Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 01:35:09 +1000
From: Lynette Dumble <l.dumble-AT-hps.unimelb.edu.au>
Subject: [GSN] URGENT - HELP prevent student executions in Iran


Dear sisters,
The following from Women Living Under Muslim Laws is an urgent appeal to 
prevent the execution of four unnamed Iranian students, alleged to have been 
involved in the Teheran student protests of July 1999.  The four students 
have been condemned to death behind closed doors, in the absence of any 
defence attorneys, and in violation of the rules of evidence, and may 
preempt further executions amongst a further 700 students arrested on the 
same charge, all of whom have since been held in communicado, and without 
release of their names. 
Please support by emailing the first letter below to Hojjatoleslam 
Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and 
faxing the second to Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamanei, The Leader of the Islamic 
Republic of Iran. [Please note that the second letter is drafted for those 
responding from Muslim countries and communities, and should be amended if 
necessary].
With thanks, Lynette.
=========================From: wluml-AT-mnet.fr

Women Living Under Muslim Laws
Femmes sous lois musulmanes
International solidarity network
Réseau international de solidarité
BP 20023
34791 Grabels Cedex
France
email address: wluml-AT-mnet.fr

24/9/99

Dear friends,
Please find enclosed the urgent alert for action we sent out yesterday,
with more background information today.
In solidarity
WLUML

Chers amis, chères amies,
Veuillez trouver ci-joint l'appel à action urgente que nous vous avons
envoyé hier, avec aujourd'hui plus d'informations sur la situation
contextuelle.
En solidarité
WLUML
______________________________
URGENT ALERT FOR ACTION - URGENT ALERT FOR ACTION -
URGENT ALERT FOR ACTION -

23 September 1999

IMMINENT EXECUTION OF FOUR IRANIAN STUDENTS SENTENCED TO DEATH

Dear Friends,

We have just received two appeals from Iranian friends regarding the
pronouncement of death sentence on four Iranian students.
THERE IS A REAL DANGER THAT THESE STUDENTS WILL BE SUMMARILY EXECUTED IF WE
DO NOT MOUNT PRESSURE TO STOP THIS.
Of particular importance is that voices from within the Muslim world be
heard on this matter, though of course, all our voices count and make a
difference.
We urge you to immediately send letters to the addresses given below.
In solidarity
Farida Shaheed

WLUML

APPEL ACTION URGENTE - APPEL ACTION URGENTE - APPEL ACTION URGENTE
23 septembre 1999

EXECUTION IMMINENTE DE QUATRE ETUDIANTS IRANIENS CONDAMNES A MORT

Chers amis, chères amies,
Nous venons de recevoir deux appels d'amis iraniens concernant la
prononciation de peine de mort envers quatre étudiants iraniens.
Il Y A UN DANGER RÉEL À CE QUE CES ÉTUDIANTS SOIENT SOMMAIREMENT EXÉCUTÉS
SI NOUS NE FAISONS PAS PRESSION AFIN D'ARRÊTER CES EXÉCUTIONS.
Il est très important que des voix venant du monde musulman se fassent
entendre sur cette affaire, bien que, de toute évidence, toutes nos voix
comptent et feront la différence.
Nous vous demandons instamment d'envoyer des lettres de protestation aux
adresses données ci-dessous.
En solidarité
Farida Shaheed
WLUML
____________________
The background

The four students that have been sentenced to death were allegedly involved
in the student demonstrations in Tehran in July this year. According to

reports all the more than 700 students arrested have been kept
incommunicado. The names of these students and the other 700 persons
arrested are unknown. Nor have the names of those four students sentenced
to death been made known.

The Iranian Revolutionary Court condemned these students to death behind
closed doors, in the absence of any defence attorneys and in violation of
the rules of evidence. According to an interview of Hojjatoleslam Gholam
Hossein Rahbarpour, the head of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, in the
newspaper "Jomhuri-ye Eslami" on the 12th September 1999, the Supreme Court
has upheld the death sentences of two of the students. He further said that
more death sentences for the students arrested might be expected.

Please find attached information received by us from the Iranian Human
Rights Working Group and a group of Iranian university professors and
researchers.
Please write expressing your deep concern to the addresses given below, to
the Iranian Embassy in your country and to the Iranian Permanent Mission at
the United Nations.

Please find attached two sample letters, the first one to be sent to
Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, The President of the Islamic
Republic of Iran and the second one to Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamanei, The
Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Please note that this second one is
drafted for those responding from Muslim coutries and communities and
should be amended if necessary.

First sample letter:

Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Mohammad Khatami
The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran: The Presidency, Palestine
Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 98 21 64 66 415 - Telegrams: President Khatami, Tehran, Islamic
Republic of Iran -
Email: iranemb-AT-salamiran.org

Your Excellency,

The whole world has been shocked by the Iranian Revolutionary Court's
verdict of 12 September 1999 condemning to death four individuals who
participated in the July 1999 student protests in Tehran. The timing of the
verdict on the eve of the opening of the universities seems intended to
create an atmosphere of terror amongst students.

