The Tree That Remembers is a documentary by Masoud Raouf about experiences of some former political prisoners (like Masoud Raouf himself) who now live in Canada. These ex-prisoners share their memories of torture in Ayatollah's prisons, the memories that does not leave them alone even in their new safe home. The documentary was made after a young Iranian student hanged himself on the outskirts of a small Ontario town in 1992. Having escaped the Ayatollah's regime and found a new home in Canada, he could not escape his past.
Free Iran
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Mourning Mothers ‘survivor’ Mansoureh Behkish has been arrested
WHO IS MANSOUREH BEHKISH?
Mansoureh Behkish is among the survivors of the renowned Behkish family [and a member of the Mothers for Peace and the Mourning Mothers]. Those who have been active [who are socially or politically aware] remember a large framed picture located at *Khavaran cemetery that contains the photos of mother Behkish’s [Mansoureh's mother] five sons, one daughter, and son-in-law. The frame adorns Khavaran cemetery.
Freedom and Human Rights Award for Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei
IRAN: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL WELCOMES FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD FOR DRS KAMIAR AND ARASH ALAEI
Amnesty International welcomes freedom and human rights award for Drs Kamiar and Arash Alaei
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| Dr. Arash Alaei |
Amnesty International welcomes the award to Drs Kamiar and Arash Alaei, who are brothers, of the Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights. The organization launched a campaign for their freedom after their arrest in Iran in June 2008.
Dr. Kamiar Alaei, and his brother, Dr Arash Alaei, who are both experts in the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS, were sentenced in January 2009 to three and six years' imprisonment respectively, for “cooperating with an enemy government” after months in pre-trial detention without access to a lawyer and an unfair trial in which secret evidence was produced which they were not allowed to see or challenge. Their arrest is believed to be related to their links with foreign academics and civil society organizations, including in the USA. Both doctors were highly respected AIDS specialists who had not been politically active. Amnesty International, along with a wide range of health and human rights organizations, regarded them as prisoners of conscience who should never have been imprisoned. and called for their unconditional release.
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| Dr. Kamiar Alaei |
In May 2009, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that the detention of Drs Arash and Kamiar Alaei is “arbitrary, being in contravention of articles 9, 10, 25 and 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and articles 9, 14, 18, 19 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the Islamic Republic of Iran is a State party.” The Group also concluded that “the detention of the above-mentioned physicians is also contrary to articles 12 and 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and to Principles 11-1, 17-2 and 18-1 of the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment” and called on the Iranian authorities to immediately take the necessary steps to redress the situation.
Although Dr Kamiar Alaei is now free, with his sentence completed, Dr Arash Alaei remains in prison in Tehran and Amnesty International is urging that he be released immediately and unconditionally and allowed to return to his important work.
The Jonathan Mann prize recognizes the valuable work Kamiar Alaei and his brother Arash Alaei, have done to provide necessary care to people living with HIV in Iran, and both doctors should be free to put their knowledge to good use in the service of people living with HIV.
The continuing challenge of HIV as well as the persistent reports of prisoners in poor health in Iran being denied adequate medical care – in some cases contributing to their deaths, as in the case of Hoda Saber who died on 12 June 2011 after the prison authorities reportedly beat him and failed to provide adequate treatment following a hunger strike in protest at human rights violations - underline the need for doctors in Iran to be able to practise medicine rather than face imprisonment on spurious political charges.
Background
The Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights honours a key figure in the 20th century fight against global poverty, illness and social injustice. Dr Mann, who died in a plane crash in 1998, was the founding director of the World Health Organization's Special Program on AIDS (1986-1990) and a vocal advocate of both health and human rights.
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Source: English, Farsi
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In an amazing 2004 BBC documentary (Mohammad and the Matchmaker) which Maziar Bahari directed, you can see the caring approaches that Drs. Alaei had towards HIV/AIDS patients in Iran. They provided a lot of emotional support and social work for their patients. You can find up to date information about Drs. Alaei's latest status on this website: http://iranfreethedocs.org.
Mohammad and the Matchmaker:
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Nasrin Sotoudeh's Letter to the Late Haleh Sahabi
June 15th, 2011
The Feminist School - Nasrin Sotoudeh, human rights and women's right lawyer, incarcerated since September 4th, 2010, sentence to 11 years in prison and banned from practicing the law and leaving the country for 20 years, was transferred to the female ward at Evin prison, where she was cellmates with Haleh Sahabi, serving a 2 year prison sentence.
