Detailed Report of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters Regarding Threats and Arrests of its Members
Committee of Human Rights Reporters—In recent months, we have been witnessing unprecedented violence and suppression. CHRR, despite a clear and transparent policy of informing of human rights violations in Iran, was not an exception to these threats and arrests.
On June 14, 2009, Shiva Nazar Ahari, a member of CHRR, was arrested in her office and was released 100 days later after paying 200 000 000 toman bail (approx 200,000 USD). Nevertheless, her file filled with heavy and groundless crimes remains open in the Revolutionary Court. Once before in July 2004, Shiva Nazar Ahari was arrested while attending a gathering by relatives of political prisoners in front of the United Nations office. She was sentenced to one year probation.
Saeed Kalanaki and Saeed Jalalifar were arrested on December1, 2009. After arresting Saeed Kalanaki in his office, they went to his home to search and seize his personal belongings. Saeed Jalalifar, another member of the committee, was arrested on the same day after having left his house. The Intelligence authorities informed his family the day after his arrest. These two members are being detained now in the public section of Evin Prison. Saeed Kalanaki’s family visited him last Thursday, but Saeed Jalalifar had no visits. Saeed Kalanaki was the director of the Student Committee for Support of Political Prisoners before joining CHRR. he was arrested for attending the strike in front of the United Nations office in protest of the arrests of some students. He was sentenced by section 26 of the Revolutionary Court to five years probation. Saeed Jalalifar was studying physics in Zanjan University when he protested against the sexual harassment of a student committed by Hassan Madadi, the vice president of the Universtiy. Jalalifar was later summoned by the Intelligence Ministry. He was expelled from the university because he complained.
On December 20 at 9:30pm, Shiva Nazar Ahari, Koohyar Goodarzi, and Saeed Haeri were arrested by security forces in Enqelab Square [Tehran] as they were heading for Qom in a bus, together with social activists and members of political prisoners to participate in the burial of the deceased Ayatollah Montazeri. Shiva Nazar Ahari had only a phone call [in prison] and a visit. No further details are available about the situation of Koohyar Goodarzi and Saeed Haeri. Koohyar Goodarzi was expelled from Sharif University on November 3, 2009, under pressures from the Intelligence Ministry. He was also banned from the university and the student dormitory.
On January 2, 2010, Parisa Kakayi and Mehrdad Rahimi, after several telephone threats, were summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence and they were arrested there. Parisa Kakayi called her family from section 209 tonight. No details are available on the whereabouts of Mehrdad Rahimi. A few days before November 4, 2009, Parisa Kakayi was summoned to section 3 of the Revolutionary Court, together with some of the women’s rights activists. She was interrogated by the Intelligence Ministry in their office. Mehrdad Rahimi is a student activist and deputy of the Committee for Defense of the Rights of Citizens in the central office of Mehdi Karoubi.
Today two more members of CHRR, Saeed Habibi and Hessam Misaghi were called and repeatedly threatened over the phone. According to the law in Iran, being called over the phone for these matters is forbidden.
Saeed Habibi was arrested before this in December 2007 during the big suppression of student activists. He was released 70 days later after posting 150,000,000 toman bail (approx. 150, 000 USD). On September 26, 2009, he was again sentenced, this time to three years of detention with punishment [Taaziri].
In recent months, unprecedented pressure has been put on CHRR. There have been numerous cases of telephone calls and threats in past weeks.
During the last week, Shiva Nazar Ahari, Saeed Kalanaki and Saeed Jalalifar contacted two other members of the committee and demanded from them to close the CHRR website. This is a clear sign that the organization is under pressure and more threats.
Immediately afterwards, the two members heard the interrogators’ voice on the phone threatening them and asking them to shut down the website. They were threatened with harsh treatment if they did not comply.
Shiva Nazar Ahari said in a phone conversation that she would see Koohyar Goodarzi. This means that the Intelligence Ministry has made the committee’s members meet in section 209 of Evin to place more pressure on them.
Shiva Nazar-Ahari went on a hunger strike that resulted in her fainting and being taken to the clinic in section 209. Her interrogator has threated her with execution.
According to received reports, the members of the committee are under huge pressure to confess to having cooperated with the Organization of Mojahedin Khalgh. CHRR consider this accusation absolutely groundless and consider these pressures, while condemning them at the same time, only as preparations by the regime for more suppressions. It is also a sign for more tragic events to come.
Because of the threats and phone calls, the other members of the committee are in danger of being arrested.
Human Rights Reportes Committee is an independent organization that informs of the violation of human rights in Iran. During its four years of transparent and distinguished activity, it has been very influential in reporting of the violation of rights of poiltical prisoners, children, women, students, and other members of society.
To close the CHRR website means limiting the freedom of expression, thus making people more reliable on the information from the regime’s news channels.
The Committee of Human Rights Reporters demands the unconditioned release of all its members who are imprisoned.
