Hamid Noury: IRI perpetrator given life sentence in Sweden for being involved in 1988 mass executions
Hamid Noury, former Iranian prison official has been sentenced to life sentence by Stockholm District Court after...continue
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A review of the legal process of the trial of Hamid Noury
The trial of Hamid Noury on charges of participating in the massacre of political prisoners in the summer of 1988, by a court in Sweden, has significant importance for Iran and people of Iran who had been facing injustice for decades.
These proceedings must have cost millions of Crowns for Sweden and has created a heavy burden for the Swedish judiciary. The trial has taken months to complete and required extensive and detailed planning. To read the rest of the article, please click on: Continue.
Date: 5 May 2022
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Swedish court to give verdict in July
A landmark trial against a former Iranian prison official accused of war crimes during a 1988 purge of dissidents wrapped up in Sweden on Wednesday, with a verdict due to 14 July.
The proceedings marked the first time an Iranian official has gone on trial for the purge.
Hamid Noury, 61, faces charges including war crimes and murder for his role in the killing of hundreds of political prisoners in Gohardasht prison in Karaj.
5000 political prisoners were executed across Iran in the summer of 1988, ordered by the Islamic regime supreme leader Khomeini.
Prosecutors called for a life sentence for Noury, who has been on trial in Stockholm district court since August 2021.
On Wednesday, the final day of the trial, the judge set the date for the verdict on July 14.
“I hope these hands will be cleared … with the help of God,” Noury told the court, his palms raised to the sky and holding a Koran. “Friends, I love you, I’m not angry at you”, he told those present in the courtroom, his remarks in Farsi translated into Swedish by a court-appointed interpreter.
The defence had contested Sweden’s principle of universal jurisdiction — which allows it to try the case regardless of where the offences took place — and called into question the plaintiffs’ testimony.
“There is a lot of uncertainty about the way in which the name Hamid Noury arose in the testimonies”, Daniel Marcus, one of Noury’s two lawyers, told the court, calling the evidence “insufficient”.
According to the prosecution and survivors who testified against him, Noury was assistant to the deputy prosecutor of Gohardasht prison near Tehran at the time of the events.
He allegedly handed down death sentences, brought prisoners to the execution chamber and helped prosecutors gather prisoners’ names. Noury has argued that he was on leave during the period in question, and said he worked in another prison, not in Gohardasht.
Noury was arrested at a Stockholm airport in November 2019 after a number of Iranian former political prisoners filed police complaints against him.
The trial took eight months. It ended on Wednesday 4 May 2022.
4 May 2022
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Sweden Charges IR perpetrator with 'War Crimes'
Swedish prosecutors said Tuesday they were charging an Iranian man for "war crimes and murder" over the execution of more than 100 political prisoners in 1988 in Karaj, Iran.
The case against 60-year-old Hamid Noury, who was arrested in Sweden in November 2019, concerns his part in the mass killings of prisoners towards the end of the 1980-1988 war between Iran and Iraq.
Noury was arrested upon his arrival at the airport in Stockholm, with Swedish media reporting at the time that he was visiting relatives.
In the summer of 1988, Islamic Republic of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini "issued an order to execute all prisoners held in Iranian prisons who sympathised with and were loyal in their convictions to the Mujahedin," according to Swedish prosecutors.
Noury held the position of "assistant to the deputy prosecutor at the Gohardasht prison," on the outskirts of Karaj, west of Tehran, the statement said.
"The accused is suspected of participating, together with other perpetrators, in these mass executions and, as such, intentionally taking the lives of a large number of prisoners, who sympathised with the Mujahedin and, additionally, of subjecting prisoners to severe suffering which is deemed torture and inhuman treatment," it said.
In the charge sheet, seen by AFP, Prosecutor Kristina Lindhoff Carleson said that these actions constituted a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
Facing him in the trial is a group of more than 30 plaintiffs and 30 witnesses, made up of former prisoners who witnessed the atrocities and relatives of victims.
Following the mass executions, and after a ceasefire between Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraqi government, the Iranian leadership also decided that other political prisoners "who sympathised with various left wing groups and were regarded as apostates by the Iranian leadership, should be executed."
Prosecutors said Noury, in his role at the prison, was also complicit in the killings that followed.
"These acts are classified as murder according to the Swedish Penal Code since they are not considered to be related to an armed conflict," the prosecutor statement said.
28 July 2021
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The trial of Hamid Noury will commence in the near future
Hamid Noury was arrested on 9th November 2019 at Arlanda airport, Stockholm on charges of violating the international law and being involved in the massacre of hundreds of political prisoners in Gohardasht Prison in the Summer of 1988.
The Prosecutor had issued the warrant of arrest of Noury on 8th November 2019 for being accused of 3 counts of international crimes; namely;
genocide; crimes against humanity and war crimes. Following that Noury was arrested the day after on 9th November at 1 pm at Arlanda airport in Stockholm.
Since his arrest till this date, Noury’s detention period has been extended every four weeks. The prosecutor has requested these extensions to complete his investigations in this case. It is noteworthy that throughout his incarceration, Noury has been kept in solitary confinement without being in touch with the outside world. Noury’s application for bail has been denied on the grounds that he may jump the bail or destroy the evidence against him.
Few months after the arrest of Noury, the prosecutor following consultation with international law experts, decided to limit the charges to two counts of genocide and murder. The charges for crimes against humanity and war crimes were dropped. Crimes against humanity, although always recognised under customary international law, but was added to the international law following the adoption of the Rome Convention(for the establishment of the International Criminal Court) in 2002, and thus did not cover the massacre of political prisoners in the summer of 1988. Also “War Crimes “ could not be applicable as the prisoners were not war prisoners and had not participated in a war. The prisoners were in prison many years before the conflict between Mojahedeen and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
During the hearing for considering the application for the extension of the period of detention of Noury in November 2020, the presiding judge requested the prosecutor to expedite his investigations and set a trial date as soon as possible. On the basis of the prosecutor’s response, the hearing of Noury’s case will most probably commence in February 2021.
Recently the prosecutor has requested the Swedish Government to declare any reservation that the Government may have in relation to the trial of Noury. The Government has responded that they have no reservations and the trial may proceed with the Government’s consent. Coordination with the Government, in view of the separation of powers rules, is just a formality, allowing the Government to raise its concerns, if any, in view of its diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic Of Iran.
Noury has consistently denied allegations against him and has objected to the extensions of his detention and limitations imposed upon him.
Iran Watch
28th December 2020
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A report from France 24 on Iran bloody uprising of November 2019
In this report, it is said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has killed three hundred people during the uprising of Iranian people in November 2019, while the statistics published by Iranian and international human rights organisation show that the Islamic Republic has killed more than 1500 people in 130 cities between November 15 and 17, 2019. This report is important because it has accurately documented four cases of the killings in four cities in November 2019.
from the day when it documented four cases of massacres in November 2009 and presented them with accurate information.
The report has 4 episodes. Each episode deals with a city and in each of them an incident .
Shahriar
The fact that the Islamic Republic official has said that the bullets did not come from their weapons, proves that it was coming from their weapons.
Marivan
It is shown that in one part of the city, people were standing peacefully and then the Basij (the government irregular military forces) started firing at them .
Sadra
It is proven that people are shot from a Basij center and at least four people are killed/injured. With the exact name and address of the Basij center .
Mahshahr
The exact location of the massacre is shown and it is proved that weapons belong to military forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran .
All using videos posted by people .
VOICES OF A MASSACRE
UNTOLD STORIES OF LIFE AND DEATH IN IRAN, 1988
NASSER MOHAJER
For more of this, please click: Voice
Dozens were arrested at International Workers’ Day protests
Islamic security forces violently dispersed gatherings of independent Iranian labor organizations and arrested dozens of activists who were protesting in association with International Workers’ Day (May Day).
According to the labor organizations involved, dozens of workers have been arrested so far. Protesters gathered May 1 in front of Iran’s parliament building, where a number of well-known protesters — including Reza Shahabi, Kayvan Samimi, Hassan Saedi, Vahid Fereydouni and Mohammad Ali Eslaghi — were arrested. Teachers, retirees and students also joined the protests.
According to fliers calling for the protests, some of the issues were “instability in the labor force, low and delayed wages, privatization, unsuccessful businesses, and pressure on independent unions and activists.” A previous labor protest April 26 in Tehran was also violently dispersed by security forces and led to the arrests of activists and organizers. While most of the individuals who were arrested from that protest were released the same day, three individuals remain in custody.
Independent labor organizations were not the only groups protesting in Iran. A gathering of Iranian teachers who were protesting was also violently dispersed. A coordination council of trade unions, which organized the protests, reported that a number of protests took place across numerous provinces in Iran. Witnesses at the protests reported a strong security presence and also plainclothes men recording the protests.
According to Amnesty International, since May 2018 Iran has arrested two dozen teachers. Many of the protests and activists have called for better wages and more funding for public education.
While protests and strikes are not uncommon in Iran, they have been receiving more attention — possibly due to the higher economic pressure in the country and the impact of social media in personal testimonies.
One of the more high-profile cases involved Esmail Bakhshi. A founding member and spokesman for the independent Workers Union of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro Industrial Company in the city of Shush in Khuzestan province, Bakhshi became well-known on social media when workers at the factory began protesting unpaid wages and the privatization of the factory with little transparency. He was arrested in November 2018. Shortly after his arrest, news of his torture slowly trickled out, which he later confirmed on Instagram.
Bakhshi was not deterred. In an open letter, which was also published on Instagram, Bakhshi challenged Iran’s Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi to a live debate over the use of torture in Iran. The allegation was particularly important given that oftentimes some of the most egregious torture cases are blamed on the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, whereas Bakhshi singled out the Hassan Rouhani administration’s Intelligence Ministry as the culprit.
Bakhshi’s letter resulted in responses both from the judiciary and Rouhani government officials and even prompted a meeting between members of parliament and the Intelligence Ministry. However, members of parliament claimed afterward that Bakhshi was hurt during a fight with Intelligence Ministry officials.
Last updated: 11 May2019
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Iran Arrests Labor Activists Ahead of International Labor Day
Less than four days ahead of the International Labor Day, May 1, several members of the Free Workers Trade Union of Iran (FWTUI) have been detained in Tehran on Friday 26 April, reports say.
The detainees had reportedly gathered in a park in the capital city, Tehran, to plan for celebrating the international Labor Day.
Tens of labor activists had assembled in the capital city's Jahan Nama Park, off the Tehran-Karaj motorway, when security forces stormed the place, detained and took away up to twelve of them. Most of the detainees were released later, but several others, including Misses. Parvin Mohammadi, Haleh Safarzadeh, and Valeh Zamani, as well as Alireza Saqafi, were transferred to a notorious prison, Gohardasht, west of the capital.
Following a significant increase in labor protests in recent months in Iran, the number of detained labor activists has also risen in the country.
Prominent labor activists, including the Secretary of the Board of the Free Workers Trade Union, Jafar Azimzadeh, the spokesman of the Haft Tapeh Sugar plant workers trade union, Esmaeil Bakhshi, well as the teachers' rights defenders, Esmaeil Abdi, Mahmoud Beheshti Langarudi, Mohammad Habibi, Rouhollah Mardani, and Abdul Reza Qanbari are currently behind bars. They are all accused of various “security crimes,” but labor rights activists say they were jailed for their participation in teachers’ union activities. Habibi has been sentenced to lashes, too.
One of the main demands of labor activists is raising the minimum wage. The minimum subsistence need for workers in Iran is currently around $400 monthly, according to the Kermanshah Electrical and Metal Workers Union, while the minimum wage is about $110
Last updated: 9 May 2019
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Two labour rights activists at grave risk of further torture
Two labour rights activists who were rearrested after speaking out about torture and other abuse they suffered in detention last year are at grave risk of further torture.
Esmail Bakhshi and Sepideh Gholian were violently arrested in Shush, Khuzestan province, on 20 January in apparent reprisal for talking publicly about the torture they endured in detention during November and December 2018, provoking a public outcry.
Click here for more on this: Cont...
Photo: Esmail Bakhshi and Sepidet Ghelian
Last updated: 20 January 2019
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Islamic Regime of Iran executed three young kurdish political prisoners
Iranian regime executed Ramin Hassan Panahi, Loghman Moradi and Zanyar Moradi in Rajaei Shahr prison of Karaj city on 8 September 2018.The Islamic regime of Iran executed these young men, despite widespread condemnation of their death sentences
This is not the first time that the criminal Islamic regime of Iran is executing political prisoner. Many thousand have been executed by the Iranian regime in the past four dacades, in 1980s in particular.
8 Sept. 2018
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Ett historisk parad för rättvisa över massaker av politiska fångarna i Iran.
Överlevande och familjemedlemmar minns Irans massavrättningar i en stor manifestation/parad som kommer att hållas i Stockholm lördagen den 15 september 2018. Vi marscherar från Norra Bantorget till Sergels Torg. Samling och avmarsch från Norra Bantorget är kl 12:00. Vi ska bära en stor bandroll som är ca 40 meter lång. På bandrollen finns bilder på hundratals politiska fångar som avrättades 80-talats. På Sergels Torg ska vi hålla tal och spela musik.
