THE IRANIAN
News & Views
Iranian Human Rights Working Group appeals on behalf of Hojat-ol-eslam Mohsen Saidzadeh.
We have learnt, with deep regret, that Hojat-ol-eslam Mohsen Saidzadeh has been arrested in Tehran on June 29th. Mr. Saidzadeh was actively involved in a movement calling for equal rights for women. He is an independent intellectual and well-known Iranian theologist who was trying to find compatibilities between Islam and Human Rights especially in the fields of rights of women and children.
Author of numerous essays, books and articles on these issues, he has sharply criticized the new laws for segregation of medical services by gender, and limitations on advocacy for women rights via public media (two legislations passed by the Iranian parliament recently).
Mr. Saidzadeh was one of the key speakers at an international seminar on children's rights held in Tehran last November and co-sponsored by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Association for the Defense of Children's Rights. He has also spoken at the Iranian Women Studies Foundation annual conference in Toronto, Canada in 1995.
Although authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran have not disclosed the charges against Mr. Saidzadeh, we believe that he has been arrested for his thoughts and should be considered as a prisoner of conscience. This is in continuation of new waves of organized attacks on the media and intellectual activities, which have been on increase in the last few months.
Iranian Human Rights Working Group, joins other Human Rights organizations worldwide to protest at the arrest of Hojat-ol-eslam Mohsen Saidzadeh, and appeal for his immediate release. We furthermore demand that President Khatami deliver his promises to guarantee the rights of all Iranians to freedom of expression as a first step towards a Civil Society.
Iranian Human Rights Working Group
July 7th 1998
Iranian Human Rights Working Group (IHRWG) is an Internet-based community of individuals committed to campaigning for the improvement of human rights in Iran. The group's aims and objectives are contained in its Charter which also sets out the structure of the group and the domain of its activities. The group has no political agenda, and makes no judgment on the legitimacy of the authorities in dealing with them, nor does it take the religious or political beliefs or personal attributes of individuals into consideration when it defends their human rights. The group's Charter specifies its Aims and Objectives as follows: To discuss, inform, educate and campaign for the improvement of human rights in Iran and of Iranians abroad by all lawful means possible. In its activities, the group will campaign for the human rights of individuals regardless of their religious or political affiliations or personal attributes. The group recognizes and adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as its basic definition of human rights. From time to time the group may also stipulate and adopt other specific rights which are not in conflict with articles of the UDHR. The main means of communication will be electronic.
The group's membership is open to all individuals who BELIEVE in human right values as stipulated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ACCEPT the group's Charter, and COMMIT themselves to take part in the campaign for human rights in an atmosphere of mutual trust.
The group is run by an eight-member Steering Committee elected from amongst the membership for a term of two years.
If you like to get more information, including the text of the group's Charter, please send a message to: ihrwg-info@Tehran.Stanford.EDU or see our web pages at: //www.ihrwg.org/
If you want to contact the group, get more information about the group, send information about individual cases of human right abuses, or make general comments, please send your message to:
ihrwg@Tehran.Stanford.EDU or write to: Iranian Human Rights Working Group (IHRWG) PO Box 5095, North Branch, N.J. U.S.A. 08876, Fax: (+1 908) 534-8551
Iranian Human Rights Working Group (IHRWG) ihrwg@Tehran.Stanford.EDU
Disclaimer: "IHRWG is not affiliated with Stanford University, and the opinions expressed herein do not neccesarily represent those of Stanford University, nor do they imply any obligations on the part of the university."
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