December 11, 2007
Tehran, -- Four Kurdish students, who called for human rights for their ethnic group at a university protest, have been arrested in Iran.
Mohammad Saleh Abuman, Farshad Doostipour, Javad Alizadeh and Sohrab Karimi,www.ekurd.net spoke in support of human rights for ethnic Kurds during a protest that drew 1500 young people at the University of Tehran on Sunday.
They also called for the immediate release of four jailed Kurdish journalists, three students and one female Kurd, and the suspension of the death penalty imposed on Adnan Hassanpour.
Hassanpour, a journalist from the weekly newspaper Asu (The Wave) was sentenced to death on 17 July by an Islamic court for being an "enemy of Allah".
Hassanpour and another Kurdish journalist,www.ekurd.net Hiwa Boutimar, received the City of Siena -Isf award for freedom of the press on 30 November.
adnkronos com
Friday, December 28, 2007
Kurdish students arrested after Tehran protest, Mohammad Saleh Abuman, Farshad Doostipour, Javad Alizadeh and Sohrab Karimi
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Journalist freed on bail, but 11 others still held
Yaghoub Salaki Nia, a journalist who had spent 50 days in Tehran’s Evin prison without being charged, was freed on 19 December after payment of 80 million toumen (80,000 euros) in bail. Eleven other journalists are still detained in Iran, the Middle East’s biggest prison for the press.
“We cannot welcome Nia’s release without at the same time thinking of the other journalists still held in appalling conditions, often in solitary confinement,” Reporters Without Borders said. “They include Adnan Hassanpour, who has been awaiting execution for the past several months. There has never been any letup in the Islamic Republic’s repression of journalists in these past few years. An international campaign is more necessary than ever.”
A contributor to several publications including Shamesse Tabriz, Ahrar and Omid Zanjan, Nia had been arrested on 30 October.
Adl Mazri, the editor of the newspaper Sobh e Zahedan, was released on 12 December, four days after being summoned by a revolutionary tribunal in the southeastern city of Zahedan and arrested on charges of publishing false information and “disturbing public opinion” as a result of a complaint by the prefect of Sistan and Baluchestan province. He is now awaiting trial.
Ashtai, a weekly published in Kurdish and Farsi that was suspended on 5 August, was closed for good on 3 December by a court in the city of Sanandaj, the capital of the northwestern province of Kurdistan. Arzesh, a conservative quarterly, was at the same time closed by a court in Tehran and its editor, Ali Nazari was fined 1,200 euros.
A European parliamentary delegation called for Hassanpour’s release during a visit to Tehran from 9 to 11 December. Hassanpour’s death sentence was upheld by the Tehran supreme court on 22 October.
Plight of imprisoned journalists
The authorities have still not revealed where they are holding Omid Ahamadzadeh, a contributor to Aso and Didgah, two newspapers that have been suspended since 2005. The reasons for his arrest by intelligence officers in Sanandaj on 28 November are also still unknown. The official news agency ILNA did however report that Abolfazl Abedini Nasr of the daily Bahar Khozestan has been charged with “complicity with a terrorist entity.” Arrested on 13 November in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, he is reportedly suspected of links with someone responsible for a bombing.
A hearing in the appeal of journalist and human rights activist Emadoldin Baghi was held on 15 November in his absence. The former editor of Jomhouriat (a daily suspended in 2004), Baghi is appealing against the three-year sentence he got from a Tehran revolutionary court for “activity against national security” and “publicity in favour of government opponents.” He has been in solitary confinement in Evin prison since his arrest on 14 October.
The many requests for the release of reporter Ejlal Ghavami of the weekly Payam-e Mardom-e Kurdestan on health grounds have been ignored. Ghavami, who needs an operation for an acute eye infection that is discharging pus, is serving a three-year sentence in Evin prison for “inciting people to revolt” and “activity against national security.” The editor of Payam-e Mardom-e Kurdestan, Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand, has not been able to take advantage of a conditional release order because his family cannot raise the amount of bail demanded, which is 150 million toumen (145,000 euros).
Said Matinpour of the weekly Yarpagh has meanwhile been allowed to receive a visit from his family for the first time since his arrest on 28 May.
Sign the petition for Adnan Hassanpour’s release
Saturday, December 15, 2007
July 17th: Hadi & Layli receive Journalist Awards for Adnan & Hiwa
We are in Italy.
We collected Hiwa and Adnan's Freedom of the Press awards from ISF * on 30.11.2007 in Siena City, Toscani county. On the same day we 
went to Toscani local parliament in Florence and gave a speech there.
Tomorrow Layli Hasanpur and I are going to Italy's parliament in Rome at 11am.
http://www.isfreedom.org/dossierAdnaneHiwa.htm
Sunday, November 18, 2007
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA
PRESS RELEASE
November 14, 2007
(Washington, DC)--Amnesty International USA's Iran country specialist Elise Auerbach released the following statement in response to a recent confirmation of Iranian Kurdish journalist Adnan Hassanpour's death sentence in the midst of a widespread and harsh crackdown on Iranians engaging in dissent or criticism of the government:
"It appears that Iranian authorities are using the courts to silence Hassanpour for his legitimate journalistic activities and advocacy on behalf of Iranian Kurdish cultural rights," said Auerbach. "The charge on which Hassanpour was convicted and sentenced to death--moharebeh ba Khoda or 'enmity against God'--is vague, and was prosecuted through judicial proceedings not on par with international standards for fair trials."
"Amnesty International urges Iranian authorities to commute Hassanpour's death sentence and make public all details of the charges and evidence against him."
Background:
Hassanpour was reportedly accused of espionage for allegedly revealing the location of military sites and establishing contacts with the United States government through statements made to Voice of America and Radio Farda and articles he published in the weekly journal Aso which the Iranian authorities closed down in August 2005. The Mehr News Agency, which is closely linked to the Iranian government, also alleged that Hassanpour had been in contact with Kurdish opposition groups.
Contact: Laura Spann at (202)-544-0200x232
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Iran: Adnan Hassanpour death sentence upheld - English Pen
Published: November 14, 2007
English PEN is deeply alarmed by reports that the death sentence handed down to Iranian Kurdish journalist, writer and human rights activist Adnan Hassanpour has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Hassanpour was convicted of being a mohareb ('enemy of God') and 'acting against national security' for expressing his views on Kurdish issues and he was sentenced to death on 16 July 2007. According to information received by PEN, his sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court on 22 October 2007 although his lawyers were not notified until 5 November 2007.
Saleh Nikbakht, one of his lawyers, told Reporters Without Borders that Hassanpour had been found guilty of 'espionage' because he had allegedly 'revealed the location of military sites and established contacts with the US foreign affairs ministry'. Nikbakht added that: 'This sentence is not only contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international conventions ratified by Iran, but it also contrary to Islamic law and the laws of the Islamic Republic.' According to Reporters Without Borders, Iran has executed more than 300 people since the start of the year. Hassanpour now plans to appeal the sentence, a process which is expected to take considerable time.
English PEN considers Hassanpour to be detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to free expression, and calls for his immediate and unconditional release in accordance with Article 19 of the United Nations International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a signatory.
