The following Urgent Call to Action has been prepared by a group of human rights activists in California.  This Urgent Action Call is on behalf of 17 writers, journalists, translators and activists on trial in Iran for their participation in a Berlin Conference in April 2000! Given the deteriorating situation of human rights in Iran, it is urgent that all of us act as quickly as possible. Please circulate this petition as widely as possible.

Urgent Action Appeal To:

1. The Honorable Kofi Annan, Secretary General, The United Nations, Fax # (212) 963-4879
2. The Honorable Mary Robinson, the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights, Geneva, Switzerland, Fax # 01141-22-9170123
3. The Honorable Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa, Fax# 011-27-21- 461-4987
4. The Honorable Vaclav Havel, President of Czech Republic, Fax # 01142-02-24310851
5. The Honorable Desmond Tutu, Fax # 011-27-21-245-225
6. The Honorable Maurice Danby Copithorne, Special Representative on Iran, TheUnited Nations Commission on Human Rights, Switzerland, Fax # (604) 822-8108.
7. Mr. Hanny Megally, Director of Middle East Watch, New York, Fax # (212) 972-0905
8. Ms. Karen Kennerly, Pen American Center, New York, Fax # (212) 334-2181
9. Mr. William F. Schulz, Executive Director, Amnesty International, New York, Fax # (212) 627-1451
10. Ms. Nancy Bothne, Amnesty International Midwest, Chicago, Fax # (312) 427-2589
11. Director, Amnesty International, Washington D.C., Fax # (202) 546-7142
12. Ms. Cosette Thompson, Amnesty International, San Francisco, Fax # (415) 291-8722
13. Mr. Joe Baker, Amnesty International, Culver City  (Los Angeles), Fax # (310) 815-0457
14. Human Rights Watch, Washington, DC, Fax # (202) 371-0124
15. Human Rights Watch, Los Angeles,, Fax # (213) 680-9924, email: hrwla@hrw.org
16. Human Rights Watch, London, Fax #  41-171-713-1800, email, hrwatchuk@gn.apc.org
17. Human Rights Watch, New York, Fax # (212) * 736-1300

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Please take a moment to sign the petition below and send it to the following
individuals/organizations:

1)  The Honorable Kofi Annan, Secretary General, United Nation, Fax # (212)
963-4879
2)  The Honorable Maurice Copithorne, Special UN rapporteur on Iran, The
United Nations Commission on Human FAX (604) 822-8108.

3)  The Honorable Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner on Human
Rights, Fax # 41-22-917-0123
4)  Mr. William F. Schultz, Executive Director, Amnesty International, New
York, Fax # (212) 627-1451
5)  Human Rights Watch, Washington, DC, Fax # (202) 371-0124
6)  Human Rights Watch, Los Angeles,, Fax # (213) 680-9924, email
hrwla@hrw.org
7) Human Rights Watch, London, Fax #  41-171-713-1800, email,
hrwatchuk@gn.apc.org
8)   Human Rights Watch, New York, Fax # (212) * 736-1300

URGENT CALL TO ACTION
PETITION FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF 17 IRANIANS BROUGHT TO TRIAL FOR
PARTICIPATION IN BERLIN CONFERENCE IN APRIL 2000

Seventeen activists, including newspaper editors, lawyers, a religious
scholar and a recently elected Tehran MP, face trial for the mere
participation in a conference held in Berlin last April.  The April 7-8
conference dubbed "Iran after the elections" was organized by the Heinrich
Boell Foundation and was attended by many Iranian leading literary and
political personalities. Now, after seven months, 15 people attending the
conference and two people who didn't attend have been brought to trial for
"taking part in anti-Iran propaganda at the Berlin Conference in April."
According to the acting prosecutor, Ahmad Sharifi, their crime is organizing
or taking part in a "conference [that] was held with the aim of changing
Iran's system of religious government, insulting the sanctities and rejecting
Islamic judgments."

The defendants are: Mehrangiz Kar, Shahla Lahigy, Jamileh Kadivar, Shahla
Sherkat, Khadijeh Haj-Dini Moqaddam, Monireh Ravanipour, Mahmoud Dowlatabadi,
Fariborz Raisie-Dana, Mohammad-Ali Sepanlou, Ezzatollah Sahabi, Ali Afshari,
Hassan Yousefi Eshkevari, Akbar Ganji, Mohammad-Reza Jalaie-Pour, Ali-Reza
Alavi-Tabar, Saeed Sadr and Khalil Rustamkhani (the first six defendants are
women, and the latter two defendants were not present at the Berlin
conference).

On Thursday November 9, the France Press Agency (AFP) reported that "the
prosecution in Tehran's revolutionary court [has] asked*for a death sentence
against*Khalil Rostam-Khani," and showed Akbar Ganji being "hauled into court
by prison guards, where he told reporters that he had been 'beaten and
tortured by four people' while in prison."  Further, according to the Los
Angeles Times on Wednesday, November 8, the prosecuton has said they would
charge Saeed Sadr, a "translator at the German Embassy in Tehran with the
religious crime of 'waging war on God.' If convicted, Saeed Sadr could face
the death penalty."

We would like to bring your attention to this blatant violation of human
rights and urge you to use the authority of your office and your influence to
demand the immediate and unconditional dismissal of all charges and the
release of all the defendants.

Sincerely,
 
 

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 Name                                          Position

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Address

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