Arbitrary detention and judicial harassment of Ms. Mahnaz Mohammadi

Judicial harassment

Iran

June 20, 2014

The Observatory for theProtection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the InternationalFederation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the followingsituation in Iran.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has beeninformed by the League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI) about thearbitrary detention and judicial harassment of Ms. Mahnaz Mohammadi, anIranian documentary film maker and women’s human rights defender.

According to theinformation received, on June 7, 2014, Ms. Mahnaz Mohammadi was summoned toEvin prison and arrested to serve a five-year imprisonment sentence. Ms.Mohammadi was tried by Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolution Court of Tehran inOctober 2012 and sentenced on November 13, 2012 after being convicted for“gathering and collusion against the national security”, and “spreadingpropaganda against the State”, through cooperation with foreign media includingthe BBC, and supporting theConvention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women(CEDAW). Her sentence was upheld by Branch 54 of Appeals Court of Tehransometime in early 2014.

Ms. Mohammadi is a an awardwinning documentary film maker and a women’s rights defender, who has beenactive in the framework of the Campaign for Equality (aka One MillionSignatures Campaign), ever since it was established in 2006. This Campaign is amovement of women rights activists who have been fighting against legaliseddiscrimination against women.

The Observatory expresses its deep concern aboutthe decision of the authorities to uphold the five-year prison sentence againstMs. Mahnaz Mohammadi, as it merely aims atsanctioning her activities as a documentary filmmaker and women’s human rights defender. Accordingly, the Observatory stronglydenounces her detention as arbitrary and as means to infringe freedom ofexpression in Iran, in violation of international law.

Backgroundinformation:

On March 4, 2007, Ms.Mahnaz Mohammadi was detained for a few days, together with 32 other women’srights activists, who were protesting outside the building of the IslamicRevolution Court in Tehran.

On July 30, 2009, she wasdetained, together with other film makers and artists, for 24 hours afterattending commemoration ceremonies at the graves of protestors, who had beenkilled during the unrest following the 2009 presidential elections.

On June 26, 2011, Ms.Mohammadi was again arrested by security forces at her home and was held inincommunicado detention until July 27, 2011 in Ward 2A of Evin prison, which isadministered by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.

Ms. Mohammadi suffers froman incurable disease with symptoms similar to Multiple Sclerosis, for which shemust regularly take medicine to avoid strong muscular pains and localparalysis. During the one month in detention in 2011, she was hospitalised fora few days and was only granted bail because doctors considered her continueddetention too risky and refused to take responsibility for it.

Actions requested:

Pleasewrite to the Iranian authorities and ask them to:

i. Guaranteein all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. Mahnaz Mohammadi,as well as of all human rights defenders in Iran;

ii. Ensure that she received adequate medical care and her regular supplyof essential medicines;

iii. Release Ms. Mahnaz Mohammadi immediately and unconditionally asher detention is arbitrary since it only aims atsanctioning her human rights activities;

iv. Putan end to any kind of harassment - including at the judicial level - against Ms. Mahnaz Mohammadi and all human rights defenders in Iran, and release them all;

v. Conformin any circumstances with the provisions of the Declaration on Human RightsDefenders, adopted on December 9, 1998 by the United Nations General Assembly,in particular its article 1, which states that “everyone has the right,individually or in association with others, to promote the protection andrealization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national andinternational levels”, and its article 12.2 which provides that “the Stateshall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competentauthorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, againstany violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination,pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or herlegitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”;

vi. Ensurein all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms inaccordance with international human rights standards and international instrumentsratified by Iran.

Addresses:

· Leader of theIslamic Republic, His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei, The Office ofthe Supreme Leader, Shahid Keshvardoost St., Jomhuri Eslami Ave., Tehran,Islamic Republic of Iran, Faxes: + 98 21 649 5880 / 21 774 2228, Email: info_leader@leader.ir; Twitter:@khamenei_ir

· President HassanRouhani, the Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran,Islamic Republic of Iran, Tel: +98 21 64451; Fax: + 98 21 649 5880; Email: media@rouhani.ir; Twitter: @HassanRouhani (English) and @Rouhani_ir (Persian).

· Head of theJudiciary, His Excellency Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, Office of the Head of theJudiciary, Pasteur Street, Vali Asr Avenue, south of Serah-e Jomhuri, Tehran,Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: +98 21 879 6671 / +98 21 3 311 6567, Email: info@dadiran.ir; / info@dadgostary-tehran.ir / info@bia-judiciary.ir

· Minister ofForeign Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SheikhAbdolmajid Kushk-e Mesri Av, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax:+98-21-66743149; matbuat@mfa.gov.ir

· SecretaryGeneral, High Council for Human Rights, Mr. Mohammed Javad Larijani, [Care of]Office of the Head of the Judicary, Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave, South of Serah-e Jomhouri,Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. Email: info@humanrights-iran.ir

· H.E.Mr. Seyed Mohammad Reza Sajjadi, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the IslamicRepublic of Iran, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax:+41 22 7330203, Email: mission.iran@ties.itu.int

· Embassy of Iran in Brussels, 15 a avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 76239 15. Email: secreteriat@iranembassy.be

Please also write todiplomatic representations of Iran in your respective countries.

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Paris-Geneva,June 20, 2014

Kindly inform us of anyaction undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

To contact the Observatory,call the emergency line:

· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 143 55 18 80

· Tel and fax OMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22809 49 29