HRANA News Agency –Writer Arzhang Davoodi, who is facing fresh charges after being imprisoned in Iran for nearly nine years, must be released immediately and unconditionally, Amnesty International said.
Arzhang Davoodi, 60, who has been imprisoned since October 2003, faces a court hearing before Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on 28 August on a new charge of “enmity against God” (moharebeh), which carries a possible death sentence.
The new charge is believed to be linked to his peaceful political activism and writings, including the release of an audio recording in which he called for “freedom and democracy”.
Therecorded messagewas widely distributed on the internet after the Confederation for Iranian Students (CIS), a 7,000-membership independent, pro-western student movement, released the recording in a conference in the United States of America.
Arzhang Davoodi is feared to have been tortured and ill-treated since being transferred on 27 June to Section 209 of Tehran’s Evin Prison which is believed to be under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence.
“Not only is Arzhang Davoodi held solely for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of expression and association in his writings and political activism, but he now faces fresh charges after being in jail for nearly nine years,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director.
“He is a prisoner of conscience and the Iranian authorities must release him immediately and unconditionally.
“The intolerance of dissent of the Iranian authorities is such that they continue to harass Arzhang Davoodi and his family although he is already in jail.
“The Iranian authorities must also protect him from torture or other ill-treatment and provide him with all necessary medical care and allow him immediate access to his family and his lawyer.”
Davoodi has served his sentence in a number of different prisons in Iran since his detention began, including at Bandar Abbas Prison, Hormozgan Prison, 1,500 km south of his home in Tehran; Reja’i Shahr Prison and Evin Prison – including Section 209.
He has also spent lengthy periods of time in solitary confinement in Evin Prison since his arrest and has had no contact with his family since his transfer to Section 209.
Davoodi was arrested in October 2003 for participating in a documentary,Forbidden Iran, in which he spoke out about human rights violations in Iran.
Following a trial in 2005, he was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment and 75 lashes by the Revolutionary Court on charges related to “spreading propaganda against the system”, “establishing and directing an organization opposed to the government”, being the director of the Parto-e Hekmat Cultural Education Centre in Tehran, participating in the making of the documentary and for his writings on a secular system of governance in Iran.
His flogging sentence has not been implemented.
Category: Prisoners
Majid Tavakoli Deprived of an Education Permanently
HRANA News Agency – Judge Abolqasem Salvati presiding over the Revolutionary Court, Branch 15, has issue an order to deprive Majid Tavakoli from an education permanently.This verdict was delivered in reply to a request filed by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran in 2009.
According to a report by Daneshjoo News, this new order prevents Majid Tavakoli from continuing his education while he is in prison and will deny him the right to enroll in any university throughout the country after he is released.
Following his last arrest on December 7, 2009, Majid Tavakoli was tried in the Revolutionary Court, Branch 15.During that trial, the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran asked Judge Abolqasem Salvati to deprive him of an education for good.After nearly two years since the motion was filed, this request was granted by the presiding judge.
The First Visit After Four Months
Last Thursday, on September 15, 2011, Majid Tavakoli was granted the permission to see his brother, Ali Tavakoli, in prison after nearly four months.Two brothers were allowed extra 5 minutes to be together in addition to the customary 20 minutes allotted for each visit.Last time Majid Tavakoli saw his family in prison was on May 24, 2011.
Since January 2011, when political prisoners in Rajai-Shahr Prison were transferred to a separate ward, they have been denied phone communication with the outside world.The authorities didn’t even allow Majid Tavakoli to phone his family during the Persian New Year celebrations.Despite her repeated requests from the judiciary and prison officials, Majid Tavakoli’s mother has been denied any contact with him.Due to illness, she is unable to travel and has not seen her son since December 7, 2009.
Affirming Last Year’s Message on the Eve of Commencements
Majid Tavakoli has once more emphasized the importance of points mentioned in his letter issued before universities were reopened last year.In this statement, he wrote, “Accordingly, universities have become people’s hope as if there is a covenant bestowed upon them by students:A pledge to keep freedom alive and to bring happiness to each home; a promise to expose violence such that it will be allowed to neither exist nor resurface again; a covenant to tear apart the chains restricting freedom of speech, beliefs and thoughts; an oath to amplify and spread friendship and empathy; a vow to make allowances for each other and respect one another; a pact to attain liberty, justice, democracy, peace, human rights, morality and humanity all at once.”
“People hold an unfaltering covenant in their hands.Although what lies ahead for students is arduous and rigorous, I am confident that success will be achieved with determination, and the people will hold you in high regards for it.Then, even if tyranny flexes its muscles with violence and repression, it will be defeated once more.”
“September has arrived again, and a difficult year is ahead.We will have a bright future if our unity and togetherness based on our achievements and past experiences lead us to frame a covenant that gives meaning to our solidarity for freedom and resistance against tyranny.I know that a legendary saga is about to unfold once more.I know that people’s hopes will materialize.I know that we will stand side by side in liberty’s jubilee and the joy of triumph.And we will begin Septembers kindheartedly.”
A New Year Message from Dayeh Saltaneh, Farzad Kamangar’s Mother
HRANA News Agency – Dayeh Saltaneh, Farzad Kamangar’s mother, has released a message on the occasion of Nowruz [the Persian New Year]. Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has translated this message from Kurdish to Farsi and released it. The exact message reads as follows:
Last Nowruz, when I went to Evin Prison anticipating my son’s release, he was saying to me with high hopes, “Mother, Nowruz will certainly be the day of freedom, and we will celebrate it together.” Alas, they took my child from me.
Continue reading “A New Year Message from Dayeh Saltaneh, Farzad Kamangar’s Mother”
No information about Milad Dehghan, from his arrest up to now
HRANA News Agency – There is no information about political activist, Milad dehghan, a member of Pan-Iranist Party who was arrested in Ahwaz on Sunday, December 9, 2012.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Milad dehghan, a member of Pan-Iranist Party was arrested in Ahwaz and at the same time the houses of his father and his uncle were searched by security forces and they seized his personal things.
There is no more information about his charge(s) and the place he has been held, up to now.
Continue reading “No information about Milad Dehghan, from his arrest up to now”
Two Baha’i Infants Imprisoned with Their Mothers Transferred to Hospital
HRANA News Agency – Two Baha’i infants imprisoned with their mothers in Semnan Prison, were transferred to hospital due to health deterioration.
According to the reports by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Two Baha’i infants suffering from lung and ear infections, imprisoned with their mothers in Semnan prison’s Women Ward (one of the worst prisons in Iran), were transferred to hospital.
Continue reading “Two Baha’i Infants Imprisoned with Their Mothers Transferred to Hospital”
No News of Political Prisoner Farshid Abdollahi After One Year
HRANA News Agency – Although one year has passed since Farshid Abdollahi was detained, there has been absolutely no news of him during this time.His current condition and whereabouts remain unknown.Farshid Abdollahi was one of the students expelled from the Azad University of Tehran, Imam Hussein Complex.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on August 10, 2010, Farshid Abdollahi was arrested in Imam Khomeini Airport when he attempted to enter Iran from the United Arab Emirates.Farshid Abdollahi’s family didn’t know that he was arrested for the first four months of his incarceration.Six months after his arrest, Farshid Abdollahi was permitted to contact his family for the first time.In another phone conversation, Farshid Abdollahi complained about his condition and the place where he was being held.
Thus far, Iranian officials have refused to give clear answers about Farshid Abdollahi’s condition or whereabouts.
In 2005, Farshid Abdollahi was expelled from the Azad University of Tehran because of his political activities.After his dismissal, He subsequently moved to Dubai and lived there for a few years.
A Report on the Condition of Hamzeh Karami, Imprisoned Political Activist
May 27, 2010
HRANA – Mr. Hamzeh Karami, a political activist and owner of “Jomhouriyat” website, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison and permanently banned from all government service by the Appellate Court.
Continue reading “A Report on the Condition of Hamzeh Karami, Imprisoned Political Activist”
Abbas Badfar, Political Prisoner Was Threaten after Sending Letter to Ahmad Shahid
HRANA News Agency – Abbas Badfar , political prisoner in Rajai Shahr Prison was summoned to prison’s intelligence office, after sending a letter to Ahmad Shahid and was threaten by chief officer there.
