Iran
12.01.05
Urgent Interventions
Iran: Threat of arrest and of legal proceedings against Mrs Shirin Ebadi
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
IRN 001 / 0105 / OBS 003
Threat of criminal suit / Threat of arrest
Iran
12 January 2005
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Iran.
Description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed that Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel Peace Prize and Secretary general of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre, an organisation established in 2002, was summoned on 12 January 2005 by the Revolutionary Public Prosecutor's office of Tehran.
The summons sent by the investigating judge n°14 does not specify why Mrs. Ebadi is summoned, but indicates that if she does not appear before the investigating judge within three days, she will be arrested in order to be brought to the investigating judge's office.
The Observatory is deeply concerned at the present situation since the Iranian judiciary is a tool of repression of dissenting voices and human rights defenders in the country.
The Observatory also notes with concern that Mrs. Ebadi has been subjected to various forms of harassment due to her human rights activities. In particular, during the last year, she received anonymous threatening letters and the door of her garage, in Tehran, was damaged several times. Although she expressed her fears for her security to the authorities, there has been no reaction up to now.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, urging them to:
i. Guarantee Mrs Ebadi's physical and psychological integrity in any circumstances.
ii. Clarify the reasons for Mrs Ebadi's summons and ensure that no judicial procedure is used in order to silence her.
iii. Conform with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations' General Assembly on 9 December 1998, in particular its article 1, which states 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 ".
iv. Conform with the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and with the international instruments ratified by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Addresses:
Paris - Geneva, January 12, 2005
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, an 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.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax: FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax: OMCT : + 41 22 809 49 39 / 809 49 29
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
IRN 001 / 0105 / OBS 003
Threat of criminal suit / Threat of arrest
Iran
12 January 2005
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Iran.
Description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed that Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel Peace Prize and Secretary general of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre, an organisation established in 2002, was summoned on 12 January 2005 by the Revolutionary Public Prosecutor's office of Tehran.
The summons sent by the investigating judge n°14 does not specify why Mrs. Ebadi is summoned, but indicates that if she does not appear before the investigating judge within three days, she will be arrested in order to be brought to the investigating judge's office.
The Observatory is deeply concerned at the present situation since the Iranian judiciary is a tool of repression of dissenting voices and human rights defenders in the country.
The Observatory also notes with concern that Mrs. Ebadi has been subjected to various forms of harassment due to her human rights activities. In particular, during the last year, she received anonymous threatening letters and the door of her garage, in Tehran, was damaged several times. Although she expressed her fears for her security to the authorities, there has been no reaction up to now.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, urging them to:
i. Guarantee Mrs Ebadi's physical and psychological integrity in any circumstances.
ii. Clarify the reasons for Mrs Ebadi's summons and ensure that no judicial procedure is used in order to silence her.
iii. Conform with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations' General Assembly on 9 December 1998, in particular its article 1, which states 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 ".
iv. Conform with the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and with the international instruments ratified by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Addresses:
- Leader of the Islamic Republic, His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei, The Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran,
Faxes: + 98 21 649 5880 / 21 774 2228 (ask fax to be forwarded to Ayatollah Khamenei), Email: webmaster@wilayah.org; (on the subject line write: For the attention of the office of His Excellency, Ayatollah al Udhma Khamenei, Qom - President, His Excellency Hojjatoleslam val Moslemin Sayed Mohammad Khatami, The Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98 21 649 588, E-mail: khatami@president.ir
- Head of the Judiciary, His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: +98 21 879 6671, Email: Irjpr@iranjudiciary.com
- Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Kamal Kharrazi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdolmajid Keshk-e Mesri Av, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Faxes: + 98 21 390 1999 (number may be unreliable; please mark "care of the Human Rights Department, Foreign Ministry), Email: matbuat@mfa.gov
- Ambassador Mohammad Reza Alborzi, Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 7330203, E-mail: mission.iran@ties.itu.int
Paris - Geneva, January 12, 2005
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, an 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.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax: FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax: OMCT : + 41 22 809 49 39 / 809 49 29
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch