Heard In Iran - Five Sentenced to Death for Post-election Unrest

Five Sentenced to Death for Post-election Unrest

November 17 – Five people have been sentenced to death in connection with the unrest in the aftermath of the presidential election. Eighty-one others received prison sentences ranging between 6 months and 15 years. Speaking with Radio Farda, former student leader Ali Afshari said that the sentences were meant to incite terror and prevent further protests. [read in Farsi / read in English]

Kurdish Activist Faces Execution

November 17 – Shirkou Moarefi, a Kurdish Iranian activist, is facing execution. His execution follows that of another Kurdish activist, Ehsan Fatahian, on November 11, which has been criticized by human rights activists. [read in Farsi / read in English]

Iranian Woman Recognized For Human Rights Activism

November 16 – Rights activist and lawyer Shadi Sadr has received 2009 Human Rights Defenders Tulip by the government of The Netherlands. Speaking on Radio Farda's program "The Other Voice", Sadr voiced concern about the international community's weak response to human rights abuses in Iran. "These governments have lost their sensitivity to the violation of human rights in Iran, especially since the presidential election," she said. [read in Farsi]

Death of DetentionCenter Physician Raises Questions 

November 15 – The death of a physician who had examined many of the prisoners killed or injured during the post-election crackdown has prompted speculation about the cause of his death. Iranian authorities reported that the physician, Ramin Pourandarjani, had died from heart failure, but his family has been denied the right to perform an autopsy to confirm this. [listen in Farsi / read in English]

Student Leader Sentenced to Eight Years in Jail

November 15 – Abdollah Momeni, a leader of the student opposition movement, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for his participation in the post-election protests. Speaking with Radio Farda, a student activist asserted that the protests had given authorities the opportunity to attack students, like Momeni, who have been actively challenging Iranian authority for decades. "Imposing such a heavy sentence on a student activist, more than anything else, is an indication of the weakness of Iran's judiciary system."  [listen in Farsi / read in English]