Iran: Rights Crisis Escalates

          
          HUMAN
          RIGHTS
          WATCH
          INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN
          FO.
          ‘ .Dll
          .J1
          —I I
          Iran: Rights Crisis Escalates
          Faces and Cases from Ahmadinejad's Crackdown
          Under President Ahmadinejad's administration, Iran's human rights record has
          deteriorated markedly. White the international community's attention has focused
          on nuclear concerns, Iran has not been held accountable for its violations of
          international human rights law. Human Rights Watch and the International Campaign
          for Human Rights in Iran believe that any international efforts to engage Iran toward
          reaching a resolution of the nuclear standoff should not come at the expense of
          attention to the human rights crisis in Iran.
          Human Rights Watch and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran call on
          the Iranian government to:
          • Stop all executions of juvenile offenders and abolish the death penalty for
          juvenile offenders;
          • Release all political prisoners and persons jailed solely for exercising
          peacefully their right to freedom of expression, association, and assembly;
          • Honor Iran's standing invitations to the UN Special Rapporteurs and allow
          international human rights organizations to visit Iran to conduct research and
          advocacy.
          Here are some of the current serious human rights abuses in Iran to bear in mind
          during President Ahmadinejad's visit to the UN.
          SEPTEMBER 2008
          NUMBER I
        

          
          I. Executions of Juvenile Offenders
          1t I
          Behnam Zare is one of the six juvenile
          offenders executed so far this year.
          Another 130 juveniles are currently on
          the death row. (© Iranian Human Rights
          Activists)
          Iran leads the world in executing juvenile offenders --
          persons under i8 at the time of their crime. Iran
          accounts for 26 of the 32 executions of juvenile
          offenders that have taken place in the world since
          January 2005. Iran's juvenile executions dwarf in
          number those of the only other countries known to
          have executed juvenile offenders: Saudi Arabia (2),
          Sudan (2), Pakistan (i), and Yemen (i).
          In Iran, judges can impose the death penalty in capital
          cases if the defendant has attained “majority,”
          defined in Iranian law as 9 years of age for girls and 15
          years of age for boys. Iran is known to have executed six juvenile offenders so far in
          2008, including two in August: Behnam Zare on August 26, 2008, and Seyyed Reza
          Hejazi on August 19, 2008. Over 130 other juvenile offenders have been sentenced to
          death and are awaiting execution.
          Every member of the United Nations, including Iran, has ratified or acceded to
          treaties prohibiting sentencing juvenile offenders to death. As a party to the
          Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and
          Political Rights, Iran is obligated to abolish the death penalty for juvenile offenders.
          Iranian human rights defenders are campaigning vigorously to abolish this abhorrent
          practice. However, President Ahmadinejad's administration has so far done nothing
          to change laws and practices that have made Iran the leading executioner of juvenile
          offenders worldwide.
          II. Executions—Iran's 300% Increase
          Iran is also a world leader in overall executions. Iran executes more people than any
          other country except China. The number of executions in Iran has skyrocketed since
          the election of President Ahmadinejad. In 2005, the year he took office, Iran
          2
        

          
          executed 86 people. In 2007, Iran executed 317 people — an increase of nearly 300%.
          Many of these executions follow unfair trials in an extremely opaque judicial process.
          For example, 29 men were hanged on a single day - July 27, 2008 — though the
          authorities announced the names of only io of them. No other information about the
          other 19 executed men, including their names, charges against them, and details of
          their prosecution, has been released. Human Rights Watch and the International
          Campaign for Human Rights in Iran oppose the death penalty in all circumstances
          due to its inherent cruel nature.
          III.Arbitrary Detentions
          The security and intelligence services routinely detain activists and dissidents for
          interrogation purposes. These arbitrary detentions, without charges filed, can last for
          months. In recent years, the Intelligence Ministry has particularly targeted Iranians
          who have active professional ties abroad, accusing them of being agents of Western
          efforts to instigate a “velvet revolution” in Iran. In the summer of 2007, three Iranian-
          Americans, Haleh Esfandiari, Ali Shaken, and Kian Tajbakhsh, spent four months in
          detention under interrogation. Currently three Iranians with academic ties to US
          institutions are held and being interrogated.
          Arash and KamirALaii
          Two physicians, Arash and Kamiar Alaii, internationally renowned for their
          pioneering work in AIDS prevention, have been in incommunicado detention since
          22 June. On August 2, 2008, the deputy general prosecutor of Tehran, Hasan Hadad,
          said: “They have been involved in organizing gatherings on topics such as AIDS that
          have received attention from domestic and international NGOs. They acted to recruit
          individuals to travel abroad with the aim of training them on overthrowing the
          system....they were well-aware of their activities and topics of trainings such as
          velvet revolutions.”
          Mehdi Zakerian
          Mehdi Zakerian, a legal scholar who was scheduled to teach at the University of
          Pennsylvania this semester, was detained by security agents three weeks ago. The
          3
        