The following is a heartbreaking letter Nasrin Sotoudeh wrote to Haleh Sahabi 3 days after her tragic and sudden passing after being beaten at her father's funeral.
=======
My dearest Haleh,
Death is not the end of the road for a dove,
Though it has has been three days since your sudden departure, it is still so hard to believe that you are gone. Despite our grief when hearing this sad news, we continue to pray that it is untrue. In the past three days, your name has echoed across the female political prisoner ward at Evin alongside songs of love and freedom.
Your noble story spans from three generations that have endured suffering on the road to freedom and democracy to the night when we all escorted you with tears as you left prison so that your presence may give strength to your late father who had dedicated his life for the dignity and prosperity of our country.
... but alas, rather than consoling a late father, the nation of Iran also lost a daughter...
From the little news leaked to us in prison, it seems as though you gave your life while protecting the right of your family to morn the loss of your father; a right that has been repeatedly denied so many scorned Iranian families. Those of us who had the honor of becoming better acquainted with you while you were behind bars, witnessed that even while your father was in the hospital you were not willing to forgo your legal right to participate in demonstrations, for such was your commitment. We who know you, know that you were the kind of brave woman willing to give your life if necessary while defending your legal rights, standing firm against those who ignore the law.
You defended your rights with such simplicity and innocence that they finally released your from prison; as though they had finally recognized your rights...
You demanded your rights unequivocally and without any confrontation; a mindset that undoubtedly played a vital role in every steadfast step you took.
My dearest Haleh, you understood the predicament and heartache of the families of prisoners, for your family often had a loved one behind bars - in the end you too headed for prison... yes your family often had noble prisoners behind bars..
Do you recall with what patience, dignity and joy you endured your sentence; a sentence that you did not deserve?
Do you recall saying that prison is fun and a camp like experience? Do you recall how lovingly you cared about everyone and how much they loved you in return?
Though your serene life was short, the story of your nobility remains with us as a souvenir among the flowers of your chador.
The Gladiola flower you picked in the prison court yard on that last night when you returned from the prosecutor's office wilted this morning as though it had become aware of your departure before we had....
Nasrin Sotoudeh/ Female Political Prisoners Ward/ Evin Prison
June 2011
Source: The Feminist School: http://www.iranianfeministschool.info/english/spip.php?article459
The Feminist School - Nasrin Sotoudeh, human rights and women's right lawyer, incarcerated since September 4th, 2010, sentence to 11 years in prison and banned from practicing the law and leaving the country for 20 years, was transferred to the female ward at Evin prison, where she was cellmates with Haleh Sahabi, serving a 2 year prison sentence.
The following is a heartbreaking letter Nasrin Sotoudeh wrote to Haleh Sahabi 3 days after her tragic and sudden passing after being beaten at her father's funeral.
=======
My dearest Haleh,
Death is not the end of the road for a dove,
Though it has has been three days since your sudden departure, it is still so hard to believe that you are gone. Despite our grief when hearing this sad news, we continue to pray that it is untrue. In the past three days, your name has echoed across the female political prisoner ward at Evin alongside songs of love and freedom.
Your noble story spans from three generations that have endured suffering on the road to freedom and democracy to the night when we all escorted you with tears as you left prison so that your presence may give strength to your late father who had dedicated his life for the dignity and prosperity of our country.
... but alas, rather than consoling a late father, the nation of Iran also lost a daughter...
From the little news leaked to us in prison, it seems as though you gave your life while protecting the right of your family to morn the loss of your father; a right that has been repeatedly denied so many scorned Iranian families. Those of us who had the honor of becoming better acquainted with you while you were behind bars, witnessed that even while your father was in the hospital you were not willing to forgo your legal right to participate in demonstrations, for such was your commitment. We who know you, know that you were the kind of brave woman willing to give your life if necessary while defending your legal rights, standing firm against those who ignore the law.
You defended your rights with such simplicity and innocence that they finally released your from prison; as though they had finally recognized your rights...
You demanded your rights unequivocally and without any confrontation; a mindset that undoubtedly played a vital role in every steadfast step you took.
