"On 25 February 2008, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Farzad Kamangar to death on charges of "endangering national security" and "enmity against God" (moharebe). The death penalty was confirmed by the Supreme Court on 11 July. "
A teacher, former member of a Kurdish teacher's union (until outlawed) and human right's activist, Farzad Kamangar was scheduled to be executed today! Thankfully, according to one source (International Campaign For Human Rights In Iran), he was not, although 10 others (including a woman) were, and there is still the likelihood that Kamangar will be hanged, at some point.
In a letter from prison, Kamangar describes the details of his arrest, and the torture he has endured while incarcerated:
In July of 2006 I came to Tehran to follow upon my brother's medical treatments. My brother is a Kurdish political activist. Upon my arrival in Tehran I was arrested and taken to an unknown place, it was a very small, dark basement. The cells in this place were empty, there were no blankets or rugs or sheets. They took me to a room and as they were interviewing me they asked me about my ethnicity. When I told them that I was of the Kurdish Ethnicity they lashed my entire body. They also lashed me because of the Kurdish music which I had saved on my mobile phone. They would tie my hands, make me sit on a chair and put pressure on the sensitive areas of my body. They would also strip me naked and threaten me with rape by various objects such as wood.
His trial was a farce. According to Khalil Bahramian, Farzad’s lawyer:
“Nothing in Kamangar’s judicial files and records demonstrates any links to the charges brought against him.” He described the trial as “lasting no more than five minutes, with the judge issuing his sentence without any explanation and then promptly leaving the room.” {snip} the closed-door trial violated the Iranian legal requirements that such cases must be tried publicly and in the presence of a jury.
Please send an email to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad requesting, at the very least, that Kamangar get a fair trial. You can email him directly at: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
or via the Education International website by clicking here, which has a pre-written letter
Being sentenced to death for being Kurdish, a human right's activist or trade union member, or all of the above, is outrageous.
Please take a moment to do this. That moment could save an innocent man's life.
10 comments:
WOW...what a horrid story. I wonder if Obama will step in........or maybe Ahmedinejad's big buddy, Larry "You look too young to have grown children..giggle" King?
If we had an honest media (BIG if, I know), they'd make such a stink about this the whole WORLD would come to this fellow's aid...but, alas.
We bloggers have to do it...........again. Oh, I hope he's still alive..and stays that way!
Happy Thanksgiving, Incognito..we forget how good we have it.
Wow is right...
But I'm taking a break from international politics to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!
Done!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sam
it is a blessing not to live in a nation where one does not have to worry about reprisal, or the threat of death from their government! yours truly joe the plumber!!... way to uncover this incog!!
thanks Incog. Happy Thanksgiving and keep fightin the good fight my friend !! :-)
And we allowed that pig Ahmadinejad in our counry TWICE (snce 9/11!)
Think Reagan would've permitted that?
Good work Incog, efforts such as these may indeed help...
Thank you for letting us know. Awful story.
brenda giguere
Done, message sent. What a chilling story, and how unthinkable that it is not some freak situation but all too typical of this hellish regime. Thank you for caring.
what a contrast to this site.
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