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TO ALL FREEDOM-LOVING PEOPLE, AND TO ALL LABOUR,
STUDENT, AND HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE WORLD
As you may be informed, in a pre-emptive attack on independent
student organizations the Islamic regime in Iran arrested dozens of
politically active students prior to the Student’s Day (December 7),
practically a day of protest against the status quo during decades of
student struggles. However, despite the said arrests, the students
celebrated their day by holding protest actions in different forms on a
national level. In the course of those actions more students were
arrested. At present there are forty-odd student activists from various
parts of the country held in detention in the notorious Evin prison in
Tehran, as well as in other known and unknown places across the country.
Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei The President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad The Head of the Judiciary 1- Milad Moyini (Mazandaran University) 2- Behrang Zandi (Mazandaran University) 3- Hamed Mohammadi (Mazandaran University) 4- Arash Pakzad (Mazandaran University) 5- Hasan Maarefi (Mazandaran University) 6- Anooshe Azadfar (Tehran University) 7- Ilnaz Jamshidi (Communications, Azad University, Central Tehran) 8- Mehdi Gerayloo (Geophysics, Tehran) 9- Nader Ehsani (Mazandaran University) 10-Sayid Habibi (ex-member of the Central Council of Advare Tahkime Vahdat) 11- Behrooz Karimi-zade (Tehran University) 12- Keyvan Amiri Elyasi (Masters, Industry, Sharif Technical University) 13- Nasim Soltan Beygi (Communications faculty, Allameh University) 14- Ali Salem (Masters of Polymers – Polytechnic University) 15- Mohsen Ghamin (Polytechnic University) 16- Roozbeh Saf-Shekan (Tehran University) 17- Roozbehan Amiri (Computer Science, Tehran University) 18-Yaser Pir Hayati (Shahed University) 19- Mahsa Mohebbi 20- Okhtay Hosseni (Azad University) 21- Sayid Agham Ali Khalili (Allameh University) 22- Behzad Bagheri (Tehran University) 23- Ali Kalayi 24- Amir Mehrzad 25- Hadi Salari (Rajaee University) 26- Farshid Farhadi Ahangaran (Rajaee University) 27- Amir Aghayi (Rajaee University) 28- Milad Omrani 29- Soroosh Hashempoor (Chamran University) and 30-Yoones Mirhossein (Student of Shiraz University) 31- Parsa Kermanjian (Kermanshah University) 32-Abed Tavanche 33- Reza Arab (Mazandaran University) 34- Sadra Pirhayaty(Shahed University) 35-Peyman Piran 36- Majid Ashrafnejad (Rajaee University) 37- Shovan Merikhi (Mazandaran University) 38- Sara Khademi (Mazandaran University) 39- Nima Nahvi (Mazandaran University) 40- Mohammad Saleh Ayuman (Tehran Univercity) 41- Sohrab Karimi (Tehran Univercity) 42- Farshad Dustipoor (Tehran Univercity) 43- Javad Alizadeh (Tehran Univercity) *** Update I
Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran *** Update II 1- besides still holding the students in unknown places, the regime
has launched a campaign of summoning the “less visible” organizers of
protest actions on December 7th, as well as those detained or otherwise
punished for their prior activities to the so-called “disciplinary
committees”, only to inform them that they have been banned from their
colleges or universities anywhere from one semester to a whole academic
year; Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran *** Update III 1- All the parents of the detained students got to visit them. This
has obviously been granted by the regime under international pressure.
However, the detainees have not yet gotten to visit with their lawyers.
