Aadel Collection

Imminent Risk of Execution in Iran

          
          VA: 102/10 Index: MDE 13/047/2010 Iran
          Date: 30 April 2010
          URGENT
          ACTION
          IMMINENT RISK OF EXECUTION IN IRAN
          An Iranian man, Ja'far Kazemi, is at imminent risk of execution for his alleged participation in
          anti-government demonstrations and for his alleged contact with banned opposition group the
          People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI). He could be executed at any time.
          Ja'far Kazemi, aged 47, was arrested on 18 or 19 September 2009, after mass anti-government protests which took
          place on 18 September, and was taken to Evin prison in Tehran. He was accused of participating in the protests,
          which were attended by hundreds of thousands of people, but was not accused of committing any violent acts. He
          was sentenced to death for “enmity against God”, and is also believed to have been convicted of “propaganda
          against the system”. He was tried with at least one other man, Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaei, who is believed to have
          faced similar charges, but Amnesty International has no information about whether he has been sentenced to death.
          Ja'far Kazemi is reported to have been interrogated by security forces for months, and was pressured to make a
          televised “confession”, which he refused to do. On 26 April 2010, he learned that his death sentence had been
          confirmed by an appeal court. His lawyer, who has had limited access to her client, has requested that the Head of
          the Judiciary's office conducts an extraordinary review. The execution can still go ahead at any time unless this
          request is accepted.
          Ja'far Kazemi was previously imprisoned for membership of the PMOI in the 1980s or 199Os. One of his sons is a
          PMOI member and lives in Camp Ashraf, which houses PMOI members in Iraq. Others under sentence of death in
          connection with the post-election protests are Amir Reza Arefi, Mohammad Amin Valian, Motahareh (Simm)
          Bahrami, her husband Mohsen Daneshpour Moghaddam, their son Ahmad Daneshpour and two friends Hadi
          Gha'emi and Rayhaneh Haj Ebrahim, a woman, and Abdo lreza Ghanbari.
          PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language (Please refer to Ja'far
          Kazemi as “Ja'far Kazemi, son of Bahman” in your appeals, as this will help the authorities to identify him):
          Urging the Iranian authorities not to executeJa'far Kazemi and asking for clarification of Mohammad Ali Haj
          Aghaei's legal status and whether he is at risk of execution;
          Urging the authorities to commute all death sentences in Iran, including any imposed in connection with the post-
          election protests;
          Reminding the Iranian authorities that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a
          state party, states that the death penalty can only be carried out for “the most serious crimes”, which the Human
          Rights Committee has clarified must be “intentional crimes with lethal or other extremely grave consequences.”
          Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
          Office of the Head of the Judiciary
          Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of
          Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran,
          1316814737
          Islamic Republic of Iran
          Email: via website:
          
          First starred box: your given name;
          second starred box: your family name;
          third: your email 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: info_leader@leader.ir
          via website:
          http:llwww.Ieader.ir/Iangs/en/index.php?
          p=letter (English)
          Salutation: Your Excellency
          And copies to:
          Secretary General, High Council for
          Human Rights
          Mohammad Javad Larijani
          Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh
          Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of
          Serah-e Jomhuri
          Tehran 1316814737
          Islamic Republic of Iran
          Fax: +98 21 3390 4986
          Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject
          line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani
          AMNESTY
          INTERNATIONAL
          PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 11 JUNE 2010 TO:
          Head of the Judiciary
        
          
          Date: 30 April 2010
          Also send copies to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after
          the above date.
          AMNESTY
          INTERNATIONAL
        
          
          Date: 30 April 2010
          URGENT ACTION
          IMMINENT RISK OF EXECUTION IN IRAN
          ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
          Since the disputed presidential election in June 2009, over 5,000 people have been arrested, including over 1,000 during and
          following mass demonstrations on the religious festival of Ashoura on 27 December. Those detained include political figures and
          activists, students, human rights defenders and journalists. At the beginning of March 2010, a widespread wave of arrests of
          human rights defenders took place.
          Many of those arrested since June 2009 have been tried in grossly unfair trials, resulting in long prison term sentences and some
          sentences of flogging. At least 15 people have been sentenced to death for “enmity against God” in connection with the post-
          election protests. Two - Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour - were hanged in public in January 2010 after
          being convicted in unfair trials of ‘enmity against God!! and being members of Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran (API), a banned group
          which advocates the restoration of an Iranian monarchy. Four others are believed to have had their death sentences commuted.
          UA: 102/10 Index: MOE 13/047/2010 Issue Date: 30 April 2010
          AMNESTY
          INTERNATIONAL
        

Download Attachments:

Show More

Related Articles

Back to top button