My dearest Haleh, you understood the predicament and heartache of the families of prisoners, for your family often had a loved one behind bars - in the end you too headed for prison... yes your family often had noble prisoners behind bars..
Do you recall with what patience, dignity and joy you endured your sentence; a sentence that you did not deserve?
Do you recall saying that prison is fun and a camp like experience? Do you recall how lovingly you cared about everyone and how much they loved you in return?
Though your serene life was short, the story of your nobility remains with us as a souvenir among the flowers of your chador.
The Gladiola flower you picked in the prison court yard on that last night when you returned from the prosecutor's office wilted this morning as though it had become aware of your departure before we had....
Nasrin Sotoudeh/ Female Political Prisoners Ward/ Evin Prison
June 2011
Source: The Feminist School: http://www.iranianfeministschool.info/english/spip.php?article459
نامه نسرین ستوده به هاله سحابی: گل زنبقی كه از حياط زندان چيده بودی، پژمرد
مدرسه فمینیستی: نسرین ستوده، وکیل و فعال جنبش زنان که از 13 شهریور 1389 بازداشت و سپس با حکم11 سال حبس تعزیری و 20 سال محرومیت از وکالت و خروج از کشور به بند زنان سیاسی زندان اوین منتقل شد و در همانجا با هاله سحابی که حکم 2 سال حبس اش را می گذراند هم سلول شد، نامه ای در غم فراق او به نگارش درآورده است. به گزارش مدرسه فمینیستی، نسرین ستوده این نامه را سه روز پس از مرگ دلخراش هاله سحابی که در پی درگیری و ضرب و شتم در تشیع جنازه پدرش رخ داد، نوشته است. متن کامل نامه نسرین ستوده را در زیر می خوانید:
هالهي عزيزم !
مرگ پايان كبوتر نيست!
سه روز است ناباورانه، باور ميكنيم غم از دست دادنات را. ناباورانه سوگواري ميكنيم براي خبري كه دعا ميكرديم دروغ باشد. سه روز بند زنان سياسي زندان اوين نام تو را با هر آواز مهر و محبت و آزادگي تكرار ميكنند.
حكايت آزادگيات از رنجي كه سه نسل از شما در راه آزادي و دمكراسي تحمل كرد تا شبي كه همگي با اشك شوق بدرقهات كرديم تا شايد حضورت قوت قلبي براي پدري باشد كه جز براي آباداني و سربلندي وطن قدمي برنداشت، ادامه داشت.
ولي افسوس كه ملت ايران به جاي بهبودي پدر، دختر را نيز از دست داد.
ما مطابق اخباري كه از اينجا و آنجا به گوشمان رسيده است اينطور دستگيرمان شد كه جان بر سردفاع از حق عزاداري خانوادگيات نهادي. حقي كه بارها از خانوادههاي داغدار ايراني سلب شده است. ما كه اينجا از نزديك تو را شناختيم و ديديم كه حتي در زماني كه پدر در بيمارستان بود حاضر نشدي از حق قانوني حضور در تجمعات مردمي چشمپوشي كني و تعهدي اينچنين بسپري، ميدانيم كه تو چنين دلير زني بودي كه تا پاي جان بر سر حقوق قانونيات در برابر كساني كه حقوقات را ناديده ميگيرند، ايستادگي كني.
چنان با معصوميت و سادگي از حقات دفاع كرده بودي كه بالاخره آزادت كردند. تو گويي حقات را به رسميت شناخته بودند.
بيمعارضه و بدون هيچ ترديدي حقوقات را ميخواستي و اين خود در استواري قدمات نقشي به سزا داشت.
هالهي عزيزم!
تو حال خانوادههاي زنداني را بهتر از هركس ميدانستي چرا كه غالبا زنداني داشتيد. غالبا يكي از شما در زندان بهسر ميبرد و دست آخر خودت راهي زندان شدي . . . اينگونه بود كه خانهي شما غالبا زنداني داشت. زندانيان آزاده.
يادت ميآيد با چه صبر و متانت و چه شادمانييي حكمي را تحمل ميكردي كه هيچ شايستهي آن نبودي.
يادت ميآيد گفته بودي زندان براي تو تجربهاي مشابه اردوي آموزشي _ تفريحي است؟ يادت ميآيد عاشقانه همه را دوست داشتي و بچهها تو را عاشقانه دوست داشتند؟
عمر با صفايت چه كوتاه بود، اما داستان آزادگي تو در لابلاي گلهاي چادرت باقي است كه به يادگار گذاشتهاي.
