News: Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of Simin Mohammadi, who is reportedly being held in solitary confinement at Evin prison, in the capital Tehran. She does not have access to a lawyer, and may be at risk of torture or ill-treatment_July 15, 2003. |
||
PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/021/2003 15 July 2003 Further Information on UA 181/03 (MDE 13/015/2003, 20 June 2003) Torture/Ill-treatment New concerns: Fear for safety/ Medical concern IRAN Simin Mohammadi (f), 22, student Manuchehr Mohammadi (m) student activist, her brother Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of Simin Mohammadi, who is reportedly being held in solitary confinement at Evin prison, in the capital Tehran. She does not have access to a lawyer, and may be at risk of torture or ill-treatment. Amnesty International fears that Simin Mohammadi may have been detained solely because she is the sister of student activist Manuchehr Mohammadi, who has been in prison since 1999. According to a family member, Simin Mohammadi, travelled with her father, Mohammad Mohammadi from Amol in northern Iran to Tehran in order to obtain more information on the status of Manuchehr Mohammadi. On 8 July, as they were walking in Enghlab Square, near Tehran University, they were reportedly separated, forced into two vehicles by a group of plain clothed individuals and taken to Evin prison. On arrival at Evin prison, Mohammad Mohammadi was reportedly placed into solitary confinement. He suffered a heart attack on the same day, and was reportedly taken to a nearby hospital where he received medical treatment for three days under the surveillance of officials from Evin prison. After a relative posted bail on his behalf, Mohammad Mohammadi was transferred to a hospital in Amol where his wife could visit him. He is reportedly required to return to the Revolutionary Court at a future date, for questioning. On 11 July, Simin Mohammadi was able to telephone her mother to inform her that she had been detained. Officials from the Revolutionary Court have since reportedly informed her family that a bail of 10 million Toman, or around USD 12 thousand would be required to secure her temporary release. There is no further information currently available on the status of Manuchehr Mohammadi. BACKGROUND INFORMATION In Iran, there is a long standing pattern of detention of family members solely on account of the alleged actions of their family members, especially in cases with a prominent media profile in the country. On 15 June 2003, journalist Mohsen Sazegara, was arrested together with his son Vahid Sazegara (See UA 173/03, MDE 13/014/2003, 18 June 2003) while family members of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri have also faced human rights violations (see Human Rights VIlations against Shi'a Religious Leaders and their Followers, MDE 13/18/97, June 1997) Manuchehr Mohammadi, a high-profile student activist was arrested on 13 July 1999, in connection with his participation in large student demonstrations held to protest against press laws limiting freedom of expression and the closure of the newspaper Salam (Peace). He was reportedly held in incommunicado detention, ill-treated and, on 19 and 26 July 1999, was forced to appear on Iranian state television in order to "confess" to his involvement with "counter-revolutionary agents"(See UA 170/99, AI Index: MDE 13/19/99, 20 July 1999). In the course of the same events, his brother Akbar was also arrested and subject to ill-treatment in detention: Prison guards reportedly beat him until he was on the point of losing consciousness, saying that all he had to do was to blink to accept the charges against him. Akbar Mohammadi may have been targeted for arrest because of the connection with his brother, Manuchehr Mohammadi. Both faced manifestly unfair trials and on 28 October 1999 (See UA 160/99, MDE 13/14/99, 4 November 1999) Manuchehr Mohammadi was reportedly sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment in connection with the student demonstrations; Akbar was initially sentenced to death. In November 1999, his sentence was reduced by Bench 21 of the Tehran Appeal Court to seven years while Akbar's was reduced to 15 years. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, English, French or your own language: -expressing concern for the safety of Simin Mohammadi, whom Amnesty International fears may be at risk of torture and ill-treatment in Evin Prison, Tehran; -calling for her to be treated humanely while in detention, given access to her family, legal representation of her choice, and any medical treatment she may require; -asking for Simin Mohammadi to be released immediately unless she is to be charged with a recognizable criminal offence; -reminding the authorities that according to Iranian law and Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party "No one shall be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment" -calling for all those found responsible of torture of prisoners to be brought to justice in fair trials. APPEALS TO: Leader of the Islamic Republic His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed >Ali Khamenei, The Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Telegram: His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed >Ali Khamenei, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran E-mail: webmaster@wilayah.org (on the subject line write: For the attention of the office of His Excellency, Ayatollah al Udhma Khamenei, Qom) Salutation: Your Excellency President His Excellency Hojjatoleslam val Moslemin Sayed Mohammad Khatami The Presidency, Palestine Avenue Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Telegram: His Excellency Hojjatoleslam val Moslemin Sayed Mohammad Khatami, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran E-mail: khatami@president.ir (please resend your message if it does not get through the first time) Salutation: Your Excellency Head of the Judiciary His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Telegram: Head of the Judiciary, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Fax: + 98 21 879 6671 (please keep trying; please mark "care of Director of International Affairs, Judiciary") Salutation: Your Excellency COPIES TO: Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Kamal Kharrazi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdolmajid Keshk-e Mesri Av Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Fax: + 98 21 390 1999 (please keep trying; please mark "care of the Human Rights Department, Foreign Ministry) PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 26 August 2003.
|
||
| News from Iran regarding human rights and the struggle for democracy. | ||