Date: May 11, 2004

The Honourable Kofi Annan

Secretary-General

The United Nations

Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

We, “Iranian Human Rights Activists Groups in EU and North America”, are fifteen Iranian non-profit voluntary associations in Europe and North America with the main objectives to better the condition of human rights in Iran toward a fair and free society. We are writing you to report a summary of our records of the violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the Islamic Republic of Iran during the last calendar year. Our records include the news that has been officially reported by the Iranian media.

Executions*                                                                                           108 

Accusation of Parliament members                                                         45

Banned media                                                                                       35

Killing of journalist under torture                                                            1

Journalists investigated                                                                           343

Journalists on trial                                                                                  78

Accusation of journalists                                                                        108

Journalists imprisoned                                                                            16

Detained journalists during investigation                            32

Detained journalists without any charge                                                  23

Journalists physically attacked (by security forces)                                  8

Press waiting trial                                                                                   500

Detained students (at least)                                                                    400

Violations of women’s rights                                            62

Political and cultural activists investigated or detained                              218

Death of demonstrators by gunfire                                                          33

Detention of demonstrators (at least)                                                      1167

(According to the public prosecutor only in one case 4000 people have been arrested last year)

 Filtering of websites                                                                              187

Mr. Secretary General,

As the figures show, the condition of human rights has deterioted over the last year. Other reputable and independent organizations such as Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch have corroborated our findings. As well, in his report, submitted to the Commission on Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Mr. Ambeyi Ligabo, has expressed his profound concern about the deterioration of human rights in Iran.

Despite the widespread, planned and systematic violations of human rights in Iran, the 60th session of the UN commission on Human Rights did not take any action and kept silent on Iran’s human rights problems. However, we truly believe your great respect for human rights values and your international influence can help us stop human rights abuses in Iran. Therefore:

1) We urgently ask you to utilize all available resources to pressure the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to dismantle all of its official and unofficial repression centres; particularly hidden detentions cells, and release all political prisoners. This must be set as the basis for any agreement with regard to human rights situation in Iran.

 2) We also urge UN to initiate genuine and decisive measures to put an end to human rights violations through establishing a comprehensive, continuous and direct monitoring of human rights situation in Iran by appointing a permanent special representative in Iran.

Yours truly,

 

Hossein Mahoutiha

Coordinator of the Iranian  Human Rights Activists Groups in EU and North America

Phone : 1 - 514 – 365 9212 (Canada  – Montreal)

Mail: hmahoutiha@videotron.ca

Web: Human Rights News from Iran  -http://ihrgint.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

Cc: members of the commission on Human Rights Sixtieth session;

    President of the EU Commission

 

Human rights defense association of Iran, Montr้al, Canada (www.addhi.com) - Human Rights defense comity of Iran, Sweden (www.komitedefa.org ) – The action committee for the release of Prisoners of conscience in  Iran, Paris, France (irancalppo.free.fr ) – Centre for Thought, Dialogue and Human Rights in Iran, Toronto, Canada (ctdhumanright@yahoo.com)  - Vereinigung zur Verteidigung der Menschenrechte im Iran,Bremen, Deutschland (www.bashariyat.de) - Stichting voor  de Verdediging van Democratie in Iran, Nederland ) kdaddih@hotmail.com) – Iranian – Canadian community Association of western Canada, Vancouver (yebarak@yahoo.ca) - Committee to Defend Human Rights in Iran, California, U.S.A. - ( defendhriran_ca@yahoo.com) - noran (supporting committee for human rights in iran ), Norway – (noranali2003@yahoo.no ) – Activist of Human Rights- Irantestimony (www.irantestimony.com) -  Committee for defense of  Liberty and Democracy in Iran – Austria (demokrasi9@yahoo.com) , Aliance for Human Rights defense in Iran – Washangton, U.S.A (adhri1@yahoo.com) – Association of defender of Human Rights and democracy in Iran ,  France (www.rahaei.com)    - Iranain Human Rights Activitists group, Switzerland (mnrecht@hotmail.com), - Center of activists for  the  defense  of  Human Rigts  in Iran, Belgium ( kanon253@hotmail.com )

 

* According to the latest news, three new death sentences have been announced. One of them is against Mr. Hashem Agajari, a university professor and political activist.

HOME