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PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/008/2008
17 January 2008
Further Information on UA 331/07
(MDE 13/147/2007, 13 December 2007) Arbitrary arrests/fear of torture or
ill-treatment/possible prisoners of conscience
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IRAN
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Between 20 and 30 students
(male and female) associated with the student group Students for Freedom and
Equality (Daneshjouyan-e Azadi Khah va Beraber Talab), including:
Rosa 'Essa'ie, (f), student at
Tehran's Amir Kabir University
Mehdi Geraylou (m), student at
Tehran University
Anousheh Azadfar (f), student
at Tehran University
Ilnaz Jamshidi (f), student at
Free University of Central Tehran
Rouzbeh Safshekan (m), student
at Tehran University
Nasim Soltan-Beigi (m), student
at ‘Allameh Tabatabai University
Yaser Pir Hayati (m), student
at Shahed University
Released: Milad Moini (m)
Younes Mir Hosseini (m)
New names: Anahita Hosseini (f)
Bita Naghashiyan (f)
And
at least seven others
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All except two of the 20-30
students arrested for participating in the demonstrations for the National
University Students' Day on 7 December 2007 are still detained without charge.
At least nine other students, including Anahita Hosseini and Bita Naghashiyan,
have been arrested in recent days. They may be prisoners of conscience,
detained solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression and
association. It is feared that they could be tortured or otherwise ill-treated
in detention.
According to information
available to Amnesty International, students Milad Moini and Younes Mir
Hosseini have been released. However, the organization has a list of 52 names
of all those who have been detained because of their alleged links with the
student demonstrations, though there is no further information on the
circumstances of their arrest or on their current whereabouts.
Activists from two students'
groups, the Office for Strengthening Unity (Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat)
and Students for Freedom and Equality (Daneshjouyan-e Azadi Khah va Beraber
Talab) are among those who took part in these demonstrations. Before they
were arrested many of the students received mobile phone text messages that
threatened them with arrest if they participated in the events.
One detained student, whose
identity is not known, is believed to have attempted suicide. Unconfirmed
reports state that pressure exerted by officials and harsh detention conditions
may have been factors in this suicide attempt. The Iranian Ministry of
Intelligence has suggested that students were in possession of "catapults,
sound grenades [sic], alcoholic drinks and misleading books." Students
groups have dismissed these claims as fabrications.
The Islamic Republic News Agency
reported on 15 January that the judiciary spokesman, Ali Reza Jamshidi, stated
that 11 university students "arrested during the past month’s student
unrest" would soon be released on bail, without specifying the identity of
those to be released. However, other reports received on 15 January indicate
that an additional nine students have been detained in Tehran, apparently for
their involvement in the demonstrations for the University Students’ Day.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send
appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, English, Arabic or your
own language:
- renewing appeals for the authorities
to release all students detained in December 2007 in connection with National
University Students Day who are held solely on account of the peaceful exercise
of their rights;
-
calling for any other students in detention to be tried promptly and fairly, in
accordance with international fair trial standards, on recognisably criminal
charges or else released;
- seeking details of any charges
brought against those in detention;
- seeking assurances that none of
those arrested is subject to torture or other ill treatment;
- calling on the authorities to
ensure that these detainees have access to relatives, legal representation, and
any medical attention they may require;
- reminding the authorities that
confessions extracted under torture are prohibited by Article 38 of the
constitution of Iran, which says that "All forms of torture for the
purpose of extracting confession or acquiring information are forbidden,"
and that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR), of which Article 7 states that "No one shall be
subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment".
APPEALS TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed
‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader,
Islamic Republic Street - Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@leader.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency
Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi
Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh /
Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south
of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir
(In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Intelligence
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Ministry of Intelligence, Second
Negarestan Street, Pasdaran Avenue, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency
COPIES TO:
President
His Excellency Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue,
Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email:
dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
via website:
www.president.ir/email
Speaker of Parliament
His Excellency Gholamali Haddad
Adel
Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami,
Baharestan Square, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 3355 6408
Email:
hadadadel@majlis.ir (Please ask that your message be brought to the attention
of the Article 90 Commission)
and to diplomatic representatives
of Iran accredited to your country.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending
appeals after 28 February 2008.
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