Statement by the Iranian Writers' Association regarding three imprisoned writers: Security and judicial officials want to send protesters and dissidents to the altar

The Iranian Writers' Association has issued a statement calling for the unconditional release of three members of the association: Reza Khandan, Bektash Abtin, and Keyvan Bajan.

In its statement published on Monday, October 27, the Iranian Writers' Association, referring to "increasing pressure on independent writers" and the government's move to "further suppress freedom of expression and arrest, torture, and execute protesters," declared that it considers the execution of these sentences to be a "criminal act that violates human rights standards" and condemns it.

This statement was issued after Reza Khandan, Bektash Abtin, and Keyvan Bajan, members of the Iranian Writers' Association, were transferred to Evin Prison to serve their sentences on Saturday, October 25.

Part of the statement reads: "In a situation where the new wave of Corona in the country is claiming hundreds of victims daily and the lack of health and medical facilities in prisons can have catastrophic consequences, imprisoning these three writers and other ideological and political defendants means nothing other than that security and judicial officials want to send protesters and opponents to the altar."

The Iranian Writers' Association also cited the reason for issuing prison sentences to these three writers as "membership" in the association and "defending freedom of thought and expression," and considered it "a sign of increasing pressure on independent writers."

The statement said: "Now that the country is plagued by poverty, disease, and organized corruption, instead of responding to the people's legitimate demands, the government has resorted to further suppressing freedom of expression and arresting, torturing, and executing protesters."

The Iranian Writers' Association continued its statement by condemning the execution of the sentences issued against the three writers as a "criminal act that violates human rights standards." The statement also called for the immediate halt to the execution of the prison sentences and the unconditional release of the three writers and members of the Iranian Writers' Association.

The plaintiff in the case of these three individuals is the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Their case was opened in May 2015, and since then they have been summoned many times for questioning on two charges of "propaganda against the regime" and "publishing an illegal publication."

But finally, in January of last year, the sentences of these writers were confirmed by the Court of Appeal, and based on this, Reza Khandan (Mahabadi) and Bektash Abtin were each sentenced to six years in prison, and Keyvan Bazhan was sentenced to three years and six months.

Previously, on Tuesday, May 21, Bektash Abtin had reacted to the 18-year prison sentence he and two other members of the Iranian Writers' Association received by releasing a video.

Last year, Amnesty International called 2018 the "year of shame" for the Islamic Republic, announcing that more than seven thousand people, including participants in demonstrations, students, journalists, women's rights activists, environmental activists, labor activists, and ethnic and religious minority rights activists, had been arrested in Iran this year.

Source: Voice of America