PR No. 58
August 30, 2010
The letter by Sajjad, Sakineh Ashtiani’s son, below has been received by the International Committee Against Stoning on August 30, 2010. In this letter Sajjad reports on his mother’s dangerous situation, his father’s murder file having gone missing, as well as on the raid on the house of Hootan Kian’s, his mother’s lawyer, and the stealing of documents from there. Further, he warns against making up a new case against his mother. He asks us all to beware of these new developments and make efforts to prevent the Islamic Republic from fabricating a new case against his mother and, subsequently, executing her.
The letter will be released to the media through the International Committee Against Stoning.
International Committee Against Stoning
International Committee Against Execution
August 30, 2010
The verbatim translation of Sajjad’s letter:
In the Name of God
To all associations of defenders of human rights around the immense universe
I salute you and deeply appreciate your daily troubles to free my innocent mother (save her life).
I, Sajjad Ghaderzade, went to Division 7 of the office of Execution of Criminal Sentences in Tabriz [provincial capital of Eastern Azerbaijan] last week in order to collect all the documents relevant to my father’s death and obtain other evidence existing in his murder file. What I found out was that my father’s murder file was not at the said division. The officials of the division first claimed that since the case had been closed the file had been sent to the Still Filing Office. I went there. The official in charge said all he knew was that the file had not been received by their office. I went back to the Division, this time only to find out that the file had got lost. As a rule a copy of [all the documents relevant to] the investigation phase of my father’s, or anyone else’s murder, is kept at the [Police] Criminal Department of every town. So I had to go the Criminal Department of Oskoo Police, which I did. What I found out was that the copy which was supposed to be there was also missing. Therefore, [especially] in view of the false statement [on August 28, 2010] by the so-called Department of Citizens’ Rights Only [originally, the High Council of Human Rights] of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic [see http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/3425], it is possible that the case is being tampered with or a new case is being made up. This worries us very much. It is worth noting that on Sunday, 1389/5/31 [Solar Hijri Calendar], August 22, 2010, the house of our lawyer (Mr. Hootan Kian) was raided through beating and pushing aside the security guard of the residential tower, an old man, and breaking down the apartment door in the worst possible way. His laptop, printer, and all of his files, including my mother’s, were taken. When we called there it looked like there had been an earthquake in that house.
We (I) wander at the Judiciary authorities [and their Statement on Human Rights] when the previous lawyer of this humble party, [consisting of my mother, my sister and myself,] Mr. Mohammad Mostafaei, a most competent lawyer, had to escape his homeland and leave his abode behind in order to save his life. And now Mr. Hootan Kian is being put under the most intense security and psychological pressures, threatened in the most severe manner, and summoned [to either the judiciary of the Ministry of Intelligence].
Why do they extract a false confession from my mother and broadcast it [on TV]? Why have they taken away our mother’s right to visitation with us and her lawyer?! Can the reason be anything other than that the torture marks are still visible on her body and they do not want any witnesses to that, and that is why they have postponed the visitations until after the marks have got relatively better?! Why has my father’s murder file gone missing? Why will they not let my mother’s case go through a normal process of reviewing? We are sad, indeed, to have been born in the Islamic Republic. After its television show [of my mother’s confessing to my father’s murder] we have been disowned even by our own [extended] family! And we still have to bear the life under abasement here! Indeed, where is death? This life is killing us!
Sajjad Ghaderzade
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Islamic Republic Threatened that Sakineh Would be Executed on the 29th of August
PR No.56
August 29, 2010
On the 28th of August, in connection with the global protests against stoning and the death penalty that took place in at least 111 cities around the world, the authorities of Tabriz prison informed Sakineh that she would be executed on the 29th of August at dawn. She was told that she could write her will if she wished to do so. Sakineh started to cry and wrote her will. She waited for her execution the whole night. She waited for the guards to take her to the place of execution. Sakineh's friends in prison showed her their deep grief and tried to comfort and calm her. However, until this hour, noon on August 29th, there has been no news concerning the completion of this death sentence. It seems that the Islamic Republic, while under immense international pressure, wanted to give the impression that it would not bow to world public opinion.
The International Committee against Stoning and the International Committee against Execution strongly condemn such heinous and criminal behavior of the Islamic regime towards prisoners sentenced to death. This [mock preparation for execution] is an indicator of the lack of detainees’ human rights. Over the years, the regime has threatened prisoners with execution sentences in order to intimidate and torture them mentally. Azar Bagheri is a young girl who has been in jail for four years, awaiting execution by stoning. She was 15 years old when she was convicted of adultery. She has been subjected to mock stonings twice [wrapped in a shroud and buried in preparation to be stoned, then released]. The dimensions of this regime's atrocities have no limits. Opposition by Iranian people and people worldwide is the only way to push back this regime and finally free the Iranian people and all of humanity from this Islamic regime.
The International Committee against Stoning and the International Committee against Execution will continue the campaign to save Sakineh and other prisoners sentenced to execution and stoning. From here, we encourage the world to participate actively in this struggle.
International Committee against Stoning (ICAS)
International Committee against Execution ICAE)
August 29, 2010
Mina Ahadi
International Committee against Execution
International Committee against Stoning
Email: minaahadi@aol.com
Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
http://notonemoreexecution.org
http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/
August 29, 2010
On the 28th of August, in connection with the global protests against stoning and the death penalty that took place in at least 111 cities around the world, the authorities of Tabriz prison informed Sakineh that she would be executed on the 29th of August at dawn. She was told that she could write her will if she wished to do so. Sakineh started to cry and wrote her will. She waited for her execution the whole night. She waited for the guards to take her to the place of execution. Sakineh's friends in prison showed her their deep grief and tried to comfort and calm her. However, until this hour, noon on August 29th, there has been no news concerning the completion of this death sentence. It seems that the Islamic Republic, while under immense international pressure, wanted to give the impression that it would not bow to world public opinion.
The International Committee against Stoning and the International Committee against Execution strongly condemn such heinous and criminal behavior of the Islamic regime towards prisoners sentenced to death. This [mock preparation for execution] is an indicator of the lack of detainees’ human rights. Over the years, the regime has threatened prisoners with execution sentences in order to intimidate and torture them mentally. Azar Bagheri is a young girl who has been in jail for four years, awaiting execution by stoning. She was 15 years old when she was convicted of adultery. She has been subjected to mock stonings twice [wrapped in a shroud and buried in preparation to be stoned, then released]. The dimensions of this regime's atrocities have no limits. Opposition by Iranian people and people worldwide is the only way to push back this regime and finally free the Iranian people and all of humanity from this Islamic regime.
The International Committee against Stoning and the International Committee against Execution will continue the campaign to save Sakineh and other prisoners sentenced to execution and stoning. From here, we encourage the world to participate actively in this struggle.
International Committee against Stoning (ICAS)
International Committee against Execution ICAE)
August 29, 2010
Mina Ahadi
International Committee against Execution
International Committee against Stoning
Email: minaahadi@aol.com
Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
http://notonemoreexecution.org
http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/
Sakineh Ashtiani's son, Sajjad, calls Washington DC protest direct from Iran
PR No. 57
August 29, 2010
On the occasion of the 100 Cities Around the World Against Stoning protests, 22-year old Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, Sakineh Ashtiani’s son, made a direct call to Mina Ahadi, the spokesperson for the International Committee Against Stoning (ICAS) and the International Committee Against Execution (ICAE). In his call, Sajjad addressed the crowd at the demonstration and thanked the world for their support. He said that the Islamic Republic regime was telling lies about their mother's guilt, and had ransacked her lawyer's office at his home and stole documents relevant to her case. It should be recognized that reaching out to the world in this manner and speaking against the regime puts Sajjad at grave risk of retribution by the regime.
The English translation of Sajjad's message is as follows:
"Greetings to all you who are participating in our mother’s demonstration and are carrying placards and her pictures. I would like to say that we love you all very much, and I sincerely thank you for your generous, kind attention. I also want to say that the official statement issued minutes ago by the Human Rights of the Judiciary concerning our mother’s case is totally false. We have found out that my mother’s murder file [that is, the case in which someone else had confessed to murdering Sakineh’s husband] is now missing. The Islamic Republic has been tampering with the file. Also, I’m sad to say, they raided the house of Mr. Kian, our lawyer, sometime this week and took all of our mother’s documents in his office. They also took his laptop computer and some other items of his belongings. [Or] they go to our mother, beat her, and then say to her: you must come on television and say these things. We want the whole world to help us in this ordeal. The lives of all those who are supporting us in Iran, such as Mr. Kian, our lawyer, are in danger. I thank you all, once again."
Two points in Sajjad’s call demand further clarification and emphasis: 1- The statement by the ‘Human Rights of the Judiciary’ he refers to is an official Statement issued by the High Council of Human Rights of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran on August 28 (http://irna.com/html/1389/13890606/216498.htm). The statement, obviously issued under international pressure, and on the same day that the 100 Cities Around the World Against Stoning global protest was being held, starts off by complaining about ‘the taking position of the authorities [of other countries], international bodies, and some state and non-state media on the legal and judicial matters of countries,’ and goes on to catalogue a whole host of lies about Sakineh Ashtiani and the previous process of reviewing her case. What Sajjad said about his mother’s now-missing murder charge file, stealing the documents relevant to her case from her lawyer’s home, and the regime’s tampering with the case is, indeed, alarming. These developments clearly point to the regime’s efforts to fabricate a new case against Sakineh instead of ‘carefully reviewing’ the same old one, which it has kept the world waiting for. 2- Sajjad’s brave warning of the dangers threatening those supporting Sakineh and her family in Iran, such as their lawyer, Hootan Kian, should be emphasized and taken very seriously.
ICAS, ICAE, Mission Free Iran, and Iran Solidarity hereby bring the above life-threatening new developments to the attention of the governments as well as the people of world, and pledge to continue campaigning until the regime’s new plots have been thwarted.
International Committee Against Stoning (www.stopstonning.com)
International Committee Against Execution (www.notonemoreexecution.org)
August 29, 2010
Video and translation provided by PR for Personal Rights.
Video disseminated by http://missionfreeiran.org for the Campaign to Save Sakineh Ashtiani.
August 29, 2010
On the occasion of the 100 Cities Around the World Against Stoning protests, 22-year old Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, Sakineh Ashtiani’s son, made a direct call to Mina Ahadi, the spokesperson for the International Committee Against Stoning (ICAS) and the International Committee Against Execution (ICAE). In his call, Sajjad addressed the crowd at the demonstration and thanked the world for their support. He said that the Islamic Republic regime was telling lies about their mother's guilt, and had ransacked her lawyer's office at his home and stole documents relevant to her case. It should be recognized that reaching out to the world in this manner and speaking against the regime puts Sajjad at grave risk of retribution by the regime.
The English translation of Sajjad's message is as follows:
"Greetings to all you who are participating in our mother’s demonstration and are carrying placards and her pictures. I would like to say that we love you all very much, and I sincerely thank you for your generous, kind attention. I also want to say that the official statement issued minutes ago by the Human Rights of the Judiciary concerning our mother’s case is totally false. We have found out that my mother’s murder file [that is, the case in which someone else had confessed to murdering Sakineh’s husband] is now missing. The Islamic Republic has been tampering with the file. Also, I’m sad to say, they raided the house of Mr. Kian, our lawyer, sometime this week and took all of our mother’s documents in his office. They also took his laptop computer and some other items of his belongings. [Or] they go to our mother, beat her, and then say to her: you must come on television and say these things. We want the whole world to help us in this ordeal. The lives of all those who are supporting us in Iran, such as Mr. Kian, our lawyer, are in danger. I thank you all, once again."
Two points in Sajjad’s call demand further clarification and emphasis: 1- The statement by the ‘Human Rights of the Judiciary’ he refers to is an official Statement issued by the High Council of Human Rights of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran on August 28 (http://irna.com/html/1389/13890606/216498.htm). The statement, obviously issued under international pressure, and on the same day that the 100 Cities Around the World Against Stoning global protest was being held, starts off by complaining about ‘the taking position of the authorities [of other countries], international bodies, and some state and non-state media on the legal and judicial matters of countries,’ and goes on to catalogue a whole host of lies about Sakineh Ashtiani and the previous process of reviewing her case. What Sajjad said about his mother’s now-missing murder charge file, stealing the documents relevant to her case from her lawyer’s home, and the regime’s tampering with the case is, indeed, alarming. These developments clearly point to the regime’s efforts to fabricate a new case against Sakineh instead of ‘carefully reviewing’ the same old one, which it has kept the world waiting for. 2- Sajjad’s brave warning of the dangers threatening those supporting Sakineh and her family in Iran, such as their lawyer, Hootan Kian, should be emphasized and taken very seriously.
ICAS, ICAE, Mission Free Iran, and Iran Solidarity hereby bring the above life-threatening new developments to the attention of the governments as well as the people of world, and pledge to continue campaigning until the regime’s new plots have been thwarted.
International Committee Against Stoning (www.stopstonning.com)
International Committee Against Execution (www.notonemoreexecution.org)
August 29, 2010
Video and translation provided by PR for Personal Rights.
Video disseminated by http://missionfreeiran.org for the Campaign to Save Sakineh Ashtiani.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Thousands came out in over 100 cities
PR No. 55
August 28, 2010
August 28, 2010, registered as a historic day in the struggle against the barbarism of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Today, August 28, thousands of citizens in 32 countries came out in response to the call by the International Committee Against Stoning, the International Committee Against Execution, Mission Free Iran, and Iran Solidarity. The call was to demand the immediate freedom of Sakineh Ashtiani and all others condemned to stoning, as well as to protest the barbaric cruelty of the regime of Islamic Republic, specifically the medieval punishment of stoning.
The early news of today’s rallies around the world indicates that the call to action has been widely responded to - unprecedented in the similar category of international callouts. Citizens have come out in over 100 cities, carrying posters of Sakineh and others condemned to be stoned, listening to several speakers from different parties and organizations, and chanting slogans. At the end the rallies held so far, the Statement of the demonstration (see Appendix) has been confirmed by the participants with clapping or signing.
The Statement points to examples of 31 years of crime by the Islamic regime, from genocidal massacre of political prisoners to enforcing the pre-medieval Sharia (doctrinal) law, which, among other barbaric punishments, prescribes stoning for the ‘crime’ of adultery. The Statement goes on to demand: the immediate and unconditional release of Sakineh Ashtiani and all others condemned to stoning; the abolition as well as criminalization of stoning worldwide; not recognizing the Islamic Republic as the government of Iran, and expelling it from all international bodies; the trial by international courts of the leaders of the regime for 31 years of crime against humanity.
Hundreds of TV networks, radio stations and newspapers covered the news of the international day before the event. Several of them included in their coverage interviews with the leaders and activists of the campaign. The early news indicate that so far today the media has given the rallies wide coverage - some of them live and with interviews.
Post cards have been presented to the participants to buy and mail to the Secretary General of UN asking for Ahmadinejad not to let in the UN General Assembly session in September.
August 28 was thus made into a historic day of world protest against stoning, in particular, and the barbarism of the Islamic Republic, in general – a day on which the foundation was laid for wider solidarity with the people of Iran in order to bring down the vile Islamic regime.
We salute all the organizers of today’s international event as well as all those who participated in them, including personages, organizations and the media. We will gradually make available reports, photos and footages of the rallies.
Further, we hereby declare that our fight against stoning and the regime of stoning in Iran took a great step forward today, and thus put the people of Iran as well as the world in a more advantageous position to further the struggle. On this day, we proudly declare that we shall most resolutely continue this fight until Sakineh Ashtiani all those sentenced to stoning have been unconditionally freed, until stoning has been abolished around the world, until all criminal laws of the Islamic Republic have been complete revoked, and, indeed, until the regime itself has been brought down. This regime has been founded, and survived, on human blood shed by means of terror: from policing the people’s private lives in the most brutal ways to jailing, flogging, raping, torturing, executing (including minors, gays and lesbians), assassinating, massacring political prisoners, stoning, mutilating people in accordance with the pre-medieval, tribal Islamic Sharia law, …the list is almost endless in criminality. Such a terrorist regime must be brought down. We proudly declare that we shall continue the struggle most resolutely until this has been achieved.
International Committee Against Stoning
International Committee Against Execution
August 29, 2010
Appendix:
The Statement of the protest action of August 28, 2010 by
100 Cities Around the World Against Stoning
On August 28, 2010 one hundred cities around the world are rising up to protest the barbaric practice of stoning, as well as to save the life of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani in Iran. This day will be recorded in the annals of humanity as a manifestation of the protest, during the prior weeks, by millions of people across the globe against stoning as the most heinous form of medieval cruelty. It is a disgrace to humanity that, at the close of the first decade of the twenty-first century, stoning is still practiced in Iran and similar Islam-stricken countries. We, the citizens of 100 cities, hereby unequivocally declare that this blot must be removed from the face of humanity immediately and permanently.
On this day we also protest against the regime of stoning in Iran. This regime has, during the 31 years of its existence, committed genocide, established a system of sexual apartheid in Iran, and made imprisonment, execution, torture, rape of political prisoners, and the rule of pre-medieval Islamic Sharia the law of the land. Such a regime is not the representative of the people of Iran. It is their murderer, and its leaders must be brought to trial before international tribunals for their crimes against humanity.
Further, the international protest of August 28 is yet another manifestation of the solidarity of people around the world with the people of Iran, who have heroically risen up to bring down the regime of stoning, the Islamic code of punishment (Qesaas), hijab, torture, and execution. We, the citizens of 100 cities worldwide, proudly declare that we consider ourselves the standard bearers of the universal front of humanity against barbarity. We support the struggles of the people of Iran against one of the cruellest regimes in the history of humankind. We, therefore, emphatically declare, on behalf of the world’s civilized humanity, that the path to the liberation of the Iranian people will not pass through threats or military action against the country but through the removal of the regime of the Islamic Republic by the power of the struggles of people in Iran and across the world.
The following are our common demands on August 28, 2010 throughout 100 cities of the world:
1- The immediate and unconditional freedom of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and all other prisoners in Iran sentenced to be stoned to death.
2- The abolition of stoning in Iran and elsewhere. We demand that the United Nations urgently adopt a specific resolution forbidding stoning as an inhuman punishment all over the world.
3- Not recognizing the Islamic regime of stoning in Iran as the government of that country and, thus, banning it from all international bodies.
4- Bringing to trial the perpetrators of stoning. Stoning is one of the most abominable forms of crime against humanity. Any individual, group, organization or state executing the punishment of stoning must be prosecuted and tried by international tribunals.
We continue our struggles until we have achieved all of these demands. As an immediate, primary step to that end, we demand that Mahmood Ahmadinejad, the president of the regime of stoning, be stopped from entering the General Assembly of the United Nations in September 2010.
August 28, 2010
August 28, 2010, registered as a historic day in the struggle against the barbarism of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Today, August 28, thousands of citizens in 32 countries came out in response to the call by the International Committee Against Stoning, the International Committee Against Execution, Mission Free Iran, and Iran Solidarity. The call was to demand the immediate freedom of Sakineh Ashtiani and all others condemned to stoning, as well as to protest the barbaric cruelty of the regime of Islamic Republic, specifically the medieval punishment of stoning.
The early news of today’s rallies around the world indicates that the call to action has been widely responded to - unprecedented in the similar category of international callouts. Citizens have come out in over 100 cities, carrying posters of Sakineh and others condemned to be stoned, listening to several speakers from different parties and organizations, and chanting slogans. At the end the rallies held so far, the Statement of the demonstration (see Appendix) has been confirmed by the participants with clapping or signing.
The Statement points to examples of 31 years of crime by the Islamic regime, from genocidal massacre of political prisoners to enforcing the pre-medieval Sharia (doctrinal) law, which, among other barbaric punishments, prescribes stoning for the ‘crime’ of adultery. The Statement goes on to demand: the immediate and unconditional release of Sakineh Ashtiani and all others condemned to stoning; the abolition as well as criminalization of stoning worldwide; not recognizing the Islamic Republic as the government of Iran, and expelling it from all international bodies; the trial by international courts of the leaders of the regime for 31 years of crime against humanity.
Hundreds of TV networks, radio stations and newspapers covered the news of the international day before the event. Several of them included in their coverage interviews with the leaders and activists of the campaign. The early news indicate that so far today the media has given the rallies wide coverage - some of them live and with interviews.
Post cards have been presented to the participants to buy and mail to the Secretary General of UN asking for Ahmadinejad not to let in the UN General Assembly session in September.
August 28 was thus made into a historic day of world protest against stoning, in particular, and the barbarism of the Islamic Republic, in general – a day on which the foundation was laid for wider solidarity with the people of Iran in order to bring down the vile Islamic regime.
We salute all the organizers of today’s international event as well as all those who participated in them, including personages, organizations and the media. We will gradually make available reports, photos and footages of the rallies.
Further, we hereby declare that our fight against stoning and the regime of stoning in Iran took a great step forward today, and thus put the people of Iran as well as the world in a more advantageous position to further the struggle. On this day, we proudly declare that we shall most resolutely continue this fight until Sakineh Ashtiani all those sentenced to stoning have been unconditionally freed, until stoning has been abolished around the world, until all criminal laws of the Islamic Republic have been complete revoked, and, indeed, until the regime itself has been brought down. This regime has been founded, and survived, on human blood shed by means of terror: from policing the people’s private lives in the most brutal ways to jailing, flogging, raping, torturing, executing (including minors, gays and lesbians), assassinating, massacring political prisoners, stoning, mutilating people in accordance with the pre-medieval, tribal Islamic Sharia law, …the list is almost endless in criminality. Such a terrorist regime must be brought down. We proudly declare that we shall continue the struggle most resolutely until this has been achieved.
International Committee Against Stoning
International Committee Against Execution
August 29, 2010
Appendix:
The Statement of the protest action of August 28, 2010 by
100 Cities Around the World Against Stoning
On August 28, 2010 one hundred cities around the world are rising up to protest the barbaric practice of stoning, as well as to save the life of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani in Iran. This day will be recorded in the annals of humanity as a manifestation of the protest, during the prior weeks, by millions of people across the globe against stoning as the most heinous form of medieval cruelty. It is a disgrace to humanity that, at the close of the first decade of the twenty-first century, stoning is still practiced in Iran and similar Islam-stricken countries. We, the citizens of 100 cities, hereby unequivocally declare that this blot must be removed from the face of humanity immediately and permanently.
On this day we also protest against the regime of stoning in Iran. This regime has, during the 31 years of its existence, committed genocide, established a system of sexual apartheid in Iran, and made imprisonment, execution, torture, rape of political prisoners, and the rule of pre-medieval Islamic Sharia the law of the land. Such a regime is not the representative of the people of Iran. It is their murderer, and its leaders must be brought to trial before international tribunals for their crimes against humanity.
Further, the international protest of August 28 is yet another manifestation of the solidarity of people around the world with the people of Iran, who have heroically risen up to bring down the regime of stoning, the Islamic code of punishment (Qesaas), hijab, torture, and execution. We, the citizens of 100 cities worldwide, proudly declare that we consider ourselves the standard bearers of the universal front of humanity against barbarity. We support the struggles of the people of Iran against one of the cruellest regimes in the history of humankind. We, therefore, emphatically declare, on behalf of the world’s civilized humanity, that the path to the liberation of the Iranian people will not pass through threats or military action against the country but through the removal of the regime of the Islamic Republic by the power of the struggles of people in Iran and across the world.
The following are our common demands on August 28, 2010 throughout 100 cities of the world:
1- The immediate and unconditional freedom of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and all other prisoners in Iran sentenced to be stoned to death.
2- The abolition of stoning in Iran and elsewhere. We demand that the United Nations urgently adopt a specific resolution forbidding stoning as an inhuman punishment all over the world.
3- Not recognizing the Islamic regime of stoning in Iran as the government of that country and, thus, banning it from all international bodies.
4- Bringing to trial the perpetrators of stoning. Stoning is one of the most abominable forms of crime against humanity. Any individual, group, organization or state executing the punishment of stoning must be prosecuted and tried by international tribunals.
We continue our struggles until we have achieved all of these demands. As an immediate, primary step to that end, we demand that Mahmood Ahmadinejad, the president of the regime of stoning, be stopped from entering the General Assembly of the United Nations in September 2010.
The Statement of the protest action of August 28, 2010 - 100 Cities Around the World Against Stoning
On August 28, 2010 one hundred cities around the world are rising up to protest the barbaric practice of stoning, as well as to save the life of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani in Iran. This day will be recorded in the annals of humanity as a manifestation of the protest, during the prior weeks, by millions of people across the globe against stoning as the most heinous form of medieval cruelty. It is a disgrace to humanity that, at the close of the first decade of the twenty-first century, stoning is still practiced in Iran and similar Islam-stricken countries. We, the citizens of 100 cities, hereby unequivocally declare that this blot must be removed from the face of humanity immediately and permanently.
On this day we also protest against the regime of stoning in Iran. This regime has, during the 31 years of its existence, committed genocide, established a system of sexual apartheid in Iran, and made imprisonment, execution, torture, rape of political prisoners, and the rule of pre-medieval Islamic Sharia the law of the land. Such a regime is not the representative of the people of Iran. It is their murderer, and its leaders must be brought to trial before international tribunals for their crimes against humanity.
Further, the international protest of August 28 is yet another manifestation of the solidarity of people around the world with the people of Iran, who have heroically risen up to bring down the regime of stoning, the Islamic code of punishment (Qesaas), Hijab, torture, and execution. We, the citizens of 100 cities worldwide, proudly declare that we consider ourselves the standard bearers of the universal front of humanity against barbarity. We support the struggles of the people of Iran against one of the cruelest regimes in the history of humankind. We, therefore, emphatically declare, on behalf of the world’s civilized humanity, that the path to the liberation of the Iranian people will not pass through threats or military action against, the country, but through the removal of the regime of the Islamic Republic by the power of the struggles of people in Iran and across the world.
The following are our common demands on August 28, 2010 throughout 100 cities of the world:
1- The immediate and unconditional freedom of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and all other prisoners in Iran sentenced to be stoned to death.
2- The abolition of stoning in Iran and elsewhere. We demand that the United Nations urgently adopt a specific resolution forbidding stoning as an inhuman punishment all over the world.
3- Not recognizing the Islamic regime of stoning in Iran as the government of that country and, thus, banning it from all international bodies.
4- Bringing to trial the perpetrators of stoning. Stoning is one of the most abominable forms of crime against humanity. Any individual, group, organization or state executing the punishment of stoning must be prosecuted and tried by international tribunals.
We continue our struggles until we have achieved all of these demands. As an immediate, primary step to that end, we demand that Mahmood Ahmadinejad, the president of the regime of stoning, be stopped from entering the General Assembly of the United Nations in September 2010.
International Committee against Executions
International Committee against Stoning
Iran Solidarity
Mission Free Iran
On this day we also protest against the regime of stoning in Iran. This regime has, during the 31 years of its existence, committed genocide, established a system of sexual apartheid in Iran, and made imprisonment, execution, torture, rape of political prisoners, and the rule of pre-medieval Islamic Sharia the law of the land. Such a regime is not the representative of the people of Iran. It is their murderer, and its leaders must be brought to trial before international tribunals for their crimes against humanity.
Further, the international protest of August 28 is yet another manifestation of the solidarity of people around the world with the people of Iran, who have heroically risen up to bring down the regime of stoning, the Islamic code of punishment (Qesaas), Hijab, torture, and execution. We, the citizens of 100 cities worldwide, proudly declare that we consider ourselves the standard bearers of the universal front of humanity against barbarity. We support the struggles of the people of Iran against one of the cruelest regimes in the history of humankind. We, therefore, emphatically declare, on behalf of the world’s civilized humanity, that the path to the liberation of the Iranian people will not pass through threats or military action against, the country, but through the removal of the regime of the Islamic Republic by the power of the struggles of people in Iran and across the world.
The following are our common demands on August 28, 2010 throughout 100 cities of the world:
1- The immediate and unconditional freedom of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and all other prisoners in Iran sentenced to be stoned to death.
2- The abolition of stoning in Iran and elsewhere. We demand that the United Nations urgently adopt a specific resolution forbidding stoning as an inhuman punishment all over the world.
3- Not recognizing the Islamic regime of stoning in Iran as the government of that country and, thus, banning it from all international bodies.
4- Bringing to trial the perpetrators of stoning. Stoning is one of the most abominable forms of crime against humanity. Any individual, group, organization or state executing the punishment of stoning must be prosecuted and tried by international tribunals.
We continue our struggles until we have achieved all of these demands. As an immediate, primary step to that end, we demand that Mahmood Ahmadinejad, the president of the regime of stoning, be stopped from entering the General Assembly of the United Nations in September 2010.
International Committee against Executions
International Committee against Stoning
Iran Solidarity
Mission Free Iran
Thursday, August 26, 2010
List of 28 August 2010 - 100 Cities against Stoning
110 cities, 114 events so farAUSTRALIA
Brisbane
Time: 12 midday
Place: Redcliff Place in Brisbane city; Redcliffe Place is also known Brisbane Square and is located by the big silver balls, opposite the casino.
Contact: debcurpryce@hotmail.com
Byron Bay, NSW
Time: 12 noon
Place: Cape Byron Lighthouse
Hobart
Details to follow
Contact: roxycoxy@live.com.au
Sydney
Time: 14.00
Place: QVB, at the Town Hall end (near the statue)
Contact: Kat, katgaf1@gmail.com
AUSTRIA
Vienna
Time: 14.00 -17.00
Place: vor oper ,karajan- plaz 1010 wien
Contact: 06504784638 -06642078391
Vienna
Time: 15:00 - 16:00
Place: Gegenüber der Albertina, Wien "Helmut-Zilk-Platz"
Organiser: Gemeinschaft für Solidarität mit den trauernden Müttern des Laleh-Parks.
BELGIUM
Brussels
Time: 13:00
Place: Palais de Justice, Place Poelaert, 1000 Bruxelles
Contact : National Women Councils ( CFFB and NVR) Viviane Teitelbaum
Brussels
Time: 15.00
Place: Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 15 1050 Bruxelles (Ixelles) in front of Iranian embassy
Contact: mailto:Peter Calluy, calluypeter@hotmail.com
Charleroi
Time: 11.00
Place: Hôtel de Ville de Charleroi
Organised by : La Ligue du Droit International des Femmes, Hocrint (organisation against "honour" crimes and forced mariage), Synergie-Wallonie des femmes and CFFB, Conseil des Femmes francophones de Belgique.
Contact: Anne-marie Lizin www.lizin.org
La Louvière
Time: 9.00 -11.00 am
Place: Marcket (Marché)
Organised by : FGTB Centre, CSC Mons-La Louvière, Cepré, Ligue des droits de l'homme, Parti communiste, Pour que vive la démocratie, Femmes prévoyantes socialistes, Médecine pour le peuple, la Braise.
Zottegem
Time: 14.00
Place: In the town hall (het stadhuis)of zottegem
Contact: Mayor Mr Herman De Loor,
09 364 64 51
BRAZIL
Alfenas, Minas Gerais
Details to follow
Time:
Place:
Contact:
Campinas, SãoPaulo
Details to follow
Time:
Place:
Contact:
Porto Alegre
Time: 16:00
Place: Esquina Democrática – Av. Borges de Medeiros X Rua dos Andradas
Contact: LiHS – lihsbrasil@gmail.com
Tres Pontas, Minas Gerais
Details to follow
CANADA
Hamilton, Ontario
Time: 14.00-16.00
Place: Front of Jackson Square mall
Contact: Amir Zahedi, 905-962-9638
Montreal
Time: 17.00 – 19.00
Place: Des Artes (St. Cathrine and Jeanne Mance)
Niagara Falls
Time: 14:00-16:00
Place: Just beside the Falls
Contact: Mehran Mahbobi, 1 647 274 7149
Mehranmahbobi1917@gmail.com
Peterborough, Ontario
Time: The march will start at 2 p.m. on the steps of City Hall, go through downtown, and end in front of the Superior Courthouse at 3 p.m.
Co-Organizer: Jane Campbell, with federal Liberal candidate Betsy McGregor.
Ottawa
Time: 12.00-14.00
Place: In front of Parliament Hill
Contact: D Aram, 613-859-7929, d_aram@sympatico.ca
Toronto
Time: 13.00-16.00
Place: 250 Front Street West (in front of CBC)
Contact: Yadi Mahmodi, 416 726 9321; wpicanada@yahoo.com
Vancouver
Time: Rally at 17.00 (information table at 15.00)
Place: In front of Art Gallery on Robson St.
Contact: Zari Asli, zariasli@yahoo.ca
Victoria
Time: 16.00-18.00
Place: Douglas & Fort in front of Royal bank
Contact: Abbas Mohamadi
abbas@cawvidc.bc.ca
DENMARK
Copenhagen
Time: 14.00-16.00
Place: Glentevej-Vibevej, Copenhagen NV
Contact: Pedram Kazemi-Esfarjani, docpedram@googlemail.com
FINLAND
Tampere
Time: 14.00
Place: Tampereen Keskustori
Contact: Abdol Golparian, 040575825, abdolgolparian1@gmail.com
FRANCE
Besançon
Time: 15.00
Place: Place du 8 Septembre
Contact: cgt.addsea@gmail.com
Dijon
Time: 11.00
Place: RDV Francois RUDE, 21 000 Dijon
Contact : Sara Horchani from organization: Association Libertés-Culture
sarahorchani@yahoo.fr
Facebook : Sara Horchani
Le Mans
Time: 15.00
Place: Place de la Republique
Contact: infos@niputesnisoumises.com
Lyon
Time: 15.00
Place: Bellecour
This gathering is called by the following organisations : Association Solidarité Franco-Iranienne, Comité Communiste Internationaliste – Trotskiste, Initiative Communiste-Ouvrière, Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste (NPA), Parti Communiste-Ouvrier d'Iran, Regards de Femmes.
Contact: yadi.j100@free.fr
Montpellier
Time: 11.00
Place: Place de la Comedie
Contact: 0620748012 (Mansoureh)
Narbonne
Time: 11am to 7pm
Place: Esplanade de la Médiathèque
Contact: monique.louicellier@yahoo.com
Paris
Place: Place du Trocadéro
Time: 12:00 noon
Organised by:
La Ligue du droit international des Femmes
Association créée par Simone de Beauvoir (contact: 06 38 39 42 92)
Mouvement Pour la Paix et Contre le Terrorisme (contact 06 66 26 42 23)
Ni Putes Ni Soumises (contact 06 76 49 63 56)
Poitiers
Time: 11.30
Place: On the steps of City Hall
Organizer: Mayor of Poitiers
Tolouse
Time: 15.00
Place: Place du Capitole
Contact: chantal.crabere@orange.fr
GEORGIA
Tbilisi
Time:
Place: Opposite the Embassy of the Islamic Republic
Contact: Tiko, tinatin.j@gmail.com
GERMANY
Augsburg
Time: 14.00
Adress: Elias - Holl - Platz
Contact: 0176-3241096257
Berlin
Time: 14.00
Place: Joachimstaler Platz, UB- Kurfürsten Damm
Contact: Farzaneh Deraxshan, 017624866317, farzaneh52@gmail.com
Berlin
Time: 17.00
Place: Breitscheidplatz/Kurfürstendamm 11
Contact: Code e.V., info@code-ev.com
Bremen
Time: 14.00
Place: Stadtzentrum - Marktplatz
Contact: Siamak Maki 0172-4037035, siamakmaki@t-online.de
Darmstadt
Time: 12.00-14.00
Place: Luisenplatz
Contact: Nawid Mohamadi, nawid1@gmx.de
Dortmund
Time: 14.00
Place: Katharinenstr. (gegenüber HBF, Treppen hoch)
Contact: Maryam Jabbarzadeh
01786703944
daryagermany@yahoo.de
Köln (Cologne)
Time: 14.00
Place: Dom Platte
Contact: 0163 5112025
Frankfurt
Time: 16.00
Place: Hauptwache (Zeil) gegenüber Kaufhof
Contact: Shahnaz Morattab
015774650186
shahnaz1@t-online.de
Hamburg
Time: 14.00
Place: Mönckebergstrasse
Ida-Ehre-Platz in front of Karstadt
Contact: 0172-4044323
nazaninborumand@gmail.com
Madaraneirani.hh@gmail.com
Hannover
Time: 14.00
Place: Kröpcke – Stadtzentrum
Organised by Iran Solidarity
Contact: Said Asli
0178 8764749
saidasli@yahoo.de
Krefeld
Time: 14.00
Platz von der Leyen 1, gegenueber Rathaus
Contact:
Leipzig
Time: 14.00
Place: Augustus platz Leipzig(Zentrum)
Contact: 0176 29319819
Mainz
Time: 13.00
Place: Emmeran Str. Ecke Pfandhaus Str. Vor dem Sparda - Bank
Contact: Soheyla 015784493284
Munich
Time: 12.00-14.00
Place: Richard-Strauss-Brunnen Neuhauser Str. 8 (Fussgängerzone)
Organizers: United4Iran-Bayern and Amnesty International München, ‚Irangruppe‘
Contact: Petra, 0176-50728972
Paderborn
Time: 12.00
At: Western Str. Kaufhof
Contact: 01743830478
Ulm
Details to follow
Contac: 0172 7623474
Zwickau
Time: 13.00-15.00
Place: Marien Platz (Dom)
Contact: 01605963711
GREECE
Athens
Time: 18.00
Place: In front of NHCRI
ICELAND
Reykjavik
Details to follow
Contact: hopeful@islandia.is
INDIA
Bangalore
Contact: Ruzbeh Sedaghat/ Arman Ruhipoor 9742569282
roozbehs_111@yahoo.com
Details to follow
IRAQ
Karkuk,
Ahmadaga street
Details to follow
Baghdad
Time: 10.00am
Place: Mutanaby Street
IRELAND
Dublin
Time: 13.00-14.30
Place: GPO O’Connell St.
Contact: Brendan Maher brendanaustin@eircom.net
Waterford
Time: 13.00 -15.00
Place: outside City Square
Contact: Marieke Ryan, ryan_vdzweth@hotmail.com
ISRAEL
Tel Aviv
Time: 7pm
Place: Dina Cafe, Yehuda Hayamit Street 34, Jaffa-Tel-Aviv
Action: We will screen a movie about Iran's executions and ask people to write letters to Sakineh.
Contact info: Elifelet (organizer): 972-523368792; Dina (owner of the cafe): 972-504998416
ITALY
Florence
City of Florence has officially joined the campaign of 100 cities against stoning until this act of barbarism has been abolished
place : the whole city of Florence,The heart of the people of Florence ......
Time August 28 and for ever!
JAPAN
Tokyo
Time: 14.00
Place: United Nations University , Jingumae 5-chome, Shibuya-53 -70
Contact: Jamal saberi jjsaberi@yahoo.co.jp
KENYA
Nairobi
Time: 12:00 - 14:00 Hrs
Venue 1: Kenyatta International Conference Center
Venue 2: University of Nairobi - Taifa Hall
Contact: Ms. Jahwar Amber - Jahwar.amber@secularstudents.org
Call: Boaz Adhengo @ +254 733 867644
NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam
Time: 14.00
Place: Beursplein
Contact: Farshad Hosseini 0663602627
farshadhoseini@yahoo.com
Eindhoven
Details to follow
Groningen
Time: 12.00-16.00
Place: City Centre, around the Herestraat
Contact: daily_dani@hotmail.com
The Hague
Time: 14.00
Place: plein in front of the Parliament
Contact: Bahman Zakernezhad 0649906014
Nigeria
Details to follow
NORWAY
Oslo
Time: 15.00-17.00
Place: In front of the Parliament
Contact: Rahimi, 98694001, rahimi37@yahoo.com
POLAND
Warsaw
Time: 12.00
Place: Next to the Iranian embassy, Warsaw, 22, Aldony street
Contact: Ewa Charkiewicz
phone +48 504926089, ewa_charkiewicz@yahoo.com
Wroclaw
Details to follow
PORTUGAL
Lisbon
Time: 18.00-20.00
Place: Largo do Camões
Contact: arturneves@netcabo.pt eom
Try to see it on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=132064263505288&ref=mf
SPAIN
Barcelona
Time: 18.00-20.00
Place: Plaza Sant Jaume
Contact: Patricia, patycarreiros@gmail.com
SWEDEN
Borås
Time: 14.00-16.00
Place: Stortorget
Contact: 46737598566
Gothenburg
Time: 14.00-16.00
Place: Brunnsparken
Contact: 46708 544 529
Gävle
Time: 14.00 -1600
Gå från Södermalmstorg till Rådhustorget
sen stå på Rådhustorget
Contact: Helena 0702692608 (Ring after 18.00)
Helsingborg
Time: 14.00-15.30
Place: Stortorget
Contact: 0736493215
Hässleholm
Time:
Place: Stortorget
Contact: farhad behrang
0736481740
Karlskrona
Time: 14.00-16.00
Place: Centralen, Ronnebygatan 43 - 47
Contact: 0704531047
Lund
Time: 14.00-16.00
Place: Stortorget
Contact: 0703171102
Malmö
Time: 14.00-16.00
Place: David halls bron, Between Triangeln and Gustav Adolfs Torg
Contact: 0703638088
Norrkoping
Time: 14.00 -16.30
Place: Hörsalsparken-Drottningtorget
Contact: 0736040096
Stockholm
Time: 17.30
Place: Mynttorget, in front of the Parliament
Contact: 0737801510, 070-44 11 075
I Stockholm har vi med oss talare, bland andra EU-ministern Birgitta Ohlsson (FP), kommunfullmäktigekandidaten Tara Twana (S), journalisten och författarinnan Dilsa Demirbag Sten, Sara Mohamad from Never Forget Pela and Fadime Organisation med flera
Uppsala
Time: 14.00 -16.00
Place: Stora torget, Åhlens
Contacts: Mahin Alipour 0707777313, Mehdi Zare 0739754226
Visby
Time: 14.00-16.00
Place: Öster Centrum
Contact: Ahmad Fatemi
0735203817
Örebro
Time: 14.00
Drottninggatan
Contact: Ahmad Fatemi 073 520 3817
SWITZERLAND
Zurich
Details to follow
TURKEY
Ankara
Details to follow
Didim, Aydin
Time: 14.00
Contact: Cigdem Toprak, cigdem.toprak.tud@gmail.com
UK
London
Time: 14.00-16.00
Place: Trafalgar Square, North Terrace (outside the National Gallery)
Contact: Bahram Soroush, 07852338334, bahram.soroush@gmail.com
Birmingham
Time: 13:30
Place: Central Library
Bournemouth/Wimborne
Place: Collecting signatures in Bournemouth and Wimborne ending up at Kingston Lacy House (by the Obelisk in the garden)
Time: Details of earlier signature collections to follow. Kingston Lacy House, 2pm
Contact: Jane, simonfielder@tesco.net
Bradford
Time: 11am
Place: Centenary Square
Contact: Omar Ebrahim, omarinbox@hotmail.com
Glasgow
Time: 2pm
Place: George Square
Contact: theaim@hotmail.co.uk
Liverpool
Time: 12.00-16.00
Place: Bold Street Information Site (located adjacent to the Lyceum bank). Bold Street is adjacent to Liverpool Central Station. There is a station exit to Bold Street.
Contact: Brian, 07515 282952
Manchester
Time: 14.00
Place: Piccadilly Gardens
Contact: 07904951989, soheila@uwclub.net
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Time: 12 noon - 4 p.m.
Place: Grey's Monument
Contact: peter1_243@fsmail.net
Puerto Rico
San Juan
Time: 10am-3:30pm
Place: Old San Juan, by the Cruissess Bay
Contact: Ivonne Santos, 787-596-8383
Richmond, Surrey
Time: 11.30am
Place: Outside Richmond Railway/Underground station, Kew Road, Richmond
St. Albans
Details to follow
USA
Atlanta
Time: 17.00 -18.00
Place: the intersection of Peach tree and Lenox Road
Beverly Hills, California
Details forthcoming.
Contact: Ann Marie Lynch, cell: 631-974-8480, amhoney22@yahoo.com mailto:amhoney22@yahoo.com
Brooklyn, Connecticut
Time: 4-6pm
Place: Intersection of Route 6 and South Main Street
Contact: Deb, debheath86@yahoo.com
Chicago, Illinois
Time: 14.00 – 15.30
Place: Millennium Park
Place: North corner of Jackson entrance to Millenium Park (Jackson and Michigan)
Contact: nwade99@att.net
Dallas
Time: 18.00
Place: downtown, Houston St. & Elm St. Kennedy Museum
Contact: 2146752120
Svafa56@yahoo.com
Atlanta, Georgia
Time: 17.00-18.00
Place: Intersection of Peach Tree and Lenox Road
Contact: People4Iran organization, mzdero@bellsouth.net
Hattiesburg
Time: 11.00-13.00
Place: USM Campus; in front of the Liberal Arts Building
Contact: Meg Hixson megan.hixson@eagles.usm.edu
Houston, Texas
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: La Madeleine Coffee Shop Near Gessner
Los Angeles, California
Time: 17.00-19.00
Place: Junction of Santa Monica pier
Organised by: Mourning Mothers of Iran
New York City
Time: All day
Place: Everywhere
Theme: Leaflet day: protesters will leaflet cars, bus stops, newspaper boxes, supermarkets, and similar.
Orlando, Florida
Details to follow
Seattle
Time: 3-5pm
Place: Westlake center Seattle
Contact : Daryoush nostoning@yahoo.com
Washington DC
Time: 14.00
Place: Dupont Circle
Contact: maria.rohaly@gmail.com
Washington DC
Date: August 29
Time: 12 noon
Place: Islamic Republic Offices of the Pakistani Embassy
Contact: Saeed Salehinia, salehinia@aol.com
International Committee Against Stoning (http://stopstonningnow.com)
Iran Solidarity (www.iransolidarity.org.uk)
Mission Free Iran (www.missionfreeiran.com)
International Committee Against Execution (http://notonemoreexecution.org)
Donation by Paypal:
http://countmein-iran.com/donate.html
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The International Campaign to Save Sakineh Ashtiani Shows the Way to Liberation from the Islamic Regime in Iran
For the Islamic regime in Iran stoning is a survival tool. This criminal regime has for over three decades enchained the entire Iranian society through jailing, flogging, torturing, executing, stoning, etc., and thus managed to prolong its despicable life. Stoning more than 150 people, predominantly women, to death for the ‘crime’ of sex out of wedlock; continuous execution of political opponents, including the massacre of tens of thousands of political prisoners and burying them in unmarked mass graves; systematic execution of adolescents; execution of the gay people; flogging men and women in public, as well as in front of their loved ones; gouging eyes; amputating limbs; killing the ‘perpetrators’ by pushing them off the cliff; torturing political prisoners physically and emotionally in a multitude of unspeakable ways; opening fire on people in the streets; assassination of opposition activists and personalities inside and outside the country form only a part of this regime’s horrendous track record.
On the one hand, sentencing Sakineh Ashtiani to stoning or hanging is a manifestation of the criminal nature of the Islamic state in Iran, and, on the other hand, fighting to free her is a part of the struggles of the people of Iran, as well as the world, for liberation from this medieval regime. For the past 30 years the Iranian people have been waging continuous, steadfast struggles against the criminal regime in different fields. These struggles reached their peak, and captured the world’s attention, in the summer of last year. Neda Agha-Soltan and Sakineh Ashtiani are two faces, two symbols, of the same revolutionary movement in Iran. Neda fell victim to the murderous regime, but Sakineh can, and must, be saved. Saving Sakineh will be a great step forward in the struggle against the Islamic Republic as well as against the world movement of political Islam in its entirety.
The Islamic Republic is the back bone of Islamic terrorism, which today constantly commits crimes throughout the world, especially in the Middle East and north of Africa. Bringing down the regime in Iran will be a hard blow to the whole movement of political Islam across the world. The people of Iran and, indeed, the world must, therefore, rid themselves of the Islamic Republic. The on-going revolutionary movement in Iran and the current international campaign against stoning are showing the people of the world the real, humane way of doing just that. Military attack or economic siege is not the way. The real way is that the people, the personalities and the progressive organizations of the world support the struggles of the Iranian people, and the governments as well as international bodies refuse to recognize the Islamic regime and isolate it proactively. That is the only viable, humane, civilized and practicable way to bring it down. Even if people are only worried about this regime’s nuclear projects and its support for terrorism in the region, they must actively support the struggles of the Iranian people.
The international campaign against stoning and execution in Iran is now spearheading these struggles. Join this campaign, and support it in any way you can!
Worker-communist Party of Iran
August 25, 2010
On the one hand, sentencing Sakineh Ashtiani to stoning or hanging is a manifestation of the criminal nature of the Islamic state in Iran, and, on the other hand, fighting to free her is a part of the struggles of the people of Iran, as well as the world, for liberation from this medieval regime. For the past 30 years the Iranian people have been waging continuous, steadfast struggles against the criminal regime in different fields. These struggles reached their peak, and captured the world’s attention, in the summer of last year. Neda Agha-Soltan and Sakineh Ashtiani are two faces, two symbols, of the same revolutionary movement in Iran. Neda fell victim to the murderous regime, but Sakineh can, and must, be saved. Saving Sakineh will be a great step forward in the struggle against the Islamic Republic as well as against the world movement of political Islam in its entirety.
The Islamic Republic is the back bone of Islamic terrorism, which today constantly commits crimes throughout the world, especially in the Middle East and north of Africa. Bringing down the regime in Iran will be a hard blow to the whole movement of political Islam across the world. The people of Iran and, indeed, the world must, therefore, rid themselves of the Islamic Republic. The on-going revolutionary movement in Iran and the current international campaign against stoning are showing the people of the world the real, humane way of doing just that. Military attack or economic siege is not the way. The real way is that the people, the personalities and the progressive organizations of the world support the struggles of the Iranian people, and the governments as well as international bodies refuse to recognize the Islamic regime and isolate it proactively. That is the only viable, humane, civilized and practicable way to bring it down. Even if people are only worried about this regime’s nuclear projects and its support for terrorism in the region, they must actively support the struggles of the Iranian people.
The international campaign against stoning and execution in Iran is now spearheading these struggles. Join this campaign, and support it in any way you can!
Worker-communist Party of Iran
August 25, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
What is stoning and who is stoned?
In stoning (‘Rajm’ in Arabic), the accused is made to wear a white sheet and buried in a hole in the ground, males up to their waist and females up to their chest, and then tortured to death by having stones thrown at them.
The stones should not be so big that they kill the victim quickly, but not too small either. The aim is to kill the person gradually with the utmost pain.
During stoning, if the man or woman manages to escape from the hole, they are free to go.
The Islamic Republic of Iran bases its system of justice on Islamic law which demands that having a sexual relationship outside of marriage carries this death sentence.
Farshad Hosseini, who is a member of the International Committees against Stoning and Execution, has researched this subject. According to his statistics, in the last 31 years a minimum of 150 people have been stoned by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Today, at least 22 prisoners are waiting to be stoned. The majority of prisoners condemned to stoning are women. Public opinion in Iran is deeply against these crimes. That is why, in recent years, during stoning or public executions, the government tightens up security on the scene. Those who stone are mainly security forces in civilian clothes.
Today, these barbaric acts are passed as law and carried out in countries under Islamic governments, specifically the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and in Afghanistan by the Taliban. For instance, see Article 83 of the Penal Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Stoning clearly expresses the inhumane nature of the political Islamic movement, its parties and government.
Join us to stop this barbaric act. Join us to stop stoning.
Published by the International Committee against Stoning
August 2010
Translation by Susan Azadeh
The stones should not be so big that they kill the victim quickly, but not too small either. The aim is to kill the person gradually with the utmost pain.
During stoning, if the man or woman manages to escape from the hole, they are free to go.
The Islamic Republic of Iran bases its system of justice on Islamic law which demands that having a sexual relationship outside of marriage carries this death sentence.
Farshad Hosseini, who is a member of the International Committees against Stoning and Execution, has researched this subject. According to his statistics, in the last 31 years a minimum of 150 people have been stoned by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Today, at least 22 prisoners are waiting to be stoned. The majority of prisoners condemned to stoning are women. Public opinion in Iran is deeply against these crimes. That is why, in recent years, during stoning or public executions, the government tightens up security on the scene. Those who stone are mainly security forces in civilian clothes.
Today, these barbaric acts are passed as law and carried out in countries under Islamic governments, specifically the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and in Afghanistan by the Taliban. For instance, see Article 83 of the Penal Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Stoning clearly expresses the inhumane nature of the political Islamic movement, its parties and government.
Join us to stop this barbaric act. Join us to stop stoning.
Published by the International Committee against Stoning
August 2010
Translation by Susan Azadeh
Friday, August 20, 2010
Mostafaei’s prejudicial statements and Ashtiani’s children’s counter!
PR No. 47
August 17, 2010
In an interview with the German magazine Spiegel, Monday August 16, Mohammad Mostafaei, Sakine Ashtiani’s lawyer in her stoning, i.e., ‘adultery’, case talked publicly about her husband’s murder case and the probability of her involvement in it. In the interview with the world renowned German paper Mostafaei said, among other things, that Sakineh Ashtiani had drugged her husband [before her accomplice killed him] and thus had a hand in his murder.
Mostafaei’s statements were met with immediate objection of Ashtiani’s children. Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, Sakineh Ashtiani’s son, responded the same day in an interview with the web magazine, Rooz OnLine:
‘There is neither any evidence to prove my mother had a hand in my father’s murder nor has she made any such confession. What the head of the judiciary of Eastern Azerbaijan province has announced [to this effect] is totally false.’
As a matter of fact, as the Farsi original of this PR was under translation into English, Ashtiani’s children, Sajjad and Saeedeh, issued a letter on August 17, released through ICAS at once (in the Farsi original as well as in English simultaneously), in which they have reminded Mostafaei that as early as June 10, 2010, he had been dismissed by their mother, and requested him to therefore stop giving opinions about their mother’s case in the capacity of her lawyer (http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/2378).
As I have been working on this case since two-and-a-half years ago, following its every detail, I deem it necessary to clarify a few points here.
Firstly, it is a fundamental principle that no lawyer in the world is allowed to make public the confidential information contained in any case.
Secondly, what is at stake in the particular case of Sakineh Ashtiani is her very life. Any statement, therefore, that confirms, albeit implicitly, the statement made by Islamic republic’s prosecutor can have a strong negative impact on her fate.
Thirdly, we are in possession of official court documents from Iran proving that the murder case has been tried in a different court where Mohammad Mostafaei was not the defending attorney.
Fourthly, Sakineh Ashtiani was acquitted on the murder charge. But she was convicted, by a different court, of having ‘illegitimate (illicit) relationship’ with two men – a charge different from ‘adultery’ (of a married woman) and therefore, according to Islamic code of punishment, not punishable by stoning. On this account she was sentenced to 99 lashes, which she was given in front of her son, plus 10 years’ imprisonment for ‘disturbing the social peace’ (!). Both cases were thus officially closed. However, at a later date the Province Court of Eastern Azerbaijan in Tabriz reopened Ashtiani’s case, and this time brought the charge of ‘adultery’ against her, asking for the punishment of stoning in accordance with the Shari’a law. In accordance with the new development in the case two-and-a-half years ago, I recommended Ashtiani’s children to contact Mohammad Mostafaei, a well-known defense attorney in ‘adultery’ and child execution cases. They did, and, fortunately, Mostafaei accepted Ashtiani’s case of ‘adultery’.
The Islamic regime in Iran, under immense international pressure opposing Ashtiani’s stoning or hanging sentences, has reopened her husband’s murder case. Desperate for not having any evidence to prove its case, it puts Ashtiani under torture, and later promises her, through the person of Hossein Nobakht, Tabriz Deputy Prosecutor, that if she appears on (the state) television and makes its desired confessions, she will be saved from execution by hanging. The regime thus tries to present Ashtiani to the world as an accomplice in her husband’s murder and thereby prepare the ground for her execution. It goes without saying, therefore, that under such momentous circumstances the statements made to Spiegel by Mohammad Mostafaei have been utterly irresponsible.
We therefore call on Mohammad Mostafaei and all those who express, on various occasions, their opinion on Sakineh Ashtiani’s case to do so with utmost precision and sense of responsibility.
Also, we call on the media to refer to the information available through the ICAS, the International Committee Against Execution (ICAE), the statements made by Ashtiani’s children, and those made by her murder-case lawyer, Hootan Kian.
All the above-mentioned information, as well as the official documents of the regime’s courts, only underline Ashtiani’s innocence of the trumped up murder charge.
Mina Ahadi,
Spokesperson
International Committee Against Stoning
International Committee Against Execution
August 17, 2010
Email: minaahadi@aol.com
Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
International Committee against Execution (ICAE)
www.notonemoreexecution.org
International Committee against Stoning (ICAS)
www.stopstonningnow.com
August 17, 2010
In an interview with the German magazine Spiegel, Monday August 16, Mohammad Mostafaei, Sakine Ashtiani’s lawyer in her stoning, i.e., ‘adultery’, case talked publicly about her husband’s murder case and the probability of her involvement in it. In the interview with the world renowned German paper Mostafaei said, among other things, that Sakineh Ashtiani had drugged her husband [before her accomplice killed him] and thus had a hand in his murder.
Mostafaei’s statements were met with immediate objection of Ashtiani’s children. Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, Sakineh Ashtiani’s son, responded the same day in an interview with the web magazine, Rooz OnLine:
‘There is neither any evidence to prove my mother had a hand in my father’s murder nor has she made any such confession. What the head of the judiciary of Eastern Azerbaijan province has announced [to this effect] is totally false.’
As a matter of fact, as the Farsi original of this PR was under translation into English, Ashtiani’s children, Sajjad and Saeedeh, issued a letter on August 17, released through ICAS at once (in the Farsi original as well as in English simultaneously), in which they have reminded Mostafaei that as early as June 10, 2010, he had been dismissed by their mother, and requested him to therefore stop giving opinions about their mother’s case in the capacity of her lawyer (http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/2378).
As I have been working on this case since two-and-a-half years ago, following its every detail, I deem it necessary to clarify a few points here.
Firstly, it is a fundamental principle that no lawyer in the world is allowed to make public the confidential information contained in any case.
Secondly, what is at stake in the particular case of Sakineh Ashtiani is her very life. Any statement, therefore, that confirms, albeit implicitly, the statement made by Islamic republic’s prosecutor can have a strong negative impact on her fate.
Thirdly, we are in possession of official court documents from Iran proving that the murder case has been tried in a different court where Mohammad Mostafaei was not the defending attorney.
Fourthly, Sakineh Ashtiani was acquitted on the murder charge. But she was convicted, by a different court, of having ‘illegitimate (illicit) relationship’ with two men – a charge different from ‘adultery’ (of a married woman) and therefore, according to Islamic code of punishment, not punishable by stoning. On this account she was sentenced to 99 lashes, which she was given in front of her son, plus 10 years’ imprisonment for ‘disturbing the social peace’ (!). Both cases were thus officially closed. However, at a later date the Province Court of Eastern Azerbaijan in Tabriz reopened Ashtiani’s case, and this time brought the charge of ‘adultery’ against her, asking for the punishment of stoning in accordance with the Shari’a law. In accordance with the new development in the case two-and-a-half years ago, I recommended Ashtiani’s children to contact Mohammad Mostafaei, a well-known defense attorney in ‘adultery’ and child execution cases. They did, and, fortunately, Mostafaei accepted Ashtiani’s case of ‘adultery’.
The Islamic regime in Iran, under immense international pressure opposing Ashtiani’s stoning or hanging sentences, has reopened her husband’s murder case. Desperate for not having any evidence to prove its case, it puts Ashtiani under torture, and later promises her, through the person of Hossein Nobakht, Tabriz Deputy Prosecutor, that if she appears on (the state) television and makes its desired confessions, she will be saved from execution by hanging. The regime thus tries to present Ashtiani to the world as an accomplice in her husband’s murder and thereby prepare the ground for her execution. It goes without saying, therefore, that under such momentous circumstances the statements made to Spiegel by Mohammad Mostafaei have been utterly irresponsible.
We therefore call on Mohammad Mostafaei and all those who express, on various occasions, their opinion on Sakineh Ashtiani’s case to do so with utmost precision and sense of responsibility.
Also, we call on the media to refer to the information available through the ICAS, the International Committee Against Execution (ICAE), the statements made by Ashtiani’s children, and those made by her murder-case lawyer, Hootan Kian.
All the above-mentioned information, as well as the official documents of the regime’s courts, only underline Ashtiani’s innocence of the trumped up murder charge.
Mina Ahadi,
Spokesperson
International Committee Against Stoning
International Committee Against Execution
August 17, 2010
Email: minaahadi@aol.com
Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
International Committee against Execution (ICAE)
www.notonemoreexecution.org
International Committee against Stoning (ICAS)
www.stopstonningnow.com
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Stoning should be abolished and all stoning convictions should be immediately overturned
Press Release 45
16 August 2010
According to a report disseminated by the International Committee against Execution, in addition to Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, at least 21 others in the Islamic Republic's prisons are living with the nightmare of a stoning conviction. At any moment, their sentences could be implemented. These verdicts should be overturned immediately and this despicable punishment against humanity should be abolished everywhere and forever.
The Islamic regime of stoning, for the duration of its rule, has stoned at least 150 people; these are only the numbers that have been announced by the regime's media or have been gathered through reliable sources. The real numbers are much higher than this. The names of those known to be condemned to stoning in the Islamic Republic's jails, as announced by the regime itself, is as follows:
1-Sakineh Mohammadi Aahtiani
2-Zeynab Heydari 28 years old
3- Changyz Rahimi
4- Robabe
5- Kheyriyeh Valanya
6- Shahnaz 35 years old from (Karaj)
7-Ferdoas B.
8- Kobra Babayi
9- Iran Eskandari
10- Masumeh Sadeghyan
11- Hajar
12- Naghi Ahmafi (Mazandaran)
13- Mohammad Ali Nvid Khamami
14- Sarimeh Sajjadi(Ebadi) 30 years old (Orumiye)
15- Bu Ali Janfeshani (Orumiye)
16- Azar Bagheri (Was arrested and sentenced to stoning at the age of 15 and now is 19 years old)
17- Maryam Ghorbanzade who was recently forced to abbort her fetus in order to facilitate her stoning
18- Khanom Hashemi Nasab (Mashad)
19- A woman called by the initials M KH (Mashad )
20- Ashraf Kalhori 40 years old , mother of four
21- Fatemeh (Tehran)
22- Saba Abdali 30 years
One of the convicted, Azar Bagheri, was only 15 years old when she was arrested; she has been living in jail for four years with the nightmare of stoning. The regime has recently forced Maryam Ghorbanzadeh to abort her 6-month-old fetus [editor's note: this is apparently in an effort to hasten her execution, as pregnant women are usually allowed to deliver their newborns prior to being executed]. These kinds of atrocities can only happen under regimes like the Islamic Republic. A regime that stones people to death, that jails children and pregnant women and sentences them to execution, that lashes and tortures, should not be recognized anywhere or by any authority.
This kind of government has no place in the international community. This regime should be indicted on charges of 31 years of murder, torture, execution, stoning and lashing, on charges of 31 years of animosity towards humanity, and delivered to justice.
International Committee against Execution
International Committee against Stoning
Mina Ahadi
Tel: 0049-1775692413
International Committee Against Stoning () and
International Committee Against Execution (http://notonemoreexecution.org/)
Translated by Maria Rohali (MFI)
16 August 2010
According to a report disseminated by the International Committee against Execution, in addition to Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, at least 21 others in the Islamic Republic's prisons are living with the nightmare of a stoning conviction. At any moment, their sentences could be implemented. These verdicts should be overturned immediately and this despicable punishment against humanity should be abolished everywhere and forever.
The Islamic regime of stoning, for the duration of its rule, has stoned at least 150 people; these are only the numbers that have been announced by the regime's media or have been gathered through reliable sources. The real numbers are much higher than this. The names of those known to be condemned to stoning in the Islamic Republic's jails, as announced by the regime itself, is as follows:
1-Sakineh Mohammadi Aahtiani
2-Zeynab Heydari 28 years old
3- Changyz Rahimi
4- Robabe
5- Kheyriyeh Valanya
6- Shahnaz 35 years old from (Karaj)
7-Ferdoas B.
8- Kobra Babayi
9- Iran Eskandari
10- Masumeh Sadeghyan
11- Hajar
12- Naghi Ahmafi (Mazandaran)
13- Mohammad Ali Nvid Khamami
14- Sarimeh Sajjadi(Ebadi) 30 years old (Orumiye)
15- Bu Ali Janfeshani (Orumiye)
16- Azar Bagheri (Was arrested and sentenced to stoning at the age of 15 and now is 19 years old)
17- Maryam Ghorbanzade who was recently forced to abbort her fetus in order to facilitate her stoning
18- Khanom Hashemi Nasab (Mashad)
19- A woman called by the initials M KH (Mashad )
20- Ashraf Kalhori 40 years old , mother of four
21- Fatemeh (Tehran)
22- Saba Abdali 30 years
One of the convicted, Azar Bagheri, was only 15 years old when she was arrested; she has been living in jail for four years with the nightmare of stoning. The regime has recently forced Maryam Ghorbanzadeh to abort her 6-month-old fetus [editor's note: this is apparently in an effort to hasten her execution, as pregnant women are usually allowed to deliver their newborns prior to being executed]. These kinds of atrocities can only happen under regimes like the Islamic Republic. A regime that stones people to death, that jails children and pregnant women and sentences them to execution, that lashes and tortures, should not be recognized anywhere or by any authority.
This kind of government has no place in the international community. This regime should be indicted on charges of 31 years of murder, torture, execution, stoning and lashing, on charges of 31 years of animosity towards humanity, and delivered to justice.
International Committee against Execution
International Committee against Stoning
Mina Ahadi
Tel: 0049-1775692413
International Committee Against Stoning () and
International Committee Against Execution (http://notonemoreexecution.org/)
Translated by Maria Rohali (MFI)
A letter from Sakine Ashtiani’s children to Mr Mostafaei
Press Release No 46
ICAS has received the following letter from Sakine Ashtiani’s children Saide and Sajad Ghardazadeh:
Dear Mr. Mostafaei
We thank you for all your efforts until 20.3.1389 (10 June 2010) when our mother, from prison, ended your mandate as her lawyer. From this day on you were no longer in charge of our mother’s case. Now that you are abroad and due to the fact that you were only responsible up until 20.3.1389 (10 June 2010) we wanted to thank you once again for all your efforts and ask that you no longer speak about our mother’s case as her lawyer.
Saide Ghaderzadeh
Distributed by:
International Committee against Stoning (ICAS)
International Committee against Execution (ICAE)
17 August 2010
--------------------------------------------------------------
1. Contact: Mina Ahadi, Email: minaahadi@aol.com, Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
http://notonemoreexecution.org http://stopstonningnow.com
2. The original, handwritten letter is attached
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
If one breaks the law they must be punished!?!!
After sending out an email early this morning about Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's case, I usually receive tons of mail from people showing solidarity and reporting back on what they have done to try to save her life. Of course I also get some 'other' types of emails too and I thought to start responding to them here in my blog publicly.
Aubrey Gaughan writes: 'Sorry if one breaks the law they should be punished.'
Very nice.
Basically Aubrey is an advocate of Sakineh being stoned to death or executed for adultery because it is against the law in Iran. Girls should have acid thrown in their faces in Afghanistan then because the Taliban don't want them to go to school. And prostitutes should be beheaded in Iraq and drug users, apostates, free thinkers and athiests executed under Sharia law because it is the law.
What nonesense. A law that violates rights isn't worth the paper it is written on.
Lucky Aubrey wasn't around when the slaves fought against slavery, the South Africans against racial apartheid and women's rights campaigners for the the right to vote...
Much of the struggle for change and social justice has in fact targetted unjust laws and got rid of them. And thanks to these progressive social movements, we have many positive changes in our lives today as compared to years past.
Whether Aubrey likes it or not, this is what we intend to do with stoning and sexual apartheid in Iran and save Sakineh's precious life as well. A law and regime that stones people to death in the 21st century has no right to exist and must be gotten rid of.
Aubrey Gaughan writes: 'Sorry if one breaks the law they should be punished.'
Very nice.
Basically Aubrey is an advocate of Sakineh being stoned to death or executed for adultery because it is against the law in Iran. Girls should have acid thrown in their faces in Afghanistan then because the Taliban don't want them to go to school. And prostitutes should be beheaded in Iraq and drug users, apostates, free thinkers and athiests executed under Sharia law because it is the law.
What nonesense. A law that violates rights isn't worth the paper it is written on.
Lucky Aubrey wasn't around when the slaves fought against slavery, the South Africans against racial apartheid and women's rights campaigners for the the right to vote...
Much of the struggle for change and social justice has in fact targetted unjust laws and got rid of them. And thanks to these progressive social movements, we have many positive changes in our lives today as compared to years past.
Whether Aubrey likes it or not, this is what we intend to do with stoning and sexual apartheid in Iran and save Sakineh's precious life as well. A law and regime that stones people to death in the 21st century has no right to exist and must be gotten rid of.
Iran stoning case says ‘they think they can do anything to women in this country’
Join 28 August action of 100 cities against stoningHello
Thanks so much for your support of the campaign to save Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani from death by stoning and execution. The public outcry is what has kept her alive so far. When her 22 year old son Sajjad first wrote an open letter asking people everywhere to intervene there was no legal recourse left and she was to face imminent death by stoning for ‘adultery.’
In another letter written a few days ago, Sajjad reiterates Ashtiani’s innocence and says: ‘What sort of justice is this?’
The Islamic regime in Iran is doing everything it can to kill Ashtiani and push back the international campaign. The regime has harassed her children and put pressure on Ashtiani, most recently, forcing her to ‘confess’ on Iranian state television to having murdered her husband and committed adultery. [You can see the footage on Iranian State TV in Persian here, which also criticises the International Sakineh Day we had organised]
As her other lawyer Houtan Kian has said she was tortured into making the false ‘confession.’ He has recently provided detailed and new information on her case. This follows evidence provided at the 30 July press conference in London by Mina Ahadi of the International Committees against Execution and Stoning which revealed actual court documents showing Ashtiani’s sentence to death by stoning for adultery.
The regime had also arrested the wife, brother-in-law and father-in-law of her human rights lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaei. They were subsequently released whilst Mostafaei was forced to flee the country in order to evade arrest. [He is now safe in Norway.]
They have even handed over her case for ‘review’ to deputy prosecutor-general Saeed Mortazavi, known as the butcher and torturer of Tehran.
As Ashtiani has said herself in an interview “The answer is quite simple, it's because I'm a woman, it's because they think they can do anything to women in this country.”
On 28 August 2010 – come out in 100 cities against stoning to show that the regime cannot to anything it wants to women. You can find out more about the events taking place on 28 August below and on how to organise your own event.
Join us! This must be the beginning of the end of stonings in the 21st century. And it must save Ashtiani’s precious life and reunite her with her beloved children.
Warmest wishes
Maryam
Maryam Namazie
Iran Solidarity Spokesperson
+44 (0) 7719166731
Website
Blog
PLEASE ACT NOW!
1- Join a 100 cities against Stoning on 28 August 2010. You can find out about events taking place in a city near you on this list. The list can also be found here.
2- Find out more about how to organise your own event.
3- Join a forum for organisers of events and to raise questions and make comments.
4- Send Sakineh a postcard of the city you live in or are visiting this summer telling her you are thinking of her and other prisoners on death row in Tabriz prison. You can address it to:
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
Tabriz Prison
Tabriz, Iran
5- Write letters of protest to the Islamic regime of Iran demanding Ashtiani’s release and an end to stonings and executions. Protest letters can be addressed to the below:
Head of the Judiciary
Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737, Iran
Email: info@dadiran.ir or via website
First starred box: your given name; second starred box: your family name; third: your email address
Head of the Judiciary in East Azerbaijan Province
Malek-Ashtar Sharifi
Office of the Head of the Judiciary in Tabriz
East Azerbaijan, Iran
Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street - Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Iran
Email: via website:(English)
(Persian)
Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights
Mohammad Javad Larijani
Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri
Tehran 1316814737, Iran
Fax: +98 21 3390 4986
6- Sign petitions in support of her case if you haven’t already done so. Here are two of them: ICAS and Avaaz.
7- Write to government officials, heads of state, MEPs and MPs in your country of residence calling on them to intervene to save her life and to cease recognition of a regime that stones people to death in the 21st century. See Mina Ahadi’s recent letter to heads of states on this.
8- Donate to the important work of the International Committee Against Stoning, International Committee Against Executions and Iran Solidarity by making your cheque payable to ‘Count Me In – Iran’ and sending it to BM Box 6754, London WC1N 3XX, UK. You can also pay via Paypal. Please earmark your donation.
Monday, August 16, 2010
How to plan an action day to save Sakineh’s life on 28 August - 100 cities against stoning
100 Cities against Stoning – 28 August 2010
Anybody can organise an action day in his or her city to defend Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the 43 woman condemned to death by stoning for ‘adultery.’ Even if you don’t have someone else to help you, by advertising your protest others will join you. The action can be anything from an act of solidarity with a couple of friends to a larger protest action or rally.
1. Find a suitable, busy place in the centre of your city and immediately obtain police permission. We suggest that you start your protest at 2p.m. (on 28th August). If for any reason this is not suitable, just choose a different time.
2. If you are planning an act of solidarity on your own or with a few friends, you don’t need police permission. An act of solidarity can include anything from holding a poster of Sakineh and collecting signatures or handing out leaflets on her situation to passers-by.
3. After getting permission from the police or deciding when and where you will be carrying out your act of solidarity, let us know straightaway so that we can advertise your protest/action on sites such as the International Committee against Stoning, International Committee against Execution, Iran Solidarity, Mission Free Iran, etc. so others will know about your action day and can get in touch with you.
4. You can find similar-minded people to help you organise your protest or action. State the time and place of your protest and advertise it in your city, Facebook and in other ways to let people know about it. In this way, you will find enthusiastic people to help you.
5. Useful materials for the protest are:
Posters, not smaller than A3
One cotton sheet, 2m x 3m for collecting signatures
A few pens and markers
A camera for taking pictures and videos for websites
6. Soon after the protest, send us your photos and videos and a short report of your protest.
7. Even one person can mount a protest using these suggestions, but it is easier with two people. Involving several people allows more possibilities; for example, you could hire a microphone and talk to people. You can make your protest more graphic by asking someone to sit on the ground and cover them with a white cotton sheet with a few pink stains. Put a few "stones" made of paper or cardboard beside them.
8. Let the media know about your protest and ask them to interview you as organisers of the action day and the people who have come to support you. Intensify your advertising campaign a few days before your protest to make people aware of your event. Invite artists, organisations and activists defending women’s rights, human rights and members of parliament. Encourage your local media to interview you so people in your city will be informed.
Anybody can organise an action day in his or her city to defend Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the 43 woman condemned to death by stoning for ‘adultery.’ Even if you don’t have someone else to help you, by advertising your protest others will join you. The action can be anything from an act of solidarity with a couple of friends to a larger protest action or rally.
1. Find a suitable, busy place in the centre of your city and immediately obtain police permission. We suggest that you start your protest at 2p.m. (on 28th August). If for any reason this is not suitable, just choose a different time.
2. If you are planning an act of solidarity on your own or with a few friends, you don’t need police permission. An act of solidarity can include anything from holding a poster of Sakineh and collecting signatures or handing out leaflets on her situation to passers-by.
3. After getting permission from the police or deciding when and where you will be carrying out your act of solidarity, let us know straightaway so that we can advertise your protest/action on sites such as the International Committee against Stoning, International Committee against Execution, Iran Solidarity, Mission Free Iran, etc. so others will know about your action day and can get in touch with you.
4. You can find similar-minded people to help you organise your protest or action. State the time and place of your protest and advertise it in your city, Facebook and in other ways to let people know about it. In this way, you will find enthusiastic people to help you.
5. Useful materials for the protest are:
Posters, not smaller than A3
One cotton sheet, 2m x 3m for collecting signatures
A few pens and markers
A camera for taking pictures and videos for websites
6. Soon after the protest, send us your photos and videos and a short report of your protest.
7. Even one person can mount a protest using these suggestions, but it is easier with two people. Involving several people allows more possibilities; for example, you could hire a microphone and talk to people. You can make your protest more graphic by asking someone to sit on the ground and cover them with a white cotton sheet with a few pink stains. Put a few "stones" made of paper or cardboard beside them.
8. Let the media know about your protest and ask them to interview you as organisers of the action day and the people who have come to support you. Intensify your advertising campaign a few days before your protest to make people aware of your event. Invite artists, organisations and activists defending women’s rights, human rights and members of parliament. Encourage your local media to interview you so people in your city will be informed.
Forced interview with Sakineh a huge international disgrace for the Islamic Republic of Iran
Press Release No: 42
13 August 2010
The August 11 interview of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani by the state-run television channel “Seda va Sima,” in which she was forced to criticise the international campaign to save her and complain against Mostafai (her lawyer) in public, became world-wide news that shamed the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Within minutes, news of this inquisition reached the International Committees against Stoning and Execution. This news was disseminated to other sites, reaching the international media within a few hours to reflect the murderous legal system of the Islamic Republic.
In the past two days, many radio and television stations and newspapers, from the USA and Europe to Brazil and Turkey, have interviewed Mina Ahadi, Ahmad Fatemi and Farshad Hoseini from the International Committees against Stoning and Execution, and have reflected their reactions to this inquisition.
Immediately, Amnesty International criticised the Islamic Republic. This was followed by condemnation from various governments.
The European media, which, except for the British, were relatively quiet two days ago, have now greatly expanded their broadcasting on the campaign to save Sakineh. They have also interviewed the campaigners about this inquisition by the Islamic Republic.
As of two days ago, the media from Turkey and Arab-speaking countries have also devoted a considerable volume of their coverage to Sakineh's case in general and specifically to this act of the Islamic Republic. They have also broadcast parts of the activities of the International Committees against Stoning and Execution in different countries.
The International Campaign against Stoning and Execution to save Sakineh has found new dimensions. The Islamic Republic is in such a quandary that last night’s television programme, after showing many activities of the Committees against Stoning and Execution, descended into nonsense and announced that Mostafaei wasn’t a lawyer at all! It was then forced to announce that due to Ramadan, Sakineh would not be executed in this month. This was in spite of the fact that the Islamic Republic had previously intensified preparations to execute her by sending her case to Mortazavi and Ezheyi, two of the most notorious members of this criminal gang.
In the last few weeks, the criminal judiciary system of the Islamic Republic, despicable Islamic Ghesas laws, prison conditions, the regime's anti-woman and anti-human rights policy and practice, the necessity of a global boycott, and the withdrawal of the official recognition of this regime have been at the forefront of discussion in world-wide media and general public opinion.
Millions of people around the world have seen the ugly face of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic has now lost all credibility on the world scene.
The International Committee Against Stoning (ICAS)
The International Committee Against Execution (ICAE)
(Translated from Farsi by Soheila Rowe)
Email: minaahadi@aol.com
Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
http://notonemoreexecution.org
http://stopstonningnow.com
13 August 2010
The August 11 interview of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani by the state-run television channel “Seda va Sima,” in which she was forced to criticise the international campaign to save her and complain against Mostafai (her lawyer) in public, became world-wide news that shamed the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Within minutes, news of this inquisition reached the International Committees against Stoning and Execution. This news was disseminated to other sites, reaching the international media within a few hours to reflect the murderous legal system of the Islamic Republic.
In the past two days, many radio and television stations and newspapers, from the USA and Europe to Brazil and Turkey, have interviewed Mina Ahadi, Ahmad Fatemi and Farshad Hoseini from the International Committees against Stoning and Execution, and have reflected their reactions to this inquisition.
Immediately, Amnesty International criticised the Islamic Republic. This was followed by condemnation from various governments.
The European media, which, except for the British, were relatively quiet two days ago, have now greatly expanded their broadcasting on the campaign to save Sakineh. They have also interviewed the campaigners about this inquisition by the Islamic Republic.
As of two days ago, the media from Turkey and Arab-speaking countries have also devoted a considerable volume of their coverage to Sakineh's case in general and specifically to this act of the Islamic Republic. They have also broadcast parts of the activities of the International Committees against Stoning and Execution in different countries.
The International Campaign against Stoning and Execution to save Sakineh has found new dimensions. The Islamic Republic is in such a quandary that last night’s television programme, after showing many activities of the Committees against Stoning and Execution, descended into nonsense and announced that Mostafaei wasn’t a lawyer at all! It was then forced to announce that due to Ramadan, Sakineh would not be executed in this month. This was in spite of the fact that the Islamic Republic had previously intensified preparations to execute her by sending her case to Mortazavi and Ezheyi, two of the most notorious members of this criminal gang.
In the last few weeks, the criminal judiciary system of the Islamic Republic, despicable Islamic Ghesas laws, prison conditions, the regime's anti-woman and anti-human rights policy and practice, the necessity of a global boycott, and the withdrawal of the official recognition of this regime have been at the forefront of discussion in world-wide media and general public opinion.
Millions of people around the world have seen the ugly face of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic has now lost all credibility on the world scene.
The International Committee Against Stoning (ICAS)
The International Committee Against Execution (ICAE)
(Translated from Farsi by Soheila Rowe)
Email: minaahadi@aol.com
Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
http://notonemoreexecution.org
http://stopstonningnow.com
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Final verdict once more postponed; Ashtiani put under pressure to confess on TV
Press Release No 45
On Saturday Ms Ashtiani’s lawyer Houtan Kian was at a hearing at the High Court in Tehran. The fact that Ms Ashtiani had applied for divorce from her husband was discussed. She had already been given a written confirmation from the court that she and her husband had irreconcilable differences. The court has requested to see the original document. Again, the court has postponed a final verdict in her case and the next appointment has been set for this Saturday, 21 August.
On Friday afternoon Iranian state TV broadcast another programme about Ms Ashtiani in which they stated that she will not be executed during the month of Ramadan. Despite this statement, Ms Ashtiani’s family and ICAS are extremely concerned. On Friday 13 August three people were publicly executed in Asna. We also received news yesterday that 70 people were executed in Mashad.
According to information received by ICAS, Ms Ashtiani was put under pressure and beaten in prison so that she would agree to confess on TV. Nobakht, the Tabriz prosecutor, visited Ms Ashtiani in prison and had suggested to her that he would try to save her from execution if she appeared on TV and confessed to sex outside of marriage and to having been involved in her husband’s murder.
We know from experience that the Islamic regime has put other prisoners under pressure to confess on TV with the promise of saving them from execution. Two or three days after the TV confession, the Islamic regime executed them nevertheless.
These developments are very worrying. Ms Ashtiani’s situation is getting more precarious and her execution is becoming ever more probable. By postponing a final verdict yet again, the Islamic regime is trying to buy time. It is waiting for the international protests, pressure and news coverage to abate and to then execute Ms Ashtiani.
We have to continue our international movement and protests to free Sakine. We are calling on governments to intensify their efforts to save Sakine Ashtiani. This is not only a fight for Sakine’s life but also a fight against stoning in Iran.
International Committee against Stoning
International Committee against Execution
15 August 2010
--------------------------------------------------------------
1. Contact: Mina Ahadi, Email: minaahadi@aol.com, Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
http://notonemoreexecution.org http://stopstonningnow.com
2. The document of confirmation of irreconcilable differences is a first step towards getting a divorce in a country where women don’t have the automatic right to divorce and can only be granted a divorce in very exceptional cases.
On Saturday Ms Ashtiani’s lawyer Houtan Kian was at a hearing at the High Court in Tehran. The fact that Ms Ashtiani had applied for divorce from her husband was discussed. She had already been given a written confirmation from the court that she and her husband had irreconcilable differences. The court has requested to see the original document. Again, the court has postponed a final verdict in her case and the next appointment has been set for this Saturday, 21 August.
On Friday afternoon Iranian state TV broadcast another programme about Ms Ashtiani in which they stated that she will not be executed during the month of Ramadan. Despite this statement, Ms Ashtiani’s family and ICAS are extremely concerned. On Friday 13 August three people were publicly executed in Asna. We also received news yesterday that 70 people were executed in Mashad.
According to information received by ICAS, Ms Ashtiani was put under pressure and beaten in prison so that she would agree to confess on TV. Nobakht, the Tabriz prosecutor, visited Ms Ashtiani in prison and had suggested to her that he would try to save her from execution if she appeared on TV and confessed to sex outside of marriage and to having been involved in her husband’s murder.
We know from experience that the Islamic regime has put other prisoners under pressure to confess on TV with the promise of saving them from execution. Two or three days after the TV confession, the Islamic regime executed them nevertheless.
These developments are very worrying. Ms Ashtiani’s situation is getting more precarious and her execution is becoming ever more probable. By postponing a final verdict yet again, the Islamic regime is trying to buy time. It is waiting for the international protests, pressure and news coverage to abate and to then execute Ms Ashtiani.
We have to continue our international movement and protests to free Sakine. We are calling on governments to intensify their efforts to save Sakine Ashtiani. This is not only a fight for Sakine’s life but also a fight against stoning in Iran.
International Committee against Stoning
International Committee against Execution
15 August 2010
--------------------------------------------------------------
1. Contact: Mina Ahadi, Email: minaahadi@aol.com, Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
http://notonemoreexecution.org http://stopstonningnow.com
2. The document of confirmation of irreconcilable differences is a first step towards getting a divorce in a country where women don’t have the automatic right to divorce and can only be granted a divorce in very exceptional cases.
Support ICAS and ICAE
An urgent call to all who want Sakineh and other sentenced to stoning saved
The International Committee Against Stoning and Execution (ICAS) & (ICAE) urgently need your financial support in order to continue their extended activities and cover the ever escalating costs. The costs include our daily phone calls to Iran to get the latest news and information; to arrange press conferences; and to cover trips and advertisement expenses. Our activities are geared towards saving Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, saving another 20 women and 5 men who are waiting to be stoned to death in Iran, and it is to end the stoning and execution altogether.Your donation guaranties the continuation of our activities. Please do not hesitate to help as much as you can.
Mina Ahadi
Spokesperson
International Committee Against Stoning (ICAS)
International Committee Against Execution (ICAE)
You can donate via paypal at:
Please earmark your donation
The International Committee Against Stoning and Execution (ICAS) & (ICAE) urgently need your financial support in order to continue their extended activities and cover the ever escalating costs. The costs include our daily phone calls to Iran to get the latest news and information; to arrange press conferences; and to cover trips and advertisement expenses. Our activities are geared towards saving Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, saving another 20 women and 5 men who are waiting to be stoned to death in Iran, and it is to end the stoning and execution altogether.Your donation guaranties the continuation of our activities. Please do not hesitate to help as much as you can.
Mina Ahadi
Spokesperson
International Committee Against Stoning (ICAS)
International Committee Against Execution (ICAE)
You can donate via paypal at:
Please earmark your donation
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Sakineh Ashtiani's son: 'Do not let her be executed'
Per the latest update by the International Committee against Execution, Sakineh's lawyer met with the prosecutor's office today. However, no final decision has been made on the case and another meeting has been set for next Saturday. We need to keep the pressure on so that it will be too costly for the regime to execute her.
Here is the latest letter from her 22 year old son, Sajjad:
The Letter of Sajjad Qaderzadeh, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s son, to the United Nations.
12 August 2010
In the Name of Justice for Our Father, Our Mother Is Being Executed
Our mother is not a murderer. Do not let her be executed.
For five years we have endured the nightmare of our mother being stoned. There has been news of our mother’s crime – adultery – everywhere, and talk that she would be stoned to death. This frightful word, “stoned,” has been continuously repeated in connection with our mother. This has made us cry day after day and wonder how we would live without her.
Time after time we tried to help our mother. We searched different avenues. We found people who we thought might be able to help us. We wrote letters saying, “do not let the pain of our mother’s death add to our already painful lives.” I do not know why nobody listened. Perhaps there are people who enjoy seeing our mother suffer and us having dark nightmares.
Two months ago we heard that all possibilities for securing our mother’s freedom had been exhausted, and that our mother may be stoned soon. Our last option was to ask people of the world to help us. Now many people around the world talk about our mother and her fate, and this has given us positive support.
But now, suddenly, the situation has changed: [the Islamic Republic] has changed our mother’s crime to murder, with a sentence of death.
This is not true.
Whatever she says now it is because of being captured and the nightmare of stoning and the death sentence.
This is not acceptable. We know that our mother is not a murderer. Our father’s murder file has been looked into and someone else has confessed. The file is closed now; all the files are there to be seen. Now, how is it that the government sources want to open the files and judge our mother a murderer? It looks as though to be fair to our father, they want to kill our mother. What sort of justice is this?
In order to look at this situation impartially, we ask the United Nations to send a committee to Iran to review these questions.
Sajad Qaderzadeh
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s son
Disseminated by the International Committee against Stoning and the International Committee against Execution
Here is the latest letter from her 22 year old son, Sajjad:
The Letter of Sajjad Qaderzadeh, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s son, to the United Nations.
12 August 2010
In the Name of Justice for Our Father, Our Mother Is Being Executed
Our mother is not a murderer. Do not let her be executed.
For five years we have endured the nightmare of our mother being stoned. There has been news of our mother’s crime – adultery – everywhere, and talk that she would be stoned to death. This frightful word, “stoned,” has been continuously repeated in connection with our mother. This has made us cry day after day and wonder how we would live without her.
Time after time we tried to help our mother. We searched different avenues. We found people who we thought might be able to help us. We wrote letters saying, “do not let the pain of our mother’s death add to our already painful lives.” I do not know why nobody listened. Perhaps there are people who enjoy seeing our mother suffer and us having dark nightmares.
Two months ago we heard that all possibilities for securing our mother’s freedom had been exhausted, and that our mother may be stoned soon. Our last option was to ask people of the world to help us. Now many people around the world talk about our mother and her fate, and this has given us positive support.
But now, suddenly, the situation has changed: [the Islamic Republic] has changed our mother’s crime to murder, with a sentence of death.
This is not true.
Whatever she says now it is because of being captured and the nightmare of stoning and the death sentence.
This is not acceptable. We know that our mother is not a murderer. Our father’s murder file has been looked into and someone else has confessed. The file is closed now; all the files are there to be seen. Now, how is it that the government sources want to open the files and judge our mother a murderer? It looks as though to be fair to our father, they want to kill our mother. What sort of justice is this?
In order to look at this situation impartially, we ask the United Nations to send a committee to Iran to review these questions.
Sajad Qaderzadeh
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s son
Disseminated by the International Committee against Stoning and the International Committee against Execution
Friday, August 13, 2010
The regime in Iran forces Sakineh Ashtiani to testify against herself on state-run TV
PR No.41
August 11, 2010
According to the latest news received by International Committee Against Stoning the regime in Iran has broadcast an interview with Sakineh Ashtiani, sentenced to be either stoned or hanged by the regime. In the interview she speaks against her lawyer, Mohammad Mostafai, and against the international campaign to save her. The report goes on to say that the state-run TV has further put together interviews with a few inhabitants of Oskoo, Azerbaijan, Sakineh’s native town, in which they express their inclination to see her executed.
This latest episode of TV serial, ‘confession’, in Iran is, as usual, nothing but a farce to the eyes of the people in Iran as well as to all those around the world familiar with the regime and the workings of its media. The fact of the matter is that the Islamic regime is under the illusion that it can, by employing such scandalous means, reduce the pressure of the worldwide, snowballing campaign against it, and thus prepare the ground for sakineh’s execution. All it has accomplished, however, is coercing a victim, for four years held in captivity and relinquished to the incubus of being stoned to death, to appear on state TV and make fitting ‘confessions’!
We maintain it is evident that such masquerades have not only been already revoltingly exposed to the human mind around the world but also long since managed to bring up only the innermost humane abhorrence and anger in it. And worldwide abhorrence and anger cannot help but deepen and widen in this case as long as committing and masquerading state crime continues in general in Iran.
