Sahel Ghanbari’s Letter to Her Father

HRANA News Agency - Abdolreza Ghanbari is a 42 year old high school teacher from the poverty stricken regions of Ghiamdasht in Varamin County and holds a PhD degree in Literature and Persian Language. He was arrested on December 27, 2009 during Ashura protests for participating in and videotaping the demonstrations and subsequently tried on charges of Enmity Against God (Moharebeh). Presiding over the Revolutionary Court, Branch 15, Judge Salavati sentenced him to death, and this verdict was upheld by Judge Zargar during the proceedings in the Provincial Appeals Court, Branch 36.

On Friday, August 12, 2011, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that the Amnesty and Clemency Commission has rejected Abdolreza Ghanbari’s plea for reprieve, and the death penalty verdict has been referred to the Revolutionary Court’s Enforcement Unit to be carried out.

The following letter was written by Sahel Ghanbari on Father’s Day in February 2011:

Dear Daddy:
I hope you’re doing fine. Today is one of those days that you’re not with me. Whenever I miss you, I write a letter or stare at the blue clock that you gave me for my birthday. I want to see high quickly time passes while you’re not beside me. I grow day after day and become taller.

Today is Father’s Day. We celebrated it in your absence and bought you some gifts. It has been six months since you haven’t been here with us. In your place, I put a picture of yours on the table, said congratulations and talked to it. I am hopeful that loving angels will carry my Father’s Day greetings to you.

Dear Daddy, today’s celebration was marred with Mom’s tears. There were lots of television programs for Father’s Day, but I couldn’t watch them because they kept showing kids giving flowers to their fathers and congratulating them. They were all so happy together. No one thought of children like us whose fathers were not with them. For this reason, I became very sad and turned off the television.

My dear Daddy, I have only one wish; that wish is for you to come back and stay with me forever. I am waiting for you so that you come back as soon as possible.