Statement on Unjust Charges & Prison Sentences

The Committee of Human Rights Reporters - A year and half has passed since the wave of extensive aggressive arrests, systematic suppression, and pressures began for human rights supporters and social activists in Iran.

The wave began with numerous attacks by government agents on the houses and work places of many social activists, independent human rights supporters, and members of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR). What followed was arrests, imprisonment, and exile. Now, a year and half later, the situation for these activists has not changed. In order to silence any opposing voices criticizing the current violations of human rights in Iran, the judicial system is naming any attempt to defend the rights of Iranian citizens as “Acting against Iran’s national security”. Any criticizing words is named “Disturbing public opinion and publishing misleading statements”. Iran’s government is clinging to any trivial excuse in order to pull a cover over the watching eyes of human rights supporters in an attempt to hide the bitter truth on the current situation in Iran.

Members of CHRR, who have always explicitly expressed their independence from any political parties inside and outside the country and have founded their association on the basis of clarifying and reporting on the human right situation in Iran, have been arrested, threatened, and chased.

In their latest action against human rights supporters, Iran’s judicial system announced a shocking sentence of 12 years imprisonment for the youngest member of CHRR, Navid Khanjani. He is a 24 year old student banned from higher education. Navid Khanjani’s prison sentence is the longest issued to a human rights activist in Iran.

The heavy verdict was issued in court while security forces continuously threatened him. Pressures on Navid Khanjani from Iran’s National Security still continues.

Deprived of higher education due to obvious and ongoing discrimination within Iran’s socio-political system, Navid Khanjani, through various humanitarian activities, has only acted within the social frameworks of Iran toward eliminating the existing discriminations and simply supporting the rights of his fellow citizens.

On December 20, 2010, Navid Khanjani was charged with “Disturbing the public”, ”Publishing misleading statements”, “Acting against the benefits of Iran’s government through publishing news and reports and doing interviews with foreign media”, “Membership in the central council of CHRR” and ”Founding the Association Against Educational Discrimination.”

Such heavy charges and sentences, fines, lashes and temporary releases with extremely heavy bails are obvious violations of human rights, consciously imposed on members of CHRR by the judicial system based on the advice of security forces. And the injustice does not end with Navid’s case.

Other heavy charges and sentences include:

Ali Kalaie, 7 years prison sentence; Parisa Kakaie (former member of CHRR), 6 years prison sentence; Shiva Nazar Ahari, 4 years prison sentence in exile at Rajai prison; Saeed Kalanaki, 3 years prison sentence; Saied Haeri, 2 years prison sentence; and Kouhyar Goodarzi, 1 year prison sentence.

These sentences have been issued regardless of the defendants’ pleadings and are only based on false charges repeatedly denied by the defendants. The defendants’ temporary releases from prison have also been conditioned to bails of one hundred thousand USD and higher. Such an unrighteous judgement process by an organization that represents Iranian citizens and should be a perfect example of fairness and equality in the society, is yet another proof added to Iran’s file of human rights violation cases. The injustice also speaks, more explicitly that before, about the government’s hostility toward independent reporters and makes visible the judicial system’s fight against minorities.

CHRR not only condemns such heavy sentences and charges for members of CHRR – mainly accused of working as agents and sources for foreign forces – but also stresses on the fact that these false accusations serve no purpose other than trying to silence the reporters and, extensively and systematically, violating human rights.

Therefore, CHRR requests immediate cancellation of the verdict for Navid Khanjani and other members of CHRR and elimination of the charges against these activists. Once again we emphasize that everything this well-reputed committee has done up to now has only been aimed at eliminating the existing discriminations in Iran and defending the human rights of fellow citizens, regardless of their religion or race or political views. Not only is there no reason to suppress this committee but also their efforts and activities on should be admired.

CHRR believes in equal rights for all Iranians and stands firm on its ground. The Committee refers to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and believes the only way to obtain equality of rights in Iran is by respecting the content of the declaration.

CHRR points out the horrible situation in Iran and requests discussions on this matter in the next meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, followed by immediate action to stop the persecution of and pressures on human rights activists.