PR No. 58

August 30, 2010

The latest letter of Sajjad, son of Sakineh Ashtiani

The letter by Sajjad, Sakineh Ashtiani’s son, below has been received by the International Committee Against Stoning on August 30, 2010. In this letter Sajjad reports on his mother’s dangerous situation, his father’s murder file having gone missing, as well as on the raid on the house of Hootan Kian’s, his mother’s lawyer, and the stealing of documents from there. Further, he warns against making up a new case against his mother. He asks us all to beware of these new developments and make efforts to prevent the making up of a new case against his mother by the Islamic Republic, as well as the subsequent execution of his mother.

The letter will be released to the media through the International Committee Against Stoning.

International Committee Against Stoning

International Committee Against Execution

August 30, 2010

The verbatim translation of Sajjad’s letter:

In the Name of God

To all associations of defenders of human rights around the immense universe

I salute you and deeply appreciate your daily troubles to free my innocent mother (save her life).

I, Sajjad Ghaderzade, went to Division 7 of the office of Execution of Criminal Sentences in Tabriz [provincial capital of Eastern Azerbaijan] last week in order to collect all the documents relevant to my father’s death and obtain other evidence existing in his murder file. What I found out was that my father’s murder file was not at the said division. The officials of the division first claimed that since the case had been closed the file had been sent to the Still Filing Office. I went there. The official in charge said all he knew was that the file had not been received by their office. I went back to the Division, this time only to find out that the file had got lost. As a rule a copy of [all the documents relevant to] the investigation phase of my father’s, or anyone else’s murder, is kept at the [Police] Criminal Department of every town. So I had to go the Criminal Department of Oskoo Police, which I did. What I found out was that the copy which was supposed to be there was also missing. Therefore, [especially] in view of the false statement [on August 28, 2010] by the so-called Department of Citizens’ Rights Only [originally, the High Council of Human Rights] of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic [see http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/3425], it is possible that the case is being tampered with or a new case is being made up. This worries us very much. It is worth noting that on Sunday, 1389/5/31 [Solar Hijri Calendar], August 22, 2010, the house of our lawyer (Mr. Hootan Kian) was raided through beating and pushing aside the security guard of the residential tower, an old man, and breaking down the apartment door in the worst possible way. His laptop, printer, and all of his files, including my mother’s, were taken. When we called there it looked like there had been an earthquake in that house.

We (I) wander at the Judiciary authorities [and their Statement on Human Rights] when the previous lawyer of this humble party, [consisting of my mother, my sister and myself,] Mr. Mohammad Mostafaei, a most competent lawyer, had to escape his homeland and leave his abode behind in order to save his life. And now Mr. Hootan Kian is being put under the most intense security and psychological pressures, threatened in the most severe manner, and summoned [to either the judiciary of the Ministry of Intelligence].

Why do they extract a false confession from my mother and broadcast it [on TV]? Why have they taken away our mother’s right to visitation with us and her lawyer?! Can the reason be anything other than that the torture marks are still visible on her body and they do not want any witnesses to that, and that is why they have postponed the visitations until after the marks have got relatively better?! Why has my father’s murder file gone missing? Why will they not let my mother’s case go through a normal process of reviewing? We are sad, indeed, to have been born in the Islamic Republic. After its television show [of my mother’s confessing to my father’s murder] we have been disowned even by our own [extended] family! And we still have to bear the life under abasement here! Indeed, where is death? This life is killing us!

Sajjad Ghaderzade

PR No. 55

August 18, 2010

Thousands came out in over 100 cities

August 28, 2010, registered as a historic day in the struggle

against the barbarism of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Today, August 28, thousands of citizens in 32 countries came out in response to the call by the International Committee Against Stoning, the International Committee Against Execution, Mission Free Iran, and Iran Solidarity. The call was to demand the immediate freedom of Sakineh Ashtiani and all others condemned to stoning, as well as to protest the barbaric cruelty of the regime of Islamic Republic, specifically the medieval punishment of stoning.

The early news of today’s rallies around the world indicates that the call to action has been widely responded to – unprecedented in the similar category of international callouts. Citizens have come out in over 100 cities, carrying posters of Sakineh and others condemned to be stoned, listening to several speakers from different parties and organizations, and chanting slogans. At the end the rallies held so far, the Statement of the demonstration (see Appendix) has been confirmed by the participants with clapping or signing.

