IRAN: Public accusations against Nobel Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and lawyer Mohammad Ali Dadkhah

07/08/2009
Press release

Paris-Geneva, August 5, 2009. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), expresses its deepest concern regarding the public accusations formulated by the Revolutionary Vice-Prosecutor of Tehran against Mr. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, lawyer, and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, both founding members of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC).

On August 1, 2009, in the framework of a massive travesty of trial against more than 100 persons accused of having "acted against national security", "disturbed public order" and "committed acts of vandalism" for having reportedly taken part in the protests that followed the disputed results of the June 12 presidential elections, the Vice-Prosecutor of Tehran publicly accused Ms. Shirin Ebadi and DHRC of having established relations with foreign forces in order to organise a "Velvet Revolution" in Iran.

In addition, Mr. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, who remains arbitrarily detained since July 8, 2009 and did not appear in court, was also accused of "detaining weapons, drugs as well as documents" evidencing links with foreign "enemies". During an interview on July 7, 2009 on with the Praha-based Farda radio station, Mr. Ali Dadkhah had opposed the use of death penalty and criticised the hangings of about 20 persons between 35 and 48 years old that occurred on July 3, 2009, allegedly for drug trafficking.

"Shirin Ebadi and the DHRC have been continuously slandered and harassed over the past year. These recent declarations by the Vice-Prosecutor echo the threats of prosecution formulated against Ms. Ebadi at the end of June for allegedly violating Islamic and constitutional law through her human rights advocacy work. We reiterate that defending human rights is a right in itself, protected under international law. We therefore call for the immediate end of harassment against human rights defenders", said Karim Lahidji, President of the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) and FIDH Vice-President.

"We express our utmost concern about these new acts of harassment and the ongoing arbitrary detention of Mr. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, and we therefore urge the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him as well as all human rights defenders presently detained in Iran", said Eric Sottas, OMCT Secretary General.

The Observatory calls upon the Iranian authorities to guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of all Iranian human rights defenders and to stop any kind of harassment against them, as well as to conform in all circumstances with the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as international human rights instruments ratified by Iran.

For further information, please contact:

· FIDH: Hugo Gabbero, + 33 1 43 55 20 78

· OMCT: Delphine Reculeau : + 41 22 809 49 39

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