IRN 001 / 0119 / OBS 002.1
Sentencing
/
Judicial
harassment
Iran
January 28, 2019
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has
received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following
situation in Iran.
New information:
The Observatory has been informed by the League for the Defence of Human
Rights in Iran (LDDHI) about the sentencing of Mr. Reza Khandan, a human rights defender known for having raised
concerns on Facebook about human rights violations in Iran, including the
imprisonment of human rights defenders and the prosecution of women who have
campaigned against the imposition of the hijab. Mr. Khandan also campaigned for
the release of his wife, Ms. Nasrin
Sotoudeh, one of Iran’s most prominent human rights lawyers, who was
arrested on June 13, 2018[1].
According to the information received, on January 22,
2019, Mr. Khandan’s lawyer was notified that Branch 15 of the Islamic
Revolution Court in Tehran sentenced his client to six years of imprisonment - five years for “gathering and
collusion with intent to commit crimes against national security” (Article 610
of the Islamic Penal Code) and one year for “spreading propaganda against the
system” (Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code). He was also banned from
“membership in social and political groups and parties, undertaking activities
in cyberspace, the media and the press” and from travelling abroad for two
years. Mr. Khandan will appeal the court’s decision and will remain free
pending the appeal.
The Observatory recalls that Mr. Khandan was arrested on
September 4, 2018, and released on bail on December 23, 2018 (see background
information). The Observatory also recalls that several other human
rights defenders remain in arbitrary detention.
The Observatory condemns the
sentencing of Mr. Reza Khandan, which seems to be only aimed at punishing him
for his legitimate human rights activities. The Observatory calls on Iranian
authorities to end all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level,
against Mr. Reza Khandan and all human rights defenders in the country.
Background information:
On September 4, 2018, Mr. Reza Khandan was
arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence at his home in Tehran and
subsequently taken to Branch 7 of the Prosecutor’s Office in the capital’s Evin
prison. He was detained on charges of “gathering and colluding against national
security”, “spreading propaganda against the system”, and “propagating and
promoting disregard for hijab in the society”. The Prosecutor’s Office ordered
him to deposit bail to the amount of 7,000 million Iranian rials (approximately
55,000 Euros). Mr. Reza Khandan refused to pay the bail, arguing that he
had not committed any offences, and remained detained in Evin prison.
On December
23, 2018, Mr. Reza Khandan was provisionally released on a ‘personal guarantee’[2]. This followed a court hearing that was attended by
Mr. Reza Khandan on December 19, 2018, at Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolution
Court in Tehran. During the hearing, the Court agreed to change Mr. Khandan’s
financial bail to a personal guarantee.
Actions requested:
Please write to the authorities of Iran asking them to:
i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical integrity and psychological well-being of Mr. Reza Khandan and all human rights defenders in Iran;
ii. Put
an end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against Mr.
Reza Khandan and all human rights defenders in the country;
iii.
Comply with all the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human
Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in
particular its Articles 1, 6, 9, 11 and 12;
iv. Ensure
in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in
accordance with international human rights standards and international
instruments ratified by Iran.
Addresses:
• Leader of the Islamic Republic, H.E. Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei, Fax: + 98
21 441 2030, Email: info_leader@leader.ir; Twitter: @khamenei_ir
• President Hassan Rouhani, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98 21 644 54811;
Email: media@rouhani.ir; Twitter: @HassanRouhani (English) and @Rouhani_ir
(Persian).
• Head of the Judiciary, H.E. Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Fax: +98 21 879 6671 / +98 21 3 311 6567, Email: info@dadiran.ir /
info@dadgostary-tehran.ir / info@bia-judiciary.ir
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Islamic Republic of Iran,
Fax: +98-21-66743149; matbuat@mfa.gov.ir
• Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights, Mr. Mohammed Javad
Larijani, Islamic Republic of Iran. Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir
• H.E. Mr. Javad Amin-Mansour, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the
Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41
22 7330203, Email: mission.iran@ties.itu.int
• H.E. Mr. Peiman Seadat, Ambassador, Embassy of Iran in Brussels,
Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 762 39 15. Email: secreteriat@iranembassy.be
Please
also write to the diplomatic representations of Iran in your respective
countries.
***
Paris-Geneva, January 28, 2019
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken
quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory for the
Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by
FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this
programme is to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights
defenders. FIDH and OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by
international civil society.
[1] See Observatory Urgent
Appeal IRN
001 / 0618 / OBS 085, published on June 15, 2018.
[2] This is a type of bail
under which a person guarantees to bring the defendant to the court, when
asked.
Tweet |
English