IRAN WATCH CANADA

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Homa Hoodfar The Imprisoned Iranian -Canadian Is Transferred To Hospital....

According to news from HRANA Homa Hoodfar the imprisoned Iranian -Canadian 65 years old professor of Concordia University  is arrested on March when she was departing Iran and since then was in prison and now is transferred to the hospital due to poor health condition. She travelled to Iran to visit her family members.

According to her family members ,she can hardly speak or walk .
She suffers from dizziness and severe headaches.

The family members have made a formal complaint against the judiciary who have released the private information of Homa Hoodfar to media before handing this information to her lawyer.

According to news there are speculation that she may go through a forced confession.

Homa Hoodfar is also holding the Irish citizenship .

Link:
http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2016/08/216812.php

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Monday, August 29, 2016

Islamic Regime Must End Its Discrimination Against Women And Let The Other Half Of The Iranian Population , The Women To Enter Into the Stadium And Cheer Their National Team .....On This Coming Thursday Iranian National Men Soccer Team Is Playing With Qatar , Regime Must Let The Women Also Watch This Game Like Men do ......



Link:
https://iranwire.com/fa/features/18046

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This Islamic MP Beat A Reporter With Fist While The Parliamentary Reporter Was Asking Him Question .....


According to Iran Newspaper report in their tweeter , Last Sunday Nader Ghazipour an Islamic MP from Orumieh beat their parliamentary reporter in the hall way of the parliament after the end of parliamentary session, while the reporter was asking him question about his speech .

According to other news from ILNA , MP ghazizadeh called the security forces of parliament to arrest the reporter.
The report added that, Mr. Bedaghi a parliamentary reporter was asking question from this MP when he got angry and attacked the reporter with his fist.

This isn't the first time this MP does behave this way, in the past he did similar behaviour .

Link:
http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2016/08/216738.php









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UN rights expert condemns Iran’s ‘illegal’ execution of 12 people on drug-related charges 


GENEVA (29 August 2016) – The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, has expressed outrage at the execution on 27 August of 12 people, including Alireza Madadpour, on drug-related charges. Mr. Shaheed had appealed publicly on 26 August to the Iranian authorities not to go ahead with the planned executions at Karaj Central Prison. 
“The execution of individuals for drug-related offences is simply illegal,” Mr. Shaheed said, noting that international law only allows the imposition of the death penalty for the “most serious crimes”, where there is intentional killing, and after a fair trial that respects the most stringent due process guarantees. None of these conditions were respected, at least in the case of Mr. Madadpour. 
“Combating drug trafficking, a serious concern in Iran, does not justify the use of the death penalty in drug-related cases,” the Special Rapporteur stressed.
“The execution of Mr. Madadpour and 11 others shows the Iranian authorities’ complete disregard of its obligations under international human rights law and especially of international fair trial standards and due process guarantees,” Mr. Shaheed added.
The UN expert renewed his call on the Government of Iran to end all executions and to immediately institute a moratorium on the death penalty.

ENDS

Ahmed Shaheed (the Maldives) is a Visiting Professor at Essex University, UK; a former member of the Maldivian presidential Commission Investigating Corruption; and a foreign policy advisor to the President of the Maldives. Mr. Shaheed was Foreign Minister of the Maldives from 2005 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2010. He led the country’s efforts to sign and ratify all nine international human rights Conventions and to implement them in law and practice. He was appointed as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran in June 2011 by the UN Human Rights Council. Learn more, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx

Learn more, log on to: 
Human rights in Iran: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx
Freedom of religion: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/FreedomReligionIndex.aspx

UN Human Rights, Country Page – Iran: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx   
For more information and media requests, please contact Mr. Naveed Ahmed (+41 22 928 9477 / nahmed@ohchr.org
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Islamic Regime In Iran Do Not Listen Or Ignores UN Call To Stop The Human Rights Violation And Execution Of People ....

