The International Committees against Stoning and Execution have issued a press release regarding the imminent execution of Houtan Kian, the lawyer who defended Sakineh Ashtiani throughout her ordeal. He has been brutally tortured and is to be executed for defending his client. We do not accept this in silence. Mission Free Iran has reproduced the press release about Houtan Kian’s imminent execution, below in English and Farsi, and will shortly open a campaign for Houtan Kian to demand the commutation of his execution sentence and his immediate and unconditional freedom. You may also sign a petition to demand his immediate release.
PR No. 120
February 25, 2011
Urgent Call for the Immediate Release of Houtan Kian
The execution of Sakineh Ashtiani’s lawyer is imminent.
According to the latest news received by the International Committees against Stoning and Execution, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s judiciary has sentenced Mr. Kian to four consecutive death sentences! Three of these have been revoked, but the fourth, which is to be execution by the method of hanging, is to be carried out. Mr. Kian has been told that his sentence will be implemented imminently.
Mr. Kian was arrested on October 10, 2010, along with two German reporters and Mrs. Ashtiani’s son, Sajjad Ghaderzadeh. He was first imprisoned in Tabriz, Iran and was later moved to section 209 of the infamous Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran. Our latest news from Mr. Kian is that he has been under prolonged and severe torture, and that his body is covered with bruises and cigarette burns. He has been transferred to the prison in Tabriz, Iran where they are planning his execution.
Mr. Kian’s mother, who resides in America, is currently in Iran to help release her son; however, she has been forbidden to talk to reporters and she is not allowed to leave Iran. Her husband, Houtan’s father, was executed by the Islamic Republic regime in 1981.
In a recent statement issued after the release of the two German reporters, the Islamic Republic has declared guilty and upheld the sentence for the fourth detainee, Mr. Kian.
Mr. Kian is a lawyer. He has represented prisoners who are on death row in Iran. And his most famous client is Sakineh Ashtiani.
We ask all human rights organization, at both local and international levels, as well as all groups and individuals who have been active in advocating for Sakineh’s release, to urgently call upon the Iranian regime to immediately release both Houtan Kian and Sakineh Ashtiani.
We are very concerned and time is running out to save Houtan Kian.
International Committee Against Stoning
International Committee Against Execution
International Committee against Stoning (http://stopstonningnow.com)
International Committee against Execution (http://notonemoreexecution.org)
Spokesperson: Mina Ahadi minaahadi@aol.com 0049-177-569-2413
Translation by Soheila Nikpour
اطلاعیه شماره ١٢٠
جان هوتن كیان وكیل سكینه محمدی آشتیانی در خطر است
طبق اخباری كه به كمیته های بین المللی علیه اعدام و سنگسار رسیده است٬ جمهوری اسلامی هوتن كیان را زیر شدیدترین فشارها قرار داده و برای وی پرونده سنگینی تهیه كرده است و او را به چهار بار اعدام محكوم كرده است. ظاهرا سه حكم اعدام او را لغو و یكی از این احكام را تایید كرده اند. طبق خبری كه به ما رسیده است، بطور شفاهی به هوتن گفته اند كه بزودی او را اعدام میكنند.
هوتن از روز ١٠ اكتبر ٢٠١٠كه به همراه دو خبرنگار آلمانی و سجاد قادرزاده فرزند سكینه محمدی آشتیانی دستگیر شد، مورد شكنجه و اذیت و آزار فراوان قرار گرفت و طبق اطلاعاتی كه به دست ما رسیده است٬ بر روی بدنش جای شكنجه و خاموش كردن سیگار و كتك زدن كاملا مشهود است. هوتن را در زندان های تبریز و سپس در بند ٢٠٩ زندان اوین مورد شدیدترین آزارها قرار دادند و اكنون در زندان تبریز برای قتل او زمینه چینی میكنند.
مادر هوتن كه ساكن امریكا بود٬ به محض ورود به ایران برای كمك به هوتن، ممنوع المصاحبه و ممنوع الخروج شد. پدر هوتن نیز توسط حکومت اسلامی در سال ١٣٥٩ اعدام شد.
جمهوری اسلامی در جریان آزاد كردن دو خبرنگار آلمانی نیز در اطلاعیه های علنی، به نفر چهارم این پرونده و مجرم بودن او اشاره کرده بود که اشاره ای تلویحی به هوتن کیان و زمینه سازی علیه او بود.
هوتن كیان هیچ جرمی مرتكب نشده است جز اینكه به زندانیان محكوم به اعدام کمک کرده و وکیل پرونده سکینه محمدی آشتیانی بوده است.
ما از همه نهادهای بین المللی٬ از همه كسانیكه برای نجات سكینه محمدی آشتیانی به میدان آمدند، از نهادهای بین المللی و از دولتها میخواهیم كه فورا و شدیدا به این زمینه چینی حكومت اسلامی برای اعدام هوتن كیان اعتراض كنند و خواهان آزادی فوری او و همینطور سکینه محمدی شوند. ما شدیدا نگران جان هوتن كیان هستیم و از همگان میخواهیم بهر طریق ممكن و هرچه سریعتر برای نجات هوتن و آزادی او و سکینه اعتراض كنند.
كمیته بین المللی علیه اعدام و سنگسار
٢٥ فوریه ٢٠١١
International Committee Against Stoning (http://stopstonningnow.com)
International Committee Against Execution (http://notonemoreexecution.org)
Spokesperson: Mina Ahadi minaahadi@aol.com 0049-177-569-2413
برای ایران آزاد mission free iran 
The Iran regime makes me ill on a daily basis. They have nothing to do with religion. I hope the God they purpote to pray to strikes them down soon.
Posted by Edmund Brownless | February 26, 2011, 2:43 amLet him free! Please fight for him!
Posted by Beatriz Schreiber | February 26, 2011, 2:16 pmSet him free! Let’s fight for him and his mother! Who knows what they are doing to her!
Posted by Beatriz Schreiber | February 26, 2011, 2:25 pmThe Iranian regime is reaching the end of the road….educated young activists everywhere are going to free thier people……It is time for the regime to reverse thier control of the people thro fear, rape, execution, stoning and intimidation , it is the only way that the new democratic{hopefully…..extremism HAS to be a thing of the past !] government will show mercy to those who have committed such heinous crimes against humanity.
Posted by mari buckingham | February 27, 2011, 5:55 amEs verdaderamente terrible lo que pasa en Irán. Ojala que las organizaciones de Derechos Humanos como Amnistia Internacional y otras, trabajen tanto en su defensa como lo han hecho en el caso de Sakineh Ashtiani. Exhorto a todas la personas de buena voluntad a enviar cartas a la Republica Islamica de Irán y a la embajada de Irán en su país para exigir la inmediata liberacion de señor Houtan Kian.
Posted by Martín López | February 28, 2011, 12:57 pm@Martín López: Martin no creo que esté a salvo Sakineh Ashtiani, me parece que intentó suicidarse. Así que ni en este caso sabemos lo que pasa de veras. A ver, ojalá que se consiga algo, para ella, su hijo y su nuevo abogado, el pobre. La madre del abogado también está en Iran y ya la amanezaron para que no tuviera contacto con la prensa extranjera. No sé si de veras est0 funcionará.
Posted by Beatriz Schreiber | February 28, 2011, 2:12 pm