Stop the destruction of Block 33 in Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery by Islamic Republic of Iran

UN Commission on Human Rights
Human Rights Watch
Amnesty International
EU Commission for External Relations

Stop the destruction of Block 33 in Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery by Islamic Republic of Iran

Dear Sir/Madam

The Islamic Republic of Iran has publicly announced their intention to destroy part of Tehran's major cemetery, Behesht-e Zahra, where many prominent figures in Irans history are interred.

Block 33 of Behest-e Zahra is where many prominent people executed in the Shah's regime, and later bodies of Iranians executed in the Islamic Republic, are buried. Among these people are poets, journalists and political leaders including Khosrow Golsorkhi, Karamat Daneshiyan, Mohammad Hanif Nejad, Mehdi Rezaee, Behrooz Dehghani, Ali Asgar Badi Zadegan, Saeed Mohsen, and Bijan Jazani.

This section of the cemetery has been defiled by rogue elements of the government in the past on numerous occasions, including the damaging and breaking of headstones. Now the government plans to destroy the memory of these historical figures entirely, and erase this part of Iranian history.

We, the undersigned, declare our strong opposition to this malicious and unnecessary act of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Destruction of Block 33 would represent a major loss for Iranian people. Regardless of their political beliefs, the men and women buried in Block 33 lost their lives in a struggle for a democratic country. Their graves must not be destroyed, and have to be restored and protected as a part of Iranian history.

Please stop the Iranian government from carrying out this desecration. Stop the destruction of Block 33 in Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery where a major part of our political heritage lies.