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Campaign in support of jailed Iranian
Kurdish activist Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand
27.6.2012 |
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Jailed Iranian Kurdish human rights activist
Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand,
currently in Iranian prison serving an 11-year
sentence. •
See Related Links
June
27, 2012
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,www.ekurd.net
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:
Website; http://4kaboudvand.wordpress.com
Email: 4kaboudvand@gmail.com
Contact Person:
North America: Azad Moradian
Email: moradianazad@yahoo.com
Phone: 1 (818)434-9692
Europe: Nahid Mokri
Email: nahid_mokry@yahoo.com
Phone: 0046709245858 / 0046725369175
Kurdistan region Northern iraq: Zahih Hanbali
Email: zahid.kurdi@gmail.com
Phone: 0 7503523517
Copyright
© 2012 ekurd.net
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