Student Activist and His Family Harassed and Threatened for a Full Year Before Arrest

A friend and other sources close to Ashkan Zahabian, a banned student and human rights activist who was arrested after appearing at the Intelligence Office of Sari on 3 May 2011, explained to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran the extent to which Zahabian’s family was harassed and targeted by security forces within the past year. The sources described how mistreatment of the family, threats to confiscate Zahabian’s bail for his temporary release, and finally death threats against Zahabian, created serious health issues for his parents. Zahabian’s mother was transferred to a hospital and his father’s heart condition worsened.

Names and Photos of Twelve Protestant Church Members Tried in Revolutionary Court

1. Abdolreza Ali-Haghnejad (Pastor of Bander Anzali church)           ——————————————————————————————————— 2. Anahita Khademi (Pastor Ali-Haghnejad’s wife )         ——————————————————————————————————— 3. Mahmoud Khosh-Hal           ——————————————————————————————————— 4. Hava Saadetmend (wife of Mahmoud Khosh-Hal)           ——————————————————————————————————— 5. Amir Goldoust         [...]

Stop Persecution of Protestant Church

(4 May 2011) Iranian authorities should end the judicial persecution of members of the evangelical protestant Church of Iran and other churches, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.

Specifically, the Campaign appeals to Iran’s Judiciary to overturn criminal sentences of church members including a death sentence for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and prison term for Pastor Behrouz Sadegh-Khanjani.

“Iranian authorities must stop targeting religious groups and practices they find threatening, acts which violate international and Iranian law,” said Aaron Rhodes, a spokesperson for the Campaign.

Iranian Association of Scholars Calls for Support of Asylum Seekers on Hunger Strike

The Iranian Association of Scholars, based in Europe, has released a statement aimed at Western governments and in support of Iranian asylum seekers in Europe. The Association’s statement comes after six Iranian asylum seekers have publicly sewn their lips together with fishing line to protest the U.K. government’s denial of asylum. The Association stressed that [...]

Campaign to Free Bahman Ahmadi Amouee: Spotlight on Iranian Prisoners of Conscience

A group of friends and colleagues of prominent Iranian journalist Bahman Ahmadi Amouee, a prisoner of conscience who has spent almost two years in Evin Prison, have undertaken a campaign to support him through raising public awareness about the conditions of Amouee and other political prisoners, and demand their release. The campaign began by inviting groups and individuals to publish articles about Amouee on his birthday on 22 May.

Prominent Journalist Ends Own Life to Protest Persecution

Siamak Pourzand, a long-time journalist and former prisoner of conscience, has died at age 80 in Tehran, having been unable to see his wife and children for a decade due to a travel ban imposed on him by Iranian authorities. His daughter, Leili Pourzand, stated that her father committed suicide by jumping to his death from his sixth-floor apartment window.

Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Told She Must Give Interview in Order to Leave Prison

Reza Khandan, husband of imprisoned Iranian lawyer and human rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that Sotoudeh is in very poor conditions in prison and is planning to go on another hunger strike. He told the Campaign that security forces clearly told his wife that so long as she does not confess, she is not allowed to leave the prison. Sotoudeh has repeatedly refused to give such confessions. Security officers have prevented Sotoudeh’s transfer to Evin Prison’s General Ward for the past eight months.

American Hiker Sarah Shourd’s Summons May Be Excuse to Prolong Trial

In an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Massoud Shafiee, lawyer for the three American hikers detained in Iran in 2009, said that he has received a court summons on behalf of Sarah Shourd to attend the 11 May trial session at Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. Shafiee told the Campaign that the summons may be a new excuse for yet another re-scheduling of court proceedings in order to further prolong the process. He emphasized that the court determined that Sarah Shourd’s presence is mandatory and that if she does not appear, the court session will be postponed.

Shirin Ebadi on Workers’ Rights (Video)

A few weeks prior to International Workers’ Day, on 19 April 2011, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi summarized the situation and challenges facing workers in Iran. She describes the government’s combative stance against unions, illustrated by the imprisonment of union leader Mansour Osanloo. She also addresses how Iran’s economic crisis and high priced commodities [...]

Union Leader’s Dangerous Health Conditions: Immediate Surgery Needed

In an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Parvaneh Osanloo, bus worker union leader Mansour Osanloo’s wife, described her husband’s deteriorating health in prison and the refusal of prison officials to transfer him to a hospital. “His arteries are clogged again and his situation is worsening everyday. Prison doctors said that he must have an operation as soon as possible. We showed Mansour’s medical documents to doctors outside the prison and we talked to the authorities, too. If they cooperate, he must be transferred outside the prison for surgery or at least for angiography as soon as possible,” Parvaneh Osanloo told the Campaign.