          
          authorities have not provided any information about his situation. Zakerian is also
          chairman of the Iranian International Relations Society and a senior researcher at the
          Center for Strategic Studies of the Middle East in Tehran.
          IV. Political Prisoners
          Iranian intelligence and security forces routinely detain peaceful activists, journalists,
          students, and human rights defenders and often charge them with “acting against
          national security.” The courts typically convict on these charges and sentence
          activists to lengthy prison terms. This trend has intensified under President
          Ahmadinejad and his intelligence apparatus. Prominent Iranian political prisoners
          include:
          Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand
          Muhammad Sadiq Kaboudvand is the founder of the Human Rights Organization of
          Kurdistan (H ROtC ) and a journalist. He has been in custody since June 2007, and is
          serving an ii- year prison term. Kaboudvand was kept in solitary confinement for 5
          months in Evin Prison's Sections 209 and 240. In April 2008, he suffered a stroke
          and was taken to a specialist to receive treatment.
          Kaboudvand documented and reported on human rights violations in Iran's Kurdish
          areas, from April 9, 2005, when he established HROK, until the time of his arrest. He
          was convicted of “acting against national security through founding of HROK,”
          “widespread propaganda against the state by disseminating news,” “opposing
          Islamic penal laws by publicizing punishments such as stoning and executions,” and
          “advocating on behalf of political prisoners.”
          Farzad Kamangar
          Farzad Kamangar, a 32-year-old Kurdish teacher and social worker in the city of
          Kamyaran, was prosecuted on charges of membership in the Turkey-based Kurdistan
          Workers Party (PKIC). A Revolutionary Court sentenced Kamangar to death on
          February 25, 2008. Khalil Bahramian, his lawyer, said: “Nothing in Kamangar's
          4
        

          
          judicial files and records demonstrates any links to the charges brought against
          him.”
          Bahramian, the lawyer, who was present during the closed-door court hearing,
          described it as “lasting no more than five minutes, with the Judge issuing his
          sentence without any explanation and then promptly leaving the room.” He added, “I
          have seen absolutely zero evidence presented against Kamangar. In my forty years in
          the legal profession, I have never witnessed such a prosecution.”
          The Supreme Court officially confirmed Kamangar's death sentence on July ii, 2008.
          He could be executed at any moment.
          Mansour Osan too
          Mansour Osanloo, a leading trade-union activist, has been imprisoned several times
          during the past three years. Osanloo is currently held in Evin Prison, serving a 5- year
          prison sentence. He is a founding member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and
          Suburbs Bus Company, an independent union that has been campaigning vigorously
          for workers' rights.
          Agents of the Intelligence Ministry detained Osanloo in Evin Prison twice before:
          from September 7, 2005 to August 9, 2006 and from November 19 to December 19,
          2007.
          On February 24, 2007, Osanloo was summoned to a Revolutionary Court and charged
          with “attempts to jeopardize national security,” and “propaganda against the state.”
          In May 2007, the court sentenced Osanloo to five years in prison.
          Emad Baghi
          Emad Baghi, one of Iran's foremost human rights defenders, is the founder of the
          Association for Defense of Prisoners' Rights. He is currently serving a one-year
          sentence for articles he wrote a decade ago opposingthe application of the death
          penalty. He was convicted of “publishing insulting material with unacceptable
          5
        

          
          interpretation of Islamic rules,” and “dissemination of falsehoods with intention of
          disturbing public opinion.”
          Baghi suffers from severe heart and kidney ailments. On August 7, 2008, a prison
          doctor recommended strongly that he be taken to a hospital to receive treatment for
          his illnesses. On the same day, the authorities transferred Baghi to solitary
          confinement in Section 209 of Evin Prison, where intelligence agents interrogated
          him for three weeks.
          As Baghi's health deteriorated considerably, on September i6, 2008, the authorities
          released him for medical treatment. It is not clear if he will be returned to prison
          again.
          Ayatollah Boroujerdi
          Ayatollah Seyd Hussein Kazemini Boroujerdi advocates separation of religion and
          politics. He has been sentenced and jailed for his beliefs, and his life is in danger in
          prison on account of serious health problems.
          Security forces raided Ayatollah Boroujerdi's house in Tehran on October 8, 2006. In
          June 2007, the Special Court for the Clergy prosecuted him behind closed doors. The
          authorities have not provided any official account regarding his prosecution and
          sentencing. According to his associates, he was initially sentenced to death, but an
          appeals court reduced his sentence to ii years in prison, io of which he must serve
          in exile, in the city of Yazd.
          He has been deprived of access to an independent attorney throughout his
          prosecution and imprisonment.
          Ayatollah Boroujerdi is suffering from multiple health complications, including heart
          and respiratory problems and kidney stone complications, as well as loss of 80
          percent of his vision due to cataracts. According to his physician, Dr. Hesam Firoozi,
          Ayatollah Boroujerdi has lost as much as 80 pounds during his imprisonment.
          6
        