The tug of war, in this case granting partial visitation rights and, at the same time, arresting and kidnapping more activists, is something we are quite used to by now! In every case the regime backs off one step under international pressure, only to take two steps forward in the direction of oppression in order to show off power and send out a message of we-are-still-in-the-saddle. And this proves only one thing: the international community has to keep pushing this anti-human regime back relentlessly. So, please regard one and all letter of support for the students, or any other form of protest, as a spotlight turned on the ruling criminals in Iran. In the midst of the contented silence of the Western governments, it could clearly be said that, firstly, “international community” seems to be, unfortunately, limited to us, the people only (we only need to remember that a Canadian photo-journalist, Zahra Kazemi, was killed under torture in Iran, the coroner that had examined her body sought political asylum in Canada, he listed a whole scroll of different kinds of torture, including “brutal rape”, she had been subjected to, the Iranian regime was forced to admit that she was killed under interrogation by a “rouge agent” in the Ministry of Intelligence, and all the Canadian government did was politely asking the Iranian government to “hold an open trial” for the guy “so that the Canadian Ambassador could attend the trial sessions”, and that was the end of the case as far as the life of a Canadian citizen was concerned!), and, secondly, shedding light on the acts of criminals almost seems to be the only thing we can do from overseas to rein these criminals back. The efficiency of latter should not, however, be under-estimated. That is, as I told Jen in our discussion last week, the single doctrine on the basis of which the whole Amnesty International has grown from a one-man initiative to the global AI of today! Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran *** TO ALL INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INSTITUTIONS DEFENDING FREEDOM AND HUMANIST VALUES IN IRAN AND ACROSS THE WORLD During the past month-and-a-half a large number of university students have been arrested at the universities or in towns throughout Iran whose “crime” has been defending human rights and humanist values through organizing or taking part in December 7th (Student Day) actions. They are currently held in prisons, suffering various forms of abusive treatment. During this period, their families have been permitted only one short visit with their children. They have also been under constant, intense emotional stress, while at the same time protesting the detention of their sons and daughters several times demanding their release. Yet, despite all the efforts made to free the jailed students, a large group of them are still held in solitary cells under inhuman conditions, and some of them have not yet been allowed any visitation with their families – not even a phone call. We hereby appeal to you honorable, libertarian people inside and outside Iran, and to all institutions and organizations defending freedom across the world, to continue your efforts and, further, participate in the International Week of Action for the Release of Jailed Students in Iran (Feb. 2nd to Feb. 9th, 2008) and actively demonstrate your protest against the students’ incarceration and abuse. Celebrating National Student Day (December 7th) is the students’ right, and all imprisoned students must be released immediately and unconditionally. Please send your letters of support to: studentsfreedom@gmail.com. Signed by: Distributed by: **** Update IV 1- The following quotation is just the opening section of what you
can read about the death of Ebrahim Lotfollaahi, student in Sanadaj,
Kurdistan, Iran, in Human Rights Watch site (http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/01/18/iran17819.htm).
As you can read below, it’s not yet known what charges were brought
against Ebrahim: Ebrahim Lotfallahi, 27, died in the detention center in Sanandaj sometime between January 9 and January 15. Zahra Bani-Ameri, a 27-year-old female physician, died in October
while in custody in the town of Hamedan. In both cases, officials
claimed the cause of death was suicide... On October 12, 2007, police
and security forces arrested Bani-Ameri and her fiancé in a public park
in the city of Hamedan on charges of having an “illegal relationship.”
According to Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, “immoral” relationships between
men and women who are not married may be subject to criminal punishment. “The sudden death in detention of two apparently healthy young people is extremely alarming,” said Joe Stork, Middle East deputy director at Human Rights Watch. “The government only heightens our concern by quickly dismissing them as suicides.” Security forces arrested Lotfallahi on January 6, 2008 as he was
leaving the Sanandaj campus of Payam Noor University. Lotfallahi’s
