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countries to
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Iran: 1st Urgent Action: Halt the Execution of 12 Kurdish Political Activists
Written by DI Monitoring & Investigation Committee
Sunday, 15 November 2009
NO To Death Penalty
After the execution of the political activist Ehsan Fatahiyan on
November 11, 2009, 12 political activists are facing the same fate. Almost all
of them have been accused of being a mohareb ("enemy of God")
and/or "endangering state security" and sentenced to death after unfair trials.
DI affirms the necessity for an immediate intervention by the
United Nations and the international community in order to halt these scheduled
executions.
Latest news:
The death sentences of Mr. Farhad
Chalesh and Mr. Ramezan Ahmad have been overturned, but three others have been sentenced to death. This news was received on December 2, 2009.
Names:Zeynab
Jalaliyan (female), Shirkoh Moarefi (male),
Habibollah Latifi [1](male), Farhad Chalesh (male),
Ramezan Ahmad (male), Rostam Arkiya (male),
Fasih Yasamini (male), Rashid Akhkandi (male),
Hossein Khaziri (male), Farzad Kamangar [2] (male),
Ali Heydariyan (male) and Farhad Vakili (male)
Authorities:Iranian
Category:Death
penalty / Prisoners of conscience / Arbitrary detentions / Fear of torture or
ill-treatments
The cases:
According to the information received on 13 November
2009, the political activist Mr. Shirkoh Moarefi has been transferred to the solitary
confinement in preparation for execution.
Mr. Moarefi, aged 30, was detained in October 2008 in
the city of Saqqz, in the Kurdistan Province of Iran. He has been convicted of
being a mohareb ("enemy of God") and "endangering state
security".
At least 12
political activists are feared to be at imminent risk of execution in Sanandaj
prison. Almost all of them have reportedly been tortured and sentenced to death
after unfair trials.
Ms. Zeynab
Jalaliyan, political activist, aged 27, was arrested in 2008 in the city of Kermanshah,
located in the western part of Iran. She was immediately transferred to the
Iranian intelligence ministry's detention center. Her trial, which was held
behind closed doors, lasted only a few minutes, during which time she was convicted
of being a mohareb ("enemy of God"). Iran's Supreme Court has confirmed her death sentence.
Ms. Jalaliyan was born in Maku town in the northwestern part of the West Azerbaijan province of
Iran.
Mr. Farhad Chalesh is from Shirnak province in southeastern Antaolia - Turkey. He was detained
in Iran and has been convicted of membership of an illegal organisation. He
was sentenced to death without the assistance of counsel. He is jailed in Maku detention center, where he is not allowed visits
from his family.
Mr. Ramezan Ahmad is from the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria. He was arrested in
Iran and has been charged with membership of an unlawful organisation. He was
sentenced to death without the assistance of counsel. He is jailed in Maku
detention center, where he is not allowed visits from his family.
The Kurdish political activist Mr. Rostam Arkiya has also been accused of membership of an unlawful organisation. He was
sentenced to death and is jailed now in Maku detention center.
The Kurdish political prisoner Mr. Fasih
Yasamini has been convicted of membership of an illegal organisation.
He was sentenced to death without having been previously informed of the nature
of the charges against him.
The Kurdish political activists,
Mr. Farhad Vakili and Mr. Ali Heydariyan, are from the city of
Sanandaj and have been charged with membership of an unlawful organisation. As
of now they are waiting on death row.
The
prisoners are now on hunger strike in protest of the execution of Ehsan
Fatahyian.
DI Views & Demands:
Defend International urges Iran to stop the execution
of the political activist Mr. Shirkoh Moarefi and 11 others, and encourages the
Iranian authorities to review death penalty in light of International Human
Rights Law.
Defend International condemns the execution of Ehsan
Fatahiyan [3] on the morning of 11 November 2009, and warns the
authorities not to make the same mistake again.
DI campaign:
Please
copy the following appeals, add your signature and address and send them to
arrive as soon as possible.
With
thanks and appreciation
Defend
International
ـــــــــــــــــ
Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
USA
Fax: 212-963-7055
Subject: Please forward to His Excellency Ban
Ki-Moon
Your
Excellency,
I would like to draw your attention to the case of
at least 12 Kurdish
political activistsfeared to be at imminent risk of execution in Sanandaj
prison
in Iran. The prisoner's
names are: Zeynab Jalaliyan (female), Shirkoh Moarefi (male), Habibollah
Latifi (male), Farhad Chalesh (male), Ramezan Ahmad (male), Rostam
Arkiya (male), Fasih Yasamini (male), Rashid Akhkandi (male),
Hossein Khaziri (male), Farzad Kamangar (male), Ali Heydariyan
(male) and Farhad Vakili (male). Almost all of them have reportedly been
tortured, convicted of being a mohareb ("enemy of
God") and/or "endangering state security" and sentenced to death after
unfair trials.
I affirm the necessity for an immediate intervention by the
United Nations and the international community in order to halt these scheduled
executions. I would also ask you to urge the Iranian authorities to immediately
provide prisoners with medical attention, if needed, and to protect them from
any further torture or ill-treatment.
I wish that the
Secretary-General, in accordance with his mandate, will be able to prepare a
report on the human rights situation in Iran. At such a time, the matter of Iranian
nuclear weapons should not overshadow the human rights issues the people there are
facing on a daily basis.
I
would unite my voice with that of the General Assembly in its country-specific
resolution on Iran adopted in November 2008, and call on Iran's government to
end the harassment, intimidation and persecution of political opponents and
human rights defenders, including by releasing persons imprisoned arbitrarily
or on the basis of their political views.