گل زنبقي كه در آخرين شب در بازگشت از دادسرا، از حياط زندان چيده بودي، امروز صبح پژمرد. او زودتر از ما خبردار شده بود . . .
نسرين ستوده / بند زنان سياسي / زندان اوين /خرداد /90
Monday, June 13, 2011
A Week at Evin! (June 6- June 12)
64 Prisoners testify: “Jailed activist Hoda Saber beaten up before death”
GVF — In a shocking new revelation, 64 political prisoners held in ward 350 of Iran’s notorious Evin prison have provided a more detailed account how inmate Reza Hoda Saber had been beaten up by state agents before his death on Sunday.
On Sunday, Kaleme reported that Hoda Saber, who had been arrested after the disputed 2009 presidential election, had died of cardiac complications after being transferred from Evin prison to Tehran’s Modarres hospital. The website had said that Saber’s heart complication had been induced by his hunger strike in prison.
Hoda Saber, along with fellow imprisoned activist Amir Khosro Dalir-Sani, had gone on hunger strike to protest the tragic murder of Iranian activist Haleh Sahabi at the funeral of her father Ezzatollah Sahabi.
political prisoner Hadi Abed Bakhoda who was on a medical leave from prison and was receiving treatment was once again returned to the Lakan Prison in Rasht despite the fact that his treatment was not yet finished.
This political prisoner is paralyzed and can only move with a wheelchair. A number of his body organs such as his bladder and kidneys no longer work. He has a urinary sack attached to his body which has to be changed on a daily basis but according to the head of the prison’s infirmary, these kinds of facilities do not exist in prison. It was for this reason that [during his last detention] his urinary sack was not changed for 40 days which led to a severe infection in his body.
This political prisoner was transferred back to prison which lacks minimum medical facilities even as the Medical Commission and Medical Examiner have announced in a written report to the Revolutionary Court that he cannot tolerate prison conditions and the prison infirmary has announced that it does not have the necessary facilities for Mr. Bakhoda and will not be held responsible [if anything were to happen].
Notably, the inhumane flogging sentence for this political prisoner was carried out in the 1st branch of the Rasht Revolutionary Court on May 23. Political prisoner Hadi Abed Bakhoda was sentenced to 51 lashes for not turning himself in on time. (Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran – Jun. 9, 2011)
There are grave concerns today for the health of Iranian political prisoner Abdollah Momeni, who is suffering cardiac complications and back problems. Momeni, a spokesman for the student organization Advar-e Takim-e Vahdat, was hospitalized twice in the past month for health complications, Jaras reports. Momeni is in critical condition, made worse by the lack of facilities at Ward 350 in Evin Prison, where he is being held with no chance of furlough.
Momeni was arrested in June 2009 in the aftermath of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election, which led to widespread protests and a violent government retaliation. Last September, Momeni wrote a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, claiming he had undergone “severe torture” and had been forced to sign a false confession for presentation at a “show trial.”
He was also part of a group of 25 political prisoners who wrote a letter describing their harsh torture at the hands of prison authorities. The Revolutionary Guards and the Prosecutor’s office put great pressure on the prisoners to recant their statements in the letter. Iranian authorities have not responded to allegations of torture in Iranian prisons.
Abdollah Momeni was sentenced to four years and 11 months in prison following the presidential elections. He was arrested on June 20, 2009 in the building of the Headquarters of Free Citizens, a group supporting Mehdi Karroubi, a Mahmoud Ahmadinejad opponent in the elections, who is now under house arrest as one of the two chief opposition leaders.
One of his charges includes sending emails regarding the ways to increase the use of electricity as a means of protesting the election results.
He was arrested in August of 2009 in front of his workplace and was transferred to an unknown location.
Aslani, 33, spent 185 days in solitary confinement of the IRGC run ward 2A and 70 days in the solitary confinement unit of Ward 209. He was then transferred to the ward 350 general ward. He has been sentenced to 4 years in prison.
The 19.5 prison sentence has been upheld for blogger Hossein Derakhshan. Derakhshan who was a resident of Canada was detained after travelling to Tehran. He was sentenced for blasphemy, collaborating with anti-regime governments, anti-regime propaganda, administering pornographic sites, membership in groups and activities in media.
