This letter from CGT comes in the wake of a wave of arrests of labor leaders in Sanandaj, Iran who were detained arbitrarily and illegally for demanding social services for those who have resorted to living on the street due to crushing poverty. Learn more and take action: ENGLISH or FRENCH).

Mission Free Iran thanks CGT Addsea for this important act of solidarity with workers in Iran, who continue to face ongoing repression, violation of workers’ rights, imprisonment and torture.

ENGLISH

Besançon, 23 January 2012
To : The International Labour Organisation

Madame, Sir,

On behalf of the union CGT Addsea, I am writing with regard to the cases of Sharif Saed Panah, Mozzafar Saleh Nia and Shith Amani, three leading Iranian worker activists who have been arbitrarily detained in recent days by the authorities in Sanandaj, Iran, for demanding that social services be provided to people who have resorted to living on the street due to increasing poverty in the country.

These three labor activists have been illegally, arbitrarily detained. Under pressure from worker activists in Sanandaj and throughout the region, Saed Panah and Saleh Nia have been conditionally released on bail, and pending trial, despite lack of any charges being brought against them. Shith Amani remains detained without charge and subject to additional mistreatment, abuse, and possibly torture.

The union CGT Addsea requests that the International Labor Organization urgently advocates for the immediate and unconditional release of Shith Amani and the dropping of all proceedings and false charges against Saed Panah and Saleh Nia. The ILO must exert continuous pressure on the Islamic Republic until all other labor activists who are currently arbitrarily detained by the anti-worker regime in Iran are released, including Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Rasoul Bodaghi, Reza Shahabi, and Mohammad Hoseini, among many others.

Please accept my sincere greetings.

For CGT-ADDSEA
Union Delegate
Pascal Descamps

CGT ADDSEA
Délégué Syndical : Pascal Descamps
22 rue de Savoie
25000 Besançon
cgt.addsea@gmail.com
06 76 16 78 89

FRENCH:

Besançon, 23 janvier 2012
À : Organisation Internationale du Travail (OIT)

Madame, Monsieur,

Au nom du syndicat CGT ADDSEA, je vous écris à propos de la situation de Sharif Saed Panah, Mozzafar Saleh Nia et Shith Amani, trois militants ouvriers iraniens
qui ont été arbitrairement détenus ces derniers jours par les autorités à Sanandaj, Iran, pour avoir demandé que des services sociaux soient offerts aux gens forcés de vivre dans la rue à cause du développement de la pauvreté dans le pays.

Ces trois militants ouvriers ont été arrêtés illégalement et arbitrairement. Sous la pression de militants ouvriers de Sanandaj et à travers la région, Saed Panah et Saleh Nia ont été libérés sous condition et sous caution en attente du jugement, et ce malgré l’absence de charges retenues contre eux. Shith Amani reste emprisonné sans charges et est soumis à de nouveaux mauvais traitements, à des abus et probablement à la torture.

Aussi le syndicat CGT ADDSEA demande à l’Organisation Internationale du Travail d’intervenir de toute urgence pour la libération immédiate et inconditionnelle de Shith Amani et l’abandon de toute poursuite et de fausses accusations à l’encontre de Saed Panah et Saleh Nia. L’OIT doit exercer une pression continuelle sur la République Islamique jusqu’à ce que les autres militants ouvriers qui sont actuellement détenus arbitrairement par le régime anti-ouvrier en Iran
soit libérés, comme entre autres Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Rasoul Bodaghi, Reza Shahabi, et Mohammad Hoseini.

Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes sincères salutations.

Pour la CGT-ADDSEA
Le Délégué Syndical
Pascal Descamps

CGT ADDSEA
Délégué Syndical : Pascal Descamps
22 rue de Savoie
25000 Besançon
cgt.addsea@gmail.com
06 76 16 78 89

“During Loghman’s first nine months inside the Intelligence Office Prison, there was no mention of a murder charge in his case file. But they took him to the Intelligence Ministry again and kept him there for 25 days. He was tortured and abused to the point where he admitted to the murder; I mean that he accepted it in order to free himself of those conditions. It took them 17 months to get that confession out of him.” ~~ Osman Moradi, Loghman’s father.

Zanyar and Loghman Moradi are two young men who are being detained as political prisoners in Iran. They were arrested in Marivan during the period of popular uprising in 2009, respectively on 1 August and 17 October. During the first 9 months of their illegal detention under the authority of the Ministry of Intelligence, no charges of murder were brought against them. However, Loghman and Zanyar were eventually forced to “confess” to allegations of murder after being tortured for a period of 25 days and threatened with rape. Both of these young men men are denied access to adequate medical treatment.

The Islamic Republic can execute Zanyar and Loghman at any time, but we, the international humane front, have a role to play in preventing their murder by the regime. Please urgently write to your Foreign Minister or Secretary of State and demand that the government exert pressure on the Islamic regime in Iran to immediately halt the executions of Zanyar and Loghman Moradi, and all executions in Iran. Every letter counts.

A sample letter and addresses follow below:

SAMPLE LETTER:

To the Foreign Minister/Secretary of State:

I am writing to you out of deep concern for the appalling human rights situation in Iran, particularly the Islamic Republic’s use of execution, rape and torture to terrorize people.

Iran executes the most people per capita in the world. There are currently several people facing imminent execution for alleged political affiliations, including Zanyar and Loghman Moradi. Zanyar was arrested at the age of 15, while Loghman was only 24. They were arrested during the 2009 post-election unrest, respectively on 1 August 2009 and 17 October 2009 in Marivan. During the first 9 months of their detention, no charges of murder were brought against them. They were forced to “confess” to allegations of murder after being tortured for a period of 25 days and threatened with rape. Both are denied access to adequate medical treatment.

The Islamic Republic has executed over 600 people between December 2010 and November 2011. In the first month of 2012, there have been more than 50 executions. It is time to oppose the non-stop slaughter of Iranian people by the regime in Iran.

I urge you to oppose the Islamic Republic regime’s daily acts of political imprisonment, torture, rape and execution of people in Iran. A regime that resorts to these methods to maintain its power has no legitimacy, as millions of Iranian protesters in the streets of Tehran and other cities have declared. The Islamic Republic’s embassies and offices should be closed in the firmest possible gesture of diplomatic sanctions. The regime in Iran is not a legitimate government, and no one should treat it as such.

Those members of the Islamic Republic responsible for over 30 years of systematic and widespread rape, torture, stoning and execution in Iran should be tried in international court for their crimes against humanity. Withdrawing international recognition of this regime is the first step governments can take down the road toward justice for people in Iran.

Sincerely,
[your name]

ADDRESSES of FOREIGN MINISTRIES:

TO: (Foreign Ministries worldwide): jerzy.buzek@europarl.europa.eu, michael.spindelegger@bmeia.gv.at, kab.bz@diplobel.fed.be, info@mvp.gov.ba, iprd@mfa.government.bg, imprensa@itamaraty.gov.br, imprensa@planalto.gov.br, pm@pm.gc.ca, ministar@mvpei.hr, minforeign1@mfa.gov.cy, podatelna@mzv.cz, udenrigsministeren@um.dk, vminfo@vm.ee, umi@formin.fi, bernard.kouchner@diplomatie.gouv.fr, inform@mfa.gov.ge, guido.westerwelle@auswaertiges-amt.de, gpapandreou@parliament.gr, titkarsag.konz@kum.hu, external@utn.stjr.is, dcpf@mea.gov.in, minister@dfa.ie, gabinetto@cert.esteri.it, segreteria.frattini@esteri.it, mfa.cha@mfa.gov.lv, tonio.borg@gov.mt, secdep@mfa.md, post@mfa.no, DNZPC.Sekretariat@msz.gov.pl, pm@pm.gov.pt, msp@mfa.rs, ministry@mid.ru, miguel.moratinos@maec.es, beatriz.lorenzo@maec.es, registrator@foreign.ministry.se, info@eda.admin.ch, info@mfa.gov.tr, haguew@parliament.uk, stewartkb@state.gov

cc (various media outlets): evening@cbsnews.com, earlyshow@cbs.com, 60m@cbsnews.com, 48hours@cbsnews.com, dateline@nbcuni.com, hardball@msnbc.com, joe@msnbc.com, nightly@nbc.com, today@nbc.com, newshour@pbs.org, ombudsman@npr.org, city@thestar.ca, letters@latimes.com, letters@nytimes.com, Bruce.Wallace@latimes.com, Mark.McGonigle@latimes.com, news-tips@nytimes.com, foreign@nytimes.com, nytnews@nytimes.com, editor@usatoday.com, wsj.ltrs@wsj.com, letters@washpost.com, ombudsman@washpost.com, letters@newsweek.com, letters@time.com, letters@usnews.com, info@ap.org, redaktion@faz.de, redactie@volkskrant.nl, ole.erik.almlid@aftenposten.no, bjorn.hedensjo@dn.se, redaktion@tages-anzeiger.ch, simon.jeffery@guardian.co.uk, redazione.tg5@mediaset.it, redazione.studioapertorm@mediaset.it, skytg24.redazione@skytv.it, segreteria_roma@repubblica.it, roma@lastampa.it, segreteria@unita.it, lorenzocairoli@hotmail.com, redazione@ilmanifesto.it, nadiapizzuti@gmail.com, nadia.pizzuti@ansa.it

Last year, when we were preparing with our friends for the 20 June event, we knew that our action under the existing circumstances, would in the best case lead to a degree of public attention to the atrocities committed by the Islamic Republic. We knew that although the release of political prisoners under dictatorial regimes like the Islamic Republic of Iran, Syria, Egypt, and Libya, is indeed possible, it is dependent on the creation of different circumstances and a special political balance in the society between the political and social forces: the dictatorial regime on one side, and the forces defending humanity and human rights on the other side.

Planned and conscious change according to a road map that strives to achieve this balance is possible. During the campaign to save Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani — for which our organization from the start was a key implementer of the activities that prevented the stoning of Sakineh and, in practice, prevented all stoning in general in Iran — we witnessed the possibility of pushing back the most feral of regimes.We consider ourselves loyal to that  belief as well as we believe that the Islamic regime’s survival fundamentally depends on imprisonment, torture, handcuffs and shackles and canes, torture and rape; we consider this understanding the compass for our organization’s activities.

During last year’s campaign, we worked to pressure governments, the United Nations, the European Union, official and unofficial and governmental and non-governmental organizations to take position and condemn the atrocities of the Islamic regime. We will continue to exert this pressure, but we basically and fundamentally regard the freedom of political prisoners and the implementing and guaranteeing of political freedoms in Iran or any other place to be a direct issue of the masses of the working class, the impoverished, and all freedom-loving loving people.

Organizing and mobilizing people against Islamic barbarism in Iran is a principle for us, and our direction is to mobilize and organize people wherever they are in the direction of our revolutionary objectives. Now we, together and in coordination with the Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran, welcome the second annual 20 June campaign at a time when the Islamic Republic knows very well that revolution is imminent. The wave of arrests and execution sentences, the threats, and raising of the gallows, are among those indicators of the Islamic Republic’s absolute lack of future.

We know very well that over the course of the past year, the political map of the world and the balance of political powers both inside Iran and internationally have changed dramatically. These changes, even if in the future, depend on the final results of contemporary revolutions, and their probable positive effects with regard to respect for human rights. Considering that at the moment there exists between 14,000-40,000 political prisoners in Syria and 12,000-15,000 political prisoners in Egypt; considering the disclosure of the nameless and addressless prisons of Maliki’s government in Iraq which contain an undisclosed number of illegally detained political prisoners; considering the crackdown against freedom-loving people in Bahrain and the recent events in Libya and Yemen…; considering the shadow that war and the threat by Israeli and Western governments to attack Iran casts over the ongoing savage violations of human rights in Iran; and considering the fact that advocates of human rights all over the world, the 99 Percent movement, still neither recognizes its universal mission nor has organizational or political revolutionary leadership; without any doubt, we will have difficulties ahead of us during this round of our activities for 20 June. We will try, however, through leveraging our achievements from last year, to pursue our objectives for this year’s campaign: the creation, production, dissemination, advertisement towards inside and outside of Iran, recruitment of members, organization of protest actions, and building bridges between our activities regarding human rights in Iran, the revolutionary movements, and the 99 Percent movement.

The names of those responsible for different areas of our activities for the 20 June campaign will be published soon.

On behalf of Mission Free Iran,
Ahmed Fatemi
Director, Mission Free Iran
22 January 2012

 سال گذشته سازمان ما به همراه کارزار جهانی‌ برای آزادی زندانیان سیاسی در ایران(از این به بعد “کارزار”)، و متعاقبا سازمان‌ها و نهاد‌های دیگر، کمپین پرشوری را با خواست محوری آزادی فوری و بی‌ قید و شرط زندانیان سیاسی به پیشبرد. اینک یکبار بار دیگر ما به همراه دوستان کارزار، خود را برای برگزاری کمپین ۲۰ ژوئن ۲۰۱۲ آماده می‌کنیم.

سال گذشته هنگامی که ما به اتفاق دوستان کارزار برای ۲۰ ژوئن آماده می‌شدیم،می‌دانستیم که اقدام ما در بهترین حالت در آن شرایط به درجه‌ای از جلب توجه افکار عمومی‌ به جنایات جمهوری اسلامی منجر خواهد شد. ما می‌دانستیم که هرچند آزادی زندانیان سیاسی در رژیم‌های دیکتاتوری مانند رژیم اسلامی و سوریه و مصر و لیبی‌ کاملا امکان پذیر است اما نیازمند خلق شرایطی دیگر و موازنه‌ای خودویژه در سطح آن جوامع، بین نیروهای سیاسی و اجتماعی، رژیم دیکتاتوری از یک سوی و نیروهای مدافع انسانیت و حقوق انسان از سوی دیگر است.تغییر هدفمند و طبق برنامه این موازنه امکانپذیر است و ما در جریان کمپین نجات سکینه محمدی آشتیانی، که سازمان ما از ابتدا یک پای اصلی‌ فعالیت هایی بود که مانع سنگسار سکینه و عملا مانع سنگسار علی‌ العموم در ایران شد، شاهد امکان پذیری به عقب راندن وحشی‌ترین رژیم‌ها بوده ایم. ما به این حکم علی‌ رغم وابستگی مطلق بقای رژیم اسلامی به زندان و شکنجه و غل و زنجیر و شکنجه و تجاوز، پایبندیم و آن را قطب نمای فعالیت‌های خودمان میدانیم.

ما در سال گذشته تلاش کردیم به دولتها، به سازمان ملل، به اتحادیه اروپا، به نهاد‌های رسمی‌ و دولتی و همچنین غیر رسمی‌ و غیر دولتی فشار آورده و آنها را ناچار به موضعگیری و محکوم کردن جنایات رژیم اسلامی کنیم و این تلاش را امسال قطعاً ادامه خواهیم داد، اما ما اساساً و اصولاً آزادی زندانیان سیاسی را، اعمال و تضمین آزادی‌های سیاسی در ایران و یا هر کجای دیگر را امر مستقیم و بلاواسطه تودهٔ‌های مردم کارگر و زحمتکش و آزادیخواه میدانیم. بسیج و سازماندهی مردم بر علیه بربریت اسلامی در ایران برای ما یک پرسیپ است و جهتگیری ما بحرکت در آوردن و سازمان دادن انسانها در هر کجا که هستند و در راستای اهداف انقلابی‌ و انسانیمان بوده و خواهد بود.

