Persian Note



Mission for Establishment of Human Rights in Iran

(MEHR IRAN)

P.O. Box 2037, P.V.P., CA 90274

Tel: (310) 377- 4590 ; Fax: (310) 377- 3103

E-Mail: mehr@... ; URL: http://mehr.org





PRESS RELEASE


CONTACT: Dr. Nima Rasakhoo

(310) 739- 4215

E-mail: Nima@...



Iranian Torture Victim Sues the Islamic Regime of Iran



September 2, 2003



MEHR Iran announced the filing of a lawsuit against the Islamic Regime of Iran
(IRI), the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ali Akbar Rafsanjani, and Ali Akbar Fallahian
Khuzestani. The announcement was made at a Los Angeles conference to commemorate
the massacre of prisoners of conscience in Iran and all over the world.



The lawsuit filed by the San Francisco-based Center for Justice & Accountability
(CJA), charges that agents of the Islamic Regime of Iran tortured the plaintiff,
Gholam Nikbin, who served three years in jail for his conversion to the Mormon
faith and for permitting dancing at his wedding.



When asked whether he was not afraid of the terrible consequences of suing the
Islamic Regime of Iran, Nikbin said to hundreds of audiences:



"I do not care about my life. I want the whole world to hear my voice and know
what they did to me. I am still suffering from what they did to me. I do not
want this to happen to another Iranian. I want to free my country from these
terrorists"



"This lawsuit sends a wake-up call to Iran that it can and will be held
responsible for torturing its own people," said CJA attorney Joshua Sondheimer.
"Subjecting someone to torture for their religious beliefs is abhorrent and
condemned by international law, and Iran and the officials responsible
thankfully can be brought to justice in United States courts," Sondheimer added.



Mohammad Parvin, founder of Los Angeles based Iranian human rights organization
(MEHR) said:



"This is our first lawsuit against the Islamic Regime of Iran but will certainly
not be the last. We seek justice for the victims of the Islamic Regime of Iran
because we believe peace cannot be achieved without justice. We also believe it
is an effective way to stop the legitimization of the Islamic Regime of Iran by
the interest driven western governments."



" Our tireless efforts and dedication in exposing the human rights violations in
Iran, the defense of prisoners of conscience, and formation of several
conferences on the human rights violation in Iran, along with our continuous
interaction with the international human rights organizations including Amnesty
International, resulted in two significant achievements that we are very proud
of:



1- We received recognition and gained the respect and trust of the Iranian
people. Many of the victims of the Islamic Regime came to us and gave us
authorization to act as their confidant and to seek justice.



2- We gained recognition from the international human rights organizations
and were fortunate to attract the generous support of the "Center for Justice
and Accountability" in undertaking the legal aspects of filing lawsuits against
the Islamic Regime of Iran.



Today, we are so pleased that after several years of hard work and in spite of
all the obstacles, we have been able to file this lawsuit," added Parvin.



" I send you my greetings and support as you meet for this poignant conference
to commemorate the thousands of victims of the 1988 massacre of prisoners of
conscience carried out by the brutal Iranian regime. This oddly oft-forgotten
crime against humanity, carried out on an order by the cruel dictator Khomeini,
symbolizes and crystalizes the essential nature of the so-called Islamic
Republic of Iran, which perversely exploits religion as a cover to oppress and
kill as it sees fit. The barbaric behavior of this regime continues unabated
today, as we have seen again just recently with the death in detention of the
Canadian-Iranian journalist Zahra Kazemi," said Congressman Tm Lantos (D- 12th
District, CA) in a message to the conference.



"As a fellow promoter of human rights in Iran, I warmly commend the Mission for
Establishment of Human Rights in Iran for honoring the memory of those who have
suffered from the savagery of this regime, for creatively using the courts to
seek redress for victims of regime criminality, and for providing the occasion
for all of us to re-dedicate ourselves to the struggle to achieve a just and
democratic Iran. I know that the Iranian people aspire to enjoy the same
blessings of democracy, freedom, and rule of law that we enjoy here in the
United States. Numerous spontaneous demonstrations over the years, such as those
violently suppressed by regime thugs in June, attest to Iranian yearnings. I
join with MEHR in seeking to assure that all Iranians be accorded fundamental
human rights," added Congressman Lantos.



In a message to the conference, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D- 47th District,
CA) stated:



"I regret that I cannot be here in person as you gather in remembrance of the
thousands of prisoners of Conscience massacred by the Islamic Regime of Iran in
the summer of 1988. Your efforts to hold the Islamic Republic accountable for
crimes against humanity not only honors the memory of those who lost their lives
in pursuit of freedom and basic human rights, but provides an inspiration for
those who continue the daily struggle for peace and justice under the constant
threat of peril."



The Congresswoman form Garden Grove, CA further stated that:



" I applaud your efforts to bring the Islamic Republic of Iran's flagrant human
rights violations to the attention of the international community, and pledge to
continue to be a voice for the people of Iran in the United States Congress."



Congressman Howard Berman (D- 28th District, CA), in his message to the
conference stated:



" Although a scheduling conflict prevents me from joining you in person, I am
writing to let you know that I stand with you in your struggle to promote
respect for human rights in Iran. As a senior member of the house International
Relations Committee I will do everything in my power to help further this goal."



" Iran has a dismal record on human rights. Journalists are routinely jailed,
dozens of newspapers have been shut down, religious minorities are persecuted,
opposition leaders are beaten or killed and average Iranians are denied the most
fundamental civil liberties: freedom of expression, freedom of association,
freedom of religion and the freedom to choose their own leaders," added
Congressman Berman.



Mr. Sean Butler the President of the International Criminal Court Alliance in
Southern California described the mechanism of International Criminal Court in
bringing to justice the perpetrators.



END



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]