According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), after sending a letter to Ahmad Shahid, UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Abbas Badfar was summoned to prison’s intelligence office Monday, December 24, 2012. He was threaten by chief officer “Faraj Nejad” that he will be transferred to solitary confinement, exile to a far away city and his charge of “Moharebeh” (Enmity against God) will be in process again.
Continue reading “Abbas Badfar, Political Prisoner Was Threaten after Sending Letter to Ahmad Shahid”
An Open letter From the Family of Anvar Hussein Panahi to Dr. Shaheed
Your Excellency, Dr. Ahmad Shaheed,
The Special Rapporteur of the United Nations
Please accept the warm greetings of a Kurdish family who has endured much pain.
We are the family of the social activist Anvar Hussein Panahi who was sentenced to death four years ago for a crime he had not committed.Because of the pressure exerted and the support shown by the international human rights organizations and the European Union, the Appeals Court commuted Anvar’s death penalty and sentenced him to six years in prison.
Anvar Hussein Panahi is the oldest son in our family and has a wife and three children.His younger sister, Ashraf, was the second born child in our family.She had a job in Tehran and provided financial help to her elderly father.After Anvar was arrested and sentenced to death, Ashraf moved from Tehran to Sanandaj in order to help with her brother’s case and that of a cousin also condemned to death.
On September 27, 2008, while Ashraf was traveling towards Tehran and carrying documents that proved her older brother’s innocence, she was regrettably murdered by unknown individuals.Ashraf’s death was a heavy blow to two families since she was our only breadwinner.The effects of this blow increased many folds when Anvar was sentenced to death.
Meanwhile, intelligence agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran detained Anvar’s eighteen year old brother last year because he was following up on Anvar’s case.Anvar’s eighteen year old brother was tortured in order to extract a televised confession from him.The extent of this physical torture was such that it resulted in damage to and ultimately blinding one of his eyes.
All these events have been occurring while Anvar’s seventy year old father, mother and sisters have been summoned to the Intelligence Agency and threatened multiple times.
Your Excellency, we would like to ask you, “Where in the whole world is an individual arrested for the crimes committed by others?”Our entire family has been targeted by the regime because a few individuals including two family members living abroad are politically active against the Islamic Republic of Iran.Is it possible to prosecute and punish the rest of the family?
Our family especially Anvar Hussein Panahi is under very difficult conditions right now.Anvar is a well-known Kurdish political and social activist behind bars in Sanandaj Central Prison.He suffers from kidney infection and bleeding and has been transferred to the prison clinic multiple times.Although the physician in charge of this clinic has strongly advised to hospitalize Anvar outside the prison, the officials refuse to do so.
Anvar Hussein Panahi suffered from broken ribs when he was incarcerated in the Intelligence Agency’s detention center in the city of Qorveh, Kurdistan Province.Since then, he has been suffering for three years from kidney and intestinal infections that are continuously ignored by prison officials.Furthermore, the Intelligence Agency has recently begun new proceedings against Anvar and is about to frame and charge him with new crimes.
Under such circumstances, we reach out to you for justice with the hopes that you hear our innocent cries because we believe that you have the power to carry our message to the United Nations.Let the innocent cry of our family deprived of any momentarily peace and tranquility during the last few years be heard by the whole world.
Dire Physical Condition of a Prisoner in Tabriz Prison
HRANA – Ali Bayzeydzadeh, a prisoner held in Tabriz prison, is in dire physical condition.
Ali Bayzeydzadeh is a Kurdish prisoner from the city of Bukan in the province of Western Azerbaijan. He has been in prison for almost 20 months and is suffering from a digestive ailment that requires immediate surgery outside of prison.
According to Movakerian News Agency, prison officials have refused to allow his transfer from Tabriz prison to the prison in Bukan where his family reside.
Mr. Bayzeydzadeh was sentenced to 2 years in prison and exile to Tabriz prison by the Revolutionary Court of the city of Mahabad for allegedly collaborating with an opposition organization.