Free Siamak Pourzand

Dear Friends,

I am writing to ask you urgent help. My father was seized last weekend in Iran. He was arrested but it is not acknowledged by the government. Thus, there are no charges against him and we don't know where he is being held. More details are in the Amnesty International Appeal below.

Please take a moment to add your voice and signature to this appeal. It's simple. Copy this entire e-mail and paste it into a new e-mail. Add your name to the list on the bottom and forward it to as many people as you can.

If you are number 150 on the list please also forward it to [email protected]

I will be faxing and mailing these lists to Iran.

If you have time would you also e-mail Iranian President Khatami at [email protected]
and President Bush at [email protected] and Secretary of State Colin Powell at [email protected] and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan [email protected]

This is a very distressing moment for my family and I. I really appreciate your time to effort.

For even more information and links visit www.rivative.com/pourzand

Sincerely,

Banafsheh Zand

_____________________________________________________

Amnesty International
PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/046/2001

URGENT ACTION APPEAL
UA 298/01 Disappearance /Possible Extra Judicial Execution

27 November 2001

IRAN

Siamak Pourzand, journalist, intellectual and manager of Majmue-ye Farhangi-ye Honari-yeTehran (The Tehran Cultural Centre), disappeared in Tehran on Saturday, 24 November, at around 9 o'clock in the evening. He left hissister's apartment in 'Abbas Abad, central Tehran, taking his
medicine, shoes and keys. He has not been heard from since.

Siamak Pourzand had reportedly stated to friends and family that he
had been followed by motorcycles and one or two cars in the two
weeks before he disappeared. His disappearance may be connected
to the fact he runs Majmue-ye Farhangi-ye Honari-ye Tehran (The
Tehran Cultural Centre), which has provided facilities for artists,
writers and other intellectuals, including well-known women's rights
activists, for performance and to discuss their work.

He is 70 years old and he is in poor physical condition. The judiciary,
Ministry of Intelligence and police have not, as far as Amnesty
International is aware, announced his arrest.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION


Siamak Pourzand is the husband of human rights lawyer, Mehrangiz
Kar, who continues to face charges in connection with her
participation at a social and cultural conference which was held in
Berlin in April 2000. She is a former prisoner of conscience ( UA
103/00, 3 May 2000 and follow ups).

In November and December 1998, four writers and two political
activists were murdered, three following similar disappearances (see
News Service 244/98, AI Index MDE 13/25/98). Writer Mohammad
Mokhtari was missing for six days before his body was found and
translator and journalist Majid Sharif was missing for four days before
his body was found. Political activists Dariush Foruhar and his wife
Parvaneh Eskandari were found stabbed to death in their Tehran
apartment in November 1998. No one has been successfully
convicted in connection with the murders

____________________________________
Petition

President
His Excellency Hojjatoleslam val Moslemin Sayed Mohammad
Khatami
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Telegrams: President Khatami, Tehran, Iran
E-mail: [email protected]


Your Excellency,

We the undersigned are gravely concerned with the seizure of Siamak Pourzand, manager of Majmue-ye Farhangi-ye Honari-yeTehran (The Tehran Cultural Center) from his sister's home in Tehran on November 24, 2001.

We urge your government to conduct an urgent investigation into the
disappearance of Siamak Pourzand. As of now there is no official charge against him and his whereabouts are unknown.

We also urge the judiciary or Ministry of Intelligence to clarify whether
either body authorized the arrest of Siamak Pourzand.

We urge the authorities to make public the findings of any
investigation into the disappearance of Siamak Pourzand.

As a supporter of human rights in Iran we appeal to you to do all in your power to locate and free Siamak Pourzand.