Candles and protests for Ehsan

Light a candle for Ehsan on Friday: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=202246368803&ref=mf

Information from Facebook for those in UK:

We are holding a memorial service for the martyr of freedom “Ehsan Fattahian” at Bradford Resources Community Centre in Bradford on the 27th of November starting at 6:00pm. Please come and join us, everybody is welcome.

Iran: Unrest following Ehsan Fattahian’s Execution

Human Rights Activists in Iran report that following Ehsan Fattahian’s execution, a peaceful demonstration was held in Sanandaj. During the rally, the people chanted slogans such as “Stop Executions”, “Yes to Free Life, No to Execution”. The demonstrators were met with anti-riot forces that dispersed the protesters using batons. Several protesters were injured and ten were arrested. The demonstrators were turned over by the police to the Sanandaj Intelligence Office.

At the same time, prisoners in Sanandaj Central Prison where Ehsan was executed, continued their hunger strike, which began following Ehsan’s transfer to solitary confinement ahead of his execution. The warden of the prison visited the political prisoner’s ward and threatened the prisoners. He threatened Habibollah Latifi, a Kurdish activist on death row, to implement the sentence soon. Following Ehsan’s execution political prisoners in Central Orumieh Prison began a three-day hunger strike. They demanded an end to the executions of Kurdish political prisoners and an improvement in their rights.

Kurds come together to protest to support political prisoners in Iran and Syria

Kurds came together in London today to protest about the execution of Ehsan Fattahian by the Iranian authorities.  They stood outside the Iranian Embassy holding a hanging man, 

and as a gesture of frustration that this is being allowed to continue,  they took to the road with the hanging man for a short time.

There are others awaiting execution in Iran – this must stop.  Shame on you.

The demonstration moved to the Syrian Embassy in support of the Kurds imprisoned there.  There has been an escalation of political arrests of Kurds in Syria recent,  since other countries have been opening their doors to the Syrian Government.  Hunger strikers in prison are continuing to make their own protest inside Syria. They need our support.  Contact your MP,  write to the  Foreign and Commonwealth Office,  tell others.

Shirkuh Moa’refi seems to have a hanging reprieve … for now

We are pleased to report that it seems Shirkuh Moa’refi has been taken off the list for hanging in Iran.  This is very good news for him.     The pressure needs to be kept on the Iranian Government to release the other Kurdish political prisoners from this threat also.

Original report:

A Kurdish political prisoner, Shirkuh (Bahman) Moa’refi, was transferred to solitary confinement yesterday afternoon ahead of his execution, according to his lawyer, Dr. Khalil Bahramian. Shirkuh (also spelled Sherko) was held by the Saqqez Intelligence office and now transferred to the solitary confinement cells in Saqqez Central Prison. This move by Iranian authorities comes two days after the execution of another Kurdish political prisoner, Ehsan Fattahian.

No date for this execution was given, but usually, a transfer to solitary confinement occurs a day before the execution is carried out. According to a report from the Azarmehr Association of Women of Kurdistan, the execution team that carried out Ehsan’s sentence in Sanandaj will be traveling to Saqqez tomorrow.

Shirkuh Moa’refi, 30, from the city of Banneh in Iranian Kurdistan was arrested on October 31, 2008 on the outskirts of Saqqez, and was tried by the Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj. He was found guilty of acting against national security and being an Enemy of God (Mohareb) and sentenced to death. This sentence was confirmed during the appeal process by the Court of Appeal and by the Supreme Court. According to a Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA) report, Shirkuh was tortured and mistreated during interrogations.

Shirkuh’s lawyer released his phone number for media organizations: +989121463518

Petition to save Shirkoo from execution

13 November 2009, with thanks to: 

Twelve Kurdish prisoners in Iran face death for political reasons

Campaign in Support of Kurdish Political Prisoners Launched by Women of Azarmehr - Due to the recent assassinations of prominent Islamic Regime Agents in the Iranian Kurdistan, and in particular in the city of Sanandaj the government has imposed an atmosphere of martial law and a much more serious crackdown on Kurdish activists and dissidents.

