consciousness. I have lost control of my body and shake uncontrollably for no reason. They would chain my feet together and give me electric shocks on sensitive parts of my body which was extrmeley painful.

Later on I was transferred to Section 209 of the Evin Prison. From the moment I entered the Evin Prison they blindfolded me and took me to a small room where they beat me by punching and kicking me.

The next day I was taken to the city of Sanandaj. From the moment I entered the Sanandaj Prison I was insulted and beaten brutally. They tied me to a chair and left me there from 7 am until the next day, I was not even allowed to go to the washroom and I had no choice but to wet myself. After numerous beatings and torture sessions once again I was transferred to Section 209 of the Evin Prison. I was interrogated and tortured in one of the rooms on the first level of the prison.

On August 27th 2006 as a result of the effect of torture they were forced to take me to the physician in the prison, and the physician made notes of marks of torture and lashing on my back, neck, head thighs and feet.

In August and September I was in the solitary cell number 43. Due to the fact that the torture and beatings were unbearable I was forced to go on a 33 day hunger strike. Because they started harassing and summoning my family to court, as well to free myself from torture I tried to commit suicide by throwing myself off a flight of stairs.

Also for one month I was imprisoned in an extremely small and smelly cell on the first floor of the prison (cell number 113). During this time I was not allowed visitations or even phone calls to my family. Further I was not allowed to get any fresh air for those three (3) months.

After three (3) months I was taken to cell #10 where other prisoners were also present and I was there for two (2) months. At this time I was still not allowed to visit with my family or lawyer.

In the month of October I was transferred from the Evin Prison to the Intelligence Ministry Prison in Kermanshah, even though I had still not been charged or found guilty of any crime. This was a small dark prison where brutal torture and murder of political prisoners have taken place.

They took off all my clothes and after beating me gave me a set of dirty clothes to wear and took me to my cell. It was a small “secret” cell where no one would be able to hear my cries. The cell was 1.65cm/50cm. It had two light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. This cell had previously been a washroom and it was extremely smelly and cold. There was only a dirty blanket in the room. During sleep my head would bang against the wall because the cell was so small.

In order to breathe I was forced to put my head down by the crack between the door and the floor and try to breathe. Also at all odd hours they would bang against my door loudly to prevent me from sleeping. Two days after my arrival they took me to the interrogation room and without asking me any questions started beating me. Then they took me back to my cell. They would turn on the radio loudly in order to prevent me from sleeping or even thinking. In 24 hours I was allowed to use the washroom twice, and once a month I was allowed to take a short shower.

Types of Torture I was Subjected to:

1. The Football Game: This was a nick name they used for this type of torture. They would strip me naked, four (4) or five (5) interrogators would surround me and pass me to each other by punching and kicking me. They would swear at me when I fell down and continue their beatings.
2. The interrogators would force me to stand on one foot for hours while holding my arms above my head and if I got tired they would start beating me again. Because they knew that my left leg had been hurt as a result of torture they would put more pressure on my left leg. They would play Quran tapes very loudly so that nobody could hear my cries.
3. During interrogations they would beat me around the face by punching and slapping me.
4. There was a torture room in the basement of the jail, but its entrance was hidden by black garbage bags filled with dry bread crumbs. There was also another torture room where they would take me at night, they would tie my arms and legs to a bed and lash me, particularly under my feet, my lower and upper leg as well as my back. This would cause me severe pain and I would be unable to walk for days.
5. It was winter and the weather was very cold. They would put me in a particularly cold room which was supposedly an interrogation room and would leave me there all day in the cold, without being interrogated.
6. In the city of Kermanshah they would use electric shock on the sensitive parts of my body.
7. I was not allowed to use a toothbrush or a toothpaste. They would give me old and smelly left over food which was not edible.

To further increase the pressure on me they did not allow me any visitations, and they also arrested the girl that I loved. They would also create problems for my brothers and arrest them. I suffered from a dangerous skin disease as a result of being kept in a dirty cell with dirty clothes and blankets, but I was not allowed to see a doctor.

I was forced to go on a 12 day hunger strike to protest the brutal torture I was subjected to. During the last 15 days of imprisonment they changed my cell and took me to an even dirtier and smellier cell with no heat. I was insulted, sworn at, and beaten on a daily basis and even lost consciousness on one occasion as a result of the beatings.