Iran should consolidate its commitment to the
promotion and protection of human rights for all, on an equal footing and
without exception. The Iranian authorities must take all necessary steps
to ensure that being a member of minority ethnicity did not become the reason
for criminal punishment, especially executions, arrests or detention. Human
rights violations due to intolerance and other forms of discrimination must be
thoroughly investigated and those responsible be held accountable.
I further condemn any action or
attempt by Iran or its public
officials to legalise, authorise or acquiesce in torture and other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment under any circumstances, including on
grounds of national security or through judicial decisions. I'd like to highlight that the UN Assembly had emphasized that acts of torture can
constitute crimes against humanity and that the perpetrators of all acts of
torture must be prosecuted and punished. Therefore, I call for a
transparent and independent body to
investigate allegations of torture and to prosecute thoseresponsible
for such violations.
Iran must take
steps to reform its criminal justice system and to declare a moratorium on
executions.
I hope for your urgent attention to this matter.
Respectfully yours,
________________________
Ms.
Navanethem Pillay
The
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Palais
des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
I would like to draw your attention to the case of
at least 12 Kurdish
political activistsfeared to be at imminent risk of execution in Sanandaj
prison
in Iran. The prisoner's
names are: Zeynab Jalaliyan (female), Shirkoh Moarefi (male), Habibollah
Latifi (male), Farhad Chalesh (male), Ramezan Ahmad (male), Rostam
Arkiya (male), Fasih Yasamini (male), Rashid Akhkandi (male),
Hossein Khaziri (male), Farzad Kamangar (male), Ali Heydariyan
(male) and Farhad Vakili (male). Almost all of them have reportedly been
tortured, convicted of being a mohareb ("enemy of
God") and/or "endangering state security" and sentenced to death after
unfair trials.
I affirm the necessity for an immediate intervention by the
United Nations and the international community in order to halt these scheduled
executions. I would also ask you to urge the Iranian authorities to immediately
provide prisoners with medical attention, if needed, and to protect them from
any further torture or ill-treatment.
I wish that the
Secretary-General, in accordance with his mandate, will be able to prepare a
report on the human rights situation in Iran. At such a time, the matter of Iranian
nuclear weapons should not overshadow the human rights issues the people there are
facing on a daily basis.
I
would unite my voice with that of the General Assembly in its country-specific
resolution on Iran adopted in November 2008, and call on Iran's government to
end the harassment, intimidation and persecution of political opponents and
human rights defenders, including by releasing persons imprisoned arbitrarily
or on the basis of their political views.
Iran should consolidate its commitment to the
promotion and protection of human rights for all, on an equal footing and
without exception. The Iranian authorities must take all necessary steps
to ensure that being a member of minority ethnicity did not become the reason
for criminal punishment, especially executions, arrests or detention. Human
rights violations due to intolerance and other forms of discrimination must be
thoroughly investigated and those responsible be held accountable.
I further condemn any action or
attempt by Iran or its public
officials to legalise, authorise or acquiesce in torture and other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment under any circumstances, including on
grounds of national security or through judicial decisions. I'd like to highlight that the UN Assembly had emphasized that acts of torture can
constitute crimes against humanity and that the perpetrators of all acts of
torture must be prosecuted and punished. Therefore, I call for a
transparent and independent body to
investigate allegations of torture and to prosecute thoseresponsible
for such violations.
Iran must take
steps to reform its criminal justice system and to declare a moratorium on
executions.
I would like to draw your attention to the case of
at least 12 Kurdish
political activistsfeared to be at imminent risk of execution in Sanandaj
prison
in Iran. The prisoner's
names are: Zeynab Jalaliyan (female), Shirkoh Moarefi (male), Habibollah
Latifi (male), Farhad Chalesh (male), Ramezan Ahmad (male), Rostam
Arkiya (male), Fasih Yasamini (male), Rashid Akhkandi (male),
Hossein Khaziri (male), Farzad Kamangar (male), Ali Heydariyan
(male) and Farhad Vakili (male). Almost all of them have reportedly been
tortured, convicted of being a mohareb ("enemy of
God") and/or "endangering state security" and sentenced to death after
unfair trials.
I affirm the necessity for an immediate intervention by the
United Nations and the international community in order to halt these scheduled
executions. I would also ask you to urge the Iranian authorities to immediately
provide prisoners with medical attention, if needed, and to protect them from
any further torture or ill-treatment.
I wish that the
Secretary-General, in accordance with his mandate, will be able to prepare a
report on the human rights situation in Iran. At such a time, the matter of Iranian
nuclear weapons should not overshadow the human rights issues the people there are
facing on a daily basis.
I
would unite my voice with that of the General Assembly in its country-specific
resolution on Iran adopted in November 2008, and call on Iran's government to
end the harassment, intimidation and persecution of political opponents and
human rights defenders, including by releasing persons imprisoned arbitrarily
or on the basis of their political views.
Iran should consolidate its commitment to the
promotion and protection of human rights for all, on an equal footing and
without exception. The Iranian authorities must take all necessary steps
to ensure that being a member of minority ethnicity did not become the reason
for criminal punishment, especially executions, arrests or detention. Human
rights violations due to intolerance and other forms of discrimination must be
thoroughly investigated and those responsible be held accountable.
I further condemn any action or
attempt by Iran or its public
officials to legalise, authorise or acquiesce in torture and other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment under any circumstances, including on
grounds of national security or through judicial decisions. I'd like to highlight that the UN Assembly had emphasized that acts of torture can
constitute crimes against humanity and that the perpetrators of all acts of
torture must be prosecuted and punished. Therefore, I call for a
transparent and independent body to
investigate allegations of torture and to prosecute thoseresponsible
for such violations.
Iran must take
steps to reform its criminal justice system and to declare a moratorium on
executions.
