Amnesty International: Disappearance

          
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          Amnesty International
          PUBLIC A! Index: MDE 13/046/2001
          Extra Judicial 27 November 2001
          UA 298/01 Disappearance
          IRAN Siamak Pourzand, (m) aged 70, intellectual and manager of Majmue-ye Farhangi-ye Honari-ye
          Tehran (The Tehran Cultural Centre)
          Siamak Pourzand, manager of Majmue-ye Farhang i-ye Honari-ye Teh ran (The Tehran Cultural Centre),
          disappeared in Tehran on Saturday, 24 November, at around 9 o'clock in the evening. He left his sister's
          apartment in ‘Abbas Abad, central Tehran, taking his medicine, shoes and keys. He has not been heard
          from since.
          Siamak Pourzand had reportedly stated to friends and family that he had been followed by motorcycles
          and one or two cars in the two weeks before he disappeared. His disappearance may be connected to
          the fact he runs Majmue-ye Farhangi-ye Honari-ye Tehran (The Tehran Cultural Centre), which has
          provided facilities for artists, writers and other intellectuals, including well-known women's rights activists,
          for performance and to discuss their work.
          He is 70 years old and he in a poor physical condition. The judiciary, Ministry of Intelligence and police
          have not, as far as Amnesty International is aware, announced his arrest.
          BACKGROUND INFORMATION
          Siamak Pourzand is the husband of human rights lawyer, Mehrangiz Kar, who continues to face charges
          in connection with her participation at a social and cultural conference which was held in Berlin in April
          2000. She is a former prisoner of conscience (see UA 103/00, MDE 13/20/00 3 May 2000 and follow ups)
          In November and December 1998, four writers and two political activists were murdered, three folLowing
          similar disappearances (see News Service 244/98, Al Index MDE 13/25/98). Writer Mohammad Mokhtari
          was missing for six days before his body was found and translator and journalist Majid Sharif was
          missing for four days before his body was found. Political activists Dariush Foruhar and his wife
          Parvaneh Eskandari were found stabbed to death in their Tehran apartment in November 1998. No one
          SPOOII9
        

          
          has been successfully convicted in connection with the murders.
          RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English, French or
          your own language:
          - urging the authorities to conduct an urgent investigation into the disappearance of Siamak Pourzand;
          - urging the judiciary or Ministry of Intelligence to clarify whether either body authorized the arrest of
          Siamak Pourzand;
          - urging the authorities to make public the findings of any investigation into the disappearance of Siamak
          Pourzand.
          addresses to send urgent appeals
          links to _ human j1 gh _g tjsh jp _ jrig with this situation
          Please email us. A petition will be up soon, but petitions are not as effective as individual letters, faxes, and calls. If
          you know how to put a button on it so people can sign it from the web page, that would be a big help, too. Thank
          you.
          email: freepourzand@yahoo.com
          we are compiling a list of fax numbers, addresses, and email addresses that will be up tomorrow.