(UPDATE 10/09/2013: Petitions added)
(UPDATE 11/09/13: Updated details of the prisoners' trial)
The fate of seven prisoners in Iran is looking increasingly unstable, as reports emerge that several prominent scholars have been forced to announce approval of their execution.
The scholars were arrested in recent days in the mainly Sunni town of Mahabad, Iran. They are being held in an unknown location, and have been forced to comply with the authorities in their campaign to execute the prisoners. Statements supporting the execution of seven prisoners were signed by the scholars, providing a political justification for the execution. The prisoners have been detained for the past four years, and the Shia-led government has recently stepped up it's efforts to sentence them to death.
Sunnis in Iran live in secrecy out of fear of persecution from the authorities. Those who openly propagate Sunni Islam are routinely arrested and often executed on baseless charges. The prisoners in this case are being held in Rajai Shahr prison, Karaj, where there are approximately 26 other prisoners awaiting execution due to their activities in spreading their Sunni beliefs. None of the prisoners have been convicted of any violent offense, and instead face charges such as 'propagating Wahabbism' or 'acting against national security'. Many were severely tortured until they 'confessed'. Two prisoners are facing the death penalty after reportedly being arrested for distributing books and CDs about Sunni Islam. (You can read more here)
The seven prisoners who are at risk of execution are:
- Sheikh Farhad Salimi
- Karim Ayoub
- Anvar Khezri
- Qasim Absita
- Khosro Bashart
- Kamran Shaykha
- Dawud Abdullah
How you can help
How shameful that a recent petition to save badgers reached over 300,000 signatures, yet when it comes to saving the lives of our dear brothers we sit mute! The very least we can do is speak out against this injustice, in defense of these innocent men.
Please click 'read more' to sign the petitions below. We urge all readers to urgently raise awareness for these seven prisoners using social networks and any other means. We advise readers to raise awareness on twitter using the hashtag: #StopTheExecution
To see profiles of the prisoners please click here. Updates coming soon in sha Allah - click here to find out how to subscribe.
Source
Why are there separate petitions?
We understand it would be more convenient for us to only have to sign one petition. However, there are many reasons for having a separate petition for each prisoner, and we urge you to sacrifice a few extra minutes of your time to help save your brothers' lives.
The reasons for having separate petitions are very sad:
- Each prisoner is facing execution individually, and could be executed at any moment. If a prisoner is killed, the petition will contain 'outdated' information and could be disregarded by the relevant authorities.
- Unfortunately, more prisoners are likely to be added to death row, meaning that new petitions will have to be made anyway.
- The sentences the prisoners face are liable to change, and once again could lead to the petition having 'outdated' information.
Please take a few minutes to sign each petition. The process is fairly quick and easy (once you have filled out one petition your details are automatically filled in on the rest of the petitions, all you have to do is click each link and enter the security code). This is the least we can do to try and save the lives of these innocent men.
Petitions
Petitions added 10/09/2013 for 7 sunnis facing imminent execution (article):
- Petition for Anvar Khezri: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/free-anvar-khezri.html
- Petition for Sheikh Farhad Salemi: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/free-farhad-salemi.html
- Petition for Khosro Besharat: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/free-khosro-besharat.html
- Petition for Davoud Abdullahi: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/free-davoud-abdullahi.html
- PETITIONS FOR THE THREE REMAINING PRISONERS COMING SOON (IN SHA ALLAH)- PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO STAY UPDATED
Petitions added 03/09/2013 (article):
- 18.Petition to STOP the execution of Kaveh Vaisi a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-kaveh-vaisi.html
- 19.Petition to STOP the execution of Kaveh Sharifi a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-kaveh-sharifi.html
- 20. Petition to STOP the execution of Loghman Amini a political prisoner in a prison in Iran: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-loghman-amini.html
Petitions added 27/08/2013 (article):
- 1. احمد نصیری را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Ahmad Naseri, a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-ahmad-naseri.html
- 2. طالب ملکی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Talib Malaki, a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-talib-malaki.html
- 3. حامد احمدی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Hamed Ahmadi, a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-hamed-ahmadi.html
- 4. ادریس نعمتی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Adrees Neimati, a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-adrees-neimati.html
- 5. جهانگیر دهقانی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Jahangir Dehghani, brother of Jamshid Deghani who is also sentenced to death, a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-jahangir-dehghani.html
- 6. جمشید دهقانی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Jamshid Dehghani, brother of Jahangir Dehghani who is also sentenced to death, a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-jamshid-dehghani.html
- 7. صدیق محمدی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Iranian political prisoner Sadiq Mohammadi:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-sadiq-mohammadi.html
- 8. شهرام احمدی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Shahram Ahmadi, a political prisoner in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-shahram-ahamdi.html
- 9. وریا قادری فرد را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Iranian political prisoner Varia Ghaderifard:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-varia-ghaderifard.html
- 10. بهروز شا نظری را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Behrooz Shanzari a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-behrooz-shanzari.html
- 11. فرزاد شا نظری را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Farzad Shanzari, a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-farzad-shanzari.html
- 12. مختار رحیمی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Mokhtar Rahemi, a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-mokhtar-rahemi.html
- 13. پوریا محمدی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Pooria Mohammmadi a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-pooria-mohammadi.html
- 14. بهمن رحیمی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Bahman Rahemi, a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-bahman-rahemi.html
- 15. کمال ملأیی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Kamal Malaie, a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-kamal-malaie.html
- 16. محمد غریبی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Mohammad Gharebi, a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-mohammad-gharebi.html
- 17. محمد یاور رحیمی را اعدام نکنید
- Petition to STOP the execution of Mohammad Yavar Rahemi a political prisoner in a prison in Iran:
- http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/do-not-execute-mohammad-yavar-rahemi.html
- — with احمد نصيرى, طالب ملكى, حامد احمدى, محمد غريبى and بهروز شاه نمكى.