To UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

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Letters to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Mrs. Mary Robinson, The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 8-14 Avenue de la Paix 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Paris, 10 November 2000 Dear Mrs. Robinson : Please find attached, a second list of a group of 120 lawyers, university professors, writers, poets, journalists, human rights and political activists and concerned citizens who joined the signatories of the appeal addressed to you on the 24th.of October requesting your prompt and vigilant action to save the life of Mr. Hassan Yousefi-Eshkevari. In an interview published by Tehran' s newspapers of October 23, M. Gholam-Hosseyn Mohseni Ejeh'ï, General Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for the Clergy, declared that the Tribunal has already issued its decision clearing Mr. Hassan Yousefi-Eshkevari of some charges and condemning him for others. He added that he is going to make an appeal against the Tribunal's decision which he did not know whether it has been communicated to the defendant or to his attorney ! To date, the decision of the Tribunal remains confidential and secret. Unfortunately such an arbitrary treatment of judicial process is not unique or exceptional. While imminent danger continues to threaten Mr. Hassan Yousefi-Eshkevari's life, among others, a number of journalists, writers, publishers, lawyers and students (Messrs. Ali Afshari, Ebrahim Nabavi, Mas'oud Behnood, Emad-ed-din Baghi, Fariborz Raeiss-Dana, Mahmoud Dolatabadi, Mohammad Ghoochani, Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, Akbar Gandji, Ahmad Zeyd-Abadi, Latif Safari, Khalil Rostamkhani, M. Mohammadi, Alireza Alavi-Tabar, Mohammad-Reza Jalaïpoor, Mohammad-Ali Sepanloo, Ezatollah Sahabi, Saïd Sadr ...etc and the following ladies : Mehrangiz Kar, Shahla Sherkat, Shahla Lahidji, Monirou Ravanipour, Jamileh Kadivar and. Khadijeh Hajdini-Moghadam) are facing the same ordeal. Awaiting trial, some of them are in prison since last April , or freed on payment of substantial bail, whilst others like Akbar Gandji , Saïd Sadr and Khalil Rostamkhani, are facing charges such as apostasy, heresy or warring against God and his prophet which may carry the death penalty in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The gravity of situation, vis-à vis, grave violation of human rights in Iran today necessitates an urgent intervention. Any person feeling concerned about such a tragic and calamitous situation likes to believe in the efficiency and usefulness of a UN authority's initiative. Is it possible to remind the Iranian authorities of their obligations and duties as a member of United Nations community? With thanks and respects Nasser PAKDAMAN C/O Cesmandaz BP 100 94303 Vincennes, France
Mrs. Mary Robinson The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 8-14 Avenue de la Paix 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Telephone Number (41-22) 917-9000 Fax Number (41-22) 917-9011 Paris,24 October 2000 Dear Mrs. Robinson: Hojatoleslam Hassan Yousefi-Eshkevari, a courageous and outspoken Iranian cleric, is threatened with possible execution following yet another illegal trial in camera in which he was denied legal representation. In recent years Mr. Yousefi-Eshkevari has been, notably, an advocate of freedom of expression and a critic of religion as an instrument of power. On Saturday August 4, 2000, Mr. Yousefi-Eshkevari, was arrested by security forces at his home by the order of the "Special Tribunal for the Clergy" just hours after his arrival in Iran. The charges that have been brought against Mr. Yusefi-Eshkevari, for his participation in a Berlin conference (at the invitation of the Heinrich Boll Foundation), include: acting against the national security of the country, engaging in propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran, denying the basic fundaments of Islam, damaging the prestige of the clergy, and gravely defaming government officials. The charges of "heresy" (ertedad), "corruption on Earth" (mofsed-e fe'l-arz), and "warring against God and his prophet" (mohareb) are particularly