Hassanpour's cousin, environmentalist Abdolwahed (known as Hiwa) Butimar who worked with Hassanpour for the Kurdish-Persian weekly journal Aso (Horizon), had also been sentenced to death on the same charges. The court quashed his conviction on the grounds of procedural irregularity and his case was sent back to a revolutionary court for re-examination.
English PEN is deeply concerned about an apparent pattern of repression against journalists and human rights activists in Iranian Kurdistan, which has been ongoing since unrest broke out in the Kurdish areas of Iran in July 2005. Several other Iranian-Kurdish journalists are currently detained, including Kaveh Javanmard, Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand and Ejlal Qavami. In the same week that Hassanpour's sentence was upheld, freelancer Yaghoub Salaki Nia was detained without charge at Evin prison in Tehran.
For further information on Adnan Hassanpour's case please click here
To sign the Reporters Without Borders online petition for Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolwahed Butimar please click here
Please send appeals:
• Protesting the death sentence handed down to journalist Adnan Hassanpour, and calling for his release.
• Expressing concerns at reports that he has been ill treated in detention, and seeking reassurances from the Iranian authorities that Adnan Hassanpour's wellbeing is guaranteed.
• Expressing concern about an apparent crackdown on Iranian-Kurdish journalists and writers, and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all Iranian-Kurdish journalists and writers detained solely for the peaceful expression of their views.
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
Salutation: Your Excellency
His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: via Judiciary website: Iranjudiciary.org/feedback_en.html
Salutation: Your Excellency
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Ministry of Intelligence,
Second Negarestan Street,
Pasdaran Avenue,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Email: iranprobe@iranprobe.com
Salutation: Dear Minister
You may also send copies to:
His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency,
Palestine Avenue,
Azerbaijan Intersection,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: Via Foreign Ministry: 98 21 6 674 790
(mark: "Please forward to H.E. President Ahmadinejad")
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
via website: www.president.ir/email
It may be most effective to forward all the above appeals care of the Iranian representative in London:
His Excellency Mr Rasoul Movahedian
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
16 Prince's Gate
London SW7 1PT
Fax: 0207 589 4440
decision upholding death sentence for Kurdish journalist should be “taken seriously”
Reporters Without Borders today condemned the supreme court’s decision to uphold the death sentence for Kurdish-Iranian journalist Adnan Hassanpour for “spying.” The ruling was issued on 22 October but was not revealed until this week.
The court quashed the conviction of another journalist convicted in the same case, Abdolvahed “Hiva” Botimar, on the grounds of procedural irregularity. Botimar had also been under sentence of death.
“We have been waiting for than six months for the supreme court to decide whether to reopen the case against Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi’s alleged murderers, but it took the court only a few weeks to uphold Hassanpour’s death sentence, so the judicial system clearly continues to have a pro-government bias,” Reporters Without Borders said.
“We appeal to the international community to take every possible action to get this journalist released,” the press freedom organisation added. “This sentence should be taken very seriously as Iran has already executed more than 300 people since the start of the year.”
Saleh Nikbakht, one of the lawyers representing the two journalists, was notified on 5 November of the court’s decision although he was not given the details of the ruling. He said Hassanpour had been found guilty of “espionage” because he had allegedly “revealed the location of military sites and established contacts with the US foreign affairs ministry.”
He added that the court overturned Botimar’s conviction on the grounds of a “procedural irregularity,” and sent his case back to the same revolutionary court in Marivan (in the Kurdish northwest of Iran) that convicted him and Hassanpour on 16 July on charges of spying, “subversive activity against national security” and “separatist propaganda.”
Nikbakht told Reporters Without Borders: “This sentence is not only contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international conventions ratified by Iran, but it also contrary to Islamic law and the laws of the Islamic Republic.”
Hassanpour, 27, and Botimar, 29, used to work for the weekly Asou, covering the sensitive Kurdish issue, until the newspaper was banned by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in August 2005. Hassanpour also worked for foreign news media including Voice of America and Radio Farda.
An ardent advocate of Kurdish cultural rights, Hassanpour was arrested outside his home on 25 January and was taken to Mahabad, where he was not allowed to receive visits from his family or his lawyer. Botimar, an active member of the environmental NGO Sabzchia, was arrested on 25 December. For the past several months, Hassanpour and Botimar have been held in Sanandaj prison, where their lawyers have not been allowed to meet with them in private in order to inform them of the supreme court’s decision.
Sign the petition on behalf of Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolvahed “Hiva” Botimar
President Ahmadinejad Delivers Remarks to the National Press Club - washingtonpost.com
MODERATOR: Two of the journalists that have been arrested in Iran have been sentenced to death simply for doing their jobs
President Ahmadinejad: This news is fundamentally wrong
I think the people who give this information should seek what is the truth and, sort of, disseminate what's correct.
AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): So I invite everyone present in this meeting to come and visit Iran for themselves, to come freely and visit the country all over, to speak with the people there. Then their point of view will change.
MODERATOR: Two of the journalists that have been arrested in Iran have been sentenced to death simply for doing their jobs.
Mr. President, can you give us your word that you will do everything in your power to keep this sentence from being carried out?
AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): This news is fundamentally wrong. This is incorrect. This is not correct at all about Iran, what's happening. What journalist has been sentenced to death?
I'm sorry that some press here disseminates what's untrue. Why should we insist on propagating what's untrue? This moves away from the...
MODERATOR: This report comes from Reporters Without Borders.
AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Well, this is incorrect.
Who are these people? Can you let me know who they are, so that at least I can be aware of who they are, too?
MODERATOR: I will certainly do that.
Moving on, Iranian women are...
AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I would be certainly grateful. That would be very helpful to me.
MODERATOR: OK, I have just been handed a report from Reporters Without Borders, and it names the names Adnan Hassanpour and -- forgive me, this is a little difficult -- Abdolvahed "Hiva" Botimar.
AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Where were they involved in as a journalist and where were they arrested? I don't know people by that name.
(LAUGHTER)
I think that what you received was incorrect information.
You have to, sort of, rectify the information channel. You have -- on a daily basis, over 30 newspapers currently are filled with pages and pages of, basically, criticizing the president and the administration in Iran and even sometimes insulting our policies and what we do.
AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): All the journalists and newspapers also receive the loans from the government -- actually, not loans, but grants from the government.
Iranian Journalist's Death Sentence Upheld
Iran's supreme court has upheld the death sentence for 27-year-old Kurdish journalist Adnan Hassanpour -- convicted of "spying" for allegedly having U.S. State Department contacts (that's also called "reporting"). Like his original death sentence, which he had to read about in a newspaper rather than being told, the ruling upholding the death sentence was issued Oct. 22, but Hassanpour's lawyer found out Nov. 5 (sans details).This is the same journalist that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, addressing the National Press Club in September, denied existed:
- "This news is fundamentally wrong. This is incorrect. This is not correct at all about Iran, what's happening. What journalist has been sentenced to death? I'm sorry that some press here disseminates what's untrue. Why should we insist on propagating what's untrue?"
Hassanpour, who served on the editorial board of the weekly newspaper Aso, staged a hunger strike in protest after his death sentence was originally handed down.