UN Expert calls on Iran to halt execution of 12 individuals expected to take place Saturday

GENEVA (26 August 2016) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, today urged the Islamic Republic of Iran to halt immediately the execution of Alireza Madadpour and 11 other individuals, reported to be scheduled for Saturday 27 August.

On 24 August, Mr. Madadpour and the 11 others, who have all been reportedly sentenced to death for drug-related offences, were transferred to solitary confinement in Karaj Central Prison in preparation for execution. 

Mr Madadpour was tried by the Revolutionary Court in Karaj on 17 July 2012, after being arrested the previous November when 990 grams of crystal meth were found during a raid on a house he cleaned. Mr. Madadpour’s state-appointed defence lawyer never met him and the trial lasted 20 minutes. Mr. Madadpour’s request for pardon and retrial were not granted. 

“It is regrettable that the Government continues to proceed with executions for crimes that do not meet the threshold of the ‘most serious crimes’ as required by international law, especially the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is State party. It is also troubling that courts continue to issue death sentences in trials that not only breach international fair trial standards but even domestic due process guarantees,” Mr. Shaheed stressed. 

The UN expert noted serious concern regarding the Iranian authorities' continuing reliance on drug-related executions as means to deter crimes, and stressed that various Iranian government officials have gone on record to acknowledge that executions have not been effective in the prevention of drug-related crimes. 

The Special Rapporteur renewed his call on the Government of Iran to immediately institute a moratorium on executions and to restrict use of the death penalty for the “most serious crimes” (i.e. intentional killings). He also repeated his calls on the Iranian authorities to adhere to international standards guaranteeing fair trial and due process for those facing the death penalty.

ENDS
        
Ahmed Shaheed (the Maldives) is a Visiting Professor at Essex University, UK; a former member of the Maldivian presidential Commission Investigating Corruption; and a foreign policy advisor to the President of the Maldives. Mr. Shaheed was Foreign Minister of the Maldives from 2005 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2010. He led the country’s efforts to sign and ratify all nine international human rights Conventions and to implement them in law and practice. He was appointed as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran in June 2011 by the UN Human Rights Council. Learn more, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx

Learn more, log on to: 
Human rights in Iran: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx
Freedom of religion: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/FreedomReligionIndex.aspx

UN Human Rights, Country Page – Iran: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx   
For more information and media requests, please contact Mr. Naveed Ahmed (+41 22 928 9477 / nahmed@ohchr.org
 
For your news websites and social media: Multimedia content & key messages relating to our news releases are available on UN Human Rights social media channels, listed below. Please tag us using the proper handles:
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@UNHumanRights
Facebook: 
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 unitednationshumanrights
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Saturday, August 27, 2016

Sahar Behest The Sister Of Satar Behest ( The Iranian Blogger Who Was Killed Inside Evin Prison) And Her Husband Are Arrested .....

According to HRANA report , On the annual commemoration event of Satar Beheshti on Friday ,  regime agents prevented people who have tried to attend at Satar's Father home to celebrate Satars life and to mourn for his lost .
Sahar and her mother

The agents closed the alley where the event was going to be held  and also prevented people from going to the alley . They also took photo and film from people entering the house .
The report also added that; Sahar Beheshti and her husband were also"  beaten and arrested " and were transferred in an unknown location .

IRAN WATCH CANADA: Satar Beheshti was the Iranian worker and blogger who was arrested ,detained and then killed in the prison under torture.


Link:
http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2016/08/216630.php






 

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Thursday, August 25, 2016

Olympic Silver Medalist Feyisa Lilesa Didn’t Return to Ethiopia After Act of Protest


There are reports he may seek asylum in the U.S.