Manifestationen är en gräsrotsnivårörelse och är ett upprop för rättvisa över Irans 80-talets massavrätningar av politiska fångra och till stöd för Khavaran Mödrar. Mödrar vars söner och döttrar avrättades 1980-talet samalar regelbundet vid massgravar som ligger i den övergivna Khavaran kyrkogården och kräver sanningen och rättvisa. Khavaran kyrkogården ligger i södra Irans huvudstad Tehran.
A historical justice seeking parade over massacre of Iran´s political prisoners.
Survivors and family members recall Iran's mass executions in a major manifestation / parade which will be held in Stockholm on Saturday, September 15, 2018. We march from Norra Bantorget to Sergels Torg via Vasagatan and Klarabergsgatan. The gathering and march from Norra Bantorget is at 12:00. We will carry a large bandwidth that is about 40 meters long. On the bandroll there are pictures of hundreds of political prisoners executed in the 1980s.
The manifestation is a grassroots movement and is a call for justice over Iran's 1980s mass executions of political prisoners and in support of the Khavaran Mothers. Mothers whose sons and daughters were executed in the 1980s gathered regularly at mass graves located in the abandoned Khavaran cemetery and demanding truth and justice. The Khavaran cemetery is located in the southern Iranian capital of Tehran.
August 1, 2018
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Islamic Regime of Iran to Destroy Graves of Executed Political Prisoners
Plans are underway to destroy a section of Tehran’s main cemetery that is host to the graves of many political prisoners who were executed in the early 1980s, IranWire has learned.
The management of Tehran’s “Heaven of Zahra” cemetery has told the families of those buried in Section 41 of the graveyard that the area will be bulldozed and paved over, according to one of the relatives, who spoke to IranWire on condition of anonymity.
Section 41 has been badly neglected on purpose, and is already full of broken and destroyed gravestones. The area had been a burial place for people from a range of backgrounds, although they all shared something in common: They were all executed in the early years of the Islamic Republic. Among those buried in Section 41 were supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), who were mostly in their late teens or early twenties at the time, and Baha’is executed for observing their peaceful faith. One of the best known people buried in Section 41 is Sakine Ghasemi, popularly known as Pari the Tall, a prostitute who was executed in 1979 along with some of her associates. Two well-known Marxist figures, Taghi Shahram and Saeed Soltanpour, used to be buried here, but were later transferred to the Khavaran cemetery in eastern Tehran. Kharavan later became host to the remains of thousands killed during the mass executions in 1980s.
Sept. 22, 2017
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Mother Behkish, one of the mothers of Khavaran, passed away on January 3, 2016
Mother Behkish, one of the mothers of Khavaran, died in her residence in Tehran on January 3, 2016. The Islamic Republic of Iran killed and executed six members of her family in 1980s, for their political activities and for their beliefs. Those killed by the regime were her daughter Zahra Behkish, her sons Mohammad Reza Behkish, Ali Behkish, Mahmoud Behkish and Mohsen Behkish and her son-in-law Seyamak Asssadian.
Mother Behkish spent most of her life in front of the prison and cemetery were her loved ones were believed to be, looking for them. She was one of the mothers and a member of thousands of families whose dear ones were executed and killed by the Islamic Republic of Iran in the 1980s. Since then, they have been seeking justice for their loved ones. Consequently, they turned Khavaran cemetery into the main base for their struggle for justice and have fought to maintain this cemetery, where their dear ones were buried in mass graves following the political mass executions of the1980s.
Mother Behkish´s heart was full of love and hope for better days to come, days when she would be able to see perpetrators held accountable for the death of her loved ones. Alas, she will not see this day.
Last update: January 3,2016
Six more Kurdish prisoners executed in Iran
Click here for more information: Cont..
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Islamic Regime executed Reyhaneh
Reyhaneh Jabbari's mother speaks out after her daughter was executed this weekend for killing her alleged rapist Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi.
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Last upadet: 28 October 2014
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We demand that International Criminal Court charges Benjamin Netanyahu & Israel for War Crimes against Humanity
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Why this is important
Reyhaneh Jabbari is at risk of execution for having killed a member of the Iranian intelligence services, Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi, a physician, who was attempting to rape her. Her execution verdict has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Rayhaneh Jabbari is a 26 six year old woman who has been in prison for the last 7 years and is awaiting imminent execution[ by hanging].
Click here to sign the petition
.Last update: 28 March 2014
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n support of the Kurdish prisoners in Turkey
Hundreds of Kurdish political prisoners have entered an indefinite hunger strike, challenging Turkey's treatment of Kurdish political prisoners since 12 September 2012. Through their protest, some are demanding re-trials and language rights while others want to raise international attention about Turkey's treatment of Kurdish political prisoners and better prison condition for the Kurdish (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan. Cont...
.Last update: 11 Novomber 2012
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The Islamic Republic of Iran is condemned for crimes against humanity at the Iran Tribunal at the Academy of International Law of Peace Palace in The Hague
After five years of hard work and dedication and a lengthy truth commission in London in June of this year, the tireless efforts of the Iran tribunal campaign culminated in a final court hearing, which took place over 3 days from the 25th to the 28th of October 2012 at the Academy of International Law of Peace Palace in The Hague. Cont..
Last update: 5 November 2012
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What the “Friends of the People” are, and how they fight the Social Power of the people a reference to “Iran Tribunal”
“Iran Tribunal” successfully concluded its campaign to hold the Islamic Republic of Iran accountable for its crimes against humanity. What “Iran Tribunal” achieved, was unique and historical. For the first time in the history of mankind, while the world powers totally neglected and turned their backs to a nation being plundered and at the same time abused beyond any imagination, ordinary and noble people and those who respect humanity and moral values, who neither hold state power nor are influenced by such powers, held the criminal rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran accountable for their crimes against humanity. “Iran Tribunal” proved in practice that it is possible to unite the masses with diverse political views in the form of an independent Social Power institution, to hold one of the most brutal regimes in the contemporary history of mankind accountable for its crimes against humanity.Cont...
Last update: 4 November 2012
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“Save the life of my son”
Iran -Jan 2012 -Father of Zanyar Moradi, Kurdish political prisoner on death row, in a televised massage calls on the world for saving the life of his son.
Zanyar Moradi and his cousin Loghman Moradi were sentenced to death by Branch 15 Islamic “Revolutionary” Court in Tehran on charges of murdering the son of an Imam in the Kurdish city of Marivan.
They were held in solitary confinement for months without access to lawyer and their families. They were forced by torture to have "confessed" on television to the charges.
Both denied the charges later in the court and said to have been forced to confess as they were severely tortured.
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A female political prisoner executed in Tehran
The Islamic regime of Iran executed Zahra Bahrami, who held joint Dutch-Iranian nationality, on Saturday morning 29 January 2011. The death penalty was imposed on her on 2 January 2011, for alleged drug trafficing.
Zahra Bahrami, who had travelled to Iran to be with her daughter who was undergoing chemotherapy, was arrested on or around 27 December 2009 in Tehran, in the aftermath of demonstrations against the Islamic regime on the religious festival of Ashoura, which were violently repressed by the Iranian security forces.
Zahra Bahrami was held in solidary confinement for months without access to her family. She was forced by torture to have "confessed" on television to "forming an unknown political group with three others", “possessing weapons” and “planning or engaging in acts against national security”, and to have 'confessed' to having contact with two banned organizations, the Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran (API), and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI). Further allegations of narcotics offences were brought against her later.
Zahra Bahrami denied all the charges later in the court and said to have been forced to confess as she was severely tortured.
The Association of Iranian political prisoners(in Exile) condemns strongly the execution of Zahra Bahrami. AIPP(in Exile) oppose the death penalty as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and violation of the right to life. The AIPP(in Excile) believes that the Islamic regime of Iran should be held accountable for crime against humanity.
Last update: 29 January 2011
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The Islamic regime of Iran executed two more political prisoners
Islamic regime of Iran executed two political prisoners early morning on 24 January 2011. Jafar Kazemi and Mohammad Ali Haj Aghayi were executed in Evin prison in Iranian capital Tehran. According to regime’s prosecutor in Tehran, they were hanged for spreading news of the post-election protests via internet. Both had survived 1980 mass killing in Iranian prisons.
Last update: 24 January 2011
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The Islamic regime of Iran executed Hossein Khezeri
Hussein Khezeri, a Kurdish political prisoner has been reportedly hanged early morning on Saturday January 15, in central prison of Oromeyeh city, West Azarbaijan province. The execution took place in secret without knowledge of his lawyer and his family members.
Khezeri was sentenced to death on charges of moharebeh (waging war against God). The Iranian regime has said that he was a member of armed opposition groups. In an open letter, published few months ago, Hussein denied all the charges against him. He told the people they made him to accept the charges by torturing him.
Hussein Khezeri was the third political prisoner that was executed in secret for the past three weeks. Khezeri was one of at least 15 political prisoners facing execution on various national security-related charges including moharebeh.
lLatest update: Saturday, 15 January 2011
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Concern Over 'Imminent' Execution Of Kurdish political prisoner
Hossein Khezri, has been reportedly moved from central prison of Oromeyeh city to unknow place by the security forces of Iranian Ministry of Information, on Sunday afternoon 2 January 2011. Khezri may be in imminent danger of execution. The islamic regime of Iran has resorted to execution of political prisoners without warning to prevent any protests
Khezeri has been sentenced to death on charges of moharebeh (waging war against God). The Iranian regime has said that he is a member of armed opposition groups.
Association of Iranian Political Prisoners (in Exile) calls on international community to prevent the execution.
Khezri is one of at least 15 poltical prisoners facing execution on various national security-related charges including moharebeh.
lLatest update: Sunday, 2 January 2011
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Two political prisoners hanged in Iran
Iran- Two political prisoners executed early morning on Tuesday 28 December in Evin prison in Iranian capital Tehran. Ali Saremi (m), aged 62, was imprisoned in 1980s, from 1981 to 1984, for supporting the Organisation of Iranian People Mojahedin. He was arrested again in 2005 and convicted to one year prison term after he visited his son in Mojahedin Iraqi base, Ashraf. He was arrested for the third time in September 2009, after he participated in 19th Anniversary of 1988 political massacre held in Khavaran cemetery in southern part of Tehran. Ali Saremi was sentenced to death on various charges, including”membership in Mojahedin Organisation” and "acting against state security".
Saremi hanged Tuesday along with Ali Akbar Siatdat, who was sentenced to death on various charges including “spying for the Israel”. Ali Akbar Siadat had been accused of providing Israel with classified information on Iran's military capabilities, including details about military manoeuvres, bases, operational jet fighters, military flights, air crashes and missiles.
The killings came two days after that the Iranian Islamic regime was forced to halt the execution of a Kurdish student Habibollah Latifi after a worldwide protest. Latifi was sentenced to death on 3 July 2008 following an unfair trial by the Sanandaj “Revolutionary” Court. He was convicted of moharebeh (enmity against God). He has been accused of setting off acoustic explosions in the city of Sanandaj and attempting to assassinate a judicial official. Latifi has denied the allegations made against him.
The Iranian Islamic regime hanged 11 Baluchi in Zahedan –capital of the West Baluchistan on 20 December 2010 following suicide bomb attack in the city of Chabahar. They were accused of membership in People’s Resistance Movement of Iran (PRMI), or Jondollah, which claimed responsibility for the 15 December attack in Chabahar in the Baluchi minority area of south-east Iran.
Last update: Tuesday, 28 December 2010
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Fear for life of Kurdish student
Iranian security forces raided the residence of Habibollah Leifi’s father last night and arrested all members of his family and 12 others who were visiting the family. The Kurdish student Habibollah Latifi was to be executed early morning on Sunday 16 December but the execution halted following a massive international protests. The arrests were made the same day as the family and a large group of people gathered in front of the prison demanding the execution of Habib to be halted. There is fear that the Iranian regime would execute Habib in secret while members of his family are in custody.
Last update:17 December 2010
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The execution of Kurdish student halted for now
The execution of Kurdish student Habibollah Latifi did not take place as it was scheduled for Sunday 26 December 2010.A large group of people including his members of family and relatives gathered in front of the central prison of Kurdish city of Sanandaj from the very beginning of Sunday morning, calling for the halt of the execution. At the same time, Iranian political groups and human rights organisations, international human rights organisations and Iranian activists worldwide opposed the execution and called for the sentence to be halted.
The president of the central prison of Sanandaj informed the crowed this morning the execution would not take place today. To ensure the crowed about this, he allowed the family members of Habibollah to meet with him this morning.
Habibollah Latifi was arrested on 23 October 2007 in Sanandaj and sentenced to death on 3 July 2008 following an unfair trial by the Sanandaj “Revolutionary” Court. He was convicted of moharebeh (enmity against God), a vague but capital charge. He has been accused of setting off acoustic explosions in the city of Sanandaj, and then filming them; as well as attempting to assassinate a judicial official in Sanandaj. Habibillah Latifi denied all allegations made against him in court. Habibollah Latifi is a student activist and a peaceful Human Right campaigner.