Iran court upholds death sentence on dissident | International | Reuters
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence on a Kurdish dissident journalist convicted of charges including spying, his lawyer said on Friday.
A Revolutionary Court in the western Kurdish city of Marivan sentenced Adnan Hassanpour to death in July.
A colleague, Abdolvahed 'Hiva' Botimar, was sentenced to death at the same time but the Supreme Court referred his case to another court.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a Paris-based media watchdog, has called the death sentences against Hassanpour and Botimar "outrageous and shameful".
"The court has upheld Hassanpour's sentence but has referred Botimar's sentence to a lower court for further reinvestigation," lawyer Saleh Nikbakht told Reuters.
Under Iranian law, all execution orders must be upheld by Iran's Supreme Court.
The judiciary said in July the pair were sentenced to death for mounting "armed struggle against the system", which is among crimes that are considered "Moharebeh", an Islamic term meaning "enmity with God" -- a capital crime.
"Hassanpour's charges are various, including giving classified military information to incompetent figures, having contact with foreigners and espionage," Nikbakht said.
The lawyer said the sentence was "unfair" and he would appeal on behalf of his client.
The two Kurdish journalists wrote for a Kurdish magazine called Aso (Horizons) before it was banned in August 2005, but Iran's judiciary has said their charges were not related to their profession.
RSF said the death sentences "show how little Iran is bothered by international humanitarian law. They also show how determined it is to use every possible means to silence the most outspoken journalists and human rights activists".
Iran's rights record is criticized by the West and rights groups often report that Tehran imprisons political dissidents without due legal process.
Rights groups and Western diplomats say Iranian authorities have increased pressure on dissidents, intellectuals and critical journalists, adding this may in part be a response to mounting international pressure over its atomic program.
The West accuses Iran of covertly trying to build nuclear arms. Iran denies the charge, saying it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity.
(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Charles DickThursday, September 27, 2007
Ahmadinejad: "misinformation" about Adnasn and Hiva , he said: "The news is fundamentally wrong"
When asked if he would intervene in the cases of two Iranian journalists who have been sentenced to death, according to Reporters Without Borders, Ahmadinejad pleaded ignorance and accused the group of misinformation. “The news is fundamentally wrong. This is incorrect. This is not correct at all about Iran, what’s happening,” he said. When given the names of the journalists, Abdolvahed “Hiva” Botimar and Adnan Hassanpour, he didn’t budge. “I don’t know people by that name,” he said.
Ahmadinejad was asked about sentence of death, Adnan Hassanpour & Hiva Botimar-This is incorrect- USATODAY.com
Ahmadinejad was asked about two journalists who have been sentenced to death in Iran. "This is incorrect," he says.
Is it? Reporters Without Borders says a revolutionary tribunal sentenced Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolvahed “Hiva” Botimar to death "for spying, 'subversive activities against national security' and 'separatist propaganda.'” Read the group's report here.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
July 17th: Hunger Strike
Hunger Strike
Martin Hadi and family and some friends were showing solidarity with his brother Hiwa and Adnan as they staged a public hunger strike this week in London.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Reporters sans frontières - Iran
Reporters sans frontières - Iran: Reporters Without Borders is worried about the state of health of journalists Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolvahed “Hiva” Botimar, who are under sentence of death and who began their 42nd day on hunger strike today. Their lawyer, Saleh Nikhbakht, who met them on 20 August, said they are “very weak” and “will not hold out much longer.” They are consuming nothing but of water with a little sugar dissolved in it. “We hold the chief of the judicial system, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, personally responsible for the state of health of these two journalists, which is the result of the appalling conditions in which they are being held,” the press freedom organisation said. “They are in solitary confinement and their most basic rights are being flouted.” Hassanpour and Botimar, who write for the magazine Asou, went on hunger strike to protest against the conditions in Sanandaj prison, in Iran’s Kurdish northwest, where they have been held for more than six months. They have been allowed to see their families only once, on 8 August. They are demanding an end to their solitary confinement, their transfer to another prison and the ability to see their relatives and lawyers freely. They are also asking to see a justice department official. In his latest statement, published by the FARS news agency, Nikhbakht said the Sanandaj prosecutor refused to transfer them to the prison in Marivan, where their families live, unless ordered to do so by Ayatollah Shahroudi. A revolutionary tribunal in Marivan sentenced them to death on 16 July for spying, “subversive activities against national security” and “separatist propaganda.” Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders is still without news of Ako Kurdnasab, a journalist with the weekly Karfto, who has been held in Sanandaj prison since 21 July, and Soheil Assefi, a freelance journalist who contributes to several news media, who has been held in Tehran’s Evin prison since 4 August. Neither has been tried and it is not known what they are charged with. Assefi has not been allowed any visits. Two non-political prisoners have been placed in the cell in which Payam-e mardom-e Kurdestan editor Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand is being held in the Evin prison’s security wing 209 and, as a result, he is worried about his safety, his wife said. Kabovand has been held in Evin prison since his arrest on 1 July and initially he was in solitary confinement. With 11 journalist currently detained, Iran continues to be the Middle East’s biggest prison for the press and is one of the world’s 10 most repressive countries as regards freedom of the media. Sign the petition on behalf of Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolvahed “Hiva” Botimar
Two journalists under sentence of death now on 42nd day of hunger strike
Friday, August 24, 2007
Targeting Journalists and the Information Superhighway Divide (Asharq Alawsat Newspaper)
Targeting Journalists and the Information Superhighway Divide (Asharq Alawsat Newspaper): Targeting Journalists and the Information Superhighway Divide
13/08/2007
 |
Without publishing the details of their conviction, an Iranian Revolutionary Court issued death sentences against Iranian Kurdish journalist, Adnan Hassanpur, and Iranian Kurdish environmental activist, Abdolwahed (Hiwa) Butimar.
In a closed session, both journalists were convicted on charges of endangering national security, as well as conspiring and working to spread separatist propaganda against the state.
Hassanpur had previously criticized the Iranian regime on several occasions, and his weekly newspaper was banned from publication by the authorities in 2005. However, the accusations leveled against him and his indictment was not linked to his profession as a journalist. The mystery that surrounded his trial has led many to believe that his criticism of the regime was the real reason behind his conviction.
The sentences issued against the two men are neither exceptional nor reprehensible in a regime like the Iranian one, or in the Arab regimes in the region, all of which have a long history of targeting journalists and intellectuals. Many have been imprisoned or subjected to murder and prosecution. Although there is an abundance of news about unfair trials in various Arab states, this sentence issued by Iran’s Revolutionary Court is an alarming one since it has reached the death penalty, rather than just imprisonment.
But if the increasing number of reporters persecuted by their arbitrary regimes is a matter that elicits concern, then it must be said that the number of journalists abducted or killed is more abominable and frightening. This is especially so given the unprecedented rise in the number of victims, some of whom are in Iraq. Theirs is a plight that is not attentively received by the Arab public firstly, nor the international public opinion in turn.
When journalists are imprisoned, statements of condemnation and petitions are issued, while activists or concerned organizations try to mobilize the cause by exposing it before the public opinion.
