Pages

Friday 18 April 2008

IMHRO: Iranian Government sentences Kurdish journalist to death for second time

Iranian Minorities’ Human Right Organisation (IMHRO)

Ref.IMHRO.11
2008-04-18


Hiwa Butimar a 29 year old Kurdish journalist and environmental activist have been sentenced to death by branch number one of the Revolutionary Court in Mariwan city, for a second time.

The Iranian government accused him of selling arms to Kurdish guerrilla fighters connected to P.K.K, which all of the Kurdish political parties strongly repudiate.

IMHRO understands from sources inside Kurdistan that Hiwa Butimar has been in
solitary confinement for more than a year and has undergone torture.

His brother, Hadi Butimar told IMHRO that his appeal against the sentence was referred to the same judge in Mariwan city, who confirmed it for a second time.

This is totally unacceptable, and shows clearly the summary and arbitrary nature of executions in Iran. How can an appeal case be referred to the same judge?

Reza Washahi, campaigner for minorities’ rights, told IMHRO: “How can the Iranian court accept the confession of a person who was under torture for more than a year? Why does the Iranian government not allow UN special representatives to visits prisons in Iran, especially Kurdish prisons? Why is Amnesty International not allowed to have an office in Iran or to have been allowed to visit Iran during the last 30 years?”

IMHRO strongly supports the abolition of the death penalty in Iran and calls on the Iranian government to stop the death sentence passed on Hiwa Butimar and to release this Kurdish journalist.
Hiwa Butimar won a Freedom of the Press reward in Italy in November 2007
[i].

Background
The Kurdish minority in Iran which numbers up to 6 million people live in the west midland, north-west and north-east areas of Iran. Iranian Kurdish people are denied social and political rights. Various human rights organisations report that hundreds of Kurds are in prison, some of them there for a very long time.

Recently reports indicate that there is huge arsenic pollution in the city of Ghorweh as a result of gold mining by Chinese companies in Sargonay mine in south-east Kurdistan.

Action
Write a letter to one of the following and express your concern about the Kurdish journalist Hiwa Butimar. Call on the Iranian government to stop his execution and to release him immediately.

Please send your appeal to:

Secretary-General United Nations
Hon. Ban Ki-moon
United Nations Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
Supreme leader of Iran
Sayyed Ali Khamenei
E-mail via web site
http://www.leader.ir/

Iranian president

Mahmud Ahmadinejad
E-mail via web site
http://www.president.ir/en/

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Ms Louise Arbour
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Chairwoman of European parliament Human Rights committee
Ms Hélène FLAUTRE
Bureau d'Hélène Flautre au Parlement européen8G130, rue WierzB-1049, Bruxelles, Belgique

[i] http://www.defendinternational.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=134&Itemid=73




Monday 7 April 2008

IMHRO: Iranian Minorities’ Human Right Organisation at AIUK AGM 2008

Iranian Minorities’ Human Right Organisation (IMHRO)


Ref.IMHRO.10

2008-04-07

















Kate Allen director of Amnesty International UK
with Reza Washahi IMHRO researcher and campaigner

Iranian minority’s human right organisation attended annual general meeting of amnesty in United Kingdom which took place at Nottingham University this year.

In this meeting different issues regarding human right of minorities in Iran discussed in highest level with different amnesty section.

Talking with different key member of amnesty UK and delegation from all over to UK and different part of the world, IMHRO raised awareness of situation of minorities in Iran.

IMHRO also exchanged view with other minorities’ delegates to how to put minorities’ issues in heart of human right campaign worldwide.

IMHRO also shared its experiences with amnesty UK Web team regarding E-campaigning which welcomed warmly with excellent comments.

China 2008


Please Click on image to enlarge it