Disappearance fear for safety
13 November 2003
IRAN - Ahmad Batebi (m), aged 25, student
Student activist Ahmad Batebi has reportedly
"disappeared" while on leave from prison, following a
meeting with a United Nations (UN) official on 8
November. Amnesty International is gravely concerned
for his safety.
Ahmad Batebi is serving a ten-year prison sentence in
connection with his participation in student-led
demonstrations in the capital Tehran in 1999. On 20
October 2003 he began a twenty-day period of leave
(morakhasi) from Tehran's Evin Prison, reportedly for
> medical reasons, though no further information is
known about his health. He was scheduled to return to
prison on 10 November.
On 8 November, Ahmad Batebi reportedly met with Ambeyi
Ligabo, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of
Expression, who was visiting Iran. Following the
meeting, Ahmad Batebi allegedly then set out with
friends for Tehran University, where he was to take
part in an iftar, or the breaking of the Ramadan fast.
According to reports, Ahmad Batebi's father Mohammad
Baqer Batebi became concerned for his son's safety
after two hours, as he had not contacted his family
and was not answering his mobile telephone. Mohammad
Baqer Batebi then reportedly attempted to locate Ahmad
Batebi by contacting friends, judicial officials and
prison officials, but without success. There has been
no further information on Ahmad Batebi's whereabouts.
Mohammad Baqer Batebi reportedly stated on 11 November
that several unidentified people had repeatedly
contacted his family and made death threats against
Ahmad Batebi and other family members. Mohammad Baqer
Batebi allegedly also said that if he did not receive
an unambiguous reply regarding his son's whereabouts,
and assurances regarding his safety, then he would
refer the matter to human rights organizations.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Ahmad Batebi, then a student of film-making at Tehran
University, was detained on 7 July 1999, during
student-led demonstrations against the closure of the
newspaper Salam (Peace). Like thousands of other
students, he took part in the protests. It is widely
believed that international publication of a
photograph of Ahmad Batebi holding up the bloodied
shirt of a fellow student who had been injured in the
demonstration aggravated judicial officials,
prejudicing consideration of his case. While in
detention, he was ordered to confess to false
allegations and under extreme duress, he signed a
"confession" fearing that his family would be in
danger. He was sentenced to death on charges relating
to endangering national security following an unfair
and secret trial by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
His sentence was later commuted on appeal to 15 years'
imprisonment and has since been reduced to 10 years.
A letter dated 4 February 2003 and attributed to Ahmad
Batebi and other student prisoners has been widely
distributed. In the letter the students state that:
"We want to show our respect for the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, Universal Peace,
Non-violence [sic], Environmental Protection,
Permanent Progress, and all the other noble covenants
sanctioned by the mankind. We hope to alleviate
despotism and totalitarianism, setting the vote of the
people as the gauge for governance. We aspire to
redeem the rights of our sisters which have been
ignored for so long, and establish an all encompassing
equality between men and women. We want to [...]
promote [the] Persian creed of 'good deeds', 'good
speech' and 'good thoughts'. We have bore [sic] the
burden of endless tortures. We actually witnessed
executions of our friends..."
Amnesty International continues to campaign on behalf
of Ahmad Batebi (see web action,
http://web.amnesty.org/web/content.nsf/pages/gbr_iran
In October and November 1998, several prominent
Iranian writers, who had all previously been
questioned by government authorities in connection
with their attempt to establish an independent writers
association also"disappeared". Four of them, including
the leader of the Iran Nation party (Hezb-e Mellat-e
Iran), and his wife were later found dead.
Intelligence officials were tried and found guilty in
connection with at least two of the murders, following
a flawed trial which denied the defendants the right
to a full defence.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as
quickly as possible, in Persian, English, French or
your own language:
- expressing concern for the safety of Ahmad Batebi,
who has not been seen since 8 November;
- urging police and judicial officials to conduct an
immediate enquiry into the circumstances surrounding
the reported "disappearance" of Ahmad Batebi, to
determine whether any state-supported or tolerated
bodies may have been responsible for his
"disappearance";
- urging judicial, intelligence and prison officials
to conduct an urgent review of prisoners to determine
whether Ahmad Batebi may have been transferred to
places under their respective jurisdiction, and if so,
to confirm his whereabouts and physical and mental
condition;
- in case Ahmad Batebi is determined to have been
detained, reminding officials of their obligations in
respect to the administration of justice that all
detainees should be made aware of the reasons for
their arrest and have prompt access to family, legal
representation and medical treatment if required, in
keeping with Articles 9 and 14, respectfully, of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party.
Amnesty International
اطلاعیه خبری شماره شش
احمد باطبي توسط واحد اطلاعات قوه قضاييه دستگير شده است.
فرا خوان امضای بیانیه روزنامه نگاران ، روشنفکران و هنرمندان در مورد ناپدید شدن احمد باطبی:
Ahmad Batebi, a student of film production attached to Tehran University, was 21 years old when he was arrested in July 1999 during clashes between students and the security forces in central Tehran. From the end of June 1999 until the day of his arrest Ahmad Batebi was, with the authorization of his university, producing a documentary about the dangers of drug addiction and social problems. When he heard about the student dormitory disturbances, he went to cover the incident and was subsequently arrested by a plainclothes militiaman who was present at the student demonstration. Ahmad Batebi has been in prison since then and was sentenced to death after a secret trial by the Revolutionary Court; his sentence was later reportedly commuted to 15 years’ imprisonment by the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