Ethiopian marathon runner Feyisa Lilesa, who made headlines at the 2016 Rio Olympics on Sunday for an act of protest while crossing the finish line, will not returnto his home country over fears of reprisal.
Lilesa, who won the silver medal, was not on board the flight carrying Ethiopia’s Olympic contingent to the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, Monday night, Agence France-Presse reported. Ethiopian officials neither mentioned his medal — one of the country’s eight at the games — nor answered any questions about him.
The 26-year-old athlete crossed his arms above his head at the finish line on Sunday and did so again at a postrace awards ceremony, a gesture used to condemn the government’s violent crackdown on protests in the East African nation’s Oromo region, from where he hails. The Ethiopian government subsequently said Lilesa would be given a hero’s welcome and not face any punishment, but he is apparently taking no chances, with reports suggesting he may try to seek asylum in the U.S.
“He doesn’t want to go to Ethiopia, he wants to go to another country,” the runner’s agent, Federico Rosa, told the New York Times. “I don’t know even when he decided to do this,” he added.
The Internet has rallied behind Lilesa, with a crowdfunding campaign raising more than $100,000 for him.
“You don’t do something like this for money,” Rosa said. “He did this to defend his country.”
Link:

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Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Amir Hossein Maghsoudlou ( Amir Tatlou ) The Iranian underground Singer Is Arrested .......

Fars news wrote: An underground singer is arrested due to insulting the investigator of his case file .

Amir Hossein M , is arrested because of insulting the investigator ( Mr. Bijan Ghasemzadeh) of his case file in a voice clip he released.


According to report he is arrested on Tuesday .

 This is not his  first time to be arrested , two years ago he was arrested and was released by writing a remorse letter .


Link:
http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2016/08/216548.php



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Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Several People Are Arrested In Iran for using mobile program such as Telegram, Instagram , Whats App.....

Radio Zamaneh-

According to a news a group of  people have been arrested in relation to using mobile program such as Telegram, instagram , Watsapp and .....

The website known as " Gerdab " ( Whirlpool ) which is run by " Sepah" intelligence reported that , 450 people are arrested in relation to what they wrote as " organized crime " .


The arrests and detention of bloggers and internet users are common under Islamic regime.

According to this report , those arrested were managing the social mobile networking such as WhatsApp , Instagram , Telegram and .......

According to the report , those arrested have committed crime against , religious belief and the Islamic sacred .....

The " Gerdab"  website also threatened the internet users for arrest and punishment.

Link:
http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2016/08/216512.php



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Monday, August 22, 2016

Islamic Regime in Iran and Injustices Over Justice .............Justice for Attaullah Rezvani The Bahai Citizen Who was Killed Three Years Ago....

Three years have passed since the assassination style killing of Attaullah Rezvani an innocent man, a father and an Iranian Bahai who after a day of work was walking at night in the city of Bandar Abbas, when an assailant fired the gun and shot and killed him .

Attaullah Rezvani with family members

After three years the police forces of the regime are unable to find the assailant or assailants .

The killing was reported in IRAN WATCH CANADA three years ago .

The regime officials instead of looking for the assailants and to bring justice to the case, instead asking victims family members to keep silence .




IRAN WATCH CANADA:

 Bahai's are under constant threat and target of the regime thugs . They are also being continuously   threatened  by Friday prayer or other regime officials from the official podiums .



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Friday, August 19, 2016

Where is Golro Rahemipour , The Baby Girl Who Was Born 32 Years ago in Evin Prison?????!!!!!


Golro Rahemipour ( a baby girl) was born 32 years ago in Evin prison .  Her father and mother at the time were arrested and soon after arrest she was born in Evin prison .  Soon after her birth despite of attempt by relatives including her aunt to locate or find her , regime denied her existence .
Raheleh Rahemipour at a rally with a placard which read: You have killed my brother Hossein Rahemipour , What have you done with his daughter?!!??
Her mother was released from prison several years after her birth and her father was executed. Her aunt but continued to ask the authorities on her whereabout and her continued questions angered the regime officials and intelligent agents , until recently she was summoned to prosecutors office at Evin prison and now there are speculation that she has been threatened for arrest .

