(PEN/IFEX) – PEN American Center reports that an article in the 3 November 1997 edition of the government newspaper “Jomhouri Eslami” contained a “confession” by detained editor Faraj Sarkoohi, which was allegedly extracted under torture with the intent to discredit him. In the article written by Sarkoohi, who is currently serving a one-year sentence for […]
(PEN/IFEX) – PEN American Center reports that an article in the 3
November 1997 edition of the government newspaper “Jomhouri
Eslami” contained a “confession” by detained editor Faraj
Sarkoohi, which was allegedly extracted under torture with the
intent to discredit him. In the article written by Sarkoohi, who
is currently serving a one-year sentence for “slandering the
Islamic Republic”, he allegedly admits to having had contacts
with foreign embassies with a view to “putting in place a secular
state in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 10 November, 18 September, 21 August,
3 July, 26 June 1997; 15 November 1996, and others**
In 1996, “Jomhouri Eslami” had written that Sarkoohi was in
Germany, when, in fact, he was held in secret by the Iranian
Information service in Iran (see also Background, below).
PEN American Center fears that this article may be used to launch
a new offensive against Sarkoohi, pointing to a letter that
Sarkoohi had written for publication between his two arrests in
February 1996: “They beat me. They repeated the film recordings
until the interview was to their satisfaction and each time they
instructed me to plead for clemency and forgiveness….The
physical and mental pressure I was under shattered and crushed me
totally.”
Background Information
According to an alert issued by Reporters sans frontieres (RSF),
Sarkoohi, editor of the literary monthly “Adineh”, had already
been held and harassed on several occasions before, when, on 3
November 1996, he was taken and held in secret by the Iranian
information service. Under pressure, Iranian authorities on 3
February 1997 finally acknowledged that Sarkoohi had been
arrested. Tehran then announced that the journalist would be
tried. During his detention between November and December 1996,
authorities had claimed that Sarkoohi was in Germany, something
which has always been refuted by Bonn. When Sarkoohi surfaced, on
20 December 1996, he was forced by information services to give a
press conference at Tehran Airport in which he denied having been
arrested.
In October 1994, Sarkoohi, along with other writers and
journalists, signed a letter known as the “Declaration of the
134”, asking for an end to censorship in Iran. Since then, three
signatories have lost their lives (see IFEX alerts).
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
“confession” by Faraj Sarkoohi
against Sarkoohi and subject him to further torture
immediate and unconditional release of Sarkoohi
Iranian intellectuals
international law as a basic human right
Appeals To
Leader of the Islamic Republic:
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 650203 (via Interior Ministry, ask for fax to be
forwarded)His Excellency Mohammad Khatami
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 674790 (via Foreign Affairs, ask for fax to be
forwarded)His Excellency Abdollah Nouri
Ministry of the Interior
Dr Fatemi Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 655 426 / 899547 / 650203His Excellency Esmail Shoushtari
Ministry of Justice
Park-e Shahr, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 646 5242His Excellency Kamal Kharrazi
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Sheikh Abdolmajid Keshk-e Mesri Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 674 790care of the Iranian diplomatic representative in your country
(in France)
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
4, avenue d’Iena
75116 Paris, France
Fax: +33 1 40 70 01 57(in Canada)
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
245 Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 2K2 Canada
Fax: +1 613 232 5712
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.