When journalists are killed, in Iraq or Lebanon for example, we count the bodies without disregarding the alarming numbers of the civilian victims in Iraq alone.
But if that’s the case; how could we even begin to assess the impact of the consequences of information related to prosecution, murder and intimidation?! How can we find out what we know nothing of if this high cost of delivering information subsists? And what is the real price of silence, which is intended for many people in our region who are imprisoned by it.
Such questions are worthy of contemplation, particularly in light of the development and diversity of communication means. However, in the face of this information revolution, these regimes have remained ensnared by their inherent tyrannies, while the societies are victimized by their beliefs and dogmas. Iraq is an example; the number of journalists and civilians killed has become difficult to enumerate.
But this targeting is not simply planned by regimes alone, but also by rival groups, or sometimes even by the very group that the journalist is affiliated with as in the cases of journalists who dare to criticize the practices of their fellow countrymen.
It is true that today we live in the era of the citizen-journalist, by virtue of the huge scope of information available on the Internet to all those wishing to express their opinions or share their experience. But this alone is not enough, especially with the dedicated efforts exerted to block the websites and prosecute activists on the web.
There is no doubt that the cost of death and murder are hard to measure, however this persistence in targeting and killing journalists doubles the danger that the rest of them have to endure.
It is the social cost of terror and a coercive inducement towards silence.
July 17th
View this file
Click here to view a pdf statement from the THE OBSERVATORY for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders' on behalf of Adnan & Hiwa.
We are fully confident of their rigour and integrity as an organisation in cases like this.
(file name: 092 IRN 007_0807_OBS 092.pdf)
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
LEFT PARTY OF SWEDEN
OF SWEDEN
To His Excellency
The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Mahmoud Ahmedinejad
We have been informed that the two Kurdish journalists, Adnan Hasanpour and Hiwa Butimar, on the 17 of July 2007 were arrested and condemned by the regime because of articles they had published. They are, according to our sources, sentenced to death, whish is extremely inhuman. You can never prevent or stop anyone from thinking. You can not prevent someone from writing what he or she thinks.
If think that someone is thinking in a wrong way you can only convince him or her with the help of good arguments. If you use violence or sentence someone to death, and can do that because you are in power, you only expose that your arguments have run out. At the same time you commit a crime against
democratic and human rights. The international community will hold you and your regime responsible for the execution of of Adnan Hasanpour and Hiwa Butimar. We strongly protest against the death penalty against Adnan Hasanpour and Hiwa Butimar Yours Sincerely Lars Ohly
Kalle Larsson MP, Chairman
MP of the Left Party of Sweden.
Member of the Central Committee
of the Left Party of Sweden
Hans Linde MP, member of the Standing Committee of
Foreign Affairs in the Parliament of Sweden
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Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Two journalists on hunger strike protest their death sentences
Date: 14 August 2007
Source: Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Person(s): Adnan Hassanpour, Abdolvahed Botimar
IFEX
(RSF/IFEX) - On 13 August 2007, Reporters Without Borders wrote to United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon urging him to intercede in the case of Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolvahed Botimar, two journalists who were sentenced to death on 16 July, and to ask the Islamic Republic of Iran to adhere to the international treaties it has signed concerning civil and political rights.
"Their most basic rights were violated as they were barred from court when the sentence was handed down," the letter said. "Even more egregiously, they were not notified of the sentence and only found out from a newspaper."
Hassanpour and Botimar (who is also known as "Hiva"), were allowed a visit from a family member in their prison in Sanandaj, in Iran's Kurdish northwestern region, on 8 August. They discovered they had been sentenced to death from a report in the daily "Kayhan". They have been on hunger strike for nearly 30 days, and are consuming only water to which some sugar is added.
The letter pointed out that 11 journalists are currently in prison in Iran for trying to do their job. Some are serving sentences imposed in trials with no due process. Others are being held without trial. The prison conditions are appalling and they are denied access to the medical treatment they need.
"Journalists are being harassed and threatened by the regime, which is waging a witch-hunt against the independent media," the letter said. "Many of them have been brought into court on charges which are baseless but are deemed admissible by a compliant judicial system."
The letter concluded: "These men need to know that they have your support. If the United Nations were to intercede on their behalf, they would be able to recover a degree of dignity and the freedom to work as journalists. We are convinced that you could find ways and arguments to get Iran to respect the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which it has signed."
Of the nine other journalists currently in prison, Soheil Assefi is the one who was arrested most recently. A contributor to several news media, he was detained when he responded to a summons and presented himself to a Tehran court on 4 August, four days after officials from the prosecutor's office searched his home, taking personal documents and computer material. He is now being held in Tehran's Evin prison on unknown charges. He was able to telephone a relative on 9 August but has not been allowed to receive visits.
Farshad Gorbanpour, who was arrested for no clear reason on 31 July, is also being held in Evin prison. According to his wife, who was able to visit him once, he is charged with "activity against national security" and could be released if he pays bail of 200 million touman (approx. 158,000 euros).
Journalist Ako Kurdnasab of the Sanandaj-based weekly "Karfto" was arrested at his newspaper office by intelligence ministry officials on 21 July after one of the city's courts opened an investigation against him. He is now awaiting trial in Sanandaj prison. His family has had no word from him and does not know what he is charged with.
Ejlal Ghavami of "Payam-e Mardom-e Kurdestan" (a weekly that was closed by the authorities in 2004) has been detained since 9 July, a month after a Sanandaj court sentenced him on 9 June to three years in prison for "inciting populations to revolt" and "activity against national security." He has an eye infection. "Payam-e Mardom-e Kurdestan" editor Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand was arrested on 1 July and sent to Evin prison, where he staged an eight-day hunger strike in protest against his solitary confinement. Reporters Without Borders has been told that he is under a great deal of pressure to deny information published by the Kurdistan Human Rights Organisation, of which he is one of the founders. He is also reportedly charged with "activity against national security."
Said Matinpour of "Yarpagh" (an Azeri-language weekly based in Tehran) has been detained since 28 May, when he and his wife were arrested at their home in the northwestern city of Zanjan. He was transferred to Tehran two days later and is now being held in security section 209 in Evin prison. He has not been charged and neither his relatives nor his lawyer have been able to see him.
Three other journalists have been held since last year. Kaveh Javanmard of "Karfto" was arrested on 18 December in Sanandaj and was sentenced during a secret trial on 17 May to two years in prison for "inciting revolt" and "activity against national security." Ali Farahbakhsh, a contributor to several business newspapers including "Sarmayeh", was arrested on 27 November and was sentenced on 26 March to three years in prison for spying. He is currently being held in Evin prison's security section 209, where he has for some time been deprived of his medicine.
Finally, Mohammad Hassin Falahieh of the state TV station Al-Alam's Arabic-language service has been detained since November 2006. He was convicted of spying by a revolutionary court on 29 April and is now serving a three-year sentence in Evin prison's security section 209. His lawyer says he is ill and needs treatment.
Sign the petition on behalf of the journalists who have been sentenced to death in Iran: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=15054
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Hunger strikes
Adnan & Hiwa have both been hunger striking for 35 days now. They are, as you may imagine, very weak.