disturbing. These charges carry death sentences in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Dear Madam Commissioner, On Saturday 7 October 2000, Mr. Yousefi-Eshkevari was tried behind closed doors, in camera, without a prior notice being served upon him, and without his family's and his chosen attorney's prior knowledge. Mr. Yousefi-Eshkevari has been, therefor, denied an open and a fair trial. On Saturday 14 October, the Tribunal, in another closed session, declared the end of the trial and stated that the sentence will be announced within the following ten days. Though Mr. Yousefi-Eshkevari is a political prisoner now being most at risk, there are many others political prisoners as well whose basic civil and human rights are gravely violated without having recourse to justice. Deeply concerned for the life of Mr. Yousefi-Eshkevari, we request that you employ all means at your disposal and use your good offices to save the life of this noted independent free-thinking cleric, writer and scholar. The world should not stand by as the Islamic Republic of Iran so flagrantly and repeatedly violates the most fundamental civil and human rights of its citizens Thank you, AHMADZADEH, Mastoureh (Physician). AKBARI, Hamid (University Professor). ALMASSI, Nasrine (Writer). AMINI, Bahman (Publisher). AMINI-NAJAFI, Ali (Journalist). ARCHADI, Azizeh (Lawyer). ARDALAN, Youssef (Lawyer). AZIZPOUR, Batoul (Poetess). BARAHENI, Reza (Poet and Novelist). BAZARGAN, Pouran (Human Rghts Activist). BEHDAD, Sohrab (University Professor). BORGHA'Ï, Mohammad (Sociologist). CHAFIGH, Chahla (Writer). CHARIATI, Ehsan (Social-Scientist). DARVISH, Mohammad-Reza (Computer Scientist). DEGHATI, Manouchehr (Photo-journalist). DEGHATI, Reza (Photo-journalist). DUSTDAR, Aramesh (University Professor). ENAYAT, Anna (Publisher). ESTEDADI-SHAD, Mehdi (Essayist). ETEMADI, Nasser (Journalist). FASHAHI, Mohammad-Reza (University Professor). FIMARI, Behrooz (Poet). GHAHREMAN, Saghi (Poetess). GHAHREMAN, Sassan (Writer). GHANBARI, Shahram (Social researcher). GHASSEMI, Farhangue (University Professor). GHASSEMI, Reza (Novelist). GORGIN, Atefeh (Poetess). HADJEBI, Vida (Social researcher). HADJ-SEYYED DJAVADI, Ali-Asghar (Writer, Columnist). HAGH-SHENASS, Torab (Political Essayist). HAMZEH-LOO'IYAN, Morteza (Engineer in Electronics). HESSAM, Hassan (Writer, Executive Secretary of Iranian Writer's Association in Exil). KARGAR, Daryoosh (Novelist, Executive Secretary. Iranian Writer's Association in Exil). KESHAVARZ-SADR, Houshang (Sociologist). KESHTGAR, Ali (Editor in Chief, Mihan). KHAKSAR, Nassim (Novelist, Executive Secretary.The Iranian Writer's Association in Exil). KHANBABA-TEHRANI, Mehdi (Political Analyst). KHO'Ï, Esmaîl (Poet). KHOUNANI, Azar (Pedagogue). MADANI, Mostafa (Architect). MARZBAN, Reza ( Chief Editor and Columnist). MATINE-DAFTARY, Hedayat (Human Rights Lawyer). MATINE-DAFTARY, Maryam (Human Rights Advocate). MIRZAZADEH, Nemat (Poet). MOAZAMI, Behrouz (Political Scientist). MOAZAMI, Gila (Human Rights and Political Activist). MOGHEYSSI, Hayedeh (University Professor). MOHADJER, Hassan (Sociologist). MO'INI, Mohammad-Reza (Journalist). MOMENI, Bagher (Historian). MOMKEN, Mehdi (Political analyst). NADIMI, Ali (Human Rights and Political Activist). NAVIDI, Parviz (Executive Secretary, Iranian Committee Against Repression and State Terrorism). NOMANI, Farhad (University Professor). PAKDAMAN, Nasser (University Professor). POURVALI, Esmaîl (Editor in Chief, Rozegar-e-Now). RABATI, Dena (Poetess). RAFI, Mahmoud (Executive Secretary, League for the Defense of Human Rights in Iran, Berlin). RAHNEMA, Saïd (University Professor). RANDJBARAN, Mohammad-Reza (Painter). RANDJBARAN, Badri (School Teacher). RASSEKH, Mahmoud (Professor). SAÏDI-SHAYEGAN, Fatemeh (Human Rights and Political Activist). SARDARI, Ali (Translator). SHEYBANI, Hemad (Executive Secretary, Iranian Comittee Against Repression and State Terrorism). TADJ-DOLATI, Mohammad (Journalist). VAHABBI, Mehrdad (University Professor). VASSIGH, Chidan (Computer Programer). YALFANI, Mohsen (Playwriter). YUSSEF, Saïd (Poet). ZARBAKHSH, Majid (Political Analyst). ZEREHI, Hassan (Writer, Journalist). ZONNOOR, Majid (Civil Engineer).
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