اینک ما به همراه و در هماهنگی با دوستان کارزار در شرایطی به استقبال دومین ۲۰ ژوئن می‌رویم که رژیم اسلامی خود به خوبی‌ واقف است که انقلاب هر لحظه امکان شعله کشیدن دارد. موج دستگیری‌ها و احکام اعدام و خط و نشان کشیدن‌ها و برپاکردن چوبه‌های دار از جمله نشان از بی‌ افقی مطلق جمهوری اسلام دارد. ما به خوبی‌ واقفیم که از سال گذشته تا به امسال چهره سیاسی دنیا و موازنه نیروهای سیاسی چه در داخل و چه در سطح جهانی‌ بشدت دگرگون شده. این دگرگونی، حتی اگر در آینده، بسته به نتایج نهایی انقلاب‌های جاری تاثیرات مثبتی در ارتباط با تضمین حقوق انسان داشته باشند، در مقطع کنونی با در نظر گرفتن بین ۱۴ تا ۴۰ هزار زندانی سیاسی سوری، ۱۲ تا ۱۵ هزار زندانی سیاسی مصری، افشا زندانهای بی‌ نام و نشان حکومت مالکی در عراق، سرکوب انسان‌های آزادی خواه در بحرین و تحولات جدید در لیبی‌ و یمن و…… سایه‌ای که خطر جنگ و تهاجم اسرائیل و غرب به ایران بر نقض وحشیانه حقوق بشر در ایران می‌‌اندازد و غیره و غیره و اینکه مدافعین حقوق انسان در سراسر جهان، جنبش ۹۹ در صدی‌ها هنوز نه به وظایف یونیورسال خود واقف است، نه بخود سازمان داده و نه از رهبری سیاسی انقلابی‌ برخوردار است، بی‌ تردید دشواری هایی را در راه تحقق اهداف این کارزار و در این دور ایجاد خواهند کرد. ما تلاش می‌کنیم با اتکا به دستاورد‌های سال گذشته- که بسیار غنی بودند- اهداف این دور، تولید،انتشار ، تبلیغ و اطلاعات رسانی رو به درون و بیرون، یارگیری، سازماندهی اکسیونهای اعتراضی، برقراری پیوند بین فعالیت خودمان در ارتباط با حقوق انسان در ایران و جنبش‌های انقلابی‌ و جنبش ۹۹ در صد را متحقق کنیم.

مسولین عرصهٔ‌های مختلف فعالیت ما در ارتباط با کارزار ۲۰ ژوئن متعاقباً معرفی‌ خواهند شد.

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از طرف میشن فری ایران،
احمد فاطمی، دبیر سازمان
۲۰۱۲-۰۱-۲۲

This post updates our previus post in support of Canadian computer programmer Saeed Malekpour. His death sentence is believed to be imminent. To stop the regime from executing Saeed, it is essential to draw as much attention to him as possible.  Please ask WIRED magazine to cover his case, and write to your Secretary of State or Foreign Minister to demand their intervention (addresses and sample letters below).

We have written to WIRED magazine to ask them to cover the story of Saeed Malekpour, as well as the state of repression for those who communicate digitally, including bloggers and Facebook users. Saeed’s colleagues around the world should raise their voices in defense of him and others whose work in the online world has landed them in the torture houses of the Islamic Republic. Getting coverage in a popular mainstream technology magazine that also covers social issues raises Saeed’s profile, as well as those of all political prisoners in Iran.

Our letter, updated with the latest confirmation of his death sentence, is below; please feel free to use it as a model letter for your own appeal to WIRED. It was posted to news tips at: http://www.wired.com/about/feedback

Dear Friends at Wired,

I am writing to bring to your attention the time-critical case of Saeed Malekpour, a Canadian resident and software programmer who is at high risk of execution because of his (entirely legal) programming work.

Saeed was arrested by the Islamic Republic when he returned to Iran to be with his dying father in October of 2008. He has been held as a political prisoner, under torture, since that time.

He has been charged with being involved in “internet offenses,” including “taking action against national security by designing and moderating adult content websites,” “agitation against the regime,” “contact with foreign entities,” “insulting the sanctity of Islam,” and “insulting the Supreme Leader and President.” All of these are politically motivated charges; Saeed has done nothing illegal.

Some of his charges carry the death penalty.

His final trial lasted 7 minutes. We have learned as of December 5 that he is to be executed by the Islamic Republic of Iran for doing his job as a computer programmer.

You should be aware that the Islamic Republic is currently in the process of conducting widespread executions and torture of Iranian people in its effort to fully extinguish the ongoing revolutionary sentiment in Iran. Saeed Malekpour is one of many who are being sacrificed to this end.

We are asking Saeed’s professional colleagues worldwide to speak out in his defense and demand his immediate and unconditional release. Those outside of Iran are the only ones capable at this moment in time of raising our voices to demand an end to human rights atrocities that are ongoing in Iran against everyday people.

We have asked lawyers worldwide to stand up and speak out for the human rights lawyers who have one by one been put behind bars in Iran, and now we ask the computing world to raise their collective voice against the persecution of their colleagues like Saeed Malekpour, not to mention the hundreds who have been imprisoned, tortured, and sometimes executed for their use of the radical digital technology known as “the blog.” Hanieh Shotorban is one young woman who has been arrested, imprisoned, and not heard from again for using Facebook.

We hope that you will consider writing a story about Saeed and asking your readership to engage in a simple action to support him – anything from writing a letter to the UN on his behalf, to engaging in other creative actions that are in the purview of your profession.