IRAN WATCH CANADA: This is the situation of the oppositions in the Islamic regime .

Link:
https://www.radiozamaneh.com/294713?utm_

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Tuesday, August 16, 2016

The Voice Tape About The Mass Killing of Iranian Political Prisoners in 1986-7 ......The Meeting Between Ayatollah Montazeri And The Judges who have ordered for The Killings .....

Ali Motahari
In recent week a voice tape was released by late Ayatollah Montazeri's office about the mass killings of the political prisoners inside the Islamic regime prisons between 1986-87 after the end of the war between Iraq and Iran . This voice tape is a conversation about the mass killing between Ayatollah Montazeri and the death judges. Which brought more anger from various Iranian opposition political group and the Iranian people . Because of this , the Islamic regime parliament also reacted about the tape. For example Ali Motahari the deputy to the parliamentary speaker in this regard said:
Khavaran Cemetery - Where many mass killing political prisoners are secretly buried 

" The situation is not clear for us , so it is better  Mr. Nayeri , Mr. Younesi and Mr. Pour Mohammadi who were part of the event to explain and to clarify the situation for people and of course if there were mistakes / shortcoming in the trial process to ask apology  ."


Mr. Motahari also said: " But in general our revolution compare to others revolutions was more  softer / more kinder towards the oppositions ." ?????!!!!!

End/

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Friday, August 12, 2016

Iran: Women’s rights activists treated as ‘enemies of the state’ in renewed crackdown




10 August 2016, 19:15 UTC

Iranian authorities have intensified their repression of women’s rights activists in the country in the first half of this year, carrying out a series of harsh interrogations and increasingly likening any collective initiative relating to women’s rights to criminal activity, Amnesty International said today.
The organization’s research reveals that since January 2016 more than a dozen women’s rights activists in Tehran have been summoned for long, intensive interrogations by the Revolutionary Guards, and threatened with imprisonment on national security-related charges. Many had been involved in a campaign launched in October 2015, which advocated for increased representation of women in Iran’s February 2016 parliamentary election.
“It is utterly shameful that the Iranian authorities are treating peaceful activists who seek women’s equal participation in decision-making bodies as enemies of the state. Speaking up for women’s equality is not a crime. We are calling for an immediate end to this heightened harassment and intimidation, which is yet another blow for women’s rights in Iran,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, Interim Deputy Middle East and North Africa Programme Director at Amnesty International.
“Rather than addressing Iran’s disturbing record on women’s rights the Iranian authorities have once again opted for repression, accusing women’s rights activists of collusion in western-orchestrated plots in a bid to maintain their discriminatory practices towards women.”
The women summoned for interrogation were given no reason for the summonses they received, but once inside the interrogation room they were bombarded with accusations of espionage and collusion with “foreign-based currents seeking the overthrow of the Islamic Republic system”. Amnesty International understands that the Revolutionary Guards subjected the women to verbal abuse, including gender-related slurs. The activists were not allowed to be accompanied by their lawyers during the interrogations, which lasted in some cases up to eight hours.
Amnesty International understands that the interrogations focused, in particular, on two local initiatives: a website called “Feminist School”, which posts reports and articles on issues related to feminist theories and practices and the state of women’s rights in Iran and globally; and the Campaign to Change the Masculine Face of Parliament, launched ahead of the February 2016 parliamentary elections in Iran to push for the increased presence of pro-women’s rights candidates in parliament.
Members of both initiatives have been pressured to close or suspend their activities and practice heightened self-censorship. In its final statement, the Campaign to Change the Masculine Face of Parliament explained how its achievements in terms of generating a five-fold increase in the number of women seeking candidacy, highlighting the demands of women for equality, and naming and shaming candidates with a history of making sexist remarks, have attracted the wrath of security bodies, leading to repeated summons, threats, prolonged interrogations, and the opening of new national security-related cases against the campaign’s active members. The Feminist School website has not been updated since the middle of February 2016.
The latest target of this intensified crackdown is the renowned women’s rights magazine Zanan-e Emrooz (Today’s Women) which announced it was suspending its activities on 26 July.
“The Iranian authorities should be under no illusion that harassing women’s rights activists by carrying out interrogations and forcing them to close their publications silently will go unnoticed. They should be supporting women’s rights activists, not persecuting them,” said Magdalena Mughrabi.
The renewed assault on those working on women’s rights has been manifested most extremely by the arbitrary arrest and detention, since 6 June, of Dr Homa Hoodfar, a Canadian-Iranian national and prominent anthropology professor renowned for her decades of academic work on women’s issues. Except for one brief meeting with her lawyer, Dr Homa Hoodfar has been held largely incommunicado since her arrest and is currently held in Tehran’s Evin Prison.
She had worked with WLUM (Women Living Under Muslim Laws), an international feminist network whose stated aim is to strengthen women’s struggles for equality and their rights in Muslim contexts.
The Prosecutor General of Tehran stated in a media interview on 24 June that Dr Homa Hoodfar’s “criminal” case is in connection with “her entry into fields concerning feminism and national security offences”. Days earlier, media outlets affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards ran articles claiming that
Dr Homa Hoodfar was “the Iran agent of a feminist network building operation” and the Campaign to Change the Masculine Face of Parliament was “her latest project”.
The articles also claimed that her work with WLUM to promote feminism and women’s equality in Muslim countries and enhance women’s bodily autonomy was aimed at “disrupting public order” and “prompting social-cultural changes that can ultimately pave the ground … for a soft overthrow”.
"It is appalling that the Iranian authorities are equating Dr Homa Hoodfar’s valuable work relating to feminism and women’s rights in Muslim contexts with national security offences. This distressing development highlights the absurd and chilling extremes to which Iran’s authorities are willing to go to crush those who challenge state-sanctioned discrimination,” said Magdalena Mughrabi.
“The Iranian authorities must release Dr Homa Hoodfar immediately and unconditionally and stop their relentless harassment of all women’s rights activists in the country.”

