Human Rights Watch: Iranian authorities must conduct impartial investigation into torture allegations against environmental activists
As trials of environmental activists continue in Iran, Human Rights Watch has called on the Islamic Republic’s authorities to “immediately conduct an impartial and transparent investigation into torture allegations that the defendants have raised during their trial.”
The first court session for defendants in the environmental case in Iran was held on February 29, in which Sepideh Kashani, Niloofar Bayani, Amirhossein Khaleghi, Sam Rajabi, Tahir Qadiryan, Abdolreza Kohpayeh, and Morad Tahbaz, members of the local environmental group Parisian Wildlife Heritage, appeared in Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court to begin their trial on charges of espionage.
The court session, which was held in closed session, allowed only court-approved lawyers to attend, while these defendants have been in detention for over a year. Human Rights Watch described this as a “violation of fair trial standards.”
During the environmental activists’ trial, a credible source informed Human Rights Watch that “during the trial, one of the defendants interrupted the session and claimed that they had been tortured and forced to confess.”
On this matter, Michael Page, Deputy Director of the Middle East Division of Human Rights Watch, stated on Wednesday, February 17, that “the severity of fair trial violations against these activists over the past year and recent trial allegations and forced confessions have reinforced the perception that the judiciary is a tool for suppression and a symbol of injustice.”
He added, “The highest-ranking authorities must immediately investigate this torture allegation, immediately demand the freedom of these activists, and end the clear violations of their rights.”
Mr. Page stated that if Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, wants anyone to believe that he opposes the torture of detainees commonly practiced in Iran, now is the time to act and he must directly intervene as the head of the National Security Council and issue an order for an independent investigation.”
Two sources who requested anonymity also told Human Rights Watch that the 300-page indictment against the environmental activists is entirely based on their forced confessions during detention.
In a report published by Human Rights Watch regarding the second court session of environmental activists in Iran, it was noted that Niloofar Bayani, one of the defendants in this case, stated in court that “if you were threatened with a syringe of hallucinogenic substances, you would also confess to whatever they want.”
Previously, some Iranian officials, including Mahmoud Sadeghi, a parliament representative, had stated that the activities of the defendants in the environmental case in Iran do not constitute “espionage,” yet not only have these defendants been in detention for over a year, but the third court session of these environmental activists is scheduled to be held on March 14.
These environmental activists were arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence on charges of espionage, and the charges against four of them have been changed to “corruption on earth.”
So far, two court sessions have been held for eight defendants in this case, in which only lawyers “approved” by the judiciary were allowed to enter the court.
Meanwhile, Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court announced the indictment of the environmental activists in this case as more than 300 pages, and according to a report by the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, citing “informed and close sources,” these activists were “threatened with death” and forced to confess against themselves.
Source: Voice of America