Additional background on his story can be found at the below links. Please feel free to be in touch with any questions.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Links:
Imprisoned Tech Expert Saeed Malekpour Writes of Torture
http://persian2english.com/?p=8921

Danger for Canadian Resident Saeed Malekpour in Iran
http://persian2english.com/?p=15785

* * *

IN ADDITION, PLEASE WRITE A BRIEF NOTE TO YOUR FOREIGN MINISTER OR SECRETARY OF STATE.
A brief sample letter is below, followed by the relevant list of addresses.

SAMPLE LETTER:

To the Foreign Minister/Secretary of State,

I request that you urgently demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran release Canadian resident and political prisoner Saeed Malekpour.

Saeed is a computer programmer who has been held under torture as a political prisoner in the prisons of the Islamic regime in Iran for the past several years. As you know, the Islamic Republic is currently in the process of conducting widespread executions and torture of Iranian people in its effort to fully extinguish the ongoing revolutionary sentiment in Iran. Saeed Malekpour is one of many who are being sacrificed to this end.

Saeed’s execution is now believed to be imminent.  I urge you to do your utmost to pressure the Islamic Republic to free this young man.

Sincerely,
[your name]

When writing to your Foreign Minister or Secretary of State, please send a copy of your mail to the following:
inquiries@un.org (UN – main)
urgent-action@ohchr.org (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights)
bia.judi@yahoo.com (Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights
Mohammad Javad Larijani)
info@dadiran.ir (Head of the Judiciary
Sadeqh Larijani)

Contact information for Foreign Ministries and the US State Department:
FOREIGN MINISTRY ADDRESSES:
michael.spindelegger@bmeia.gv.at
kab.bz@diplobel.fed.be
info@mvp.gov.ba
iprd@mfa.government.bg
imprensa@itamaraty.gov.br
ministar@mvpei.hr
minforeign1@mfa.gov.cy
podatelna@mzv.cz
udenrigsministeren@um.dk
vminfo@vm.ee
umi@formin.fi
alain.juppe@diplomatie.gouv.fr
inform@mfa.gov.ge
guido.westerwelle@auswaertiges-amt.de
gpapandreou@parliament.gr
titkarsag.konz@kum.hu
external@utn.stjr.is
minister@dfa.ie
gabinetto@cert.esteri.it
segreteria.frattini@esteri.it
mfa.cha@mfa.gov.lv
tonio.borg@gov.mt
secdep@mfa.md
Netherlands Foreign Ministry Contact Form
post@mfa.no
DNZPC.Sekretariat@msz.gov.pl
ministro@mne.gov.pt
senec@mne.gov.pt
pm@pm.gov.pt
msp@mfa.rs
miguel.moratinos@maec.es
registrator@foreign.ministry.se
info@eda.admin.ch
US Department of State Contact Form

On 5 January 2012, a well-known and respected labor activist and executive board member of the Iranian Workers’ Free Union, Mozaffar Saleh Nia, approached the Islamic regimes authorities in Sanandaj to lodge a complaint about the fact that no social services were being provided to people who, due to extreme poverty, had resorted to living on the street, with nothing more than cardboard boxes for shelter. As a result, he was arrested.

Just 3 days later, on 8 January 2012, another labor activist and member of the executive board of the Iranian Workers’ Free Union, Sharif Saed Panah, was arrested.

These outrageous arrests of respected labor and rights activists resulted in massive protests by families, friends and honorable people of Sanandaj. Nevertheless, the Iranian Workers’ Free Union news site reported on 16 January 2012 that Shith Amani, yet another well-known and respected labour movement leader, was arrested after lodging a complaint on behalf of the families of the arrested labor activists and the union members as well as all honorable people of Sanandaj.

As response to these criminal arrests of labor and rights activists in Kurdistan and other cities across Iran in recent weeks, in a courageous move, workers throughout Sanandaj began to circulate and sign their names openly a petition demanding the release of arrested workers, who were detained without charge.

The pressure worked to an extent: Mozaffar Saleh Nia and Sharif Saed Panah were released from prison on 19 January because the judge did not attend the court – but rather than being released unconditionally, they are out on bail pending trial. Worker activist Shith Amani is still in prison.

Mission Free Iran applauds the workers of Sanandaj who have stood up in support of their fellow workers. In support of their just demands, we have sent a second request to the International Labor Organization to continue to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of Stith Amani, and the dropping of all charges against Saleh Nia and Saed Panah. We encourage others to do the same; a model letter and email addresses for the ILO appear below.

Sample Letter to the International Labour Organization to Request Their Advocacy for the Release of Sharif Saed Panah, Mozzafar Saleh Nia and Shith Amani:

Email to: ilo@ilo.org

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing with regard to the cases of Sharif Saed Panah, Mozzafar Saleh Nia and Shith Amani, three leading Iranian worker activists who have been arbitrarily detained in recent days by the authorities in Sanandaj, Iran, for demanding that social services be provided to people who have resorted to living on the street due to increasing poverty in the country.

These three labor activists have been illegally, arbitrarily detained. Under pressure from worker activists in Sanandaj and throughout the region, Saed Panah and Saleh Nia have been conditionally released: on bail, and pending trial – despite lack of any charges being brought against them. Shith Amani remains detained without charge and subject to additional mistreatment, abuse, and possibly torture.

