Iran: Do not Execute Farzad Kamangar

Several human rights activists and bloggers warned that Farzad Kamangar, a teacher and trade unionist may be executed in the near future in Iran. Farzad Kamangar, who is from Kurdistan province in Iran, is accused of being affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

On February 25, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Kamangar to death on charges of “endangering national security” and “enmity against God”. Human rights watchdog Amnesty International reported that in 2007 Iran made more use of the death penalty than any other country apart from China, executing 317 people during the year.

A campaign on Facebook has been launched to inform people about this teacher's dangerous situation and invite them to send a message to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to stop Kamangar's execution. According to his lawyer, Khalil Bahramian, there is no evidence to justify the judgment that Kamangar has “endangered national security”. His lawyer, who was not permitted to defend him, says Farzad’s trial was not in accordance with article 168 of the Iranian Constitution: “Political and press offences will be tried openly and in the presence of a jury, in courts of justice.” In this case, only one judge reviewed the case within five minutes and the defendant was not allowed to speak. This campaign also condemns the use of torture against Kamangar.

The Facebook campaign page also provides more information about whole story:

A support committee composed of members of the Teacher Trade Association, former colleagues of Kamangar and human rights attorneys, including Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, was established on July 21, 2008 to defend the civil rights of Farzad Kamangar and to undertake legal actions to have his death sentence commuted… In addition, Iranian trade union colleagues and human rights activists who show solidarity with Farzad are being subjected to pervasive intimidation by the Iranian authorities.

So far 485 people have joined this campaign.

View from Iran who is based in Europe says:

I don't normally call for political action on this blog, but we just heard that there is a strong possibility that a Kurdish teacher and activist may be executed tonight

She shares the instructions on how to act from the site of the International Campaign for Human Rights.

A letter from prison

Farzad Kamangar describes his prison days in a letter where he explains that he was tortured. The letter was published on a website called Freedom for Kamangar and was translated to English on Canadian Coalition for Democracies Public Message Forum.

The letter says:

In July of 2006 I came to Tehran to follow up on my brother's medical treatments. My brother is a Kurdish political activist. Upon my arrival in Tehran I was arrested and taken to an unknown place, it was a very small, dark basement. The cells in this place were empty, there were no blankets or rugs or sheets.

They took me to a room and as they were interviewing me they asked me about my ethnicity. When I told them that I was of the Kurdish Ethnicity they lashed my entire body. They also lashed me because of the Kurdish music which I had saved on my mobile phone. They would tie my hands, make me sit on a chair and put pressure on the sensitive areas of my body. They would also strip me naked and threaten me with rape by various objects such as wood.

My left leg was injured badly during this time. Also due to the beatings I received on my head as well as electric shock I would lose consciousness. I have lost control of my body and shake uncontrollably for no reason. They would chain my feet together and give me electric shocks on sensitive parts of my body which was extremely painful. Later on I was transferred to Section 209 of the Evin Prison. From the moment I entered the Evin Prison they blindfolded me and took me to a small room where they beat me by punching and kicking me.

Iran has a sad record of torture and was condemned several times by international human rights organizations.

5 comments

  • OH my God, this is horrific, anyone reading this please send a messge on facebook to that coward Ahmedinejad.I honestly feel like crying.

  • Hedayat

    Dears,

    Please see letter of Farhzad kamangir from prison.

    He explains the filling of his students. I should say that he explains my filling when I was in elementary school. I was like one of student who he explains. I should say that Farzad explains my filing better than myself. It is very rare that we consider or fill other emotions. Only the great writers could do that. I think Farzad Kamangir could be in future an exceptional writer. I hope that we keep him for our good; for our children good. Hopping that one day we can all understand each other. Farzad Kamangir actually explains us, every one between us could be one of his students. Keep him for that; he can explains us.

    Somsebody finally understood us.

    Please see http://www.changeforequality.info/spip.php?article1911

  • Saradar H

    Dear Mr Muahammed Ahmadinajad

    I think by executing a man like Farzad Kamangar nothing is gonna be solved and I think it would make the image of Iran in the eyes of the powerful countries even more bad.

    Mr Farazad Kamangar has attracted international media on a wide scale and i think it is going to be a big mistake not to free Mr Kamanga.

    I hope your humane understanding allows the freedon of Mr Kamangar ,for if he is executed it isn’t gonna make Iran safer by any means , I belive it will make the relationship of eithink kurds and islamic revolution even worse.

    Iran unlike Turkey which also have a large ethink kurdish group has allowed more freedom of kurdish language and culture and I hope the situation is gonna be like this for the future, but excecuting Mr Kamangar will not help.

    Yours Fathully

    Sardar H from Turkey

  • […] Mirsayafi, a prisoner in Evin or like Mojatba Lotif, a prisoner in Qom. If you are a teacher like Farzad Kamangar, they draw a cord [to hang] you from, if you are a worker with working hands, you become like […]

  • Parisa Nasrabadi

    stop the execution of political activists in Iran!

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