As you know, the Islamic Republic regime in Iran has launched a new wave of torture and executions in Iran’s prisons. This has led to deep concerns amongst prisoners who are under a sentence of death.
On Tuesday July 3rd a number of political prisoners, as well as ordinary prisoners, in Evin Prison managed to contact me by phone to let me know of their concerns over the events of the last few weeks in prisons and of their request for immediate international measures to stop the Islamic regime committing further atrocities.
A number of political prisoners in Gohardasht Prison called me to tell me about their fears over a rumour that the wholesale executions of political prisoners which were carried out in1981 and 1988 may be repeated.
Also political prisoners from prisons in Tabriz, Shiraz and Zahedan have in the past few days told their friends and families about their concerns over the new wave of executions in Iran and called for actions both inside Iran and internationally to put an end to this barbarity.
A number of civil rights activists in Iran have also asked me to help set up meetings with the representatives of the UN, of the embassies of the European states and of the European Union in Iran.
There is now more urgency than ever for concerted efforts to exert strong pressure on the Islamic Republic to stop the executions. However, we should also bear in mind that the Islamic government in Iran often yields to international pressure temporarily but resumes its atrocities once the pressures have subsided. As long as the death penalty has not been abolished in Iran, the Islamic regime will continue killing people as a means of intimidation.
We are calling for pressure to be put on the Islamic regime in Iran not just for the revoking of all the death sentences, but also for the abolition of the death penalty altogether. This murder weapon must be taken away from this criminal regime for ever. I hope that by your extensive international actions you will respond positively to this concern and request of the prisoners.
I have promised all these people, the political prisoners, those sentenced to death and human rights activists that the International Committee against Execution and the Campaign against the Islamic Republic’s Atrocities will inform the general public and human rights organisations about their concern and request and that a series of measures will be put on our agenda.
I would ask all to intervene in these events with greater speed, putting further pressure on the Islamic Republic until it stops the deliberate murder of people and an immediate end is put to these crimes.
Respectfully
Mina Ahadi
August 3, 2007
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