Ayatollah Boroujerdi`s universal weblog

Ayatollah Boroujerdi’s Prison Cell Raided

2011-12-24T02:55:00.000-08:00

HRANA News Agency: On Monday, December 19, 2011, agents sent by Iran’s Special Court of Clerics raided Ayatollah Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi’s prison cell in Evin and searched through his personal belongings. This raid was coordinated and carried out with the cooperation of prison officials.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), security agents treated Ayatollah Boroujerdi with violence and insulted him. While calling him a spy, agents confiscated his clothing and medicine.

Since Ayatollah Boroujerdi suffers from various illnesses, the seizure of his medication will further endanger his health and life.

Hossein Kazemeini Boroujerdi, Outspoken Religious Critic, in Grave Danger

2011-11-29T01:59:00.001-08:00

Human Rights Watch: (New York) – The Iranian authorities should ensure a prompt and thorough investigation into threats and attempted attacks against Ayatollah Hossein Kazemeini Boroujerdi’s life, and allow him to seek proper medical care outside prison, Human Rights Watch said today. Boroujerdi, a prominent 53-year-old Shia cleric who has criticized the religious system of government, suffers from several serious health conditions.

A source close to Boroujerdi and his family told Human Rights Watch that on November 22, 2011, a cellmate tried to kill Boroujerdi during an altercation. Boroujerdi’s family and followers have long complained of the dangerous and substandard conditions under which the cleric is held, including detention with violent cellmates convicted of drug trafficking and violent crimes.

“We have serious concerns about Boroujerdi’s well-being and safety,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “In addition to denying him necessary medical care, authorities are playing with Boroujerdi’s life by apparently not protecting him from threats and attacks against his life.”

Boroujerdi is in ward 350 of Evin prison, in the sixth year of an 11-year sentence on charges never made public. His followers and family members have reported at least two previous incidents in which cellmates have attacked or seriously threatened the cleric’s life.

Security forces arrested Boroujerdi and dozens of his supporters on October 8, 2006 during a raid on his home in Tehran. Sources close to Boroujerdi told Human Rights Watch that authorities harassed and eventually detained Boroujerdi because of his views that Islam should be separated from politics. Since his arrest, Boroujerdi has been an outspoken critic of the Islamic Republic and the concept of the velayat-e faqih, or leadership of the jurist, which endorses the idea espoused by the government of a Shia supreme leader.

Authorities have consistently denied Boroujerdi access to a lawyer of his choosing, including during his trial in 2007 before the Special Clerical Court, which was conducted behind closed doors. The Judiciary found Boroujerdi guilty on several security charges, including “moharebeh” – or enmity against God – a charge that carries the death penalty under Iranian law, sources told Human Rights Watch. Later, an appeals court reduced the death sentence to 11 years in jail.

The Special Court for Clergy was established by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni, the founder of the Islamic Republic, to try both Shia and non-Shia dissident clerics. It operates independently from the Iranian Judiciary and is not bound by any constitutional provisions. Since its founding, the Special Court of the Clergy has tried or sentenced dozens of dissident and reformist clerics to prison on charges including insulting Islamic values, propaganda against the regime, and apostasy, for which the punishment is death.

Iranian authorities have so far refused to provide any public information regarding Boroujerdi’s prosecution and sentence. Authorities have consistently denied Boroujerdi regular visitation rights, and repeatedly targeted his family members and followers with harassment, confiscation of property, arrest, and detention, several sources close to him have told Human Rights Watch.

Boroujerdi reportedly suffers from failing eyesight, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. A source close to him told Human Rights Watch that the failure to treat Boroujerdi’s heart disease has resulted in pulmonary edema, the accumulation of fluid in the lungs. She said that doctors at Evin Prison have told Boroujerdi that he needs to be treated in a hospital, but that authorities have repeatedly refused to allow him proper medical care outside the prison.

In a public letter released on October 1, a group of human rights activists expressed concern about Boroujerdi’s deteriorating health, saying he “has been subjected to the most inhumane forms of physical and psychological torture to force him into signing a statement renouncing his beliefs.” Human Rights Watch has previously criticized Boroujerdi’s detention, calling on Iranian authorities to allow him access to necessary medical care.

International and Iranian law require prison authorities to provide detainees with adequate medical care. The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners require that authorities transfer prisoners needing treatment by medical specialists to specialized institutions, including civilian hospitals. Additionally, Iran’s State Prison Organization regulations state that, if necessary, detainees must be transferred to a hospital outside the prison facilities to secure proper medical treatment.

“During the past several years, other political prisoners have died in Iran’s prisons as a result of abuse, torture, or medical neglect,” Whitson said. “Iranian authorities will have blood on their hands if Boroujerdi is attacked or his health deteriorates for lack of medical access.”

Failed attempt on Mr. Boroujerdi’s life in Prison

2011-11-25T09:12:00.001-08:00

According to reports, on Tuesday morning 22 November (1 Azar 1390), authorities of Evin Prison in an inhumane action made an attempt on Mr. Boroujerdi’d life.

Witnesses said that authorities had made a prisoner to make an attempt on Mr. Boroujerdi’s life during a false fight. This prisoner was arrested for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death. The authorities had said to the prisoner that if he kills Mr. Boroujerdi he will be free and forgiven by leadership. But this attempt was failed because of co-operations of the prisoners.

It should be said that Mr. Boroujerdi’d letters for revealing the anti-human and non-Iranian nature of supreme leadership regime is the reason for regime to kill Mr. Boroujerdi in anyways. Sometimes ago, Mr. Boroujerdi in a letter to Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State of USA, reminded and emphasized that government of supreme leadership not only refuse to change its authoritarian and violent behavior, but also, they have blocked all peaceful solutions to any reforms and changes.

Mr. Boroujerdi suffers from a variety of diseases. In a report in October of this year that was issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Dr. Ahmad Shaheed asked Iranian officials to pay required medical attention to Mr. Boroujerdi and to release him.

Mr. Boroujerdi’s family and followers know the judiciary and particularly the supreme leader as responsible for such actions. They ask all Human Right organization and communities for immediate and effective release of Mr. Boroujerdi before it is too late.

Wall Street's support of Mr.Sayed Hossein Kazemeini Boroujerdi

2011-11-20T21:43:00.001-08:00

Campaign99: Sebastian: I am here because I am a Christian and I believe that America has fallen very very short on its moral values. In this country greed, vanity, pride, are all held up as something acceptable, whereas I think they cause evil in the world. I feel like America’s greed, vanity and pride has caused massive massive evil in the world. Now that evil is coming back to the people in this country. It has got to such a great level that people here are suffering. And this is the time that because of that we could wake them up.

Because once people start to suffer, they start becoming aware that something is wrong with this world. And I want to bring that to people’s awareness, and bring love and peace to this particular protest as well. I believe strongly that God provides on the earth exactly what every person needs. So you know, in America we have eaten up resources in a massive amount to have a life that is indulgent and that has left people in other countries with shortage of resources, their economies are destroyed by Americans who are making deals with rich kings and rich rulers in other countries to rob their people of their wealth to make the few powerful people wealthy. There is no power structure in all the history of man that has not caused evil. Power should be something that individuals have within their own communities not ruled over by big kings or big emperors. Religious people recognize who is in connection with God. I think Bush believes in the God of money. The God that he claims to be the Christian faith tells you very clearly that if a rich person doesn’t share his resources, if he doesn’t give to the poor, if he doesn’t protect the innocent and the weak, and invades another country and killing innocent people, he does not believe in God. As a Christian I am taught these are the fruits of the holy spirit, love, joy, peace, humbleness, generosity, faithfulness

