According to reports received by Amnesty International, astudent
demonstration in Tehran was attacked by scores of armed members ofthe
vigilante student group Ansar-e Hezbollah (Helpers of Hezbollah),which
opposes current political developments in Iran, on 8 July 1999.Security
forces stationed nearby reportedly did not intervene to protectthe
students.
Some hours later, Ansar-e Hezbollah members, together with membersof the
security forces, stormed the student residences using teargas, andset fire
to mattresses and students' belongings. According to unconfirmedreports,
dozens of students were injured and at least four (named asNa'imi,
Sohrabian, Yavari and Zakeri) were killed. The security forces arealso said
to have made random arrests of a large number of students at thescene.
The demonstrators had gathered outside their university hostels onTehran
University's Amirabad campus, in the north of the city, todemonstrate
against the closure of the daily newspaper Salam.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In recent months there have been several clashes betweenstudent
organizations supporting different political tendencies in theIslamic
Republic of Iran.
On 6 July student activists Mohammad Masud Salamati, Sayed JavadEmami and
Parviz Safari were arrested and detained overnight after ademonstration
outside the United Nations office in Tehran, demanding the releaseof two
journalists, Heshmatollah Tabarzadi and Hossein Kashani, who werearrested
in mid-June (see UA 141/99, AI Index: MDE 13/13/99).
Salam, a newspaper supporting reformist trends in the Iranian
administration, was banned indefinitely on 7 July by order of theSpecial
Court for the Clergy (Dadgah-e Vizhe-ye Ruhaniyat), following acomplaint by
the Ministry of Information (Vezarat-e Etela'at) that it hadpublished "top
secret" information. The official complaint was withdrawn thefollowing day,
but it is not clear whether this will lead to the banning orderbeing
lifted.
On 7 July the Majles (Parliament) voted to allow debate on a billamending
the current Press Law, aimed at severely curtailing the freedom ofthe
press.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/faxes/express/airmailletters in
English or your own language:
-seeking urgent clarification of the whereabouts and legal statusof those
students arrested, and assurances that those detained will behumanely
treated;
- urging the authorities to guarantee the safety and security ofall
students on university campuses;
-urging the authorities to investigate the killings and seriousattacks and
to bring to justice all those found responsible;
-reminding the government of Iran of its commitment to theUniversal
Declaration of Human Rights, in particular Article 3: "Everyonehas the
right to life, liberty and security of person".
APPEALS TO:
1)Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Telegrams: Ayatollah Khamenei, Tehran, Islamic Republic ofIran
Salutation: Your Excellency
2)President
His Excellency Hojjatoleslam val Moslemin Sayed MohammadKhatami
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Telegrams: President Khatami, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency
3)Head of Judiciary
His Excellency Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi
Ministry of Justice
Park-e Shahr, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Telegrams: Head of the Judiciary, Tehran, Islamic Republic ofIran
Salutation: Your Excellency
COPIES TO:
Minister of Foreign Affairs
His Excellecy Kamal Kharrazi
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdolmajid Keshk-e MesriAvenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Mr Mohammad Hassan Zia'i-Far
Secretary, Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 13165-137
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Faxes: + 98 21 204 0541
and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to yourcountry.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the InternationalSecretariat,
or your section office, if sending appeals after 20 August1999.
ENDS.../
Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 EastonStreet,
WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom