Leading Activist Arrested Ahead of Her Trial for Peaceful Civil Activities
May 5, 2015
Narges Mohammadi is Transferred to Evin Prison
Civil rights activist and Deputy Director of the banned Defenders of Human Rights Center, Narges Mohammadi, was arrested at her home in Tehran in the early hours of May 5, 2015, the Kaleme website, which is close to Green Movement leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, reported.
The report also stated that unidentified security agents threatened Ms. Mohammadi with breaking the door to enter her home. Ms. Mohammadi was reportedly transferred to Evin Prison.
The reasons for Ms. Mohammadi’s arrest are not clear. She had appeared before Branch 15 of Tehran Revolutionary Court under Judge Salavati on May 3, following her summons, and was granted an extension so that her lawyers could review her case file prior to trial on new charges for her civil activities, Ms. Mohammadi told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran on May 3.
Narges Mohammadi faces charges of “propaganda against the state,” “assembly and collusion against national security,” and “establishing the anti-security and illegal ‘Step by Step to Stop Death Penalty’ group.” Step by Step to Stop Death Penalty is a campaign established by prominent Iranian civil activists that strives to abolish capital punishment in Iran.
Prior to her arrest, Narges Mohammadi told the Campaign that she had been charged with security charges for her peaceful civil activities.
“Even my presence at a gathering outside the Parliament to protest the acid attacks [against women in Isfahan], is reflected as ‘participation in riots.’ I was extensively interrogated on this subject. I said I participated in a peaceful gathering with hundreds of other citizens, but the interrogator insisted that it was a riot,” said Ms. Mohammadi.
“The reasons for these charges are almost entirely based on my civil activities over the past two years. My interviews with media based outside Iran, my speeches at different ceremonies, my efforts to abolish capital punishment through establishing ‘Step by Step to Stop Death Penalty,’ establishing the ‘Women’s Civil Center,’ continuing my activities with the Defenders of Human Rights Center, and my relationship with [human rights defender and Nobel Peace laureate] Ms. Shirin Ebadi are the most significant reasons cited for my charges,” added Narges Mohammadi.
Regarding her May 3 court appearance, Ms. Mohammadi told the Campaign, “My court proceeding with Judge Salavati, the Prosecutor’s representative, and my two lawyers began at 10 am. My lawyers objected to the fact they had not been allowed to review my case file, and that they did not know what the case is all about and stated, therefore, that they were not able to defend me.”
“One of my lawyers said that he had appeared nine times at Branch 15 to read my case file, and even mentioned the dates he had appeared at the court, but he had not been allowed to read the case file…Judge Salavati said in court that my lawyers can go to the branch on Tuesday, May 5 to read my case, but at the beginning of the court meeting, the Prosecutor’s representative read my three charges with reasons for them,” she added.
http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2015/05/narges-mohammad-arrested-at-home/
Sattar Beheshti Murderer Gets Three Years in Prison
August 9, 2014
Cyber police interrogator Akbar Taghizadeh has been sentenced to three years in prison, two years in exile, and 74 lashes for the murder of dissident blogger Sattar Beheshti, who died under torture while in police detention in November 2012.
Giti Pourfazel, the Beheshti family lawyer, told Iranian Students News Agency that the verdict against Sattar’s killer was not appropriate. “In a country where journalists are sentenced to six years in prison, a three-year prison sentence against a murderer is strange,” she noted.
Sattar Beheshti, 35, a laborer and blogger, was arrested on October 30, 2012, by Iran’s Cyber Police and died under torture by his interrogator on November 3, 2012. His body was buried at Robat Karim Cemetery near where he lived.
Beheshti’s mother, Gohar Eshghi, has objected to the relatively light sentence. “On Wednesday afternoon, August 6, news of the sentence was delivered to us by mail. But we do not accept it. It is dastardly and unfair,” she told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.
“My son’s murderer Akbar Taghizadeh himself asked for my forgiveness during a judicial meeting. He himself said during that meeting, in front of the prosecutor and others, that he beat Sattar mercilessly because Sattar laughed under the blows and made fun of him. He said he beat Sattar so many times that he died,” Eshghi said. “There’s even a report from the official Coroner’s Office in the file that says Sattar died because of internal bleeding and lack of oxygen to the brain. Why did Sattar suffer a hemorrhage? They beat him so much that he hemorrhaged and then didn’t treat him until he died.”
The case may be closed as far as the authorities are concerned, but not for the Beheshti family. “The case is open until it is dealt with fairly. I do not accept this verdict. We and our lawyer did not attend the so-called trial sessions and we left judgment [in this case] to future generations and history,” Sattar’s mother said.