Kazemeini Boroujerdi: Ayatollah Hossein Kazemini Boroojerdi was born in 1958 in the town of Boroojerd located in West Iran. He is a cleric and an opponent of the Iranian regime and advocates the separation of religion and the state. He has been arrested several times since June 1995 for various reasons. His last arrest dates back to September 2006. That night he was in a house in West Tehran with a large number of his supporters. Following a raid with tear gas by the special commando forces to his house, a number of his supporters were killed. A few days before the incident, the Ayatollah in a message to his supporters had said “It’s strange that some accuse the USA and Israel of attacking Shia Muslims, while we are one of the most renowned Shia families and we are attacked right in the Shia capital itself! I fear that such attitude could provoke the nation’s anger.” Ayatollah Boroojerdi was tortured after his arrest and while he was under pressure he was forced to confess that he had links with foreign forces. His supporters believe that pressures on him are directly related to Ayatollah Boroojerdi’s opposition with the leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Special Clerical Court sentenced him to eleven years imprisonment. His family in a letter addressed to the United Nation’s General Secretary has expressed concerns regarding the lack of receiving proper medical care with respect to his poor health conditions in prison. Ayatollah Kazemini Boroojerdi has sent a letter addressed to human rights lawyers across the world asking them to take on his case. He is currently being kept at Evin prison in Tehran

Sebastian: Boroujerdi! I am very sorry that you have had to suffer for your convictions. And I am very proud of you that you stand up for what you believe in despite the oppression of people over you. I like you believe that politics is the selection of truths to gain advantage, and this is so different from real truth. The politics of today will be laughed at tomorrow because it will be seen as being a half truth whereas truth is eternal. And if you stay committed to what you believe you will be always respected in history, if not in everyday that you live. Much love to you by brother and much strength to you, and we stand alongside you in your struggle. Here in America we suffer from great oppression, nothing compared to what you are suffering, and we have insight in what courage you show. Without courage there can be no other virtue. Much respect and love to you my brother. Stay strong

UN regulations mandate proper medical care for prisoners of conscience

2011-11-18T00:53:00.001-08:00

international federation for human rights

17 November 2011: Several prisoners of conscience in Iran are in pressing need of proper medical treatment, which is not available inside the various prisons where they are held. However, the Iranian authorities are using their poor health conditions to exert more pressure on them, to coerce them to make false confessions or to issue new charges against them and prolong their detention.

Karim Lahidji, vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and president of the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI), said today: “Article 22 (2) of Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners adopted by UN Economic and Social Council on 13 May 1977 provides that sick prisoners who require specialist treatment must be transferred to specialised institutions or to civil hospitals. Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic authorities have consistently refused to observe the right of prisoners of conscience to have access to proper and regular medical treatment. This is in line with their systematic denial of all other rights of political prisoners and subjecting them to all kinds of torture, inhuman punishments and ill treatment.”

Specific cases

The following are some of the prisoners of conscience who are currently in pressing need of treatment, but the authorities are denying them the right to seek proper medical care outside the prison.

Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki is a blogger and computer expert. On 16 November 2011, having reportedly suffered from kidney bleeding a few days before, he was taken to a hospital for examinations but was returned to Evin Prison after a few hours. He has undergone four kidney operations since May 2011. The authorities have taken him back immediately to prison every time without giving him the three-month necessary healing time. The last operation was undertaken in late October, but he was taken back to prison on 31 October 2011. In contrast to expert medical opinion, the authorities have reportedly demanded self-incriminating televised confessions as a condition to let him seek proper treatment. He was detained on 13 December 2009 and subjected to various physical and psychological tortures and spent 13 months in solitary confinement at the detention centre of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. As a result, both his kidneys were infected; one of them lost 80% and the other 20% functionality. Ronaghi-Maleki was later sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of membership of Iran-Proxy Internet Group, propaganda against the system, insulting the Iranian Supreme Leader as well as the president.

Abolfazl Ghadiani, a political activist, who recently underwent a heart surgery, is in bad conditions and at risk of heart attack in Evin Prison. He is serving a one-year prison sentence and is due to be released in late November 2011 but the authorities have issued new charges against him including insults against the Supreme Leader and the president that could lead to a new prison sentence.

Massoum Fardis, a political activist, is suffering from damages to his spinal cord and is in need of surgery. He is reportedly unable to walk in Evin Prison, where he is detained. Mr. Fardis was sentenced to six years in prison. Although the appeal court has reportedly repealed his sentence, he is still kept in prison.

Mehdi Mahmoudian, a journalist, was allowed in mid-November 2011 to have a surgery on his lungs in a hospital. His lungs, damaged as a result of torture during pre-trial detention, have partially lost their functionality owing to the 7-month delay of the authorities to allow his treatment. Mr. Mahmoudian, who exposed the atrocities in the Kahrizak Detention Centre, where several protestors died in summer 2009, was detained on 16 September 2009, and sentenced to 5 years in prison, which he is serving in the remote Rajaishahr Prison. In May 2011, he wrote an open letter to the leader, in which he disclosed the widespread prevalence of rape and drugs among common criminals and the widespread use of torture against and inhuman treatment of political prisoners, after which he was sent to solitary confinement for 10 days.

Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand suffered a heart attack in December 2008, one stroke in May 2008 and two strokes in July and November 2010. He is also suffering from prostate and kidney problems and reported periods of dizziness and unconsciousness. In June 2011, an independent doctor recommended heart and prostate operations on him. The authorities have however denied him proper medical care. Mr. Kabudvand has been serving a 10 and a half years prison sentence since 1 July 2007 on charges of acting against the national security through establishment of Human Rights Organisation of Kurdistan. He is a journalist, founder and president of HROK and recipient of 2009 Hellman-Hammet prize of Human Rights Watch.

Issa Saharkhiz, a journalist, was detained on 7 July 2009 and is serving a three-year prison sentence in the remote Rajaishahr Prison for insulting the Supreme Leader and propaganda against the system. His ribs were broken during his arrest. In early December 2010, he had a surgery for internal bleeding in the prison clinic by a medical team brought from outside.

Kayvan Samimi-Behbahani, a veteran journalist and human rights defender detained on 13 June 2009, is suffering from a risky liver ailment. He is serving a six-year sentence in the remote Rajaishahr Prison and has been banned from professional activities for 15 years for propaganda against the system, assembly and collusion to disrupt the national security, participation in demonstrations and issuing statements denying the correctness of the elections.

Ayatollah Mohammad Hossein Kazemeyni Borujerdi, a religious leader advocating separation of religion from politics, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence in Evin Prison since August 2007, has been reported to suffer from Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney and heart problems and loss of vision in one of his eyes.

Some of the other prisoners, who have previously been reported to be in need of proper medical care include:

Sa’eed Matinpour; Iranian Azeri cultural activist and journalist; serving 8 years in prison since 2007; lung infection since January 2011

Zahra Jabbari (female); street protestor; serving four years in prison since September 2009; rheumatic heart disease

Ahmad Zeidabadi (aka Zeydabadi); journalist; serving six years in prison since June 2009; unexplained extreme loss of weight

Heshmatollah Tabarzadi; political activist; serving eight years in prison since December 2009; heart problems and high blood pressure

Majid Dari; student activist; serving six years in prison in internal exile in the southern city of Behbahan since July 2009; migraine resulting in unconsciousness several times

Kurosh Kuhkan (aka Kohkan); political activist; serving three and a half years since January 2010; his knee was operated on for meniscus tear that occurred during interrogations but was infected later and he is at risk of amputation of his leg

Abdollah Momeni; political activist; serving four years and 11 months since June 2009; kidney problem and skin disease

In the past few years, at least 19 prisoners of conscience have lost their lives in dubious conditions in custody including in prison clinics or due to delayed transfer to outside hospitals. They include, among others: Akbar Mohammadi (2006), Valiollah Feyz Mahdavi (2006), Amir Hossein Heshmat-Saran (2009), Omidreza Mirsayafi (2009) and Hoda Saber (2011). [1]

Press contact (FIDH): Arthur Manet; Karine Appy +33 6 72 28 42 94 / +33 1 43 55 90 19

Twitter: @fidh_ngo

LDDHI: lddhi(at)fidh.net

Mr. Boroujerdi letter to Mrs. Hillary Clinton

2011-11-10T13:04:00.001-08:00

Esteemed U.S. Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton,

Please accept the greetings of this Iranian prisoner who is deprived of both legal representation and medical attention.