The Statement points to examples of 31 years of crime by the Islamic regime, from genocidal massacre of political prisoners to enforcing the pre-medieval Sharia (doctrinal) law, which, among other barbaric punishments, prescribes stoning for the ‘crime’ of adultery. The Statement goes on to demand: the immediate and unconditional release of Sakineh Ashtiani and all others condemned to stoning; the abolition as well as criminalization of stoning worldwide; not recognizing the Islamic Republic as the government of Iran, and expelling it from all international bodies; the trial by international courts of the leaders of the regime for 31 years of crime against humanity.

Hundreds of TV networks, radio stations and newspapers covered the news of the international day before the event. Several of them included in their coverage interviews with the leaders and activists of the campaign. The early news indicate that so far today the media has given the rallies wide coverage – some of them live and with interviews.

Post cards have been presented to the participants to buy and mail to the Secretary General of UN asking for Ahmadinejad not to let in the UN General Assembly session in September.

August 28 was thus made into a historic day of world protest against stoning, in particular, and the barbarism of the Islamic Republic, in general – a day on which the foundation was laid for wider solidarity with the people of Iran in order to bring down the vile Islamic regime.

We salute all the organizers of today’s international event as well as all those who participated in them, including personages, organizations and the media. We will gradually make available reports, photos and footages of the rallies.

Further, we hereby declare that our fight against stoning and the regime of stoning in Iran took a great step forward today, and thus put the people of Iran as well as the world in a more advantageous position to further the struggle. On this day, we proudly declare that we shall most resolutely continue this fight until Sakineh Ashtiani all those sentenced to stoning have been unconditionally freed, until stoning has been abolished around the world, until all criminal laws of the Islamic Republic have been complete revoked, and, indeed, until the regime itself has been brought down. This regime has been founded, and survived, on human blood shed by means of terror: from policing the people’s private lives in the most brutal ways to jailing, flogging, raping, torturing, executing (including minors, gays and lesbians), assassinating, massacring political prisoners, stoning, mutilating people in accordance with the pre-medieval, tribal Islamic Sharia law, …the list is almost endless in criminality. Such a terrorist regime must be brought down. We proudly declare that we shall continue the struggle most resolutely until this has been achieved.

International Committee Against Stoning

International Committee Against Execution

August 29, 2010

Appendix:

The Statement of the protest action of August 28, 2010 by

100 Cities Around the World Against Stoning

On August 28, 2010 one hundred cities around the world are rising up to protest the barbaric practice of stoning, as well as to save the life of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani in Iran. This day will be recorded in the annals of humanity as a manifestation of the protest, during the prior weeks, by millions of people across the globe against stoning as the most heinous form of medieval cruelty. It is a disgrace to humanity that, at the close of the first decade of the twenty-first century, stoning is still practiced in Iran and similar Islam-stricken countries. We, the citizens of 100 cities, hereby unequivocally declare that this blot must be removed from the face of humanity immediately and permanently.

On this day we also protest against the regime of stoning in Iran. This regime has, during the 31 years of its existence, committed genocide, established a system of sexual apartheid in Iran, and made imprisonment, execution, torture, rape of political prisoners, and the rule of pre-medieval Islamic Sharia the law of the land. Such a regime is not the representative of the people of Iran. It is their murderer, and its leaders must be brought to trial before international tribunals for their crimes against humanity.

Further, the international protest of August 28 is yet another manifestation of the solidarity of people around the world with the people of Iran, who have heroically risen up to bring down the regime of stoning, the Islamic code of punishment (Qesaas), hijab, torture, and execution. We, the citizens of 100 cities worldwide, proudly declare that we consider ourselves the standard bearers of the universal front of humanity against barbarity. We support the struggles of the people of Iran against one of the cruellest regimes in the history of humankind. We, therefore, emphatically declare, on behalf of the world’s civilized humanity, that the path to the liberation of the Iranian people will not pass through threats or military action against the country but through the removal of the regime of the Islamic Republic by the power of the struggles of people in Iran and across the world.

The following are our common demands on August 28, 2010 throughout 100 cities of the world:

1- The immediate and unconditional freedom of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and all other prisoners in Iran sentenced to be stoned to death.

2- The abolition of stoning in Iran and elsewhere. We demand that the United Nations urgently adopt a specific resolution forbidding stoning as an inhuman punishment all over the world.

