(WiPC/IFEX) – The Assembly of Delegates of International PEN meeting at the 68th International congress, held in Ohrid, Macedonia, 17 to 24 September 2002, denounced the sentencing of Nasser Zarafshan to five years’ imprisonment and fifty lashes on charges of “disseminating state secrets and possessing weapons and alcoholic drinks”. The following text is taken from […]
(WiPC/IFEX) – The Assembly of Delegates of International PEN meeting at the 68th International congress, held in Ohrid, Macedonia, 17 to 24 September 2002, denounced the sentencing of Nasser Zarafshan to five years’ imprisonment and fifty lashes on charges of “disseminating state secrets and possessing weapons and alcoholic drinks”. The following text is taken from a resolution passed by the Assembly of Delegates at the Congress and addressed to the Iranian authorities:
Noting with disbelief and horror that Dr Nasser Zarafshan, a barrister at Law, author and translator, and Member of the Iranian Writers’ Association (Kanoon) who is also the legal representative of several of the families of writers who had been murdered in the 1990s, has been condemned by the Islamic judiciary in Iran to a five year prison term and 50 lashes;
Points out that Zarafshan has been extremely critical of the way that the official investigation into the murders has been carried out and International PEN believes that the action against him is both in retribution for his outspokenness and also a means of silencing others who seek the truth behind the killings;
Expresses its deep consternation and dismay at this aberration of “justice” by the Islamic Judiciary in Iran;
Demands the immediate release of this reputable and courageous lawyer and writer.
Recommended Action
Similar appeals can be sent to:
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khameni
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
His Excellency Hojjatoleslam Sayed Mohammad Khatami
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
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