Blogger and human rights activist Abdolreza Ahmadi was detained in February of 2009 and spent 4 months in the solitary confinement units of the IRGC-run Ward 2A of Evin Prison. According to the Human Rights House of Iran, he has been sentenced to 3 years in prison for acting against national security and disturbing public opinion.
RAHANA: Journalist and political activist Farid Salavati was detained after the security forces raided his residence in Isfahan.
According to the Human Rights House of Iran, he is the son of a prominent pre-revolution activist Fazollah Salavati
There is no news as to the condition of Ali Soleimanpour, member of Iran Teacher’s Organization, who had been detained 4 days ago (June 1st, 2011). The security forces detained Soleimanpour with a warrant and confiscated his computer and notes after searching his house. They also confiscated his store’s computer the following day.
He had previously been sentenced to one year of suspended imprisonment and 35 lashes for his cultural activities.
Rasoul Bodaghi, Hashem Khastar, Mohammad Davari, Abdollah Momeni, Abdolreza Ghanbari and Nabiollah Bastan are all teachers who are currently serving their sentences in prison.
Anisa Dehghani, a Baha’i citizen, was apprehended by security agents on the eve of June 2, 2011 while a friend was giving her a ride to the bus terminal.
Human Rights House of Iran reported that this Baha’i citizen had traveled from Isfahan to Mashhad for a visit with her friends. Security forces in Mashhad arrested her and transferred her to the intelligence holding jail in this city.
To date she has been able to contact her family twice. Despite her family’s efforts, officials have given no explanation for Anisa’s arrest.
During the past few weeks many Baha’i citizens in Iran have been arrested and taken to prison. Instructors of the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education, which is an online Baha’i university, are among those recently incarcerated.
Baha’i citizen Pejman Nikounejad has been arrested along with his wife Sharareh Kashani. The officials who arrested them introduced themselves with a false identity and entered the house after the door was opened. According to the Human Rights House of Iran, they have been arrested for organizing a religious ceremony at their residence. The ten security agents who entered the house hit one of the individuals in the house and got the signature of the other people present promising that they would not participate in a religious ceremony. During the arrest, the faith related books, computers, satellite and some of the belongings were confiscated. The couple was arrested and there are no reports as to their whereabouts.
The Intelligence Ministry agents in Northern Iran had also arrested 3 Baha’i citizens by the names of Misagh Laghaei, Mahvand Laghaei and Nadia Farhadi who organized a religious ceremony, in the recent days.
Early Wednesday (June 8th, 2011) morning intelligence agents raided the home of Saeed Moghanli’s father. Security agents arrested the journalist from Azerbaijan in a village in Ardebil and transferred him to an undisclosed location. Human Rights House of Iran reported that Mr. Moghanli’s personal belongings were confiscated during the time of arrest. This social activist from the province of Azerbaijan has been arrested on numerous occasions in the past years and has been subjected to many interrogations.
To date there is no information about his condition and no disclosure of his location.
Blogger and human rights activist Abdolreza Ahmadi was detained in February of 2009 and spent 4 months in the solitary confinement units of the IRGC-run Ward 2A of Evin Prison. According to the Human Rights House of Iran, he has been sentenced to 3 years in prison for acting against national security and disturbing public opinion.
Sixteen prisoners were secretly hanged at Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison on May 23 and 24, says the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, citing “reliable sources.”
It reports that on May 23, twelve prisoners were hanged for drug charges. The next day, three sisters were hanged for drug charges and a convicted rapist was executed.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran had earlier reported that over the past two and a half months, 70 prisoners have been hanged in Vakilabad Prison. The campaign contends that the executions were drug related and carried out secretly and en masse. The campaign maintains that the prisoners were executed without prior notification to the families and lawyers of the prisoners. The recent surge in the number of executions in Iran has set off alarm bells in international human rights communities.
In March, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed “international concern” regarding the rise in executions in Iran and the conditions of prisoners at Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison in particular.
64 Prisoners testify: 'Jailed activist Hoda Saber beaten up before death'
GVF — In a shocking new revelation, 64 political prisoners held in ward 350 of Iran’s notorious Evin prison have provided a more detailed account how inmate Reza Hoda Saber had been beaten up by state agents before his death on Sunday.