One night they took me to the torture cell in the basement, stripped off my clothes and threatened me with rape. In order to free myself from this torture I had to bang my head against the wall a number of times. They also tried to force me to confess to crimes such as indecency and having illicit relationships with women.

I could hear the cries and the screams of others from other cells, and there were occasions where inmates would commit suicide.

On March 19th 2006 I was transferred to Section 209 of the Evin Prison in Tehran. Although I was in ward 121 of the prison which was a common ward, I was still not allowed any visitations.

I was still under great emotional and psychological pressure because of the constant arrest of my family members as well as not being allowed to contact them.

My file was finally transferred to Branch 30 the Revolutionary Court in May of 2006 Interrogators would threaten me and tell me they would do their best to have me executed or incarcerated for a long period of time. They also stated that if I was to be found not guilty, they would “deal with me outside of the courtroom.”

They hated me very much because of my Kurdish Ethnicity, my Journalism and human rights work. They would also not stop torturing me.

The Revolutionary Court in Tehran stated that it did not have jurisdiction over my case and my file was transferred to the city of Sanandaj. As support for me increased by individual and Human Rights Organizations the interrogators got more vicious and the pressure on me increased. In August of 2006 I was transferred to the Sanandaj Prison, a place which has become a great nightmare for me, a place that I can never forget for as long as I live. Although no new charges had been brought against me, they started interrogating and torturing me from the moment of my arrival.

The Sanandaj Prison has one main corridor and five smaller corridors. They kept on switching my cell on a regular basis. One day the prison Warden along with a number of other guards started beating me for no reason, they took me out of my cell and started beating me along the 18 stairs which led to the basement, and to the interrogation rooms. They hit me on the head from behind very hard which caused me to fall down, then they started dragging me down the 18 stairs. I do not know how they managed to drag me down 18 stairs. When I gained consciousness and opened my eyes I could feel great pain in my head, face and sides.

When they saw that I had gained consciousness they started beating me again. After beating me for about an hour they again dragged me up the 18 stairs and threw me in a very small cell in the second corridor. Then two guards started beating me again until I lost consciousness. When I gained consciousness again I could hear the sound of the afternoon prayers. My face and clothes were covered with blood. My face was swollen, my entire body was black and blue from the beatings. I did not have the strength to move. After a few hours they threw me in a shower so that I could clean myself and my clothes.

They forced me to put on my wet clothes. That night I was in a very bad physical state, at 12:00 am one of the Intelligence Ministry Officials saw my physical state and were forced to take me to a medical facility outside of the prison. Because of the damage done to my teeth and jaw I was unable to eat for a few days. At night they would open the window of my cell so that I would suffer further from the cold. They would also not give me any blankets and I would be forced to wrap the dirty carpet around me for warmth.

I was not allowed visitations, telephone calls or fresh air time. I was also beaten on numerous occasions in the interrogation rooms in the basement. To protest my situation I was forced to go on a five (5) day hunger strike. They would bang my head against the basement walls and from the basement until I reached my cell they would continuously beat me.

No new charges were brought against me in Sanandaj or Kermanshah.

A famous torture called “the chicken kabab” was used by the prison Warden whenever he conducted the torture sessions. He would tie my arms and legs throw me on the floor and whip me.

The cries and whimpers of other prisoners could also be heard, many of whom were women. At night they would open the window, wet my clothes in the basement bathroom after the torture and interrogation and would throw me in my cell with wet clothes. I was also in solitary confinement for about two (2) months in the city of Sanandaj. The Sanandaj Court also stated that they had no jurisdiction over my file and transferred me back to Tehran.

Total of more than 8 months in solitary confinement along with physical and psychological torture, has left a very negative effect on my mental health and nerves.

After one night of solitary confinement in Section 209 of the Evin Prison, I was transferred to Section 7, where there is great use of illicit drugs by inmates.

On November 18th 2007 I was transferred to the Rajaishahr Prison which is an extremely dangerous prison where individuals found guilty of murder, kidnapping, weapons related crimes are imprisoned.

Respectfully <br23 November 2007 Rajai Shahr Prison

* http://shiro-khorshid-forever.blogspot.com/2008/03/letter-from-farzad-kamangar-political.html

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Resolution on Iran by International PEN

The Assembly of Delegates of International PEN, meeting at its 74th International Congress in Bogota, Colombia, 17-22 September 2008

Alarmed about the increasing and widespread violations of the right to freedom of expression in Iran, in which writers and journalists continue to be threatened, summoned to the revolutionary courts and detained. The aggressive use of Internet censorship places bloggers are at risk arrest.

