URGENT ACTION
PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/120/2006
13 October 2006
Further Information on UA 262/06 (MDE 13/114/2006, 29 September 2006) Arbitrary
arrest/fear for safety/ possible prisoners of conscience
IRAN Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni
Boroujerdi, Shi'a cleric
More than 418 people (note revised number)
Sh'ia cleric Ayatollah Sayed
Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi
was arrested at his
home in Tehran on 8 October, along with an unknown number, possibly around 300,
of his followers. The arrests took place during violent clashes with security
forces. It is believed that those arrested are detained in Evin
Prison in
At least 41 followers of Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi were
reportedly arrested in the courtyard of his house in
of 28 September. They are thought to have been taken to Section 209 of Evin
Prison in
day, up to 35 others were reportedly arrested, and by 2 October, at least 118
of his followers were said to have been detained. Their names are known to
Amnesty International.
On the night of 4 and 5 October, security forces reportedly attacked the
Ayatollah's house, but were forced back by his followers. A further attack was
launched on 7 October, during which the Ayatollah’s supporters are reported to
have fought the security forces with swords, sticks and other implements. The
Ayatollah’s followers are said to have captured several members of the security
forces but released them later, after photographing their identity cards.
Following the arrests, the Deputy Governor-General of Tehran for Political and
Social Affairs told the Iranian Labour News Agency, "For some time, a
number of
sectarian elements had engaged in a series of operation s in Tehran… disturbing
citizens and causing traffic problems for the people … On Wednesday night, a
number of people who were crossing the road were seized by this group, only to
be freed after being beaten up… Since Saturday, a number of thugs from
and other towns, recruited by the group, had embarked on blocking the streets
leading to the district. They then initiated an attack on the Law-Enforcement
Force [LEF,
thousand cold weapons, knives, daggers and swords. At first, the LEF avoided
violence, but the group embarked on taking LEF forces hostage and sought to
wreak havoc by setting tyres ablaze and throwing acid at some people… The LEF
was left with no option but to act, and in very little time arrested the armed
men, seized their weapons and handed them over to the judicial authorities.
They also discovered hundreds of cold weapons and several firearms and
grenades". The Deputy Governor-General said there were no precise figures
on
the number of those arrested, and said "I should like to point out that
the
gentleman is not an ayatollah. Mr Boroujerdi, who had
unfortunately caused the
incident owing to his wilful actions, has also been arrested."
On 10 October, an unattributed article entitled
"On the plot of
Kazemeyni-Boroujerdi; Propagating Islam with the
assistance of the BBC and CIA"
appeared in the Iranian newspaper Keyhan. The article
described the incident as
part of a plot by Western intelligence services such as those of the USA,
Israel and the UK to use ethnic and religious minorities to damage Iran, and
referred to the fact that the Ayatollah had made telephone calls to foreign
radio stations such as the Persian-language service of Radio Free Europe (Radio
Farda) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
before his arrest.
On 11 October, another report in Keyhan quoted LEF
Brigadier-General Esma’il
Ahmadi Moghaddam as stating
that nine people had been taken hostage, two
officers were shot, and more than 300 people, including "this person"
were
arrested and taken to Evin Prison.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni
Boroujerdi reportedly advocates the
separation of religion from the political basis of the state. Since 1994 he
says he has been summoned repeatedly before the
and has been detained in Towhid and Evin Prisons. He has reportedly developed
heart and kidney problems as a result of torture. His father was a prominent
cleric who refused to accept the principle of velayat-e
faqih (rule of the
[Islamic] jurisconsult, or of those who know Islamic
law), on which the Islamic
Republic of Iran is based. He died in 2002 and his grave in the Masjed-e Nour
mosque in
the state.
The
judiciary, was established in 1987 by Ayatollah Khomeini to try members of the
Shi’a religious establishment in
international standards for fair trial: among other things, defendants can only
be represented by clergymen nominated by the court, who are not required to be
legally qualified. In some cases the defendant has been unable to find any
nominated cleric willing to undertake the defence and has been tried without
any legal representation. The court can hand down sentences including flogging
and the death penalty.
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AI Index: MDE 13/120/2006 |
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13 October 2006 |
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