3- Not recognizing the Islamic regime of stoning in Iran as the government of that country and, thus, banning it from all international bodies.

4- Bringing to trial the perpetrators of stoning. Stoning is one of the most abominable forms of crime against humanity. Any individual, group, organization or state executing the punishment of stoning must be prosecuted and tried by international tribunals.

We continue our struggles until we have achieved all of these demands. As an immediate, primary step to that end, we demand that Mahmood Ahmadinejad, the president of the regime of stoning, be stopped from entering the General Assembly of the United Nations in September 2010.

اطلاعیه شماره ٥٥

هزاران نفر در بیش از صد شهر جهان علیه سنگسار تظاهرات کردند!

٢٨ اوت ٢٠١٠ به یک روز تاریخی بزرگ در مبارزه علیه بربریت جمهوری اسلامی تبدیل شد!

امروز ٢٨ اوت ٢٠١٠ هزاران نفر از شهروندان جهان در بیش از صد شهر دنیا به فراخوان کمیته های بین المللی علیه اعدام و سنگسار، میشن فری ایران و ایران سولیداریتی به خیابان آمدند و علیه بربریت جمهوری اسلامی، علیه مجازات قرون وسطائی سنگسار، علیه بیرحمی و آدمکشی حکومت اسلامی و برای نجات سکینه محمدی آشتیانی و سایر محکومین به سنگسار اعتراض کردند.

بنا به گزارشات اولیه ای که از تظاهرات های امروز از نقاط مختلف جهان به ما رسیده است، استقبال گسترده و بینظیری از تظاهرات های امروز در شهرهای مختلف به عمل آمده است. طبق این گزارشات هزاران نفر در اجتماعات امروز در بیش از صد شهر در ٣٢ کشور شرکت کردند، و در حالیکه پوسترهای متعددی از سکینه و سایر محکومین به سنگسار و اعدام را در دست داشتند، به سخنرانی ها گوش دادند، شعار دادند و بیانیه تظاهرات امروز را که توسط سخنرانان و سازمان دهندگان تظاهرات ها قرائت میشد، با هورا کشیدن و دست زدن مورد پشتیبانی قرار دادند و یا آنرا امضا کردند. در این بیانیه ضمن اشاره به جنایات جمهوری اسلامی، نسل کشی، آپارتاید جنسی، زندان و شکنجه و اعدام و قوانین ارتجاعی شریعت و ضرورت محاکمه سران رژیم به جرم ٣١ سال جنایت علیه بشریت، بر خواست آزادی فوری و بی قید و شرط سکینه محمدی آشتیانی و سایر محکومین به سنگسار، لغو مجازات سنگسار، برسمیت نشناختن جمهوری اسلامی بعنوان دولت ایران و اخراج آن از همه مجامع بین المللی و هچنین محاکمه عاملین سنگسار و تعقیب آنها در مراجع بین المللی تاکید شده بود.

خبر این تظاهرات ها را صدها شبکه تلویزیونی، رادیو و روزنامه در کشورهای مختلف جهان در روزهای قبل منعکس کرده و با رهبران و فعالین این کمپین مصاحبه هائی ترتیب داده بودند و در طول تظاهرات نیز صدها رسانه گزارش تهیه کردند و با دست اندرکاران و شرکت کنندگان در تظاهرات ها مصاحبه کردند و تعدادی از آنها گزارش این تظاهرات ها را بطور زنده منعکس کردند.

در بسیاری از تظاهرات ها همچنین کارت پستالی که خطاب به سازمان ملل مبنی بر راه ندادن به احمدی نژاد به عنوان رئیس جمهور سنگسار تهیه شده بود، توسط مردم خریداری شد تا به سازمان ملل پست شود.

بدینطریق روز ٢٨ اوت به یک روز بزرگ و تاریخی علیه سنگسار و بربریت جمهوری اسلامی و به روزی تاریخی در شکل گیری همبستگی جهانی با مردم ایران تبدیل شد و سنگ بنای همبستگی های بزرگتر با مردم ایران برای به زیر کشیدن حکومت ننگ و جنایت جمهوری اسلامی را بنیان نهاد.

ما به همه سازمان دهندگان و شرکت کنندگان در تظاهرات های امروز درود میفرستیم و از همه سازمانها، افراد و رسانه هائی که در برپائی این روز نقش ایفا کردند قدردانی میکنیم.