Deeply concerned that the authorities have banned the publishing of hundreds of books including those that have already appeared once or several times in print, and have used this policy to pressure independent publishers; books have also been removed from libraries; Further concerned that writers, journalists and others detained in violation of their right to freedom of expression have been tortured in pre-trial detention, held for weeks in solitary confinement and denied basic due process rights; Noting that Iran imprisons the highest number of journalists in the Middle East, violating their rights to freedom of expression and to a fair trial, and often with long periods of incommunicado detention; Dismayed that the judicial authorities continue to ban writers and journalists from visiting other countries; Troubled by the state crackdown on women’s activists and women writers and journalists, which has resulted in dozens being arbitrarily detained, including journalist and honorary member of Swedish PEN Parvin Ardalan who was sentenced to six months imprisonment for her participation in peaceful gatherings. She was prevented from leaving Iran to receive the 2007 Olof Palme prize in Sweden.

Worried by the rise of internet censorship, and the crackdown on Iranian “bloggers” who write and post information on the Internet,

Deeply concerned that novelist Yaghoub Yadali was sentenced for his fictional writings. His case has still not been dismissed by the Revolutionary Court in Iran.

Deeply concerned about an apparant pattern of repression against journalists and human rights activists in Iranian Kurdistan, in which several Iranian-Kurdish journalists are currently detained, including Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand, editor of the banned weekly Payam-e mardom-e Kurdestan, who was arrested on 1 July 2007 and sentenced at a closed trial on 22 June 2008 to 11 years in prison

Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all writers and journalists detained in Iran in violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Politcal Rights, to which Iran is a signatory.

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Canadian Teachers Call for Stay of Execution in Iran

September 23, 2008

President Islamic Republic of Iran
His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran13168-43311
Islamic Republic of Iran
E-mail: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

Dear President Ahmadinejad:

I am writing on behalf of the nearly 60,000 secondary school teachers and support staff in the province of Ontario, Canada, all of who are members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation.

We are very concerned about the treatment of Farzad Kamangar as well as other teacher union activists currently in detention in your country. We urge you and your officials to commute the death sentence of Farzad Kamanger.

We ask that you have his case re-examined through a trial that meets the requirements of article 168 of the Iranian Constitution under which: “political and press offences will be tried openly and in the presence of a jury, in courts of justice”, as well as international standards. According to Mr. Kamangar’s lawyer, there is no evidence to justify that he has “endangered national security” or is “Mohareb” (at enmity with God).

We urge the Iranian authorities to investigate the reports that Mr. Kamangar has been tortured while in detention and denied medical attention. In an open letter on March 14, 2008, Mr. Kamangar details countless events that characterize torture on the basis of international statutes such as beatings, electric shock and lashings among many others. We urge you to allow Mr. Kamagar contact with his lawyer and family. We ask that assurances be given so that no detainee is tortured or treated in this manner.

As reported in Education International, we understand that Iranian trade union colleagues and human rights activists who show solidarity with Farzad are being subject to pervasive intimidation by the Iranian authorities. This too is deplorable and we ask that you intervene to ensure that it does not continue to occur. Article 6(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of which Iran is a state signatory, states, “In countries which have the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes…” The U.N. Human Rights Committee also demands that “most serious crimes” must be read restrictively to mean that the death penalty should meeet an extreme measure.

As an educational organization which represents almost 60,000 members, we like Mr. Kamangar, are trade union activists. We work hard to advance and protect the rights of our members and others. The harassment, unlawful detention and condemnation of trade unionists in your country because of their legitimate human rights and trade union activities are not only serious violations of trade union rights and international law, but also create an atmosphere of fear and prejudice to trade union development in Iran. We ask that you engage in an open dialogue with teachers about their professional concerns.

We look forward to hearing that you have taken action in this matter. Creating an atmosphere in which teachers can organize collectively and speak openly on behalf of themselves and others will benefit all.

Yours truly,

Ken Coran
President

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Iran: The 20th anniversary of 1988 “prison massacre”

AI Index: MDE 13/118/2008
19 August 2008

Twenty years after the then Iranian authorities began a wave of largely secret, summary and mass executions in September 1988, Amnesty International renews its call for those responsible for the “prison massacre” to be held accountable. There should be no impunity for such gross human rights violations, regardless of when they were committed.

