Free Aziz Samandari
To: - President of Islamic Republic of Iran,His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; - Leader of the Islamic Republic, His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei; - Head of the Judiciary, His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi; - Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Manuchehr Motaki; - Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Your Excellency, I am deeply distressed to learn that Ms. Jinous Sobhani, Mr. Shahrokh Taef, Mr. Didar Raoufi, Mr. Payam Aghsani and Mr. Aziz Samandari have been arbitrarily arrested on 14 January 2009 and are currently detained at the Evin prison without formal charges and no access to a lawyer. Twenty seven other Baha’is, including the seven members of the “Friends in Iran” are also currently detained in Iran on the sole basis of their religious belief. Members of the Baha’i community are loyal to their government, don’t get involved in partisan politics and work towards the betterment of society. Yet, they have been targets of systematic persecution by the Islamic Republic of Iran for the last 30 years. Despite widespread international outcry, including condemnations by the United Nations’ General Assembly, I am appalled to note that theses persecutions continue relentlessly. Iran has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on 24th June 1975. Article 9 provides that “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention” and Article 18 protects everyone’s freedom of conscience and religion. I request the Islamic Republic of Iran to abide by its international obligations and to immediately and unconditionally release all the Baha’is arbitrarily detained on the sole basis of their religious belief. Yours faithfully,
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