[huridocs-tech] Iran: Judiciary Should Admit Blogger Abuse

Risk of Cover-up in Official Report on Torture of Internet Journalists

(New York, April 5, 2005) -- The upcoming report by Iran’s powerful
judiciary about the mistreatment and torture of bloggers and internet
journalists in custody must begin a process of full accountability for
serious human rights abuse, Human Rights Watch said today.

In January 2004, the head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi
Shahrudi, ordered the formation of an internal investigating committee to
probe bloggers’ claims of torture and ill-treatment. At a press conference
on March 29, judiciary spokesman Jamal Karimirad said that its findings
have been presented to Ayatollah Shahrudi and that a final report will be
made public shortly.

Human Rights Watch urged the authorities not to whitewash the role of
security forces and judiciary agents.

"The decision to launch an internal investigation may be a promising first
step -- or it may be yet another cover-up," said Joe Stork, Washington
director of Human Right Watch’s Middle East and North Africa Division.
"We’ve documented enough mistreatment of bloggers and internet journalist
to know that Iran has a serious problem here.  The question is whether
they’ll admit it – and do something about it."

Between August and November 2004, judiciary agents operating on behalf of
Tehran’s chief prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, detained more than 20 bloggers
and internet journalists. After their release some of the detainees
testified before a presidential commission, detailing their mistreatment
while in detention. Hanif Mazroi, Massoud Ghoreishi, Fereshteh Ghazi,
Arash Naderpour and Mahbobeh Abasgholizadeh appeared in front of the
commission on December 25, 2004. On January 1, Omid Memarian and Ruzbeh
Mir Ebrahimi also provided accounts of their ill-treatment.

Memarian and Mir Ebrahimi testified that they had been forced by their
interrogators to write confession letters as a condition for their
release. All former detainees who appeared in front of the presidential
commission provided details of their physical and psychological torture,
solitary confinement, and interrogations into their private lives.
Presidential commission member Mohammad Ali Abtahi later made the
testimonies public.

"These brave young journalists took a great risk by exposing abuses
committed against them," said Stork. "In particular, it took a lot of
courage for Memarian and Mir Ebrahimi to reveal the truth behind their
forced confession letters."

Human Rights Watch urged Ayatollah Shahrudi to guarantee the integrity of
the investigation and put an immediate end to persecution of bloggers and
writers by the judiciary. The Iranian authorities should initiate criminal
proceedings against those who are responsible for torture and
ill-treatment in custody, Human Rights Watch said.

To view this document on the Human Rights Watch web site, please go to:
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/04/04/iran10415.htm

-----------
Please help support the research that made this bulletin possible. In order
to protect our objectivity, Human Rights Watch does not accept funding from
any government. We depend entirely on the generosity of people like you.
To make a contribution, please visit http://hrw.org/donations/



========== HURIDOCS-Tech listserv ==========
Send mail intended for the list to <huridocs-tech@hrea.org>.
Archives of the list can be found at:
http://www.hrea.org/lists/huridocs-tech/markup/maillist.php
To subscribe to the list, send a message to <majordomo@hrea.org>,
with the following text in the message: subscribe huridocs-tech
To unsubscribe from the list, send a message to <majordomo@hrea.org>,
with the following text in the message: unsubscribe huridocs-tech
If you have problems (un)subscribing, contact <owner-huridocs-tech@hrea.org>.