End the tsunami of executions in Iran

Dear Friends & Supporters

For 21 months now we have been mobi­li­sing inter­na­tio­nal sup­port and soli­da­rity with the people in Iran in their struggle against the Islamic regime. Thanks to you, we have been suc­cess­ful in keeping the struggle in people’s hearts and minds. Our work more import­ant than ever given that the pro­tests in Iran are con­ti­nuing and so is the bru­tal repres­sion, inclu­ding a mas­sive wave of exe­cu­ti­ons – at least 86 since the start of this year alone.

And just now, we have heard that the Islamic regime’s Supreme Court has upheld Sakineh Ashtiani’s exe­cu­tion sen­tence. Upon hea­ring the news, a des­pe­rate Sakineh attemp­ted sui­cide but sur­vi­ved. We have also recei­ved reports that her lawyer, Houtan Kian, who was arres­ted during an inter­view with her son and two German jour­na­lists some months ago, has been sen­tenced to death (though the two jour­na­lists have retur­ned home).

The kil­ling is going to con­ti­nue – unless we stop it. And we can. International atten­tion and soli­da­rity works. We need ever­yone on board to stop this tsu­nami of exe­cu­ti­ons. Please see below our let­ter deman­ding an imme­diate end to exe­cu­ti­ons in Iran, which has alre­ady been signed by Campaigner Mina Ahadi, Scientist Richard Dawkins, Nobel Laureate Harold Kroto, and Author Salman Rushdie. Please add your name to it too.

Our work inside and outs­ide of Iran must con­ti­nue. We are co-sponsoring a con­fe­rence to mark International Women’s Day in London and are invit­ing you to come and join us on Saturday 12 March to high­light the impact of reli­gion on women’s rights, secu­la­rism and the law and the need for soli­da­rity with people strugg­ling against it. You can find out more about it below.

As the new Spokesperson for Iran Solidarity, I’d like to ask you to keep the pres­sure on. Join us to create a storm of soli­da­rity that can­not be igno­red. We can and must stop the exe­cu­ti­ons now.

With best regards
Patty Debonitas
Iran Solidarity
Spokesperson

Notes

1. To add your name to the let­ter below, go to: http://iransolidarity.blogspot.com/p/stop-tsunami-of-executions-add-your.html or email us at iransolidaritynow[at]gmail.com.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the exe­cu­tion capi­tal of the world. Already in 2011, it has exe­cu­ted at least 86 people after unfair tri­als and forced con­fes­si­ons under tor­ture – three times last year’s rate. It is the worst rise in exe­cu­ti­ons since the regime’s mas­sa­cre of poli­ti­cal pri­soners in the sum­mer of 1988.

There has been one exe­cu­tion every 8 hours and at least 8 of those exe­cu­ted have been poli­ti­cal pri­soners. Some of those kil­led by the state include: Zahra Bahrami, 45 year old Dutch/Iranian natio­nal who was arres­ted during pro­tests last year, Ali Ghorabat for apost­asy and Jafar Kazemi and Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaie for enmity against god. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani still faces exe­cu­tion.

We, the under­si­gned, demand an imme­diate end to this state-sponsored mur­der that aims to inti­mi­date the pro­test move­ment in Iran and call on the United Nations and govern­ments to exert pres­sure on the Islamic Republic of Iran for an imme­diate and uncon­di­tio­nal halt to exe­cu­ti­ons. A regime that slaugh­ters its citi­zens must face diplo­ma­tic iso­la­tion.

Signed by: Shahla Abghari, University Professor, Human Rights and Women Rights Activist, USA; Nazanin Afshin-Jam, President & Co Founder of Stop Child Executions, Canada; Mina Ahadi, Spokesperson, International Committee against Stoning & Execution, Germany; Sayeed Ahmad, Coordinator, Ain o Salish Kendra, Bangladesh; Association Fenomena Kraljevo, Serbia; Russell Blackford, Writer and Philosopher, Australia; Caroline Brancher, UFAL, France; Helle Merete Brix, Journalist, Denmark; Roy W Brown, International Representative, International Humanist and Ethical Union; Richard Dawkins, Scientist, UK; Patty Debonitas, Spokesperson, Iran Solidarity, UK; Sanal Edamaruku, President, Rationalist International, India; Sonja Eggerickx, President, International Humanist and Ethical Union, Belgium; Caroline Fourest, Writer and Columnist, France; A. C. Grayling, Writer and Philosopher, UK; Rahila Gupta, Activist and Writer, UK; Maria Hagberg, Chairperson, Network Against Honour-Related Violence, Sweden; Trefor Jenkins, Professor Emeritus / Honorary Professorial Research Fellow, South Africa; Hope Knutsson, President, Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association, Iceland; Nevena Kostic, Women for Peace, Serbia; Hartmut Krauss, Social Scientist, Germany; Harold Kroto, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, USA; Terry Liddle, Freethought History Research Group, UK; Anne-Marie Lizin, Honorary Speaker of the Belgian Senate, Belgium; Marieme Helie Lucas, Founder, Secularism Is A Women’s Issue, France; Ed McArthur, Freethought History Research Group, UK; Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson, One Law For All Campaign, Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, and Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, UK; Salman Rushdie, Writer, USA; Daniel Salvatore Schiffer, Philosopher and Writer, Belgium; Terry Sanderson, President, National Secular Society, London, UK; Michael Schmidt-Salomon, Spokesperson of the Giordano Bruno Foundation, Germany; Udo Schuklenk, Professor of Philosophy and Ontario Research Chair in Bioethics, Canada; Siba Shakib, Filmmaker and Writer, USA; Joan Smith, Writer and Activist, London, UK; Roy Speckhardt, Executive Director, American Humanist Association, USA; Annie Sugier, President, Ligue du Droit International des Femmes, France; Peter Tatchell, Human Rights Campaigner, UK; Giti Thadani, Writer and Filmmaker, India; Michele Vianes, President, Regards de Femmes, France; Eli Vieira, President, Secular Humanist League of Brazil, Brazil; and Women in Black, Belgrade, Serbia.

2. Join us at a the International Conference on Women’s Rights, Sharia Law and Secularism, which will be held at the University of London Union, The Venue, Malet Street, London WC1E, on 12 March from 1000-1900 (Registration begins at 10am for a 1030am start). For infor­ma­tion and to regis­ter go to: http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/12-march-2010-international-conference-on-women%e2%80%99s-rights-sharia-law-and-secularism-london/

3. Please sup­port our work! We wel­come in kind and finan­cial dona­ti­ons. You can donate at
http://iransolidarity.org.uk/donate_to_iran_solidarity.html.

4. Get in touch and join us! Contact Patty Debonitas, iransolidaritynow[at]gmail.com, Tel: +44 (0) 7507978745
Or visit http://iransolidarity.org.uk where you will also find con­tact details of our inter­na­tio­nal bran­ches. Patty Debonitas has taken over the role of Spokesperson from foun­der and pre­vious Spokesperson Maryam Namazie.