گزارشات، عکسها و فیلمهای تظاهرات امروز را به تدریج منعکس میکنیم و همینجا اعلام میکنیم که مبارزه ما علیه سنگسار و حکومت سنگسار اسلامی امروز گام بزرگی به جلو برداشت و مردم ایران و بشریت مترقی را در موقعیتی مناسبتر برای تداوم و گسترش این مبارزه قرار داد. ما با افتخار اعلام میکنیم که این مبارزه را تا الغای کامل سنگسار و همه قوانین جنایتکارانه اسلامی و به زیر کشیدن حکومتی که بر پایه سنگسار و اعدام و شکنجه و جنایت بنا شده است، قاطعانه ادامه خواهیم داد.

کمیته بین المللی علیه سنگسار

کمیته بین المللی علیه اعدام

٢٨ اوت ٢٠١٠

متن کامل بیانیه ٢٨ اوت:

بیانیه ٢٨ اوت ٢٠١٠

صد شهر جهان علیه سنگسار!

روز ٢٨ اوت ٢٠١٠ صد شهر جهان علیه سنگسار و برای نجات جان سکینه محمدی آشتیانی بپاخاسته اند. این روز در تاریخ ثبت خواهد شد. چرا که نماد اعتراض میلیونی و پرشور مردم سراسر جهان در هفته های اخیر علیه بربریت قرون وسطایی سنگسار است. این شرم بشریت است که در قرن بیست و یک هنوز در ایران و دیگر کشورهای اسلام زده سنگسار برقرار است. ما شهروندان صد شهر جهان اعلام می‌‌کنیم که این ننگ را نمی‌‌پذیریم.

در این روز ما همچنین علیه حکومت سنگسار در ایران اعتراض میکنیم. حکومتی که در ٣١ سال گذشته یک  نسل کشی به راه انداخته، آپارتاید جنسی برقرار کرده و زندان و شکنجه و اعدام و تجاوز و قوانین ارتجاعی شریعت را بر ایران حاکم کرده است. این حکومت قاتل مردم است و سران آن باید به جرم جنایت علیه بشریت در دادگاههای بین المللی محاکمه شوند.

آکسیون جهانی ٢٨ آگوست ٢٠١٠ جلوه دیگری از همبستگی مردم جهان با مردم ایران است که قهرمانانه برای پایین کشیدن رژیم اسلامی سنگسار و قصاص و حجاب و شکنجه و اعدام بپاخاسته اند. ما  صد شهر جهان با افتخار اعلام می‌‌کنیم که خود را پرچمداران جبهه‌ جهانی‌ انسانیت بر علیه بربریت و وحشیگری میدانیم و از‌ مبارزات مردم ایران بر علیه یکی‌ از درنده خو‌ترین رژیم‌های تاریخ بشریت فعالانه حمایت میکنیم. ما، بشریت متمدن دنیا، اعلام میکنیم که راه رهائی مردم ایران نه تهدید و لشگرکشی و حمله نظامی، بلکه بزیر کشیدن جمهوری اسلامی بقدرت مبارزات مردم در ایران و در سراسر دنیا است.

در ٢٨ اوت ٢٠١٠ اینها مطالبات مشترک ما در صد شهر جهان است:

١) آزادی فوری و بی قید و شرط سکینه محمدی آشتیانی و تمام کسانی که در ایران محکوم به سنگسار شده اند.

٢) لغو مجازات سنگسار در ایران و در همه جا. ما از سازمان ملل میخواهیم که در قطعنامه ویژه ای مجازات سنگسار را در همه کشورها اکیدا ممنوع اعلام کند.

٣) برسمیت نشناختن جمهوری اسلامی سنگسار بعنوان دولت ایران. جمهوری اسلامی باید از همه مجامع بین المللی طرد شود.

٤) محاکمه عاملین سنگسار. سنگسار شنیع ترین شکل جنایت علیه بشریت است. هر فرد و دسته و گروه یا دولتی این مجازات را اعمال کند باید مورد تعقیب مراجع بین المللی قرار گیرد و در دادگاههای بین المللی محاکمه شود.

ما به مبارزه خود علیه سنگسار تا تحقق این خواستها ادامه خواهیم داد، و بعنوان یک اقدام فوری برای تحقق این مطالبات، خواهان ممانعت از ورود احمدی نژاد، رئیس جمهور حکومت سنگسار، به مجمع عمومی سازمان ملل در سپتامبر ٢٠١٠ هستیم.