Reports from People Calling to Isfahan Prison to Stop the Executions of Mohammad and Abdollah Fathi

Numerous people have been calling Isfahan Prison to pressure the authorities there by demanding that the executions of young brothers Mohammad and Abdollah Fathi be halted. The boys, who are being executed because some of their family members have been political activists, are scheduled to be executed on 17 May 2011 (background).

It is our responsiblity to do all that we can to stop this crime. We are asking people to call the prison where they are being held. In the post below, nine conversations are reported by people – Farsi-speakers and non-Farsi speakers – who have called the prison to demand a halt to the execution.

Please urgently call the prison in Isfahan where they are being held and demand that the murder of Mohammad and Abdollah Fathi be halted. If you speak English or another non-Farsi language, you can simply say slowly “Do not kill Mohammad and Abdollah Fathi.” They may find someone to speak to you in English, or they may hang up the phone. Either way, you will have made a difference. PLEASE URGENTLY CALL Country Code (98) 311-333-3333 and 311-788-5881.

CALLS TO ISFAHAN PRISON TO STOP THE EXECUTIONS OF MOHAMMAD AND ABDOLLAH FATHI

CALL #1: Tour Irani
Tour: I am calling from the U.S. and I heard the news regarding the execution of two brothers in Isfahan on the internet.

Prison official: Sir, the people who have spread this news (you are not the first person to call us) and have left our number on the line were only trying to give us a hard time…

Tour: Well there are lots of sensitivities because of the number of executions in Iran.

Prison official: First, this news is not true and we have not received any such orders yet and secondly these two brother are not even political and their crime is rape…rest assured that all sentences handed down in this country match the crime!…you are a logical man…what do they do to rapists in the United States?

Tour: But sir, Farzad Kamangar was executed and he was only a teacher…he had committed no crimes and we have had more than 200 executions in Iran just this year!

Prison official: Please talk about a time period when we were all alive!

Tour: Sir, this just happened last year!

Prison official: I have neard nothing!

Tour: Thanks for your explanation and take good care of our countrymen!

Prison official: God save us all!

Tour: Do you have access to Facebook?

Prison official: Well now that you called, I am going to check it out to see what people have written!

گفتم: من از آمریکا تماس میگیرم و خبری مبنی بر اعدام دو برادر در اصفهان بر روی اینترنت پخش شده
گفت: قربان البته اون کسی که این خبر رو پخش کرده فقط منظورش اذیت و آزار ما بوده و این خبر صحت نداره
و تلفن ما رو گذاشته
گفتم خب به خاطر اعد…امهای زیادی که در ایران میشه ما همه حساسیت زیادی به این موضوع داریم
گفت اولا که تا به حال هیچ دستوری به ما نرسیده
و ثانیا این که این دو برادر اصلا سیاسی نیستند
و به جرم تجاوز به بدن شخصی دستگیر شدن
و شما مطمئن باشید که همه احکام مطابق با جرمیه که زندانیان دارن
در ضمن گفت مگه تو آمریکا اگه یه نفر به ناموس مردم تجاوز کنه چی کارش میکنن؟
گفتم ولی ببخشید فرزاد کمانگر فقط یک معلم بود
و هیچ جرمی نداشت و ما امسال بیش از 200 اعدامی تو ایران داشتیم
گفت شما باید در مورد زمانی صحبت کنید که به عمر ما قد بده
گفتم بابا همین پارسال بود
گفت من چیزی نشنیدم
گفتم به هر حال ممنون از توضیحاتتون و مواظب هموطنان ما باشید
گفت خدا هممون رو حفظ کنه
گفتم شما خودتون به فیس بوک دسترسی دارید؟
گفت حالا که گفتید الان میریم روش ببینیم چی نوشتن

CALL #2: via Tour Irani
‎”I called and he said it’s a lie and they are just trying to deface our regime…I said the regime has killed so many that there is no good face to it anymore… enough is enough…this regime is a goner…do not commit acts where people will have no pity on you…

He said, “I recorded your voice and will play it for the officials to follow up,” and then he said good-bye and hung up. He was like a tape recorder. Of course, his voice was a bit stressed…”

CALL #3: Parvaneh Masruri
“I talked to a social worker at the prison for ten minutes. He seemed like a nice guy but I don’t think there is any hope left unless a miracle happens. I feel so bad for the heart broken mother of these two. I even told the guy that it’s not easy for a mother to lose two sons and he said: ‘Will you let someone free if they raped one of your family members?’ I kept asking what their crimes were and he did not respond.”

من برای ۱۰ دقیقه ای با مددکار اجتماعی زندان صحبت کردم مرد خوبی به نظر میرسید ولی فکر نمیکنم امیدی باشه که این دو جوان اعدام نشوند مگر یک معجزه بزرگی اتفقاق بیافته وای بر حال این مادر بدبخت حتی به ایشان گفتم برای یک مادر از دست دادن دو پسر کار آسانی نیست و جوابش این بود که اگر کسی به مال و ناموس شما تجاوز کند شما رضایت میدهید هر چه پرسیدم گناهشان چیست به من جوابی نداند

CALL #4: Sara
“I just talked to the operator who said he was a soldier. I told him that I was calling from Canada regarding the Fathi brothers. He denied that they were going to be executed and said the news on Facebook was false. (I never mentioned Facebook). He said people have been calling non-stop & that he can’t keep up with the volume of calls.”

CALL #5: Walt Martin (English-speaker)
“I called 3 times, they listened twice and hung up once but I got their names in and said ‘Azadiiiiii’ :) V”

CALL #6: Maria Rohaly (English-speaker)
I called and told them in English, “I am calling to say NO to the execution of Mohammad and Abdollah Fathi. DO NOT KILL Mohammad and Abdollah Fathi!” They went to find someone who could speak English. Then the guy at the prison said, “Are you speaking in English?” I said, “Yes, are you?” He said, “No, I don’t speak in English.” Nevertheless, I repeated: “I am calling to say NO to the execution of Mohammad and Abdollah Fathi. DO NOT KILL Mohammad and Abdollah Fathi!”

CALL #7: Soror Victory
“Nobody answers properly – I called two different phone numbers.”

CALL #8: Dave Heidelberg
“I called and one man gave me another number.”

CALL #9: Shirin Nariman
“I just called the prison and talked to the head of the prison who could not reveal his name to me. If you want you can call 011983117885881. He said, ‘I am only doing my duty and go through the order. There is nothing I can do about it.’ I talked to him extensively and he kept saying he is not in position to make any order and prison is full of prisoners. This is insane. I told him this regime is over and you need to make the decision and stand up to whoever giving the orders and ask why of this inhuman act? Why these two brothers should be executed? I think everyone should call and talk to them. Let them at least to hear the discuss we have about this.”