family does not know what charges, if any, the authorities had brought
against him. Three days after his arrest, Lotfallahi’s family visited
him in the Sanandaj detention center. His brother told Human Rights
Watch that Lotfallahi was in good spirits and seemed On January 15, officials from the detention center contacted Lotfallahi’s parents and informed them that they had buried their son in a local cemetery. The officials claimed that Lotfallahi had committed suicide in his cell. 2- The number of the jailed students keeps changing. Out of the original 47 students, 16 were supposed to be released after a couple of weeks, but then the authorities at the Ministry of Intelligence opposed the judiciary decision and did not let the order be implemented. 3- On the night of Jan. 22, another group of 10 students were arrested. In total, after 53 days of detention, only 6 have been released on bail. It is, therefore, safe to say that the current number of detainees is around 50 at this moment. 4- The names of the 10 recently arrested students are as follows: Soroosh Dashtestaani; Amin Ghazaa’i; Bijan Saabaagh; Aanaahita Hoseini (female); Morteza Khedmatloo; Mohammad Poorabdollaah; Bita Samimi (female); Behzaad Bagheri; Soroosh Saabet; Mortezaa Eslaahchi. After a week in detention, only two of them, Bijan Sabbaagh and Soroosh Dashtestaani, were allowed a phone call home. On Jan. 22, their families could only get them some money and clothing items through the prison authorities. 5- As for the charges brought against the students, the students’ lawyer, Naser Zarafshaan, said in an interview with Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany), ‘the charge is the same 70-year-old, ambiguous cliché of “acting against national security” that has been there ever since the beginning of the reign of Reza Shah [the last depose Shah’s father], which has never even been concretely defined.’ On this point, we call your attention to the 51-page long report by Human Rights Watch, dated Jan. 1, 2008, entitled You Can Detain Anyone for Anything; Iran’s Broadening Clampdown on Independent Activism, available in English and Farsi on the organizations site: http://hrw.org/reports/2008/iran0108/ 6- Setting extortionate bails for the temporary release of students is still underway. One of the student detainees, Behrooz Safshekan, was released on a bail of $150,000. On Jan. 20th, three students were released on bails of $80.000, $30,000, and $50,000. Ilnaaz Jamshidi, a female student activist, was released on a bail of $100,000 on Jan.22, after more than 50 days in detention. On Jan. 23, Milaad Omraani was released on a bail of $100,000. The family of Nasim Soltaanbeygi has stated that they cannot afford the $50,000 bail for the release of their daughter. 7- The students’ lawyer, Naser Zarafshaan, told VOG reporter that such ridiculous bails are demanded of students, whose only ‘crime’ is criticizing the government, ‘in a country where a murderer can pay the family of the deceased the sum of only $33,000 as blood money and be home free!’ 8- Two students, Sa’id Habibi and Sohrab Karimi, who have been in detention for over 50 days have not yet been allowed to even call their parents. 9- Naader Ahsaani was supposed to meet with his family yesterday,
Jan. 22, but, as reported by the student site Voice of University (VOA) 10- As for the charges brought against the students, the students’ lawyer, Naser Zarafshaan, said in the above-mentioned interview, ‘the charge is the same 70-year-old, undefined cliché of “acting against national security” that has been there ever since the beginning of the reign of Reza Shah [the last depose Shah’s father].’ 11- Security forces dispersed the crowds participating in Ebrahim
Lotfollaahi’s memorial (see 1 above), organized by activists, especially
student activists, in Sanandaj. It was planned to be held on Monday,
Jan. 21, 2008. A very significant point to be added is that in this year’s protest actions of socialist student on Students’ Day female students took part on an unprecedented scale, several of whom as organizers, speakers, as a result of which several of them are among the detainees. *** News Update V 1- The following quotation is just the opening section of what you
can read about the death of Ebrahim Lotfollaahi, student in Sanadaj,
Kurdistan, Iran, in Human Rights Watch site (http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/01/18/iran17819.htm).
As you can read below, it’s not yet known what charges were brought
against Ebrahim: Ebrahim Lotfallahi, 27, died in the detention center in Sanandaj sometime between January 9 and January 15. Zahra Bani-Ameri, a 27-year-old female physician, died in October
while in custody in the town of Hamedan. In both cases, officials
claimed the cause of death was suicide... On October 12, 2007, police
and security forces arrested Bani-Ameri and her fiancé in a public park
in the city of Hamedan on charges of having an “illegal relationship.”
