Important: Click here to read this clarification about some of our previous statements regarding 'Moharabeh'.
Six Sunni prisoners of conscience in Iran have been on hunger strike for 40 days in protest at their death sentences. The men are currently held in Ghezel Hesar prison, Karaj.
The men are suffering from low blood pressure and have collapsed a number of times. Two of the men, Hamed Ahmadi and Jamshed Dehghani have vomited blood on a number of occasions.
The Prosecutor General of Tehran suspended for one month the death sentences of the six men, Hamed Ahmadi, Kamal Molayee, Jamshed Dehghani, Jahangir Dehghani, Syed Hadi Hosseini and Seddigh Mohammadi, around October 2013, following international pressure.
That period has now ended and the men are reportedly in danger of execution.
Please email or write to the Iranian authorities immediately, demanding a halt to the execution of the men. The postal and email addresses of the relevant authorities are at the end of this article.
You may use or adapt the following template letter for your convenience.
Six Sunni prisoners of conscience in Iran have been on hunger strike for 40 days in protest at their death sentences. The men are currently held in Ghezel Hesar prison, Karaj.
The men are suffering from low blood pressure and have collapsed a number of times. Two of the men, Hamed Ahmadi and Jamshed Dehghani have vomited blood on a number of occasions.
The Prosecutor General of Tehran suspended for one month the death sentences of the six men, Hamed Ahmadi, Kamal Molayee, Jamshed Dehghani, Jahangir Dehghani, Syed Hadi Hosseini and Seddigh Mohammadi, around October 2013, following international pressure.
That period has now ended and the men are reportedly in danger of execution.
Please email or write to the Iranian authorities immediately, demanding a halt to the execution of the men. The postal and email addresses of the relevant authorities are at the end of this article.
You may use or adapt the following template letter for your convenience.
Your excellency,
I am writing to urge you to immediately halt the execution of six Sunni prisoners in Ghezel Hesar prison, Karaj.
Jamshed Dehghani, Jahangir Dehghani, Kamal Molayee, Hamed Ahmadi, Seddigh Mohammadi and Hadi Hosseini have been on hunger strike since 4 November, 2013, in protest at their death sentences, and are now in poor health.
I am concerned that the men were not given a fair trial, and that the charges against them were based on evidence obtained through torture. It is also concerning that the men were reportedly not involved in any violent or armed activity, and were instead arrested as a result of their peaceful religious activities.
Jamshed Dehghani and Jahangir Dehghani were arrested on 17 June, 2009. Kamal Molayee was arrested on 15 July, 2009, and Hamed Ahmadi was arrested on 30 July, 2009.
The four men are believed to have been arrested as a result of their religious activities, including holding religious classes for children and having discussions at their local mosque.
They were accused, together with six other Sunni men, of involvement in the assassination of a senior Sunni cleric with ties to the government who was killed on 17 September, 2009. The men maintain that it was impossible for them to have been involved, as they were arrested months before the assassination took place and were in detention at the time of the killing.
The men were reportedly severely tortured whilst in detention. They were also reportedly threatened with the arrest of family members and forced to sign papers without being allowed to read them. The six other men who were arrested with them were executed on 27 December 2012.
The other two men on hunger strike, Seddigh Mohammadi and Hadi Hosseini, were sentenced in a separate case from the men, and are also awaiting execution.
The six men on hunger strike have been convicted of offenses such as “enmity against God” (moharebeh). However, it is reported that the men have not been involved in any violent or armed activities, and were instead only involved in the peaceful propagation of Sunni Islam.
In light of the serious allegations of torture and judicial irregularities surrounding the cases of these six men, we demand in immediate halt to their execution. We urge that the men be allowed a fair retrial in a court following the rulings of Sunni Islam, in accordance with their beliefs.
We urge that the men are kept safe from torture, ill-treatment and pressure. We also ask that you ensure the men receive full access to medical care, and ensure that they are allowed immediate and regular contact with their families.
There are numerous allegations that many Sunni activists and preachers have been sentenced to death following politically motivated trials using evidence obtained through torture.
In light of these disturbing reports, we urge you to immediately halt the execution of all Sunni prisoners in Iran. Of particular concern are the Sunni prisoners of conscience held in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj, Evin prison in Tehran, and the central prison of Zahedan.
Thank you for your attention to this matter,
Please send appeals to:
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid
Keshvar Doust Street,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @khamenei_ir
Salutation: Your Excellency
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid
Keshvar Doust Street,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @khamenei_ir
Salutation: Your Excellency
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Hassan Rouhani
The Presidency
Pasteur Street, Pasteur Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Twitter: @HassanRouhani (English) and @Rouhani_ir (Persian)
Hassan Rouhani
The Presidency
Pasteur Street, Pasteur Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Twitter: @HassanRouhani (English) and @Rouhani_ir (Persian)
And copies to:
Secretary General High Council for Human Rights
Mohammed Javad Larijani
c/o Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave
South of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [email protected] (Subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
Secretary General High Council for Human Rights
Mohammed Javad Larijani
c/o Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave
South of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [email protected] (Subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.