Source:
International Campaign for Human Rights
in Iran
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran expressed
serious concerns about new charges introduced by Revolutionary Guards
commanders in the prosecution of Kian Tajbakhsh, an Iranian-American
sociologist.
"It appears the Revolutionary Guards are seeking to justify their severe
repression since the June elections by ratcheting up baseless espionage charges
against Tajbakhsh in order to demonstrate foreign involvement and make him a
scapegoat," said Aaron Rhodes, a Campaign spokesperson.
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Iranian-American scholar Kian Tajbakhsh defends himself during a
trial held for
post-election detainees in Tehran (August 2009)
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Earlier this week, Tajbakhsh was brought in front of the Third Branch of the
Security Court, which is a new court created and controlled apparently by the
Revolutionary Guards to prosecute dissidents. He was charged with new
allegations of spying based on emails he wrote to Middle East specialists on the
Gulf 2000 list, which includes hundreds of experts, diplomats, and journalists.
According to information received by the Campaign, high ranking Revolutionary
Guards commanders initiated the new charges against Tajbakhsh. He is currently
held in solitary confinement in Evin prison and denied release on bail.
Tajbakhsh has been already sentenced to 15 years in prison by a lower court,
which charged him with multiple counts, including "acting against national
security, by membership in the internet network related to Gary Sick, a CIA
agent, and other foreign elements with the purpose of urging people to riot in
presidential elections; spying and connections with foreign elements against the
sacred system of the Islamic Republic; accepting a consultancy position with the
Soros Foundation aimed at the soft overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran;
propaganda activities against the sacred system of the Islamic Republic by
participation in illegal assemblies and causing doubt and giving impression of
fraud and cheating in election results; and causing lack of public trust towards
the official national organs and the ruling system by instigating rioting,
mayhem, fear and terror within the society." No evidence was presented in
Tajbakhsh's trial to support these grave charges.
"If an innocent man's freedom and well-being were not at stake, the espionage
charges based on participation in Gulf 2000 would be nothing more than ludicrous
attempts to smear a noted scholar who has assiduously steered clear of political
entanglements," Rhodes said.
The Campaign fears for the health and safety of Tajbakhsh in view of
recent judicial proceedings in dissidents' cases that have contravened Iranian
law.
On 11 November, Ehsan Fattahian, a Kurdish activist, was executed even though
a lower court had sentenced him to 10 years in prison. The appeals court added
the charge of Moharebeh, or "enmity towards God," and issued the death sentence
for Fattahian. Iranian law explicitly forbids appeals courts from increasing a
lower court's sentence. New charges against Tajbakhsh signal that a similar
extrajudicial process maybe underway.
Tajbakhsh has been denied access to an independent lawyer and the authorities
have restricted his legal representation to a court appointed lawyer, Houshang
Azhari.
The Campaign called on the Iranian judiciary to immediately release
Tajbakhsh and all other dissidents and activists who have been unfairly
persecuted and prosecuted. The Campaign also expressed serious concerns
that the Revolutionary Guards appear to be taking over judicial organs and
manipulating them to permit extrajudicial detentions and sentences.
Related Press Release by The Open
Society Institute
The Open Society Institute is deeply dismayed by the charges of
spying announced this week in Iran against Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh, an
internationally-respected scholar who is an American citizen. These charges are
entirely without merit.
Iranian authorities should ensure that the International
Committee of the Red Cross is granted immediate access to visit Dr. Tajbakhsh in
prison to monitor his health.
Dr. Tajbakhsh was a consultant for the Open Society Institute from 2004 to May
2007. He is a distinguished expert on public health, humanitarian assistance and
urban planning initiatives in Iran. Though he discontinued his service for OSI,
we remain concerned about his well-being. We urge the Iranian authorities to
release Dr. Tajbakhsh immediately.
Related Web Site:
Free Kian 2009
