URGENT ACTION APPEAL UPDATE
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2 November 2005
Further Information on UA 233/05 issued 9 September
2005
Fear of Torture and Ill-treatment / Incommunicado
detention and new concern: Death sentence
IRAN:
Mohsen Bawi (m), aged 35
Imad Bawi (m), law student
Zamel Bawi (m)
Hani Bawi (m), student
Moslem Bawi (m), student
-brothers
Hajj Salem Bawi (m), their father
Asad Bawi (m), their cousin
Mansour Tayouri (m)
Hassan Boughedar (m)
- members of the extended Bawi family
Imad Bawi and his brother Zamel Bawi have reportedly
been sentenced to death. It is not known what they were
convicted of, or whether there will be an appeal. It there is
no appeal, and the sentence goes directly to the Supreme
Court for ratification, they could be executed at any time.
The brothers' father, Hajj Salem Bawi, was reportedly
released on 28 August. He apparently met three of his sons
while he was held in Amaniya Prison, in the city of Ahvaz.
He could see that they had been ill-treated.
The five Bawi brothers and their cousin Asad Bawi were
reportedly arrested on 11 August, and Hajj Salem Bawi
later that day when he made enquiries about their
whereabouts. It is not known precisely when Mansour
Tayouri or Hassan Boughedar were arrested.The Bawi
family are prominent in Ahvaz, in the eastern province of
Khuzestan, which is is home to most of Iran's Arab
minority. Relatives have reportedly claimed that at least
three of the detainees have been tortured physically and
psychologically.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On 14 August, the Iranian government reportedly accused
the United Kingdom and the United States of instigating
recent ethnic unrest involving the country's Arab and
Kurdish minorities and the state security forces. The
Ministry of Intelligence has reportedly announced that
those responsible for the unrest and bombing in Khuzestan
province in April and June, which followed allegations that
the government was planning to disperse the country's Arab
population, have been identified and arrested.
Two explosions on 15 October killed six people and injured
at least 100 others in Ahvaz. The Judiciary announced on
22 October that 30 people had been arrested in connection
with the explosions. President Mahmoud Ahmadinezhad
reiterated his view that the United Kingdom was linked to
the attacks, which the UK has denied.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to
arrive as quickly as possible:
- urging the authorities to commute the death sentence
imposed on Imad and Zamel Bawi immediately;
- asking for details of the charges against them, their trial
and any appeals, and of their legal representation;
- acknowledging that governments have a responsibility to
bring to justice those suspected of criminal offences, but
stating your unconditional opposition to the death penalty,
as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment
and violation of the right to life.
- expressing concern for the safety of the other six still in
custody (naming them), who are reportedly held
incommunicado, and seeking assurances that they are not
being tortured or ill-treated;
- calling on the authorities to reveal where they are
detained, and to release them immediately unless they are
to be charged with a recognizably criminal offence;
- calling for them to be given immediate access to lawyers
of their choice, their family, interpreters and medical
treatment if necessary;
- reminding the authorities that confessions extracted under
duress are prohibited by Article 38 of the Iranian
constitution (''All forms of torture for the purpose of
extracting confession or acquiring information are
forbidden,'') and that Iran is a state party to the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of
which Article 7 states that ''No one shall be subjected to
cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.''
APPEALS TO: (Fax numbers and e-mail addresses for Iran are
unreliable so please send letters if you cannot get through)
Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 011 98 21 649 5880 (please mark 'For the attention of the
Office of His Excellency, Ayatollah al Udhma Khamenei)
Email: i...@leader.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency
President
His Excellency Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinezhad
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
E-mail: (via website) http://www.president.ir/email/
Salutation: Your Excellency
Head of the Judiciary
His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice
Park-e Shahr
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: ir...@iranjudiciary.org (mark 'Please forward
to HE Ayatollah Shahroudi')
Salutation: Your Excellency
COPIES TO:
Speaker of Parliament
Gholamali Haddad Adel
Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami
Imam Khomeini Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: webmas...@majlis.ir (mark 'Please forward
to Mr Gholami Haddad Adel' )
Fax: 011 98 21 646 1746
Iran does not presently have an embassy in this country.
Instead, please send copies to:
Iranian Interests Section
2209 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington DC 20007
Phone: 202 965 4990
Fax: 202 965 1073
Please send appeals immediately. Check with the
Colorado office between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm,
Mountain Time, weekdays only, if sending appeals after
December 14, 2005.
Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement that
promotes and defends human rights.
This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including
contact information and stop action date (if applicable). Thank
you for your help with this appeal.
Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
PO Box 1270
Nederland CO 80466-1270
Email: u...@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 303 258 1170
Fax: 303 258 7881
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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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