H.E. Mohammad Khatami-Ardakani
President
Office of the President
Palastine Avenue
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: (011.98.21) 646-6415
Your Excellency:
The Overseas Press Club of America (OPC) is outraged over the verdict in the Zahra Kazemi murder case, as well as Iran’s unbelievable explanation for her death. The OPC also calls on Iran’s leadership to end its on-going war on the media. The latest tally shows Iran to be a major human rights violator with 11 journalists currently in jail — in addition to scores of newspaper shut-downs that continue as we write this letter.
First, the explanation offered by the Iranian judiciary that Ms. Kazemi’s death was an accident is so incredible that it suggests an official policy of denial — or worse, a cynical indifference to truth and the world@quot;s opinion. The judiciary statement said that Kazemi’s brutal death occurred “because of a drop in blood sugar level caused by her hunger strikes, thus making her fall from a standing position and get hurt.” We agree with the Canadian government spokesman who said, “This theory has absolutely no credibility.”
The judiciary@quot;s statement is a direct contradiction of earlier Iranian government statements that Kazemi was beaten and died from those injuries suffered while in police custody following her arrest for taking photographs outside the Evin Prison in Tehran. We are sure you recall Vice President Mohammed Ali Abtahi’s statement of July 16, 2003, that Kazemi’s cause of death was a “brain hemorrhage resulting from beatings.” We believe the trial was a sham as key witnesses in the case against intelligence agent Mohamed Reza Aqdam Ahmadi were not allowed to testify, including evidence against one prison official who allegedly delivered the fatal blow to Kazemi.
This case will continue to bring further embarrassment to Iran’s international reputation if there is no justice found in the appeal process. Nobel laureate, Shirin Ebadi, who heads the Kazemi legal team, stated that she will take the case to the “international courts and the United Nations” if the Iranian courts do not overturn the verdict.
Iran’s campaign policy of journalistic oppression appears to manifest itself more commonly in censorship than murder. The recent closing of two dailies and one monthly newspaper raises the count of shuttered publications to 120 since 2001. We know of no other country that can boast of the same ignoble record as Iran. In fact, we know of no country that even comes close.
The daily, Vaghayeh ettefaghieh, was shut down on July 17 for allegedly reporting “anti-regime propaganda,” publishing “false news” and “insulting the Supreme Guide,” according to press reports. It has been noted that the paper has been critical of the hard-liners in the new parliament.
Jomhouriat, a recently launched daily, was suspended on July 18 for the same reasons. The paper’s doors were closed after the publisher, Javad Khorami Moaghadam, refused the state prosecutor’s demand that he fire the editor, Emadoldin Baghi.
Also, the monthly, Aftab, was closed on July 11 for “insulting the Supreme Guide” and putting out “false news.” It has been published since 2000 by a group of writers and intellectuals. Aftab editor, Issa Sahakhiz, was arrested in 2003 for “propaganda against the regime.” This prompted the recent July 26 sit-in by 250 journalists outside Tehran@quot;s Journalists Association building who are in “mourning” for the many newspaper closures ordered by the Iranian government.
In conclusion, the OPC asks the following actions from your Excellency:
* That the state judiciary takes a comprehensive and serious look at the facts in the Kazemi case as it works its way through the appeals court. We believe this would be a first step toward trying to restore the international community@quot;s faith in the Iranian judicial process.
* That the Iranian state lifts the publication bans on these papers so they can exercise their right to report the news.
* That a dialogue be opened between Iranian government representatives and journalists in the hope of building an understanding between the two groups, which could end the campaign of oppression against journalists.
* That government officials listen carefully to the words and thoughts of the journalists who staged a one-day hunger strike on August 7, the so-called “Press Day” in Iran, where certain journalists were honored by the state while hundreds of their colleagues have been driven out of the profession, or, even worse, left alone to sit in jail. To journalists outside Iran, the awards ceremony seems to be a transparent attempt by the Iranian government to whitewash a serious political issue.
* That you contemplate seriously the goal of erasing the brutal two-headed policy of violence and censorship against Iranian journalists. We believe you would be regarded highly if you attempted to bring an end to the hostility between the state and the press, which would help restore Iran’s reputation in the international community.
We thank you for your consideration and look forward to your response.
Respectfully yours,
Bill Collins Larry Martz
Freedom of the Press Committee
cc: Kamal Kharrazi Ambassador Mohammad Zarif-Khonsari
Minister of Foreign Affairs Permanent Representative
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Mission of the Isl. Rep. of Iran
Keshk-e Mesri Avenue to the United Nations
Tehran 622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor
Islamic Republic of Iran New York, NY 10017
Fax: (011.98.21) 390-1990 Fax: (212) 867-7086
Fariborz Jahansuzan
Iran Interests Section
c/o Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
2209 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Fax: (202) 965-1073