- Target:
- United Nations and Government and International Organizations
- Region:
- GLOBAL
- Website:
- www.facebook.com
Heshmat Tabarzadi is an Iranian journalist and democratic activist. He was arrested on December 28, 2009, in front of his wife and son by agents who also seized his books, papers, and computer, and is currently being held at an unknown location.
Tabarzadi published an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal on December 17, 2009. In his op-ed, he wrote: "If the government continues to opt for violence, there very well may be another revolution in Iran. One side has to step down. And that side is the government—not the people.
On the evening of December 27, Tabarzadi was interviewed on Voice of America Persian, and said that the protests were the largest he had ever seen. He also called on protesters to keep the protests nonviolent.
Tabarzadi was viewed by the regime as one of the leaders of the student protests of July 9, 1999. He was arrested and spent nine years in Evin Prison, including two in solitary confinement, for his activities as a student leader.
On October 3rd Heshmatollah Tabarzadi Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison and 74 Lashes
According to the report, the 26th branch of the Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Pirabbas, has sentenced political activist and Secretary- General of the Democratic Party of Iran to 9 years in prison and 74 lashes.
He has been convicted of conspiracy and assembly to commit a crime against national security and insulting the Supreme Leader. Tabarzadi was detained on December 28th after the Ashura protests and transferred to solitary confinement in Ward 209 of the Evin Priosn. He was later transferred to the Rajaei Shahr prison for protesting the execution of the 5 Kurdish activists including Farzad Kamangar.
His first court session was held on June 9th and after the objections made by his lawyers, the charges of destructing the public property, espionage, and insulting Ayatollah Khomeini were dropped.
The barbaric human rights violations carried out by the Iranian regime cannot be allowed to continue.
Please do not stand by. Please sign this petition.
We, the undersigned, demand the immediate halt to the order issued to Heshmatollah Tabarzadi. The sentence is entirely illegal.
2) unconditional freedom of Heshmatollah Tabarzadi, a veteran activist for human rights in Iran. Islamic republic of Iran must drop all charges against him.
We request from the UN Secretary General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial executions to submit the file for Iran's crimes against humanity to the UN Security Council to decide on the necessary actions that need to be taken.
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The Free Political Prisoner Heshmatollah Tabarzadi petition to United Nations and Government and International Organizations was written by unity4iran and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.