As you may very well know, the Islamic regime in Iran came to power based on lies and false promises by its founders, and with the passage of time, it lost its public footing, to the point where the international community realized that the people of Iran and the regime are in fact, divided.

Those atop the regime of Supreme Leadership continue to either plunder or pillage the great wealth of this rich land, or expand their militaristic and autocratic ambitions. They, are not only unwilling to change their violent and dictatorial behavior, but they do everything in their power to block any and every peaceful means of improving and finally changing the regime. They emphatically refuse to hold a nationwide, free referendum in order to shed light on the constitution of their Velayat’eh Faghih (or Rule of the Jurist); they employ every harsh method of inquisition, as well as censoring the news in order to suppress the protesting voices of the devastated Iranian people. They have no shame in cruelly suffocating the roar of protesters or executing them. They publicly discredit political prisoners, or worse, torture them to death in their prisons. They block all human rights rapporteurs or special envoys from the United Nations from entering Iran, and they treat all reports and statements compiled and written by reputable international human rights organizations, with contempt.

The above mentioned matters are evidence of repeated violations against humanity at the hands of this regime which also continues to spread and amplify its organized terror. The world is now at a highly sensitive fork in the road that begs the consideration of whether the Iranian people, who actively fight this dictatorial regime, require support or not. Certainly, in such circumstances, the conscience and principles of leaders of powerful countries who defend human rights and wish to see the spread of democracy, security, peace and long term stability in the Middle East and therefore the world at large, are in the decision-making position, and therefore such an important and fateful determination cannot be made, based on the official demands made by certain figures from the Iranian opposition.

The majority of those who protested against the regime of the Supreme Leader, as well as the opposition inside and outside Iran, are calling for a nationwide referendum, monitored by international observers, in order to vote for a government and form of leadership of their choice. Therefore it is vital that a resolution to this effect be composed and presented as a petition, to the United Nations Security Council to pass, as soon as possible.

Mrs. Clinton,

You are in that certain position, and have all the U.S. diplomatic means at your disposal, to partner with powerful allies to make this vital need, possible. Now that international sanctions against Iran are being actively pursued by the Security Council, it is absolutely necessary that problems be solved at the root, where this inhumane and violent regime is concerned. Undoubtedly, any and all effective action will be lauded by Iranians, all of whom are being abjectly oppressed, as well as all free thinkers of the world. Allowing opportunities to slip away will only lead to irreparable damages in the region and ultimately the world, resulting in permanent regret and remorse.

With gratitude,

Sayyed Hossein Kazemeini-Boroujerdi

November 2011

Evin Prison, Iran

The West Must Bear Witness to Iran's Prisoners

2011-10-26T23:33:00.000-07:00

LindaFrum

Senator, Ontario

Last month in New York, in the shadow of the sham "human rights conference" known as Durban III, I had the honour of attending a counter-conference organized by the human rights organization UN Watch. At this conference, leading dissidents and human rights activists from Iran, Syria, Cuba, Burma, North Korea and China assembled to shine a light on the extreme human rights violations that the UN's corrupt "Human Rights Committee" would rather ignore.

One of the most touching pieces of testimony at the UN Watch conference was a letter smuggled out of Iran's notorious Evin Prison, read aloud by Iranian human rights activist Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi. I have put this letter into the record of the proceedings of the Senate of Canada as a show of solidarity with the suffering of its author, a brave and principled ayatollah whose only crime was to advocate in favour of the separation of religion and government.

According to Amnesty International, poor prison conditions, torture and ill treatment have left Ayatollah Boroujerdi in a dangerously precarious state of health. I read his letter aloud to the Senate to honour his courage and that of his family and supporters and to let them know that we in the Senate of Canada bear witness to their struggle and to the leadership and criminal treatment of this good man.

Here is his message:

Honorable UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, respected and esteemed representatives of the countries around the world, ladies and gentlemen of the free world,

The abominable oppression and subjugation of the people of Iran by the Revolutionary Guards, under the ruling dictatorship is so egregious, and their apparatus for its cover-up so systematic that the world at large never learns of the actual horror stories and the crimes committed by the Islamic regime against the humanity of the people of Iran.

I am hereby informing you, the defenders of human rights, that the innocent people of Iran are deprived of their most basic human and civil rights while their natural resources and national wealth and assets are being squandered on saturating the world with a universal propaganda campaign devised for an expansionist agenda of these sinister claimants of faith.

The wave of poverty, despair, fear and helplessness has created a desperate atmosphere in my country but the regime relentlessly censors and prevents the information about the condition of the poor citizens of Iran to be disseminated.

I am appealing to all people of faith, and reverence to divine Justice, to come to the aid of a nation that was deceived in the name of God 32 years ago; that exchanged the throne and crown for a politicized Islam. Now Godlessness and Immorality has encroached on all levels of our society and has shattered the peoples confidence and trust in faith and spirituality.

Now that the hope of democracy in the Islamic world is spreading and the foundation of human rights is being established throughout the region, the international community's support for the struggling people of Iran is needed for Iran to reach independence and self determination and also establishment of peace in the Middle East.

This humble preacher who has continually spoken out against the incursion of religion in government and politics, has spent over 2000 days in the nightmarish prisons and torture chambers of the Islamic regime's Dictatorship. Every single day, I have been denied council, and my wife, children, extended family and defenders have been systematically threatened and actively abused.

I thank you for your time and willingness to lend an ear to the Iranian plight and eagerly await your support for the oppressed people of our nation.

USCIRF Condemns Iran’s Continued Imprisonment of Dissident Cleric despite Grave Health Concerns

2011-10-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

October 6, 2011 | byUSCIRF

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemned the continued imprisonment of dissident Iranian Shi’a cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Kazemeni Boroujerdi, who, almost five years to the day of his arrest, reportedly suffered a heart attack a few days ago.

“Ayatollah’s Boroujerdi’s already-poor health has deteriorated and prison authorities continue to deny him access to medical care outside the prison facility where he is held,” said USCIRF chair Leonard Leo. “Pure and simple, this man, who has suffered from a serious heart condition and other physical ailments, has been unjustly detained and treated cruelly and harshly because his views differ from those of the Islamic Republic’s leadership,” said Leo.In October 2006, Ayatollah Boroujerdi, who advocates the separation of religion and state and has spoken out on behalf of the rights of Iran’s religious minorities as well as those of its Shi’a Muslim majority, was arrested and imprisoned without charge. He and 17 of his followers initially were tried by a special court with jurisdiction over Shi’a clerics, and sentenced to death on spurious charges, including “enmity against God” and spreading propaganda against the regime. After an appeal, the death sentence was withdrawn and Ayatollah Boroujerdi was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Ayatollah Boroujerdi currently is serving his prison term, and the government has banned him from practicing his clerical duties and confiscated his home and belongings. Ayatollah Boroujerdi’s supporters claim that he has suffered physical and mental abuse while in prison.

The Special Court for the Clergy, which is under the juridiction of the Supreme Leader and operates outside the confines of the Iranian judiciary, tries members of the Shi’a religious establishment in Iran. According to human rights groups, the court’s procedures fall far short of international standards. Not only are proceedings held behind closed doors, but defendants can be represented only by clergymen nominated by the court and they are not required to possess any legal credentials.“Ayatollah Boroujerdi is a dissident cleric who has a long record of speaking out in defense of the universal rights of all Iranian citizens, including religious minorities,” said USCIRF Chair Leo. “The United States and the international community should call for his immediate and unconditional release, especially given news of his deteriorating health,” said Leo.

Iranian cleric jailed for dissident views 'has deteriorating health problems'

2011-10-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

Saeed Kamali Dehghan

An imprisoned Iranian cleric who fell foul of the authorities after advocating the separation of religion and state is in poor health condition, activists have warned.

Ayatollah Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi was sentenced to 11 years in jail in June 2007 following a trial behind closed doors that found him guilty of 30 charges including acting against national security and having links with anti-revolutionaries and spies.

His supporters say the charges stemmed from his opposition to the involvement of religious clerics in politics and his public criticism of the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Boroujerdi, an outspoken Shia cleric has repeatedly called the concept of political leadership by the clergy unlawful and has described Tehran's regime as a "religious dictatorship".

