Press
Release Number 1: Campaign in Support of Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand
Concern
of the international community of human rights activists regarding the health
condition of Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand
June
21, 2012
Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand, the founder and president of the
Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HROK) and director of the
banned weekly magazine, “Payame Mardom,” contacted family members and informed
them that if the authorities of Islamic Republic would not grant him a
temporary prison leave to treat his ill child, he would continue his hunger
strike indefinitely.
Arrested in July 1st, 2007 due to human rights
activities, Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand was kept in solitary confinement for
more than 5 months in Evin Prison’s Sections 209 before being accused of “acting
against national security through HROK,” and “widespread propaganda
against the system by disseminating news,” “opposing Islamic penal laws by
publicizing punishments such as stoning and executions,” and “advocating on
behalf of political prisoners.” He was convicted to more than 10 years in
prison by “the Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court.”
Due to the harsh conditions of prison and the many months of
solitary confinement, the founder of the Human Rights Organization of
Kurdistan (HROK) has suffered from heart diseases and a prostate disorder
and according to his lawyers and wife he has had several heart attacks. His
condition worsened to the point that in April 2008 he suffered a stroke and was
taken to a specialist for treatment. Doctors declare that Kaboudvand must be
treated immediately in a specialized hospital and heart surgery must be
performed. Furthermore, doctors say that his prostate needs immediate attention
and surgery. Despite of the professional advice given to authorities of the
Islamic Republic on this issue, they have not responded to the demands of his
lawyer, family, or doctors. The Iranian authorities are deliberately neglecting
the vital demands of Mr. Kaboudvand.
In this regard, the family of Kaboudvand, both directly and
through his lawyer, has demanded a temporary prison leave for Mr. Kaboudvand
from the Iranian authorities. However, these demands have been refused.
According to a member of Kabudvand’s family, the authorities of Islamic
Republic asked that in return for a temporary prison leave, Mr. Kaboudvand must
ask for forgiveness from the “Supreme Leader of Iran.” Mr. Kaboudvand has
declared that as he has not committed any crime, asking for forgiveness is
illogical.
Mr. Kaboudvand’s son, Pejman, was admitted to the hospital
in 2011 due to a currently unknown blood disorder. Since then, Mr. Kaboudvand
has demanded that he be granted a temporary leave in order to help treat his
son. This demand was not met until January 2012 when a hunger strike by Mr. Kaboudvand
sparked considerable pressure from the international human rights community
compelled Iranian authorities to grant him a very short leave to see his son.
As Pejman’s condition in the hospital worsened, Mr. Kaboudvand
once again requested temporary prison leave. On May 26th, 2012 after
his demands were once again refused, Mr. Kaboudvand declared hunger strike and
emphasized that if his demands were not be met, he would continue his hunger
strike indefinitely.
Imprisonment, physical and psychological torture, heart
illness, prostate disorder, and a long hunger strike, have created a very
dangerous situation for the health of the founder of the Human Rights
Organization of Kurdistan (HROK). By continuing his hunger strike, another
human tragedy is inevitable.
In this respect, the family of Kaboudvand and members of
higher council of the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HROK)
have declared that they too would launch a hunger strike from Wednesday June 20th,
2012 in support of Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand if his demands are not accepted.
The founder of the Human Rights Organization of
Kurdistan (HROK), a Nobel Peace prize candidate in 2011, and recipient of
numerous international awards for human rights and journalism, is not the only
ill prisoner in the prisons of Iran. Lack of medical treatment, torture, and
neglects have caused death and disability among countless prisoners. The campaign to support Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand
expressed its serious concern that Iranian intelligence and prison authorities
are systematically denying proper medical care to prisoners of conscience,
resulting in severe complications and even deaths. Only within spring of this past
year, four Kurdish prisoners have died in the prisons of the Islamic Republic
of Iran. In this month alone, we can indicate the death of Mr. Mansur Radpour
and Mahdi Zaliyeh.
Unfortunately, the general neglect of prisoners’ rights and particularly
the lack of medical treatment in prisons of Islamic Republic have been
implemented as torture methods to pressure political prisoners to express regret
and forgiveness for their alleged “crimes” and their international rights as
prisoners.
Members of the campaign to support Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand,
believes that all the activities of Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand have been a part
of activities by every human rights defender for the purpose of teaching and
promoting human rights and documenting human rights violations in Kurdish
region. Therefore, this campaign not only considers his imprisonment illegal, but
also, believes Iran as one of the parties of The International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), have obligation to protect the life of prisoners.
The members of the Campaign in support of Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand
argue that the activities for which Mr. Kaboudvand has been arrested –
education and documentation of human rights violations in the Kurdish area, are
necessities of human rights activism. We strongly condemn the illegal acts and
inhumanity of Iranian authorities regarding Mr. Kaboudvand’s situation. Therefore,
this campaign not only condemns all imprisonment of peaceful human rights
activism, but as nation which has signed the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, Iran must be held accountable and is responsible for the health and
safety of Mr. Kaboudvand and their other prisoners. The Campaign in support of
Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand strongly condemns the Islamic Republic’s abuse of
Mr. Kaboudvand’s situation, and the rejection of his demands as physical and
psychological torture.
The Campaign in support of Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand would
like to make an appeal to all individuals, groups, and human rights organizations
across the world to condemn the condition that Iran has put the founder of the Human
Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HROK) in, and to demand that Iran
release all political prisoners.
Campaign
to support Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand
For
More information:
Contact Person:
North America: Azad Moradian
Phone: 1 (818)434-9692
Europe: Nahid Mokri
Phone: 0046709245858 / 0046725369175
Kurdistan region Northern
iraq: Zahih Hanbali
Phone: 0 7503523517
Members and organizers of the Campaign
Azad Moradian, Azad Kordi,Aso
Piroto,Soraya Fallah,Jahyngir Abdolahi, Rahman Javanmardi,Rebin Rahmani,Zahed
Hanbali,Soliman CHogoli,Sosan Mohamadi Ghisvand,Siamand Moeni,Shekofeh
Ghobadi,Shler Bapiri,Shler Shebli,Shahla dabaghi,Aref Naderi,Foud Fatahi,Layla
Hasanpour,Maryam Fathi,Masoud Fathi,Nahid Mokri,Homan Sadieh
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