Human rights situation in IRAN

To the Members of the United Nations Human Rights council:

We are two groups of human rights activists in Iran who are writing this letter to report on the violation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Our ultimate goal is to improve the rights of the citizens of this country.

In the past year, the government of Iran has violently put a stop to human rights protests lead by University students, political activists, labors union, and various women groups.   Specifically, it is the revolutionary courts of Iran who carry out the punishing for anybody who is seemingly against Islamic law. Sadly, it is the activists who are fighting for basic human freedom that are forced to endure the most brutal punishments. There is not much that Iranians can do to stop them because the rules, regulations, and methods of punishment of the revolutionary courts are not released to anybody, even if you are a lawyer. Conjointly, the bylaws are created behind closed doors, without any witnesses present.

In some circumstances, the courts demand lawyers to discontinue with certain client files, and even withdraw from the case altogether. The revolutionary courts even have permission to commit ordinary people without having anyone present to witness the prosecution. The situation of human rights in Iran is getting so out of hand that lawyers are also getting arrested simply for being involved in the case.

The government officials of Iran currently insist on using hanging as a form of capital punishment. One of the main reasons why inhumane methods to carnage citizens exist today is to instill fear into the minds of the people. In the past year alone, there have been hundreds of men and women who have been killed by hanging either in prisons or in public. In some cases, the government officials have special permission to sever prisoner body parts or kill women by stoning.

The government of Iran continues to harass and keep close surveillance on minority groups who practice a faith other than Islam. Since the government does not condone other religious groups, they look for excuses to arrest and prosecute their leaders. In the past year, the ministry of Information has closed down three home-based Christian churches and arrested their leaders.

Moreover, Zoroastrians, Jewish, Christians, and Bahai's are not allowed to discuss or advocate their religion to others. Other communities who continue to get harassed include Muslim groups Alavi, Sunni, and Darvish Gonabadies, and any supporter of Ayatollah Boroujerdi.   

The government officials continue to also harass Iranian minority racial groups such as Azarian, Baluchistani, Arabic, and Kurdish people. The citizens of the preceding groups live in different parts of Iran including Azarbayjan, Baluchestan. Khuzestan and Kurdestan. Due to the citizens' constant strife, many actively protest for human rights of equality and freedom. Unfortunately, most of these voices go unheard, and those who do get heard are imprisoned for being too vocal.

In 2006, two political activists named Akbar Mohammadi and Valiyolah   Feyz-Mahdavi died mysteriously in two of Iran's most notorious prisons. In another similar case, student activist, Behrooz javid-Tehrani was arrested 8 years ago in a student movement demonstration and has been jailed ever since.

 In the past year alone he has been attacked more than three times in Gohardasht Prison where he was extremely abused and assaulted by prison guards and officials.

Citizens of Iran can be incarcerated for simply insisting on their beliefs; such is the case for Saeed Mossouri and Mohammad Ebrahemi who have been jailed for over two years in Evin Prison's solitary confinements in section 209,

 There are many similar cases that are reported regularly not only in Tehran, but in other city jails including Kermanshah, Kurdestan, Oroomiye, and Ahvaz.

Being a prisoner in Iran means that you become virtually stripped of any right that you should already have. For instance, those who are incarcerated do not have access to lawyers or any form of medical care. Most political and human rights prisoners are placed in solitary confinement for long periods of time, and do not have the right to contact their families to inform them of their situation.

Iranian police often interfere with ordinary citizens' personal lives as well. The excuse they give for their intrusion is that they are only after those who disobey proper "Islamic" attire. The police attack both males and females who are not fully abiding by the country's dress code. The most common form of punishment for people includes harassment and jail time. Often times, citizens are forced to get into police cars, and are paraded around town in order to get publicly humiliated.

The above-mentioned circumstances leave the Iranian people with inconceivably no economic or emotional security in their lives. Everyday, they face new limitations in the hands of the Islamic government.

We are requesting the United Nations to acknowledge the Iranian government's violation of human rights in the June 12, 2007 meeting. We all need to come up with practical solutions in order to have better control of the current situation. It is time we put an end to violence and injustice in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Sincerely 

1-      Human Rights Activists in Iran

2-     Kurdish Human Rights defense organization ( R.M.M.K)

Iran: 2007-06-09