Iran: Human Rights Activist Arrested.

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Friday January 16, 2009 15:20 by pat c

News On Prisoners Of Conscience

Iranian Secret Police arrested Jinous Sobhani, former secretary of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) and the Organization for the Defense of Mine Victims, and seized her address book, telephone and other work records on 14 January 2009. Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Laureate, is a co-founder of both groups.

The DHRC, a leading independent Iranian group providing legal defense of human rights violations, has been closed since 22 December 2008, when Iranian Secret Police forced their way into the Center during a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Iranian Regime have claimed that the Center was not a legally registered organization, although numerous other non-registered organizations function in Iran. The DHRC’s application for registration was denied several years ago.

“If the Center was indeed closed on account of its lack of registration, then why arrest a staff member who has already lost her job?” asked Hadi Ghaemi, Coordinator of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. “The arrest appears to confirm that the closure of the Center was politically motivated.”

Support for the Center continues. A group of Asian HROs has written to Iran’s Islamic Human Rights Commission to urge that the DHR be legally registered and be protected from further persecution and harassment. The group noted that the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions has urged the Commission to facilitate the registration of Iranian nongovernmental groups.

In a letter to the Islamic Human Rights Commission on 13 January 2009, the Asian NGOs Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) pointed out that the denial of registration amounts to a violation of internationally-protected human rights:

"We believe that the closure of the offices of the DHRC is inconsistent with Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that everyone has the right to freedom of association with others. It is also inconsistent with Article 5 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which provides that everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to form, join, and participate in non-governmental organizations, associations, or groups."

Some of the Iranian Prisoners of Conscience

Ayatollah Kazemini Boroujerdi

Ayatollah Seyd Hossein Kazemini Boroujerdi , arrested on October 8, 2006, is a Shia cleric who advocates separation of religion and politics. He is reportedly suffering from several serious illnesses.

Secret Police raided Ayatollah Boroujerdi’s house in Tehran on October 8, 2006. As well as Boroujerdi, the Olice also detained several hundred of his followers, including 172 women and 225 men, who had gathered to prevent his arrest.

All of the detainees have been released on bail, except for Ayatollah Boroujerdi. In June 2007, the Special Court for the Clergy prosecuted him behind closed doors. The charges against him are not known. According to his associates, Ayatollah Boroujerdi has been subjected to torture and severe ill-treatment during his detention. As a result, his health has deteriorated considerably and he is in need of urgent medical care.

Kamiar and Arash Alaei

Kamiar and Arash Alaei—Iranian brothers who are known worldwide for their work as HIV/AIDS physicians – are among the four Iranian citizens cited today by Iranian authorities as attempting to overthrow the state according to Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Iranian Judiciary spokesperson Ali-Reza Jamshidi told a news conference that four Iranian citizens had been arrested and brought to the court on charges of “communications with an enemy government” and seeking to overthrow the Iranian government .

PHR believe the charge of plotting a coup is being brought unfairly, without the brothers being given the chance to adequately defend themselves. Their trial was marked by clear violations of due process. The Alaeis’ human rights have been violated and their commitment to public health worldwide has been misrepresented by the Iranian Government as a threat to their regime.

"To all appearances, the arrest and now the trial of these two prominent and widely-traveled AIDS doctors seem to be an effort to shut the door on medical and public health collaboration on global health crises...a policy that is dangerous for the well-being of the Iranian people and for global health,” said Frank Donaghue, PHR CEO.

“Their prosecution is truly a witch hunt; it is completely unacceptable to bring such charges against the Alaei brothers. Everything they did was transparent with full knowledge and permission of the Iranian government, including participation in an exchange program on public health in November 2006 in the United States,” said Hadi Ghaemi, spokesperson for International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.