Boroujerdi was arrested along with hundreds of his followers in Tehran in October 2006 after clashes between security officials and his supporters.

The 53-year-old scholar, who is currently held in Tehran's Evin prison in a ward designated for dissident clerics, was initially given a death sentence before an appeals court reduced it to 11 years in jail. He was found guilty of insulting the supreme leader, spreading propaganda against the regime and moharebeh or waging war against God, a charge that carries the death penalty under Iranian law.

Boroujerdi is the son of a prominent ayatollah who refused to back Rouhollah Khomeini in his years as the founder of the Islamic revolution in 1979.

According to Amnesty International, Boroujerdi has been subjected to torture and ill-treatment while in prison and suffers from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. His health is believed to have worsened in recent weeks.

"In Iran, people are fed up with a religious regime and because of that unfortunately people do not pay enough attention to the fate of a religious figure who is put in jail for his views," said Maryam Moazen, an activist who has campaigned to highlight Boroujerdi's plight. "Unlike clerics who are associated with officials in power, Mr Boroujerdi had been very critical of the regime's violation of human rights."

According to Moazen, Boroujerdi has been kept incommunicado but has had intermittent access to his family. "People associated with Boroujerdi including his family have also been persecuted by different means such as being arrested or interrogated," said Moazen, who was among the followers arrested for their support for the cleric.

He said Boroujerdi is also suffering from heart problems and permanent shaking of his legs and hands.

A group of prominent journalists and human rights activists have written a public letter raising alarm over Boroujerdi's situation. "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," said the letter, according to Iran's Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

"Ayatollah Khamenei, as supreme leader and head of the special court of clergy [which found Boroujerdi guilty], has moral, judicial and constitutional duty to provide a written explanation or set him free."

Iran's embassy in London could not be reached for comment.

Boroujerdi Suffers Heart Attack and Pulmonary Edema

2011-10-08T02:14:00.000-07:00

Harana news agency:

Tehran, 1st October 2011-- 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.

Time to Get Real in Iran and Syria

2011-10-04T01:07:00.000-07:00

by Michael Ledeen

Can we agree that Iran and Syria now constitute a single strategic problem? Surely Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, thinks so. Otherwise he would not have ordered the Revolutionary Guards to conduct a policy of all-out military, financial, and intelligence support for the Assad regime, combined with the usual deception (various public statements urging Assad to be reasonable and settle his differences with the protesters, a ridiculous fantasy). Khamenei knows that if Assad falls to anything remotely resembling a free, representative government, the consequences for Iran range from severely damaging to fatal.

The Syrian crisis is only one very dark cloud in the terrible storm that has descended upon the Iranian regime.

That is why the current announced policy of the Obama administration — “Assad must go” — is incoherent. First, because once you have declared war on a regime, you are obliged to follow through with real action, as in Libya. Second, because if Assad must go, so must Khamenei. They are fused at the belly button, part and parcel of a strategic alliance that is responsible for thousands of American deaths and tens of thousands of American casualties.

Third, if you’re going to call for the end of Assad, you’ve got to do something to make it happen.

To be sure, this president is not a big believer in telling the world what he is up to, which could be meaningful. He talks like Ganhdi and acts like LBJ (the LBJ who said “if you’ve got them by the balls, the hearts and minds generally follow”). As everybody knows, we are engaged in a very large covert war against al-Qaeda and the Taliban in and around Afghanistan and Pakistan. So far, the world has accepted his Gandhian facade, accepting the cover story that the Libyan campaign was waged by NATO (when most of it was us, including the training and logistics provided to the “rebels”), and finessing the hi- and low-tech killing of terrorists, which are so very reminiscent of Israel’s campaign against Hamas. You are not going to find that comparison in the “leading” dead tree media most anywhere in the Western world.

In short, it may well be that Obama has signed the necessary “findings” authorizing our secret armies to support the foes of the Assad and Khamenei regimes. Heaven knows there are lots of foes to support (militarily, financially, and politically), from the peaceful demonstrators in both countries to the not-nearly-so-peaceful Kurds and the “New Syrian Army,” composed of defectors from Assad’s armed forces, now fighting their former cohorts in several cities. If so, and if the opposition forces want our assistance to remain secret, we should respect their wishes. And by “we,” I most certainly include the journalists and politicians who so avidly exposed the secret war conducted by the Bush administration.

Whatever we are, or are not, doing on the ground, we are certainly feckless in denouncing the evils of the Khamenei and Assad regimes, and we are not doing nearly enough to denounce their dreadful excesses. Clandestine operations do not preclude openly speaking the truth about our enemies.

That the announced “Valkyrie” policy is little more than an ideological gimmick is abundantly obvious by the administration’s silence about the Iranian campaign of torture and slaughter against its own citizens (it’s been a bit better about the Syrian mass murder).

If Obama seriously wished to defend innocent civilians against murderous regimes, he would rally to the side of one of the world’s truly heroic figures, the Ayatollah Hossein Kazemeini Boroujerdi, imprisoned for more than six years and subjected to severe torture. Amazingly, he has continued his campaign from within Tehran’s grim Evin Prison. No charges have ever been brought against him, although it is obvious that he has been singled out for advocating separation of mosque and state, toleration of minority religions, and respect for the civil rights of the Iranian people. In recent days he has suffered a heart attack, but has been denied medical attention. If he dies, perhaps the winged troika of Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, and Samantha Power, and their many admirers, will mourn the death of this fine man, whom they have judged unworthy of American support.

Not that it’s personal, mind you; this administration has always shrunk from speaking the truth about the Iranian regime, which is now engaged in a “killing spree” at the expense of the Persian nation. There have been so many executions and arrests of late that it’s very hard to keep track of them all, ranging from movie directors to Baha’is, from Christian converts to peaceful Sufi dervishes, and on to political protesters and those unlucky enough to be in the area when the security forces are unleashed.

This frenzy of repression — more a bloody orgy than a spree — bespeaks enormous insecurity as well as the great evil about which I have been warning for so long.

Want more?

A message from Ayatollah Kazemeini-Broujerdi to the 66th annual UN general assembly

2011-10-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Honorable U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, respected and esteemed representatives of the countries around the world, ladies and gentlemen of the free world, The abominable oppression and subjugation of the people of Iran by the Revolutionary Guards, under the ruling dictatorship is so egregious, and their apparatus for its cover-up so systematic, that the world at large never learns of the actual horror stories and the crimes committed by the Islamic regime against the humanity of the people of Iran.

I am hereby informing you, the defenders of human rights, that the innocent people of Iran are deprived of their most basic human and civil rights while their natural resources and national

wealth and assets are being squandered on saturating the world with a universal propaganda campaign devised for an expansionist agenda of these sinister claimants of faith.

The wave of poverty, despair, fear and helplessness has created a desperate atmosphere in my country but the regimes relentlessly censors and prevents the information about the condition of the poor citizens of Iran to be disseminated.

I am appealing to all people of faith, and reverence to divine Justice to come to the aid of a nation that was deceived in the name of God 32 years ago; that exchanged the throne and crown for a politicized Islam. Now Godlessness and Immorality has encroached on all levels of our society and has shattered the peoples confidence and trust in faith and spirituality.

Now that the hope of democracy in the Islamic world is spreading and the foundation of human rights is being established throughout the region, the international community’s support for the struggling people of Iran is needed for Iran to reach independence and self determination and also establishment of peace in the Middle East.

This humble preacher who has continually spoken out against the incursion of religion in government and politics, has spent over 2000 days in the nightmarish prisons and torture chambers of the Islamic regime’s Dictatorship. Every single day, I have been denied council, and my wife, children, extended family and defenders have been systematically threatened and actively abused.

I thank you for your time and willingness to lend an ear to the Iranian plight and eagerly await your support for the oppressed people of our nation.