There has also been a new wave or arrests of Kurdish political and social activists, along with a further crack down on current political prisoners in the Sanandaj Prison. In the past month at least three prisoners in Sanandaj have been exiled to prisons in other provinces without a court order and without the notification of their families.

Azarmehr Association of Women of Kurdistan (Women of Azarmehr) is extremely concerned about the current crack down and new wave of arrests of dissidents as well as the crackdown on political prisoners, and feels that there is an increased chance of execution of political prisoners being carried out in the very near future.

Women of Azarmehr have come together with concerned mothers, sisters and wives of political prisoners as well as a number of other organizations including “The Committee of Families of Kurdish Political Prisoners,” and “Kurdish Anti-Genocide organization and launched a campaign in support of Kurdish political prisoners who currently face execution.

The goal of this campaign is to put an end to the death penalty and the freedom of all political prisoners.

Currently there are 12 Kurdish political prisoners who are facing the death penalty. Ehsan was on this list,  but he was hung on 11 November 2009

1. Ms. Zeynab Jalaliyan
2. Ehsan Fattahian – executed 11 November 2009
3. Habib Latifi
4. Shirkuh Moarefi
5. Ramezan Ahmad
6. Farha Chalesh
7. Rostam Arkiya
8. Fazih Yasamini – executed 6 January 2010
9. Rashid Akhkandi
10. Ali Heydariyan
11. Farhad Vakili
12. Hossein Khazari
13. Farzad Kamangar

Report translated by Iranian activist, Sayeh Hassan

http://kurdishrights.org/2009/10/15/thirteen-kurdish-prisoners-face-death-for-political-reasons/

Those of “us” who have been sentenced to death by “them” are only guilty of seeking an opening to a better and fair world.

In a final letter released just before his execution, Ehsan Fattahian wrote:

I don’t want to talk about death; I want to question the reasons behind it. Today, when punishment is the answer for those who seek freedom and justice, how can one fear his fate? Those of “us” who have been sentenced to death by “them” are only guilty of seeking an opening to a better and fair world. Are “they” also aware of their deeds?

…

If the rulers and oppressors think that, with my death, the Kurdish question will go away, they are wrong. My death and the deaths of thousands of others like me will not cure the pain; they will only add to the flames of this fire. There is no doubt that every death is the beginning of a new life.

with thanks to: http://kurdishrights.org/2009/11/11/iran-executes-kurdish-political-prisoner-ehsan-fattahian-11-nov-09/

11.11.2009

They hung him – 11 Nov 2009

A Kurdish opposition activist convicted of carrying weapons and working against national security has been executed in western Iran, local media have said.

Kordestan province judiciary chief Ali Akbar Gharoussi told the semi-official Fars news agency that Ehsan Fatahian had been hanged in Sanandaj prison.

Human rights groups said Mr Fatahian no evidence was given at his trial proving he had engaged in armed operations.

Officials said he had admitted to being a member of the Marxist group Komalah.

They accused Komalah of waging a low-level insurgency for decades in Iran’s northern Kurdish regions, which border Iraq.

The International Campaign for Human Rights for Iran had earlier appealed to the Iranian government to halt the execution of Mr Fatahian, who was originally sentenced to 10 years in jail for conspiring against national security by being a member of Komalah.

Subsequently, the charge of “mohareb”, or enmity against God, had been added to his indictment, and his sentence changed to execution, the rights group said in a statement.

URGENT: Sign the petition – Kurdish Activist Ehsan Fatahiyan to be Executed on Wednesday November 11th 2009

Petition for Iranian activitist Ehsan Fatahiyan

Save Ehsan Fattahian from execution

The death sentence of Ehsan Fatahiyan, a 27 years old Kurdish activist is set to be carred out on Wednesday November 11th 2009. A letter was written by the Judiciary to the Court in Sanandaj confirming the date of Mr. Fatahiyan’s execution on November 11th 2009. Read more

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