The organisation is also calling on the present Iranian government not to prevent relatives of the dead from visiting Khavaran Cemetary in south Tehran, on or about 29 August to mark the anniversary and demand justice for their loved ones. Hundreds of those summarily executed are buried in the cemetery, many of them in unmarked mass graves.

Amnesty International fears that the Iranian authorities may seek to impede or disperse any protests and reminds the Iranian government of its obligations under international law to allow for those who gather peacefully to express their views without fear of arrest.

International human rights law requires that the Iranian authorities carry out thorough and impartial investigations into violations of the right to life such as those which were committed during the “prison massacre”, which began in 1988 and continued into the following year, and to identify and bring to justice those responsible. The failure to do so to date and the time that has elapsed since the killings do not in any way reduce this responsibility.

Those responsible for the killings – one of the worst abuses to be committed in Iran – should be prosecuted and tried before a regularly and legally constituted court and with all necessary procedural guarantees, in accordance with international fair trial standards. If found guilty, they should be punished with appropriate penalties which take into account the grave nature of the crimes but which do not include the death penalty or corporal punishments.

Background
Starting in August 1988 and continuing until shortly before the tenth anniversary of the Islamic revolution in February 1989, the Iranian authorities carried out massive wave of executions of political prisoners – the largest since those carried out in the first and second year after the Iranian revolution in 1979. In all between 4,500 and 5,000 prisoners are believed to have been killed, including women. For further information, see Amnesty International’s report, Iran: Violations of human rights 1987-1990 (AI Index MDE 13/21/90).

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Document – Iran: Further information on fear of torture or other ill-treatment and prisoner of conscience: Zeynab Bayzeydi

Further Information on UA 214/08 (MDE 13/107/2008, 1 August 2008)

Kurdish women’s rights activist Zeynab Bayzeydi has been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, and internal exile to the Turkish-speaking city of Zanjan, 246 km from her home, by Mahabad Revolutionary Court. Her family learned of this on 10 August, when they went to the court to find out how her trial had gone. Amnesty International considers her a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression and association.

She was convicted of a number of offences, all of which she has denied, except the one arising from her work on the One Million Signatures Campaign, which was working against laws that discriminate against women.

She is also a member of the Human Rights Organisation of Kurdistan (HROK). She had been arrested on 9 July, after the police ordered her to present herself for interrogation at a police station in Mahabad, which is in West Azerbaijan province.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The HROK, which has over 200 members, was founded in April 2005. The authorities have never granted it official recognition as an NGO. Its founder, Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand, is serving an 11-year prison sentencefor “acting against state security by establishing the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan” and “propaganda against the system.”

For more information on human rights violations against the Kurdish minority in Iran, see: Iran: Human rights abuses against the Kurdish minority, at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE13/088/2008/en/d140767b-5e45-11dd-a592-c739f9b70de8/mde130882008eng.pdf

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English, Persian, Kurdish, or your own language:

– calling on the authorities to quash the four-year sentence passed on Zeynab Bayzeydi, and release her immediately and unconditionally, as she is a prisoner of conscience.

APPEALS TO:

Head of the Judiciary

His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary

Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)

Salutation: Your Excellency

Governor of West Azerbaijan

His Excellency Dr. Rahim Ghorbani

PO Box: 775

Oromiyeh 57135

Islamic Republic of Iran

Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

President

His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

The Presidency

Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: + 98 21 6 649 5880

Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

via website: http://www.president.ir/email/

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 26 September 2008.

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Discrimination against Kurdish Iranians unchecked and on the rise

30 July 2008

Iran’s government is failing in its duty to prevent discrimination and human rights abuses against its Kurdish citizens, according to a new Amnesty International report.

The organization fears that the repression of Kurdish Iranians, particularly human rights defenders, is intensifying, according to the report Iran: Human rights abuses against the Kurdish minority.

The report also says that women face a double challenge to their human rights, both as members of a marginalised ethnic minority and as women in a predominantly patriarchal society.

Around 12 million Kurds live in Iran making up 15 percent of the population. Expression of Kurdish culture, such as dress and music, is generally respected and the Kurdish language is used in some broadcasts and publications.

However the Kurdish minority continues to suffer deep-rooted discrimination. Kurds in Iran have their social, political and cultural rights repressed along with their economic aspirations.

Parents are banned from registering their babies with certain Kurdish names and religious minorities that are mainly or partially Kurdish are targeted by measures designed to stigmatize and isolate them.