This is a great victory for all who tried hard for the last few days to prevent the execution. As the Islamic regime of Iran is not reliable, the protests should continue as long as the death sentence of Habibolah is officially halted.
We should also remember that 10 more political prisoners in Tehran and several Iranian Kurdish cities are sentenced to death. The Iranian regime would any time carry out the sentences.
Last update: Sunday, 26 December 2010..........................................................................
Political prisoner facing imminent execution
Habibollah Latifi Pour, a Kurdish student of Ilam University who was sentenced to death by first branch of the the Islamic “Revelotionery”Court in Iranian Kurdish city of Sanadaj in 2008, is now facing the imminent execution.
Islamic regime Judicial authorities said to his lawyer, Mr. Saleh Nikbakht, he will be executed on Sunday December 26, 2010
Association of Iranian Political Prisoners(in Exile), in a press statement, called the international community to put the Islamic regime of Iran under pressure to stop the execution.
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The islamic regime hanged Shahla Jahed at dwon after spending 9 yrears in prison
Shahla Jahed was accused of killing the wife of Nasser Mohammad Kahni, an Iranian football Player, but she deied the killing. In Court she said she was tortured to acknowledge the killing. It says she has fallen for the plot of the Iranian Secret Agency , which killed the wife for puting the blames on the husband but put the blame on Shahla as Nasser Mohammad Khani was at the time of the killing in Germany. The news of the execution has been widely circulated worldwide. See below
Iran executed footballer Nasser Mohammad Khani´s mistress
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More political executions; more reasons for a public tribunal
During the early hours of Sunday, 9 May 2010, the Islamic republic of Iran executed Farzad Kamangar, a detainee teacher along with four other political prisoners; Shirin Alam Hooli, Ali Heydarian, Farhad Vakili and Mehdi Eslamian.
Farzad Kamangar, a 32 year old teacher and a social worker from Kurdistan was arrested in August 2006 on charges of membership of "Kurdistan Workers Party" (PKK) and was later sentenced to death in February 2008.
Ali Heydarian and Farhad Vakili, two other Kurdish activists were also arrested on the same charges as Farzad Kamangar in August 2006 and were sentenced to death by execution in February 2008.
Shirin Alam Hooli, a female Kurdish activist was arrested in May 2008 in Tehran, charged with the membership of PKK. She was later faced with the unfounded charge of "Bomb planting" and was sentenced to death by execution in January 2010.
Mehdi Eslamian was arrested on May 4, 2009. He was charged with collaborating with his brother, Mohsen Eslamian and two others; Roozbeh Yahyazadeh and Ali Asghar Pashteh who had been charged with "Bomb Planting" and executed a year earlier. Mehdi was sentenced to death in November 2009.
The suppression and death apparatus of the Islamic Republic has been working non-stop for 31 years; since its establishment. The bloodiest period of this regime's rule took place during 1980s during which thousands of political prisoners were sent to their deaths by execution. Physical elimination of the dissidents, opposition groups and freedom seekers has always been carried out and implemented based on unfounded charges.
The brutal and deadly crackdown on the recent uprising by the people of Iran, torture, rape and mutilation of the victims' bodies and the ever ongoing executions plus the latest execution of the above mentioned activists demonstrates this horrific reality that as long as this regime is holding onto power, persecution, suppression and death of innocent Iranian citizens will continue.
The Islamic regime must be held accountable for its crimes.
Other States and international institutions have chosen to ignore or be oblivious to the crimes committed by the Islamic Republic and have done nothing to stop it's suppression and death apparatus.
None of the international judicial authorities has been prepared to take up the petitions raised by the families of the victims of these crimes over the past years nor has there been any international inquest to investigate the crimes committed by the rulers of the Islamic Republic.
The ever ongoing executions by the Islamic Republic plus the recent executions has placed this regime at the very top of the most brutal regimes in the contemporary world history and calls for a tribunal for its crimes against humanity in a stronger voice than ever before.
Right now, a campaign to investigate the crimes committed by the Islamic Republic in Iran's prisons has been initiated. This campaign is aiming to reflect and respond to the pleading for justice of those whose trauma and agony have been neglected for over three decades.
Campaign to set up an international tribunal to investigate the massacre of political prisoners in Iran.
Last update: 9 May 2010
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Iranian regime rejected calls to release all political prisoners
GENEVA (Reuters) – Iran rejected calls to release all political prisoners and accept an international inquiry into violence after last June’s contested presidential elections, an official U.N. report said.
The Islamic Republic also refused to end the death penalty and said it would not make torture as an offence under its laws, according to the report on a discussion of its rights record in the world body’s Human Rights Council.
In the discussion, held on Monday as part of the Universal Permanent Review (UPR) process which all U.N. members undergo every four years, it said many recommendations, including one from Chile urging guarantees of political and civil rights for all, including dissidents, were already in effect.
In Wednesday’s report, approved by the 47-member Council, Iran had already declared it was an open democracy under the rule of law, pledged it would comply fully with international rights pacts and ensure that torture was eliminated.
The Council also registered Iranian promises to ensure religious freedom, freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate peacefully.
Critics of the UPR system, including many activist NGOs, say it gives too much room for countries to fend off detailed criticism on specific issues and allows them to make vague promises of future action.
“The proof of this pudding produced today will be in the eating,” said one European diplomat asking for anonymity in referring to the Iran report. “We have seen promises like this before, but not much action to follow them up.”
Despite agreeing to a Netherlands recommendation to “take measures to ensure that no torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment takes place,” Iran rejected another from Spain to sign the U.N. anti-torture pact.
And it rejected a U.S. proposal that it allow the U.N. special investigator on torture, Austrian lawyer Manfred Nowak, to visit the country and have access to detention facilities — although it has accepted a visit next year by Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay.
Asserting earlier that the Iranian media was free and that the state did not block access to the Internet, it dismissed recommendations to “end severe restrictions on the right to free expression” and to stop harassment of journalists.
The Council has no mechanism to enforce implementation of pledges made in the UPR process, although countries are expected to report back on what they are doing.
Source: AP (Editing by Louise Ireland and Jonathan Lynn)
Last update: 29 February 2010
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Two young political prisoners executed in Tehran
Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani (37) and Arash Rahmani Pour (19) were executed on 28 January 2010.
The execution of two men charged with crimes in connection with alleged membership in illegal anti-government organizations, and the announcement of death sentences for nine other persons arrested for protest activities, are part of a growing wave of political executions in the Islamic regime.
Arash Rahmani Pour |
Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani |
According to his indictment, Zamani’s conviction for the capital crime of Mohareb, or “taking up arms against God,” was based on his membership in unknown “pro-Royalist group, Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran”, and on allegedly meeting in Iraq with United States operatives and receiving money from a source based in the US, all for the purpose of instigating unrest in Iran. According to his lawyer, the other defendant, Arash Rahmani Pour, had been forced to confess to membership in the same group.
“Given the high number of political prisoners and the spike in capital punishment since protests began, the threat of a great number of political executions is acute. Leading Islamic clerics and officials have repeatedly called for harsh punishments, including the death penalty, for protesters, and for legal measures to expedite executions.
The Islamic regime executed two Kurdish men, Ehsan Fattahian and Fasih Yasamani on 11 November 2009 and 6 January 2010, respectively, after trials that did not meet international standards and a failure to present evidence that linked them to capital crimes. Fattahian’s sentence was imposed by an appeals court. Shirin Alam Holi, a female Kurdish activist, was sentenced to death earlier in January. Around 20 other Kurdish political activists have received death sentences.
Neither of the men executed today were involved in the political protests following the disputed June 2009 presidential elections, and the AIPP in Exile believes their cases were opportunistically mixed into mass trials of protesters because of their association with highly unpopular insurgent groups.
“It may be assumed that these executions were choreographed both to intimidate Iranian citizens from participating in further demonstrations, and to create a mental opening for the execution of demonstrators,.
Last update: 28 January 2010
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"I've lost my world and I've lost my religion" - the words of a former Iranian Basij militia member who says he witnessed killings and tried to stop rapes during the uprising that followed the disputed Presidential election in June. Cont...
Last update:16 Decemebr 2009
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A young Kurdish political prisoner on the row of execution
Shirko Maarefi, allegedly a supporter of a Kurdish organisation, has been sentenced to death on various charges, including “enmity against God”. Association of Iranian Political Prisoners(in Exile) is deeply concerned that Shirko Maarefi faces imminent execution, after he was reportedly transferred to solitary confinement in the death row section of Saqez prison on Thursday. This could be a prelude to his execution, which would take place in a matter of 24 hours.
AIPP(in Exile)urge the world, the International Human Rights organisations in particular to put pressure on the Iranian Islamic Regime to stop the imminent execution of Sherko Moarefi. This punishment is an official crime and should be stopped immediately.
At least 10 Kurdish men and one woman are believed to be on death row in Iranian Kurdish cities after being convicted on similar charges.
On Wednesday, Ehsan Fatahian, age 27, was executed in Sanandaj prison after being convicted on similar charges, including his activities in support of Komala organisation.
The Iranian regime must stop imminent execution of Shirko Maarefi.
Association of Iranian Political Prisoners(in Exile)
13 November 2009
P.O.Box 95
12322 Farsta
Sweden
Telefax:#4686052669
www.kanoon-zendanian.org
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Ehsan Fatahian executed today
Ehsan Fatahian, an Iranian male political prisoner(age 22) executed in the province of Kurdistan, northwestern Iran on 11 November 2009. According to Mohammad Mostafaie ((http://mohegh.blogfa.com/post-252.aspx)a well-known Human Rights lawyer in Iran, Ehsan Fatahian was executed this morning as it was scheduled
Background
Ehsan Fattahian’s lawyer has been summoned to attend his execution on 11 November at the prison in the city of Sanandaj, the provincial capital of Kudistan. Ehsan Fattahian was detained in 2008. Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment to be served in exile, after a trial in which he was denied access to a lawyer.
Both Ehsan Fattahian and the prosecutor appealed against this verdict, and in January 2009 Branch 4 of the Kurdistan Appeal Court overturned the initial verdict. Instead he was sentenced to death for “enmity against God” in connection with his membership of a Kurdish armed opposition group - believed to be the the Kurdistan Independent Life Party (PJAK. The new sentence was believed to have been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Last update: 11 November 2009
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Video clips of the 21st Anniversary Seminar
Photos of the seminar
AIPP´s report on Iran 21st Anniversary Seminar
PoC´s report on Iran 21st Anniversary Seminar
Iran - A Seminar
On the 21st Anniversary of the massacre of political prisoners in Iranian prisons in the 1980s.
London, 19th September 2009
Book your place for 21st Anniversary seminar on Iran
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Rape in Iranian prison
An interview with Katayoun an Iranian former political prisoner who became one of the victims of torture, sexual abuse, and finally, rape. This is the second interview in this regard that has been done by the Iranian director Reza Alamzadeh and produced by the Association of Iranian Political Prisoners(in Exile)
An interview with a former political prisoner in Iran who became one of the victims of torture, sexual abuse, and finally, rape. The interview has been done by the Iranian director Reza Alamzadeh and produced by the Association of Iranian Political Prisoners(in Exile).
last upadte: 14 August 2009
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48 HOURS HUNGER STRIKE IN SOLIDARITY WITH POLITICAL PRISONERS
Part of the Global Week of Actions in Solidarity with the People of Iran and for the release of political prisoners.
Iranian former political prisoners have initiated two hanger strikes in Candian Vancouver and German Berlin from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th July 2009
PROGRAM: Mass hunger strike, live musical performances, story-telling, addresses by Iranian former
The hunger strike is held in conjunction with the Week of International Solidarity with Iran which will be commemorated throughout the world to call attention to the suppresion and killings of people in the streets in the post-election aftermath.
“The people we have seen being tear-gassed, beaten and brutalized for standing up for their rights and changes in Iran, are our family members, friends and colleagues,” states Ardvan Zibram, one of the organizers of the Vancouver hunger strike. “Thousands are languishing in Iranian prisons, being subjected to inhuman treatment, torture, and forced confessions. The Global Hunger Strikes are one of the many ways that we are showing our support for Iranian political prisoners to let them and their families know that they have not been forgotten” adds Ardvan.
The rotating hunger strike actions are being echoed in many cities around the word during the week including Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Stockholm, New York, Berlin, Barcelona and many others.
The bellow photos have respectively been taken in Vacnouver and Berlin on the first day of the hunger strike.
Last update: 25 July 2009
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An Iranian teenager killed in Evin prison
Sohrab Erabi (m), a 19 year old student was disappeared during the recent uprising of the Iranian people in Tehran. He was found by his mother two weeks later in Evin prison. She kept waiting outside of the prison every day trying to find out if his son was still alive, by showing his son’s photograph(as we se in the bellow video clip) to the prisoners who were released from prison. Little while later she was told by prison authorities, namely Saeed Mortazavi, Tehran public prosecutor that his son died in prison. Sohrab is one of the many who have been disappeared during the recent uprising of the Iranian people. Two, including Sohrab, have so far been found dead in Evin prison. It has been reported that both have been killed under the torture. 34 people have been shut killed during the uprising and 2500 were arrested.
..Lat update: 12 July 2009
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Neda before she gets shot
The bellow video film shows Iranian girl Neda Agha Soltan moments before being shot dead by an Iranian government gunman in a street in capital of Iran, Tehran on 20 June 2009.
Last update: 3 July 2009
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Neda, the symbol of the Iranian uprising
Iranian girl Neda Agha Soltan (the bellow photo) was shot and killed by Islamic regime´s police forces during the uprising of the Iranian people on 20 June 2009. Watch the video here. But warning: the video contains graphic and disturbing footage.
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Nokia Siemens enabling the Iranian state's crackdown on the people
According to the BBC News: "Nokia Siemens Network has confirmed it supplied Iran with the technology needed to monitor, control, and read local telephone calls."
See the article here
http://news.bbc.co.uk:80/2/hi/technology/8112550.stm
Millions of Iranians are taking to the streets
The names, who have been killed and detained Since 12 June
The images of the uprising: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mousavi1388/page2/
Millions of Iranians are taking to the streets in outrage at evidence that Thursday’s election was rigged. The uprising in Iran is the consequence of 30 years of oppressive regime. The people of Iran, the young in particular who made up 70% of the population, are fed up with the regime and the current situation. The Iranian Islamic regime has been aware of the people´s dissatisfaction for a long time and that the people would soon or late challenge the system. For this reason, they have established the most oppressive system in Iranian history.
In Iran, people are deprived of all their rights. They have no right to organise themselves outside the framework of the regime. There are not free parties nor unions in Iran. Small gatherings and protests are suppressed harshly. So in order to try to change the situation, people have no choice but to go through the regime, using the available tools which only exist within the regime. By supporting a part of the regime, they have split the regime in two main fractions: the reformists and the hardliners. By supporting the reformists, who have promised to bring some small changes, they have split the regime further more, making the two fractions stand against each other. What we have seen in the last few days, is the logical result of the people’s struggle for change. The people have been able to use the election headquarters of Mousavi to organise themselves and their demonstrations. Indeed, both the people and Mousavi and his fellow reformists have mutual interests in backing each other. The people want changes and Mousavi and the reformists want more power within the regime.
What the outcome will be is not really clear right now, but one thing is sure: Mousavi and his fellow reformists will support the people as long as the protests remain within the regime’s fractional conflict.
People want change and want it soon: this is the main message of the uprising. The situation cannot continue as it has been for the past 30 years. If there are no democratic changes in Iran – and it is not believed it will happen within the existing system - the people will come back again and again, even if they are silenced this time. And they will fight not just for democratic changes, but for a social revolution.
People, the young in particular, are using the rigged election to express their anger against the whole system. There is no doubt that the regime will use any means - if even necessary killing thousands of people - to prevent any outcome that would jeopardize the whole system.
The important thing is that the Iranian people now know they have power if they unite and organise.
Killed by the regime´s forces:
The Islamic regime authorities has admitted to at least 27 fatalities in Tehran but the true numbers are most probably much higher. The Campaign has been able to identify only the names of four persons killed in Tehran during recent protests because of the extreme restrictions imposed by the government. There are also reports of fatalities in other cities but the Campaign has not been able to collect any reliable information.
1) Neda Aghasoltan, student, was murdered at the demonstration in Tehran on 20 June 2009
2) Naser Amirnejad, Aerospace PhD student, was murdered during the attack on the Tehran University dormitories on the night of Wednesday, 14 June 2009. His body was buried in his home town, one of the villages in the city of Yasouj on 19 June 2009.
3) Mostafa Ghanian, graduate student at Tehran University, was murdered during the attack on the Tehran University Dormitories on the night of Monday , 14 June 2009. His body was buried in his home town in Mashad on 21 June 2009.
4) Mehdi Karami, killed in Jonat Abad Street, Tehran, 15 June 2009
5) Eight people were killed during the attack to the peaceful demonstration in Tehran on 15 June 2009, according to the government report
6) At least nineteen people were killed during the attack on the peaceful demonstration in Tehran on 20 June 2009, according to the government report
There are also several hundred injuries about which there is no available information. Some of the injuries could be life threatening. The Campaign has been informed that Ashkan Zahabian, a member of the Modern Faction of the Islamic Students Association of Ferdowsi University has been severely injured after attacks by members of Basiji Militia and is currently in a coma.
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Arrested and in detention as of 23 June 2009:
The regime officials have announced a total of 645 arrests in Tehran since 13 June 2009. The Campaign has received information that about 70 people detained in Shiraz have been released as of 21 June. The Campaign believes several hundred more people could be in detention throughout the country. The following is a list of prominent political personalities, journalists, and students that the Campaign has received.
II) Journalists:
Some of the journalists who were also political personalities are listed above under the political personalities. The list of detained journalists is also independently verified by Reporters without Borders.
1) Mohammad Ghouchani, journalist and editor in charge of daily Etemad e Meli, was arrested on 18 June
2) Rajabali Mazrouiee, head of the Journalists Association, was arrested on 20 June
3) Karim Arghandehpour, a blogger (http://www.futurama.ir/) and reporter for
pro-reform newspapers Salam, Vaghieh and Afaghieh, was arrested on 14 June
4) Maziyar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian dual national, journalist and the representative of Newsweek in Iran, was arrested on 22 June
5) Kayvan Samimi Behbahani, editor in chief of the closed monthly Nameh and human rights activist, was arrested on 14 June
6) Zhila Baniyaghoub, journalist and editor in charge of the Iranian Women’s Center website, was arrested on 20 June
7) Bahman Ahmadi Amoui, journalist, was arrested on 21 June
8) Mojtaba Pourmohsen, journalist and Radio Zamaneh’s representative in Rasht, was arrested on 15 June
9) Mahsa Amraiee, Journalist , was arrested on 14 June
10) Behzad Bashou, Cartoonist, was arrested on 14 June
11) Sayed Khalil Mirashrafi, TV producer was arrested on 14 June
12) Abdolreza Tajik, journalist was arrested on 14 June
13) Rohollah Shahsavar, journalist was arrested in Mashhad, was arrested on 17 June
14) Mashallah Haydarzadeh, journalist in Boushehr, was arrested on 14 June
15) Hamideh Mahouri, journalist in Bushehr, was arrested on 14 June
16) Amanolah Shojaiee, journalist in Bushehr, was arrested on 14 June
17) Hossein Shokouhi,a journalist in Bushehr, was arrested on 14 June
18) Somayeh Touhidlou, sociologist and blogger in the Road of Health
19) Shiva Nazarahari, a member of the Reporters of Human Rights Committee and a journalist was arrested on 13 June
20) Alireza Beheshti Shirazi, editor in charge of banned daily Kalameh and the website Kalameh Sabz, former director of the Iran Participation Front, was arrested on 23 June during the attack to the newspaper property. Beheshti’s son, Sadra, was arrested while he was visiting his father.
21) Hassan Maadikhah, director of the Zareh Publication and son of Abdolmajid Maadikhah the former Cultural and Guardiance Minister,
22) Mostafa Ghavanloo Ghajar, was arrested on 22 June
23) Fariborz Soroush, arrested in Karaj
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III) University Students and professors:
[The names of students who were arrested during the attack on the Tehran University Dormitories are based on information released by the Reports of Human Rights Committee]
1) Marjan Fayazi, student at Mazandaran University, was arrested on June 22
2) Sogan Alikhah, student at Mazandaran university, was arrested on June 22
3) Alireza Kiani, student at Mazandaran university
4) Milad Hosseini Koshtan, student at Mazandaran university
5) Ali Nazari, student at Mazandaran university
6) Siavoush Safavi, student at Mazandaran university
7) Ashkan Zahabian, student at Mazandaran university
8) Ali Dinavari, student at Mazandaran university
9) Rahman Yaghoubi, student at Mazandaran university
10) Maziar Yazdani, student at Mazandaran university
11) Ali Abbasi, student at Mazandaran university
12) Shouaneh Merikhi, student at Mazandaran university
13) Majid Dari, an expelled student at Alameh Tabatabaiee University in Tehran, was violently arrested on 21 June in his home
14) Esmaiel Jalilvand, a student activist in Shiraz University, was arrested on 21 June
15) Hamdollah Namjou, a student activist in Shiraz University, was arrested on 21 June
16) Hossein Reisian, university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin, was arrested on June 21
17) Fazli, university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin
18) Imani, university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin
19) Alborzi, university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin
20) Darvish, university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin
21) Mohsen Barzegar, student at Babol Engineering Univeristy, was arrested on June 18
22) Iman Sedighi, student at Babol Engineering Univeristy, was arrested on June 18
23) Hesam oldin Bagheri, student at Babol Engineering Univeristy, was arrested on June 18
24) Siavash Saliminejad, student at Babol Engineering Univeristy, was arrested on June 20
25) Alireza Khoshbakht, an expelled graduate student, was arrested on June 17
26) Zahra Tohidi, an expelled graduate student, was arrested on June 17
27) Ziaoldin Nabavi, secretary of the Education Rights Council, was arrested on 16 June
28) Sohrab Ahadian, student at Tehran University, was arrested on June 17 when the Tehran University Dormitories were violently attacked
29) Reza Arkouzi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
30) Karim Emami, student, was arrested during the attack on the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14
31) Mohammad Hossein Emami, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
32) Elaheh Imanian, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
33) Rouholah Bagheri, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
34) Farhad Binazadeh, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
35) Iman Pourtahmasb, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
36) Ezat Torbati, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories midnight on June 14
37) Somayeh tohidlou, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
38) Milad Chegini, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
39) Mohammadreza Hohabadi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
40) Seyed Javad hosseini, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
41) Farshid Heydari Zamin, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
42) Behnam Khodabandeh lou, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
43) Mohammad Khansari, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
44) Mohammad Davoudian, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
45) Mahmoud Delbari, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
46) Ali Raiee, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
47) Omid Rezaiee, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
48) Ali Refahi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
49) Seifolah Rmezani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
50) Ebrahim Raidian, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
51) Naser Zamani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
52) Majid Selahvand, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
53) Hanif Salimi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
54) Mohammad Bagher Shabanpour, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
55) Hamed Shaykh alishahi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
56) Iman Shaydaieezaban, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
57) Farhad Shirahmad, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
58) Saman Sahebjalali, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
59) Farhan Sadeghpour, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
60) Farshad Taheri, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
61) Ghamdideh Olum, student, was arrested during the attack to the TehranUuniversity Dormitories at midnight on June 14
62) Esmaieel Ghorbani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
63) Mohammad Karimi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
64) Erfan Mohammadi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14
65) Naseh Faridi, student at Teacher Training Universtiy, was arrested on June 17
66) Izadi, Professor of Bualisina University in hamedan, was arrested on June 16
67) Majzoubi, University Professor at Bualisina University in Hamedan, was arrested June 13
68) Amin Nazari, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
69) Siavash Hatam, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
70) Pouria Sharifian, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
71) Mehdi Mosafer, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
72) Reza Jafarian, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
73) Hojat Bakhtiari, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
74) Mostafa Mehdizadeh, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
75) Omid Sohravi, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
76) Vahid Amirian, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
77) Fazolah Joukar, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
78) Mehdi Torkaman, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
79) Nastaran Khodarahimi, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
80) Ali Ahmadi, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
81) Mosaab Ebrahimi, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
82) Saeed Parvizi, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
83) Bahareh Hosseini, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
84) Hadis Zamani, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
85) Nahid Siahvand, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
86) Imani, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan
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I. Members of the reformist presidential candidates’ campaigns:
1) Mostafa Tajzadeh, a member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization and deputy of the Interior Ministry during Khatami’s presidency, was arrested on 13 June
2) Behzad Nabavi, a founding member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization and former minister and parliamentarian, was arrested on 13 June and released the day after. He was arrested on 16 June for the second time
3) Mohsen Mirdamadi, General Secretary of the Iranian Participation Front and former parliamentarian, was first arrested on 13 June and released the day after, but was disappeared on 17 June
4) Saeed Hajarian, a senior adviser to reformists, a journalist, member of the Central Council of the Iran Front Participation, member of the first City Council in Tehran, the victim of an assassination attempt in 2000, was arrested on 15 June, is paralyzed and suffers serious brain and spinal cord injuries
5) Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, Vice president of the Iran Front Participation, coordinator of the reformist campaign in Kurdistan and former government spokes person during Khatami’s presidency, was arrested on 16 June
6) Ali Abtahi, a senior adviser to Karroubi’s Campaign, former Deputy of Parliament Office of President Khatami, and a vice president under Khatami, was arrested on 16 June
7) Abdolfatah Soltani, a human rights lawyer and one of the founding members of the Human Rights Defenders Center as well as a member of Executive Board of the Bar Association, was arrested on 16 June
8) Javad Emam, a member of Tehran branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization
9) Hojat Esmaieli, a member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization
10) Mohsen Safaiee Farahani, member of the Iran Front Participation and the head of its Implementation Board, and former president of the Football Federation,
11) Ali Tajernia, a member of the Central Committee of the Iran Participation Front and former parliamentarian
12) Baghier Oskouiee, leading official in Karroubi’s campaign, was arrested on 16 June
13) Saeed Laylaz, prominent economist and Journalist, was arrested on June 17
14) Kuroush Zaieem, a member of the Central Council of the Iran National Front, was arrested on 21 June
15) Davoud Solaymani, a member of the Central Committee of the Iran Participation Front and former parliamentarian
16) Mohammad Tavasoli, director of the political office of the Freedom Movement in Iran and first Mayor of Tehran after the 1979 Revolution, was arrested on 16 June
17) Hossein Zaman, a well-known pop singer whose works have been banned from State controlled Radio and Television because of his support for the reformist movement
18) Mohsen Aminzadeh, a founding member of the Iran Participation Front and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in Khatami’s cabinet, on June 16
19) Saeed Shirkvand, member of Central Council of Iran Participation Front and former Deputy of Treasury in Khatami’s cabinet
20) Ahmad Zaydabadi, general secretary of the Advar organization and journalist, was arrested on June 13
21) Abdolah Momeni, member of the central council of the Advar organization and its spokesperson, was arrested on 21 June
22) Hamed Iranshahi, member of the Central Council of Advar organization, was arrested on June 16
23) Musa Saket, a member of the Advar Tahkim Vahdat and in charge of the campaign seeking supporters of Karroubi, was arrested on 18 June
24) Mohammad Atrianfar, a leading member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi Party and journalist, was arrested on 16 June
25) Jahanbakhsh Khanjani, a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi Party and former spokesperson for the Internal Affairs Ministry in Khatami’s presidency
26) Ebrahim Khoshchehreh, a political activist in Lahijan and member of National Religious Activits, was arrested on 21 June
27) Khoshchehreh, Son of Ebrahim Khoshchehreh, was arrested in Lahijan on 21 June
28) Mohsen Bastani, member of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization in Isfahan
29) Mehrdad Balafkan, member of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization in Isfahan
30) Ahmad Afjeiee, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
31) Emad Bahavand, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
32) Mojtaba Khandan, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
33) Saeed Zeraatkar, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
34) Rouholah Sahraee, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
35) Ali Mehrdad, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
36) Mohammad Reza Ahmadinia, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran
37) Reza Arjaini, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
38) Jalal Bahrami, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
39) Sadegh Rasouli, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
40) Ahad Rezaiee, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
41) Bagher Fathali Baygi, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
42) Mansour Vafa, member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan
43) Ali Pourkhayri, member of the Iran Participation Front
44) Shahin Nourbakhsh, member of the Iran Participation Front
45) Ali Taghipour, member of the Iran Participation Front
46) Mohammad Shokuhi, member of the Iran Participation Front
47) Ashkan Mojaleli, member of the Iran Participation Front
48) Maysam Varahchehre, member of the Iran Participation Front
49) Mahdian Minavi, member of the Iran Participation Front
50) Farhad Nasrollahpour, member of the Iran Participation Front
51) Amir Ariazand, member of the Iran Participation Front
52) Ali Taghipour, member of the Iran Participation Front
53) Adel Dehdashti, member of the Iran Participation Front
54) Mehrdad Balafkan, member of the Iran Participation Front
55) Mahmoud Ebrahimi, member of the Iran Participation Front
56) Bahram Kardan, member of the Iran Participation Front
57) Shahabobdin Tabatabaiee, the head of the Youth Supporters of the Moussavi Campaign
58) Mohammadreza Jalaieepour, a student in Oxford and in charge of the website of the youth branch of the Iran Participation Front, was arrested on June 17 in Tehran Airport
59) Saeed Nourmohammadi, member of the Iran Participation Front
60) Ali Mohaghar, a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi party
61) Hedayatollah Aghaiee, a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi party
62) Ali Waghfi, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran
63) Hamzeh Ghalebi, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran
64) Saeed (Hassan) Nikkhah, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran
65) Hesam Nasiri, member of the Moussavi’s Campaign in Tehran
66) Ehsan Bagheri, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran
67) Homaiee, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran
68) Fatahi, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran
69) Zakeri, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran
70) Rouholah Shahsavar, member of Moussavi Campaign in Khorasan
71) Mohsen Rouzbehan, member of Moussavi Campaign in Khorasan
72) Kaveh Servati, member of Moussavi Campaign, was arrested on 20 June
73) Maryam Ameri, member of Karroubi’s Campaign
74) Naseh Faridi, member of Karroubi’s Campaign
75) Morteza Khani, member of Karroubi’s Campaign
76) Bagher Oskouiee, member of Karroubi’s Campaign
77) Siamand Ghiyasi, member of Karroubi’s Campaign in Kermanshah
78) Mohammad Jafari, member of Karroubi’s Campaign in Kermanshah
79) Dr. Jalil Sharabianlu, a prominent MD and surgeon in Tabriz
80) Dr Ghafar Farzadi, in Tabriz
81) Majid Jabari, in Tabriz
82) Rahim Yawari, In Tabriz
83) Abbas Pourazhari, in Tabriz
84) Dr. Laya Farzadi, in Tabriz
85) Shabeti, in Tabriz
86) Shamlu, in Tabriz
87) Dr. Ghafarzadeh, in Tabriz
88) Dr. Soltaniazad, in Tabriz
89) Dr. Panahi, in Tabriz
90) Dr. Seyflou, in Tabriz
91) Dr. Dadizadeh, in Tabriz
92) Mehdi Yarbahrami, in Tabriz
93) Mansour Ghafari, in Tabriz
94) Hojatollah Amiri, in Tabriz
95) Amir Hossein Jahani, in Tabriz
96) Rhdah Rahimipour, in Tabriz
97) Mehdi Khodadadi, in Tabriz
98) Payam Haydar Ghazvini, student in Gazvin
99) Nasim Riahi, student in Gazvin
100) Mojtaba Rajabi, student in Gazvin
101) Atar Rashidi, student in Gazvin
102) Hanieh Yousefian
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Arrested and Released:
1) Mohammad Reza Khatami, member of the Central Committee of Iran Participation Front, brother of former president of the Islamic regime Khatami, was arrested on 13 June and released on 14 June
2) Zahra Mojaradi, a member of the Iran Participation Front, was arrested on 13 June and released on 14 June
3) Saeed Shariati, a member of the Iranian Participation Front, was arrested on 13 June and released on 14 June
4) Taghi Rahmani, political figure and journalist, was arrested on 14 June and released the day after
5) Reza Alijani, political figure, was arrested on 14 June and released the day after
6) Hoda Saberi, journalist, was arrested on 14 June and released the day after
7) Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, and her daughter and two other members of Rafsanjani’s Family were arrested on 20 June and released after 30 hours
8) Ebrahim Yazdi, General Secretary of the Iran Liberation Movement, was arrested on June 14 from the Pars Hospital in Tehran and was taken back to the hospital on June 15 for further surgery
9) Ahmad Ahmadian, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later
10) Eskandari, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later
11) Amin Afzali, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories midnight on June 14 and released later
12) Vahid Anari, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later
13) Mohammad Bolourdi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later
14) Hossein Hamedi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later
15) Mohsen Habibi, Mazaheri, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later
16) Navid Haghdadi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later
17) Mohammad reza Hokmi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later
18) Kazem Rahimi Olume, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later
19) Morteza Rezakhani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later
20) Maysam Zareiee, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later
21) Amin Samiee, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later
22) Bahram Shaabani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later
23) Alireza Shaykhi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later
24) Ebrahim Azizi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later
25) Siavash Fiaz, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later
26) Sayed Hossein Mirzadeh, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later
27) Hossein Noubakht, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later
28) Javad Yazdanfar, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later
29) Habib Khadangi, student, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later
Last upadte: 24 June 2009
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Delara Darabi executed this morning
Delara Darabi, an Iranian imprisoined youn young girl, who was convicted of murdering the cousin of her father in the age of 17, executed this morning in the prison of Rasht city in northern part of Iran in the age of 23, in spit of the fact that her execution was postboned for two months after the family of the victim refused to attend the execution. For more information about Delara please go to the follwoing links:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/juvenile-offender-faces-imminent-execution-iran-20090417
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/delara-darabis-execution-postponed-two-months-20090420
last update: 1 May 2009
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Imprisoned journalist on hunger strike in Iran
Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, who was jailed for eight years for spying earlier this month, has pledged to stay on hunger strike until she is released.Cont..
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Torture in Iran
An interview with A student activist who have been imprisoned in Iran for 9 years now he lives in USA.
Last update: 22 April 2009
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Demonstrate: Stop the execution of Delara Darabi
Amnesty International calls for a demonstration In London, urging the Islamic regime of Iran to stop the execution of Delara Darabi. Cont..
.Last apdate: 18 March 2009
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Delara Darabi scheduled to be executed in 4 days
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
According to Iran's state run daily newspaper Etemaad, the young artist Delara Darabi(F) who has spent the last 5 years in Rasht prison in Iran for the alleged murder of a relative, is scheduled to be executed in four days from now.
It was reported that her lawyer Abdolsamad Khoramshahi had been given official notice of her execution date. He is convinced that Delara is innocent and hopes that the family of the victim will give pardon by accepting "diyeh" (blood money) as retribution.
Stop Child Executions has reported the urgent news to the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights, Members of Parliament worldwide and other human rights groups and individuals. Stop Child Executions is hoping there is enough pressure on the the head of Judiciary in Iran to grant a new trial whereby Khoramshahi will be able to present the new evidence he has obtained which would prove her innocence. Stop Child Executions has also been working to establish contact with the family of the victim to see if there are any other avenues to save Delara's life.
Stop Child Executions urges you to bombard the Head of Judiciary, Shahroudi's fax with the message below:
Fax: 0098213904986
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The families were not allowed to meet with detained students
Today, between eight in the morning and eight at night, the families of nine Amir Kabir students detained over recent weeks staged a demonstration marking their wish to be near their loved ones as Norouz approaches; seeking permission to be allowed to see them and perhaps get news about their forthcoming release. Sadly, none saw any of the students.
To mark the repression facing these students, today, Amnesty International has issued an article setting out its concerns about the students. Please see:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/students-iran-face-repression-arrest-2009031
Latest update:18 March 2009
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No peace for victims of Iranian revolution
Kharavan is the burial place for thousands of political dissidents, most of them executed in the 1980s. Their graves are often unmarked as the government prevented families from putting up headstones or other memorials. It is this part of the cemetery which seems to have been picked out for ‘redevelopment’. Cont..
Last update: 10 March 2009
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The following video is produced by Amnesty International on 30th anniversary of
regime change in Iran
Last update: 3 March 2009
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KHAVARAN MASS GRAVES UNDER THREAT
Last month, the Iranian authorities began bulldozing the site of mass graves in the district of Khavaran in southeast Tehran, planning to turn it into a public park. They have already covered a large area with soil - having possibly removed bones - and planted rows of trees. In these unmarked graves lie thousands of political prisoners killed by the Islamic regime in the 1980s - most of them during a secret mass massacre in the summer of 1988.
Amnesty International is calling 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 into the site as part of a long-overdue thorough, independent and impartial investigation into mass executions which began in 1988."
Iranian human rights advocates, including Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, have also condemned the destruction of the graves. The Centre for the Defence of Human Rights, headed by Ebadi, issued a statement recently condemning "this ugly and appalling act and (noting) that everyone, including the authorities is required to maintain the dignity of the dead," according to Agence France-Presse.
The area being destroyed in Khavaran is a desolated plot next to the cemetery of religious minorities. Families of the victims call this place "the rose garden of Khavaran" - for a rose, in a culture where it is often safer to use poetry, represents a fallen freedom fighter. The Iranian leadership calls it the "place of the damned" or the "graveyard of the infidels".
Families of the victims fear that the building work will irremediably destroy all evidence of the massacre and render identification of their loved ones impossible. "The authorities don't want this place to become a symbol. They are afraid of the bones because the bones can testify of their crimes," says Monireh Baradaran, a writer who survived the massacre and now lives in exile in Germany.
Amnesty International agrees: "The organization fears that the 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 rights to truth, justice and reparation."
Families of the victims and human rights activists are circulating a petition addressed to Ms. Navanethem Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights, demanding she uses all her power to stop the destruction of Khavaran. "For us as well as for the families of the victims, Khavaran represents the resistance and struggle of a revolutionary generation killed by the Islamic regime. Destroying this landmark would be whitewashing a crime," says Babak Emad, International Secretary of the Association of Iranian Political Prisoners (in exile).
The Islamic regime has never acknowledged these executions, revealed how many were killed (Amnesty International estimates the number of victims between 4,500 and 10,000), explained why they were killed not told relatives where the bodies have been buried. Families of the victims only discovered Khavaran mass graves after heavy rain unearthed some remains in the months following the massacre.
The execution of such a large number of people within such a short time, without any due process, violates many international human rights treaties to which Iran is signatory. The Iranian authorities have the obligation to investigate the massacre and bring to justice those responsible, Amnesty International says. "Destruction of the site would impede any such future investigation and would violate the right of victims, including families, to an effective remedy."
