Amnesty International calls for independent investigations
into killings
Amnesty International News Release
3 December 1998
Amnesty International has been alarmed by the recent killings of two
prominent government critics -- as well as by other recent events -- in
the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The human rights organization calls upon the Iranian authorities to
undertake immediate, independent investigations into these events, in accordance
with United Nations "Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation
of Extra-Legal Arbitrary and Summary Executions", and to make public
the findings of any such investigations. Attacks against critics of the
government within Iran have rarely been subject to impartial and open investigation
in the past.
Amnesty International has been dismayed by the killings of Dariyush
Foruhar, a prominent critic of the government of the Islamic Republic of
Iran, and his wife, Parvaneh Foruhar, at their home in Tehran on 22 November
1998.
Dariyush Foruhar, who served as Minister of Labour in the Provisional
Government of Mehdi Bazargan in 1979, was the leader of the Iran Nation
Party (Hezb-e Mellat-e Iran), a banned but tolerated opposition group.
Parvaneh Foruhar was also a prominent opposition activist. Unlike many
opposition figures, Darius Foruhar remained in Iran following the establishment
of the Islamic Republic, and often criticised the authorities, especially
on human rights issues.
Although it is unclear at present who was responsible for the killings,
described by President Mohammad Khatami as a "repulsive crime",
and although the Interior Minister Abdolvahed Musavi-Lari has stated that
"the government is determined to get to the root of the matter and
deal with the culprits whoever they may be or whatever their position",
associates of Dariyush Foruhar have expressed their belief that the killings
may have been politically motivated.
In a separate incident, the body of Majid Sharif, a translator and journalist,
was identified in a Tehran mortuary on 24 November 1998 by one of his brothers,
who had been summoned by officials. The coroner's report cited "heart
failure" as the cause of death.
Majid Sharif had left home on 20 November 1998, having told his family
that he planned to travel to the city of Mashhad to attend the funeral
of a prominent cleric. His family became concerned when he failed to return.
Majid Sharif formerly contributed to the journal Iran-e Farda, which was
banned earlier this year and reportedly wrote articles advocating the separation
of state and religion. According to other reports he had been questioned
on several occasions by officials of the Ministry of Information in connection
with his political views.
Amnesty International has also received unconfirmed reports suggesting
that the mother of Pirouz Davani, another critic of the Iranian government
who went missing in August 1998, was recently contacted by unnamed persons
who told her that her son had been killed.She reportedly suffered a fatal
heart attack as a result of this news. Amnesty International has written
to the Iranian government asking for clarification of the status of Pirouz
Davani. To date, Amnesty International has received no reply to this request.
The organization is also concerned by reports that Dr. Sayed 'Ali Asghar
Gharavi, a member of the unofficial Iran Freedom Movement (Nehzat-e Azadi-ye
Iran), was arrested in the city of Esfahan on the basis of a warrant reportedly
issued by the Special Court for the Clergy (Dadgah-e Vizhe-ye Ruhaniyat),
the proceedings of which fall short of minimum international standards
for fair trial. On the same day another member of the Iran Freedom Movement,
'Ali Ghofrani, was reportedly arrested in the town of Na'in, near Esfahan.
It remains unclear whether 'Ali Asghar Gharavi and 'Ali Ghofrani have
as yet been formally charged with any recognized criminal offence. Amnesty
International calls upon the Iranian authorities to release them if they
their detention is solely a result of the non-violent expression of their
political beliefs.
Amnesty International is concerned that recent events may represent
a trend towards targeting of opposition figures. While not seeking to apportion
blame, the organization would remind the Iranian authorities of their duty
to ensure the protection of the lives of all citizens of the Islamic Republic
of Iran, in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party. Article 6 of the ICCPR
states: "Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right
shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his
life."
Source: Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton
Street, WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom
