Continuing arbitrary detention and harassment against human rights defenders and their relatives

IRN 001 / 0211 / OBS 024

Arbitrary detentions / Harassment

Deterioration of health status

Iran

February23, 2011

TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme ofthe International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World OrganisationAgainst Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the followingsituation in Iran.

Description of the situation:

TheObservatory has been informed by reliable sources of the continuing arbitrary detention and harassment against human rights defenders and their relatives inIran, including journalists and trade-unionists.

OnFebruary 20, 2011, Ms. Narges Mohammadi, spokesperson of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC), was summonedto the Islamic Revolution Court. She appeared on February 22, 2011 beforeBranch 26 of this court, on charges of “membership of the Supreme Council ofthe DHRC”, “founding the National Council of Peace”[1], “assembly and collusion to commit offences” and “propaganda againstthe system”. The Observatory recalls that Ms. Mohammadi was imprisoned on June10, 2010 in relation to her human rights activities[2], before being released on bail on July 1, 2010.

OnFebruary 9, 2011, her husband Mr. Taghi Rahmani[3], a scholar, writer, journalist and human rights defender had beenarrested by four plain-clothed individuals, ahead of the demonstrations plannedfor February 14. These individuals entered his family’s apartment, withoutshowing identification cards or anarrest warrant. The residence was subsequently searched and his documents were confiscated.No information could be obtained to date as to his place of detention.

TheObservatory has also been informed that the health condition of Mr. Mansour Osaloo (a.k.a Osanloo),President of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) and currentlydetained, has been deteriorating over the past two weeks. One of the arteriesof his heart is said to be blocked. He has reportedly suffered several heartattacks and was transferred to hospital on several occasions, but the Ministryof Intelligence interrogators have systematically intervened to stop histreatment and to return him to prison. Most recently, he was transferred toRajaie Hospital in Karaj on February 12, 2011, where he was handcuffed andfoot-shackled to the bed. His family was prevented from meeting him at thehospital. He is currently deprived of phone calls to his family.

Mr.Osaloo had spent eight months in detention from January to August 2006,following a protest by the members of his Union against the non-payment ofwages, poor working conditions and the company's refusal to recognise theUnion, established in May 2005. He was then re-arrested in July10, 2007 and has remained arbitrarily detained since then[4] in the remote top-security Rajaeishahr prison,where he is serving a five-year imprisonment under extremely harsh conditions,for “propaganda” and “activities against the State”.

From1 to 8 January, 2011, Mr. Osaloo spent one week in solitary confinement forspeaking at a funeral that other prisoners of conscience had held inside theprison in memory of a political prisoner, Mr. Ali Saremi, following hisexecution. His pregnant daughter-in-law, Ms. Zoya Samadi, had suffered amiscarriage on June 23, 2010, after being attacked by Intelligence Ministryagents on the street[5], with the apparent aim to punish the human rights activities of herfather-in-law.

Inaddition, Mr. Gholamreza Gholamhosseini, another member of Sherkat-e Vahed, arrested on November3, 2010, remains in detention in Rajaeishahr prison,without charges.Further, from December 5 to 19, 2010, Mr. RezaShahabi, the Treasurer of Sherkat-e Vahed, detained upon order of the Ministry of Intelligence in Evin Prisonsince June 12, 2010 without charges , went on a two-week hunger strike, andspent a week in hospital after his health deteriorated. Mr. Ebrahim Maddadi,Deputy Head of Sherkat-e Vahed, is also still being detained on the basis of a 3,5-year imprisonmentsentence issued against him on December 27, 2008.

TheObservatory is deeply concerned by the constant harassment against these human rights defenders and their relatives and urges the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionallyrelease Messrs. Gholamreza Gholamhosseini, Reza Shahabi, Ebrahim Maddadi, MansourOsaloo, and Taghi Rahmani. The Observatory calls upon the authorities torelease all human rights defenders presently detained in the country, to put anend to any kind of harassment against them and to guarantee in allcircumstances their physical and psychological integrity, in conformity withthe United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights and international human rights instruments ratifiedby Iran.

Actions requested:

Pleasewrite to the Iranian authorities and ask them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances thephysical and psychological integrity of Ms. Narges Mohammadi, Ms. Zoya Samadi, Messrs. Gholamreza Gholamhosseini, Reza Shahabi,Ebrahim Maddadi, Mansour Osaloo, and Taghi Rahmanias well as all human rights defenders in Iran;

ii. immediately and unconditionallyrelease Messrs. GholamrezaGholamhosseini, Reza Shahabi, Ebrahim Maddadi, Mansour Osaloo, and Taghi Rahmani since their detention isarbitrary;

iii. Put an end to acts of harassment -including at the judicial level - against them as well as against all humanrights defenders in Iran;

iv. Conform in any circumstances withthe provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted onDecember 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 promotethe protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at thenational and international levels”;

- Article 5 (b) which provides that “for the purpose of promoting and protecting humanrights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and inassociation with others, at the national and international levels to form, joinand participate in non-governmental organizations, associations or groups”;

- Article 6 (b) and (c) which states that “Everyone has theright, individually and in association with others, as provided for in humanrights and other applicable international instruments, freely to publish,impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all humanrights and fundamental freedoms; to study, discuss, form and holdopinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rightsand fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, todraw public attention to those matters”,

- and Article 12.2 which provides that“the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by thecompetent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others,against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adversediscrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of hisor her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”;

iv. Ensure in all circumstances respect for humanrights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rightsstandards and international instruments ratified by Iran.

Addresses:

- Leader of the Islamic Republic,His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader,Shoahada Street, Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran, Faxes: + 98 21 649, + 98 21 649/ 21 774 2228, Email: info@leader.ir / istiftaa@wilayah.org / webmaster@wilayah.org / info_leader@leader.ir

- President Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,the Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, IslamicRepublic of Iran, Fax: + 98 21 649 5880. Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

- Head of the Judiciary, HisExcellency Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr, Tehran,Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: +98 21 879 6671 / +98 21 3 311 6567, Email: Irjpr@iranjudiciary.com / bia.judi@yahoo.com

- Acting Minister of ForeignAffairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdolmajid Keshk-e Mesri Av,Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Fax: + 98 21 390 1999, Email: matbuat@mfa.gov

- Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Chemin duPetit-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, 1050Bruxelles, Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 762 39 15. Email: iran-embassy@yahoo.com

Pleasealso write to the diplomatic representations of Iran in your respectivecountries.

***

Paris-Geneva,February 23, 2011

Kindlyinform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in yourreply.

TheObservatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of HumanRights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.

Tocontact the Observatory, call the emergency line:

• Email: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
• Tel and fax FIDH: +33 (0) 1 4355 25 18 / 01 43 55 18 80
• Tel and fax OMCT: +41 22 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29

[1] A broad coalitionagainst war and for the promotion of human rights.

[2] See ObservatoryPress Release of July 2, 2010 and the Observatory Annual Report 2010.

[3] Mr. Rahmani hasworked closely with DHRC and was due to be awarded the DHRC prize for the 60thanniversary of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights (UDHR) in 2008, when DHRCwas closed down. He is also a member of the National Religious Alliance.

[4] See ObservatoryAnnual Reports 2007 and 2009.

[5] See ObservatoryUrgent Appeal IRN 004 / 0710 / OBS 084.