Tens of thousands of Amnesty International members and supporters have called for her immediate and unconditional release as she is a prisoner of conscience held solely for the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression.

Background
Women in Iran are subject to pervasive discrimination both in law and practice, including in areas concerning marriage, divorce, child custody, freedom of movement, employment, and access to political office. Women and girls are inadequately protected against domestic and other violence, including early and forced marriage and marital rape. Compulsory “veiling” (hijab) laws empower police and paramilitary forces to target women for harassment, violence and imprisonment regularly.
Public Document

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Prison, is not a place for children’ rights activists



Please Address these Urgent Issues!
Prison, is not a place for children’ rights activists
Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Mr. Ahmad shahid, Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran
Mr. Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Mr. Tony League Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
We are bringing this to your attention because we need your help to reverse this unjust and absorbed verdicts on this Activist. 
Amir Amir ghouli is a leftist student activist and a children rights advocate. He was arrested on December 2014 for participating on a rally to support people of Kobani in their resistance against ISIS. 
After persistent questioning, he was put in solitary confinement. One year after detention, he was sentenced to 21 years in prison through an unfair and unjust trial in Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Salavati ( famous for his heartrate towards activists and conducting unfair trials) 
The “Revolutionary Court” has charged him of "insulting the sanctity of Islam and leaders", because of what he wrote on “Facebook” and "disturbing public order", because of his presence in "rally in Tehran in support of Kobani”.
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its related covenants, all of what this political prisoner is accused of are parts of freedom of thought, conscience and expression. Mr. Amir Amir Gholi in Facebook was making comments in accordance to his leftists views. His political activism was open and peaceful. Therefore, this court order is invalid and against human rights.