According to opposition website Kaleme, the prisoners were able to get their message across prison bars with the aid of Green Movement sympathisers inside Evin prison.
On Sunday, Kaleme reported that Hoda Saber, who had been arrested after the disputed 2009 presidential election, had died of cardiac complications after being transferred from Evin prison to Tehran’s Modarres hospital. The website had said that Saber’s heart complication had been induced by his hunger strike in prison.
Hoda Saber, along with fellow imprisoned activist Amir Khosro Dalir-Sani, had gone on hunger strike to protest the tragic murder of Iranian activist Haleh Sahabi at the funeral of her father Ezzatollah Sahabi.
The list of signatories to the letter includes the names of many prominent activists, journalist and political figures such as Feizollah Arabsorkhi, Ali Malihi, Arash Sadeghi, Ghorban Behzadian-Nejad, Bahmadn Ahmadi Amooei, Emad Bahavar, Javad Emam, Emadoddin Baghi and Ramin Parchami.
The full text of the letter is as follows:
Political prisoners Reza-Saber was martyred on 12 June 2011 after an indefinite hunger strike and as a result of the authorities’ negligence. As his fellow inmates, we, the signatories to this statement who had been with him throughout the past year, would like to inform the Iranian people and testify that:
On Thursday 2 June 2011 following news of the death of political prisoner Haleh Sahabi who had been on furlough, and while Mr Hoda Saber was still mourning the death of Chief of the Nationalist-Religious Council Ezzatollah Sahabi, he [Saber] and Mr Amir Khosro Dalirsani issued a statement in the courtyard of Evin prison’s ward 350 after noon, and afternoon prayers and declared their intention to begin an indefinite hunger strike to show their protest against this flagrant injustice and violation, while informing the public of the move.
We testify that in addition to his daily reading of books, recitation of the Quran and holding history lessons, Hoda Saber always dedicated significant time to sports and even took part in sporting competitions together with the youth at ward 350.
We testify that throughout the past year, Hoda Saber had ever suffered from any health condition or illness, something that his medical records in the prison medical facility attest to.
We testify that on the eighth day of his hunger strike, Hoda Saber developed chest pains as well as a digestive disorder, and at 4am on Friday 10 June, he was taken to the Evin prison clinic—situated next to ward 350—for the first time. However, two hours later, he was brought back to the ward while curling around himself in pain. His cellmates were awoken due to his cries [of pain] and encircled him. Saber then said “they not only didn’t treat me for my condition, but beat me up and insulted me, ad I was thrown out of the room by agents wearing uniforms of clinic staff.”
We testify that as Hoda Saber was shivering intensely and curling around himself in room 1 of ward 350, he said in a loud voice, “I will sue them.”
At this point and following protests by inmates, a prison guard once more arranged for him to be transferred to the medical facility, but this time, Saber repeated his disapproval of the way he had been treated and the behaviour of agents at the clinic and said “I don’t trust them,” after which the guard promised to make an effort to admit him to a hospital outside Evin [prison].
We testify that at this point, Saber who could not even stand on his own two feet, was taken outside the ward on a stretcher. In his last hour at the ward, his digestive system was in a very critical condition and he said many times that he had severe diarrhoea and nausea.
Dear people of Iran
What’s been said is an account of martyr Hoda Saber’s last hours in Evin’s ward 350. But at a point in time when the regime has responded with crime to a protest against crime, we firmly state that the current [political] establishment is directly responsible for the death of martyr Saber. This heart-breaking incident is not the first of its kind, and as things stand, it will not be the last either.
Even though a thorough examination of the cases of most political prisoners would reveal widespread injustice and disregard for their rights during legal proceedings, Hoda Saber had been held in prison without any legal verdict or sentence, and was imprisoned in a completely unsystematic fashion due to the pressure and force exerted by certain intelligence bodies and with full knowledge of responsible organisations; Yet no one provided answers to why and with what legal justification he was held behind bars. And of course, his indictment had expired long before his recent arrest. The unmethodical and illegal arrest of Saber alone is enough to delegitimise the legal system and to prove their lack of independence and their vulnerability to the intelligence bodies. Under the status quo, citizens outside the confines of prisons, and more than anyone else, prisoners, will not be able to enjoy legal, medical and life security.
We would like to express our deep condolences to the patient family of martyr Hoda Saber, especially Mrs. Farideh Saber and her mourning children Hanif and Sharif.
As a first step, we condemn this inhumane norms within the legal system and this type of treatment of prisoners, and hold the ruling establishment responsible. Henceforth, we shall take further action based on how officials follow-up on the issue [death of Saber] and we will stand till the very end to uphold the people’s rights and [to ensure] the regime respects the law.
Signatories to the letter:
1. Ghorban Behzadian Nejad
2. Mohammad Davari
3. Bahman Ahmadi Amooei
4. Abdollah Momeni
5. Hasan Asadi Zeidabadi
6. Ali Jamali
7. Mohammad Reza Moghiseh
8. Ali Malihi
9. Babak Dashab
10. Hamid Reza Mohammadi
11. Ghasel Sholeh-Sadi
12. Kiarash Kamrani
13. Mohammad Javad Mozaffar
14. Ehsan Mehrabi
15. Emad Bahavar
16. Mojtaba Tehrani
17. Javad Emam
18. Feizollah Arabsorkhi
19. Emadoddin Baghi
20. Abolfazl Ghadyani
21. Mohammad Hossein Khorbak
22. Esmail Sahabeh
23. Amir Khosro Dalirsani
24. Seyed Mohammad Seifzadeh
25. Siamak Ghaderi
26. Sam Mahmoudi Sarabi
27. Akbar Amini Armaki
28. Houshang Farzin
29. Hamed Mirzaei Gorji
30. Arash Segher
31. Ahmad Shah Rezaei
32. Arash Sadeghi
33. Navid Kamran
34. Ramin Parchami
35. Alireza Sohrab-Pour
36. Mahdi Hosseinzadeh
37. Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand
38. Mahdi Khodaei
39. Siamak Rahmani
40. Saeid Matin-Pour
41. Masoud Lavasani
42. Mohsen Ghamin
43. Mohammad Pour-Abdollah
44. Hossein Mofidi
45. Mahdi Nowzar
46. Abolfazl Ghasemi
47. Ebrahim Madadi
48. Abbas Nami
49. Ali Behzadian-Nejad
50. Hossein Zarrini
51. Amir-Hossein Ghanbari
52. Gholam-Reza Azadi
53. Majid Tamjidi
54. Yousef Mehr
55. Shahin Zeinali
56. Peyman Aref
57. Javad Alikhani
58. Ramtin Ghaffari
59. Mahdi Vatankhah
60. Fereydoun Seidi-Rad
61. Saeid Malmirian
62. Javad Alikhani
63. Mohsen Ghali
64. Meysam Roudaki
Source: http://en.irangreenvoice.com/article/2011/jun/13/3175
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Freedom: 16 Secret Executions took place by the iranian gov...
16 prisoners were secretly hanged at Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison. Sixteen prisoners were secretly hanged at Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison on May 23 and 24, says the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, citing “reliable sources.”
It reports that on May 23, twelve prisoners were hanged for drug charges. The next day, three sisters were hanged for drug charges and a convicted rapist was executed.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran had earlier reported that over the past two and a half months, 70 prisoners have been hanged in Vakilabad Prison. The campaign contends that the executions were drug related and carried out secretly and en masse.
The campaign maintains that the prisoners were executed without prior notification to the families and lawyers of the prisoners.
The recent surge in the number of executions in Iran has set off alarm bells in international human rights communities.
In March, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed “international concern” regarding the rise in executions in Iran and the conditions of prisoners at Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison in particular.
Source: Human Rights House of IRAN (http://www.iranpressnews.com/english/source/100477.html)
It reports that on May 23, twelve prisoners were hanged for drug charges. The next day, three sisters were hanged for drug charges and a convicted rapist was executed.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran had earlier reported that over the past two and a half months, 70 prisoners have been hanged in Vakilabad Prison. The campaign contends that the executions were drug related and carried out secretly and en masse.
The campaign maintains that the prisoners were executed without prior notification to the families and lawyers of the prisoners.
The recent surge in the number of executions in Iran has set off alarm bells in international human rights communities.
In March, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed “international concern” regarding the rise in executions in Iran and the conditions of prisoners at Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison in particular.
Source: Human Rights House of IRAN (http://www.iranpressnews.com/english/source/100477.html)
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