Harassment and arbitrary detention of human rights defenders continue

On March 2, 2014, Branch 15of the Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced Ms. Maryam Shafi'pour to seven years' imprisonmentfor her activities as well as a two-year ban on media and online activities as a students' rights defender, after finding her guilty of “spreading propaganda against thesystem” and “assembly and collusion against national security”. Ms. Shafi'pour has beendetained since July 27, 2013 in Tehran's Evin Prison, and spent two months insolitary confinement without access to a lawyer. She was also reportedly beatenup and tortured during her pre-trial detention. To substantiate the chargesagainst her, the authorities had accused her of “contacts with families ofpolitical prisoners and helping them”, “membership of a student organisationcampaigning against discrimination in education”, “contacts with foreignmedia”, and “contacts with leaders of sedition during their house arrest”.

In addition, on March 2,2014, two Dervishes' rights defenders and administrators of the Majzooban Noor website, namely Mr. Farshid Yadollahi, alawyer and member of the Human Rights Commission of the Bar Association, andMr. RezaEntessari, a photojournalist, were unexpectedly transferred togetherwith Mr. SaeedMadani, an Iranian sociologist and human rights activist, toRajaishahr prison, close to the city of Karaj, 60 km west from the capitalTehran.

Mr.Saeed Madani was sentenced in June 2013 by Branch 26 of Islamic RevolutionCourt to six years' imprisonment (four years of it imprisonment in exile) and10 years life in exile, and his sentence was upheld on appeal in February.Messrs. Farshid Yadollahi and Reza Entessari were sentenced by Branch 15 of theIslamic Revolution Court in July 2013 to seven years and six months and eightyears and six months in prison respectively, for “establishment of theMajzooban Noor illegal group with intent to undermine the national security,spreading propaganda against the system, insulting the Leader, and complicityin disrupting the public order”. The Observatory considers that this transferto Rajai Shahr is a punishment both for these defenders and their families andtantamount to imprisonment in exile, which does not exist in the Iranian law.Mr. Yadollahi's family lives in the Southern city of Shiraz, the relatives ofMr. Entessari in Kish Island, Persian Gulf, and Mr. Madani's relatives inTehran.

Inaddition, Messrs. Shahrokh Zamani andRassoul Bodaghi, two imprisoned trade unionists, have been recentlyfacing heavy-handed harassment in Rajaishahr prison. They are respectivelymembers of the provisional board for reopening the Building Painting WorkersSyndicate, and Teachers Association of Iran. Mr. Shahrokh Zamani was taken tothe Intelligence Office based in the prison on March 5, and accused of issuingand signing critical statements. During the interrogation, Mr. Shahrokh Zamaniprotested and complained that signals transmitted by mobile-phone jamming unitsinstalled in the prison in October 2013 had caused psychological and physicalsicknesses to a number of prisoners. Other prisoners or their families havealso made similar complaints in recent months. On February 15, the prisonauthorities had sent Messrs. Shahrokh Zamani and Rassoul Bodaghi to solitaryconfinement in response to their protest against the closure of the library ofthe prison’s Ward 12, but returned them to the Ward after they and theircellmates went on hunger strike. Subsequently, on February 22, the two weresummoned to Karaj Prosecutor’s Office, where they were charged with rioting anddisrupting order in prison, as a result of which they may face new judicialproceedings and sentencing.

The Observatory was also informed that Mr. MohammadJarrahi, another member of the provisional board for reopening the BuildingPainting Workers Syndicate, who is also imprisoned in Rajaishahr prison,suffers from cancer. His life in danger as he is denied the necessary medicalcare and treatment.

Finally, the Observatory was informed that theProvince's Appeals Court upheld the sentences of Messrs. Khosro Kordpourand Massoud Kordpour, brothers and respectively editor of andcorrespondent with the Mukrian News Agency, reporting mainly about theconditions of civil rights activists, political prisoners and human rightsviolations in particular in the Iranian Kurdish-inhabited regions and cities.On November 9, 2013, the Islamic Revolution Court of Mahabad had sentenced Mr.Khosro Kordpour to five years in prison to be served in internal exile inTabriz prison as well as two years of internal exile in the city of Kerman for“assembly and collusion”, and to one additional year in prison for “spreadingpropaganda”. Mr. Massoud Kordpour had been sentenced to three years in prisonfor “assembly and collusion” and to six months' imprisonment for “spreadingpropaganda”. In an opinion adopted during its 68th session on November 20,2013, the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) foundtheir detention to be arbitrary and therefore requested their release.

The Observatory urges the Iranian authorities toimmediately and unconditionally release these human rights defenders as well asall human rights defenders presently detained in the country, to put an end toill-treatment of detainees and to the unlawful imposition of exileimprisonment, and to comply with the United Nations Declaration on Human RightsDefenders, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international humanrights instruments ratified by Iran.

Forfurther information, please contact:

• FIDH: Audrey Couprie / Arthur Manet : + 33 1 43 55 25 18
• OMCT: Delphine Reculeau: + 41 22 809 49 39