,
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.