Sayed Hossein Kazemeini Boroujerdi

Evin Prison / Iran

September of 2011

An Appeal to International Human Rights Lawyers By Mr.Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi

2011-08-24T01:42:00.000-07:00

To the Esteemed Members of the Community of International Human Rights LawyersPlease accept the sincere greetings of this humble secular minded prisoner of conscience.As you are aware, prisoners of conscience in Iran are continuously arrested and prosecuted for standing up for peace, freedom and democracy and against flagrant abuses of human rights in Iran. Consequently they are forced to appear before official courts, which spurn and reject international legal standards of behavior.

They are prosecuted unfairly without access to due legal representation and away from the scrutiny of independent media. To make matters worse official state news agencies and outlet subject them to character assassination. Is it a wonder that they are swiftly indicted? This is so-called “Justice”—i.e. according to the tenants of the Islamic Republic ruling Iran.These defenceless prisoners are tortured physically and psychologically, at worst in solitary confinement by state agents tasked with extracting false confessions. It is therefore no wonder that they fall prey to a variety of acute and chronic diseases, which irreparably damages their health and attacks their physical immunity. Such abuse of human rights is inflicted at a time when independent respectable human rights observers are barred from visiting Iran.Once again I appeal to the esteemed members of the international community and international human rights lawyers:Heed our predicament; publicly disclose our deprivation from internationally recognized standards of human rights; and, disseminate the extent of our distress and torture.At a time when news of our fate is subjected to widespread blackout inside the country, we appeal to you, the independent and free international media as well as the leading independent and free international judicial institutions, particularly the UN:Do not abandon us. We remain at your mercy!Seyyed Hossein Kazemeini BoroujerdiPrisoner of Conscience Against Religious Tyranny

Evin Prison, Iran, August 2011

Iran: Appeal for action re: Iranian prisoners in need of medical care: Health professional action

2011-08-03T03:35:00.000-07:00

At least nine Iranian prisoners with serious health problems are being held in prison in Iran. Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to ensure adequate healthcare is provided to Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand, Isa Saharkhiz, Ayatollah Boroujerdi, Zahra Jabbari, Kourosh Kohkan, Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki, Ahmad Zeidabadi, Sa’id Metinpour and Heshmatollah Tabarzadi. Those prisoners held solely on account of their peaceful exercise of their rights to the freedom of expression, association, assembly or belief should be immediately and unconditionally released.

DOCUMENT - IRAN: APPEAL FOR ACTION RE: IRANIAN PRISONERS IN NEED OF MEDICAL CARE: HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ACTION

Index: MDE 13/072/2011 Iran Date: 2 August 2011 TO: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS FROM: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL APPEAL FOR ACTION RE: IRANIAN PRISONERS IN NEED OF MEDICAL CARE At least nine Iranian prisoners with serious health problems are being held in prison in Iran. Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to ensure adequate healthcare is provided to Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand (m), Isa Saharkhiz (m), Ayatollah Boroujerdi (m), Zahra Jabbari (f), Kourosh Kohkan (m), Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki (m), Ahmad Zeidabadi (m), Sa’id Metinpour (m) and Heshmatollah Tabarzadi (m). Those prisoners held solely on account of their peaceful exercise of their rights to the freedom of expression, association, assembly or belief should be immediately and unconditionally released. Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand (m), a 49 year old Kurdish human rights defender, is serving sentences totalling 10 and a half years imposed since May 2008 for “acting against state security by establishing an illegal group [the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HROK)]”. He is also facing other charges brought against him while in prison for his writings on women’s rights and other human rights issues. Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand suffers from kidney and prostate conditions which have been exacerbated by poor prison conditions and lack of adequate medical care. In early December 2008, he was seen by a prison doctor who noted that he was suffering from dizziness and unstable blood pressure, and that his existing kidney and prostate problems were worsening. It is believed that on 17 December 2008 he suffered a heart attack but no doctor was available in the prison clinic as it was a national holiday. He has also had one episode of unconsciousness, lasting approximately 30 minutes. Doctors at Evin prison reportedly requested that the prisoner be granted specialist assessment and treatment outside of the prison, but the request was ignored by the authorities. It is also reported that Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand suffered two strokes in 2010 -- one on 15 July and the other on 19 November. His sister said he told her that he had been seen by a neurologist after the first stroke but was not examined thoroughly and no tests were administered. Instead the physician prescribed a series of pills to take daily but did not give any details on the name, recommended use or possible side-effects of the pills. In June 2011 Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand was seen by an independent doctor who reportedly stated that he needed to undergo two operations for hardening of the heart arteries and an enlarged prostate. Since his imprisonment Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand has lost about 20 kgs. Isa Saharkhiz (m), a 57 year old prominent reformist journalist and commentator, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in September 2010 on charges of “insulting the leadership” and “propaganda against the system”. He has said that his ribs were broken as a result of beatings sustained during his arrest on 7 July 2009. He also has lost mobility of his right leg for unknown reasons but has been denied medical leave to seek treatment. In late November/early December 2010 he was reported to have been suffering from severe pain. It was discovered that he was bleeding internally and a medical team was brought to perform surgery on him in the prison clinic. In May 2010, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found Isa Saharkhiz’s detention to be arbitrary and requested that the Iranian Government release Isa Saharkhiz immediately and unconditionally. In June 2011 Isa Saharkhiz was among several prisoners who went on a hunger strike to protest against the deaths of Haleh Sahabi and Hoda Saber. He was transferred to the Raja'i Shahr Prison clinic on 27 June 2011 due to his deteriorating health.

Index: MDE 13/072/2011 Date: 2 August 2011 Ayatollah Boroujerdi (m), a 53 year old religious figure in Iran who advocates the separation of religion from government, was sentenced in August 2007 to one year’s imprisonment in Tehran followed by 10 years’ imprisonment in exile in the city of Yazd. Furthermore, he was defrocked and his house and all of his belongings were confiscated. Ayatollah Boroujerdi suffers from many illnesses including Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney and heart problems. He has reportedly lost significant weight while in detention. In September 2008, his doctors wrote several times to the judiciary informing them of the patient’s urgent medical problems and the need for immediate care outside of prison, but the advice was ignored. He was transferred back to Evin Prison in August 2009 where he remains in detention. According to reports, on 27 of February 2011, Ayatollah Boroujerdi was attacked and beaten by prison officials at Evin Prison. His beard was also forcibly shaved by prison officials. Recent reports suggest that Ayatollah Boroujerdi may have lost his vision in one eye and has still not been allowed to leave prison to receive medical treatment. Zahra Jabbari (f), 37 years old, was arrested on 18 September 2009, when mass anti-government protests were held. She was detained in Evin Prison and held in solitary confinement for seven months, apparently because she has relatives living in Camp Ashraf, Iraq -- where members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), an Iranian opposition group, reside. In May 2010 she was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on charges of “acting against state security.” Zahra suffers from severe rheumatic heart disease. In June 2011 her physical and psychological conditions deteriorated and she was transferred to the Amin Abad mental hospital in Tehran. Kourosh Kohkan (m), a 36-year-old political activist, was arrested in January 2010 and held in Section 350 of Evin Prison, where prominent political prisoners are also held but to which the Judiciary has access. He was later sentenced to three and half years’ imprisonment and 74 lashes by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. He suffers from a meniscus tear in his knee which happened during his interrogation by members of the Intelligence. In April 2011, Kourosh Kohkan went on hunger strike to demand medical care and surgery on his knee. The prison authorities subsequently transferred him to the Taleghani Hospital in Tehran where he was operated on. However, due to lack of medical follow-up, his operated knee became infected and his leg now might have to be amputated. The authorities are still denying him further medical care. Blogger Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki (m) was arrested on 13 December 2009 and is now serving a 15-year prison sentence, including 10 years imposed for “membership of an internet group called Iran Proxy”, and lesser terms for “propaganda against the system”, “insulting the [Supreme] Leader” [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei], and for “insulting the President”. He did not receive a fair trial and was denied access to his defence lawyer. He told the judge that he was tortured in pre-trial detention but the judge is said to have answered he “deserved it”. Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki suffers from gallstones and severe kidney problems he developed since his arrest. Both his kidneys are infected and he has lost 80% functionality in one and 20% in the other. He underwent a first surgical intervention at the beginning of May 2011 in Hasheminejad Kidney Center in Tehran, but his kidney became infected after he was returned to prison. On 8 June 2011 he underwent a second kidney operation and was sent back to prison 14 days later. His physicians have stated that it would take three months for his kidneys to heal and that during this time it was imperative that Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki received adequate medical care in a suitable environment. Ahmad Zeidabadi (m) a 45 year old journalist and spokesperson for the Graduates’ Association, which has promoted reform and greater respect for human rights, was arrested on 21 June 2009, shortly after Iran’s disputed presidential election. He was held incommunicado in Evin Prison until his appearance on 8 August 2009 in a mass “show trial”. He was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in December 2009, five years of internal exile, and was banned for life from all social and political activities. His sentence was upheld in January 2010. At the end of January 2010, he was transferred to Reja’i Shahr prison, where most of the other prisoners are not political prisoners. When she visited him on 23 June 2011, his wife, Mahdieh Mohammadi, noticed that he seemed very weak, and had very noticeably lost a lot of weight since her last visit at the beginning of June. She is very worried about this unexplained weight loss. Sa’id Metinpour (m), a member of the Azerbaijani minority in Iran, is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence in Evin Prison for his peaceful advocacy of the rights of the Azerbaijani minority in Iran. He suffers from severe back pain and at the end of January 2011 was diagnosed with a lung infection. Calls for him to be granted temporary leave to seek medical care have been denied for the past two years. During his detention in 2007, his health had also suffered.

