According to the information, provided by Amnesty International, Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi, aged 25, was arrested by seven plainclothes officials at his home in the city of Kermanshah, in western Iran. His home was searched and his personal belongings, 
including his computer and documents related to his work, were confiscated.
Accused of propaganda
The arresting officials presented him with a warrant that did not specify which authority had issued it but accused him of “propaganda against the state”. His family has not been informed of his whereabouts.
Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi (picture on the left) is a leading member of the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HROK, sometimes known as RMMK from its Kurdish name), and a member of the women’s rights group, the Campaign for Equality, also known as the One Million Signatures Campaign.
He is also a journalist for the Iranian news website Rooz Online, and writes for the HROK and Campaign for Equality websites.
He is an active campaigner against the death penalty. He reported on the protests against the execution in 11 November 2009 of Ehsan Fattahian (picture below), a member o Iran’s Kurdish minority.
Reminded international obligations
The organizations, signing the letter, reminded the Iranian authorities the obligation to conform with the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Iran is a state party and thus to uphold the right to freedom of expression and association and to respect the prohibition against torture.
The signing organizations called
upon the Iranian authorities to immediately release Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi since his detention seems to only be the way to sanction his human rights and a right to freedom of expression and association.
Human rights organizations condemned the fact that the detainee’s family is not informed about his whereabouts and urged the Iranian authorities to disclose this information and grant him access to his family and a lawyer of his own choosing.
Risk of torture
The Human rights House Foundation expressed its concern about the risk of torture or other ill-treatment of Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi and called upon the Iranian authorities to ensure him protection from torture and other ill-treatment an grant him any medical treatment he may require.
The letter was signed by:
Human Rights House Oslo (on behalf of the following NGOs):
– Human Rights House Foundation
– Norwegian Helsinki Committee
– Norwegian Tibet Committee
– Voice of Tibet Committee
– Norwegian Burma Cmmittee
– Norwegian P.E.N
– Health and Huaman Rights Info
– FIAN Norway – Food First Information and Action Network
The Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights
The letter was sent to:
Leader of the Islamic republic Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei;
Head of Judiciary Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani;
Director of Human Rights Headquarters of Iran Mohammad Javad Larijani.
Related links:
