Mr. Mohammad Reza Pourshajari,

July 21th, 2011

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to draw your attention to the human rights violations against jailed Iranian blogger, Mr. Mohammad Reza
Pourshajari, who faces inhumane prison conditions, torture, and the imminent threat of execution.
Mohammad Reza Pourshajari, known in his blog as Siamak Mehr (his blog may be viewed at:
http://khakeiran.blogspot.com), wrote about the Islamic Republic’s suppression of human rights. In particular, his blog
highlighted the imprisonment and torture of Iranian women and minorities. Mr. Pourshajari’s critique of the Islamic
government in articles such as “Secularism Means Death to Islam” led to his arrest in September of 2010. He has been
labeled an infidel by Islamic authorities, an accusation that warrants no less than a death sentence.
Since his arrest, officials of the Islamic regime have brought Mr. Pourshajari into two closed-session court hearings, denying
him access to lawyers, witnesses, and juries. He has been unofficially warned by court and prison representatives to expect
his execution, and has been kept under solitary confinement in Karaj’s Rajayi Shahr Prison for the past several months.
Furthermore, Mr. Pourshajari has been psychologically tortured by means of mock executions staged by the Islamic court in
order to encourage a confession of regret and infidelity.
Mr. Pourshajari’s conditions have so far driven him to attempt suicide using the sharp rims of his eyeglasses. The authorities
reacted by confiscating his glasses to prevent any future suicide attempts, which has put him in a state of impaired vision. In
addition, Mr. Pourshajari’s diabetes requires regular medical attention, which he has been denied as a prisoner.
Government officials have threatened to arrest Mr. Pourshajari’s daughter. Out of strong concern for her father’s fate, Ms.
Mitra Pourshajari contacted, Iranian-American blogger Reza Irani, asking for any possible assistance in this urgent situation.
I am now calling directly upon your organization to promote and protect human rights on a global scale by taking action in
support of Mr. Pourshajari’s safe release as well as the safety of his family. Please keep in mind that the Islamic regime
needs to be put under tremendous pressure if Mr. Pourshajari’s life is to be spared.
I am requesting your prompt attention to this time-sensitive matter, as this man’s (Mr. Mohammad Reza Pourshajari, a
Photo attached above) life is in immediate danger.
Sincerely,

- Det har blitt vanskeligere

Slik karakteriserte Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, som er født og oppvokst i Iran, situasjonen i hjemlandet. Lørdag innledet han samfundsmøtet "Iran - folket reiser seg".

Venter på far

Publisert av Thor Bjarne Bore 17 juli, 2011
 
Generelt:
Gratulerer, Knut Storberget. Du og din regjering lykkes bedre og bedre i bestrebelsene på å minske avstanden til Fremskrittspartiet i asylpolitikken. Men pass på, det blir farlig, avstanden øker hvis dere gjør alvor av trusselen om å sikre at barns interesser blir ivaretatt i asylprosessen. Hold fast på praksis.
Fremskrittspartiet, ikke ta noe for gitt! Dere har vært uslåelige i verbaldelen i denne disiplinen, men regjeringens praksis kan innhente dere. Ein skigard treng’kje vara evig, veit du.

Gratulerer, regjeringen, med fasthet, rak rygg og kompromissløs evne til i handling å tale menneskerettighetsdomstolen i Strasbourg rett imot. Den må ikke komme her og komme her: “Norge kan ikke la nasjonale interesser gå foran hensynet til hva som er best for et enkelt barn”. Selvfølgelig kan gamle Noreg, nørst i grendom? Sier FN at landene til enhver tid må la barnekonvensionen og hensynet til barns rettigheter styre de innvandringspolitiske prioriteringer? FN mener så mye rart. Menneskerettigheter, det er den politikk som den rødgrønne regjeringen hver tid praktiserer.

Gratulerer, regjeringen, med en verdig markering av Nansenåret, der dere har bestemt at vi Storberget sier: Norge er blitt tryggere mot uheldig påvirkning av hans humanitære verdier og kunnskap om Nansens humanitære virke.

Spesielt:
Gratulerer, avdelingsdirektør Ole Johan Heir i Politiets Utlendingsenhet og politiet i Stavanger. Dere trengte ikke mer enn fire barske politimenn og huset omringet av politi for å ta Kamuran Kaplan kl.04 om natten og få ham tvangsssendt til Tyrkia. Det er slik man skal prioritere, slik man skal bruke overtiden, slik man skal bruk menneskelige ressurser, og det er slik man kan få statuert et eksempel og minne oss om viktigheten av avskrekkende “politistat-metoder” (Kaplans advokat, som var på ferie. Tilfeldig?). Når en asylsøker er så dum at han aldri har forsøkt å skjule seg eller ta til motverge, kan han ikke vente annet.
Heir: “Vi foretar alltid en sikkerhetsvurdering før slike aksjoner”. Sikkert.

Gratulerer, alle som har presset på for at Borgarting lagmannsrett ble satt skikkelig på plass. “5 år gamle Rojins meget alvorlige barneautisme og hennes særlige behov for kontinuerlig oppfølging overskygger alle andre forhold…. oppfølgingsbehovet vil påføre familiemedlemmene en belastning langt utover det normale….mor fungerer marginalt…..far har aktivisert Rojin i det daglige og utgjør en grunnleggende støtte… må han reise ut kan utviklingsforstyrrelsen forverres….. familien blir neppe i stand til å forsørge seg selv. Kaplan må få bli”. Den slags lovforståelse kunne jo ikke bli stående .

Gratulerer UNE. Det er klart dere måtte anke denne dommen. Det skulle ta seg ut om vi beholdt en familiefar som i 10 år hatt fast jobb, fått skattekort, betalt to millioner kroner i skatt, blitt “ skiftleder og nøkkelmedarbeider, har tilegnet seg spesialkompetanse som krever lang opplæring”(arbeidsgiver) , har bodd på forskjellige adresser hos (UDI) i alle år siden og hver måned betalt UDI husleie for bolig.
Det er godt at noen skjærer igjennom slik at ikke stortingsrepresentant Solveig Horne, Frp, kan bli satt på plass når hun sier ”det ser ut til at Kaplan er en slik innvandrer vi ønsker oss. Han har lært seg norsk og han har forsørget familien i mange år”.
Det er som det er sagt fra rødgrønt hold: “Vi må vokte oss vel for de enkle løsningers tyranni”. Der fikk de den, de som mumler frem ureflekterte ønsker om å slippe et regelrytteriets tyranni der sterke humanitære aspekter vrakes av redsel for konsekvensene.

Og en spesiell gratulasjon til høyesterettsdommerne Karl Arne Utgård, Bård Tønder, Kristin Normann, Aage Thor Falkanger og Liv Gjølstad. Slik gutter og og jenter, det vil gamle Norge ha. De syntes UNE måtte få rett når den hadde utvist så stor energi og vilje til å bruke ressurser for å få opphevet vedtaket i Borgarting. Hjerteløst? “De hadde bare et hjerte til sammen, og det var ikke særlig bra det heller” ( Kaplans fagforening).

Gratulerer, politikere. Dere gir lover. Da er er viktig å gi jussen stort spillerom. Da er det viktig at lovene ikke er for presise og ikke får ta opp i seg ulike situasjoner.

Kondolerer, Høyre og Fremskrittspartiet. Hadde dere vært i regjering, kunne dere fått æren for å en minst like kompromissløs asylpolitisk linje, kjennetegnet mer av innvandringspolitiske hensyn enn av forståelse av barns rettigheter og behov. Dere trenger ikke vente mer enn to år før dere får velgernes svar. Kaplans familie må i beste fall stå bare i fem år og vente på far, vente på far, trykke seg mot ruten, vente på far.

PS.
To dommer ved Menneskerettighetsdomstolen (EMD) og Høyesterett tvinger Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI) til å endre praksis i utvisningssaker hvor barn er involvert:
http://www.dagsavisen.no/innenriks/article518247.ece

Om helgens begivenheter i Kaplan-saken:
http://www.aftenbladet.no/lokalt/Kaplan-hentet-av-politiet-i-natt-2837340.html

http://www.aftenbladet.no/lokalt/–Sterk-kontrast-til-Nansen-ret-2837448.html


http://www.aftenbladet.no/lokalt/–Dette-er-politistat-metoder-2837345.html

Mine tidligere kommentarer til Kaplan-saken:
http://bore-aktuelt.blogspot.com/2011/01/konsekvensene.html

http://bore-aktuelt.blogspot.com/2010/12/lovens-bokstav-humanitetens-alfabet.html'


http://bore-aktuelt.blogspot.com/2011/02/praktisk-nestekjrlighet.html

Venstre - Venstre reagerer på utsendelse av Kamuran Kaplan

 

Venstre - Venstre reagerer på utsendelse av Kamuran Kaplan

www.venstre.no

 

Samme dag som Ida Børresen i UDI gikk ut i media og uttalte at UDI ønsker å endre praksis i utvisningssaker der barn er involvert, ble trebarnsfaren Kamuran Kaplan hentet av politiet midt på natten i familiens hjem for å tvangsutsendes til Tyrkia. Venstres nestleder Helge Solum Larsen har fulgt sake

Rogaland Venstre - Familiefaren Kaplan utvist. -Gratulerer, Knut Storberget

 

Rogaland Venstre - Familiefaren Kaplan utvist. -Gratulerer, Knut Storberget

www.venstre.no

 

‎-Gratulerer, Knut Storberget. Du og din regjering lykkes bedre og bedre i bestrebelsene på å minske avstanden til Fremskrittspartiet i asylpolitikken. Venstres Thor Bjarne Bore tar i sin blogg et kraftig oppgjør med det politiske flertallet i Norge etter arrestasjonen av Kamuran Kaplan. -Gratulerer

Uholdbart av Lønseth

Brynjulf Risnes

Uholdbart av Lønseth

Det er Regjeringen som må ta ansvaret for at ­­utlendingsforvaltningen ikke har ivaretatt barns grunnleggende ­­rettigheter. 

I et innlegg i Dagsavisen (11/7) kommenterer statssekretær Pål Lønseth en kronikk i avisen (7/7) hvor lederne for en rekke humanitære organisasjoner kritiserer regjeringens manglende vektlegging av hensynet til barn i norsk utlendingsforvaltning. Utgangspunktet for kritikken var en ny dom fra Den Europeiske Menneskerettighetsdomstolen (EMD) hvor Norge ble dømt for å ha lagt for lite vekt på hensynet til to små barn i en sak om utvisning av barnas mor. I og med at jeg førte denne saken, både for norske domstoler og EMD, føler jeg en viss plikt til å påpeke den ansvarsfraskrivelse fra regjeringens side som synes å ligge i Lønseths svar til kronikkforfatterne.

Lønseth uttaler følgende om dommens forhold til Regjeringens ansvar: «Dommen i Den europeiske menneskerettsdomstol (EMD) [kan ikke] tolkes som noen kritikk av vår politikk. Regjeringen har ansvaret for regelverket i utlendingssaker, mens det er UDI og UNE som har ansvaret for å utøve skjønn i den enkelte sak. Ved vurderingen av konkrete saker, vil det alltid oppstå avveininger og spørsmål som er vanskelige å avgjøre i praksis. Det er ingenting i dommen fra EMD som peker på at det bør gjøres endringer i regelverket.»

Dette er etter min mening en klar ansvarsfraskrivelse, både politisk og rettslig. Jeg skal holde meg til det rettslige. For det første vil EMD i realiteten aldri påpeke hvilke endringer i nasjonale regelverk som vil være nødvendig for å oppfylle de krav Den Europeiske Menneskerettighetskonvensjonen setter. EMD påpeker regelbrudd i enkeltsaker, og det er helt opp til statene selv hvordan de i sine nasjonale systemer sørger for å ha en praksis som oppfyller de krav konvensjonen setter. Om dette skjer gjennom reguleringer i lov, forskrift, rundskriv eller følger av domstolspraksis legger ikke EMD seg opp i, så lenge de avgjørelser som treffes er i tråd med menneskerettighetene. Det framstår derfor som en klar ansvarsfraskrivelse å si at dommen «ikke kan tolkes som en kritikk av vår politikk» fordi den ikke «peker på at det bør gjøres endringer i regelverket».

For det første er det staten som stat som dømmes i EMD; ikke et spesifikt organ. Ansvaret for at våre forvaltningsavgjørelser er i tråd med menneskerettighetene ligger hos regjeringen. For det andre – og viktigere – bør en merke seg at den saken denne dommen dreier seg om er en del av en langvarig og fast praksis hvor et stort antall barn har blitt skilt fra sine foreldre, også for langt mindre alvorlige brudd på lovgivningen enn det som var tilfellet i den nye dommen fra EMD.
Det er utelukket at politiske myndigheter ikke har vært kjent med denne praksisen. Regjeringen har hatt uendelig mange muligheter til å justere kursen tidligere gjennom blant annet lovforslag til Stortinget, forskriftsendringer eller instrukser overfor UDI. Det kan dermed ikke være noen tvil om hvor det reelle politiske og juridiske ansvaret for bruddene på menneskerettighetene ligger.

Dommen fra EMD er oppsiktsvekkende generell i sine vurderinger. Den sier rett ut at man i dette tilfellet har lagt for liten vekt på hensynet til barna i avveiningen mot det uttalte nasjonale ønsket om å utvise utlendinger som bryter loven. Klarere kan det vanskelig sies at staten setter nasjonale hensyn foran barnets beste og at dette er i strid med barnets grunnleggende menneskerettigheter.

Det er selve forståelsen av betydningen og vekten av hensynet til barnets beste det er noe galt med i den praksis som er ført. Som EMD påpeker mangler det ikke på kunnskap om de konsekvenser det kan få for et barn når en nær omsorgsperson plutselig blir borte. På dette området henger vi etter både politisk og juridisk. Dette må det gjøres noe med dersom vi ikke skal risikere å fortsette en praksis i strid med barns anerkjente menneskerettigheter og gå på nye nederlag i EMD i framtida.
Publisert på Dagsavisens debattsider samme dag.

Kaplan overnattet i fengsel i Istanbul

Kurdiske Kamuran Kaplan måtte overnatte i fengsel i Istanbul etter at han ble tvangssendt fra Stavanger natt til lørdag.

AV: atle andersen

  Publisert: 16 juli 2011 (07:27) Oppdatert: 18 juli 2011 (13:46)

 

-Jeg snakket med Kamuran i går, og han erveldig trist og syk, sier Naime Kaplan til Aftenbladet. Kona til den tvangsreturnerte kurderen forteller at mannen overnattet i fengsel i Istanbul natt til søndag, men ble sluppet fri om morgenen. Nå har han kommet seg til den tyrkiske byen Izmir hvor broren bor.
- Han tør ikke dra til moren som bor i en kurdisk by hvor det er farlig for ham å dra. Han kommer nok til å bo hos broren inntil videre, sier Naime, som kun hadde en kort samtale med mannen ettersom han ifølge Naime var for sliten til å fortelle inngående om hva som hadde skjedd.
Kaplan-saken har gått sin gang i rettssystemet og i mediene. Kamuran hadde ikke lov til å arbeide, betale skatt og forsørge sin familie, slik han har gjort siden 2001. Ifølge ham selv har han i denne perioden betalt 2.000.000 i skatter og avgifter til skattevesenet.
– Forfulgt
Kona og barna har fått oppholdstillatelse på humanitært grunnlag, men ikke familiefaren. I november bestemte Høyesterett at Kamuran skulle utvises til Tyrkia, hvor han sier han er forfulgt av myndighetene på grunn av sitt politiske engasjement for den kurdiske befolkningen.
Ifølge Høyesterett har heller ikke Kamuran de neste fem årene lov til å komme til Norge, men kona og barna, som er norske statsborgere, har lov til å besøke faren i Tyrkia.
- Det er veldig trist, sa eldstesønnen Azad da Aftenbladet var hos familien lørdag morgen, noen få timer etter at politiet klokken 04.00 hentet faren.
- Ikke råd til å besøke ham
- Vi ikke råd til å dra til Tyrkia for å besøke ham. Nå må vi forberede oss på ikke å se Kamuran på lang tid, sier Naime.
- Vurderer dere også å flytte til Tyrkia?
- Det vil jeg ikke utsette barna for. Det er fortsatt krig i Tyrkia mellom kurdere og tyrkere, sier Naime, som på sett og vis har vært forberedt på at dette kom til å skje etter dommen i Høyesterett.
- Jeg var likevel ikke forberedt på at det skulle skje på denne dramatiske måten, sier hun.
Familiens advokat Bent Endresen har klaget saken inn for Menneskerettighetsdomstolen (EMD) i Strasbourg – hvor Norge tapte en liknende sak i slutten av juni i år mot en tobarnsmor som kom til Norge fra Den dominikanske republikk. EMD kom fram til at kvinnen skulle få bli i Norge av hensyn til barna. Det er den Europeiske menneskerettighetskonvensjonens (EMK) artikkel 8 som verner om retten til familieliv.
-Nå håper vi at dommen i Strasbourg kan få konsekvenser også for Kamuran, sier kona Naime.

Hvor er biskopene når verden brenner?

Hvor er biskopene når verden brenner?

 

www.nyemeninger.no

 

Biskopenes taushet når Norge driver krig i to land er ubehagelig og uforståelig.

 

For en drøy uke siden ble de papirløse iranerne og etiopierne som avholdt en fredelig demonstrasjon utenfor Oslo Domkirke kastet vekk av politiet. Domkirken hadde argumentert med brannfare, der de ba politiet om å få fjernet demonstrantene. Lederen for Antirasistisk Senter kommenterte politiaksjonen slik: «Når selv kirken setter brannreglement høyere enn medmenneskelighet er det på tide å rope et høyt varsku på vegne av hele vårt samfunns sjel.» Dette dramaet utenfor Oslo Domkirke gir imidlertid et godt utgangspunkt for å stille et annet spørsmål: Hvor er den norske kirken og kirkens biskoper når verden brenner, og Norge deltar i to angrepskriger mot land som aldri har angrepet oss?

Barna blir hørt

Barna blir hørt

 

Pål K. Lønseth

 

www.nyemeninger.no

 

Det feil at regjeringens asylpolitikk setter nasjonale hensyn foran barnets beste.

Amnesty International and the ICJ condemn the increasing number of lawyers

Amnesty International and the ICJ condemn the increasing number of lawyers who face or who have been convicted of vaguely worded charges stemming from their peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and association and their work as lawyers.

These lawyers are:

Mohammad Oliyaeifard
Nasrin Sotoudeh
Mohammad Seyfzadeh
Maedeh Ghaderi
Ghasem Sholeh Saadi
Khalil Bahramian
Houtan Javid Kiyan

Barnets beste, Lønseth?

Barnets beste, Lønseth?

 

www.nyemeninger.no

Det er en hån mot oss som kjemper for at barnas beste skal være førende for norsk politikk når Pål Lønseth hevder at dette er ivaretatt i det rettslige rammeverket.

My Memories of Evin's Ward 350 - "The Heart Breaking Story of Abdolreza Ghanbari, Teacher on Death Row" By Saeid Pourheydar

My Memories of Evin's Ward 350 - "The Heart Breaking Story of Abdolreza Ghanbari, Teacher on Death Row" By Saeid Pourheydar

by Banooye Sabz on Friday, July 15, 2011 at 2:50pm

Abdolreza Ghanbari, an honorable teacher and dear friend was sentenced to
death by Judge Salavati's unjust court. He was my cellmate in room 3 at Evin's
Ward 350, his bed right above mine, making our bond even stronger.

We used to call him "professor". He is a professor of literature
and quite the poet too. They arrested him in front of his students, three days
after the bloody events of Ashura while he was teaching. Though Abdolreza Ghanbari
has one of the most controversial case files of all the prisoners of conscience
arrested after the rigged presidential elections, his case has received little
attention as he continues behind bars awaiting his execution day.

Ghanbari's only crime was receiving one single phone call and unsolicited
emails from the television outlet of one of the opposition groups abroad. The
supposed telephone conversation that took place on Ashura was less than a
minute long and a minute was all it took for Ghanbari to be charged with the
crime of enmity against God (Moharebeh) and sentenced to death at the hands of
the unjust Judge Salavati.

The Professor recounted his encounter with his interrogator as follows:
"The interrogator kept repeating that whether or not you accept the
charges, your name has been drawn and you will be hanged and your hanging will
serve as a lesson for others."

On Ashura the Professor and his daughter were out on a street in Tehran
for only a few minutes when he received the infamous and unsolicited phone call
from "Simaye Azadi" an opposition television station, asking him to
provide them with an update regarding the conditions on the streets.

It took only 23 days after his arrest for Ghanbari to be interrogated,
charged and sentenced to death by hanging. The professor explained that according
to his interrogator the reason for such a rush was to ensure that he would be
executed on the eve of the 22nd of  Bahman demonstrations. For some reason
however, the death sentences for Ghanbari and other prisoners on death row who
were also our room mates, including the late martyrs Jafar Kazemi and Mohammad
Haj Aghai were postponed at the time.

The professor is a man of few words and spends much of his time writing on
his bed. He is from Mazandaran and has a nice voice. I recall how he used to
sing to us on Saturdays with his Mazandarani accent. When ever he climbed or
descended his bunk bed, he would step on my fingers or my shoulder and would
laugh and say it is your own fault for having half you body hanging out of your
bed. We used to stroll for about an hour each day in the prison court yard and
discuss the future of the Green movement.

The sentences for political prisoners were generally announced on Mondays.
As a result the Professor and other prisoners on death row anxiously awaited
every Saturday and Sunday, wondering if their names would be called so that
they would be transferred to solitary confinement and later taken to the
hanging chambers. With the passing of each Saturday he would say: "We made
it alive yet again this week", and with the passing of each day, those
political prisoners on death row once again awaited the never ending, agonizing
Saturdays and Sundays. The endless wait for the execution date to be announced
is almost more difficult that the execution itself, a predicament that no one
can fully understand unless they have experienced it personally.

Ghanbari suffers from kidney disease and back pain. They once called him to
see the forensic doctor. We were all very worried. At the time he commented
that they probably wanted to examine him one last time before his execution.
Every time his name was announced on the loud speaker he would worry and we
would worry for not only him but all our colleagues sentenced to death and in
the same unbearable predicament.

The day I was released from prison, I gave him a long hug. Though I tried
hard not to, I couldn't stop crying. I said "Professor we will see each
again soon in the free world... I am certain of it..." He too was hopeful
and replied: "Just pray that they don't hang me so that we can see each
other again some day, so I can see my family, my students and ...."

Abdolreza Ghanbari wrote the following poem in my dairy from Evin's Ward
350:

The heart beats slowly turn into moans,
Moans that slowly turn into cries,
A rampage that transforms an obscure and hardworking blacksmith,
enduring much injustice to rise much like "Kaveh, the Black Smith"
In the midst of this destructions,
my heart is filled with hope
For when destruction passes a threshold a light begins to reappear.
and as I watch the destruction around me,
I am assured that the roots of this destruction will some day be uprooted

I hope that we meet again in a freedom that is not far away....
Abdolreza Ghanbari
Evin Prison Ward 350

Written by Saeid Pourheydar, Journalist and Former Political Prisoner at Evin’s Ward 350

Read more about Abdolreza Ghanbari’s unjust and inhumane case:

http:// www.enduringamerica.com/home/2011/2/5/iran-feature-the-story-of-abdolreza-ghanbari-father-teacher.html

http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/03/abdolreza-ghanbari-another-ashura-day-protester-receives-the-death-sentence/

Published online 15 July 2011 |

Iranian physics student faces trial for spying

Campaigners says scientist is falsely accused of gathering information on Iran's nuclear programme.