We are trying to secure the help of Red Crescent/Red Cross to visit them with medical care and even obtain a transfer to a hospital from the jail in Sanandaj.
Keep campaigning on their behalf. Spread the news of this website. Keep writing letters and emails and if you are a praying person, please bring their case before God.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Visit granted for families
Martin Hadi Butimar, brother of Hiwa, writes about his family's visit to Hiwa.
A pleasing and decent visit, but anxious doubly and unpleasant!
I am pretty sure that you have already been aware so far through Medias about Mr. Adnan Hasan Poor and Mr. Hiwa Butimar two Kurdish journalists and social activists whom have been sentenced to death unfairly and far from justices human right frame work by the Iranian Revolutionary Supreme Court in charge of fighting against GOD! and also acting against Iranian National Security. This verdict of Iranian Revolutionary Supreme Court was accompanied by the Human Rights Organisations, Philanthropists, and noble Kurdish Nation’s reactions in all over the world.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
DEATH PENALTY: Two Kurdish Journalists on Iran's Death Row
EU urges Iran not to execute Kurdish journalists
August 4, 2007
Middle East Times
BRUSSELS -- The European Union Friday called on Iran to halt the executions of two Kurdish journalists convicted for harboring links to armed groups. The EU's Portuguese presidency in a statement also voiced concern at collective public executions that have been taking place in Iran recently. "The EU calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to halt the executions of Adnan Hassanpour and of Abdolwahed Boutimar, and to ensure that the two accused be given a fair trial" in accordance with the international human rights convention, the statement read. The EU also condemned Iran's "increasing recourse to the death penalty" and "the growing repression against all groups which exercise their right to freely express their opinions, in particular in Kurdish and Arab minority regions." Iran's judiciary confirmed Tuesday for the first time that Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolvahed "Hiva" Botimar were sentenced to death July 16 by a revolutionary court in northeastern Kordestan province as "enemies of God." Iran hanged in public seven people convicted of rape and kidnapping in its holy second city of Mashhad Wednesday, the latest execution of criminals arrested in a crackdown on thugs. Iran has stepped up hangings of such convicts deemed to be a public menace. Kurds form a minority believed to be around several million people in Iran, most of whom live in the northwestern provinces of West Azarbaijan and Kordestan on the border with Turkey and Iraq. The border area is hugely sensitive, with Iranian security forces in recent years fighting banned Kurdish separatist parties, in particular Pejak, a group linked to Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Iran: Adnan Hassanpour sentenced to death - English Pen
Iran: Adnan Hassanpour sentenced to death - English Pen: English PEN is alarmed by the death sentence handed down to Iranian Kurdish journalist, writer and human rights activist Adnan Hassanpour on 16 July 2007. Hassanpour is believed to have been convicted of being a mohareb ('an enemy of God') and 'acting against national security', apparently for expressing his views on the Kurdish issue. PEN fears that he is being detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to free expression, and if so calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
According to PEN's information, Adnan Hassanpour, journalist and advocate of cultural rights for Iranian Kurds, was detained on 25 January 2007 in Marivan, a small city in the northwestern province of Kurdistan. He was reportedly held incommunicado without charge in a Ministry of Intelligence facility in Marivan, and transferred to Marivan prison on 26 March 2007. He appeared before the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj on 12 June 2007, in the presence of his lawyer.
Adnan Hassanpour was reportedly taken from Marivan prison to an unconfirmed place of detention, possibly the detention facility run by the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province, early in the morning of 15 July 2007. On 16 July 2007 he was told that he had been sentenced to death on charges of espionage and Moharebeh ('being at enmity with God'). If confirmed on appeal, the sentences would then have to be further confirmed by the Supreme Court.
In April 2007, the Mehr News Agency, which is said to have close links with Iran's judiciary, apparently alleged that Adnan Hassanpour had been in contact with Kurdish opposition groups and had helped two people from Khuzestan province, who were wanted by the authorities, to flee from Iran. However, in an interview carried by the online publication Rooz, Hassanpour's lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, said that the charges related to a phone conversation he had with a staff member of Radio Voice of America.
Adnan Hassanpour is a former member of the editorial board of the Kurdish-Persian weekly journal, Aso (Horizon), which was closed by the Iranian authorities in August 2005, following widespread unrest in Kurdish areas. He had previously been tried in connection with articles published in the journal. He is a member of the Kurdish Writer's Association. Hassanpour's cousin, environmentalist Abdolwahed (known as Hiwa) Butimar was also tried with Hassanpour on the same charges, and handed down the death penalty.
On 23 July 2007, four Kurdish intellectuals were arrested for their activities in support of Hassanpour and Butimar, including journalist Ako Kurdnasab, a Board member of the weekly Karaftu, Behzad Kordestani, a well-known poet and writer from Marivan, and Bakhtiyar Rehimi, a journalist from Marivan. Behzad Kordestani was released without charge on 24 July 2007, but Ako Kurdnasab and Bakhtiyar Rehimi will reportedly remain in gaol for at least two months, and are feared to be held incommunicado.
PEN is deeply concerned about an apparant pattern of repression against journalists and human rights activists in Iranian Kurdistan, which has been ongoing since unrest broke out in the Kurdish areas of Iran in July 2005, and was violently suppressed by the authorities. Several other Iranian-Kurdish journalists are currently detained, including Kaveh Javanmard, Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand and Ejlal Qavami (see previous bulletins).
Please send appeals:
* Expressing dismay at the death sentence handed down to journalist Adnan Hassanpour, and fears that he is being held in violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a signatory;
* Expressing concerns at reports that he has been ill treated in detention, and seeking reassurances from the Iranian authorities that Adnan Hassanpour's wellbeing is guaranteed;
* Expressing concern about an apparent crackdown on Iranian-Kurdish journalists and writers, and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all journalists and writers detained in Iranian Kurdistan solely for the peaceful expression of their views.
Addresses:
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei,
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street, Qom
Islamic Republic of Iran
SalutationL Your Excellency
His Excellency
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr,
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Ministry of Intelligence,
Second Negarestan Street,
Pasdaran Avenue,
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Copies to:
His Excellency President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency,
Palestine Avenue,
Azerbaijan Intersection,
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax Via Foreign Ministry: 98 21 6 674 790
(mark: 'Please forward to H.E. President Ahmadinejad')
It may be most effective, however, to send the above appeals via the Iranian representative in London:
His Excellency Mr Rasoul Movahedian
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
16 Prince's Gate
London SW7 1PT
Fax: +44 (0)20 7589 4440
www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/bulletins/iranadnanhassanpoursentencedtodeath
tinyurl.com/2bls35
Monday, July 30, 2007
Defend International - 2 journalists facing death penalty
Defend International - 2 journalists facing death penalty: "Article Index
2 journalists facing death penalty
Journalists Adnan Hasan Poor and Abdel Wahd Butimar have allegedly been tortured and have reportedly received death penalties on July 17, 2007.According to the Iranian Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj their writings were aimed to topple the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Friday, July 27, 2007
Peyamner News Agency
Peyamner News Agency: National - Two Kurdish journalists sentenced to death 24-Jul-07 [10:39]
Rsf.org-- Reporters Without Borders voiced deep concern today on learning that journalists Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolvahed “Hiva” Botimar were sentenced to death by a revolutionary tribunal in Marivan, in Iran’s Kurdish northwestern region, on 16 July.
