URGENT ACTION APPEAL UPDATE By Amnesty Internarional

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22 March 2004

Further Information on UA 87/04 issued 27 February 2004
Fear for safety/ Fear of torture or ill-treatment and new concern: Medical concern

IRAN:  Arzhang Davoodi (m), aged 46

Arzhang Davoodi remains in prison, although his family have paid bail, and is reportedly suffering from severe health problems as a result of torture and ill-treatment, for which he is being denied necessary medical treatment.

Arzhang Davoodi's family recently paid bail of 50 million Tomans (US$59,380, at the official rate) in the form of property deeds (the normal practice in Iran), as requested by the Iranian authorities, to secure his release. However, the authorities have reportedly refused to release him on the grounds that his file is ''not complete''.

According to an 18 March report on the Iranian internet news site Peyk-e Iran, Arzhang Davoodi was severely tortured and kept in solitary confinement for 100 days while he was held in Band 325, a detention facility run by the Revolutionary Guard. During the winter, for several days he was kept in a room with the air conditioning turned on all night, making the room even colder.

The torture and ill-treatment has left him with a broken shoulder blade, bleeding in his left eye, deafness, a broken jaw and broken teeth. A doctor reportedly assessed that Arzhang Davoodi required treatment of his eyes, ears and teeth, and physiotherapy for his shoulder. The authorities have allegedly provided him with no treatment whatsoever.

On 17 March Arzhang Davoodi was transferred from Salon 1 of Evin prison, where he had been detained since his transfer from Band 325 in early March, to Salon 8 of Evin prison. Salon 8 is a section of the prison used for people detained for financial offences, and has no medical facilities. It is allegedly extremely dusty, which has caused Arzhang to suffer from asthma symptoms.

According to his family, prison officials will not grant him leave to obtain the medical treatment he requires. Amnesty International fears that he has been transferred to Salon 8 to put him under increased pressure, by preventing him from getting access to medical treatment.

Arzhang Davoodi has been allowed to make phone calls to his lawyer, and has been able to meet with him on one occasion. However, his lawyer has not been able to have a copy of the file on his client. Under Iranian law, a lawyer is not entitled to access to his client's file until formal charges have been brought. Amnesty International is not aware of whether Arzhang Davoodi has been formally charged.

Arzhang Davoodi was arrested between August and October 2003. He had assisted in the making of a television documentary about Iran, filmed secretly and illegally, which was widely broadcast in northern Europe in December 2003, and in North America in January 2004. He was interviewed in the documentary, and spoke about political prisoners, and the death in custody of Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:

·                                 respectfully asking why Arzhang Davoodi is still in prison despite the payment of bail;

·                                 expressing concern for his safety and well being, as he has reportedly been tortured and ill-treated;

·                                 seeking assurances that he will be humanely treated while he is in detention, and given immediate and unconditional access to any medical treatment he may require;

·                                 reminding the authorities that confessions extracted under duress are prohibited by Iranian law, and are a violation of Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party, which states that ''No one shall be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment'';

·                                 calling for all those found responsible for torture of prisoners to be brought to justice in fair trials;

·                                 asking for details of the charges against Arzhang Davoodi;

·                                 reminding the authorities of their responsibility under Article 9(2) of the ICCPR to inform anyone arrested of the reasons for doing so at the time of their arrest, and to promptly inform them of any charges against them.

APPEALS TO:
Leader of the Islamic Republic:
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Telegrams:  Leader of Islamic Republic, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Faxes:            011 98 21 649 5880 / 21 774 2228 (ask fax to be forwarded to Ayatollah Khamenei)
Email:            webmaster@wilayah.org; (on the subject line write: For the attention of the office of His
Excellency, Ayatollah al Udhma Khamenei, Qom)
Salutation:       Your Excellency

President:
His Excellency, Hojjatoleslam val Moslemin Sayed Mohammad
Khatami
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Telegram:    President Khatami, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax:        011 98 21 649 5880
Email:      khatami@president.ir
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary:
His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi
Ministry of Justice
Park-e Shahr
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax:  011 98 21 879 6671 (please keep trying; please mark
''care of Director of International Affairs, Judiciary'')
Salutation:       Your Excellency

COPIES TO:
Islamic Human Rights Commission:
Mr Mohammad Hassan Zia'i-Far
Secretary, Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 13165-137
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax:  011 98 21 204 0541

Iran does not presently have an embassy in this country. Instead, please send copies to:

Iranian Interests Section
Embassy of Pakistan
2209 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington DC 20007

Please send appeals immediately. Check with the Colorado office between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, Mountain Time, weekdays only, if sending appeals after April 31, 2004.

Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement that promotes and defends human
rights.

This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including contact information and stop action date (if applicable). Thank you for your help with this appeal.

Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
PO Box 1270
Nederland CO 80466-1270
Email: uan@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 303 258 1170
Fax:     303 258 7881