Index: MDE 13/072/2011 Date: 2 August 2011 Heshmatollah Tabarzadi (m), 53, leader of the banned Democratic Front of Iran, an opposition party, was arrested on 27 December 2009 and held in Evin Prison, before being transferred to Katchoui Prison in Karaj in May 2010. He was later sent to Reja’i Shahr prison, notorious for its poor conditions. In his trial he said that he had been beaten and threatened with rape in detention and was placed under great pressure to “confess” to receiving money from abroad. Heshmatollah Tabarzadi’s son, Mohammad, has also spoken about the conditions in the prison: “There [was] no glass in the windows…so they spent days and nights in the cold winter air. They don’t take care of the inmates’ ailments… The prison food is not healthy…All of these affect their physical conditions. No matter how well they maintain their morale; such difficult conditions will weaken them over time.” Heshmatollah Tabarzadi was initially sentenced in September 2010 to nine years in prison and 74 lashes, after conviction on five charges. On appeal, this was reduced to eight years in prison, and the flogging sentence was overturned. He has also been banned from participating in any social activities for 10 years. His health deteriorated at the beginning of July 2011 and he was transferred to the prison medical facility where he was diagnosed with a heart condition. His family is very concerned for his health. PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY: Explaining that you are a health professional concerned about human rights; Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand (m), Isa Saharkhiz (m), Ayatollah Boroujerdi (m), Zahra Jabbari (f), Kourosh Kohkan (m), Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki (m), Ahmad Zeidabadi (m), Sa’id Metinpour (m) and Heshmatollah Tabarzadi (m), as their imprisonment appears to be politically motivated and related to their peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly; Urging the Iranian authorities to ensure that pending their release, they receive full and immediate access to medical care, in accordance with the provisions set out in the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners; Urging the Iranian authorities to ensure that all these prisoners are protected from any form of torture or other ill- treatment from prison guards or other detainees. PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 09 September 2011 TO: Leader of the Islamic Republic Head of the Judiciary Minister of Health and Medical Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani Education The Office of the Supreme Leader [care of] Public relations Office Her Excellency Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi. Islamic Republic Street – End of Number 4, 2 Azizi Street Ministry of Health, Jomhouri-ye Eslami Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Vali Asr Ave., above Pasteur Street Avenue Islamic Republic of Iran intersection Hafez Crossing Salutation: Your Excellency Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Email: info_leader@leader.ir Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject Email: ad@mohme.gov.ir or Twitter: "Call on #Iran leader line: FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani) or pr@behdasht.gov.ir (in subject line: @khamenei_ir to give prisoners larijani@dadgostary-tehran.ir FAO Marzieh Vahid_Dastjerdi, Minister immediate access to adequate medical Salutation: Your Excellency of Health and Medical Education) care" Fax +98 21 8836 4100 (unreliable; And copies to: please try three times and if it fails please send email) Salutation Your Excellency ALSO SEND COPIES TO DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES ACCREDITED TO YOUR COUNTRY. PLEASE TRY AND SEND HARD COPIES OF LETTERS AS WELL AS EMAILS. IF YOU RECEIVE NO REPLY WITHIN SIX WEEKS OF SENDING YOUR LETTER, PLEASE SEND A FOLLOW-UP LETTER SEEKING A RESPONSE. PLEASE SEND COPIES OF ANY LETTERS YOU RECEIVE TO THE INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT, ATTENTION OF THE HEALTH TEAM, 1 EASTON STREET, LONDON WC1X 0DW OR E-MAIL: health@amnesty.org

Index: MDE 13/072/2011 Date: 2 August 2011 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Article 229 of the Iranian Prison Regulations stipulates that a prisoner suffering from a serious medical condition that cannot be treated inside prison, or whose condition will worsen if they stay in prison, should be released by the prison authorities for one month’s medical leave, renewable, on the recommendation of a doctor and with the agreement of the Prison Director. However for most of these detainees, repeated requests for medical leave have been denied. In many cases, the Iranian authorities request an exorbitant amount of bail which the families cannot afford. For example, it is reported that the Iranian government is seeking approximately 11.5 million Iranian Rials (equivalent to $US1.1 million) in bail from the family of Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand to be temporarily released. Additionally, prison conditions in Iran are notoriously poor, and sometimes amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. According to a 20 July 2011 report by the Iranian Students’ News Agency, ISNA, Javad Zamani, the spokesperson of the Social Affairs Committee of Iran’s parliament, said that the head of Iran’s Prison Organization, the body that manages Iran’s official prisons, told the Committee that Iran’s prisons have a capacity of 85,000 people, though that the current prison population was 235,000, noting that this has created problems, including a lack of doctors. Similarly, according to a 27 June 2011 report in Shargh newspaper, Younes Mousavi, a member of the parliamentary Judicial Committee, recently stated openly in parliament that overcrowding in some prisons was so bad that prisoners were sleeping on stairs; and that the budget of the Prisons’ Organisation was not sufficient for clothing or food for the prisoners. He added that some prison buildings were too old and no longer fit for purpose; and that the health system of some prisons was so inadequate that it was possible that some prisoners lived in unsuitable medical conditions while in prison. For the nine detainees listed above, the poor conditions and the denial of adequate medical care have exacerbated their medical problems. Recently at least two prisoners have died as a result of irresponsible behaviour and negligence of prison officials.

Supporters Say Jailed Iranian Cleric In Poor Health

2011-07-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

RFE/RL

Some followers of dissident Iranian cleric Ayatollah Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi say his health has further deteriorated in prison, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports.Boroujerdi, who supports the separation of religion from the state, was arrested in October 2006. One year later, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges including "enmity with God" and "spreading propaganda against the regime."

Since Boroujerdi's arrest, his supporters say they have been under pressure and are often threatened, detained, and prosecuted.
Roya Eraghi, a follower of Boroujerdi who is currently living outside Iran after being released from prison on bail, told Radio Farda on July 4 that due to severe pressure and torture in jail Boroujerdi has developed several afflictions, including a heart condition.
She added that Boroujerdi has also lost vision in one eye but has not been allowed to leave prison to receive medical treatment.
Abbas Tabatabai, another follower of Boroujerdi who left Iran after being arrested in 2006 and later released, told Radio Farda that the cleric's supporters are facing various charges.
Tabatabai said he had been charged with "enmity with God," acting against Iran's national security, and espionage for Israel.
In 2010, Boroujerdi wrote an open letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, holding him responsible for the extensive violation of human rights in Iran.
The letter says 30 years ago Iranian people were deceived into believing that the Islamic regime was going to be based on "independence, freedom, republicanism, and piety."
But now people no longer want to maintain this political system, he said.
Boroujerdi concluded his letter by calling for a "free referendum" in Iran "directly supervised by UN observers."
Family members of Boroujerdi wrote a letter last year to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asking him to intervene in the jailed cleric's case. The letter stated that they were deeply concerned about Boroujerdi's health at that time and the inability for him to receive proper medical care.

