Akbar Ganji, Iran's leading political dissident, is holding a hunger strike at the UN in New York between July 14 and 16, 2006. He demands that the Islamic Republic of Iran release Ramin Jahanbegloo, Mansour Osanloo, Ali Akbar Khoeni, and all other prisoners of conscience.In solidarity, Toronto will hold a concurrent hunger strike at Nathan Phillips Square. Please see below.

Duration of Hunger Strike: July 14-16; 72 hours

Date & Time: ; Friday July 14 (Important Hours: 9am ? 9pm), Saturday July 15 (Important Hours: 10am ? 5pm) , Sunday July 16 (Important Hours: 12pm ? 6pm)

Location: Nathan Phillips Square,
TorontoContact: www.freedomisnotfree.ca
The human rights situation in Iran continues to deteriorate. Petitions and protests to end the abuses have gone unanswered. During the past year, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?s government has continued the Islamic Republic?s policy of monopolizing power in Iran by silencing all independent and dissenting voices. The suppression of demonstrators in Azerbaijan, Khuzestan, and Kurdistan, the silencing of labour, women, and student movements and the vicious attacks on demonstrators throughout the past year, are all evide nce of the ongoing and abhorrent human rights violations by the Islamic Republic of Iran. By arresting and imprisoning intellectuals, lawyers, political activists, and labour leaders and by forcing the early retirement of dozens of University professors, Ahmadinejad?s government is pursing polices that are reminiscent of some of the darkest days of the Islamic Republic.In response to this deteriorating situation, we the participants of the Toronto hunger strike lend our support and welcome the suggestion of Akbar Ganji Iran's leading dissent intellectual who was recently freed after 2222 days of imprisonment ? for a global hunger strike that demands the release of three prominent political prisoners namely: Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoeni, a student leader and former member of parliament, Dr Ramin Jahanbegloo, a philosopher, professor and public intellectual and Mansour Osanloo, a prominent labor leader and execu tive director of the Workers Syndicated Union.Additionally, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political detainees from the Islamic Republic?s jails but we specifically demand the release of the above mentioned persons who represent various groups of prisoners of conscience in Iran.You can find the press release for the Toronto hunger strike at freedomisnotfree.ca.