I request that the International Labor Organization urgently advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of Shith Amani and the dropping of all proceedings and false charges against Saed Panah and Saleh Nia. The ILO must exert continuous pressure on the Islamic Republic until all other labor activists who are currently arbitrarily detained by the anti-worker regime in Iran are released, including Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Rasoul Bodaghi, Reza Shahabi, and Mohammad Hoseini, among many others.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

On 5 January 2012, a well-known and respected labor activist and executive board member of the Iranian Workers’ Free Union, Mozaffar Saleh Nia, approached the Islamic regimes authorities in Sanandaj to lodge a complaint about the fact that no social services were being provided to people who, due to extreme poverty, had resorted to living on the street, with nothing more than cardboard boxes for shelter. As a result, he was arrested.

Just 3 days later, on 8 January 2012, another labor activist and member of the executive board of the Iranian Workers’ Free Union, Sharif Saed Panah, was arrested.

These outrageous arrests of respected labor and rights activists have resulted in massive protests by families, friends and honorable people of Sanandaj. Nevertheless, the Iranian Workers’ Free Union news site reported on 16 January 2012 that Shith Amani, yet another well-known and respected labour movement leader, was arrested after lodging a complaint on behalf of the families of the arrested labor activists and the union members as well as all honorable people of Sanandaj.

>As response to these criminal arrests of labor and rights activists in Kurdistan and other cities across Iran in recent weeks, in a courageous move, workers throughout Sanandaj have begun to circulate and sign their names openly a petition demanding the release of arrested workers.

Mission Free Iran applauds the workers of Sanandaj who have stood up in support of their fellow workers. In support of their petition, we have sent a request to the International Labor Organization to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of Saed Panah, Saleh Nia, and Amani. We encourage others to do the same; a model letter and email addresses for the ILO appear below the announcement from the Iranian Workers’ Free Union about their petition action to free the worker activists.

1) Announcement from the Iranian Workers’ Free Union:
Workers of Sanandaj Demand Release of Sharif Saed Panah and Mozzafar Saleh Nia

Retired workers of Shaho Factory, dismissed workers of Par Rys Textile, Kurdistan Textile, Metalworkers and Construction, and Vendors of Sanandaj, each one, by signing a petition, have demanded the release of Sharif Saedpanah and Mozzafar Salehnia.

The collection of signatures of Sanandaj workers continues.

Signed,
Iranian Workers’ Free Union
25 Dei 1390

(original statement in Farsi)

2) Sample Letter to the International Labour Organization to Request Their Advocacy for the Release of Sharif Saed Panah, Mozzafar Saleh Nia and Shith Amani:

Email to: ilo@ilo.org

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing with regard to the cases of Sharif Saed Panah, Mozzafar Saleh Nia and Shith Amani, three Iranian worker activists who have been arbitrarily detained in recent days by the authorities in Sanandaj, Iran, for demanding that social services be provided to people who have resorted to living on the street due to increasing poverty in the country.

These three labor activists are being illegally, arbitrarily detained and are at risk of torture. Furthermore, workers throughout Sanandaj have begun to circulate and sign their names openly on a petition demanding the release of the detained workers; they too are at risk of retribution from the regime.

I request that the International Labor Organization urgently advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of the three recently arrested labor activists in Sanandaj , along with all other labor activists who are currently arbitrarily detained by the anti-worker regime in Iran, including Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Rasoul Bodaghi, Reza Shahabi, and Mohammad Hoseini, among others.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Under Shari’a law, which is the law of the land in Iran, the penalty for apostasy – conversion from Islam to another religion – is death.

Despite the fact that no articles in the Islamic Republic’s legal code currently refer to the crime of apostasy, presiding judges base their opinions on texts by Iranian religious scholars, and prosecute Christians accordingly in the courts.

Internationally-known examples of this phenomenon include the ongoing case of 35-year-old Christian priest Yousef Nadarkhani, who is currently facing execution for apostasy (c.f. [1] and [2]). Another Christian pastor, 33-year-old Behrouz Sadegh-Khanjani, remains imprisoned and is facing a possible indictment for apostasy in the southern city of Shiraz ([3]).

A Christian Iranian asylum-seeker, Keivan Soufastaie, whose case documents included a court summons to be tried for apostasy by the Islamic Republic of Iran, recently won his struggle for asylum in Sweden after nearly being deported [4].

In addition to persecution of Christians in the Islamic courts in Iran, there is also persecution of Christians in the street by regime-run bands of street thugs. There is photographic evidence of such attacks accompanied by witness statements of the tortures and beatings implemented by agents of the Islamic Republic’s Intelligence Ministry against “Farsi-speaking” Christians in Iran [5] (caution: some may find the associated photographs disturbing).

It is well-recognized that in Iran, there is a violent wave of apostasy-related persecution of Christians that extends even to the Armenian Christian population, who cannot be considered apostates because they were born into Christian families.

Below is selected documentation of the ongoing crackdown against Christians in Iran, limited to news from August through December 2011.

* * *

In August 2011, there was an internationally-reported incident of burning of 6,500 Christian Bibles in Iran (c.f. [6]) – one incident among many similar such incidents of repression of people who believe in Christianity in Iran.

26 August 2011: Pastor Haghnejad, an evangelical Iranian pastor, has been re-arrested, with his family unaware of his whereabouts or reasons behind his arrest. Ten other members of his denomination were also detained. [7].

