We implicate regime agents in the death of Haleh Sahabi

It is with deep regret regarding the incident leading to the death of Haleh Sahabi at her father’s funeral that Human Rights House implicates the regime’s plainclothes and security agents, and holds them hugely accountable for Haleh’s death.

It is obvious that regardless of Haleh Sahabi’s exact cause of death, the irresponsible and brutal behavior of the security agents led to her loss of life. The Islamic Republic authorities not only use violence to suppress the population’s peaceful civil demands, they have a need to exhibit their dominating power during a time of mourning at a funeral ceremony. The regime’s security agents brutally confronted mourners during a funeral, criminally beating up a grieving daughter.

According to the law it is the duty and responsibility of security agents to keep the peace and ensure the safety of citizens. However during the funeral ceremony, with gross disregard for human rights, government affiliated thugs caused severe psychological stress and brutally confronted the mourners, resulting in the death of Haleh Sahabi.

Haleh Sahabi was a woman’s rights activist, a colleague at “Outlook” magazine and a prisoner’s rights advocate. She was arrested after the disputed presidential elections because of her affiliation with the people’s Green Freedom Movement. Haleh was serving a two-year prison sentence and was out on furlough in order to attend her father’s funeral.

Haleh’s father Ezatollah Sahabi was a prominent national figure and he was managing editor of “Iran Farda”. On May 29, after the course of a debilitating illness, Ezatollah Sahabi lost his life. He had been arrested on many occasions during the era before the Islamic Republic. During the regime of the Islamic Republic he was also arrested on numerous occasions and spent many years behind bars.

Human Rights House requests that the human rights of all citizens be upheld and demands an investigation into this murder with answers from the regime perpetrators of this unacceptable and shameful crime.

The plainclothes personnel’s behavior is outrageous. Under the guise of caring about security, they intimidate and suppress the rights of citizens. This is proof of the absolute lack of care for social order and security on the part of the rulers, who are headed by Seyed Ali Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Human Rights House has full sympathy for the Sahabi family, and invites all organizations inside and outside of Iran, to show empathy and camaraderie in regards to the human rights and basic civil freedoms of all citizens. There needs to be full sensitivity and concern for the basic rights of all the country’s citizens.

Source: Human Rights House of IRAN