“These death sentences are outrageous and shameful,” the press freedom organisation said. “They show how little Iran is bothered by international humanitarian law. They also show how determined it is to use every possible means to silence the most outspoken journalists and human rights activists.”
Reporters Without Borders added: “We appeal to the international community to ask Iran to reverse this decision and to refrain from executing two men who did nothing but exercise their right to inform their fellow citizens. Iran is in the process of becoming one of the world’s biggest prison for journalists.”
Hassanpour worked for the magazine Asou, which has been banned since August 2005 as a result of a decision by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. He wrote about the very sensitive Kurdish issue.
At his trial, which was held behind closed doors, he was found guilty of “activities subverting national security” and “spying.” His interviews for foreign news media including Voice of America were cited by the prosecution. According to his family and one of his lawyers, Sirvan Hosmandi, he was transferred to Sanandaj prison on 18 July.
The charges on which Botimar, a contributor to Asou and an active member of the environmental NGO Sabzchia, was sentenced to death were not immediately known.
Three other Kurdish journalists are currently in prison in Iran. Ejlal Ghavani of Payam-e Mardom-e Kurdestan, a weekly that was suspended in 2004, was detained on 9 July of this year after being convicted by a court in Sanandaj of “inciting the population to revolt” and “activities against national security.”
Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand, Payam-e Mardom-e Kurdestan’s editor and the founder of a human rights organisation, was arrested on 1 July and transferred to Evin prison. He has not been officially charged.
Kaveh Javanmard of the weekly Karfto is currently serving a two-year prison sentence. He was not allowed access to a lawyer during his trial, which took place behind closed doors.
With a total of eight journalists currently detained, Iran continues to be the Middle East’s biggest prison for the press and one of the world’s ten most repressive countries as regards freedom of expression in the media. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is on the Reporters Without Borders list of the world’s 34 worst “press freedom predators.” Since he became president in August 2005, the authorities have cracked down hard on journalists. The situation is especially fraught in the Kurdish northwest.
Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness: Iran - Further information on fear of torture or ill treatment/ arbitrary arrest of Adnan Hassanpour & Manso
Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness: Iran - Further information on fear of torture or ill treatment/ arbitrary arrest of Adnan Hassanpour & Mansour Tayfouri: "Iran - Further information on fear of torture or ill treatment/ arbitrary arrest of Adnan Hassanpour & Mansour Tayfouri
Amnesty reports.
Adnan Hassanpour and his cousin Abdolwahed (known as Hiwa) Butimar have been sentenced to death. Adnan Hassanpour, a Kurdish journalist and advocate of cultural rights for Iranian Kurds, was detained on 25 January and environmentalist Hiwa Butimar on or around 23 December 2006, both in Marivan, Kordestan province. They were reportedly held incommunicado in a Ministry of Intelligence facility in Marivan, and transferred to Marivan prison on 26 March.
Following his arrest Hiwa Butimar‘s home was searched by members of the Intelligence Service, who are said to have confiscated items including Kurdish flags, videos in Kurdish and family pictures of a trip to Iraqi Kurdistan. The confiscated items were also reportedly used as evidence against the cousins, who reportedly appeared before a Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj on 12 June, in the presence of their lawyer.
Adnan Hassanpour and Hiwa Butimar were reportedly returned from Marivan prison to an unconfirmed place of detention, possibly the detention facility run by the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj, the capital of Kordestan province, early in the morning of 15 July. On 17 July the men were told that they had been sentenced to death on charges of espionage and Moharebeh (being at enmity with God). If confirmed on appeal, the sentences would then have to be further confirmed by the Supreme Court.
In an interview carried by the online publication Rooz, the two men's lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, said that Adnan Hassanpour’s charges related to "a phone conversation he had with a staff member of Radio Voice of America". He also said that Hiwa Butimar had been charged with carrying lethal weapons, although he denied his client had ever done so, and stressed he had not been in contact with any armed group (see: http://www.roozonline.com/english/archives/2007/07/006302.php).
By Noggr the Bloggr at 18:13
The Daily Star - Politics - NGO seeks to stop execution of 2 journalists in Iran
The Daily Star - Politics - NGO seeks to stop execution of 2 journalists in Iran: "NGO seeks to stop execution of 2 journalists in Iran
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Thursday, July 26, 2007
PARIS: A global press freedoms watchdog urged the international community Wednesday to intervene to stop the execution of two Kurdish journalists sentenced to death in Iran. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Adnan Hassanpur and Abdolvahed 'Hiva' Botimar were sentenced to death on July 16 by a revolutionary court in Marivan, in Iran's eastern Kurdistan region. Both wrote for the magazine Aso (Horizons), before it was banned in August 2005. Hassanpur, who published several articles on the sensitive issue of Kurdistan and gave interviews to foreign media including Voice of America, was found guilty of espionage and 'subverting national security.' His colleague Botimar is also a member of the environmental NGO Sabzchia, according to RSF, which urged the 'international community to demand that Iran review its decision and not execute these two men.' - AFP
http://www.dailystar.com.lb"
Thursday, July 26, 2007
condemning the death sentences Petition
Condemning the death sentences Petition: To: Amnesty International,Reporters without Frontiers,Human Rights Watch,European Union
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
This is the second petition in support of Adnan Hassanpour and Hiwar Boutimar. The Text has been amended in an effort to improve the ease of read in English. We would like to thank all of you who signed the original and ask you to kindly revisit the petition and continue your support by signing this amended text.
URGENT ACTION
Join us to in condemning the death sentences for two civil and human rights activist in Iran
This petition is in protest to the death sentences issued to Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolvahed (Hiwa) Boutimar on 17 July 2007 by the Revolutionary Courts in Iran.
Adnan Hassanpour, an Iranian Kurdish journalist and a member of the editorial board for the banned weekly magazine Assu (banned in August 2005), was arrested and detained on 25 January 2007 without charge. He was held incommunicado and subjected to ill treatment and torture.
Hiwa Boutimar, an Iranian Kurdish civil rights activist and a founding member of an environmental NGO in Mariwan, was arrested on 17 December 2006. He, too, was held incommunicado and subjected to ill treatment and torture.
Both men were sentenced to death on 17 July 2007 on trumped up charge of Moharebeh (Enmity with God).
The Islamic Republic remains signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and bound by its articles. As such, it is legally bound to protect freedom of expression, assembly and equality before the law, and prohibit arbitrary detention, such as detention resulting from the exercise of one of these rights. It must also guarantee due process and humane treatment to those in detention. Therefore, the death sentences are in direct violations of Islamic Republic's international obligations.
Join us in condemning these outrageous sentences and demanding the immediate and unconditional release of these two men.