6 September 2011: Iranian Christian Mehdi Forootan Pays for Faith with 105 Days in Evin Prison – his parents signed over the deed to their home as bail to secure his release. [8]

6 September 2011: 5 Iranian Christians convicted of crimes against Islam (Behrouz Sadegh-Khandjani, Mehdi “Petros” Furutan, Mohammed “William” Belyad, Nazly Belyad, and Parviz Khalaj) – which, importantly are construed by the regime as crimes against the state [9] – were ordered to report to prison to serve one-year prison sentences. Nazly Belyad was 7 months pregnant when the summons was issued in early September. [10]

12 September 2011: Two Azeri converts from Islam, Vahid Roofegar and Reza Kahnamooee, who were arrested by security officers of Islamic Republic of Iran on charges of Christian activities, were released temporarily on $40,000 bail after appearing before two separate court hearings. The initial charges against them were of “apostasy,” later changed to “propagating idealogies against the regime and threatening the national security.” [11]

20 September 2011: The agents of the intelligence ministry threatened a Christian couple, took their child captive and demanded that they file a complaint against their fellow Christians who are being held in prison. [12]

23 September 2011: Iran’s Watch on Christians Intensifies, Says Open Doors. The Iranian government’s tracking of Christians in Iran has intensified over the last several months, according to Open Doors USA, an organization that provides help to persecuted believers in Jesus worldwide. In Iran, Christians gather in house churches, which are being increasingly discovered. Members are then subjected to various forms of harassment, including imprisonment, job termination and separation from family. [13]

2 October 2011: Eleven Iranian Christians who fled Iran in the wake of a government campaign against evangelical Christianity have received threats via email from ‘the unknown soldiers of the Hidden Imam’ calling on them to either repent or face extra-judicial execution. The ‘unknown soldiers’ are alleged to have links with Iranian security services. [14]

11 October 2011: Pastor Behnam Irani of the Church of Iran is currently serving a five year sentence, whilst Farshid Fathi Malayeri, who belongs to a different denomination, remains detained without charge nearly eleven months after his arrest. Church leader Noorollah Ghabitizadeh, who was arrested on Christmas Eve in 2010, is still being held in Ahwaz and, according to Mohabat News, has been verbally informed he may receive a death sentence: [15], [16] & [17].

21 October 2011: Fariborz Arazm, a Christian convert who resides in the city of Robat-Karim was arrested by the Islamic republic officials. On Monday, October 17, a group of four officers raided Fariborz’s house, arrested him and transferred him to an unknown location. They confiscated Fariborz’s computer’s hard disk, CDs, Pictures and a number of Bibles. The family also were threatened to remain silent and not to talk about this incident to anyone. Fariborz Arazm, 44, is the father of two children. He has not been able to contact nor visit his family since the arrest. [18]

6 November 2011: The “Saint Andrea church” in the city of Kerman has been demolished by city authorities despite being listed as a protected national monument. [19]

20 November 2011: Attack on Christian couple soon after their release from prison in Hamedan: 29 year-old Mr. Arash Kermajani and his 26 year-old wife Mrs. Arezoo Teymouri were one of two married couples who had been taken from their home by agents of the Ministry of State Security of the Islamic Regime in September 2010 and held imprisoned for 8 months without ever being formally charged. After their release from prison, they were forced into hiding and eventually leave their country for fear of their lives as a result of threats by elements of the Islamic Regime. [20]

28 November 2011: Intelligence Minister declares house churches a threat for youth: Heydar Moslehi, Minister of Intelligence of Iran announced that house churches are a threat to youth and acknowledged a new series of efforts to fight the growth of the house church movement in Iran. [21]

13 December 2011: Mr. Ehsan Behrouz a young Christian convert student has been re-arrested in the city of Mashhad by the agents of State Security of the Islamic Regime despite the previously paid bond of US$80,000. He had been previously arrested along with 15 other recent converts to Christianity. It is now over 5 weeks since anyone has seen or heard of Ehsan (Since November 7, 2011). His family seems to have been warned and threatened into silence. [22]

14 December 2011: Alireza Seyyedian, 36, a Muslim who converted to Christianity six years ago, was sentenced to six years in prison by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court for having been baptized in Turkey. “The judge said that by having his baptism performed in Turkey, he propagated against the regime. The judge’s interpretation was that by having his baptism in Turkey, my client’s intent was to express the lack of freedom in Iran. The other allegations against my client were distributing videos of his baptism on the Internet and holding various interviews about [the baptism]. He is also charged with running a home church.” [23]

24 December 2011: Christian worshippers arrested in Ahvaz [24]

* * *

In sum, Christians in Iran face documented, systematic persecution by the state on the basis of their religious beliefs; and those religious beliefs have been repeatedly construed as crimes against the regime. Both apostasy and propagating against the regime can result in illegal detention, torture and execution in Iran.

For these reasons, governments should recognize that returning Christian Iranian asylum-seekers to Iran would constitute a violation of international refugee law.

No to Deportation to Iran!

خانم نیره نوری در سال 2009 به دلیل داشتن فعالیت سیاسی فرزندانش و شرکت داشتن در اتفاقات پس ازانتخابات ریاست جمهوری درایران بارها تحت تعقیب بازداشت ومورد بازجویی قرار میگیرد .

ایشان همراه خانوده اش در مورخ2009/9/4 مجبور به ترک ایران میشوند وبه ترکیه پناه میبرند .چهار روز بعد از رسیدن به خاک ترکیه همراه فرزندانش خود را به مقر کمیساریای عالی پناهندگان معرفی میکنند.

