P R E S S R E L E A S E
Support human rights in Iran
4th WEEK
The Iranian Human Rights Working Group
(IHRWG) is calling on all concerned groups and individuals to participate
in a weekly vigil in support of the fundamental human rights of the Iranian
people. Human Rights violations in Iran have intensified following the
peaceful demonstration of students demanding freedom of press among other
things.
The IHRWG is gravely concerned about the treatment of detainees, as
there are strong indications that a number of student leaders were tortured
in an effort to extract false confessions out of them. Moreover, the IHRWG
believes that the lives of many of the people arrested are in danger, as
senior government officials have called for them to be tried on charges
of "corruption on earth" and "fighting God", both of
which carry the death penalty.
The IHRWG calls for the weekly rally/vigil to be held in front of the
IRI Mission to the UN (622 Third Ave. at the South East corner third avenue
and 40th Streets) every Wednesday from 4:00 to 7:00 PM, until the following
demands have been met by the Iranian government.
The IHRWG demands:
1.
a. The unconditional release of all of those who have been arbitrarily
arrested;
b. open and fair trials for all of those arrested activists who have
been charged with any criminal acts.
2.
a. A thorough investigation (conforming with international human rights
standards) into the attack on student dormitories at Tehran University
on July 8 which resulted in deaths, injuries, and arrests of the students;
b. the public disclosure of the results of above investigation, including
release of the number and names of all those killed and detained all over
Iran;
c. that those responsible for these attacks be brought to justice in
open and fair trials.
3. The unconditional return of the bodies of all those killed in
the recent unrest to their families.
4.
a. The full disclosure of the results of the investigations into the
killing of dissidents (Forouhar, Eskandari-Forouhar, Mokhtari, Pouyandeh
and Sharif) by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence;
b. the full disclosure of the number, names and rank of the agents who
have been under investigation in relation to those killings;
c. open and fair trial of the agents involved in those killings.
5 - Control and dismantling of paramilitary and extra judiciary
groups who have been terrorizing the public.
We also remind the IRI of its obligations, as a signatory, to respect
the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which
include the right to life, freedom from torture, cruel and inhumane and
degrading punishment, and freedom of opinion and expression.
We ask you to support human rights in Iran by announcing the weekly
rally/vigil in your programs, encourage participation and support for the
people who put their lives in the balance by opposing violations of their
fundamental rights in Iran. Also, you can further the knowledge of the
public by programming discussion about the situation in Iran.
Iranian Human Rights Working Group
For more information, contact (212) 866-7164.
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