Americans in cross hairs of mosque-state struggle

2011-07-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

By the Monitor's Editorial Board
Iraq's elected leaders are moving toward clerical rule while in Iran a leading Shiite cleric, who advocates secular rule, suffers in prison.

The Sunnis of Al Qaeda and the ruling Shiites of Iran – despite their different brands of Islam – have one thing in common. They both believe in public religion, or rule by Muslim clerics. Their attempt to impose political theology lies at the heart of the Muslim debate over democracy.

It also has violent consequences for Americans.

As US forces begin an exit from Iraq, neighboring Iran has stepped up support of attacks on American soldiers. June was the deadliest month for the United States there since 2008, with most attacks blamed on insurgents using weapons from Iran.

Such Iranian-backed violence would not be happening if Iraq’s elected government weren’t drifting toward an Islamic state like that in Iran.

To stay in power, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has had to rely on the political support of a group run by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who is aligned with Iran. But more than that, Mr. Maliki recently shifted the religious authority of his Dawa Party away from Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who advocates a separation of Islam from government.

Now Maliki looks for religious guidance from Grand Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, an Iraqi-born cleric in Iran who backs the theory of velayat-e-faqih, or political leadership by Shiite clergy.

Unless Iraq’s majority Shiites – especially Mr. Sistani – demand a firm line between mosque and state, Iraq could be losing its hard-won democracy. Iran would be the winner, and the US withdrawal from Iraq could be even more difficult.

Iran, of course, already has had three decades under clerical rule. But lately it has faced popular opposition, forcing leaders to become even more ruthless, especially in suppressing street protests and Internet access.

While the so-called Green Revolution in Iran appears dormant for now, a lively struggle is still under way among top clergy over the correctness of velayat-e-faqih.

Many clerics already challenge the legitimacy of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who claims to be the representative of the Muslim prophet Muhammad on earth. But one unusual challenge comes from a respected cleric in particular, Ayatollah Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi. He has openly denounced Shiite rule and has championed secular government.

Mr. Boroujerdi’s stance explains why he was thrown in prison in 2006 and has received such brutal treatment that his health is failing. He has also been charged with more than 30 crimes, including “waging war against God.”

Before being jailed, he preached in a poor neighborhood of Tehran. He once said “Islam is the religion of tolerance, forbearance, and mercy, to the point where the Quran emphasized to us that ‘there is no compulsion in religion.’ ” He also told a Western audience that “real Islam is free of political ornaments.”

Boroujerdi may be Iran’s most important political prisoner. Many human rights advocates in the West are seeking his release. His ideas are the biggest threat to Iran’s rulers, just as Sistani’s support for secular rule threatens the legitimacy of Iraq’s ruling parties.

Ideas matter in the violent Middle East, and none more than the idea that religion is best left as a private choice for each individual, something of the heart and not of the gun.

Increasing concern about deteriorating physical condition of Ayatollah Boroujerdi

2011-07-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

Human rights and democracy activists in Iran:

According to the received news, Ayatollah Boroujerdi, who is a libertarian and Anti Velayat Faqih prisoner, is in unpleasant and horrible condition due to poor condition of prison and also intensification of physical and psychological pressure.

Before, the retina of his eyes was seriously injured due to spraying poison into his face and now, one of his eyes is on the verge of complete blindness. Lack of medical care for his heart failure which he is suffering from following imprisonment resulted in swelling in his legs and has caused imbalance in walking and standing.

Ayatollah Boroujedi who is spending the Fifth year of his 11-years conviction in Evin prison solely for his Pacifist beliefs, is suffering from various diseases as a result of persecution and inhuman condition of prison.

Despite repeated requests and continuous follow-up of his family and international human rights organizations, he is deprived from having any medical facilities and attorney at law. So far, his request for a medical leave even for one hour has been rejected.

His family and close friends expressed their concern about the health of this political prisoner and request from all the human rights defenders and international communities to address the critical condition of this imprisoned clergy and release his news in the global communities.

Continuing pressure over supporters of Ayatollah Boroujerdi

2011-05-20T01:31:00.000-07:00

HARANA News Agency: In continuing pressure over religious leaders, Ayatollah Bourojerdi`s supporters have been repeatedly threatened by security agents and Intelligence forces, during recent months.

According to the HARANA reports, "News organization of Human Rights Activists in Iran", among the six of Ayatollah Bourojerdi's supporters who were arrested last year, Mr. Mohammad Reza Sadeghi is remained in custody while five others like Dr. Roya Araghi, Maryam Azimi, Narges Ghaffarzadeh, Tayebeh Hosseini, and Forogh Hematyar Were released on heavy bails and still wait for trial.

Received reports from across the country suggest that the other fans of this protesting cleric have been repeatedly prosecuted and threatened.

The names of three of them who have the history of arrest and detention by security forces, threatened by telephone, and called to the Special Court are as follows:

- Mrs. Maryam Moazenzadeh, 35 years old, married, MS of chemistry and university lecturer who has a young child. She was arrested two times in 2006 and imprisoned.

-Ms. Laleh Moazenzadeh, single, 25 years old, computer student. She was arrested and detained in 2006.

-Mr. Seyed Abbas Tabatabaie Shirazani, 35 years old, Master of Mining Engineering. He was arrested and detained on October 2006.

To suffer martyrdom mr javadi one of ayatollah boroujerdi’s supporters in Tehran

2011-04-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

One of Mr. Boroujerdi's supporters (called J. Javadi) was martyred in 5 April 2011 (15/1/1390). He sustained severe head injury during the military and information officers attack to Mr. Boroujerdi's house in October 2006 (1385). Despite this severe injury, he was tortured about 15 days in Evin prison and then was released.

Unfortunately, after years of suffering and in spite of treatment in hospitals in Tehran with various heavy costs around a hundred million his treatment remains inconclusive and finally he died. Mr. Boroujerdi offer condolence to his family from Evin prison and compose a poem to the memory of him.

Mr. Boroujerdi was beaten and severely injured in Evin Prison

2011-03-12T01:32:00.000-08:00

Human rights and democracy activists in Iran

According to the reports received from Evin, prison officials attacked to the maintenance location of Mr. Boroujerdi during a hasty action (on Sunday 8/12/1389). After repeated beatings and insults to this dissident jailed, they closed his hands and feet, injured his body with an infected razor, and shaved his beard with atrocity that caused deep wounds on his face.

Such suspicious actions on ideological political prisoners are designed to intensify the pressures, threats; and to repress dissidents who opposing theory and system of velayate faghih. Now nearly five years is going from illegal arrest and imprisonment of Mr. Boroujerdi. Despite all the physical and psychological tortures and assassination of his character, he still insists on his views about policy’s separation of religion; and explicitly rejects the theory of supreme leader. The Democratic warrior insists that a free referendum must be held in Iran (by supervision of United Nations) in order to Iranian nation be able to give their votes with authority and freedom, rule on their fate, and choose the type of their government.

Mr. Mohammad Reza Sadeghi, under overwhelming tortures

2011-02-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

According to the reports of Iran human rights and democracy activists, Mr. Mohammad Reza Sadeghi who is one of those six supporters of Ayatollah Boroujerdi that arrested in his house during the raid of security forces at 8 of November 2010, is now under overwhelming tortures.

Based on the reports, interrogators severely tortured him and attempted to break his legs and fingers.

Before, as a result of tortures, he was suffering from numbness of legs and could not move; Spinal cord injury is likely.

Despite of passing ninety days of his imprisonment in Evin, his family was not able to get any accurate information about his condition.

Ayatollah Borougerdi`s supporters, express their great concern about the condition of political prisoners and ask for immediate help from all the human rights organizations.

