AMNESTY URGENT ACTION

Behrouz Ghobadi, brother of internationally acclaimed Iranian film maker, Bahman Ghobadi, was arrested on 4 November 2012 by men in plain clothes, believed to belong to the Ministry of Intelligence. He is reportedly being held in a Ministry of Intelligence detention centre, placing him at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Behrouz Ghobadi, father of a newborn baby boy and a member of the Kurdish minority in Iran, was arrested in the early hours of the morning of 4 November. He was in a taxi driving from Sanandaj, the capital of the north-western Kordestan province, to a Tehran airport. Plain-clothes men, who were reportedly following him, stopped his car and arrested him around 15 kilometres outside Sanandaj. Judicial officials claim that they had an arrest warrant but the reasons for his arrest do not appear to have been disclosed to his family or lawyer.

link story

http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE13/069/2012/en/f6f53cbf-b29e-4daa-b0bb-dae60ceb7819/mde130692012en.html

LETTER

Object: Brother of prominent filmmaker arrested

Your Excellency,

I am writing to you as supporter of Amnesty International, the non governmental organization which since 1961 has been working in defense of human rights, wherever they are violated.

I call on you to ensure that Behrouz Ghobadi is protected from torture and other ill- treatment and is granted adequate medical treatment.

I urge you to allow Behrouz Ghobadi immediate and regular visits from his family and a lawyer of his own choosing.

I stress that if Behrouz Ghobadi has been arrested solely in connection with his or his brother’s film-making activities, he is a prisoner of conscience and must be immediately and unconditionally released.

Thank you for your attention.

(your name)

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 8 DECEMBER 2012 TO:

Address:

Salutation: Your Excellency

Leader of the Islamic Republic

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: “#Iran leader @khamenei_ir

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani

[care of] Public relations Office

Number 4, 2 Azizi Street

Vali Asr Ave, above Pasteur Street intersection

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: [email protected] (Subject line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani) or [email protected]

And copies to:

Salutation: Your Excellency

Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights

Mohammad Javad Larijani

High Council for Human Rights

[Care of] Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737,

Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: [email protected]

(subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

IRAN (Repubblica Islamica dell’)

Via Nomentana, 361/363 – 00162 Roma

Tel. 0686328485-6-7 – Fax 0686328492

E-mail: [email protected]