          
          “As an independent physician, with no political leanings and agenda, and in keeping
          with my sacred duties as a physician devoted to the goal of saving the lives of
          humans, I urge your Excellency to order his transfer to a specialist medical facility
          outside the prison, to save his life,” Dr. Firoozi wrote to the head of the Judiciary on
          September 2, 2008.
          Hadi Ghabet
          Hadi Ghabet, an outspoken Iranian cLeric and member of the central council of the
          reformist Participation Front, was imprisoned on April 7, 2008 to begin a 40- month
          jail term following prosecution and conviction by the Special Court for the Clergy.
          The Special Court, charged with investigating other clerics for alleged crimes, has
          routinely prosecuted clerics who challenge official interpretations of religion. The
          court's persecution and prosecution of religious scholars, based solely on their
          beliefs and opinions constitutes a form of modern inquisition aimed at rooting out
          clerics whose beliefs are considered politically threatening. Chabel was sentenced
          to one year in prison for “acting against national security,” io months for
          “propaganda against state,” i months for “disturbing public opinion,” ioo days for
          “aspersion of the clergy,” and a financial fine of 5 million Rials ($s so) for “insulting
          the authorities.” He was also defrocked.
          V. Persecution of Women's Rights Activists
          Iranian authorities have systematically thwarted peaceful and legal civil society
          efforts to advocate for women's rights. Women's rights advocates have been beaten,
          harassed and persecuted for peacefully demonstrating; for collecting signatures on
          behalf of the “Million Signatures Campaign” to end discrimination against women in
          Iran's laws and legal system; for writing and publishing articles; and for convening
          meetings in their private homes. The Judiciary has prosecuted more than a hundred
          women's rights activists over the past three years. Some of the recent cases are:
          Ronak Safazadeh
          Ronak Safazadeh , arrested on October 9, 2007, is a women's rights activist in
          San adaj, capital of the province of Kurdistan. She is a member of the local women's
          7
        

          
          organization, Azarmehr (Association of Kurdish Women). Ronak campaigned for
          women's rights by disseminating information and collecting signatures on behalf of
          the “One Million Signatures Campaign.” The Intelligence Ministry charged her with
          the serious crime of”moharebeh,” meaning armed activity against the state, which
          is punishable by death. The charges against her are solely based on interrogations
          during her solitary confinement.
          Hana Abdi
          Hana Abdi, a student and women's rights activist from the largely Kurdish city of
          Sanandaj, has been in prison since November 4, 2007. Branch 2 of the Sanandaj
          Revolutionary Court charged her with “collusion to threaten national security” and on
          June i8, 2008 ordered her to serve a five-year prison term in exile in the province of
          East Azerbaijan.
          She was a volunteer in the One Million Signatures Campaign at the time of her
          arrest. According to her lawyer, Mohammad Sharif, Abdi's conviction was based
          solely on interrogations by Intelligence Ministry officials during two months of
          solitary confinement. The authorities denied Sharif access to his client during the
          interrogation process and the judge refused to consider the defense motions,
          referring only to interrogation reports.
          Zaynab Bayazidi
          Zaynab Bayazidi, a 26- year old women's rights activist, is serving a four year prison
          term. She is charged with being a member of the Human Rights Organization of
          Kurdistan, and for herworkon behalf of the One Million Signature Campaign. The
          authorities detained Bayazidi on July 9, 2008, after she reported for a summons. The
          Revolutionary Court sentenced her to four years in prison on August 21, 2008.
          Parvin Ardalan, Nahid Keshavarz, Jelveh Javaheri and Maryam
          Hosseinkhah
          Parvin Ardalan, a leading women's rights activist, is the 2008 winner of the Olaf
          Palme prize. Ardalan, Nahid Keshavarz, Jelveh Javaheri, and Maryam Hosseinkhah
          are members of the One Million Signature Campaign. On September 2, 2008,
          8
        

          
          Tehran's Revolutionary Court sentenced them to six months imprisonment for
          articles they published in the on-Line magazines Zanestan and TanirBarabari They
          are currently free on bail, awaiting the decision by the Appeal Court on their cases.
          VI. Conclusion
          During President Ahmadinejad's administration, Iran's human rights record has
          reached new lows. The security and intelLigence services, controlled by his
          administration, have led an ever-expanding crackdown against peaceful activists
          and dissidents. Hard-line elements within the judiciary, emboLdened by
          Ahmadinejad's Lack of concern for human rights violations, have sent the number of
          executions skyrocketing, including those of juvenile offenders. In addition to
          prosecution and imprisonment of peaceful activists, Ahmadinejad's presidency has
          also created an intense atmosphere of fear and intimidation across most sectors of
          the country's once-vibrant and growing civil society.
          The human cost of Ahmadinejad's poLicies is registering a heavy toll on Iran's civil
          society. It is imperative for the international community to take up the opportunity of
          President Ahmadinejad's presence at the United Nations to voice its concerns about
          the increasingly grave human rights violations in Iran.
          9