Immediate release of student editors and activists arrested in Iran

To The Islamic Republic of Iranвs government

The Iranian Judiciary should immediately release eight student editors and activists arrested in recent weeks for allegedly defaming Islam in student publications, Human Rights Watch said today.

The Judiciarys spokesman, Alireza Jamshidi, on May 2 told reporters that publishers of these controversial editions were not students at all.

The Iranian Intelligence Service in Iran is holding the eight university students in solitary confinement in Prison where they are at risk of torture and ill-treatment although the Judiciaryвs spokesman on May 2 told reporters that publishers of these controversial editions were not students at all.

The Iranian Intelligence Service Agents arrested the eight students between May 3 and June 6 as the student body prepared to hold elections for the universityвs Islamic Student Association. The students have denied any role in publication of these editions and called them forgeries.

During their lengthy (in some cases for up to 50 days) detention of these students, they are in solitary confinement and in danger of physical torture which is normal in Iranian Prison. Also they have been denied any access to their families or lawyers.

The recent arrests started as Amir Kabir University students planned elections for their Islamic Student Association. On April 30, four editions of newspapers bearing the format and emblems of student newspapers were distributed inside Amir Kabir University by unknown persons. These newspapers allegedly contained several articles deemed insulting to Islam. The editors of the four publications which the editions purported to be from, immediately denounced this act and stated that the editions were forgeries.

The Iranian Intelligent service agents started to snatch and detain editors of these papers the next day.

Despite the tense situation created by publications, ramilitary forces known as Basij and
University officials who tried to disrupt the voting by physical intimidation and threats but they didnвt succeed and students at Amir Kabir University could run their elections.

After the elections, the government arrested more students involved with student publications, as well as other student activists.

Detained students:
Ahmad Ghassaban, Meqdad Khalilpour, Pouyan Mahmoudian, Majid Sheikhpour, Majid Tavakoli, Ehsan Mansouri, Abbas Hakim, and Ali Saberi.

The Iranian Intelligent service and The Iranian Judiciary is using prolonged solitary confinement and physical torture to break the detainees and coerce false confessions.

We want these students immediate release and we want you to stop persecution students and activists.