According to Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, “immoral” relationships between
men and women who are not married may be subject to criminal punishment. “The sudden death in detention of two apparently healthy young people is extremely alarming,” said Joe Stork, Middle East deputy director at Human Rights Watch. “The government only heightens our concern by quickly dismissing them as suicides.” Security forces arrested Lotfallahi on January 6, 2008 as he was
leaving the Sanandaj campus of Payam Noor University. Lotfallahi’s
family does not know what charges, if any, the authorities had brought
against him. Three days after his arrest, Lotfallahi’s family visited
him in the Sanandaj detention center. His brother told Human Rights
Watch that Lotfallahi was in good spirits and seemed On January 15, officials from the detention center contacted Lotfallahi’s parents and informed them that they had buried their son in a local cemetery. The officials claimed that Lotfallahi had committed suicide in his cell. 2- The number of the jailed students keeps changing. Out of the original 47 students, 16 were supposed to be released after a couple of weeks, but then the authorities at the Ministry of Intelligence opposed the judiciary decision and did not let the order be implemented. 3- On the night of Jan. 22, another group of 10 students were arrested. In total, after 53 days of detention, only 6 have been released on bail. It is, therefore, safe to say that the current number of detainees is around 50 at this moment. 4- The names of the 10 recently arrested students are as follows: Soroosh Dashtestaani; Amin Ghazaa’i; Bijan Saabaagh; Aanaahita Hoseini (female); Morteza Khedmatloo; Mohammad Poorabdollaah; Bita Samimi (female); Behzaad Bagheri; Soroosh Saabet; Mortezaa Eslaahchi. After a week in detention, only two of them, Bijan Sabbaagh and Soroosh Dashtestaani, were allowed a phone call home. On Jan. 22, their families could only get them some money and clothing items through the prison authorities. 5- As for the charges brought against the students, the students’ lawyer, Naser Zarafshaan, said in an interview with Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany), ‘the charge is the same 70-year-old, ambiguous cliché of “acting against national security” that has been there ever since the beginning of the reign of Reza Shah [the last depose Shah’s father], which has never even been concretely defined.’ On this point, we call your attention to the 51-page long report by Human Rights Watch, dated Jan. 1, 2008, entitled You Can Detain Anyone for Anything; Iran’s Broadening Clampdown on Independent Activism, available in English and Farsi on the organizations site: http://hrw.org/reports/2008/iran0108/ 6- Setting extortionate bails for the temporary release of students is still underway. One of the student detainees, Behrooz Safshekan, was released on a bail of $150,000. On Jan. 20th, three students were released on bails of $80.000, $30,000, and $50,000. Ilnaaz Jamshidi, a female student activist, was released on a bail of $100,000 on Jan.22, after more than 50 days in detention. On Jan. 23, Milaad Omraani was released on a bail of $100,000. The family of Nasim Soltaanbeygi has stated that they cannot afford the $50,000 bail for the release of their daughter. 7- The students’ lawyer, Naser Zarafshaan, told VOG reporter that such ridiculous bails are demanded of students, whose only ‘crime’ is criticizing the government, ‘in a country where a murderer can pay the family of the deceased the sum of only $33,000 as blood money and be home free!’ 8- Two students, Sa’id Habibi and Sohrab Karimi, who have been in detention for over 50 days have not yet been allowed to even call their parents. 9- Naader Ahsaani was supposed to meet with his family yesterday,
Jan. 22, but, as reported by the student site Voice of University (VOA) 10- As for the charges brought against the students, the students’ lawyer, Naser Zarafshaan, said in the above-mentioned interview, ‘the charge is the same 70-year-old, undefined cliché of “acting against national security” that has been there ever since the beginning of the reign of Reza Shah [the last depose Shah’s father].’ 11- Security forces dispersed the crowds participating in Ebrahim
Lotfollaahi’s memorial (see 1 above), organized by activists, especially
student activists, in Sanandaj. It was planned to be held on Monday,
Jan. 21, 2008. A very significant point to be added is that in this year’s protest actions of socialist student on Students’ Day female students took part on an unprecedented scale, several of whom as organizers, speakers, as a result of which several of them are among the detainees. Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran *** Preliminary News Update VI 1- On 25 Jan. Mortezaa Baagheri, Peymaan Baraabar, Ahmad Moraadi, Arshiaa Haashemi, Elnaaz Aazari (female), Yaaser Mandi, and Zohre Saalaari (female), students of Maazabdaraan University, were kidnapped and taken to an unknown place. 2- There’s no trace of the whereabouts of Sarah Khademi. 3- horrific news of torture are leaking out, as the students are under intense torture to “confess” their “crimes” on TV. 3- Behruz Karimizade’s family has reported on a deep wound on his right arm, plus quite a few other injuries all over his body. 4- Peymaan Piraan’s shoulder has been broken. 