Michele Catanzaro

Omid Kokabee.Omid Kokabee

 

Omid Kokabee, an Iranian physics doctoral student affiliated with institutions in the United States and Spain, will go on trial tomorrow in Teheran facing charges of "communicating with a hostile government" and "illegal earnings".
Kokabee has spent the past six months in jail on suspicion of conspiring against Iran (see 'Missing physicist may have been jailed in Iran'). Meanwhile, friends, colleagues and other scientists have coordinated a growing campaign to protest his innocence. They say that the graduate student in laser physics is not a political activist, and presents no security risk to the country.
Yesterday, the online opposition website Kaleme published an open letter from Kokabee to the head of Iran's judicial system, Ayatollah Sadegh Ardeshir Larijani, in which he claims his innocence. The letter is genuine, according to a friend of Kokabee's who asked to remain anonymous for fear of being targeted by the government. "Neither me nor my family are or have ever been political activists," the letter says.
This week, the Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS) based in New York, an independent organization committed to human rights, has sent a letter to Iran's Grand Ayatollah Ali Hoseyni Khamene'i, asking him to "correct a grave mistake made by the government officials in jailing Omid Kokabee".
Kokabee, an Iranian Turkmen, moved from Iran to the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Barcelona, Spain, in 2007, to conduct his graduate studies. He moved to the University of Texas in Austin in August 2010 to study for a PhD in experimental physics, specializing in the design of tunable lasers.
In February, Kokabee was arrested by the Iranian security services while trying to leave Iran after visiting his family. He was taken to Evin prison in Teheran, where he spent more than 30 days in solitary confinement and was interrogated. In the letter posted by Kaleme, Kokabee claims that he was forced to sign a confession. More recently he has been moved to a different part of Evin where he is allowed to read and interact with other prisoners.

On trial

In the trial, which sources in Tehran believe will start on 16 July, Kokabee expects to be accused of being paid by a US intelligence service to leak information about Iran's nuclear programme.
"Omid received the standard, typical funding that many graduate students receive", says Lluís Torner, director of ICFO. John Keto, graduate adviser for physics at the University of Texas, adds that "his trip to Iran was not paid directly from University of Texas funds, but likely from personal savings from his stipend".
Another Iranian source familiar with the case says that Kokabee's lawyer, Saeed Khalili, has not been allowed to meet his client. "Please provide me with the opportunity to defend myself in a fair and just manner," Kokabee writes in his letter.

"People who know Omid believe that he is a person dedicated to his studies who does not fit these allegations," says Eugene Chudnovsky, a physicist at the City University of New York who helped to coordinate CCS's letter.

The letter argues that "as scientists, we can assure you that his research and studies had nothing to do with nuclear energy".
"Imprisonment of Omid Kokabee and his upcoming trial have planted fear in the hearts of thousands of Iranian students that are currently studying abroad", says the letter. "Iranian graduate students here are now quite afraid of going back to Iran," agrees Keto.

13 July 2011 - 22h13

Famous actress missing in Iran

                                   

Pegah Ahangarani, a famous Iranian actress banned from travelling abroad and threatened by the Iranian secret services and the Regime. She disappeared a few days ago and Iranian authorities have been keeping a veil of silence about this fact.
Pegah Ahangarani is supposed to have been blogging for Deutsche Welle these days.
Pegah Ahangarani, was scheduled to arrive from fourth to the twelfth of July in Germany and covering the World Cup for Deutsche Welle's blog. According to those close to Pegah, a day before flying to Germany she was called by the secret service. According to acquaintances and relatives, the officers threatened her and told her that she is banned from travelling and she was not permitted to leave Iran and to enter Germany.
The young actor was feared and she spent a few days with her relatives, according to reliable news, but since she returned home, there is no news from her. Pegah’s relatives trying to find a trace of her, but without any success. Evidently the government agencies are not willing to publish any information.
Dehnamakis
Pegah Ahangarani makes also documentary films. Her latest work was "Dehnamkiha" that depicts Massoud Dehnamaki’s life, a conservative activist and one of the founders of Ansar-e Hezbollah who also granted the opportunity to make movies. she described the background of Masoud Dehnamakii and how he had Ahmadinejad’s support despite he himself denied and claimed that nobody supported him. This Film includes some interview with different personalities. Her trying to stay neutral can be another feature of the film.
This film, broadcasted by BBC Persian few weeks ago and accordingly to people knowing Pegah, the film irritated Iranian authorities. Pegah told some friends that this could have been the reason for her summoning at the Ministry of Information.
According to reports, Deutsche Welle Persian, Germany's Persian broadcaster final attempted to contact Pegah’s mother Manijeh Hekmat, a famous film director for an interview was futile.



There are still until today no news about filmmaker Mahnaz Mohammadi arrested more than two weeks ago. The same for Maryam Majid, arrested on Tehran airport, while waiting for her flight to Germany, to the FIFA women soccer championship, where she wanted to write and take pictures about. She, in the last days, is suffering from severe physical problems.

By Soheil Parhizi
Persian Source: Deutsche Welle Persian

Iranian photographer and women’s soccer rights activist disappears in Tehran

By JAMES M. DORSEY
AL ARABIYA

Thursday, 23 June 2011

An Iranian photographer and activist for women’s soccer rights has disappeared as the Islamic republic battles world soccer body FIFA for its own interpretation of the rights of women in the beautiful game.

