Maryam Namazie
Published in Hambastegi English
February 5, 2001

On February 3, over 350 people gathered in Leicester to protest the death of Ramin Khaleghi, a 27-year-old Iranian asylum seeker, who committed suicide after receiving a refusal notice from the UK Home Office. The protestors held the Islamic regime, which imprisoned and tortured him, and the UK government’s policy of refusal and dispersal, responsible for Ramin’s death.

While Ramin is yet to be buried, the UK and Islamic governments continue the wheeling and dealing that caused Ramin’s death. Their latest endeavour is a major international conference entitled ‘Investments in Iran’ at the Landmark Hotel during February 19-20 and a one-day post-conference seminar on February 21 at The Westbury in London (http://www.ibcglobal.com/iran). Peter Hain, UK Minister of State and Mohammad Hossein Adeli, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic regime, are some of the top-level officials attending the conference.

The conference aims to further legitimise and maintain a regime, which in the past month alone has:

Sentenced Maryam Ayoobi, a 32-year-old woman, to death by stoning

Chopped off Mohammad Ali Aivazkhani’s arm in public in Qom

Hanged Alyas Lotfaian, 22, in public in the city of Isfahan

Sentenced Hossein Asna Ashari, 44, to be hanged

Hanged six men aged 20-30

Hanged Hamid Heydari, aged 21

Hanged Hassan Faylom from a crane in central Tehran

Publicly flogged several youths in Isfahan, Mashhad, Booshehr and Hashtgard

Arrested 262 people in raids on New Year’s Eve parties for “indecent clothing,” consuming alcohol beverages and dancing with members of the opposite sex. Some were flogged (below is picture of one woman flogged)

Sentenced to imprisonment: Saeed Sadr to 10 years, Akbar Ganji, 10 years, Khalil Rostamkhani, nine years, Ezzatollah Sahabi, four years, Ali Afshari, five years, Mehrangiz Kar, four years and Shahla Lahiji, to four years …

This conference is being organised at the expense of the many Ramin Khaleghi’s both here and in Iran.

It must not be allowed to go ahead as planned. February 19-21 must be transformed into widespread days of protest against the torturers and killers of Ramin and innumerable others.