Beheshti’s killer, Akbar Taghizadeh, went on trial in April 2014 at Branch 1075 of Civil Courts on charges of “involuntary manslaughter.” But the family and their lawyer objected to the charge and boycotted the trial, which lasted only a day. The case was then sent to the court of appeal for final judgment. Even though all evidence, such as testimonies by Behesti’s cellmates and the coroner’s report, indicate the interrogator’s beatings and lack of medical care led to Beheshti’s death, the prosecutor brought the charge of manslaughter.
“I got a text message about the court’s final verdict. I haven’t received any official document,” Pourfazel said.
While sifting through case documents in Beheshti’s extensive investigation file, Pourfazel had discovered a report which had previously gone unnoticed. The report indicated that the blogger died from internal bleeding, hemorrhaging in his lungs, liver, kidneys, and brain. Medical specialists who have reviewed the report concluded unequivocally that Beheshti’s death was caused by internal bleeding and brain hemorrhage.
After Beheshti’s death, 41 political prisoners in Evin Prison signed a letter stating that signs of torture were “clearly visible” on his body on November 1st and 2nd while he was held at Evin’s Section 350.
http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2015/05/baktash-abtin-poet/
Eminent Iranian Poet and Filmmaker Repeatedly Interrogated by Intelligence Ministry
May 6, 2015
Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has repeatedly summoned and interrogated the well-known Iranian poet, documentary filmmaker, and member of the Board of Directors of the Iran Writers Association, Baktash Abtin, in recent days, and interrogations over his work and professional associations are likely to continue prior to his case being sent to court.
In a recent interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Abtin stated, “I was interrogated over three consecutive days from April 26 through April 28 for my films, my membership in the Writers Association, and my participation in the street protests of 2009 [the widespread peaceful protests that followed the disputed presidential election in Iran that year]. According to them, there is still one more interrogation session for my poems.”
“They said that the Intelligence Ministry’s poetry expert will have to ask me a series of questions, and that they would inform me by phone whether I should go there Sunday [May 3], or another day. They will then send my case to court,” Abtin told the Campaign.
Abtin stated that he thought his last interrogation was going to take place on May 3rd, but a source close to the case has since told the Campaign that the interrogations have continued beyond May 3.
Baktash Abtin, 43, was elected to the Board of Editors of the Iran Writers Association in 2014, along with four other writers. He has made several documentary films, such as October 13, 1937, a documentary about Iranian Maestro Loris Tjeknavorian, and Ensor, about censorship in Iran, which have been screened at international film festivals. He has also published several poetry books.
Last year, when he served as Secretary of the Iran Writers Association, he was interrogated repeatedly by Intelligence Ministry agents. Asked about the topics of interrogation, Abtin told the Campaign, “The main thrust of my interrogations was about my activities at the Iran Writers Association, and especially the statements we release.”
“Another part of the interrogations,” he continued, “was about my films that are not permitted to screen in Iran, and have been shown in foreign film festivals. They said that I shouldn’t have made these films, and that I have presented a dark portrayal [of the Islamic Republic of] Iran through these films, [but] I believe that the films were full-length mirrors of Iran[ian society].”
“My interrogations also had to do with my presence at the street protests of 2009. Security agents attacked me with a knife at one of those protests and broke my skull. I was immediately transferred to Firouzgar Hospital and I had to stay in bed at home for about a year. I was on the street that day, like other citizens. I had not gone to take pictures or film,” he stated.
Asked whether he learned about his charges during the interrogations, Abtin said, “They told me about ‘propaganda against the state,’ and they also said that my charge is publishing publications without a license. [But] when I asked them what they meant by publishing without a license, they said they meant the statements the Writers Association publishes.”
Describing his treatment by Intelligence agents during the interrogations, Abtin said, “The first day they came to search my home, they treated me in a very friendly and polite manner. This treatment continued into the first day of interrogations. But on the second day, it wasn’t as polite as the other times. I did protest during the interrogations, stating that I do not believe in this manner of conversation, and that if the interrogations continued in this manner, I would not continue, and they can do whatever they want. But at the next session, their treatment was very good, like that first time.”
“These days will pass,” said the artist. “One day, there will be people who know neither me and my colleagues, nor my interrogators. But judging based on what will remain in history, they will discover that throughout times, people like me have done worthwhile cultural work. When I was making a film about specific subjects such as censorship in Iran, I knew it most likely would have some consequences, or I knew that my activities at the Association would have certain consequences, but I preferred to work, as opposed to sitting idle in a corner, or to do things for money in which I don’t belief.”
According to reports by the Iranian Writers Association, security agents also went to the home of another member of the Iran Writers Association, Reza Khandan, on April 29, searched his home and asked him to turn himself in to the Intelligence Ministry on Sunday, May 3 for questioning, which he did.
http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2015/05/baktash-abtin-poet/
Baktash Abtin présente son film “Park Mark” au festival Black Movie from Tzvetelina Tzoneva on Vimeo.