PR No. 97
15 November 2010

In tonight’s airing of news program “Eight-thirty,” the Islamic Republic’s “Seda va Sima” aired a clip of the Information Ministry obtaining “confessions” from its prisoners. In this program, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, her son Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, her lawyer Houtan Kian and the two German journalists associated with Bild Am Sonntag magazine were forced to testify against themselves.

The two German journalists, Houtan, and Sajjad were arrested on October 10 while they were conducting an interview in Houtan Kian’s office. Sajjad and Houtan were immediately tortured and to this day have been deprived of visitation right and having solicitors. The two German journalists too remain imprisoned on charges of interviewing them!

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s goal in airing this program is to agitate public opinion against Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and Mina Ahadi, yet despite all efforts, in and of itself the program is a powerful reflection of the international campaign to save Sakineh and gives a tenacious portrayal of Mina Ahadi, her humanitarian efforts and exposes the Islamic Republic of Iran.

For the sake of clarification, it is necessary to reiterate that the two German journalists did not travel to Iran on the request of the International Committee against Execution or Mina Ahadi. These two journalists had travelled to Iran to report and to do interviews on their own volition. They contacted Mina Ahadi and asked for her assistance in contacting Sajjad, and once there, asked for Mina Ahadi’s help with interpretation.

More than anything else, the confessions of the five under pressure and torture exposes the Islamic Republic of Iran and its brutal nature.

In the past five months, under one of the most powerful international campaigns which was initiated by Mina Ahadi and the Committees against Stoning and Execution, the Islamic Republic’s officials have issued numerous contradictory announcements, but the harder they have tried, the more they have exposed themselves and the reality that is the Islamic Republic of Iran. They aimed to go ahead with the execution of Sakineh on several occasions, but the pressure of this global campaign has forced them to retreat. This recent attempt too will lead to even more indignation.

We strongly condemn the Islamic Republic for forcing prisoners to testify against themselves, and call upon the world’s citizens, organizations and international institutions to condemn the Islamic Republic and demand the immediate release of Sakineh, Sajjad, Houtan and the two German journalists, as well as all those sentenced to stoning, and expand their activities for their rescue.

International Committee against Stoning
International Committee against Execution
Nov 15, 2010

To see the clip from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s TV programme

For more information, contact:

Mina Ahadi, International Committee against Execution and International Committee against Stoning: minaahadi@aol.com; Tel: +49 (0) 1775692413, http://stopstonningnow.com, http://notonemoreexecution.org