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Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Saving Iran’s Children From Death Row



The mass execution of 20 people in Iran’s Rajai Shahr prison was not the only grim news from that country this past week.
On August 1, Alireza Tajiki, who was sentenced to death at age 15 following a trial that fell short of international standards, was saved from execution thanks to the last-minute efforts of his family and his lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh. Unfortunately, the postponement is only temporary.
Alireza, now 19, was convicted of rape and murder and set to be executed August 3.
Amin Tajiki, Alireza’s brother, told Human Rights Watch that their family had requested a retrial based on new evidence, but the court rejected their attempts.

Scores of children are believed to be on death row in Iran, despite denials by the head of Iran’s judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani. Amnesty International has identified the names and locations of 49 such children, and the UN believes the number could be as high as 160. The majority of children on death row in Iran were convicted of murder in trials that fell far short of international standards. In many cases, they reported torture and mistreatment in detention.
On July 18, Amnesty International reported that Iranian authorities hanged Hassan Afshar, who was arrested at 17 and convicted of “forced male to male anal intercourse” (lavat-e be onf). He had no access to a lawyer.
As a party to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on Rights of the Child, Iran is obliged to end child executions. The country has taken some small, positive steps. Since 2013, judges may use their discretion to not sentence a child offender to death if they do not understand the nature of the crime. Judges may now seek the opinion of the government’s Forensic Medical Department to assess the child’s mental state. Also, all children sentenced to death under Iran’s old penal code are eligible to be retried under the new one, passed in 2013, although they have to file for a retrial.
But, not only do these narrow reforms fail to meet Iran’s obligation to end all executions of children, but in practice, they are negated by ongoing abuses. Iranian authorities frequently deny children in pretrial detention access to a lawyer. Many children spend up to a decade on death row based primarily on confessions made under credible allegations of torture.
Now the Iranian judiciary should save all child offenders from the cruel fate of execution by granting them retrials in accordance with international human rights law standards. Child offenders like Alireza should never have been on death row in the first place.

Tara Sepehri Far

Tara Sepehri Far is a researcher in the Middle East and North Africa Division, where she investigates human rights abuses in Iran and Oman. Prior to joining Human Rights Watch, she was the Deputy Director of the Human Rights in Iran Unit at the City University New York, where she worked on a project supporting the mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. Tara graduated from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran and holds M.A. and LL.M degrees in international law from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She is a native Farsi speaker. Region / Country


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Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Nasrin Sotoudeh The Prominent Iranian Lawyer and a Human Rights Defender Criticized The Judiciary Of The Islamic Regime...


Nasrin Sotoudeh the prominent Iranian lawyer who have defended the juvenile offenders against execution and their rights to live , and a forefront human rights defender who have spent years in prison , in reaction to recent mass execution of the Kurdish prisoners who are mostly from religious minorities , criticized the Islamic regime judiciary. In her Facebook page she wrote : The defenders are being tried in two minutes and a lawyer who supposed to defend his client acted like crown attorney in the trial and at the end appointing a lawyer as crown attorney who violate his oath to carry the justice ......

At the end she expressed her condolences to the families of the victims and to Iranian lawyers at large.

Link:
http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2016/08/215879.php

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Monday, August 08, 2016

Iran: Mass Execution on Terrorism Charges


Secrecy Raises Fair Trial Concerns
AUGUST 8, 2016 8:01AM EDT

(Beirut) – Iranian authorities announced on August 2, 2016, that they had executed 20 members of a group Iran considers a terrorist organization, Human Rights Watch said today. Authorities have yet to formally confirm the identities of those executed and so it is not yet possible to verify independently how many were killed and who they were.


Revolutionary courts had allegedly found the men guilty of “enmity against God,” which carries the death penalty in Iran. They are alleged members of a group called “Jihad and Tawhid.” The government statements said that authorities executed the men by hanging after they were convicted “of establishing a terrorist group” and “killing a Friday prayer Imam and several local guards,” among other crimes.
Rajai Shahr Prison, Karaj, Iran.
© 2004 Private
“Iran’s mass execution of prisoners on August 2 at Rajai Shahr prison is a shameful low point in its human rights record,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “With at least 230 executions since January 1, Iran is yet again the regional leader in executions but a laggard in implementing the so far illusory penal code reforms meant to bridge the gap with international standards.”
Two lawyers who represented some of the men told Human Rights Watch that their clients did not get a fair trial and that their due process rights had been violated.
Deutsche Welle Persian service reported that on the evening of August 1, prison officials called family members of more than 20 prisoners detained in Ward 4, Room 10 of Rajai Shahr prison and informed them that they could visit their imprisoned family members one last time. The prisoners are believed to have been part of a group of 33 Sunni Muslim men, including possibly a child offender, whom human rights groups previously identified as having been convicted of “enmity against God” (moharebeh).
One member of the family of Shahram Ahamdi told Human Rights Watch that on August 2, before they had reached the prison, they were directed to the medical examiner’s office where they saw the bodies of 10 people, including their son.
The announcement on August 2 was made by the judiciary in northwestern Kurdistan province, who said that 20 members of a “terrorist Takfiri group” (a group accusing others Muslims of apostasy), had been executed after a six-year judicial proceeding. The Iranian government refers to this group as “Jihad and Tawhid.”Following the judiciary’s announcement, the Ministry of Intelligence published an open letter comparing the group to the extremist group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and claiming that 102 of its members and supporters had been identified and prosecuted in Iran.
Rights groups believe that these 33 men were arrested in 2009 and 2010 and appeared before Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, where they were charged with “enmity against God,” convicted, and sentenced to death. One person was tried by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, and another by a branch of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province. Both were also sentenced to death for the same crime.
In 2014, Human Rights Watch reported on several patterns of due process violations in Rajai Shahr prison and said that the 33 men were at imminent risk of execution.
Iran’s penal code, which went into force in 2013, provides that the crime of “enmity against God” refers to “drawing a weapon on the life, property or chastity of people or to cause terror as it creates the atmosphere of insecurity.” Recent changes require the judiciary to review and vacate sentences of people sentenced to death on that charge if they had not personally used weapons in committing the crime.
On March 4, 2015, Iranian authorities executed six men out of this group identified as Hamed Ahamadi, Kamal Molaie, Jamshid Dehghani, Jahangir Dehghani, Sadigh Mohamadi, and Hadi Hossein. Sources familiar with those cases had told Human Rights Watch in 2014 that all six denied that they had killed anyone or had any involvement in violent acts.
The men also alleged severe torture, including the use of electric shocks and threats of sexual assault, prolonged solitary confinement, and coerced confessions at the hands of Intelligence Ministry officials during their pretrial detention in the city of Sanandaj.
On July 5, the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) published a letter said to be from Shahram Ahamdi to Ahmed Shaheed, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. In the letter, Ahmadi described being tortured by his interrogators and asked Shaheed to help him get a fair trial.
Lawyers who represented the prisoners believed to have been executed on August 2, 2016, told Human Rights Watch that their clients had not received due process in accordance with the new changes in the penal code. One of the lawyers, Osman Mozayan, who represented at least four of those prisoners, said he did not know for certain whether his clients were among those executed.
Rights groups have reported that Iran has executed at least 230 people since the beginning of 2016.
International standards require countries that retain the death penalty to use it only for the “most serious crimes,” and in exceptional circumstances. In 2012, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions stated that where used, the death penalty should be limited to cases in which a person has been convicted of an intentional killing, which has not been the case in Iran.
Human Rights Watch opposes capital punishment in all countries and under all circumstances. Capital punishment is unique in its cruelty and finality, and it is inevitably and universally plagued with arbitrariness, prejudice, and error.
“It is shameful that Iran takes pride in the growing number of executions it carries out rather than being able to boast about its adherence to international fair trial standards,” Whitson said. “It is critically important to give everyone accused of a crime due process and fair trials, not least when their lives are at stake.”


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