Amnesty is also urging the Iranian government to let the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions visit the country and the Khavaran site.
Veronique Mistiaen is a London-based journalist writing about social and humanitarian issues and human rights. She has researched the 88 massacre over the past few years.
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Islamic regime of Iran in Canadian court
In the summer of 2006, Stephan Hashemi launched a civil action before the Superior Court of Quebec against the Islamic Republic of Iran, its Supreme Leader, as well as the two officials who were directly responsible for the arrest, detention, torture and death of his mother, Zahra Kazemi. Stephan is seeking moral, physical and punitive damages on behalf of his mother’s estate and his own behalf. Most importantly, he is attempting to bring to justice those who were responsible for Ms. Kazemi’s torture and death, which so far have enjoyed impunity for their brutal acts.
After two years of procedural skirmishes, a first hearing in the case will be held from February 3 to 5, 2009, at the Montreal Courthouse. At that time, Iran will present its motion to dismiss the case, invoking the State Immunity Act. This federal statute bars proceedings against foreign states before Canadian courts, except under limited circumstances, none of which appears to apply in this case.
To counter Iran’s motion, Stephan’s lawyers have raised the incompatibility of the State Immunity Act with the Canadian Bill of Rights, a quasi-constitutional statute that guarantees for every Canadian the right to a fair hearing in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice, whenever their rights and obligations are at issue.
The argument that will be presented to the Court on Stephan’s behalf rests on the proposition that in the event that the action is dismissed in Montreal based on state immunity, Stephan and his mother’s estate will be forced to pursue their recourse before Iranian courts. Given the highly political nature of the case and its sensitivity to the Islamic Republic of Iran, they would not be able to obtain a fair hearing, in violation of the Bill of Rights. Stephan and his mother’s estate are therefore asking the Superior Court to declare the State Immunity Act inoperative in this particular case so as to allow them to seek justice against the perpetrators of such gross violations of basic human rights in Quebec, where they can expect to receive a fair and just hearing of their case, without outside interference.
Amnesty international Canada (francophone) and the Canadian Centre for International Justice have indicated that they will be intervening in the case to support Stephan's position.
Last update: 27 January 2009
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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - PUBLIC STATEMENT
20 January 2009
Iran: Preserve the Khavaran grave site for investigation into mass killings
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).
Last update: 20 January 2009
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A International action is needed to prevent the destruction of political mass graves in Iran
The Islamic regime of Iran has reportedly destructed a number of mass graves in Khavaran Cemetery in past several days. The Islamic regime of Iran executed thousands of political prisoners in 1980s. There are no numbers of the exact amount victims, as a result of harsh censorship and a harsh political climate in Iran. But to this day there are around 20000 known names of victims by families and organizations.
The massacre of political prisoner in the summer of 1988 was climax of at massive elimination process. Today, many families do not know where their loved ones are buried. A number of the graves have been discovered by the families across the country. The most well-known graves are found in Khavaran cemetery in southwest suburbs of the capital of Iran, Tehran. Khavaran has all these years become a place for thousands of families to commemorate their loved ones.
All these years, the Iranian regime has tried to destroy the khavavran, the most important evidence of its most horrifying crime in the Iranian history, by destructing the mass graves and transfer the Khavaran into a park. They have digged a number of the graves and possibly moved the remainder of the bodies to unknown place or destroyed them. They have changed the soil and planted a huge number of trees on the top of the graves.
Khavaran" represents the resistance and struggle of thousands of a revolutionary generation in Iran who was perished by the Islamic Regime in the 80s. Destroying this landmark should be considered an act of whitewashing a crime. It is unconsciouable act and should be strongly condemned.
To act against the destruction of mass garves in Khavaran, please sign the bellow petition.
Last upadet: 18 January 2009
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The human values of the young Israelis
This video is about young Israeli girls and boys who refuse to attend the mandatory military service in Israel's army. Some of them talk in this short video, introduce themselves and described the situation and their basic human values. They also asked people to sign the letter they provide and tell Israel to free these young Israeli boys and girls who don´t want to be a part of mass killings and violence against Palestinian people. They are all sentences to CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS!
Last update: 18 January 2009
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Protest Statement - Arrests of Trade Unionists in Iran
Trade unionists and human rights activists around the world are once again appalled to learn that Ebrahim Madadi was arrested in Tehran today . According to his union, Vahed Syndicate, he was visiting the North Tehran Branch of the Employment Office when plain-clothes security personnel detained him with a court order and took into police custody. He is believed to be in one of the police branches tonight and is due to appear before the judge tomorrow morning . At the same time, two Executive Board members of the union are verbally summoned by the secret police .
Madadi, the Vice President of the union, was already arrested on the International Action Day, 9 August 2007, when worldwide protest action was taking place against Mansour Osanloo’s abduction on the previous month after his return from his European visit. And although Madadi was given a three and a half year sentence in October, he was released from prison two months later . Furthermore, the court ordered the Tehran Bus Company to reinstate him in June 2008.
This is not the first time that the Iranian authorities have taken unjustified actions against genuine trade unions during the Christmas holidays . Less than a week ago, the trade unions condemned the arrest of Mohsen Hakimi, a member of the ’Iranian Writers Association’ and the ’Coordinating Committee to Form Workers Organisations,’ who was detained by the secret police for unknown charges. He is now being held in Section 209 in Evin Prison. On the previous week, an auto worker, Bijan Amiri, at Pars Khodro factory was also arrested for unknown charges .
In 2005, the entire leadership of Vahed Syndicate was arrested en masse during the last week of December. Undoubtedly, the Iranian government is well-aware of the persistent international pressure against their breach of the ILO Conventions on freedom of association and the right to negotiate collectively which is why they choose this time of the year to oppress the independent workers’ movement .
The ITF, together with the ITUC and the entire global trade union movement requests the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to release Ebrahim Madadi, Mohsen Hakimi, Bijan Amiri as well as Mansour Osanloo and Farzad Kamangar immediately and unconditionally. There is reason to have concern about Osanloo’s health as we have received reports that he has not been given adequate medical treatment during the past two months .
David Cockroft General Secretary International Transport Workers Federation (ITF
Last update: 28 December 2008
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50000 websites and blogs filtered in Iran
Tehran – Iran: the Iranian Islamic regime has decided to block more websites and crack down on internet bloggers ever increasing, Tehran prosecutor Saeid Mortazavi said Wednesday. "We will harshly confront those who run anti-religious, immoral and decadent sites," Mortazavi told Fars news agency without further clarifying.
He said computer experts and two officials from the prosecutor's office have formed a team to identify and block those websites. Local internet providers in Iran have also been ordered to filter political Farsi-language sites, especially by local bloggers critical of the Islamic system.
Besides the "immoral sites," numerous other sites are blocked by Iranian authorities, including popular ones such as You Tube, Facebook and Orkut, as well Farsi-language news sites of VOA and BBC. The number of internet users, especially among the youth, has dramatically increased and reportedly reached more than 20 million in Iran.
Most users have also found ways to evade the state censors and get access to all sites via proxy tunnels. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Orkut are very popular among young people, as they can date there without being bothered and or arrested by local vice enforcement.
The Iranian authorities have officially announced that 50000 websites and blogs have been filtered only in one year.
Last update: 9 Dcemebr 2008
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The family confirm´s blogger´s arrest
Blogger and Cif contributor Hossein Derakhshan disappeared in Iran on November 1. His family say he was arrested
The controversial blogger and occasional Cif contributor, Hossein Derakhshan, is under arrest in Iran, according to members of his family. This is the first information since November 17 when an Iranian website, Jahan News (summary in English here) said he had been arrested and had "admitted" to spying for Israel.Derakhshan, who was previously an active blogger, has not posted anything on the internet since November 1.
Initially, his family refused to talk about his disappearance but now they have confirmed that the was arrested on November 1. According to the Globe and Mail report, the family have spoken to him four times since then – "each time in a phone call lasting less than one minute" – but they have heard nothing since November 13 and are becoming worried.
Iranian officials have neither confirmed nor denied the reports of his arrest. In a statement issued today, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran called on the authorities to release Derakhshan immediately or to charge him with a recognisable offence under the law and provide for due process and a fair trial.
"We are extremely concerned for Derakhshan's health and safety. His family should have immediate access to him," said Hadi Ghaemi, the campaign's spokesperson.
Last update: 9 Dcecember 2008
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Three hanged in the Iranian prison
Iran- December 7: Three people have been hanged in the prison of Shahre-Kord (Western Iranian province of Chaharmahal- Bakhtiari) in the past weeks reported Iranian media today. The state run Iranian news agency Fars, reported quoting prosecutor of the city of Shahre-Kord, Bahrami, that three men have been hanged in the prison of this city in the past weeks. These men are identified as "A.D." (father’s name Lotfollah) hanged on November 10., Shahab Shahabi hanged on November 17. and Hassan Baba-ahmadi son of Lotfali, hanged on November 24, said Bahrami to the reporters. Theye were all convicted of murder, according to the report.
According to the official Iranian news agency IRNA Bahrami also told the reporters that four others who are sentenced to death are in the phase of implementation of the verdict.
Last update: 6 December
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Iranian-Candian blogger in prison in Iran
Iran Human Rights, December 9: In recent weeks there have been several unofficial reports about arrestation of the Iranian-Canadian blogger Hossein derakhshan in Iran. Hossein derakhshan who has Canadian citizenship was allegedly visiting Iran when he was arrested in his residence and has been kept in custody since then, reported the Canadian news site "Globe and mail". However, Iranian authorities haven’t yet confirmed the arrestation.
"The embassy of Canada is pressing the Iranian authorities to confirm whether or not this Canadian is, in fact, being detained," Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) spokesman Rodney Moore told The Globe and Mail. "[DFAIT is] actively seeking confirmation of the reported arrest of a Canadian citizen in Iran."
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Student harrased in prison
AIPP: Hood Yazerlou, student of Industrial management of Massoomein University of the religious city of Quom, who was arbitrarily arrested on 24 May 2008, for no clarified reason, has been transferred to solitary confinement since 7 December in 209 section of Evin prison. Hood had informed his family during a visit about the transfer of Kamyar and Arash Alaei (two Aids specialists also arrested on various charges including “ being in contact with the US-government”.
The two brothers are founders of the triangular system of clinics established to curb Aids and are members of the Asian society, and have been in prison since June this year. In this regard, Hassan Haddad, deputy prosecutor general for security was quoted to have stated "The US is infiltrating Iran, and apart from using tough measures they use methods to attract people to their cause".
Mr.Yazerloo (nearly 21 years old) is spending day and night under freezing conditions in solitary confinement. He is left in unbearable conditions as a weak light is always on so as to prevent his sleep (if any).
Hood Yazerloo has been under these horrendous situations for the past 6 months. During the first thirty seven days of his solitary confinement, his prison conditions and sanitary was extremely poor as the result of which his lungs were infected and eventually he was coughing blood, but any medical assistance for him was prevented by prison officials. Mr.Yazerloo, 21, was arbitrarily taken in to detention, after he came back from visiting his Aunt who is a member of the PMOI stationed in Iraq.
Last update: 2 Novemebr 2008
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Amnesty International
Public statement
IRAN Mahmoud Matin (m), aged 52, civil engineer
Arash Basirat (m), aged 44 Christian converts
Mahmoud Matin and Arash Basirat have been formally charged with apostasy, which on conviction can carry the death sentence. Their lawyer was initially informed of their charge in early August. They are prisoners of conscience, held solely for their religious beliefs.
Mahmoud Matin and Arash Basirat were arrested on 15 May 2008 by Ministry of Intelligence officials in Shiraz, south-west Iran, where they were having a meeting with 13 other people, who were also interrogated but released. They are both being held in a detention centre in Shiraz that is controlled by the Ministry of Intelligence. They were in solitary confinement for two months before being placed in a cell together around 15 July.
Both Mahmoud Matin’s and Arash Basirat’s families have tried to secure their release on bail before their trial takes place but this was refused by the authorities. Mahmoud Matin has been able to see his wife on short visits. Arash Basirat is diabetic and has become very weak and his medical condition has deteriorated.
Mahmoud Matin and Arash Basirat were charged with apostasy under Article 214 of the Code of Criminal Procedures. This states that where there is no existing law on a matter, courts are obliged to resort to fiqh resources (religious jurisprudence/interpretative works of Islamic jurists) or credible fatwas (religious edicts) to issue verdicts and sentences. The late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s treatise on legal affairs, the Tahrir ol Vassileh, provides a fatwa on apostasy and states that male apostates who were born as Muslims should be put to death; it is feared that this may be used when they come before the court to convict them and sentence them to death. Other charges which were initially brought against them, including “propaganda against the state”, “disturbing public opinion” and “distributing false information” have since been dropped.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Christianity is a recognized religion in Iran, but evangelical Christians, some of whom have converted from Islam, often face harassment by the authorities. In recent months, since May, there has been an increase in the number of Christians arrested. Most of the arrests have taken place in Bandar Abbas, in Hormozgan province, Esfahan in central Iran, Sanandaj in north-west Iran and Kermanshah in western Iran.
