- Target:
- UN, Ban ki-Moon, OHCHR, Navi Pillay, Ahmed Shaheed, State Department, EU, European Parliament
- Region:
- Iran
- Website:
- bcrgroup.us
UPDATE: June 17, 2015--Mohammad Moghimi has been released on bail. While we are relieved that he is no longer locked up in the truly horrible Rajai-Shahr prison, the fact that he is out on bail means that he is still facing charges which could end in a prison sentence. He would NOT be the first Iranian human rights lawyer to be sentenced.
UPDATE June 15, 2015--Mohammad Moghimi, Atena Farghadani's attorney who was arrested Saturday, was beaten in front of his family after being brought to court from Rajai-Shahr prison in shackles and handcuffs.
June 13, 2015--BREAKING NEWS: Mohammad Moghimi, the attorney of Iranian civil society activist Atena Farghadani who was recently sentenced to twelve years, nine months in prison for the "crime" of posting cartoons critical of censorship in Iran, has been arrested while attempting to visit his client in Tehran's Evin Prison. The reason given for his arrest was a charge that he shook hands with Ms. Faraghdani while meeting with her in the prison.
After being arrested, he was transferred to the notorious Rajai-Shahr Prison in Karaj, where prisoners of conscience are held in truly deplorable conditions.
BACKGROUND ON ATENA FARGHADANI
Atena Farghadani is a cartoonist and children rights activist, who is kept in ward 2-Alef Sepah in Evin Prison sentenced to 12 years and nine months imprisonment by Judge Salavati in the Revolutionary Court. Originally, it was expected that a seven-year sentence would be imposed her according to the article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code.
Then, after he initial arrest, the civil rights activist revealed some details of the conditions in the women's ward of Evin prison, such as surveillance cameras in the bathroom hallway. After that, she was summoned to 15 branch of Revolutionary Court, chaired by the notorious Judge Salavati. Atena was accused of acting against national security, propaganda against the regime of Iran and insulting parliament members through her cartoons.
Atena had been kept in 2-Alef ward, run by the Revolutionary Guards, for about two months, and endured severe torture. She started a hunger strike to protest the prevention of her release. She was subsequently released on bail by Salavati because of her physical deterioration.
She was transferred to the hospital due to heat stroke and passed out after vomiting on day 16 of her hunger strike in Gharchak prison of Varamin city.
Atena started this hunger strike ito protest her deportation to Charchak prison from Evin, and her transfer to a ward for common criminals on 8 Feb 2015. Atena's condition is in imminent danger as her lawyer, Mahmoud Moghimi, has informed Campaign in Defense of Civil & Political Prisoners.
She had asked nurses that the IV tubes be removed when she regained consciousness on day 18 of her hunger strike according to the report which was received and updated the BCR Group. Atena was also refusing salt and sugar.
Authorities had reportedly forbidden the lawyer to meet her in Firoozabadi hospital.
It is worth noting that Atena was brutally beaten by the official in front of her family in court on 10 Jan 2015.
WHEREAS: Mohammad Moghimi is an Iranian attorney who was arrested solely in retribution for attempting to do his job of professionally representing the recently convicted Iranian prisoner of conscience Atena Faraghdani;
AND WHEREAS: Mohammad Moghimi himself has now become a prisoner of conscience whose arrest is ILLEGAL under Articles 18 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights--to which Iran is a signatory--as well as Article 24 of the Iranian Constitution;
THEREFORE: We, the undersigned, demand that the international community IMMEDIATELY bring ALL possible pressure to bear upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to IMMEDIATELY and UNCONDTIONALLY release Mr. Moghimi, drop any charges pending against him, and rescind the draconian and EQUALLY ILLEGAL prison sentence of his client Atena Faraghdani and all other Iranian prisoners of conscience.
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The Drop ALL Charges Against Iranian Human Rights Attorney Mohammad Moghimi petition to UN, Ban ki-Moon, OHCHR, Navi Pillay, Ahmed Shaheed, State Department, EU, European Parliament was written by John S. Burke and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.