Boroujerdi Suffers Heart Attack and Pulmonary Edema

HRANA -- More than 5 years after Seyyed Hossein Kazemeini Boroujerdi was incarcerated for being a steadfast advocate of strict adherence to the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he has suffered a severe heart attack, which has led to a pulmonary edema. Intelligence authorities have rejected all demands by Evin prison officials for him to be treated at a properly equipped medical facility.

For over 1825 consecutive days, Kazemeini Boroujerdi has been denied the freedom for advocating separation of religion from state in Iran, and peace in the Middle East. As importantly he has called for Iran to abide by all its international obligations.

He was brutally arrested at his home by the Iranian state’s feared Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), on 8th October 2006. Alongside him, those arrested included members of his family and hundreds of supporters who were acting as human shields. The LEF deployed handguns, tear gas, batons and anti crowd control vehicles to attack the residence and the surrounding streets, beat up, maim and transport the arrested to Section 209 of Evin prison where they were brutishly questioned and held in solitary confinement. Since then Kazemeini Boroujerdi has been subjected to the most inhumane forms of physical and psychological torture to force him into signing a statement renouncing his beliefs.

To date not one responsible state official has issued any written report or statement explaining the legal case against Kazemeini Boroujerdi and justifying his inhumane treatment. Inside Iran, audiences have been subjected to total news blackout regarding his situation.

Ayatollah Khamenei, as Supreme Leader and Head of the Special Court of Clergy, has moral, judicial and constitutional duty to provide a written explanation or set him free. Iran is also a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 18 of the ICCPR sets out the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including "the freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of choice".

We call upon all supporters of human rights especially the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and all European and other countries parliamentarians as well as the United Nations to issue individual all the statements pressuring the Iranian government to free Mr Kazemeini Boroujerdi alongside all Prisoners of Conscience and political prisoners.

Signature:

Shahriar Ahy, ScD. Social Science, MIT University, USA
Mahvash Alasvandi Bakhtiari, mother of Mohammad & Abdollah Fathi, Member of Campaign against Execution in Iran
Hossein Alizadeh, Former deputy ambassador of Islamic Republic Embassy, Finland
Nazanin Ansari, Journalist, Kayhan Publishing, London
Jamshid Anvar, Former Director of UNCR, Switzerland
Akbar Atri, Leading Proponent of Democracy and Human Rights in Iran, Member of Iranian Students for Democracy and Human Rights, USA
Sanya Avazpour Member of Amnesty International, US
Victoria Azad, Member of Amnesty International, Sweden
Potkin Azarmehr, Secular Pro-Democracy Activist, London
Dr. Hossein Bagerzadeh, Writer & Human Rights Activist
Dr. Nasrin Basiiri, Writer & Human Rights Activist
Tahirih Danesh, Independent Human Rights Researcher
Dr. Abdul-Sattar Doushoki, Centre For Balochistan Studies, UK
Dr. Amir Farshad Ebrahimi, Ph.D in Human rights, Online & Broadcast Journalist Goftaniha
Dr. Thamar Eilam, PhD in (Iranian) Linguistics, Researcher in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Teacher in Department of Hebrew Language and Linguistics in Oranim College and also Hamburg University, Israel
Dr.Iman Forotan, Spokesman for the New Iran Organization
Dr. Bahieh Jilani, Political Activist
Dr. Mehrdad Hariri, Professor at University Health Network, Canada
Aram Hessami, Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Montgomery College in Rockville Maryland, Head of Green Seculars in Washington, USA
Shaho Hoseini, Political Activist
Mehdi Hoveizi, Human Right Activist, Canada
Roxaneh Ganji, Political Activist
Marlena Gonzalez, Human Right Activist, USA
Bijan Karimi, Ph.D., Professor, University of New Haven, USA
Roya Kashefi, Chair of the Human Rights Committee for the Association of Iranian Researchers,
Abbas Khorsandi, Political activist, former Political prisoner
Dr. Hossein Ladjevardi, Iranian Research center, France
Bahar Naryndji, International Lawyer, West Minster University
Dr. Hassan Nayeb Hashem, Human rights activist, Austria
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh, Senior Researcher and Director of the Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies, London
Ramin Nikoo, Political Activist
Dariush Madjlesi, Political Activist
Mohammad Malavan, Master of International Economics & Business- Greenwich University
Shokoh Mirzadegi, Writer and Cultural Activist, USA
Naser Mohammadi, Journalist, Editor of Kayhan Newspaper, London, UK
Esfandia Monfaredzadeh, Iranian composer, Director and Musician, USA
Parvaneh Moradi, Human Rights Activist
Dr. Reza Moridi, Member of Canadian Parliament, the Canadian Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Research and Innovation, Canada
Banafsheh Pourzand, Human Right Activist, Daughter of Decedent Political Prisoner Siamak Pourzand, USA
Darvish Ranjbar, Former Deputy Ambassador of Islamic Republic Embassy, USA
Fred Saberi, Chairman of the Liberal Immigrant Association of Stockholm, Sweden
Hassan Shariatmadari, Secretary of Iranian People’s Republican Party (IPRP)
Rouhi Shafii, Author& Women’s Rights Activist, International Coalition against Violence in Iran (ICAVI)
Dr. Roya Toloi, Human Rights Activist and former Political Prisoner
Rebecca Witonsky, Journalist, Blogger, and Independent Scholar of Middle Eastern studies
Mandana Zand karimi, President of the Alliance of Iranian Women, and Iranian Human Rights activist, USA
Hassan Zare Zadeh Ardeshir, Speaker of the Committee for Defense of Political Prisoners, Canada

BACKGROUND

The enmity of the state against Kazemeini Boroujerdi began 20 years ago when he first went public with his support of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and protestations against the abuses of theocratic rule. He condemned Islamic fundamentalism, radicalism and terror. Rejecting anti-Semitism and advocating religious freedom, he led benediction ceremonies in the presence of Shiites and Sunnis, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and Baha’is. He called for abolishment of capital punishment, and cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment or punishment such as torture, stoning and whipping. He established welfare centers for helping the poor and assisting victims of natural disasters and condemned personal financial gain from religious activities. His call was welcomed by an increasing number of followers to the extent that until his arrest his gatherings surpassed the theocracy’s organized ceremonies, by their sheers size and numbers.

To date the state has been unable to silence his voice. Inside the prison walls he has assumed responsibility of a human rights watcher reporting abuses and highlighting individual cases of physical and psychological torture to international human rights groups and bodies. These cases included the absence of proper hygiene and adequate medical care in favor of chronic hunger as well as denial of access to family visits and telephone calls to blackmailing of family members. Kazemeini Boroujerdi has also brought attention to the punishment of holding prisoners of conscience in sections reserved for murderers and rapists where they are subjected to physical threats, random attacks instigated by interrogators and intelligence agents, in addition to staged deaths.

Despite all the hardship to which he has been subjected mentally, emotionally and physically Kazemeini Boroujerdi has remained resolute in his support for the indivisibility of human rights. In particular he has been a vocal campaigner for religious and political freedoms, women’s rights and end to all forms of executions: stoning, hanging and through torture. He has unceasingly supported the restoration of social justice throughout.