Some Political Prisoners: Security Agencies’ Interference in Judicial Affairs Has Violated Prisoners’ Rights
A number of former and current political prisoners, along with their families, in a letter to Ebrahim Raisi, head of the executive branch, and Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, criticized the dominance of security agencies over the fate of political prisoners and called for the abolition of related provisions.
The signatories of this letter, published on Thursday, December 16, described a 2006 national security council resolution and a circular from the prosecutor general as inconsistent with the constitution and called for its repeal.
The letter states: “Throughout all these years and in the repeated appeals that the families and lawyers of these political prisoners have made to the prosecutor’s office and the judiciary overseeing political prisoners to pursue matters related to legal facilities for prisoners, the aforementioned officials have made the use of all legal facilities, electronic anklets and bracelets, the use of conditional release rights and the granting of leave to political prisoners conditional on the consent of the judicial officials in charge of the case (Ministry of Intelligence, Sepah Intelligence Organization and others).
The letter continues: “This practice is contrary to the principle of judicial independence and in many cases has led to violations of the rights of political prisoners inside and outside prison and the exertion of psychological and mental pressure on their families.”
The signatories emphasized: “The obviousness of this illegal practice from the time of case formation and the dominance of security officials over parts of the judicial apparatus and the irresponsibility of some judicial officials in surrendering to this practice has always been a cause of astonishment and regret for lawyers in general, human rights activists, political prisoners and their families.”
Zila Baniyaghob, Taghi Rahmani, Saeed Razavi Faqih, Ali Shariati, Sheila Qasemkhani, Mostafa Neili, Khodarahm Ghollian, Elham Doulffaghari and Mansoureh Shojai are among the signatories of this letter.
Source: Voice of America
