IRANIAN KURDISTAN: ACTIVISTS SENTENCED TO DEATH

July 16, 2008: the Iranian High Court announced the death sentences of a teacher and human rights activist, Farhad Kamangar, and two political activists, Farhad Vakili and Ali Heidarian, who are of Kurdish origins. Apparently the Head of the Judiciary, Shahroodi, personally issued the order. The three human right activists were arrested during a trip to Tehran in August 2006. Alireza Jamshidi, the spokesman for the Judiciary, announced on 27 May, 2007, that Kamangar was charged with membership of a terrorist organization and holding explosives. Kamangar smuggled a letter out that revealed that he had been tortured physically and mentally in the Intelligence Ministry detention centre. He had been tied to a bed and tortured and threatened to be raped. Human right activists said Kamangar had been transferred twice to the prison clinic because of severe conditions resulting from torture. Khalil Bahramian, Kamangars' attorney, declared that his client had no knowledge whatsoever of the explosives. (Sources: Unpo.org, 16/07/2008)