Sincerely,
Iran: Wife of Kurdish journalist Hiwa Botimar on death-row speaks
Iran: Wife of Kurdish journalist Hiwa Botimar on death-row speaks: "Iran: Wife of Kurdish journalist Hiwa Botimar on death-row speaks: "Free men cannot accept that in the 21st Century intellectuals and journalists are hanged for speaking about freedom or asking for democracy", she said. 26.7.2007
July 26, 2007
Mariwan, Iranian Kurdistan, -- The wife of Hiwa Boutimarthe, a dissident Kurdish journalist sentenced to death in Iran, has pleaded for her husband's life saying the court's ruling was 'an error'.
Hiro, 19, spoke to AKI by phone from Mariwan, a city in Iran's Kurdistan region.
'I want to believe that the judge has made an error since in the death sentence Hiwa is described as being single when in fact we got married three years ago', Hiro said.
Hiro, a university mathematics student, described the sentence as 'against every humane principle' and as having 'trampled on the penal code of the Islamic Republic'.
Kurdish journalists Adnan Hassanpur (L) and Hiwa Botimar sentenced to death by the Iranian Islamic regime
She said she last saw her husband when she visited him in a Mariwan prison some 10 days ago. At that stage the death sentence had not yet been delivered.
Hiro, said that like her husband, she was proud of her Kurdish heritage.
'Kurdistan has for centuries suffered central government injustice and repression. Every family here has at least one member who was shot for no reason other than being proud of belonging to the"
Petition
Campaign to Stop the Execution of Iranian Kurdish Journalist “Adnan Hassanpour” and Civil Activist, “Hiva Boutimar”
http://www.petitiononline.com/hamyaree/petition.html
Freedom Loving People of the World!
UN Security Council!
US State Department!
European Union!
Amnesty International!
Union of Journalists!
Reporters without Frontiers!
PEN!
Human Rights Watch!
Human Rights Organisations!
On 17th July, Iranian media announced the execution sentence to be carried out on Iranian Kurdish journalist, Adnan Hassanpour, member of the editorial board for the banned weekly, Assu and civil activist, Abdolvahed (Hiva) Boutimar.
The execution sentence against these two individuals is in contravention of the human rights convention to which the Islamic Republic of Iran is a signatory of.
Along with a number of other civil activists, journalists, intellectuals, cultural, student, women, human rights and political activists and Adnan’s sister, Leyla, we condemn these sentences and ask for a fair trial of these two individuals.
We also ask other institutions across the globe to join us and speak out in support of these two Iranian Kurds.
[ Death penalty sanctions expression of opinion - WWW.FIDH.ORG ]
[ Death penalty sanctions expression of opinion - WWW.FIDH.ORG ]: "23/07/2007
Iran/Death Penalty/Freedom of Expression
Death penalty sanctions expression of opinion
Following the sentencing to death of two journalists belonging to the Kurdish minority, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) express their deep concern regarding the serious violations of freedom of expression and the conditions of administration of justice in Iran.
Mr. Adnan Hassanpour and Mr. Abdoulvahed (also known as Hiwa) Boutimar, two Kurdish journalists and active members of Iranian civil society were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Tribunal in Marivan, on 17 July 2007. The two men were convicted on grounds of espionage, attacks upon national security, the diffusion of separatist propaganda, treason and collaboration with Kurdish political opposition parties.
FIDH and LDDHI condemn these sanctions and calls for the journalists’ fair trial when appealing their sentences, and subsequent release:
- Indeed, FIDH and LDDHI have strong reasons to believe that the charges held against the two journalists are baseless but rather prove the authorities' aim to silence any critical voice or defendant of the Kurdish minority in Iran. Over the past months, Iranian authorities have persecuted and arrested over 150 members of Iranian-Kurdistan civil society. Many of these individuals have been subjected to inordinate judicial punishment. Mr. Hassanpour is a member of the Iranian Kurdistan Journalist Association as well as a reporter for the Aso newspaper, a publication banned by Iranian authorities. Iran's Kurdish population, numbering approximately 10 million, have previously been labeled as "enemies" of Iran and "children of Satan" by the leadership's most senior figures.
- Moreover, since their arrest the two men would have been severely tortured. They were held incommunicado, without access to a lawyer. The trial is thus marred by arbitrariness, in violation of Iran's international obligations.
- In this context, FIDH and LDDHI specially condemn the imposition of death penalty, sanctioning the exercise of the human right to freedom of opinion and expression. Iran violates its obligations under the international covenant for civil and political rights (ICCPR) according to which freedom of expression and opinion should not be unduly limited, and according to which countries which have not abolished death penalty should only impose the death sentence for the most serious crimes.
FIDH and LDDHI call upon the Iranian authorities to duly respect their country's international obligations, and implement the recommendations addressed by the UN Special rapporteur on Freedom of expression as well as the UN Working group on Arbitrary Detention.
Norway: Iranian Kurd Ata Hassanpour says my cousin is to be hanged in Iran
Norway: Iranian Kurd Ata Hassanpour says my cousin is to be hanged in Iran: "Norway, -- Ata Hassanpour received the shocking news on Wednesday: his cousin is to be hanged back home in Iran.
'I just talked with the Adnan’s mother on the phone. She cried all the time and she wants to commit suicide if he is hanged', says Ata Hassanpour quietly.
He sits in the living room in Fyllingsdalen and smokes while staring into the air. In his hand he holds a paper napkin. Less than 24 hours ago he received an email which shocked the family in Norway. Ata’s cousin, 25 year old Kurdish journalist and author Adnan Hassanpour had been sentenced to death by a so-called Revolutionary Tribunal in Iran.
Wrote about Kurdish history
According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Adnan Hassanpour was convicted together with a well known Kurdish activist, Hiwa Botimar. Both were sentenced to death for crimes against the national security of Iran.
'It is not true. All Adnan has ever done is write articles about the repression of Kurds in Iran. He wrote a book about Kurdish history. That is why the soldiers came and arrested him', Ata Hassanpour says.
Together with his sister Serweh he has lived in Norway since 2003. They had to flee from Iran because they were advocating the plight of the Kurds. Other members of the family have moved to Kurdistan, Iraq. Adnan Hassanpour stayed in his hometown of Mariwan, where he worked as a journalist at the weekly magazine ‘Aso’. The magazine was closed by the Iranian authorities in August 2005. On 25th January this year, Adnan was arrested by six agents from the Iranian Intelligence Agency.
In isolation for two months
Ata Hassanpour, my cousin is to be hanged in Iran
Kurdish journalists Adnan Hassanpur and Hiwa Botimar sentenced to death by the Iranian Islamic regime
"They called and asked him to come outside the house. They arrested him without telling him what his alleged crime was. For two months he had no contact with his mother", Ata and Serweh say.
"Neither Adnan’s lawyer have been informed about the case. They were never told about his death sentence. In Iran lawyers have no real power. They cannot influence the case", Ata says.
He has no faith in the Iranian judiciary. That his cousin received the death penalty nevertheless came as a shock.
"We thought he would get 2-3 years imprisonment. Not that he would be hanged for telling the truth and helping people", Ata and Serweh say.
International PEN writes on their web-site that the arrest of Adnan might have been motivated by an interview he gave to the radio station Voice of America. The arrest has attracted some international attention. Both PEN, who works for freedom of speech globally, and Amnesty International have become involved in a campaign to free Adnan Hassanpour.