International Committee Against Stoning (ICAS) calls on all individual and organized defenders of the rights of human beings to emphatically condemn the Islamic regime’s inhuman treatment of Sakineh Ashtiani, and to proactively rise up to her defense.
In summary, we call on one and all of civilized humanity to stand up to the latest crime committed by regime against the person as well as the human rights of Sakineh, and remain absolutely steadfast in their defense of her.
Mina Ahadi
Spokesperson
International Committee Against Stoning (www.stopstonningnow.com)
International Committee Against Execution (www.notonemoreexecution.org)
Email: minaahadi@aol.com
Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
August 11, 2010
CNN’s report on Sakineh Ashtiani’s appearance on state-run Iranian TV
August 11, 2010
According to the latest news received by International Committee Against Stoning the regime in Iran has broadcast an interview with Sakineh Ashtiani, sentenced to be either stoned or hanged by the regime. In the interview she speaks against her lawyer, Mohammad Mostafai, and against the international campaign to save her. The report goes on to say that the state-run TV has further put together interviews with a few inhabitants of Oskoo, Azerbaijan, Sakineh’s native town, in which they express their inclination to see her executed.
This latest episode of TV serial, ‘confession’, in Iran is, as usual, nothing but a farce to the eyes of the people in Iran as well as to all those around the world familiar with the regime and the workings of its media. The fact of the matter is that the Islamic regime is under the illusion that it can, by employing such scandalous means, reduce the pressure of the worldwide, snowballing campaign against it, and thus prepare the ground for sakineh’s execution. All it has accomplished, however, is coercing a victim, for four years held in captivity and relinquished to the incubus of being stoned to death, to appear on state TV and make fitting ‘confessions’!
We maintain it is evident that such masquerades have not only been already revoltingly exposed to the human mind around the world but also long since managed to bring up only the innermost humane abhorrence and anger in it. And worldwide abhorrence and anger cannot help but deepen and widen in this case as long as committing and masquerading state crime continues in general in Iran.
International Committee Against Stoning (ICAS) calls on all individual and organized defenders of the rights of human beings to emphatically condemn the Islamic regime’s inhuman treatment of Sakineh Ashtiani, and to proactively rise up to her defense.
In summary, we call on one and all of civilized humanity to stand up to the latest crime committed by regime against the person as well as the human rights of Sakineh, and remain absolutely steadfast in their defense of her.
Mina Ahadi
Spokesperson
International Committee Against Stoning (www.stopstonningnow.com)
International Committee Against Execution (www.notonemoreexecution.org)
Email: minaahadi@aol.com
Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
August 11, 2010
CNN’s report on Sakineh Ashtiani’s appearance on state-run Iranian TV
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Babak Shadidi targeted for the second time in Sweden by the terrorist agents of the Islamic regime of Iran
As reported earlier in a statement, the agents of the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic regime of Iran - well organized and active in the Western countries, had plotted the group assassination of several leadership members of the Worker-communist Party of Iran (WPI). The plot was to be carried out by Babak Shahidi, then a passive member of WPI. But Shadidi, troubled by his conscience, disclosed the vile, terrorist plot shortly before it was supposed to hatch. This obviously angered the Islamic regime in Tehran, which immediately boosted the level of persecution of Shadidi in exile and his family in Iran. Shadidi began receiving death threats, until on June 20 of this year he was assaulted in his residential apartment in Stockholm by two masked agents of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence. He had to be transported to hospital by helicopter due to his critical condition after the attack. Shadidi was saved. But the death threats continued and finally materialized at around 3:15 PM on August 3rd when he was attacked for the second time by two masked agents in his work place, an apartment in a northern suburb of Stockholm. The assassins first struck severe blows to his head and neck and then forced him to call Khalil Keyvan, Secretary of the Abroad Organization of WPI, to tell him, ‘all my previous exposés of the terrorist activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as those of the persecution of my family in Iran, have been just lies.’ He did as he was told. They then tied his hands and feet, went on to harm him more for while, then forcibly poured a chemical solution down his throat that was supposed to kill him, and fled the scene. On the other side, Khalil Keyvan who had obviously become suspicious of both what Shadidi had to say and his curious tone of voice, contacted the police immediately after the conversation. Shadidi, barely alive at this point, was transported to hospital a short while after Keyvan’s emergency call to the police. His condition is now still critical but not life-threatening, and we are happy to report that he is recovering well. Thus the terrorist attempts of the agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran at Shadidi’s life were thwarted for the second time.
The Worker-communist Party of Iran will square up to such criminal acts. We have already, in several instances, seriously protested the Swedish government’s lax attitude toward the terrorist activities of the Islamist regime of Iran in Sweden. The last instance was the open letter by seven well-known Iranian activists living in Sweden addressed to the Swedish Prime Minister. It was made extensively available to the Swedish media, political parties, and various social and political organizations. In their letter the seven activists have criticized the nonchalant attitude of the Swedish police toward the dangers threatening the safety and security of the Iranian opposition activists in that country.
We call on all organizations and individuals opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran across the world to exert pressure on the Swedish government for its policies of forbearance in dealing with the Islamist regime and its careless attitude toward the terrorist conspiracies of that regime in Sweden. The Swedish government bears the chief responsibility for the safety and security of all political activists in its country. As far as the Iranian opposition groups and individuals in Sweden are concerned, it must be stipulated that should the Iranian regime’s terrorist agents do them any harm in that country in any way, shape or form, the Swedish government will, naturally, be held accountable. After all, it is exactly for their safety and security that such activists have fled their homeland.
Worker-communist Party of Iran – Abroad Organization
August 4, 2010
Article in Swedish which reports on the attack on Shadidi
The Worker-communist Party of Iran will square up to such criminal acts. We have already, in several instances, seriously protested the Swedish government’s lax attitude toward the terrorist activities of the Islamist regime of Iran in Sweden. The last instance was the open letter by seven well-known Iranian activists living in Sweden addressed to the Swedish Prime Minister. It was made extensively available to the Swedish media, political parties, and various social and political organizations. In their letter the seven activists have criticized the nonchalant attitude of the Swedish police toward the dangers threatening the safety and security of the Iranian opposition activists in that country.
We call on all organizations and individuals opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran across the world to exert pressure on the Swedish government for its policies of forbearance in dealing with the Islamist regime and its careless attitude toward the terrorist conspiracies of that regime in Sweden. The Swedish government bears the chief responsibility for the safety and security of all political activists in its country. As far as the Iranian opposition groups and individuals in Sweden are concerned, it must be stipulated that should the Iranian regime’s terrorist agents do them any harm in that country in any way, shape or form, the Swedish government will, naturally, be held accountable. After all, it is exactly for their safety and security that such activists have fled their homeland.
Worker-communist Party of Iran – Abroad Organization
August 4, 2010
Article in Swedish which reports on the attack on Shadidi
New Documents from Tabriz and Tehran Courts on Sakineh Ashtaiani’s Case
PR No. 37, August 7, 2010
Also following: Open Letter by Houtan Kia, one of Sakineh’s Lawyers, to Human Rights Authorities
It was three ago that I was acquainted with Sakineh Ashtian’s case, and the likelihood of her stoning sentence being carried out, through her children’s telephone call to me at International Committee Against Stoning (ICAS). Sakineh had then been sentenced to stoning by the Province Court of Tabriz (capital city of Eastern Azerbaijan) for ‘adultery’. The sentence had subsequently been confirmed by the Supreme Court in Tehran. At this point her children had decided to resort to ICAS, determined to save their mother’s life.
The ICAS took prompt action, informing the public about the situation through a series of Statements, as well as organizing several practical measures.
On July 6, 2010, when all legal ways and efforts had been exhausted, and Sakineh’s letters of appeal for clemency to the authorities of the Islamist regime, including Khamenei himself, had fallen on deaf ears, her children wrote a letter addressed to the world to save their mother. It was immediately released by ICAS, first in the original Farsi and the day after in English, based on which it was later translated by the people around the world into 17 languages.
As a result of the international furor against her conviction during the past month, Sakineh’s fate has turned into the subject of deep concern and proactive protest of millions of people around the world. Also, their eyes have turned towards the prisons of the Islamist regime, its barbaric judicial philosophy, process of interpretation and application of its laws, and its procedural law. Further, Sakineh’s fate and the international campaign to save her life have provided the people of the world with a vintage point from which to see the true nature of a whole system of sexual apartheid built up by a regime of terrorist, misogynistic murderers.
Now, under powerful international pressure, the regime has resorted to trumping up charges against Sakineh, accusing her of murdering her husband. But the truth is that, according to the documents of the regime’s own courts, it is evident that there is no charge of murder in this case! ‘Brach 12 of Tabriz Province Court… has no records of having ever charged Sakineh with murder’, writes Sakineh’s lawyer, Houtan Kian (see below his letter). The regime is lying simply to make Sakineh appear a murderer in the eyes of the world in an effort to lessen the challenging global pressure it is confronted with.
We publicized the documents we had in our possession at a press conference in London on June 30th. We are now in receipt of other documents that show more clearly than ever that the regime is trumping up the murder charge and that its intention to execute her is utterly political. We shall soon make these documents public too. Meanwhile, in order to prepare to frustrate the regime’s savage habit of churning out charges against people, especially women, we requested Houtan Kian to expound on the matter. In reply to our request he wrote an open letter – mailed to, and immediately released by us – to human rights authorities and organizations worlswide. In his letter Houtan Kian has elaborated on the general layout of the case. The complete translation of the letter is attached to the end of this PR.
The substance of Houtan Kian’s open letter is as follows:
Cases involving sex out of wedlock (SOW) and those involving murder are tried at, and/or confirmed by, two different divisions (branches) of criminal-law courts in Iran. Murder is tried by Division 12 of the Province Court and SOW at Division 6. If a case involves both, it is also tried at Div. 12. Sakineh Ashtiaani’s case was tried at Div. 6, and the case involving her husband’s murder at Div. 12. If she had been charged on both accounts, she would have been tried at Div. 12. But, according to Houtan Kian, Div. 12 of Tabriz Province Court has no records of having charged Sakineh Ashtiaani with murder. At Div. 12, where the case of the murder of Ebrahim Ghaderzaadeh (Ashtiaani’s husband) was tried, a certain Isa T. confessed to the murder and was, accordingly, sentenced to death. But he was not executed, for Sakineh’s children, now in a position to determine whether the blood of the person who shed their father’s blood should be shed – according to the Islamic tribal law of ‘a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye’ – forgave the killer , and he was freed a short while after. Sakine, on the other hand, was convicted of adultery. But not for ‘adultery of a married woman’ (zenna-e-mohseneh) as the Islamic Sharia Law distinguishes the two, and punishes only the latter by stoning. For her SOW conviction Sakineh received a sentence of 99 lashes and 10 years’ imprisonment - for ‘disturbing the social peace’ (!) - by Div.6 at Tabriz Province Court. Thus both cases were officially declared ‘closed’. Sakineh’s sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in Tehran, and subsequently carried out.
However, for some peculiar, unknown reason, or as Sajjad, Sakineh’s son’s, writes in his letter, ‘but I do not know what happened, and’ the same Div. 6 of the Province Court in Tabriz reopened the case ‘in relation to the murder case’ (Mohammad Mostafai, the other Sakineh’s lawyer, in his public statement of 26 June, 2010). Yet, as Mostafai continues, ‘The judges of Div. 6 this time brought the charge of zenna-e-mohseneh against my client, convicted and sentenced her to stoning without producing clear reasons proving her guilt according to Article 83 and the following articles of the Islamic Code of Punishment…and only on the basis of the knowledge of the judge (my underline). This occurred despite the following circumstance…: 1- trying Sakineh for the second time, while the previous conviction has not been rescinded, [i.e. trying her twice for the same charge] was, and is, devoid of any legal value; 2- Two judges of Div. 6 of the Province Criminal Court …were convinced of Sakineh’s innocence and clearly stated in their verdict that “there are neither any doctrinal nor any legal reasons positively proving zenna-e-mohseneh in the case of the accused. Nor are the existing evidence and signs in this case among the common ways of achieving knowledge.”’ The stoning sentence was also confirmed by the Supreme Court in Tehran. That was the point at which Sakineh’s children, Sajjad and Faride, contacted ICAS three years ago by the telephone. Thus for four years Sakineh has been living with the horror of being stoned to death for a totally baseless conviction issued illegally even according to the tribal Islamic judicial system and its savage, misogynistic code of punishment of the regime itself.
Now, under the recent international pressure to save and free Sakineh, the regime has been pushed back one step from the position of wanting to stone her to the position of intending to execute her by hanging for the charge of murdering her husband. This is what Nowbakht, the Deputy Prosecutor of Tabriz, demanded in his indictment of mid-July 2010. However, ‘Mostafai has issued a statement saying that Sakineh has been acquitted of murdering her husband, and the execution by hanging has not been mentioned in her final official sentence’ (The Guardian, Thursday, 22 July 2010). This indictment is presently under consideration by the Supreme Court in Tehran. The regime officially announced on July 20th that a final verdict in Sakineh Ashtiaani’s case would be handed down ‘in 21 days’, that is, on August 12th.
As can be seen easily in the mirror of Sakineh’s case, the crux of the matter is that the so-called courts of the Islamist regime in Iran are light years removed from the most basic principles and standards of humanity, impartiality and independence. The truth is that the regime’s judiciary system is, above all, a horrifying apparatus in the hands of the state for the purpose of producing rubber-stamped verdicts fitting the day-to-day political, terroristic needs of the latter. That is why instigation, creating all sorts of political atmospheres, and the use of torture for extraction of confessions are part and parcel of this so-called judicial system. But, again, what else can one expect from a regime of sheer terror using all the fitting means of instilling terror – everything from stoning, amputation of limbs and torture to flogging men and women for their hair and dressing style to levying heavy fines in the case of women for having nail polish or putting their sunglasses up on their foreheads or tucking their pants into their boots? Not only this nightmarish, tribal, misogynistic judicial system but also this whole regime of terror must be wiped from the face of the Iranian society and, indeed, as an international menace, from the face of the world.
We must save Sakineh from the ruling murderous regime in Iran. Only the united civilized humanity can do it. And there is only way to do it: intensifying the current international pressure on the regime through stronger protests.
Mina Ahadi
Spokesperson
International Campaign Against Stoning (http://stopstonningnow.com) and
International campaign Against Execution (http://stopstonningnow.com)
Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
Attachment (Not translated by ICAS):
Houtan Kian’s Open Letter:
Respectable authorities defending human rights
Ahuraian greetings.
At the outset, I must explain that all the cases I (Houtan Kian-Senior Attorney at Law) handle, since the day I started my profession as an attorney, given my area of specialty on crimes such as murder, adultery, homosexuality, political, illicit drugs, …meaning crimes in which according to the laws of the Islamic Republic are punishable by execution in various forms. I have represented my client, Ms. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, since 1387 (Note last year)
The cases involve murder and adultery which are two different things based on which court handles each, assuming my client was also involved in the murder case.
