Wife of Mehdi Karroubi Addresses Ayatollah Khamenei About The Torture of Her Son

(14 February 2010) The wife of opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi has published an open letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader detailing her son Ali Karroubi’s torture following his detention on 11 February, as the authorities stifled opposition demonstrations, and appealed for an end to such abuses.

Fatemeh Karroubi described how her son was arrested as he attempted to protect his father from violence by unidentified agents.

Online direct broadcasting of the review of the conditions of human rights in Iran

International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran: On Monday, February 15th, between 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM Tehran time, the three-hour meeting of the review of conditions of human rights in Iran in the periodical UPR will be directly broadcast via Internet.

Asylum in Turkey: Futile Hopes and Dreams?

Continuing with our series of reports and interviews with Iranian asylum seekers who have left Iran after the June 12 presidential elections, an Iranian journalist who is awaiting UN’s decision for going to a third country, has sent a report to the International Campaign for Human rights in Iran which describes the conditions of these individuals in Turkey. International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran hopes these kinds of reports would demonstrate a more tangible picture of these asylum seekers’ problems, so that assistance to these individuals whose numbers are on the rise would take place in a more transparent atmosphere. The report follows:

Continuation of arrests, pressure, and expulsions at Shiraz University

According to reports received by International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, pressure on Shiraz University students has mounted considerably over the recent days, resulting in summons, arrests, and expulsions. Shiraz University has been experiencing an atmosphere of fear and a security state. Many students are not allowed to enter the campus and trials for numerous Shiraz University students have been held over the recent days to increase the recent days’ pressure. Student activists at Shiraz University told the Campaign that the University has been shut down implicitly for next week. The students report that the shut down is taking place to prevent potential post 22 Bahman protests.

A Journalist in Tehran told the Campaign, “Crackdown on People Will be Another Mistake”

A Journalist in Tehran describes the mood in the city for the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran’s blog, just a day before the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution’s victory in 1979. Below you see excerpts from this interview: ICHR- 24 hours before the anniversary of the Revolution, 22 Bahman, how is the mood [...]

Student Activist: People concerned about blatant regime brutality

Only 24 hours before the February 11, 2010 celebration of the Islamic Revolution of 1979, a student activist and member of Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat told International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that over the past few days, fear has enveloped Tehran streets. He said recent arrests by security forces–especially among university students– have been aimed to reduce their participation in the social arena. Referring to recent arrests of student activists, he told the Campaign that students are preoccupied with the arrests these days and the arrests are so widespread that they have even engulfed the lowest levels of political and social activists among university students. He described the social air of the past few days for us. This interview follows below:

Kian Tajbakhsh’s 15 year sentence will be overturned

Replying to a question from International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran about the case of Kian Tajbakhs, a post elections prisoner whose case is in an appeals court, Kian Tajbakhsh’s attorney said: “Regarding the appeals request I filed with the Revolutionary Courts after the initial court’s verdict, soon we expect an appeals verdict and God willing, through efforts and existing evidence, this ruling will be overturned.”

New prison sentences: Tajbakhsh five years, Safaei Farahani six years, and Nabavi five years

An appeals court has reduced Iranian American researcher Kian Tajbakhsh’s sentence to five years. Behzad Nabavi’s sentence has also been reduced to five years. Earlier there was news about the six year prison sentence of Mohsen Safaee Farahani, 61. General and Revolutionary Courts have announced the verdicts of 35 individuals arrested after the elections. An appeals court has reviewed and finalized the rulings, sending the cases to the “Implementation Unit” of the Courts.

Possibility of Saeed Nourmohammdi’s release from prison; no news about his brother after arrest

A source close to political prisoner Saeed Nourmohammadi told the International Campaign for Human Rights that despite immense physical and psychological pressure on Nourmohammadi over the past few months, his family have been asked to raise bail for his release and he may be released soon. Saeed Nourmohammadi who was a youth campaigner for Mir Hossein Mousavi, was arrested shortly after the Iranian elections on June 15, 2009.

Iran sentences another activist to death; authorities step up arrests ahead of anniversary

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Iran has convicted another opposition activist on charges related to the country’s post-election turmoil and sentenced him to death, the judiciary said Tuesday, bringing to at least 10 the number of those facing the death penalty for the unrest following June’s disputed presidential election.

Meanwhile, the New York-based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said compiled figures show that at least 1,000 people have been detained in Iran since the unrest began, but that the actual number is likely higher. Some 500 of those in detention have been arrested since deadly clashes between opposition supporters and security forces in late December, the group said.