Even Though He Was not Allowed to Visit the Detainee

Rooz Online

Through a letter to UN’s Secretary General, a group of Iranian political and civil activists have expressed their appreciation for Ban Ki-Moon’s visit and activities in Tehran, which he visited in late August for the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. The group called his remarks and activities “rational” and “brave,” while also expressing disappointment that he was not allowed to see Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karoubi, Zahra Rahnavard and former president Mohammad Khatami.

According the activists who have signed the note, the letter reads, “What you did in your three-day stay in Tehran put a meaningful smile on millions of Iranian citizens; citizens who are oppressed and in hardship, who are hurt not only because of a despotic and unaccountable regime but also because of extensive international sanctions, including threats of bombardment and war. You are absolutely right in inviting everyone to have faith in the power of diplomacy and deliberation.”

The letter to the UN chief by Iranian activists continues, “In your meeting with the leader of the state you earnestly called for the “release of opposition leaders, human rights activists, journalists and social activists from prison and you stressed that this would help freedom of speech. You also rightly emphasized that this would make the voice of the Iranian people heard during next year which is when a new president will be elected. You stressed that it is only right that Iran cooperate with the UN’s human rights bodies, particularly the special rapporteur, and strengthen them. You reminded everyone that the United Nations and the international community are completely supportive of the long standing efforts of the Iranian people to strengthen democracy and human rights, and mentioned that the first human rights charter was created by Cyrus 2,500 years ago.”

In the letter, the signers expressed their confidence that the first visit of the UN Secretary General to Tehran was a valuable visit for the people of Iran because of foreign and domestic issues which the Iranian people currently faced. “This visit can pave the way for new horizons to better understand, for dialog and cooperation with the international community. And this is the reason why we have written you this letter and urge you to do everything in your power to end the violation of human rights by the Iranian government, uphold free elections, suspend economic sanctions and prevent a military attack on our country. We are confident that such efforts are supported by the widest social groups in Iran,” the letter read.

As the letter was circulated for signatures, some political activists objected to it arguing that there was no need to thank and express appreciation for what the Secretary General had done because he was only doing his duty and in fact there should even be a grievance against him for not insisting on his demands in stronger terms. A much larger group however eventually reached an agreement to sign and send the letter.