Introducing Ayatollah Boroujerdi as the top figure of 2010 in Arabic magazine "Al-Mojez"

2011-01-29T12:16:00.000-08:00

Dr.Alireza Nourizadeh, journalist and political analyst, published a story in the Arabic magazine "Almojez" and introduced dissident imprisoned cleric "Ayatollah Boroujerdi" as the top figure of 2010. The full text of this article is as follows:

"Ayatollah Kazemeini Boroujerdi, the man who brought back credit to the religion"

Beginning of the sixties AD, when Ayatollah Seyyed Hussein Boroujerdi was an Iranian Grand Shiite Supreme Reference in Iran and around the world, the late Shah of Iran, decided on his reform project, entitled "White Revolution", which is described:

"Land reform, granting right to vote in elections to the women, creating knowledge Corps, Health Corps, reclamation corps, having the workers share in the profit and..."

At the time, Ayatollah Boroujerdi sent a telegram to the late Shah that contained:

"I wish your reform project postpone to after my death…"

It is clear that Ayatollah Boroujerdi was under pressure from opponents of this project, specially their head, Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini (the one who nicknamed Imam Khomeini later), for this purpose to clear and explicit his position against king reforms.

Deep from the heart, he agreed with land reform and women`s freedom for their social and political rights; but disagreed interference of religion and politics.

However, as a great reference of Shiites, he was forced to adopt policies of Hawzah and its leaders.

These pressures caused that he asked king to postpone his reforms to the after of his death; like he knew that sooner or later he will die.

After several months, this Shiite Supreme Reference died, so respecting his request, late Shah postponed his reform project to the after of his fortieth ceremony.

As it was expected, ayatollah Khomeini started opposing the late Shah of Iran. In result, some scattered clashes and conflicts started between clerical student and religious groups, but the government suppressed them by arresting Khomeini and a number of Clergymen and exiled Khomeini to Turkey and then to Iraq and Paris. For years, he lived in Paris till his return back at February 1997. So, ayatollah Boroujerdi was still alive as a progressive and moderate Shiite reference in people's heart who could lead a massive reform movement.

Because he was open-minded, he could strength the brotherhood link between Shiite and Sunni, when the Sheikh of Al-Azhar (Sheikh Mahmud haltout) issued his famous fatwa upon the legitimacy of accepting duodenal Shiite religion as one of the Islamic religions.

Ayatollah Boroujerdi sent his representatives to the other countries, such as Sheikh Mohammad-taghi Ghomi who founded the world assembly of gathering religions in Cairo, and Imam Musa Sadr, who was the founder of Shiite Supreme Islamic Council in Lebanon and some other countries.

Now, after passing forty years of his death, there is another Boroujerdi who could attract people`s attention toward his views and opinions, in Iran and abroad.

In the early of 21st century, a Shiite religious figure raised in Iran who has the same name as Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussein Boroujerdi. With his attraction and influence of speech that was emerged from his intellectuality and also the idea of not interfering in politics, he could attract thousands of Iranians who were from the revolutionary generation and many of the youths who were suppressed by government. It is perfectly clear in his public speeches where thousands of men and women gathered for his influence of talk.

His disclosure is in connection with the crimes of the religion; purge the principles of religion and opposing the theses of supreme leader.

In his idea, "supreme leader" theses is the worst and ugliest governance approach which is in consistent with human`s values such as freedom. Supreme leader enforce people by arms and security forces to obey a person who calls himself "Valli-e Faghih".

Ayatollah Boroujerdi`s views drown up a direct confrontation between him and the government until the system felt a severe fear and concern.

In the late of president Khatami period, the information ministry tried to stop their movement through intimidation of his students and supporters.

Because these tricks failed, so the government decided to give him moral and material advantages. One of the agents of the regime, Sheikh Ahmadi, offered him to accept some advantages like: recognition of Ayatollah Boroujerdi as an outstanding reference of Shiite and devoting billions of RLS for the advantage of him and his family. One of his supporters captured this debate and the audio file was spread out through a TV show of editor of Al-Mojez from the Kurdish Satellite Network.

After a few weeks, security forces raid to his house and destroyed their properties and arrested him and his supporters. Now Ayatollah Boroujerdi has spent about five years in the regime prisons under physical and mental tortures, but still persists on his opinions about the separation of religion and politics, establishing a democratic and secular system, cleaning of any superstition from Shiite and returns the Shiite clergies to the mosques and religious centers.

Therefore, the monthly magazine, Al-Mojez, decided to choose him as the top figure of 2010.

Ayatollah Boroujerdi`s supporters are under torture in Evin prison

2010-12-23T04:49:00.000-08:00

HARANA news agency: Mohammad Reza Sadeghi who is one of the supporters of Ayatollah Boroujerdi that arrested at November 8th through a raid to his house, is now under intolerable tortures.

According to the news that received form Iran Human Rights Activists reporters, he is suffering from severe damage to his body and numbness of the legs resulted from tortures imposed by interrogators and is not able to move. The risk of spinal cord injury is probable and needs a specialist consultation.

Despite of passing 45 days since Mr. Mohammad Reza Sadeghi has been arrested and detained, his family could not be able to get any kind of information about his condition.

It is worth mentioning the this 38-years-old prisoner is a former employee of the official Department of Informatics and Information Technology of the tobacco compay and arrested two times in October 2006 and December 2007 by special forces of information ministry.

During his detention in the prisons of regime, he has been under unbearable tortures. As a result of such pressures he is suffering from cardiac and pulmonary complications and also rheumatoid arthritis that its medical documentation is available.

Examinations of specialists show that because of suffering from severe heart failure, the prison environment is dangerous for him.

His family announced that their son committed no sin other than Adherence to peaceful beliefs of Ayatollah Boroujerdi. Their request from all human rights organizations is for immediate action to save their child's life.

Forogh Hematyar, one of the supporters of Ayatollah Borojerdi, was released

2010-12-23T04:47:00.000-08:00

According to the news that received from Iran Human Rights Activists reporters, Ms Forogh Hematyar who was arrested at November 8th was finally released on bail.

She is a 30 years old English student and married, who has been one of those seven supporters of Ayatollah Boroujerdi that arrested and detained just for adherence to the doctrines of Ayatollah Boroujerdi, without committing any other crimes.

During the 40-days detention without any possibility of contact with family and no right to counsel, she has been under terrifying interrogations and severe physical and mental tortures in solitary cells of prison.

Due to the efforts of human rights defenders and organizations and their concern, she was finally released on a heavy bail at 22 of December 2010. With expressing gladness for her freedom, hope for the other political prisoners, including the remaining six of them (Narges Ghaffarzadeh, Maryam Azimi, Tayebeh Hosseini, Dr.Roya Araghi, Mohammad Reza Sadeghi and Mohammad Mehman navaz) to be released as soon as possible and go back to their families.

The letter of Prince Reza Pahlavi to His Excellency Ban Ki-moon concerning Ayatollah Seyed Hossein Kazemeiny Boroujerdi

2010-12-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

His Excellency Ban Ki-moon

Secretary-General of United Nations

The United Nations

New York, N.Y 10017

Dec. 17th, 2010

Your Excellency,

Ayatollah Seyed Hossein Kazemeiny Boroujerdi, a holy man, a long time vocal advocate of the separation of church and state and an opponent of the current regime in Tehran, is in dire circumstances as a result of long term imprisonment and physical and psychological torture.

Reports indicate enduring the torture has caused Ayatollah Boroujerdi to lose much of his sight to the point that he is no longer able to even recognize objects and people around him.

The regime has now decided to move this brave and tortured soul, along with six of his comrades to an undisclosed location. I, along with my freedom loving compatriots, express to you our gravest concerns regarding the future of this holy man. We beseech you to intervene before it is too late and prevent yet another crime by the Islamic Republic regime in Tehran.

As we celebrate the anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, it is an affront to all to allow yet another egregious violation of human rights to occur in Iran.

Your Excellency,

I must insist, on behalf of my compatriots and indeed civilized people the world over, that you and the community of nations stand up and demand the immediate release of Ayatollah Boroujerdi.

I await your positive response.

With my esteem and respect,
Reza Pahlavi