United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland


This is an appeal on behalf of four very urgent cases; Amir Abbas Fakhravar, Dr. Farzad Hamidi, Kourosh Sahati, Hojat Bhakhtiari, who are among the many political prisoners in Iran.

Amir Abbas Fakhravar is a 28 year old medical student, writer and political activist.
He believes in secularism and wants a democratic society separate from religion. He has expressed his beliefs through a book that he wrote "Here is not a Well", which led to his imprisonment. Amir Abbas says that he and other freedom fighters are willing to pay the price to get freedom and democracy in Iran. He wishes for the people of Iran to not lose hope and to not be disheartened. He hopes that his message is spread around the world.

He has been sentenced to seven years in prison simply because he criticized the Sayed 'Ali Khamenei leadership. He was sentenced to an additional year for interviewing with a radio and TV show outside of Iran. He has served two years of his eight year sentence, during which time, he has spent eight months in a solitary prison and has been inflicted with torture on numerous occasions.

Dr. Farzad Hamidi is a 31 year old spokesman for the Iran Democratic Front. Dr. Hamidi served a two and one half month sentence in Evin prison for participating in a legal public demonstration in protest of the murder of other pro-democracy activists. During this time he was tortured and received three broken ribs. Dr Hamidi was later imprisoned again for one year on charges; jeopardizing national security, interviewing with radios outside of Iran, and organise student protests.
On June 18, 2003, barely one year after being released he disappeared while in Tehran. His friends and family believed his disappearance was connected to his role in a student protest in which he participated during his release. Only recently has it been determined that he is being temporarily held in Ghasr prison without formal charges.

Kourosh Sahati is a 23 year old Agriculture student and member of the United Student Front. He was expelled from Azad University for his political activism, involvement with student organizations (independent from the government), student protests and journalism. He was kidnapped and arrested three times and spent a total of 17 months in prison. During his imprisonment he spent a total of seven months in solitary confinement and was inflicted with brutal torture on numerous occasions. Approximately eight months ago Mr. Sahati learned that he was about to be arrested again and attempted to leave Iran. He was captured and is currently serving a six year sentence.

Hojat Bakhtiari is a 27 year old political activist sentenced to four years in prison for helping organise student protests. He was charged with jeopardizing national security. He has spent the last year and one half in prison. On numerous occassions Mr Bakhtiari has been tortured for information, including being hung up-side down from the ceiling for extended periods of time. He has continued his protests through hunger strikes even while enduring the cruel torture of his captors.

These political prisoners are concerned that they are being held in the midst of 1050 criminal prisoners in Ghasr prison. 30 of these prisoners have AIDS, 200 have Hepatitis B and 120 others need psychiatric treatment and use a high dosage of anti pshycotic medicine to keep them in control.
The guards inside the prison have incited these criminals to attack the political prisoners several times. On one such occasion Amir Abbas was seriously injured and required treatment at the hospital. The prisoners believe that this is a means by which to kill them.

These political prisoners need your help, act and act now. They are fighting for freedom and democracy against the darkest forces of Islamic terrorism. Their enemies will, tomorrow, be your enemies, in your neighborhood, in your town.

We, the undersigned, appeal for your involvement on the behalf of these four political prisoners based on principals of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm ), to which Iran is a signatory.

Their arrest, trial and detention are clear violations of Articles 9, 10, 11, 18, 19 and 20 of this significant document adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December of 1948 and as such mandates your immediate intervention.

Furthermore, we call upon the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to meet its international obligations and free all political prisoners and others held based on their religious or ideological opinion and belief.