Ask for help from Norway
After she received news of the death sentence, Adnan’s sister Leila, who lives in Kurdistan, Iraq, has started an e-mail campaign in order to engage countries and international organisations so that they can put international pressure on the Iranian authorities. Ata hopes that the Norwegian authorities will help in this campaign, and call for the death sentence to be revoked.
"It is terribly difficult to be sitting here in Norway without being able to do anything. I beg of Norway, as a democratic country, to raise this case with Iran. It is important that someone protest against this case", he says.
Nobody knows when the death sentence will be carried out. Ata thinks it will be a date during next week. He has not thought of anything else, since he heard about the sentence.
"My thoughts are in Mariwan. I grew up in the same street as Adnan. We are as brothers", he says.
This article appears in Norwegian (translated by Khalid Khedri)
www.bt no | adnanhiwa blogspot.com
Shiro-Khorshid-Forever, Iran News Update& Articles: Adnan Hassanpour,Mansour Tayfouri, Abdolwahed Butimar
Shiro-Khorshid-Forever, Iran News Update& Articles: Adnan Hassanpour,Mansour Tayfouri, Abdolwahed Butimar: "Adnan Hassanpour,Mansour Tayfouri, Abdolwahed Butimar
Fear of torture or ill-treatment/Arbitrary arrest and
NEW CONCERN: Death penalty, IRAN
Adnan Hassanpour (m), Kurdish journalist and cultural rights activist
Mansour Tayfouri (m), Kurdish journalist and translator
New name: Abdolwahed Butimar, known as Hiwa (m), Kurdish activist, Adnan Hassanpour's cousin
Adnan Hassanpour and his cousin Abdolwahed (known as Hiwa) Butimar have been sentenced to death. Adnan Hassanpour, a Kurdish journalist and advocate of cultural rights for Iranian Kurds, was detained on 25 January and environmentalist Hiwa Butimar on or around 23 December 2006, both in Marivan, Kordestan province. They were reportedly held incommunicado in a Ministry of Intelligence facility in Marivan, and transferred to Marivan prison on 26 March.
Following his arrest Hiwa Butimar‘s home was searched by members of the Intelligence Service, who are said to have confiscated items including Kurdish flags, videos in Kurdish and family pictures of a trip to Iraqi Kurdistan. The confiscated items were also reportedly used as evidence against the cousins, who reportedly appeared before a Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj on 12 June, in the presence of their lawyer.
Adnan Hassanpour and Hiwa Butimar were reportedly returned from Marivan prison to an unconfirmed place of detention, possibly the detention facility run by the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj, the capital of Kordestan province, early in the morning of 15 July. On 17 July the men were told that they had been sentenced to death on charges of espionage and Moharebeh (being at enmity with God). If confirmed on appeal, the sentences would then have to be further confirmed by the Supreme Court.
In an interview carried by the online publication Rooz, the two men's lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, said that Adnan Hassanpour’s charges related to “a phone conversation he had with a staff member of Radio Voice of America”. He also said that Hiwa Butimar had been charged with carrying lethal weapons, although he denied his client had ever done so, and stressed he had not been in contact with any armed group (see: http://www.roozonline.com/english/archives/2007/07/006302.php).
In April, the Mehr News Agency, which is said to have close links with Iran’s judiciary, apparently alleged that Adnan Hassanpour had been in contact with Kurdish opposition groups and had helped two people from Khuzestan province, who were wanted by the authorities, to flee from Iran.
Adnan Hassanpour is a former member of the editorial board of the Kurdish-Persian weekly journal Aso (Horizon), which the authorities closed down in August 2005 following widespread unrest in Kurdish areas. Adnan Hassanpour had reportedly been tried for offences supposedly arising from articles published in the journal. Hiwa Butimar heads an environmental organisation called The Green Mountain Society.
Amnesty International has no information about Mansour Tayfouri.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Proceedings before Revolutionary Courts in Iran do not meet international standards for fair trial. The Penal Code contains a number of vaguely-worded provisions relating to association and "national security" which prohibit a range of activities, including those connected with journalism or public discourse which are permitted under international human rights law.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Using your own words, please choose a few of the suggestions below to create a personal appeal and send it as quickly as possible
- expressing concern that Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolwahed Botimar have been sentenced to death;
- urging the authorities to commute these death sentences immediately;
- acknowledging that governments have a responsibility to bring to justice those suspected of criminal offences, but stating your unconditional opposition to the death penalty, as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and violation of the right to life;
- asking for full details of the charges and evidence against Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolwahed Botimar and expressing concern that their trial may not have met international standards for fair trial, which are especially important in capital cases;
- asking for details of why Mansour Tayfouri was arrested, including any charges and evidence brought against him and of any trial proceedings, and calling for him to be released unless he is to be charged with a recognisably criminal offence and given a prompt and fair trial;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that none of the three men is tortured or ill-treated;
- calling for Adnan Hassanpour, Abdolwahed Botimar and Mansour Tayfouri to be allowed immediate and regular access to their families, lawyers of their own choosing and any medical treatment they may require.
Protectionline.org/Adnan Hassanpour : Detention
Protectionline.org/Adnan Hassanpour : Detention: "Iran: Fear of torture or ill treatment/ arbitrary arrest: Adnan Hassanpour - UA 39/07 Fear of torture or ill treatment/ arbitrary arrest
Email
Enregistrer au format PDF Version PDF
Amnesty International
PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/017/2007 16 February 2007
Adnan Hassanpour (m), journalist
Adnan Hassanpour, journalist and advocate of cultural rights for Iranian Kurds, was reportedly detained on 25 January in Marivan, a small city in the northwestern province of Kurdistan. He is believed to be held incommunicado in the provincial capital Sanandaj, where he is at risk of torture or ill-treatment.
Up to six people, reportedly from the Ministry of Intelligence, are said to have telephoned Adnan Hassanpour’s mobile telephone on 25 January and told him to go to a certain place. When he followed their instructions, he was arrested. Security forces personnel reportedly took him back to his home where they removed his computer, notebooks and other personal effects prior to detaining him. It is believed that he was transferred the same day to a detention centre in the provincial capital, Sanandaj, around two hours away, where he is believed to be held incommunicado.
Adnan Hassanpour has reportedly been denied access to his family and his lawyer. His mother is said to have made several requests to Ministry of Intelligence officials to visit him, after travelling for more than two hours in cold winter weather to reach Sanandaj, which have all been denied. The officials have reportedly indicated that he will be detained for several more weeks, although he is not known to have been charged with any offence.
Adnan Hassanpour is a former member of the editorial board of the Kurdish-Persian weekly journal, Aso (Horizon), which was closed by the Iranian authorities in August 2005. Adnan Hassanpour had previously reportedly been tried in connection with articles published in the journal.
On 13 February 2007, over 20 Kurdish writers, journalists and artists issued a petition against the manner of his arrest.
Kurdish human rights defender and journalist Sherko Jihani, who was arrested on 27 November 2006, is believed to have been tortured, including by being beaten severely, while held incommunicado at an unknown location, believed to be a detention facility belonging to the Ministry of Intelligence in Iranian Kurdistan. (See further information on UA 331/06, MDE 13/009/2007, 26 January 2007).
