URGENT! Save Hamed Rouhinejad from Execution in Iran

Background:

Hamed Rouhinejad is a young prisoner who has multiple sclerosis. He was arrested on bogus charges by agents from the Intelligence Ministry, 40 days before the election. Following the post-election mass protests, because of false promises and threats, Rouhinejad ended up playing a role in the show trials as a protester, a role that resulted in a death sentence for him.

Hamed wrote 2 letters to the World to declare his innocence. Excerpt:

Poverty and the hardships we were facing as a working class family and the huge expenses of my treatment as an MS patient forced me to leave the country. I did not want to impose on my family more than what they were already facing. I left Iran in hopes of going to the U.S. or a European country, but I unfortunately ended up in Iraq. Human traffickers took all my money. I was detained in Arbil for 4 months. After my release I started working in a restaurant day and night to make some money, but my deteriorating MS and the loneliness of exile forced me to return to Iran. My return was completely legal and was in coordination with the Intelligence Ministry. Upon my return I went to the Intelligence officials and told them everything about my trip. After listening to me they said, you have not committed any crime and can go back to university. Unfortunately, 10 months later, on May 4th, 2009, I was arrested and detained until I could be used as a sacrifice in the election trials. Today, as a political prisoner, I declare that I have never belonged to any political party or group. I have never had anything to do with the elections. I deny having ever had any ties to the API (Anjoman Padeshi Iran). I deny all the charges that have been brought up against me.

2 Letters in entirety:

http://hra-iran.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1904:45546&catid=66:304&Itemid=293

http://hra-iran.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2013:567668765&catid=66:304&Itemid=293

On Nov 21, 2009 Hamed Rouhinejad was moved from ward 209 of Evin Prison to ward 350. Ward 350 is in the basement of Evin.

Laws:

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:

Article 15: No one shall be held guilty of any criminal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a criminal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time when the criminal offence was committed. If, subsequent to the commission of the offence, provision is made by law for the imposition of the lighter penalty, the offender shall benefit thereby.

United Nation Universal Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners:

Article 22. (2) Sick prisoners who require specialist treatment shall be transferred to specialized institutions or to civil hospitals. Where hospital facilities are provided in an institution, their equipment, furnishings and pharmaceutical supplies shall be proper for the medical care and treatment of sick prisoners, and there shall be a staff of suitable trained officers.

Article 24. The medical officer shall see and examine every prisoner as soon as possible after his admission and thereafter as necessary, with a view particularly to the discovery of physical or mental illness and the taking of all necessary measures; the segregation of prisoners suspected of infectious or contagious conditions; the noting of physical or mental defects which might hamper rehabilitation, and the determination of the physical capacity of every prisoner for work.

Article 25. (1) The medical officer shall have the care of the physical and mental health of the prisoners and should daily see all sick prisoners, all who complain of illness, and any prisoner to whom his attention is specially directed.

International Covenant on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:

Article 15 (2). States Parties shall take all effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, from being subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Application:

All of the above mentioned laws have been broken by the government of Islamic Republic of Iran. Hamed should be innocent of all charges, since leaving the country is not a crime and is a right of any person. When he returned back to Iran, he was given clearance from the Intelligence office and was told he did not commit any crime and was free to go home. 10 months later Hamed was arrested and illegally forced and deceived into making a false confession of being a political protester which eventually led to his death sentence. Article 15, states that a person cannot be held guilty if he did not commit any offence at the time. Hamed was still held in prison and then sentenced to death for political gain by the government. In addition to the many laws broken by keeping Hamed in prison and forcing him to make false confessions he was refused medical treatment. According to Articles 22, 24. and 25, Hamed Rouhinejad has the right to medical treatment while in prison, but did not and has not received any medical attention the entire time, even though he is diagnosed with a very dangerous and deteriorating disease of Multiple Sclerosis. As a result of no medical attention, he has lost sight in his right eye and numbness in 80\% of the right side of his body and every day this mistreatment continues Hameds health will continue to deteriorate.

We the undersigned respectfully request:

-Immediately provide Hamed Rouhinejad with medical care and treatment for his Multiple Sclerosis disease.

-Immediately and urgently drop the death sentence against Hamed Rouhinejad and drop all charges.

-United Nations condemn the death sentence and treatment of disabled prisoners in Iran.