The four individuals were sentenced to death behind closed doors, in the
absence of defence attorneys and in violation of rules of evidence. If
these four individuals are sent to the gallows, it will amount to judicial
murder. This would be a gross violation of the principles of justice and in
particular the principles enshrined within the Islamic justice system. The
Islamic Republic's own constitution also provides that "everyone has the
right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a fair trial."

Moreover, we are deeply concerned that while these students have not even
had a fair trial, those government agents who a year ago ordered and
carried out a series of political killings have not yet been brought to
justice. The vigilantes who violently attacked the dormitory at Tehran
University and caused the death of Ezzat Ebrahim-Nezhad, among others, have
not yet been arrested. Yet these four student protestors have been
sentenced to death for chanting slogans.


Your Excellency, the international community remembers your pledges to
stand against injustice. We understand that you have made a formal
objection to the court's decision and greatly appreciate this stand.

We therefore strongly urge you to use your high office to prevent this
gross injustice.

We urgently request you to:
1) Immediately commute the death sentences of the students that have
apparently been issued and approved by the Supreme Court;
2) Order the immediate release of the names of the four sentenced and all
others who have been arrested in relation to the July demonstrations;
3) Ensure that there is a fair trial in accordance with the basic
principles of Islamic and international justice;
4) Ensure the immediate release of all those held for their peaceful
participation in the demonstrations.

We also urge you to undertake measures to bring Iran's legislation in line
with the minimum standards for fair trial laid down in Article 14 of the
International Convenant on Civil and Political rights, to which the Islamic
Republic of Iran is a state party.

Yours sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXX
* * *
Second sample letter:

Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamanei
The Leader of the Islamic Republic
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azarbaiijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: (via Interior Ministry, ask for fax to be forwarded): 98 21 650 203

The Honourable Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamanei:

On September 12, 1999, Iran's revolutionary court sentenced to death four
students on charges of participating in student protests in July. Given the
well documented reality that cases take several years to be heard and
judged, such harsh and quick sentencing of the four students has shocked
the entire world, especially much of the Muslim world who follow events in
Iran and the national struggle to carve an independent space for itself.
The circumstances indicate that the rushed judgement on the eve of the
opening of the universities has created the impression that the sentencing
is meant more to instill terror than to administer law and justice. The
situation is even more astonishing given that those vigilantes and police
officers who ordered and carried out the ill-advised attack on the student
residence, causing the death of Ezzat Ebrahim Nezhad and injuring many
others, are still at large despite your expressed position on the matter
and the report of the investigating committee.

Given the importance that Islam and Iranian culture has attached to justice
and fairness, it is most unsettling to see such a public case in the eyes
of the world carried out behind closed doors and in such manner. This
development is particularly discouraging for us Muslims who are trying to
correct the tarnished images of Islam constructed over decades of
colonialism.

We therefore request that you personally intervene to re-open the case and
insure an open and fair trial. We also wish to remind your honour that the
eyes of millions of well-wishers are closely following this case and are
sincerely hoping your intervention will correct the injustices

Sincerely


XXXXXXXXXXX
* * *

Addresses

Leader of the Islamic Republic:
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei, The Presidency, Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: (via Interior Ministry, ask for fax to be forwarded): 98 21 650 203

Head of Judiciary:
His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi, Ministry of Justice
Park-e Shahr
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Telegrams: Head of the Judiciary, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 98 21 646 5242

His Excellency Kamal Kharrazi
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Sheikh Abdolmajid Keshk-e Mesri Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 98 21 674 790

Minister of Culture:
His Excellency Mr Mohajarani
Ministry of Culture,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 98 21 8757845

Mr Mohammad Hassan Zia'i-Far
Secretary, Islamic Human Rights Commission PO Box 13165-137
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 98 21 204 0541

In lieu of an embassy:
Iranian Interests Section
2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington DC 20007
USA
Tel: (202) 965-4990 - 5

Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
622 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10017
USA
Tel: (212) 687-2020 - Fax: (212) 867-7086 - E-mail: iran-AT-un.int

* * *
Statement by the Iranian Human Rights Working Group - IHRWG concerning the
death sentences issued to four student activists, which along with 1400
others, were arrested in connection with the July demonstrations at Tehran
university where students were attacked by members of vigilante groups and
the law enforcement officers.

It is with deep regret to hear that the Islamic Republic's head of The
Revolutionary Courts has announced the issuance of death sentences for four
students arrested in the July unrest in Tehran University. In an interview
with the newspaper 'Jomhuri-ye Eslami' on September 12th, 1999,
Hojatoleslam Gholamhossein Rahbarpour, the head of Tehran Revolutionary
Court, announced the death sentences against the four and stated that two
of the sentences had already been approved by the Supreme Court. He
suggested that more death sentences might be expected for more than 700
students arrested in the July uprising. He neither gave the names of those
sentenced nor the details of charges against them and trial proceedings.

