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May 23, 2001
Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue,
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Your Excellency:
I am writing again to express the concern of the New York Academy of Sciences' Committee on Human Rights regarding the treatment of student
leader Ali Afshari. He was in temporary detention for around 160 days and
is still said to be held incommunicado, without access to his lawyer. We are seeking clarification as to the exact charges brought against Ali
Afshari and the date that the appeal court hearing relating to the Berlin Conference will take place. We would also like to know the results of the
investigation by the Article 90 Commission.
We are urging that all the charges against all those convicted on the basis
of their participating in the Berlin Conference are reviewed and dropped upon appeal, since the existing charges do not appear to justify the
convictions of the defendents.
Ali Afshari televised "confession" on May 15, 2001 implies his guilt before
any trial has taken place and as such is a break of Article 11/1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
I respectfully await your response to this matter of great importance to the
international academic and scientific community.
The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, nonprofit, global membership organization committed to advancing science, technology, and
society worldwide. Established in 1817, the Academy is the oldest scientific organization in New York, and the third oldest in the nation. It
is an international organization with nearly 30,000 members in more than 150
countries.
Sincerely,
Joseph L. Birman
Chairman, Committee on Human Rights of Scientists
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