Maryam Majd, 25, is believed to have been detained by Iranian security officials as she was boarding a flight from Tehran to Düsseldorf to cover world soccer body FIFA’s Women’s World Cup.

Petra Landers, a former German national soccer player had invited Ms. Majid to visit Germany to collaborate in writing a book on women’s sport. Mr. Landers told The Guardian he had not heard from Ms. Majid since Friday when she was scheduled to arrive in Düsseldorf.

“I waited for hours in the airport but eventually found that she was not on the plane at the first place,” Mr. Landers said. “The last time I talked to her she was in the airport in Tehran waiting to board the plane and I have not been able to contact her nor her family since then.”

A sports photographer who focused on female athletes, Ms. Majid often ran afoul of authorities in Iran, whose state media boycotted her work.

Iranian exiles believe Ms. Majid is being held in Iran without explanation or disclosure of where she is being detained.

“We are almost sure that she has been arrested but the question is why authorities in Iran refuse to give any information about her after five days since her disappearance,” said London-based Iranian women activist Shadi Sadr.

Ms. Majid is a campaigner for the right of women to attend soccer matches in stadiums. Iran extended the ban on women in stadiums earlier this year by also barring women from watching matches on screens in public places.

Iranian spiritual leader stymied attempts by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to lift the ban in 2006 after women dressed up as men and smuggled their way into stadiums.

“Maryam is one of the very few women sports photographers in Iran and because she is a woman, she has exclusive access to women’s sports and had been able to attract lots of attention towards sportswomen in the country,” Ms. Sadr said.

The detention of Ms. Majid casts a shadow over Iran’s battle with FIFA over the right of women players to wear Islamic headdress during matches.

The captain of Iran’s women’s team defended this week the right of players to wear the hijab, an Islamic headdress that covers the hair, neck and ears. Her team was disqualified earlier this month for qualifiers for the 2012 Olympics in London because it appeared wearing hijabs for a match against Jordan. Three Jordanian players were also banned for the same reason. Iran was disqualified after FIFA cancelled the match and awarded it to Jordan because of the wearing of the hijab.

The wearing of the hijab violated an agreement concluded in 2007 between Iran and FIFA under which religious women players were allowed to wear a specially designed cap that covered the hair only. FIFA insists the agreement was a concession on its banning of all expressions of religious or political beliefs on the soccer pitch. Iran has warned that the ban will effect not only Iranian female players but women players across the Muslim world.

The captain of the Iranian women’s football team, Niloofar Ardalan, defended the wearing of the hijab in an interview with The Tehran Times.

“We are proud of our hijab. The Iranian women players will never agree to play without Islamic dress code. For the Olympic qualifier against Jordan, we took part in the six-month training camp, but we were prevented from the match,” Ms. Ardalan said.

“This is not the first time that Iranian women’s football team has been in trouble. Last year, just two hours before our flight to Berlin, we were informed that we were not allowed to play against the German team, while we were fully prepared for the warm-up match,” she said.

“Iran has so many talented players and it’s a great pity we cannot play in the international competitions. To play with hijab is hard, but we used to play with this situation. FIFA should allow the Muslim women to play, since they have the right to show their potential like the other women,” Ms. Ardalan added.

Her words were echoed by midfielder Fereshteh Karimi.

“To play in the World Cup is my greatest dream, but FIFA officials broke our hearts after they didn’t let us play with hijab. Hopefully, they will allow us to play with Islamic dress, just as we took part in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore,” Ms. Karimi said.

(James M. Dorsey, formerly of The Wall Street Journal, is a senior researcher at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and the author of the blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer. He can be reached via email at: questfze@gmail.com)

Iran arrests 2 women’s activists; political prisoners end hunger strike

 

Iran arrests 2 women’s activists; political prisoners end hunger strike

By Thomas Erdbrink, Published: June 27

TEHRAN — Two Iranian women’s activists were arrested in Tehran, as a group of 18 political prisoners ended a nine-day hunger strike, an opposition Web site reported Monday.
Documentary filmmaker Mahnaz Mohammadi, 34, was arrested in her house Sunday by intelligence agents, friends confirmed. Mohammadi, a women’s rights activist, was previously arrested in 2009 for protesting the deaths of opposition demonstrators. Maryam Majd, 25, a photojournalist and women’s rights campaigner, was arrested Friday and is being held in Tehran’s Evin prison, according to the Kaleme Web site.