Discriminated against in their access to employment and adequate housing, the economic neglect of Kurdish regions has resulted in an entrenched poverty which has further marginalized Kurds.

Kurdish human rights defenders, including community activists and journalists, face arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment and prosecution when they protest against the government’s failure to observe international human rights standards.

When they link their human rights work to their Kurdish identity they risk further violations of their rights. Some, including women’s rights activists, become prisoners of conscience. Others suffer torture, grossly unfair trials before Revolutionary Courts and the death penalty.

Ethnic Kurds Farzad Kamangar, Ali Heydariyan and Farhad Vakili were sentenced to death in February 2008 after conviction of “moharebeh” (enmity against God), following a grossly flawed process that fell far short of international standards for a fair trial.

This is a charge levelled against those accused of taking up arms against the state, apparently in connection with their alleged membership of the armed group, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which carries out attacks in Turkey. Ali Heydariyan and Farhad Vakili were also sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, apparently for forging documents. Under Iranian law, they must serve their prison sentences before being executed.

In May this year Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The sentence apparently comprises 10 years’ imprisonment for “acting against state security by establishing the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HROK)” and one year’s imprisonment for “propaganda against the system”.

The verdict followed a closed trial session. Amnesty International considers Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand to be a prisoner of conscience, held solely on account of the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and association during his work as chair of the HROK and his activities as a journalist. Such rights are expressly recognized in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party.

“Iran’s constitution provides for equality of all Iranians before the law. But, as our report shows, this is not the reality for Kurds in Iran,” said Malcolm Smart, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme of Amnesty International.

“The Iranian government has not taken sufficient steps to eliminate discrimination, or to end the cycle of violence against women and punish those responsible.”

Although women and girls form the backbone of economic activity in the Kurdish areas, strict social codes are used to deny their human rights.

Such codes make it difficult for government officials to investigate inequalities in girls’ education, early and forced marriages, and domestic violence against Kurdish girls and women – and the severe consequences of some of these abuses, including “honour killings” and suicide.

“Kurdish women are victims of violence on a daily basis and face discrimination from state officials, groups or individuals, including family members.” Malcolm Smart said.

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Iran: Arbitrary arrests/Fear of Torture or ill-treatment/prisoners of conscience

AI Index: MDE 13/104/2008
31 July 2008
Mehdi Khoda’i (m) ] students at Azad University, Shahre-Ray Salman Sima (m) ]
Farzad Hassanzadeh (m) ] students at Mashad University
Mohamad Zerati (m) ]
Bahareh Hedayat (f) ] students at Tehran University
Mohammad Hashemi (m) ]
Majid Asadi (m) ] student at Alahmeh University, Tehran
Arash Rayji (m) ] students at Zanjan University
Hassan Joneydi (m) ]
Payam Shakiba (m) ]
Only known as ‘Anbaraki’ ] students at Bushehr University
Only known as ‘Khoeyni’ ]

The 12 university students named above were arrested at various locations across Iran in July and remain in detention. They were arrested around the eighth anniversary of student demonstrations held in Iran on 9 July 1999 that were violently suppressed by the security forces. The 12 are facing various charges, such as “acting against national security”, “propaganda against the regime”, “propagating lies”, “promoting anti-religious attitudes”, and “disturbing public opinion”. They are prisoners of conscience, held on account of their conscientiously held beliefs and should be released immediately and unconditionally.

Mohamad Zerati and Farzad Hassanzadeh, were both arrested on 3 or 4 July, have had their bail set at 30 million rial ($3,229.9742 USD). Their place of detention remains unknown.

Mohammad Hashemi and Bahareh Hedayat were arrested by the security forces at their homes on 13 July; they are accused of having links with “illegal and anti-revolutionary groups abroad”. Both are members of the Office for Consolidating Unity, the central council of a pro-reform student group. They are being detained in Evin Prison in Tehran.

Payam Shakiba, Arash Rayji and Hassan Joneydi, students at Zanjan University, were arrested on 8 July; their place of detention remains unknown.

At least 12 other students who were arrested in July have now been released without charge.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On 8 July 1999, plainclothes police forces and paramilitary units calling themselves Ansar-e Hezbollah stormed a Tehran university dormitory at night in order to suppress student unrest that had lasted for 5 days. A number of students were injured, and at least one person, a visitor at the university, was killed. This fuelled further protests and members of the general public joined the students’ demonstrations, which the security forces suppressed by force.

