Iran: Journalist arrested; fears for safety

English PEN is seriously concerned about the detention of leading Iranian journalist Taghi Rahmani, who was arrested at his home on 9 February 2011. He is believed to be held without charge and his whereabouts are still unknown. He is considered to be at risk of torture and ill-treatment, and there are fears for his well-being in detention. He is among a number of activists to be targeted ahead of pro-democracy protests which took place on 14 February 2011. PEN fears that he is targeted solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a party, and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) gives the following information:

Reporters Without Borders condemns the arrest of Taghi Rahmani, a veteran independent journalist and staunch free speech activist, who was picked up at his Tehran home on 9 February 2011 by men in plain-clothes and was taken to an unknown location.

At the same time, several journalists and bloggers have been summoned for questioning by the Revolutionary Guards and the intelligence ministry in various parts of the country ahead of a demonstration called by government opponents for 14 February in solidarity with the Egyptian and Tunisian peoples…

Rahmani was arrested despite the fact that his wife, fellow journalist Narges Mohammadi, has been seriously ill ever since her release on 2 July 2010. A spokesperson for the Human Rights Defenders Centre and colleague of Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi, she had been arrested at their home on the evening of 10 June 2010.

Rahmani has repeatedly been arrested in connection with his work for newspapers since 1981. He was prosecuted both for working for underground newspapers such as “Pishtazan” and “Movahed” and for working for legal newspapers such as “Iran-e-Farda” and “Omid Zanjan”. In all, he has spent more than 16 years in Iranian prisons.

For the full text of the alert, please click here.

TAKE ACTION

Please send appeals:

- Protesting the arrest without charge of Taghi Rahmani;
- Calling for his immediate and unconditional release in accordance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a signatory;
- Seeking assurances of his well-being in detention, and urging that he has full access to family visits, legal representation and any necessary medical care whilst detained.

Appeals to:

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei,
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street,
Qom,
Islamic Republic of Iran.

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran.

Copies to:

His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency,
Palestine Avenue,
Azerbaijan Intersection,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: Via Foreign Ministry: 98 21 6 674 790
(mark: “Please forward to H.E. President Ahmadinejad”)