Political prisoners started a series of hunger strikes this month following the death of women’s rights activist Haleh Sahabi, opposition media have reported. According to opposition sources, Sahabi, 54, was beaten by security forces who broke up a June 1 funeral procession for her father, a renowned dissident. Authorities said she suffered a heart attack during the melee.
Sahabi’s death prompted journalist Hoda Saber and another imprisoned activist to start a hunger strike, according to the opposition. Days later, Saber, 52, died in prison under mysterious circumstances. Other prisoners have told opposition media that Saber was beaten by prison guards, while authorities said that he, too, died of a heart attack.
The second death prompted 18 activists in two prisons to join in a second hunger strike June 18, demanding investigations into the deaths. The action seems to be well-coordinated, with opposition activists in exile orchestrating an international campaign in support of the prisoners. Several of the inmates, among them former deputy foreign minister Mohsen Aminzadeh and journalist Isa Saharkhiz , have been transferred to infirmaries, opposition Web sites said.
The strike ended Sunday, the Kaleme site reported, saying a statement by the prisoners would follow. Ali Shakori-rad, a politician belonging to the group, said the prisoners started eating after prominent activists asked them to stop their strike.
The fresh arrests and the end of the hunger strike come as several Iranian leaders are reaching out to arrested politicians, journalists and activists, asking them to urge their supporters to participate in parliamentary elections set for March 2012.
Following widespread purges of reform advocates, many of whom had disputed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s June 2009 reelection, Iranian leaders hope that some of them will become candidates in the coming elections.
In another development Monday, the Associated Press reported that as Iran began 10 days of war games, the country unveiled underground silos that can carry missiles able to hit Israel and U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf.
The AP reported that state television showed deep underground silos with missiles that it said were ready to defend the country in an attack.
On Saturday, a spokesman for the Guardian Council, which vets all candidates for general elections, said members of the disbanded Islamic Iran Participation Front and the Islamic Revolution mujaheddin party could participate without problems if they “acted lawfully.” Both parties call for widespread reforms, more personal freedoms and better relations with the international community.
Several Iranian politicians say they fear a disappointing turnout for the parliamentary elections if opposition representatives do not participate.
But the influential brother of former president Mohammad Khatami, one of the political leaders of Iran’s reformist movement, reiterated Friday that the group would participate only under certain conditions.
“The official recognition of parties, an independent press and the freeing of political prisoners are our main demands,” Mohammad Reza Khatami told the semiofficial Iranian Labor News Agency. “Anyone who wants lively elections must bring about these conditions,” he said.

Jafar Panahi

Jafar Panahi

An Iranian filmmaker who is one of the most influential filmmakers in the Iranian New nave movement. He has gained recognition from film theorists and critics worldwide and received numerous awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

On 20 December 2010, Jafar Panahi was handed a six-year jail sentence and a 20-year ban on making or directing any movies, writing screenplays, giving any form of interview with Iranian or foreign media as well as leaving the country.

On 30 July 2009, Panahi was arrested at a cemetery in Tehran where mourners had gathered near the grave of Neda Agha-Soltan. He was later released, but his passport was revoked and he was banned from leaving the country. On February 2010 his request to travel to the 60th Berlin Film Festival to participate in the panel discussion on "Iranian Cinema: Present and Future, expectations inside and outside of Iran" was denied.

On 1 March 2010, Panahi was arrested again. He was taken from his home along with his wife Tahereh Saidi, daughter Solmaz Panahi and 15 of his friends by plainclothes officers to Evin Prison. Most were released 48 hours later, Mohammad Rasoulof and Mehdi Pourmoussa on 17 March 2010, but Panahi remains in ward 209 inside Evin Prison. Panahi's arrest was confirmed by the government, but charges were not specified.

On May 18, 2010, Panahi sent a message to Abbas Baktiari, director of the Pouya Cultural Center, an Iranian-French cultural organization in Paris. Panahi wrote that he has been mistreated in prison and his family threatened, and as a result has begun a hunger strike.

On 25 May 2010, Panahi was released on $200,000 bail.

On 12 November 2010, Panahi was back in court for his hearing. In a lengthy statement he defended himself and told the court that "I am Iranian and I will remain in Iran."

On 20 December 2010 Panahi, after being prosecuted for “assembly and colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country’s national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” was handed a six-year jail sentence and a 20-year ban on making or directing any movies, writing screenplays, giving any form of interview with Iranian or foreign media as well as leaving the country.

 Norway concerned about arrests in Iran

Last updated: 29/06/2011 //

“Norway is very concerned about the arrests of documentary filmmaker Mahnaz Mohammadi and photographer Maryam Majd,” said State Secretary Erik Lahnstein.

Mahnaz Mohammadi was arrested in Teheran last Sunday, whereas Maryam Majd was arrested at the airport in Teheran last week when she was leaving for Germany to take pictures at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Ms Mohammadi and Ms Majd are not only internationally recognised artists, but are also prominent women’s rights activists in Iran.
“We urge the Iranian authorities to release Ms Mohammadi and Ms Majd immediately, and to respect the right to freedom of expression in accordance with Iran’s international obligations,” said State Secretary Erik Lahnstein.
The arrests of the two women are the two most recent examples of the increasing pressure that is being put on Iranian journalists and filmmakers. The internationally recognised film directors Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof are also being prosecuted due to their artistic work.