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,
I have been in contact with human rights organizations to coordinate our next steps regarding these detainees. The lack of formal charges remains a point of profound concern for all of us involved. Your continued attention to this injustice ensures that these individuals are not forgotten in the shadows.
March 2, 2009
The growing momentum behind this call for justice demonstrates that the plight of those detained in Evin prison has not gone unnoticed by the international community. This collective attention increases the pressure on the relevant authorities to respect human rights and move toward a fair outcome for all involved.
Reached 100 supporters
March 2, 2009
6 Comments
S
Sarah Tran
17 years ago
Featured
This is just sad. People should be able to practice their own faith without worrying about prison. Let them go home.
L
Linda Richards
17 years ago
Featured
Total injustice. Absolutely disgusting to treat humans like this.
E
Elena Iyer
17 years ago
Featured
30 years of this garbage is way too long. Release these people right now.
M
Mark Ferguson
17 years ago
Featured
FREE AZIZ SAMANDARI. Stop arresting innocent people just because they pray differently. The world is watching you guys.
K
Kevin Ward
17 years ago
Featured
They arent criminals. They are teachers and neighbors. Just let them be.
D
David Gibson
17 years ago
Featured
Sending prayers to the families. Nobody deserves to sit in Evin like this for nothing.
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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,
I have been in contact with human rights organizations to coordinate our next steps regarding these detainees. The lack of formal charges remains a point of profound concern for all of us involved. Your continued attention to this injustice ensures that these individuals are not forgotten in the shadows.
March 2, 2009
The growing momentum behind this call for justice demonstrates that the plight of those detained in Evin prison has not gone unnoticed by the international community. This collective attention increases the pressure on the relevant authorities to respect human rights and move toward a fair outcome for all involved.
Reached 100 supporters
March 2, 2009
6 Comments
S
Sarah Tran
17 years ago
Featured
This is just sad. People should be able to practice their own faith without worrying about prison. Let them go home.
L
Linda Richards
17 years ago
Featured
Total injustice. Absolutely disgusting to treat humans like this.
E
Elena Iyer
17 years ago
Featured
30 years of this garbage is way too long. Release these people right now.
M
Mark Ferguson
17 years ago
Featured
FREE AZIZ SAMANDARI. Stop arresting innocent people just because they pray differently. The world is watching you guys.
K
Kevin Ward
17 years ago
Featured
They arent criminals. They are teachers and neighbors. Just let them be.
D
David Gibson
17 years ago
Featured
Sending prayers to the families. Nobody deserves to sit in Evin like this for nothing.
Help this petition grow
Share it with friends to help reach
250 signatures.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
or sign with Email
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via . Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
Signing with Google or Facebook verifies your signature instantly — no email needed.
This is just sad. People should be able to practice their own faith without worrying about prison. Let them go home.