Press reports and interviews with relatives, attorneys and friends of the
arrested students have indicated that no due process of law has been
practiced. They have been kept incommunicado since their arrests, and have
been "tried" in closed courts in the absence of lawyers. Three of those
arrested after the July demonstrations have appeared on state television
"confessing" to their involvement with "counter-revolutionary agents", an
activity punishable by death in Iran. Any conviction or sentence based on
"confessions" under such circumstances would violate Article 11 (1) of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that; "Everyone charged
with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved
guilty according to law in a public trial in which he has had all the
guarantees for his defense." Historically, such confessions are extracted

from detainees by torture, which is widespread in the Islamic Republic and
is generally conducted by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence with
cooperation of the judicial system. According to international laws and the
Islamic Republic's constitution "everyone has the right to be presumed
innocent until proven guilty in a fair trial". The right not to be
compelled to testify against oneself or to confess guilt is fundamental to
this presumption of innocence.

We are calling for the immediate commutation of the death sentences that
have apparently been issued and approved by the Supreme Court, and the
urgent release of the names of the four sentenced and the rest who have
been arrested in relation to the July unrest. We further ask for fair
re-trial of the four who are sentenced as well as the immediate release of
all those held for their peaceful participation in the demonstrations.

It is worth noting that recent events followed debates in the past few
weeks on death penalty in Iran which included accusing abolitionists of
apostasy, a crime that can be punished by death in the Islamic Republic. In
this regard a newspaper has even offered a $33,000 prize for the head of
Dr. Hossein Bagher Zadeh - our chair - for stating the group's views on
capital punishment in 'Neshat' newspaper in Iran. 'Neshat' was later closed
by a judge's order as a result.

Iranian Human Rights Working Group (http://www.ihrwg.org) launched a
campaign against death penalty in Iran in December of 1997 and has
collected hundreds of signatures from Iranian individuals and organizations
since then. The list of supporters of this campaign can be viewed at our
web site at http://www.ihrwg.org/CP.

While Iranian Human Rights Working Group joins all international Human
Rights organizations in categorically condemning death penalty, we express
our outrage over recent treatment of students and intellectuals. We
strongly urge the Iranian government and president Khatami to intervene in
this unjust process and to take steps towards implementing the promised
reforms in order to bring the country's legislation in line with minimum
standards for fair trial laid down in article 14 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a State Party.

Iranian Human Rights Working Group
September 22, 1999

* * *
Letter written by a group of Iranian University professors and researchers

His Excellency Mr. Mohammad Khatami,
The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran:


	On September 12, 1999, Iran's revolutionary court condemned to
death four individuals who participated in the July 1999 student protests
and this has shocked the entire world. The court's rush to judgement comes
on the eve of the opening of the universities, and it is meant to instill
terror. In contrast to the harsh and quick sentence meted to the students,
those government agents who fully one year ago ordered and carried out a
series of political killings have yet to be brought to justice. What is
more, those vigilantes who violently attacked the dormitory at Tehran
University and caused the death of Ezzat Ebrahim-Nezhad, among others, have

been neither arrested nor tried. And this despite Ayatollah Khamenei's
position on the matter and the report of the investigating committee.
Everyone is aware that the revolutionary court's decision was taken behind
closed doors, without the presence of defense attorneys and rules of
evidence, and was politically biased. Where in the civilized world today
are university dormitories attacked, students injured and killed, and
student protestors sentenced to death because they chanted slogans, even if
those slogans are harsh?!

	Mr. Khatami, if these executions are carried out and you allow
yourself to observe this outrage from the sidelines, twenty million
Iranians who voted for you will never forgive you. Nor will the world
remain indifferent to the Islamic Republic's performance.

	Mr. Khatami, those who gave you a vote of confidence will not abide
by the harsh and inhumane action of the revolutionary court. The Iranians
who believed your speeches about confronting pressure and injustice will be
alienated and will completely lose all hope that the system can be reformed.
	Mr. Khatami, if these executions take place, it will be very
difficult for the entire world to distinguish between you and those
elements who seek to continue their despotic and monopolistic rule by
continually creating crisis. In that case, there would be no alternative
for the world but to take some action against the Islamic Republic. Mr.
Khatami, we, a group of Iranians university professors and researchers
abroad, expect you to decisively and openly prevent these horrific crimes.
And if, in spite of your formal objection to the court decision, these
inhumane executions took place, you must invite all of the twenty millions
who voted for you to come to the streets and show their horror and disgust.
This is a very sensitive and decisive moment for your government, for the
future of Iran and Iranians, and for your historical role.

	September 13, 1999.