Student groups have been at the forefront of demands for greater human rights in Iran. Since the election of President Ahmadinejad in 2005, there have been increasing restrictions on civil society. In April 2007, Minister of Intelligence Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie publicly accused student activists and campaigners for the rights of women, of being part of an “enemy conspiracy” – a claim they strongly deny.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, English, Arabic or your own language:
– expressing concern about the arrest and continuing detention of the named students;
– urging the authorities to promptly charge the students with recognisably criminal offences or release them immediately and unconditionally;
– calling on the authorities to ensure that they are protected against torture or other ill-treatment and are allowed immediate access to their family, legal representation and any medical attention that they may require.

APPEALS TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader
The Office of the Supreme Leader, Islamic Republic Street – Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@leader.ir
Fax: +98 251 7774 2228 (mark FAO Office of His Excellency Ayatollah al Udhma Khamenei)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Intelligence
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Ministry of Intelligence, Second Negarestan Street, Pasdaran Avenue, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Minister of Intelligence
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Ministry of Intelligence, Second Negarestan Street, Pasdaran Avenue, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

President
His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
via website: www.president.ir/email
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency

Speaker of Parliament
His Excellency Gholamali Haddad Adel
Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami, Baharestan Square, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 3355 6408
Email: hadadadel@majlis.ir (Please ask that your message be brought to the attention of the Article 90 Commission)

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 11 September 2008. .

Archive – Human Rights Reports

MOHAMMAD ALI TAHERI SENTENCED TO DEATH

Mohammad Ali Taheri has been sentenced to death in Iran for “spreading corruption on earth” through his spiritual beliefs and teachings. He is a prisoner of conscience. URGENT ACTION August 10, 2015

RIGHTS DEFENDER DENIED URGENT MEDICAL CARE

SENTENCED TO YEARS IN PRISON FOR HER ART

Iranian prisoner of conscience Atena Farghadani has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for her art and peaceful activism. She now has 20 days to appeal. URGENT ACTION June 3, 2015

Iran: PRISON FOR anti-DEATH PENALTY activist

Anti-death penalty activist Atena Daemi has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for her peaceful activism. She has been held in Tehran’s Evin Prison since October 2014, when she was arrested. She is a prisoner of conscience. URGENT ACTION June 4, 2015

Iran: RELEASE JAILED IRANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

Iranian human rights defender Narges Mohammadi was arrested on 5 May. She is on trial for charges stemming from her human rights activities. She is a prisoner of conscience. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL- URGENT ACTION MAY 7, 2015

Iran: Serious health fears for artist on prison hunger strike

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL- PRESS RELEASE MARCH 2, 2015

Letter from UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis to President Rouhani concerning the case of Mr Saman Nasseem

18 February 2015

On the occasion of the Human Rights Day: “All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms.”

December 10th, 2014

Iran’s human rights situation has not improved, says activist

Staff writer, Al Arabiya News

Media Advisory: Iran must clean up human rights record at UN review

Press releases – Spokesperson available for interview in Geneva

GUE/NGL calls for solidarity with Nasrin Sotoudeh

Human rights lawyer must not be banned from working

“Britain’s trade union leader calls for the release of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh”

Iran: New wave of attacks against journalists as repression escalates

Amnesty.org 1 August 2014

Supporting Prisoners in Iran

Ahmed Shaheed on Iran 2nd July 2014

Execution of juvenile offenders breaches international law – Pillay

IFJ Demands that Iranian Authorities Free Imprisoned Journalists

IFJ 30th May 2014

DOCUMENT – IRAN: THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL’S WRITTEN STATEMENT TO THE 25TH SESSION OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (3-28 MARCH 2014)

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL – The Human Rights Situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Amnesty International’s written statement to the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council (3-28 March 2014) 14 February 2014 MDE 13/010/2014

IRAN: Release opposition leaders under house arrest three years on

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL – PUBLIC STATEMENT 14 February 2014 AI Index: MDE 13/009/2014

IRAN: President Rouhani must deliver on human rights promises

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL – PUBLIC STATEMENT 25 November 2013 AI Index: MDE 13/048/2013

IFJ Calls on Iranian Government to Immediately Release Illegally Detained Journalists

21 November 2013 IFJ

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Jailed trade unionist’s health at risk

