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Human Rights Watch urges Iran to stop
imminent execution of Kurdish dissident
30.6.2010 |
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June
30, 2010
NEW YORK,— The Iranian judiciary should
immediately halt plans to execute Zainab Jalalian
and other Kurdish dissidents, Human Rights Watch
said Tuesday. Jalalian is one of 17 such dissidents
currently on death row in Iranian prisons.
Jalalian may be in imminent danger of execution. Her
precise status is unknown because authorities have
held her incommunicado and prevented her from
retaining a lawyer. Khalil Bahramian, a lawyer who
represented Farzad Kamangar, one of four Kurdish
dissidents executed without warning in May, told the
Persian-language website Roozonline that his efforts
to represent Jalalian have been rebuffed by the
government and that he is not certain where she is
being held.
Some media reports say she may be in Section 209 of
Evin Prison, administered by the Intelligence
Ministry. |
Kurdish Women's Rights activist Zienab Jalalian in
Iranian Kurdistan, receives death sentence 2009 |
"It is absolutely
inconceivable that a woman who has been in detention
for more than a year and is in danger of imminent
execution has still not been granted access to a
lawyer," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director
at Human Rights Watch. "Facing death, she is denied
even her most basic rights."
Iran is in violation of both its own constitution
and international law in denying Jalalian a lawyer,
Human Rights Watch said.
Iran's Supreme Court confirmed Jalalian's death
sentence in November 2009. The government charged
Jalalian with the crime of moharebeh, or "enmity
against God," in connection with her alleged
membership in the outlawed Free Life Party of
Kurdistan,www.ekurd.netor
PJAK. The party is widely regarded by analysts to be
an Iranian affiliate of the banned Turkish Kurdish
Workers' Party, or PKK. In May 2010, Human Rights
Watch called for a moratorium on all executions and
noted that Jalalian was among 17 Kurdish dissidents
awaiting execution.
The 16 other Kurds facing execution are: Rostam
Arkia, Hossein Khezri, Anvar Rostami, Mohammad Amin
Abdolahi, Ghader Mohammadzadeh, Habibollah Latifi,
Sherko Moarefi, Mostafa Salimi, Hassan Tali, Iraj
Mohammadi, Rashid Akhkandi, Mohammad Amin Agoushi,
Ahmad Pouladkhani, Sayed Sami Hosseini, Sayed Jamal
Mohammadi, and Aziz Mohammadzadeh.
Human Rights Watch opposes capital punishment in all
circumstances because of its cruel, inhumane, and
irreversible nature.
"Given the secrecy surrounding Zainab Jalalian's
detention and the Iranian government's recent
executions of Kurdish dissidents, we believe she is
at great risk of imminent execution," Stork said.
"The Iranian judiciary will be responsible for any
harm caused to her and other prisoners who are at
risk of execution."
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
hrw org
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