4- Amin Ghazaa’i, Sa’id Habibi, Bijan Sabbaagh, and Soroosh Dashtestaani have been reported to be under intense, almost around the clock, interrogation and torture. Sa’id Habibi is still held in solitary confinement. So far he has been allowed only one phone call home. 5- Several students have been in such bad shapes that had to be taken to hospital. 6- Families have been threatened that should they try to spread the news of the conditions inside the prison, they will face the same fate. 7- Bails continue to be set at extortionate levels. Amir Elyaasi was released on a bail of $50,000. The preliminary court set the bail for Sa’id Aghaamali 10 days ago at $100,000. His family has been unable to raise the money and, as a result, he is still in detention. The record bail so far has been that of Behruz Safshekan, who was released on a bail of $150,000. Even Meysam Rashidi who was acquitted of all charges after 45 days in detention was released on bail; lest he commits crimes in the future! Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran *** Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in
Iran We are in receipt of a declaration by a group of families of the jailed students in Iran and groups of students at Alaame University, Polytechnic, Chamraan University in Ahvaaz, Baahonar University in Shiraz, and Mashad University, in which they have called the week of Feb. 2 to Feb. 9 the International Week of Action against the detention of students in Iran. In the process of organizing, holding, and ever since the protest actions on the occasion of Student Day (December 7) in Iran, dozens of students have been arrested. According to the list produced by the families of the jailed students in their declaration, there were 45 of them in prison. The number of detainees keeps changing, as new arrests are being made and a few released have been made on extortionate bails ranging from $30,000 to $150,000. It is estimated that fifty-odd students are now being held in notorious prisons of the Islamic regime. In addition to students, hundreds of libertarians and rights activists are languishing in the jails of the regime. The gates of those jails must be broken down. The ruling brutes in Iran must be forced to retreat. Let us make the week of Feb. 2 to Feb. 9 into a week of campaign for the freedom of the jailed students as well as all political prisoners in Iran. We urge all the working and libertarian people in Iran and across the world to come out in full support of the call by the families of the detained students and various groups of students in Iran and do their best for the immediate and unconditional release of the jailed students. Committee for Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran *** International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist Party of Iran To international labour and human rights organisations Week of Action in support of jailed students and political prisoners in Iran (2–9 Feb 2008) The news on the condition of over 50 jailed students in Iran is very worrying. Last week Ebrahim Lotfollaahi was killed under torture in the city of Sanandaj. Nearly two months since their arrest and detention, many students continue to be held incommunicado. Reports from prisons speak of long and severe interrogation sessions by the feared Information Ministry officials, with many students being tortured and kept in solitary confinement. In addition to the jailed students, many labour and women’s rights activists continue to be detained and persecuted. There are grave concerns over the health of labour leader Mahmoud Salehi, who is still being held in prison despite a life-threatening kidney condition. Mansoor Ossanlou, the leader of Tehran’s bus workers’ union, is still in prison following his violent abduction last July by the security forces. Ali Reza Hashemi, a teachers’ leader, has just been handed a three-year prison sentence for trade union activities, and many of his colleagues are being persecuted for last year’s strikes and protests over pay and conditions. Iran under the Islamic Republic is literally a huge prison for workers, teachers, women, students and all dissidents. To mobilise support for the jailed students in Iran, their families have called for a Week of Action from 2nd to 9th of February. This is an important opportunity to show support not only for the jailed students in Iran, but also to renew the call for the unconditional and immediate release of Mahmoud Salehi, Mansoor Ossanlou and all other imprisoned activists and political prisoners in Iran. Your union and organisation is requested to support and join this Week of Action in any way you can – from publishing the news of the campaign and sending protest letters to joining the demonstrations and other actions planned for this week across Europe and North America. Please see our forthcoming Week of Action bulletins for further details of the events. 24 January 2008 www.kargaran.org www.wpiran.org www.rowzane.com Head office: Co-ordinator: Shahla Daneshfar shahla_daneshfar@yahoo.com Public Relations: Bahram Soroush Bahram.Soroush@gmail.com Around the world: Australia: Arsalan Nazeri ilscaustralianb@optusnet.com.au Belgium: Hossein Pishehesan workersiniran_belgique@yahoo.fr Canada: Mehran Mahbobi workersiniranca@yahoo.ca Finland: Abdol Golparian workers_iniran@yahoo.com Germany: Reza Nouri workeriniran_de@yahoo.de Norway: Saber Rahimi workeriniran@yahoo.no Sweden: Mamad Amiri workersiniran_se@yahoo.se UK: Shiva Mahbobi workersiniranuk@yahoo.com *** |