URGENT ACTION – UA: 306/13 Index: MDE 13/043/2013 Iran Date: 7 November2013

Equity condemns imprisonment of Iranian actress

5 November 2013

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IFJ Reiterates Call for Release of Imprisoned Iranian Journalists and Opening of Iranian Union

05 November 2013

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Free Iranian journalists’ campaign continues

Mon, 28/10/2013

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Iran: Lives of two death row inmates from Kurdish minority at risk amid surge in executions

Mon, 28/10/2013

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Iran: New President must deliver on human rights campaign promises

Press releases 2 August 2013

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Iran: New President must deliver on human rights promises

Press releases 17 June 2013

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FEATURE – Trial by camera – “TV confessions” and the death penalty in Iran

AI Index: MDE 13/017/2013 11 April 2013

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IRANIAN HUNGER STRIKERS IN CRITICAL CONDITION

Amnesty Int., URGENT ACTION, UA: 88/13 Index: MDE 13/018/2013 Iran Date: 12 April 2013

ADditional Information

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Iran must release journalists detained in newspaper office raids

28 January 2013

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A Brief Report on Human Rights Situation in Iran in Shahrivar 1391[August- September 2012]

Sat 22 09 2012

DOCUMENT – IRAN TV “CONFESSIONS” BREACH SUSPECTS’ RIGHTS

UA: 258/12 Index: MDE 13/062/2012 Iran Amnesty International 10 September 2012 URGENT ACTION

ADditional Information

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Iran must release prisoner of conscience Zhila Bani-Yaghoub

12 July 2012 Amnesty International 4 September 2012

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IRANIAN MAN AT RISK OF EXECUTION

12 July 2012 Amnesty International URGENT ACTION UA: 240/12 Index: MDE 13/058/2012 Iran Date: 10 August 2012

ADditional Information

Mohammad Ali Taheri has been sentenced to death in Iran for “spreading corruption on earth” through his spiritual beliefs and teachings. He is a prisoner of conscience.
URGENT ACTION
August 10, 2015

Iranian prisoner of conscience Atena Farghadani has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for her art and peaceful activism. She now has 20 days to appeal.
URGENT ACTION
June 3, 2015

Anti-death penalty activist Atena Daemi has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for her peaceful activism. She has been held in Tehran’s Evin Prison since October 2014, when she was arrested. She is a prisoner of conscience. URGENT ACTION
June 4, 2015

Iranian human rights defender Narges Mohammadi was arrested on 5 May. She is on trial for charges stemming from her human rights activities. She is a prisoner of conscience.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL- URGENT ACTION
MAY 7, 2015

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL- PRESS RELEASE
MARCH 2, 2015

Amnesty.org
1 August 2014

Ahmed Shaheed on Iran
2nd July 2014

IFJ
30th May 2014

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL –
The Human Rights Situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Amnesty International’s written statement to the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council (3-28 March 2014)
14 February 2014
MDE 13/010/2014

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL –
PUBLIC STATEMENT
14 February 2014
AI Index: MDE 13/009/2014

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL –
PUBLIC STATEMENT
25 November 2013
AI Index: MDE 13/048/2013

21 November 2013
IFJ

URGENT ACTION – UA: 306/13 Index: MDE 13/043/2013 Iran
Date: 7 November2013

Press releases
2 August 2013

Press releases
17 June 2013

UA: 258/12 Index: MDE 13/062/2012 Iran

Amnesty International
10 September 2012
URGENT ACTION

12 July 2012

Amnesty International
4 September 2012

12 July 2012
Amnesty International
URGENT ACTION
UA: 240/12 Index: MDE 13/058/2012 Iran Date: 10 August 2012

12 July 2012
Amnesty International

11 July 2012
Amnesty International

13 June 2012
Amnesty International
Index: MDE 13/037/2012

13 June 2012
PEN International

4 May 2012
Amnesty International

23 March 2012
Further information on UA: 102/10 Index: MDE 13/020/2012 Iran
URGENT ACTION

8 March 2012
UA: 77/12 Index: MDE 13/013/2012 Iran
URGENT ACTION

23 February 2012
Further information on UA: 307/11 Index: MDE 13/010/2012 Iran
URGENT ACTION

13 February 2012
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE

31 January 2012
January 31, 2012
AI Index: MDE 13/004/2012
Kaveh Ghoreishi

101 Names of Secret Executions Uncovered in Vakilabad
January 9, 2012
Roozonline.com
Kaveh Ghoreishi

11th January 2012
iranhumanrights.org