Iranian Judiciary Allows Seven Jailed Dissidents to go on Leave (Gee, they're swell...)

TEHRAN -- Iranian hardline judiciary authorities in a rare move have allowed seven prominent dissidents jailed for speaking out against the regime and students jailed during unrest in 1999 to go on leave, the Iranian daily Shargh reported on Sunday.

According to the paper, Akbar Ganji, who was jailed in 2000 after he alleged top regime officials were behind a spate of grisly serial murders of dissidents, was given seven days of leave starting Saturday.

Ahmad Batebi, Nasser Zarafshan and Akbar Mohammadi were each given five days out of prison.

However Mohammad Salamati, a leader of one of the most outspoken pro-reform parties, the Mujahedeen of the Islamic Revolution, appeared Sunday before a Tehran court.

He was summoned in particular for taking the defence of Hashem Aghajari, an academic still awaiting a review of a death sentence for a controversial speech querying the supremacy of the clergy.

Batebi had been initially condemned to death for his participation in the demonstration in 1999 where he was featured on a famous photograph holding aloft a blood-soaked T-shirt. His sentence was revised to 13 years imprisonment.

In August 2002, Zarafshan, a prominent lawyer was sentenced to five years in prison and 50 lashes for "distributing secret information".

He was the legal representative of the Forouhar and Pouyandeh families, three of whose members were killed in a series of murders officially attributed to "rogue" intelligence ministry agents in November 1998.

Akbar Mohammadi was originally sentenced to death for "mohareb" (warring against God) for his role in the 1999 student demonstrations, and is currently serving a reduced term of 15 years.

Reza Alijani, Hoda Saber and Taghi Rahmani, who are members of Iran's liberal opposition, were also given a week's leave.

They were imprisoned on charges of seeking to topple the Islamic republic's regime.

The measures were announced a few days after judiciary head Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, published a series of directives to strengthen the rights of the detainees, including banning torture during interrogation.

Shahroudi stressed the principle of presumption of innocence and respect for legality, the right of detainees to have a lawyers, and condemned abuse of power and improper imprisonment.

The moves also come amid the resurfacing of debate on whether there are political prisoners in Iran or not.

Death Sentence Reimposed on Iran Professor

Monday May 3, 2004 4:46 PM

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An Iranian court reimposed the death sentence Monday against a university professor who had criticized clerical rule, a judicial official said.

The original sentence against Hashem Aghajari had provoked widespread demonstrations in his support.

The death sentence against was reinstated by a court in Hamedan province, in western Iran, the chief judiciary official in the province said.

``A judge has reimposed the death sentence against Hashem Aghajari,'' Zekrollah Ahmadi told The Associated Press.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4048778,00.html

2 posted on 05/04/2004 6:39:57 PM PDT by nuconvert ("America will never be intimidated by thugs and assassins." ...( Azadi baraye Iran)

3 posted on 05/04/2004 6:48:14 PM PDT by nuconvert ("America will never be intimidated by thugs and assassins." ...( Azadi baraye Iran)

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