May 3,
2000
IRAN
Mehrangiz
Kar (f), lawyer
Shahla Lahiji (f), publisher
Ali Afshari (m),
student representative
UA 103/00
Ill treatment/prisoners
of conscience
 |
 |
 |
| From left to right: Mehrangiz Kar, Shahla Lahiji
and Ali Afshari. The photographs are reproduced with the permission of the Heinrich Boel Institute, Berlin. | ||
The three people named above are detained, possibly incommunicado, accused of "acting against national security". All three are prisoners of conscience and may be at risk of ill-treatment in detention.
They are apparently detained because they took part in an academic and cultural conference in Berlin in April, where political and social reform in Iran were publicly debated.
Mehrangiz Kar and Shahla Lahiji were both detained by the Revolutionary Court on 29 April. Ali Afshari was detained the following day. It is expected that they will soon be moved to Evin Prison.
Mehrangiz Kar and Shahla Lahiji both vocal supporters of women's and other human rights. Ali Afshari is a representative of the student organisation Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat (Office for Strengthening Unity).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Berlin conference was marked by occasionally strong protests by Iranian political groups in exile. Elements within the Iranian judiciary apparently consider attendance at the conference to have been "harmful to national security". Many of those who attended have since faced arbitrary detention and interrogation.
Akbar Ganji, who spoke at the conference, was detained last week (see EXTRA 43/00, MDE 13/07/00, 25 April). Three journalists, Hamid Reza Jalaipour, of the editorial team of Asr-e Azadegan (Era of the Free), Ezzatollah Sahabi, publisher of Iran-e Farda (Tomorrow's Iran) and Alireza Alavitabar, editor of Sobh-e Emrouz (Morning of Today) were detained, interrogated and later released on bail. Jamileh Kadivar, a member of the Iranian parliament, the Majles, has also been summoned and is reportedly scheduled to appear before the Revolutionary Court today. She is the sister of the cleric Mohsen Kadivar, a prisoner of conscience, and the wife of the Minister of Culture, Ataollah Mohajerani. The writer Mahmud Dolatabadi has also been summoned by the Revolutionary Court. Amnesty International is monitoring these developments closely.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/telexes/faxes/express/airmail letters in English, French or your own language:
- urging that Mehrangiz Kar, Shahla Lahiji and Ali Afshari be released
immediately and unconditionally, as they are prisoners of
conscience;
- seeking urgent clarification of the charges they face;
- seeking assurances that they will be granted immediate access to
legal representation of their choice and to their families;
- seeking guarantees from the authorities that Mehrangiz Kar, Shahla Lahiji and Ali Afshari will be treated humanely in detention.
| APPEALS TO: 1)Leader of the Islamic Republic His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei The Presidency Palestine Avenue Azerbaijan Intersection Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Telegrams: Ayatollah Khamenei, Tehran, Iran Salutation: Your Excellency 2)President His Excellency Hojjatoleslam val Moslemin Sayed Mohammad Khatami The Presidency Palestine Avenue Azerbaijan Intersection Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Telegrams: President Khatami, Tehran, Iran Salutation: Your Excellency 3)Head of Judiciary His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahrudi Ministry of Justice Park-e Shahr Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Telegrams: Head of Judiciary, Tehran, Iran Salutation: Your Excellency |
COPIES
TO: Minister of Foreign Affairs His Excellency Kamal Kharrazi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdolmajid Keshk-e Mesri Avenue Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Mr Mohammad Hassan Zia'i-Far Secretary, Islamic Human Rights Commission PO Box 13165-137, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Faxes: + 98 21 204 0541 and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country. |
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the
International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals
after 6 14 June 2000.
This information is from Amnesty International's research
headquarters in London, England. A.I. is an independent worldwide movement
working for the international protection of human rights. It seeks the
release of people detained because of their beliefs, color, sex, ethnic
origin, language or religious creed, provided they have not used nor
advocated violence. These are termed prisoners of conscience. It works for
fair and prompt trials for all political prisoners and works on behalf of
such people detained without charge or trial. It opposes the death
penalty, extra-judicial executions (political killings), 'disappearances'
and torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
of all prisoners without reservation.Please do not repost the information
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International. Thank you for your help with this appeal.
Please
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Please do not repost the information below to any part of the Internet without prior permission from Amnesty International. The letters you write on behalf of the subject of this Urgent Action are meant solely to improve the human rights situation in this country. The most effective letters are those that are brief and written with respect for the recipient. Please do not express your own political views when writing on behalf of a subject of an Urgent Action appeal. Thank you for your help with this appeal.
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