Iran
25.04.00
Urgent Interventions
Iran: Imprisonment - Freedom of expression
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
IRN 001 / 0004 / OBS 030
Imprisonment - Freedom of expression
IRAN
25 April 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and OMCT, requests your urgent intervention regarding the following situation in Iran.
Brief description of the situation :
The Observatory has been informed by the Attorney Gholamali Riahi of Akbar Ganji’s arrest. Akbar Ganji, author, journalist and member of the editorial board of daily « Fatah », was arrested on 22nd April 2000 and interrogated for several hours.
The Attorney Riahi has been informed that his client is charged with ten charges by several plaintiffs : the Ministry of Information, the joint chiefs of staff of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, the daily « Kayhan », the Intelligence Department of the Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), the Security Department of the LEF and 13 families. He has been given a week long deadline to prepare his defence.
According to the information received, Mr Ganji has been accused of publishing articles and speeches in dailies, and especially as chief editor of the « rah-e now » daily. Charges are also related to his participation at the Berlin Conference concerning the legislative elections at stake, organised on the 7th and 8th of April 2000 by a German cultural association.
Publicly known for his commitments in favor of the democratic reforms, Akbar Ganji has pleaded for the creation of an independent Commission of inquiry regarding political murders committed by the Intelligence service between 1988 and 1998. He has notably written and published a book concerning the political assassinations committed between November and December 1998.
The Observatory is gravely concerned for the arrest of Akbar Ganji that occurred in a general context of political tension and which appears to be motivated mainly by Mr Ganji’s commitment to Human Rights.
Actions requested :
i. order Akbar Ganji’s immediate release as he is being detained without any valid charges ;
ii. abide by the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9th 1999 ("Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ") and more particularly article 1 which provides that "Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels" ;
iii. more generally to abide by the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the regional and international covenants ratified by Iran.
Addresses :
President of the Islamic Republic His excellency Mr Khatami, Fax : 98 21 67 36 57/ 64 66 45, E mail : khatami@president.ir
The Iranian Embassy in your countries
Geneva - Paris, 25th April 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency line : Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92 Tel FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39 E.Mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
IRN 001 / 0004 / OBS 030
Imprisonment - Freedom of expression
IRAN
25 April 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and OMCT, requests your urgent intervention regarding the following situation in Iran.
Brief description of the situation :
The Observatory has been informed by the Attorney Gholamali Riahi of Akbar Ganji’s arrest. Akbar Ganji, author, journalist and member of the editorial board of daily « Fatah », was arrested on 22nd April 2000 and interrogated for several hours.
The Attorney Riahi has been informed that his client is charged with ten charges by several plaintiffs : the Ministry of Information, the joint chiefs of staff of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, the daily « Kayhan », the Intelligence Department of the Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), the Security Department of the LEF and 13 families. He has been given a week long deadline to prepare his defence.
According to the information received, Mr Ganji has been accused of publishing articles and speeches in dailies, and especially as chief editor of the « rah-e now » daily. Charges are also related to his participation at the Berlin Conference concerning the legislative elections at stake, organised on the 7th and 8th of April 2000 by a German cultural association.
Publicly known for his commitments in favor of the democratic reforms, Akbar Ganji has pleaded for the creation of an independent Commission of inquiry regarding political murders committed by the Intelligence service between 1988 and 1998. He has notably written and published a book concerning the political assassinations committed between November and December 1998.
The Observatory is gravely concerned for the arrest of Akbar Ganji that occurred in a general context of political tension and which appears to be motivated mainly by Mr Ganji’s commitment to Human Rights.
Actions requested :
i. order Akbar Ganji’s immediate release as he is being detained without any valid charges ;
ii. abide by the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9th 1999 ("Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ") and more particularly article 1 which provides that "Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels" ;
iii. more generally to abide by the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the regional and international covenants ratified by Iran.
Addresses :
President of the Islamic Republic His excellency Mr Khatami, Fax : 98 21 67 36 57/ 64 66 45, E mail : khatami@president.ir
The Iranian Embassy in your countries
Geneva - Paris, 25th April 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency line : Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92 Tel FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39 E.Mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch