The Islamic Republic’s judicial officials have reached a decision to hang two brothers, Mohammad and Abdullah Fathi, in Esfahan prison in a few hours at dawn on Tuesday, May 17, 2011. These two brothers have been charged with the crime known as Moharebeh [Waging War Against God] through armed robbery and organizing an illegal group against the Islamic Republic regime.
Beijan Fathi, the father of two brothers on death row, in an interview with a HRANA reporter said, “Moharebeh means fighting against God and the Islamic regime. My sons have nothing to fight over with God or the Islamic regime.”
On March 28, 2010, seven individuals were arrested by law enforcement officers in Chalus (Mazandaran Province) and were subsequently transferred to Esfahan. These seven individuals have been identified to be Mohammad and Abdullah Fathi (son of Bijan), Davood Jamshidian (son of Mohammad Reza), Saied Javanmardi (son of Yadollah), Mohsen Goudarzi (son of Lotfollah), Daniel Amiryavary (son of Mohammad Reza), and Ibrahim Javanmardi (son of Reza).
Judge Moghazi presided over Esfahan’s Revolutionary Court, Branch 24, in a trial which lasted two hours and sentenced the aforementioned individuals to death. After the cases were referred to the higher court, the Supreme Court judges announced that the maximum penalty for each individual should have been seven to fifteen years in prison. Accordingly, the death sentences for five of these individuals were repealed. However, Mohammad and Abdullah Fathi’s punishment was not reversed and their family was notified by the officials who said, “The order has come from the above that these two must be executed.”
Mentioning that he was politically active and his sons’ uncle was sentenced to die in the 80’s, Bijan Fathi called his sons’ death sentences settling a personal account and told HRANA, “My sons’ fate is similar to that of those individuals who were executed because they visited Camp Ashraf in Iraq.”
Bijan Fathi pointed out that their home was near the front lines during the Iran-Iraq war in the 80’s and mentioned, “My sons suffered from neurological disorders because of bombings and explosions. Mohammed developed stuttering, and Abdullah didn’t begin talking until he was three years old. From 1986, they were receiving psychological counseling and treatment, and four years ago, their treatment began again. The records are still kept by their doctor. Consequently, they either aren’t capable of committing such crimes or are not in control of their actions. My sons’ medical records have been sent to the court, but unfortunately, no one has bothered to conduct an investigation by referring the records to the medical examiner. They have just said that they want to execute these two individuals.”
Bijan Fathi in reply to the question asked by HRANA reporter to find out why his sons’ arrests and execution sentences were not publicized said, “Since the officials and the attorney had promised my wife that the sentences would be reversed, my wife didn’t agree to let everyone know. My hands were tied. As a matter of face, after the Supreme Court’s ruling which was issued a month ago, we were going to do just that, but this morning, we were notified that the sentence will be carried out tomorrow.”
Bijan Fathi at the end added that similar to all other young people, his sons were politically active in election campaigns and participated in observing traditional Persian holidays and celebrations including Chaharshanbe Suri [ancient Iranian festival of fire]. Bijan Fathi again explained that regardless of all of such things, the sentences were issued to settle an old, personal account.
In an interview with Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Mohammad and Abdullah Fathi’s mother answered our questions despite her mental distress and anguish. Read complete text of the interview.
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Maryam Bahrman, human rights advocate, was arrested on May 11, 2011 in Shiraz. The security agents also took many personal items, including her books and computer.
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Mahboubeh Karami, women’s rights activists and One Million Campaign activist, has returned to Evin Prison in order to serve her three year prison sentence. Karami has been charged with membership in the organization known as Human Rights Activists in Iran, propaganda against the regime, and “involvement and conspiracy with the intent to commit crimes against national security.” On March 2, 2010, Karami was arrested in her house during a raid by the IRGC Intelligence Unit. Mahboubeh Karami suffered physically and mentally during her incarceration but was eventually released on August 14, 2010, after posting a bail approximately equivalent to $500,000. On Sunday, May 15, 2011, Mahboubeh Karami was summoned to prison to begin serving her sentence.
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Mohsen Ghalei, journalist, was also arrested after being summoned to the court. No reason has been given for his arrest.
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Iranian-born Al Jazeera journalist Dorothy Parvaz, who was detained by Syrian authorities on her arrival in Damascus on April 29, was extradited to the Islamic Republic of Iran two days later, according to a statement issued by the Syrian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Parvaz is a citizen of Iran, Canada -- where her family moved when she was ten years old -- and the United States -- where she received her graduate degree in journalism and worked for many years. According to the embassy's statement, she used an expired Iranian visa in an attempt to enter Syria illegally. On May 1, she was "escorted by the Iranian consul to Caspian Airlines flight 7905 heading to Tehran," the statement said.
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Reports indicate that at least 34 inmates were killed in the March 15 confrontation between prisoners and security forces Ghezel Hesar Prison. Previously, government-controlled mass media had put the number of dead at between ten and 14. Most of those killed had been convicted of common crimes and narcotic trafficking. Prison officials claim the event was sparked when some prisoners tried to escape. In contrast, the prisoners and their families say that the prisoners were protesting the large number of executions at the facility and the terrible conditions there.
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26 political prisoners have submitted a letter of complaint against the Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, accusing them of torture and other crimes. The letter has been sent to the Majles Article 90 Commission, which is supposed to investigate citizens’ complaints and forward them to the judiciary. The letter has been submitted on the first anniversary of the approval by the Majles of a law called “Respect for Legitimate Freedom and Rights of Citizens.” A copy of the letter has also been sent to the commission set up to monitor implementation of that law.The letter details multiple violations of the law by the Ministry of Intelligence, the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence unit, and the police, including:(1) arrests without warrants, or with warrants lacking any authority’s signature, or with dozens of names, and the fact that some warrants were signed several days before the June 12, 2009, presidential elections to which the charges supposedly related;(2) conviction of political prisoners based on suspicion, rather than on proper legal cases;
(3) absence of attorneys during prisoners’ interrogations, though several laws explicitly state that the presence of an attorney is necessary;
(4) inhumane and un-Islamic treatment of prisoners by their interrogators;
(5) procedures for arresting, interrogating, and trying the accused that completely violate the procedures specified by the law;
(6) covering the eyes of the accused and other forms of mistreatment during interrogation;
(7) the fact that the interrogators hide themselves during interrogation, a violation of the law that says the accused must be able to see the interrogator;
(8) destroying or confiscating personal items of the accused at work or at home;
(9) torturing the accused;
(10) use of inexperienced and extremist interrogators who consistently violate the laws;
(11) improperly delving into the private lives of the accused;
(12) changing the responses of the accused to interrogators’ questions so that they conform to preconceived judgments.
Among the letter’s signatories are some of the best-known reformist figures, university activists, and journalists imprisoned in the Islamic Republic, such as Mostafa Tajzadeh, Mohsen Mirdamadi, Keyvan Samimi, Bahman Ahmadi Amooei, Abdollah Momemi, Zia Nabavi, Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, Behzad Nabavi, Feyzollah Arab Sorkhi, Abolfazl Ghadyani, Ali Malihi, and Hassan Asadi Zeidabadi.
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