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Human Rights Watch have said that while three students remain imprisoned, the location of the fourth detainee, taken from his hospital bed on 5 April, remains unknown. The arrests appear to be the result of demonstrations planned on university campuses to commemorate Students Day on December 7, 2007. Behrooz Karimizadeh, a member of Students Seeking Freedom and Equality, was arrested on 2 December 2007, closely followed by Peyman Piran two days later as he was leaving Tehran University. The pair are apparently being held in the notorious Evin prison where they have been subjected to long periods of solitary confinement and physical and psychological ill-treatment, Human Rights Watch has said. Ali Kantouri, also an activist with Students Seeking Freedom and Equality, was arrested two weeks later in the town of Ghazvin and refused bail. On March 29, 2008, Ministry of Information agents arrested Majid Pourmajid in the north-western city of Tabriz. He was hospitalized on 2 April and three days later the authorities transferred him from the hospital to an unknown location. Lawyers representing the students have not had access to their clients or their files. Human Rights Watch is concerned that authorities may have detained the students merely for exercising their rights to peacefully gather and express dissent.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The four students are active members of ‘Students Seeking Freedom and Equality,’ a group which clearly states its peaceful intentions to resist various forms of inequality and exploitation. The group has branches and members on university campuses throughout Iran. Since December 2007, Iranian authorities have arrested over 40 students affiliated with the group. All but four have gone free. RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Please send appeals:
1. Calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately investigate allegations that Ministry of Information agents and interrogators tortured the four detained student activists, and to punish officials involved in such abuse;
2. Insisting that all of the students be given access to their lawyers and a legitimate trial in a public court and reminding the authorities that this is a legal requirement in Iran;
3. Urging the authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of the students whilst in detention. APPEALS TO:
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street, Qom,
Islamic Republic of Iran Email: info@leader.ir or istiftaa@wilayah.org
Head of the Judiciary His Excellency
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Please send emails via the Judiciary website – Iranjudiciary.org/feedback_en.html
Minister of Intelligence Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Ministry of Intelligence,
Second Negarestan Street,
Pasdaran Avenue,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Email: iranprobe@iranprobe.com
COPIES TO: President His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency,
Palestine Avenue,
Azerbaijan Intersection,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
Please also send a copy of your appeal to the diplomatic representative for Iran in your country. PLEASE ALSO SEND COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO: Jonathan Travis
Programme Officer, Network for Education and Academic Rights
90 London Road,
SE1 9LN
London, UK
Fax: 0044(0) 207 021 0881
jonathan.travis@nearinternational.org'>jonathan.travis@nearinternational.org URGENT
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London South Bank University
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SE1 9LN, London, UK Email address: jonathan.travis@nearinternational.org'>jonathan.travis@nearinternational.org
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