Call for the human rights of the people of Iran to be respected

The Right to Peaceful Protest

In the days following Iran’s presidential election on Friday 12 June, many thousands took part in marches and demonstrations across the country, condemning both the process and outcome of the election.Amnesty International calls on the Iranian authorities to allow peaceful demonstrations, to exercise restraint in the policing of any further demonstrations, to stop using the Basij militia to police protests, and to ensure that firearms are not used except as a last resort and where strictly unavoidable in order to protect life.

Following the mass arrests of demonstrators and opposition activists in Iran over recent weeks in connection with the disputed presidential election, Amnesty International has compiled a list of the names or identities of 368 arrested people. Should you have any further information about arrests, killings and other human rights abuses in Iran please send them to iran.alerts@googlemail.com and iranalert@amnesty.org. All information will be dealt with confidentially.

Write to Iran’s Supreme Leader

Call on Ayatollah Khamenie to take action to ensure the human rights of the people of Iran are respected.

To send an email directly to the Supreme leader, please visit: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter

To send a letter to Ayatollah Sayed’Ali Khamenie through Amnesty International click here.

Amnesty International Letter to Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei

Dear Ayatollah Khamenei,

I have been watching the events in Iran over the past number of weeks with serious concern. I have seen peaceful protests attacked, protesters beaten and, in some cases, killed, and read of thousands being arrested.

I call on you to release all those imprisoned for simply exercising their rights to freedom of speech and assembly. For those accused of engaging in criminal acts, I call on you to ensure they receive a fair trial, with no reliance on forced “confessions” and that they are not sentenced to death.

All those imprisoned must be protected from torture and other forms of ill-treatment. To ensure this, you should clarify who is in detention and where they are being held and allow them access to their families and lawyers of their choice.

Finally, I call on you to clarify who has been killed, and to ensure that all deaths at the hands of security forces or in custody are properly and independently investigated and that anyone responsible for abuses is brought to justice promptly and fairly.

Yours sincerely,