VA: 05/10 Index: MDE 13/003/2010 Iran
Date: 07 January 2010
URGENT
ACTION
IRANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER REARRESTED
Human rights defender and 2009 recipient of the Martin Ennals Award Emadeddin Baghi was
arrested on 28 December 2009, in the aftermath of demonstrations marking a religious event
known as ‘Ashoura the day before. He is a prisoner of conscience.
Emadeddin Baghi was arrested at his house at 6.4bam on 28 December 209 by four plainclothes, armed officials,
who forced their way into his house, and, refusing to show any identification, severely beat his brother-in-law and,
when Emadeddin Baghi assured his wife and daughter that he would remain strong in prison, told him he would not
live long enough in prison to need to remain strong.
The authorities have given his family no information about what has happened, and have not allowed his lawyers to
contact him. On 6 January, a family member reported that a detainee just released from Evin Prison in Tehran told
the family that he had heard Emadeddin Baghi's voice in the prison. He has seriously medical problems, many
resulting from his previous periods of imprisonment,
Emadeddin Baghi is believed to be held in solitary confinement in Evin prison. His doctor has asked the authorities
not to put him under pressure, so as to prevent his various health problems from worsening.
PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, English or your own language;
Calling on the authorities to release Emadeddin Baghi immediately and unconditionally, as he is a prisoner of
conscience;
Urging them to disclose his whereabouts immediately, and to ensure that he is protected from torture and other ill-
treatment, and has access to a lawyer of his own choosing, his family and any medical treatment he may require;
v Reminding the authorities that, as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran is
obliged to uphold the right to freedom of expression.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE
Leader of the Islamic ReDublic
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_Ieader@leader.ir
via website:
http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?
p=letter (English)
Salutation: Your Excellency
18 FEBRUARY 2010 TO:
Head of Tehran Judiciary
MrAli RezaAvaei
Karimkhan Zand Avenue
Sana'i Avenue, Corner of Alley 17, No
152
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir
Salutation: Dear Mr Avaei
And copies to:
Director, Human Rights Headquarters
of Iran
His Excellency Mohammad Javad
Larijan i
Bureau of International Affairs, Office
of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur
St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e
Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737,
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com
Fax: +98 21 5 537 8827 (please keep
trying)
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: 07 January 2010
URGENT ACTION
IRANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER REARRESTED
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Emaddedin Baghi is a distinguished human rights defender, journalist and writer who has been imprisoned repeatedly. He is the
founder of the Association for the Defence of Prisoners' Rights (ADPR) which the authorities closed down in August 2009, amid
widespread allegations that the security forces had committed numerous human rights violations since the June 2009
presidential election. Since it was set up 2002, the organization had been compiling information on torture and other abuses
against detainees.
In October 2008, he was released from Evin Prison after serving a one-year sentence for “undermining national security,” which
had been imposed unfairly in 2003 after he criticized the use of the death penalty.
While in custody, he was not allowed to go to the toilet for four days and prison officials delayed urgently needed medical
treatment. He was eventually granted medical leave, but he still suffers from kidney, bladder and other problems arising from the
treatment he suffered. He and members of his family were cleared by an appeal court of further charges related to their human
rights work, but the case was referred to another court for further investigation.
Other human rights defenders have also been arrested in recent weeks, including seven members of the
Committee of Human Rights Reporters, Saeed Kalanaki, Saeed Jalalifar, Shiva Nazar Ahari, Koohyar Goodarzi,
Saeed Haeri, Parisa Kakayi and Mehrdad Rahimi
Others arrested on 28 December 2009 included former foreign minister Ebrahim Yazdi, 78, a leading member of the Iran
Freedom Movement; and advisers to former president Mohammad Khatami and June 2009 presidential candidate Mir Hossein
Mousavi. According to the Parleman news website, Morteza Haji and Hasan Rasoulid, who administer former Prresident
Khatami's NGO, Saran, were arrested; along with Mousavi's advisers Alireza Beheshti, Chorban Bebzadian-Nejad and Mohammad
Bagherian.
At least six leading journalists were also arrested on 28 and 29 December. Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, Morteza Kazemian, Keyvan
Mehregan, Reza Tajik, and two women, Badrolsadat Mofidi and Nasrin Vaziri, are among many others detained following the
‘Ashoura commemoration.
Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, the former Vice President of the Association of Iranian Journalists (officially shut down in 2008) was
arrested on 29 December when six plainclothes security officials forced their way into his home. He demanded to see a warrant
for his arrest, but was threatened and taken away to an unknown place of detention. Morteza Kazemian, sid to be a contributor to
the Jaras news website, close to Mir Hossein Mousavi, was arrested at around lam on 29 December. Reza Tajik, a journalist with
the daily newspaper Etemad, was arrested in front of the newspaper's offices at around 215pm on 29 December by officials of
the Ministry of Intelligence. He had previously been held for some 46 days following the election. Badrolsadat Mofidi is the
Secretary of the Association of Iranian Journalists while Nasrin Vaziri is the parliamentary correspondent for the Iranian Labour
News Agency (ILNA) news and Khabar Online.
For further information about the post-election events please see Iran: Election contested, Repression compounded (Index MDE
13/123/2009), December 2009, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/123/2009/en
UA: 05/10 Index: MDE 13/003/2010 Issue Date: 07 January 2010
AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL
