Archive for May 2016

The European Union’s lists of “safe countries”: a denial of the right of asylum

Mai 08.2016 On 30 May 2016, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament will discuss the proposed amendments to the proposal for a regulation by the European Commission in September 2015 for the purpose of establishing an EU common list of “safe countries of origin”. Such a labelling implies that there should be, in principle no risk of persecution for asylum seekers and that the rule of law is respected in those countries.

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Iran, free jailed British-Iranian mother

May 23, 2016—(CNN) By Nazanin Boniadi – CNN Editor’s Note: Nazanin Boniadi is an actress, activist and a member of the board of directors at the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. She co-starred on the award winning Showtime series “Homeland”, and will appear lead in the upcoming MGM and Paramount remake of “Ben-Hur”. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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Leading Iranian Human Rights Activist to Serve Ten Years in Prison

Human Rights activist Narges Mohammadi

May 19, 2016—The prominent Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has been sentenced to serve ten years of a 16-year prison sentence, for her work defending human and women’s rights in Iran.

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Iran’s Fashion Industry under Assault; Details of Arrests of Models by Revolutionary Guards Surface

May 17, 2016—Eight people working in Iran’s fashion industry have been arrested and formally charged in an industry wide crackdown led by the Revolutionary Guards. Cases have also been opened on another 29 people, and most of the 170 fashion industry workers who have been targeted during the past six months have also been interrogated, an informed source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

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Iran: Open letter to UN human rights experts to intervene against ongoing juvenile executions

17 May 2016 -FIDH- Paris-Geneva, The death sentence imposed on Mr. Tajiki is primarily based on a “confession” extracted from him under torture during his initial detention in solitary confinement, even though he retracted this “confession” during his trial, stating that he had been tortured and proclaiming his innocence. Throughout his detention and trial, Mr. Tajiki was denied due process, including being denied access to a lawyer during the investigation period.

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Iran: Teenager tortured into ‘confessing’ days away from execution

May 12.2016-Amnesty International- The Iranian authorities must urgently halt the scheduled execution this Sunday of a teenager who was just 15 years old at the time of his arrest, said Amnesty International. Alireza Tajiki, now 19 years old, was sentenced to death in April 2013 after a criminal court in Fars Province, southern Iran, convicted him of murder and rape primarily on the basis of “confessions” extracted through torture which he repeatedly retracted in court. His execution is due to take place on Sunday 15 May in Shiraz’s Adel Abad Prison in Fars Province.

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Baby stranded in Iran after charity worker mom jailed without charge

May 10, 2016-FoxNews- A 22-month-old is stranded in Iran after her charity worker mother was arrested when trying to leave the country and jailed without charge for about five weeks, The Sun reported. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 37, the child’s mother, was reportedly held on an issue of “national security” and was apparently forced to sign a mystery confession.

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Campaigners call for release of vulnerable British businessman jailed in Iran

Kamal Foroughi

03.05.2016 – Amnesty International-  Amnesty International is calling for a British businessman jailed in Iran to be urgently released under Iranian early-release rules.

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