Conversion from Islam (apostasy) is forbidden under Islamic law, which requires apostates to be put to death if they refuse to go back to Islam. There is currently no specific provision in the Iranian Penal Code for apostasy, but judges are required to use their knowledge of Islamic law to rule on cases where no specific legislation exists in the Penal Code.
A new version of the Iranian Penal Code has recently been passed by the majles (parliament). In the original draft it prescribed the death penalty for those considered to be apostates and it is believed that this provision remains in the version approved. The law must be vetted by the Council of Guardians for conformity to Islamic Law and the Constitution before it can be signed and come into effect.
Article 23 of the Iranian Constitution states: "The investigation of individuals' beliefs is forbidden, and no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief." Under Article 18 (1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party, "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching." An individual's right to adopt a religion (including by converting from his/her original religion to another faith) is absolute and cannot be subject to limitations.
Last update: 18 September 2008
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Two arrested on the 20th universary of 1988 Massacre
Iran- Tehran, 1 September: The Iranian security forces prevented families of political prisoners who were killed during the 1988 Massacre, to gather in Khavaran cemetery in southern part of Tehran. Security forces as well as police in a large number blocked the roads to the cemetery and any one who tried other ways to enter the cemetery was beaten and arrested. It is estimated that as many as 35 people were arrested. All except a journalist (Shirin Partoo)and a women rights activist(Hoshmand Tehrani)'were released on bails later.
Bakground
In summer 1998, the Iranian Islamic regime killed thousands of political prisoners who were serving their sentences. They all had survived the mass executions of the early years of 1980s. At the beginning of the 80s (1981-1987), the Iranian Islamic regime arrested thousands of its opposition and executed them after torturing them. It is estimated that 20000 were either shot by a firing squad or were hung in early years of 80s.
Every year on August 31st(This year 29th August), the Memorial Day of massacre of political prisoners, family members gather in Khavaran Cemetery to commemorate their loved ones.
The bodies were buried in mass graves, many of which are not yet known to the families. Today, many families do not know where their loved ones are buried. The Islamic Republic of Iran refuses to name the graves. A number of the graves have been discovered by the families. The most well-known graves are found in Khavaran cemetery in southwest suburbs of the capital of Iran, Tehran.Khavaran is an abandoned cemetery belonging to Bahais.
Last update: 1 Septemebr 2008
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Silver Rose Award for bus drivers in Tehran
An announcement by ITF
15 September 2008
The ITF is proud to congratulate both Mansour Osanloo and the Vahed Syndicate – the Tehran bus drivers’ union of which he is the President – on the announcement that they are to receive the Solidar Silver Rose Award.
The Silver Rose Award recognises individuals and organisations whose struggle contributes greatly to social justice and equality throughout the world. Solidar (www.solidar.org) is a European network of labour and social organisations and is recognised by the ILO.
The ITF and ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation) nominated Mansour Osanloo and the Vahed Syndicate for the award and both organisations describe themselves as delighted at the decision.
Mac Urata, Secretary of the ITF's Inland Transport Section, commented: “We and everyone else who supports the campaign for justice for workers in Iran can be justifiably pleased at the news of this well-deserved award.”
“Sadly,” he continued, “Mansour is unlikely to be able to receive it in person when it is presented at the European Parliament in Brussels in October, because he is still being unjustly held in jail. In fact, the latest bad news is that instead of being moved to hospital to receive treatment for his eye problems he has instead been transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj City. This is a reminder of how far we have to go in our efforts on his and his colleagues’ behalf – but for one day at least we can take pleasure in the good news of the award and what it says about the worldwide recognition of what is being done to good men and women inside Iran.”
http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/257
Association of Iranian Political Prisoners in Exile (AIPP) 2008 Conference
Stockholm, 22nd & 23rd August
Twenty years ago in the summer of 1988 thousands of Iranian political prisoners were taken from their cells and executed. All over Iran men and women were blindfolded and shot or hung in exercise yards or prayer halls. None of them were taken to trial, instead they were asked a few questions by what became known as the ‘death commission’ and sentenced to die according to their responses. The ‘crimes’ committed by many of these prisoners consisted of expressing their non-violent political beliefs, perhaps by selling newspapers or attending meetings and demonstrations.
On this sad anniversary AIPP’s conference had two themes, commemoration and justice. Several hundred people came together to remember the victims of ’88 and the never ending pain of their friends and family. But they also met to campaign for justice for these victims and an end to a culture of impunity in Iran which rewards rather than punishes those responsible for killing and torture.
The conference was held over two days at Stockholm University and Husby Traff )Community Hall ( . Presentations were made in Swedish and English at the University and Farsi at Husby Traff. Both days were well attended and there was standing room only for much of the time at the University. It was particularly encouraging to see many young people, proving that disgust at human rights abuses and a desire for justice endures from one generation to the next.
We were honoured by an array of inspiring and distinguished speakers, including lawyers and academics, several of them ex-political prisoners. We were also delighted to welcome Hans Linde, a Swedish MP who reminded everyone just how much even a small country like Sweden can do on the international scene to promote respect for human rights.
Proceedings at Stockholm University were started by a speech from Ahmad Mossavi which really set the tone for the whole conference and reminded everyone just why they were there. Ahmad survived severe torture and ten years in Iranian jails; he was in Rasht prison when ninety of his colleagues were murdered in the summer ’88 massacres. Ahmad gave us a glimpse of the horror of those days – the sound of shooting and doors banging , followed by a silence that seemed to become deeper and more absolute as more and more lives were snuffed out. Yet if Ahmad’s speech showed us the prisoner’s despair it also brought us a survivor’s hope and a call to action.
The need for action was emphasised by the following two speakers, Kaveh Shahrooz and Payam Akhavan. Both gave clear, incisive summaries of the sort of action they believe is necessary if the perpetrators of the ’88 killings are ever to be held to account.
Kaveh Shahrooz is a young lawyer based in New York who has written about the ’88 massacres in the Harvard Human Rights Journal. Kaveh reminded us the Iranian government is responsible for two crimes, the mass killings and then a determined campaign to cover them up and pretend they never happened. We cannot turn the clock back and prevent the executions but we can make sure the victims are not forgotten and that the Islamic regime will be held to account for killing thousands of political prisoners.
Payam Akhavan is Professor of International Law at McGill University in Montreal. He served as a UN war crimes prosecutor at The Hague and kindly stopped off in Stockholm to share his expertise with us before flying on to the current conflict in Georgia. Payam made an impassioned speech and called on the international community to stop excusing or ignoring the Iranian government’s crimes in the name of cultural difference. As he said, “These are not crimes of medieval Islam; they are the crimes of the modern, authoritarian state. It’s all about maintaining power.”
Kaveh and Payam acknowledged there are many difficulties involved in defending the victims of ’88, not least the fact that a significant number were members of the People’s Mujahidin, a group that is often viewed with suspicion by human rights activists. It has been classified as a terrorist organisation by some governments. The presence of ‘unpopular’ victims is compounded by the international community’s approach to Iran which focuses almost exclusively on the nuclear issue and regional security, that is the Iranian government’s ambitions in the Gulf and their support for Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon. There is no serious, sustained interest in the Iranian people’s human rights.
Faced with these hard political realities Kaveh and Payam emphasised the need for research and co-operation. There are still too many gaps in our knowledge of what happened in 1988 and these must be filled if there is to be any chance of tracking down perpetrators and bringing them to trial. To this end Payam has helped to found the Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre in New Haven. This centre is compiling a report on the 1988 massacres, using available documentation and analysing it in the light of international law.
The slow, painstaking accumulation of evidence has a double purpose – to obtain justice for the victims of ’88 and to stop international support for the Iranian government. Kaveh and Payam showed how convenient the world’s obsession with the nuclear question is for the Iranian regime, enabling them to repress the population and keep it as a weak, ‘third world’ nation.
More stress on human rights would support civil society in Iran itself, encouraging those Labour and student activists, women’s groups and lawyer’s associations who battle against repression every day. Iran’s extraordinarily diverse civil society is a gift that has been ignored by the outside world for too long.
Kaveh and Payam’s inspired speeches clearly showed us that a successful prosecution of those responsible for the ’88 massacres will have many important consequences. It will overturn the pernicious concept of ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ victims, proving that human rights are everyone’s right. It will undermine the whole rationale of the Iranian regime, built on the idea that violence pays.
The importance of protecting writers and journalists who criticise governments and their policies was the theme of the next speech by Maria Modig. Maria is a prominent Swedish writer who was President of Swedish PEN Writers in Prison Committee for several years. PEN stands for poets, essayists, novelists and Maria spoke about the vital role writers can play in creating an open society where independent thought is valued, not feared.
Sadly, many writers pay a high price for expressing their ideas and PEN works to protect those who face censorship, threats and imprisonment. Iran currently imprisons the highest number of journalists in the Middle East. Maria pointed out that by finding and listening to the stories of the persecuted we can spread their ideas and prevent their voices being drowned out.
Susan Bahar then spoke about the execution of children in Iran during the 1980s. Susan is Editor-in Chief of Darvag Magazine for children and young people and head of the Stop Child Labour Association. Many young people below 18 years of age were executed in Iran. Again it is important to remember that these children were not killed because they were carrying guns or drugs, or because they were dishonest or violent. They died simply because they had political beliefs and aspirations. They were shot or hung because they dared to write a slogan – ‘ Bread, Housing and Freedom’ - on a wall .
Mitra Lager, the next speaker, is also a survivor of the 1980s massacres. She told a sad history about her co-prisoner. Fershteh was a university student who met the love of her life, Shahram, whilst she was in hiding. Shahram and Fereshteh married but a few months later they were hunted down and imprisoned.
Shahram was sentenced to death, Fereshteh to ten years imprisonment. Fereshteh could not believe her husband would be killed and as the time of his execution drew near she became more and more distressed. She began to scream and insist that if Shahram was to be killed she wanted to die alongside him. She could not imagine living without her beloved husband. Eventually the prison authorities tired of Fereshteh’s shouting – they had executed thousands of innocent people, so what difference would one more make? Fereshteh Shabani was executed together with her husband.
Two invited speakers were unable to attend but Ahmad Eskandari, conference chairman and mediator, read messages of support from Drewery Dyke, Head of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa programme in London, and Professor Shahla Talebi of Arizona State University. Professor Talebi referred to a series of prison letters, exchanged between husband and wife. An extract from one of the wife’s letters brought home the sense of isolation and longing felt by so many prisoners – ‘In the absence of any news about you, for hours last night, I sat in solitude with you and with the sky of our memories…I am fine and as always spend my days with sweet memories and treasured beliefs and more than ever am eager to see you.’ The prisoners’ loneliness must not be compounded by our forgetting the crimes committed against them.
A film, The Tree That Remembers, by Iranian-Canadian director Masoud Rauf was then shown. Masoud was driven to make his film by the suicide of an Iranian ex-political prisoner, also exiled in Canada. The film inter-twines the stories of several prisoners and their families, perfectly illustrating Payam Akhavan’s words: “Behind every victim there is a name, behind every victim there is a universe of emotions and relations.”
Finally, it is very important to say that on both days of the conference we were entertained by a number of talented singers and musicians. Before the speeches at Stockholm University Gisso Shakeri, an Iranian singer, and Peatriz Pine´da, who is originally from Chile, performed several moving songs. Both women are blessed with voices able to express sadness and joy, hope and despair in every syllable. We all thank them very much for their unique contribution to the conference.
We hope that everyone who attended AIPP’s 2008 conference found it a valuable experience. We look forward to seeing you at future events and urge you to support in every way possible our campaign for justice for all those who were executed during the 1980s, Iran’s ‘dark decade’.
“Difficulties should propel us to act, not despair.” Kaveh Shahrooz
A short history of the mass execution in 1980s (in English)
En kort sammanfattning av vad som hände 1988(in Swedish)
Love and Death in Prison Letters
messages of support from Drewery Dyke
20 Years of Silence: A Legal and Political Analysis of the Demand for Accountabilit
Tystnaden kring massmordet 1988 måste brytas
Vad hände oss under sommaren 1988?
What happened to us in the summer of 1988?
The death convicts and we the others
Iran-seminarium 22 august 2008
Note: The English and Swedish versions of the remaining speeches as well as the film of the seminar will be published on this websida soon.
Last update: 31 August 31
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Iran- A seminar
On the 20th anniversary of the 1988 massacre of Iranian political prisoners
Friday 22 August 2008, 14:00 – 17:00
Stockholm University, Universitsvägen 10B, Plan 3, hörsal B5, Sweden
Chair: Association of Iranian Political Prisoners (in Exile)
Are you interested in questions related to human rights, human failures and capability, society and politics?How we can make changes and improve the situation in Iran? You have the opportunity to listen to and learn from experts in this field. Take part and express your views!
This seminar concentrates on the massacre of political prisoners and execution of children.
The seminar will be held in English and Swedish.
Lecturers
Payam Akhvan
Professor of International Law at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Chairman of the Global Conference on the Prevention of Genocide. First UN war crimes prosecutor at the Hague. He has also served as counsel and advocate in several high-profile cases before the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the European Court of Human Rights.