If murder was proven, my client would have been executed and there would have been no need to stone her to death (Note the punishment for adultery under Islamic Penal Code). Based on Islamic Penal Code, the punishments for murder and adultery should have been combined in one case and sentence and handled by Brach 12 of the Tabriz Province Court. Whereas this was not the case. The branch has no records of sentencing my client to murder
Regarding the accusation of murder in the same branch regarding Mr. x who has been convicted of murder and proven that he committed murder. He admitted to murder in the branch. Later when the deceased Ebrahim Ghaderzadeh’s (Ashtiani’s husband) family was interviewed as to whether they sought retribution for the crime committed by Mr. x (murder), the family agreed unanimously to forego his blood and the convict is now freed as a result. The incident regarding Mr. Ghaderzadeh’s death happened in a bath as a result of electrocution. The convict admitted in the branch that he administered the electrifying of Mr. Ghaderzadeh himself with his own hands three times and each time the deceased received electrical shock.
The conviction of Ms. Sakineh Ashtiani in Branch 6 of the East Azerbaijan Province Court for adultery was wrong in the process by which it was handled. It completely violated the spirit of the laws of the Islamic Republic. It was only in the Supreme Court that the case was endorsed on the basis of Islamic Sharia law. That is wrong in every way. In my defense of the case before the Supreme Court of the country, I say the same thing. Now although the application of stoning has been temporarily halted, the case remains open for handling and application of stoning in Tabriz province.
The current process of the case, based on my request for due process, has now been sent by the respected judge of the Supreme Court to Ms. Farshchi for due process application and for review. Based on her order, it is registered in the computer by the number of ----, dated ---and has circulated in the secretariat of the Supreme Court and sent to branch 9 of the Supreme Court on date of ----under the registration number ----.There it is about to be examined. Meanwhile, based on evidence of the case that is now on file with registration number ----, an implementation remains in order in the Tabriz Court regrettably through Mr. Hossein Nobakht, the assistant to the prosecutor of Tabriz on implementation of case affairs. And as such cases are handled, the request to change Ms. Ashtiani’s stoning to execution has been made by the head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Chief Prosecutor of the country.
Also following: Open Letter by Houtan Kia, one of Sakineh’s Lawyers, to Human Rights Authorities
It was three ago that I was acquainted with Sakineh Ashtian’s case, and the likelihood of her stoning sentence being carried out, through her children’s telephone call to me at International Committee Against Stoning (ICAS). Sakineh had then been sentenced to stoning by the Province Court of Tabriz (capital city of Eastern Azerbaijan) for ‘adultery’. The sentence had subsequently been confirmed by the Supreme Court in Tehran. At this point her children had decided to resort to ICAS, determined to save their mother’s life.
The ICAS took prompt action, informing the public about the situation through a series of Statements, as well as organizing several practical measures.
On July 6, 2010, when all legal ways and efforts had been exhausted, and Sakineh’s letters of appeal for clemency to the authorities of the Islamist regime, including Khamenei himself, had fallen on deaf ears, her children wrote a letter addressed to the world to save their mother. It was immediately released by ICAS, first in the original Farsi and the day after in English, based on which it was later translated by the people around the world into 17 languages.
As a result of the international furor against her conviction during the past month, Sakineh’s fate has turned into the subject of deep concern and proactive protest of millions of people around the world. Also, their eyes have turned towards the prisons of the Islamist regime, its barbaric judicial philosophy, process of interpretation and application of its laws, and its procedural law. Further, Sakineh’s fate and the international campaign to save her life have provided the people of the world with a vintage point from which to see the true nature of a whole system of sexual apartheid built up by a regime of terrorist, misogynistic murderers.
Now, under powerful international pressure, the regime has resorted to trumping up charges against Sakineh, accusing her of murdering her husband. But the truth is that, according to the documents of the regime’s own courts, it is evident that there is no charge of murder in this case! ‘Brach 12 of Tabriz Province Court… has no records of having ever charged Sakineh with murder’, writes Sakineh’s lawyer, Houtan Kian (see below his letter). The regime is lying simply to make Sakineh appear a murderer in the eyes of the world in an effort to lessen the challenging global pressure it is confronted with.
We publicized the documents we had in our possession at a press conference in London on June 30th. We are now in receipt of other documents that show more clearly than ever that the regime is trumping up the murder charge and that its intention to execute her is utterly political. We shall soon make these documents public too. Meanwhile, in order to prepare to frustrate the regime’s savage habit of churning out charges against people, especially women, we requested Houtan Kian to expound on the matter. In reply to our request he wrote an open letter – mailed to, and immediately released by us – to human rights authorities and organizations worlswide. In his letter Houtan Kian has elaborated on the general layout of the case. The complete translation of the letter is attached to the end of this PR.
The substance of Houtan Kian’s open letter is as follows:
Cases involving sex out of wedlock (SOW) and those involving murder are tried at, and/or confirmed by, two different divisions (branches) of criminal-law courts in Iran. Murder is tried by Division 12 of the Province Court and SOW at Division 6. If a case involves both, it is also tried at Div. 12. Sakineh Ashtiaani’s case was tried at Div. 6, and the case involving her husband’s murder at Div. 12. If she had been charged on both accounts, she would have been tried at Div. 12. But, according to Houtan Kian, Div. 12 of Tabriz Province Court has no records of having charged Sakineh Ashtiaani with murder. At Div. 12, where the case of the murder of Ebrahim Ghaderzaadeh (Ashtiaani’s husband) was tried, a certain Isa T. confessed to the murder and was, accordingly, sentenced to death. But he was not executed, for Sakineh’s children, now in a position to determine whether the blood of the person who shed their father’s blood should be shed – according to the Islamic tribal law of ‘a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye’ – forgave the killer , and he was freed a short while after. Sakine, on the other hand, was convicted of adultery. But not for ‘adultery of a married woman’ (zenna-e-mohseneh) as the Islamic Sharia Law distinguishes the two, and punishes only the latter by stoning. For her SOW conviction Sakineh received a sentence of 99 lashes and 10 years’ imprisonment - for ‘disturbing the social peace’ (!) - by Div.6 at Tabriz Province Court. Thus both cases were officially declared ‘closed’. Sakineh’s sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in Tehran, and subsequently carried out.
However, for some peculiar, unknown reason, or as Sajjad, Sakineh’s son’s, writes in his letter, ‘but I do not know what happened, and’ the same Div. 6 of the Province Court in Tabriz reopened the case ‘in relation to the murder case’ (Mohammad Mostafai, the other Sakineh’s lawyer, in his public statement of 26 June, 2010). Yet, as Mostafai continues, ‘The judges of Div. 6 this time brought the charge of zenna-e-mohseneh against my client, convicted and sentenced her to stoning without producing clear reasons proving her guilt according to Article 83 and the following articles of the Islamic Code of Punishment…and only on the basis of the knowledge of the judge (my underline). This occurred despite the following circumstance…: 1- trying Sakineh for the second time, while the previous conviction has not been rescinded, [i.e. trying her twice for the same charge] was, and is, devoid of any legal value; 2- Two judges of Div. 6 of the Province Criminal Court …were convinced of Sakineh’s innocence and clearly stated in their verdict that “there are neither any doctrinal nor any legal reasons positively proving zenna-e-mohseneh in the case of the accused. Nor are the existing evidence and signs in this case among the common ways of achieving knowledge.”’ The stoning sentence was also confirmed by the Supreme Court in Tehran. That was the point at which Sakineh’s children, Sajjad and Faride, contacted ICAS three years ago by the telephone. Thus for four years Sakineh has been living with the horror of being stoned to death for a totally baseless conviction issued illegally even according to the tribal Islamic judicial system and its savage, misogynistic code of punishment of the regime itself.
Now, under the recent international pressure to save and free Sakineh, the regime has been pushed back one step from the position of wanting to stone her to the position of intending to execute her by hanging for the charge of murdering her husband. This is what Nowbakht, the Deputy Prosecutor of Tabriz, demanded in his indictment of mid-July 2010. However, ‘Mostafai has issued a statement saying that Sakineh has been acquitted of murdering her husband, and the execution by hanging has not been mentioned in her final official sentence’ (The Guardian, Thursday, 22 July 2010). This indictment is presently under consideration by the Supreme Court in Tehran. The regime officially announced on July 20th that a final verdict in Sakineh Ashtiaani’s case would be handed down ‘in 21 days’, that is, on August 12th.
As can be seen easily in the mirror of Sakineh’s case, the crux of the matter is that the so-called courts of the Islamist regime in Iran are light years removed from the most basic principles and standards of humanity, impartiality and independence. The truth is that the regime’s judiciary system is, above all, a horrifying apparatus in the hands of the state for the purpose of producing rubber-stamped verdicts fitting the day-to-day political, terroristic needs of the latter. That is why instigation, creating all sorts of political atmospheres, and the use of torture for extraction of confessions are part and parcel of this so-called judicial system. But, again, what else can one expect from a regime of sheer terror using all the fitting means of instilling terror – everything from stoning, amputation of limbs and torture to flogging men and women for their hair and dressing style to levying heavy fines in the case of women for having nail polish or putting their sunglasses up on their foreheads or tucking their pants into their boots? Not only this nightmarish, tribal, misogynistic judicial system but also this whole regime of terror must be wiped from the face of the Iranian society and, indeed, as an international menace, from the face of the world.
We must save Sakineh from the ruling murderous regime in Iran. Only the united civilized humanity can do it. And there is only way to do it: intensifying the current international pressure on the regime through stronger protests.
Mina Ahadi
Spokesperson
International Campaign Against Stoning (http://stopstonningnow.com) and
International campaign Against Execution (http://stopstonningnow.com)
Tel: 0049 (0) 1775692413
Attachment (Not translated by ICAS):
Houtan Kian’s Open Letter:
Respectable authorities defending human rights
Ahuraian greetings.
At the outset, I must explain that all the cases I (Houtan Kian-Senior Attorney at Law) handle, since the day I started my profession as an attorney, given my area of specialty on crimes such as murder, adultery, homosexuality, political, illicit drugs, …meaning crimes in which according to the laws of the Islamic Republic are punishable by execution in various forms. I have represented my client, Ms. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, since 1387 (Note last year)
The cases involve murder and adultery which are two different things based on which court handles each, assuming my client was also involved in the murder case.
If murder was proven, my client would have been executed and there would have been no need to stone her to death (Note the punishment for adultery under Islamic Penal Code). Based on Islamic Penal Code, the punishments for murder and adultery should have been combined in one case and sentence and handled by Brach 12 of the Tabriz Province Court. Whereas this was not the case. The branch has no records of sentencing my client to murder
Regarding the accusation of murder in the same branch regarding Mr. x who has been convicted of murder and proven that he committed murder. He admitted to murder in the branch. Later when the deceased Ebrahim Ghaderzadeh’s (Ashtiani’s husband) family was interviewed as to whether they sought retribution for the crime committed by Mr. x (murder), the family agreed unanimously to forego his blood and the convict is now freed as a result. The incident regarding Mr. Ghaderzadeh’s death happened in a bath as a result of electrocution. The convict admitted in the branch that he administered the electrifying of Mr. Ghaderzadeh himself with his own hands three times and each time the deceased received electrical shock.
The conviction of Ms. Sakineh Ashtiani in Branch 6 of the East Azerbaijan Province Court for adultery was wrong in the process by which it was handled. It completely violated the spirit of the laws of the Islamic Republic. It was only in the Supreme Court that the case was endorsed on the basis of Islamic Sharia law. That is wrong in every way. In my defense of the case before the Supreme Court of the country, I say the same thing. Now although the application of stoning has been temporarily halted, the case remains open for handling and application of stoning in Tabriz province.
The current process of the case, based on my request for due process, has now been sent by the respected judge of the Supreme Court to Ms. Farshchi for due process application and for review. Based on her order, it is registered in the computer by the number of ----, dated ---and has circulated in the secretariat of the Supreme Court and sent to branch 9 of the Supreme Court on date of ----under the registration number ----.There it is about to be examined. Meanwhile, based on evidence of the case that is now on file with registration number ----, an implementation remains in order in the Tabriz Court regrettably through Mr. Hossein Nobakht, the assistant to the prosecutor of Tabriz on implementation of case affairs. And as such cases are handled, the request to change Ms. Ashtiani’s stoning to execution has been made by the head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Chief Prosecutor of the country.
August 28 100 cities against Stoning
The International campaign to save Sakineh Ashtiaani from stoning has brought this savage, criminal punishment to the attention of the world. Today Sakineh's name is familiar to millions of people. Hundreds of thousands have expressed their abhorrence of stoning through, among other things, signing petitions and taking part in protest actions worldwide. This millions strong movement must be organized. It must take its protest to the streets!
To that end we call on citizens of the world to mark August 28, 2010 the day of protest action by 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING. We call on you, civilized people of the world, to actively show your vehement opposition to stoning as a pre-medieval form of savagery. Organize, or participate in, protest rallies everywhere. Condemn the Islamist regime in Iran as the cruelest regime of its kind that stones people to death. It has, during the 31 years of its existence, stoned at least 109 people, predominantly women, and currently has 25 more people sit on stoning death row. These barbaric, serial killings must be stopped!
We call especially on all anti-stoning campaigners, as well as all groups and organizations particularly involved in the on-going international campaign to save Sakineh, to actively mobilize, with everything in their power, for a strong 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING action. We request you all to contact us through our website addresses below in order to coordinate your efforts and organize more effectively. We shall soon announce the list of names of the cities willing and prepared to organize an action.
Further, we request all trade unions and other workers’ organization, women’s organizations, Amnesty International and all progressive organizations to join us in this campaign aimed at forcing back the Islamist regime. Please forward this callout to your membership and mobilize them for a forceful, global 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING.
We call on all local councils, city governments and MPs around the world to actively join this global, citizens’ campaign, issue statements and pass resolutions condemning the barbaric regime of stoning in Iran.
We request the world media to help us in disseminating the news of the advance of 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING campaign.
We also call on all Iranian individulas living abroad, all Iranian opposition organizations, and all the Farsi language media to consider 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING their own protest action against the regime of stoning in Iran. We request them to add to its force as well as expanse through contributing their creative ideas.
International Committee Against Stoning
Iran Solidarity
Mission Free Iran
International Committee Against Execution
To that end we call on citizens of the world to mark August 28, 2010 the day of protest action by 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING. We call on you, civilized people of the world, to actively show your vehement opposition to stoning as a pre-medieval form of savagery. Organize, or participate in, protest rallies everywhere. Condemn the Islamist regime in Iran as the cruelest regime of its kind that stones people to death. It has, during the 31 years of its existence, stoned at least 109 people, predominantly women, and currently has 25 more people sit on stoning death row. These barbaric, serial killings must be stopped!
We call especially on all anti-stoning campaigners, as well as all groups and organizations particularly involved in the on-going international campaign to save Sakineh, to actively mobilize, with everything in their power, for a strong 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING action. We request you all to contact us through our website addresses below in order to coordinate your efforts and organize more effectively. We shall soon announce the list of names of the cities willing and prepared to organize an action.
Further, we request all trade unions and other workers’ organization, women’s organizations, Amnesty International and all progressive organizations to join us in this campaign aimed at forcing back the Islamist regime. Please forward this callout to your membership and mobilize them for a forceful, global 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING.
We call on all local councils, city governments and MPs around the world to actively join this global, citizens’ campaign, issue statements and pass resolutions condemning the barbaric regime of stoning in Iran.
We request the world media to help us in disseminating the news of the advance of 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING campaign.
We also call on all Iranian individulas living abroad, all Iranian opposition organizations, and all the Farsi language media to consider 100 CITIES OF THE WORLD AGAINST STONING their own protest action against the regime of stoning in Iran. We request them to add to its force as well as expanse through contributing their creative ideas.
International Committee Against Stoning
Iran Solidarity
Mission Free Iran
International Committee Against Execution
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