Fear of torture or ill-treatment/possible prisoners of conscience/arbitrary
arrest
IRAN Leyla
Farzadi (f) doctor
Jalil Sharbiyanlou (m) surgeon
Ghaffari Farzadi (m) member of the Central Committee of the Iran Freedom
Movement
Rahim Yavari (m) an Iran Freedom Movement activist
At least 24 political activists, students and health
professionals
The four individuals named above and at least 24 political activists, students
and health professionals were detained following a peaceful demonstration in
Abresan Square, Tabriz, East Azarbaijan province on 15 June.
Their current whereabouts are unknown and they have yet to be charged or brought
before a court of law.
According to press reports, they and hundreds of others were protesting against
the conduct of the presidential elections held three days earlier. Amnesty
International fears for their safety and would consider them to be prisoners of
conscience if they were found to have been arrested for the peaceful exercise of
their rights to freedom of expression and assembly.
On 10 June, two days before the election, following widespread public rallies in
Tehran and across the country in support of candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, the
Head of the Revolutionary Guards Political Office accused his supporters as
being part of a "velvet revolution" in Iran, which "would not be successful".
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed victory after the Ministry of the Interior
announced results showing he had won by what many consider to be an unexpectedly
wide margin. The Guardian Council, a higher legislative and administrative body
announced that the results were subject to their ratification and that a recount
of ballots would be initiated. The three candidates who were declared as having
lost the election have submitted formal complaints to the Council of Guardians,
which oversees elections. A ruling on their complaints is expected within 10
days.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Iranian authorities have an obligation to maintain law and order and to
protect the safety of their citizens. However, international law requires that
any restrictions on the right of freedom of assembly or expression must be in
accordance with the law and strictly necessary to preserve national security or
public safety, public order, public health or morals or the protection of the
rights and freedoms of others. Any such restrictions must be proportionate to a
legitimate purpose and without recourse to discrimination including on grounds
of political opinion. Even if such a restriction is justifiable under
international law, policing must be carried out in accordance with international
standards regarding law enforcement, which prohibits the use force by law
enforcement officials unless strictly necessary and
to the extent required for the performance of their duty and to use firearms
only when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life. Law enforcement
personnel must exercise restraint, minimize damage or injury and respect and
preserve human life.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in
Persian, Turkish, English, or your own language:
-
calling on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the
political leaders and activists named above and all others
if they were found to have been arrested for the peaceful exercise of their
rights to freedom of expression and assembly;
- urging that they be
allowed immediate access to their family members, lawyers of their choice and to
any medical treatment they may require, and that they be protected from all
forms of torture or ill-treatment;
-
calling on the authorities to allow peaceful demonstrations by those wishing to
express their opinion of the elections, even if critical
APPEALS TO:
Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737,
Islamic Republic of Iran
