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Rights group “greatly concerned” by targeted arrests in Iran |
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Tuesday, 26 September 2006 |
Iran Focus
 London, Sep. 26 - The international human rights group Amnesty International is "greatly concerned" by a continuing crackdown by Iranian authorities against rights activists, according to a statement released by the group on Monday.
"Amnesty International is greatly concerned by new arrests and detentions in Iran targeting human rights activists, minority community activists and others peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association", the group said.
The statement said that in recent days at least 10 people were detained for seeking to demonstrate against the imminent execution of four women. More than 15 Iranian Azeris had been detained for advocating a school's boycott at the start of the new academic year, it added.
"On 24 September at least 10 people were detained while demonstrating peacefully outside the United Nations office in Tehran. They were protesting against the expected imminent execution of several women, including Kobra Rahmanpour, Fatemeh Haghighat-pajouh, Nazanin Fathehi and Shahla Jahed".
"Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities immediately to cease arrests and harassment of those peacefully exercising their rights, including human rights defenders, and to ensure that all persons in detention are protected from torture or other ill-treatment", it said.
It also highlighted the case of former Majlis (Parliament) deputy Ali Akbar Mousavi-Kho’ini, who has been detained without charge for over 100 days and recently said that he was undergoing continuous pressure by the Iranian authorities to “repent”.
The group called on the Iranian authorities to "end the practice of harassing those peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and association".
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