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Prisoners of 1980’s being Punished Again
By IHRV | May 7, 2010
An increase in the number of death sentences on the charge of Moharebeh (waging war) against an unknown number of prisoners and the rapid confirmation hearings for this type of sentencing are a source of worry for the family members of prisoners. Also among those who have been given a death sentence, some were imprisoned in 1980s and had already completed serving their prison time.
According to information made available in the past few days, the death sentences of Jafar Kazemi and Mohammad-Ali Haj Aghai, who were detained during mass demonstrations, have already been confirmed by branch 36 of the appeals court and their sentences have been sent to section of court in charge of enforcment.
The final sentencing of Mohsen Daneshpour-Moghadam and his son Ahmad Daneshpour-Moghadam has been issued and a copy of the orders has been submitted to their court-appointed lawyers.
In the shadows of such sentences, two weeks ago, the higher court issued a memorandum, copies of which have also been delivered to all appeals courts, setting the cases involving charges of Moharebeh outside of the appeals court’s jurisdiction, and such cases are to be handled by the higher court.
At the present time, at least nine detainees from post-election events have been sentenced to death based on a charge of Moharebeh, and their identities are as follows:
1) Mohammad-Amin Valian
2) Motahreh Bahrami
3) and 4) Mohsen and Ahmad Daneshpour-Moghadam
5) Rayhaneh Haj Ebrahim
6) Hadi Ghaemi
7) Abdulreza Ghanbari
Jaafar Kazemi
9) Mohammad-Ali Haj Aghai
Prosecutors have also asked for the death sentence against another detainee, Maasoumeh Yavari, but the sentence has not been decided yet.
Except Mr. Valian, who is a 20 year-old student and an executive member of the Islamic Society in Damghan University, whose charge of Moharebeh was in connection with rock throwing, the charges of other individuals are solely connected with their membership in the Mojahedin Khalgh Organization (MKO).
After reviewing the cases, it is apparent that most of those receiving death sentence either have a family relationship with an active member of the MKO, or themselves had a prior record of arrests for political activities dating back to the 1980s.
Some of these individuals had recently traveled to Iraq to visit their loved ones and returned to Iran without being interrogated, but months later, the same individuals were arrested during mass rallies and received the harsh sentencing.
Mr. Haj Aghai, 62, was detained during protest held on Ashura religious day and received a death sentence. Mr. Haj Aghai’s sentencing has been upheld by the appeals court; Mr. Haj Aghai had previously been sentenced for his association with the MKO during the 1980s.
Mr. Kazemi was detained last September 19, and he received the death sentence from branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court on the charge of Moharebeh. Later, Mr. Kazemi’s sentencing was upheld by branch 36 of the appeals court. Mr. Kazemi’s son is based in Ashraf camp in Iraq. Mr. Kazemi himself was a political prisoner in the 1980s, and was released from prison a decade later, after which he did not pursue any further political activities.
The appeals court also issued their final decision against Mohsen and Ahmad Daneshpour-Moghadam, and the cases of other relatives from this family have already been sent to the higher court for review. Two members form this family were detained in their residence on Ashura day, and they were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court. Another member of this family is a member of MKO, who they recently visited in Iraq. This visit was the basis for bringing the charges against the two sentenced to death.
Mrs. Yavari is a homemaker who has also been charged with Moharebeh, and she has been given the death sentence by the prosecutor in Tehran. Mrs. Yavari has two children ages 11 and 4, and her husband was a political prisoner in the 1980s.
Mrs. Yavari’s lawyer, Mohammad Saifzadeh, in discussing her client’s case, stated: “Six months ago, my client traveled from the city of Golpayegan to attend the protests in Tehran, and was later detained. Her residence was searched, her computer was confiscated and she was charged with association with the MKO. The basis for the charge was connected to the transmission of text messages and the charges also said that photographs of the leaders of the MKO were found in her computer”.
Mr. Saifzadeh added: “My client’s husband was a political prisoner during the 1980s for his association with the MKO. My client was not married at the time. The individual (her husband) had already served his sentence, and his prior record is not connected to the current charges brought against my client”.
Source: Rooz Online
Topics: analysis |