Kaveh Shahrooz
Lawyer based in New York. Graduate of Harvard Law School. Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Human Rights Journal.
Shahla Talebi
Graduate in Anthropology. Professor and Faculty member of Arizona State University. Former political prisoner and survivor of the mass executions of the early 80s and 1988 massacre.
Ahmad Mossavi
Former political prisoner and survivor of the mass executions of the early 80s and 1988 massacre. He has written his own memories in the book entitled “Good Night Comrades”.
Susan Bahar
Editor-in chief of Darvag Magazine for children and young people. Head of Association of “Stop Child Labour”.
Hans Linde
Swedish Member of Parliament who represents the Swedish Left Party in the Foreign Committee of Parliament.
Maria Modig
Prominent Swedish writer. Member of Swedish PEN Writers in Prison Committee, served as President of this Committee and Vice-President of Swedish PEN for several years.
Topics for discussion
- What happened in the summer of 1988? How did it happen? Why did it happen?
- “Truth and Resistance”.
- A legal and political analysis of the demand for accountability.
- A Story of an Archive: Love and Death in Prison Letters.
- Accountability for human rights abuses in Iran.
- Iran executes children.
- Is the 1988 massacre a crime against humanity?
- What is the situation like for political prisoners in Iranian prisons? Similarly for labour activists, students, journalists, women rights activists, writers, lawyers, human rights activists etc?
Music:
- Gisso Shahkeri, Peatriz Pine´da
Film:
- Documentary: “The Tree that Remembers”. Directed by Masoud Rauf. Produced by the National Film Board of Canada.
Note: The same program will be held in persian on Saturday 23 August 2008,18:00 - 22:00.
For the Swedish version of the program, please click Swedish.
To see the poster of the 20th anniversary of 1988 masscare, please click Poster.
Latest update: 15 August 2008
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Public Statement
5 August 2008
Subject: Two Kurdish civil activists sentenced to death
Urgent action
A court in Kurdish capital of Sanandaj confirmed the death sentences of two Kurdish civil activists today 5th of August. Anvar Hosseinpanahai, a school teacher in Kurdish city of Dehgolan and Arslan Olyaei have been in prison since October 2007.
A lower court sentenced them to death in the beginning of July 2008. Both har denied allegation of cooperating with a Kurdish armed group opposing the Islamic regime of Iran.
The Assoiciation of Iranian Political Prisners(in Exile) strongly condemns death sentences issued upon the above-named civil activists. It is urgent that international public opinion is mobilized to halt the executions in Iran.
Association of Iranian Political prisoners(in Exile
www.kanoon-zendanian.org
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The following statement has been issued by Hans Linde och Kalle Larson, members of Swedish Parliement who are representing Swedish Left Party in Foreign Committee of the swedish parliement.
Stockholm, 5 August 2008
We hereby express our strong condemnation of the execution of the journalist Yaghob Mirnahad by the Iranian regime. The widespreading usage of the death penalty in Iran is highly disturbing, not the least since it is being used as a tool to terrorize the population from
voicing criticism or participating in legitimate civil society activities. The killing of Mirnahad is unfortunately not the only such case in recent times, and several other prisoners of conscience face the threat of execution at the moment. It is urgent that international
public opinion is mobilized to halt the executions in Iran.
Hans Linde
Member of the Swedish Parliament
Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Swedish Parliament
Kalle Larsson
Member of the Swedish Parliament
Alternate Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Swedish
Parliament
Last update: 5 August 2008
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Public Statement
Association of Iranian Political Prisoners(in Exile)
5 August 2008
Baluchi journalist executed in the city of zahedan
The Islamic regime of Iran executed a Baluchi journalist, Yaghob Mirnahad along with Abdulnasser Tahri Sader whose identification is still unknown. Yaghob Mirnahad was a well-known journalist in Iranian Baluchestan. A civil rights campaigner, aged 28, was sentenced to death on false charges including “cooperating with Jondullah” a Baluchi armed group opposing the Islamic regime of Iran, and “"membership of the proscribed group”. Yaghob Mirnahad was arrested in May 2008. No evidence has been offered to substantiate this allegation. On the contrary, all Mehrnehad's activities have been lawful and peaceful. Irans Baluchi minority live mainly in the south-east of the country.
Yaghub Mehrnehad was the head of a government-registered NGO, The Voice of Justice Young People´s Society, which specializes in organising events such as concerts and educational courses for young Baluchi people. This is not the first time the Iranian regime execute dissenters under the false allegations. There are more civil campaigner such as Farzad Kamanger, a school teacher, Farahad Vakili and Ali Heydarian who have been sentenced to death under the false allegations. These three are belonging to Irans Kurdish minority.
The Association of Iranian Political Prisoners(in Exile)is deeply concerned about the life of Farzad Kmanger, Farhad Vakili and Ali Heydarian while condemns strongly the execution of Yaghob Mirnahad.
International Section of Association of Iranian Political Prisoners(in Exile)
Last update:5 August 2008
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A Kurdish political prisoner died in hospital
A Kurdish political prisoner, Kaveh Azizpour(m) died in a hospital in Iranian city of Oromiyeh , after being operated for the second time on 16 May 2008. He has been subjected to severe torture in detention and had lost a lot of weight that his family did not recognize him. According to his family members, he had heart attack two times during interrogation and as he was tortured. The prison authorities were forced to transfer him to the city hospital as he was unconscious. He died at the hospital after 20 days.
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Kaveh was 25 years old and was arrested along with his brother Assad Azizpour in January 2006 following a mass protest in Kurdish city of Mahabad. He was sentenced to 15 years prison on various charges, including "acting against state security", "membership of a Kurdish Party" and other security provisions.
In January 2008, a law faculty student, Ebrahim Lotfollahi(m), was killed under torture in the prison of Sanandaj under torture. His body did not stand torture for more then 10 days.
Last update: 17 May 2008
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Six Bahá'í leaders arrested in Iran
NEW YORK — Six Bahá’í leaders in Iran were arrested and taken to the notorious Evin prison yesterday in a sweep that is ominously similar to episodes in the 1980s when scores of Iranian Bahá’í leaders were summarily rounded up and killed. Cont..
Last update: 16 may 2008
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A writer and regime critic arrested in Tehran
Ahmad Daneshpazir, a regime critic and writer, who was arrested on 11 February at his house, has been been transferred to solitary confinement of 209 of Evin prison. His charges are not yet clear, but it seems that they may be related to several articles written under a fictitious name "Alef Bigharar" and printed on his behalf.
Following the arrest of Daneshpazir's, his son Damoon Daneshpazir was arrested and transferred to solitary confinement of 209. Damoon was released on bail after 8 days. The Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran had charged him with propagating against the State.
Last update: 8 May 2008
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Six worker activists arrested in May Day in Iran
According to labour sources in Iran, Security forces of the Islamic regime of Iran arrested at least seven worker activists in two different parts of Iran, Sanandaj and Oslavieh on International Labour Day. According to this report, 3 activists were arrested in Kurdish city of Sanandaj following a May day gathering in this city. They were accused of organising the May Day demonstration of the city. 4 other were arrested in industrial region of Oslavieh in the City of Busher in Sotuhern part of Iran for the same reason.
The names of the arrests are reported as : Salah Zamani(m), Shiva Khirabadi(f), Abdullah Najar(m), Ghaleb Hosseini(m),Ali Hosseini(m), Bah-odin Sadoghi(m) and Sussan Razani(f).
Last upade: 2 may 2008
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Women´s rights activist sentenced to prison
An Iranian women´s rights activist, Parvin Ardalan, sentenced to 2 years prison by a Islamic court in Tehran on variuos charges, such as: taking part in an” illegal demosntartion” and “trying to confuse the security of the country”. This sentenced has been suspended for three years.She will have to serve this period of prison if she “commit a crime”. She was awarded a prize by Swedish Center of OlofPalme few motnhs ago but she was not allowed to leave the county. She was stopped at the Tehran airport and her passport was taken by security police.
Ardalan was arrested along with 32 other women´s rights activists following a demonstration held in favour of the women´s righs in Hafte Tir Squre in Tehran on 12 June 2006. She was released on bail after few weeks.
Last update: 29 April 2008
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Women´s rights activist arrested in Tehran
Security forces of intelligent service arrested Khadijeh Moghadam , women´s right activist and members of women’s One Million Signature Campaign against discrimination on 26th of April while she was called to “Revolutionary” Court in Tehran.
Khadijeh Moghadam was earlier sentenced to six months imprisonment by the same court. It has been said that she has been transffered to Vozara prison in northern part of Tehran.
Last update: 28 April 2008
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Student activist sentenced to two years suspended imprisonment
Arman Sedaghati, member of the central council of Student Association of Polytechnic university sentenced to 2 years suspended imprisonment. He was called to Tehran Islamic “Revolutionary” Court on 17th of April.
His charges refers to attendance and speeches in a student’s demonstration at the faculty of Social Science of the Alame Tabatabaei University on 29 October 2007. He was arrested along with two other student activists, Maziar Samiei and Behnam Sepehrmand following the demonstration and spent 20 days in solitary confinement of the Evin prison.
It should be added that Pedram Rafaati, another student activist of Polytechnic university, was also called to revolutionary court.
Last update: 27 April 2008
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Unjust trail for three Kurdish students
Three Kurdish students; Sabah Nassiri, Hedayat Ghazali and Yasser Gholi, have been detained and are facing torture and interrogation.Two of these students: Sabah Nassir and Hedayat Ghazali have been held illegally for the past eleven months.They were transferred mysteriously from the 209 section of Evin prison to the so called court, in which they underwent a summary trial without the presence of a lawyer. They have apparently been held, interrogated and trialed in relation to activities of a student news bulletin called "Rozhameh", No detail of their trial is available.
Prior to the new developments, Sabah Nassiri, Hedayat Ghazali had both asked to be trialed officially in an open court with their attorney present. The two activists had been arrested eleven months prior to this and were charged with delivering a speech in a meeting held to support "Educating the mother tongue". They were arrested by the Intelligence Ministry and held in Sanandaj intelligence detention centre, west of Iran, and eventually, transferred to 209 section of Tehran.
Sabah Nassiri is the head director of "Rozhameh" in Tehran University, and Hedayat Ghazali is a member of the editorial board of the news bulletin.
At the same time another court in Sanandaj, has announced a destined trial of Yasser Goli to be held in the western city of Iran, on charges of threatening National security, and that Yassers' mother is to be tailed along her son.
Mrs.Goli has been, herself a civil right activist on women's' issues. She had been arrested on a different occasion by the Ministry, but had managed to bail out.
Source: AIPP
Last update: 25 April 2008
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Political prisoner transffered to solitary conefinement
According to a report from Iran, Mr. Arjang Davoudi, a political prisoner detained in the public section 3 of Evin prison , has been transferred to solitary confinement of the section known as "2-ALef"(2-A) ,on 14 April , for no specific reason. Section "2-Alef" is supervised under the Security division of the RGC. Prison cells in this section are known to measure 1.5meters wide, and 2.5 meters long, and contradict International standards. Arjang, was called to the court a day before his transfer and was interrogated.
Mr.Davoudi was arrested in 2003 by the security agents. The 26th branch of the so called revolution Court, charged him for conspiracy against national security and propagating against the Islamic Republic. He was then transferred from his Home town Tehran to the southern city of Bandar Abass. Source:AIPP
Last update: 17 April 2008.............................................................................................
Detained Students May Face Torture
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Prison sentence of Amirkabir students confirmed
Prosecutor of the 44th Branch of the appeals court, Mr.Saedi, confirmed prison sentence of the Three disputed Amir Kabir Students; Majid Tavakoli, Ahmad Ghassaban, and Ehsan Mansouri.The 6th Branch of the so called revolution court sentenced the three students each, three, two and two years prison sentences respectively. The given verdict is non-appeal able.
It is reported that the Appeal court has disputed the charges under the pressure of the Iranian Intelligence Ministry and the General Prosecutors office of Tehran.Prior to this, the Public court had violated the 6th branch courts' verdict, which had acquitted the three students and ordered their release on bail.
It is evident that the public court had been influence by the Intelligence ministry, specifically the personal persistence of deputy General prosecutor "Hadad",(Known by the prisoners as the butcher of political prisoners).The three students have been in prison since February 2007.They have been under constant torture and pressure of the Intelligence Ministry to provide fake interviews and accept their charges.
At the beginning they faced charges of insulting "sacred values" of the Islamic Republic, by printing leaflets with insulting images of the religious leader. They denied the charges categorically, saying the publications had been faked.
The public Court had acquitted the students of all charges, namely: Insulting sacred religious values, insulting kins to all Moslems (a term usually associated with relatives of the prophet , in this case, the country's appointed religious leader), insulting the people of Ghom city, Insulting hejabed women, young believers, insulting the Presidency of the state and other officials including the science and technology Minister, and officials of Amirkabir University.
Last update: 5 A pril 2008
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A video report of a ceremony held to commemorate of mass killings of political prisoners in Iran. To see the film click...