بعد از پیش مصاحبه ای که با این خانوده درتاریخ 2009/9/8 شد بعد از گذشت بیش از یک سال در تاریخ 2010/10/21 باآنها مصاحبه اصلی راانجام دادند.
اما بعداز گذشت هشت ماه مجددا با این خانواده مصاحبه میشودکه به گفته وکلای کمیساریای عالی پناهندگان برای توضیح پاره ای از ابهامات بوده است.
خانم نیره نوری که در وضعیت جسمی نامناسبی بوده است و همراه خانوده اش و تعدادی دیگر از پناهجویان در اعتراض به بلاتکلیفی در مقابل مقر کمیساریای عالی در انکارا دست به تحصن می زنند همان روز از طرف پلیس ترکیه بازداشت میشوند وبه جزای نقدی وحبس محکوم می شوند .

مدتی بعد از تحصن سازمان کمیساریای عالی پناهندگان در تاریخ 2011/8/1 در سایت خود پرونده این خانواده را بسته اعلام میکند.

در حال حاضر خانم نیره نوری که تیروئید سمی دارد در وضعیت جسمی نامناسبی به سر میبردو به عمل جراحی نیاز دارد.

این خانواده به دلیل نداشتن توان مالی از پس عمل جراحی خانم نیره نوری بر نمی آیند وحتی توان فراهم کردن مایحتاج روزانه شان را ندارند.
خانم نیره نوری وخانواده اش نیاز به کمک بشر دوستانه دارند .

کمپین نه به دیپورت از همه سازمان های پناهندگی،سازمان های حقوق بشری، بشر دوستان و آزدی خواهان در حد توان درخواست کمک مالی به این خانواده را دارد.

در صورت یاری رساندن با شماره تلفن خانم نیره نوری تماس بگیرید:

00905544862769

شماره پرونده خانم نیره نوی :
385-09c3635

http://notdeportation.blogspot.com

No to Deportation to Iran!

بسیاری ازپناهجویان که به کردستان عراق روی می آورند اغلب کردستان را به عنوان گذرگاهی برای رسیدن به کشوری امن انتخاب می کنند .اما اکثر این پناهجویان در کردستان عراق ساکن میشوند و از طریق نمایدندگی یوان درسلیمانیه و اربیل مصاحبه و کارت پناهندگی دریافت میکنن.
پناهجویانی که درکردستان عراق ساکن هستنداز هیچ امکانات مادی و معنوی از طرف حکومت اقلیم کردستان برخوردار نیستند ونمایندگی یو ان در کردستان به وضعیت موجود رسیدگی نمی کند و نکرده است و در شرایط سخت ودشواری به سر میبرند .

این درحالی است که به دلیل هم مرز بودن وروابط نزدیک حکومت اقلیم کردستان وحکومت مرکزی عراق با حکومت اسلامی ایران امنیت صدها فعال سیاسی که به کردستان پناه آورده اند در خطر است .وبارها شاهد زندانی کردن و شکنجه و آزار اذیت و دیپورت پناهجویان ایرانی بودیم .وطبق گذارش ها در اوایل سال 2011 بیش از 45 نفر از پناهجویان ایرانی که بخشا فعال سیاسی بودن بدون محاکمه از طرف حکومت اقلیم کردستان به ایران دیپورت شدند.

درفصل زمستان نمایندگی یوان درکردستان به دلیل سرد بودن و گران بودن سوخت که قیمت هر بشکه نفت سفید به110 دلار میرسد به پناهجویان وپناهندگان تنها یک بشکه نفت سفید می دهند .که به دلیل اطلاع رسانی نکردن لازم بسیاری از آنها موفق به دریافت نفت نمیشوند .

درپایان سال 2011نمایندگی یو ان شهراربیل به همه پناهجویان وپناهندگان نفت سفید دادند اما در شهر سلیمانیه اعلام شده که فقط خانواده پناهندگانی که وضعیت نامناسب معیشتی دارند می توانند نفت دریافت کنند.

این اولین باری نیست که نمایندگی یوان درکردستان عراق دست به چنین کاری میزند وهمین اندک حقوق پناهنده و پناهجویان رابرای پرکردن جیبهایشان پایمال میکنند .

لازم به ذکر است که در کردستان عراق پناهنده و پناهجو از لحاظ امنیت معیشت وحقوق انسانی واجتماعی هیچ فرقی باهم دیگر ندارند این در حالی است که باید سازمان یو ان و حکومت اقلیم کردستان تا زمانی که پروسه برسی پرونده پناهجو به پایان می رسد امکانات زندگی از جمله امنیت، مسکن و تغذیه و دارو فراهم کندوزمانی به عنوان پناهنده پذیرفته میشود باید ازحقوق شهروندی وامنیت برخوردار باشد.که هیچ پناهنده یا پناهجویی از این حق برخوردار نیستند وتنها فرقی که بین پناهجو و پناهنده در کردستان عراق مشاهده میشود تغییردادن کلمه پناهجو به پناهنده روی کارت پناهندگی است و دلیل آن این بی توجهی نمایندگی یو ان است که نمیتواند به امور پناهندگی در کردستان عراق رسیدگی کندوباید تمامی پناهجویان را به کشوری امن منتقل کنند.

کمپین نه به دیپورت
2/1/2012
http://notdeportation.blogspot.com