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Revue de Presse-Press Reviezv-Berhevoka ęape-Rivisła Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basin Ozełi

sentence Aghajari was sentenced to 74 lashes, eight years’ imprisonment in intemal exile and a 10-year teaching ban. On 17 Novcmber 2002 Ayatollah Khameni ordered the sentence to be reconsidered following extcnsive student protests, and on 2 December 2002 Professor Aghajari’s lawyer lodged an appeal. On 10 December 2002 a senior Iranian justice official reportedly tendered his resignation in protest against the severity of the sentence. In January 2003 the Supreme Court quashed the death sentence against him ‘on technical grounds’ and ordered a re-trial. In July 2003 the Supreme Court reportedly commuted the death sentence to four years’ imprisonment. On 15 February 2004 Aghajari sent an open letter from prison protesting the barring of pro-reform candidates from standing in the 19 February 2004 elections. On 3 May 2004 the Hamedan court is believed to have re-imposed the death sentence and sent the case back to the Supreme Court. On l June 2004 the Supreme Court is again reported to have quashed the death sentence. Place of detention: Evin Prison, Tehran. Other Information: Member of the left-wing reformist

•    political group the Islamie Revolutionary Mujahidin Organisation. Honorary member of: Norwegian PEN.

Ho|jatoleslam Hasan Youseft ESHKEVARI

D.o.b.: 1950 Profession: Researcher and joumalist. Director of the Ali Shariati Research Centrę and contributing editor of the newspaper Iran-e Farda, banned in April 2000. Datę of arrest: 5 August 2000 Sentence: 7 years Expires: October 2007 Details of arrest: Eshkevari was arrested at his home, a few hours after he flew into Tehran from a trip to Europę. He was one of a number of Iranian writers, joumalists and academics who attended a conference at the Heinrich Boli Institute in Berlin on 7-9 April 2000 entitled "Iran after the elections”, at which political and social reform in Iran were publicly debated. Eshkevari reportedly leamed that a warrant had been issued for his arrest shortly after the conference, and had sińce been staying in Germany and France. Many other prominent Iranian intellectuals who attended the Berlin conference were arrested and charged. Details of trial: Eshkevari’s trial was held behind closed doors from 7-17 October 2000 in the Special Court for the Clergy. He is believed to have been convicted of “acting against national security” in connection with a speech he gave at the conference, "defaming govem-ment officials in articles”, “starting a campaign against the system”, and “denying and insulting the holy religion of Islam”. He was also addition-ally charged with “declaring war on God", "being comipt on earth”. and

apostasy, all of which carry the death penalty, but the latter three charges were overtumed. New charges of ‘propaganda against the Islamie Republic’ and ‘insulting top-rank officials’ were filed against him at the Special Court for the Clergy, for which he received a sentence of seven years' imprisonment on 17 October 2002 - five of which he will have to serve. His sentence was upheld upon appeal on 7 March 2003. Was eligible to apply for conditional release in January 2004. Health concerns: Eshkevari is an insulin-dependent diabetic, and there are unconfirmed reports that he has been unable to obtain insulin in custody. In October 2003 the Special Court for Clerics reportedly agreed to give him 5 days leave from prison per month for medical treatment. He is said to have suffered an eye haemorrhage in prison caused by diabetes. Place of detention: Transferred to Prison 59, a military detention centre, in April 2001. Held incommunicado until mid-July 2001. Other Information: Adopted by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in 2001. Honorary member of: Canadian, Danish, Ghanaian, American, Scottish and English PEN Centres.

Amir Abbas FAKHRAVAR

Profession: Writer, joumalist for the now-banned pro-reform dailies Mosharekat and Khordad, and medical student. Datę of arrest: 10 November 2002 Sentence: Eight years in prison Expires: 9 November 2010 Details of trial: Sentenced by Bench 26 of the Revolutionary Court on or around the 10 November 2002 to eight years in prison for criti-cising the supreme leadership of Iran in his book Inja Chah Nist (‘This Place is Not a Ditch’), shortlisted for the 2001/2 Paulo Coelho Literary Prize. Following a period of leave from Evin prison he was ordered to appear in court on 18 March 2003 for an appeal hearing. When he appeared he was denied representation by the two lawyers who had represented him on previous occasions. After an argument with the judge he was beaten in front of Bench 26 before being transferred to prison. It is thought that he may have been targeted for writing an open letter to the

•    authorities on 4 February 2003 criticising the Iranian govemment and demanding a referendum on the futurę govcmmcnt of Iran. Place of detention: Qasr prison Treatment in prison: Reportedly held amongst common law prisoners and is being denied medical treatment for the reportedly severe injuries sustained in court and an existing foot injury. Said to have been repeatedly attacked in staged assaults by fellow in-mates. In January 2004 he was taken from Qasr prison to a military detention centre - called “125” and which is run by the Revolutionary Guards - for interrogation about alleged links with an opposition political organisation called Jonbesh-e Azadi-ye Iraniyan. He was held in

solitary confinement and subjected to a technique of sensory deprivation is called "white torturę" (shekanjeh-e sefid). On or around 8 February 2004, Amir Abbas Fakhravar was reportedly allowed to leave the detention centre. Howcver, two days later he was taken into custody again. While he was free he was able to tell others about what was being done to him. It is not elear whether he is now held at "125", Qasr or elsewhere. Health concerns: Thought to have sustained a broken leg during the court assault. Other Information: His sister and brother-in-law were reportedly arrested on 17 June 2003 for talking to joumalists about the incarceration of Amir Abbas Fakhravar. Honorary member of: English PEN.

Akbar GANJI

Profession: Joumalist. Datę of arrest: 22 April 2000 Sentence: 6 years’ imprisonment. Expires: 21 April 2006 Details of arrest: Arrested following his participation in an academic and cultural conference held

in Berlin on 7-9 April 2000 entitled “Iran after the elections”, at which political and social reform in Iran were publicly debated. Details of trial: Trial started on 9 November 2000 at the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. On 13 January 2001 he was sentenced by Bench 3 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court to ten years’ imprisonment plus five years’ intemal exile, four years for his attendance at the conference and six years for other charges, including "spreading propaganda against the Islamie regime”, fora series of articles he had written implicating leading figures in the murders of several dissidents and intellectuals in the mid-late 90’s. On 15 May 2001 an appeal court reduced his 10-year sentence to six months and overturned his additional sentence of five years internal exile. However, although he had served the entire sentence, the Tehran judiciary challenged the appeal court decision and brought new charges against him in connection with newspaper articles he wrote prior to April 2000. Sentenced on 16 July 2001 to six years’ imprisonment on charges of collecting confidential information harmful to national security and spreading propaganda against the Islamie system. On 15 October 2003 he was reported to have appeared before an examining magistrate to answer questions about his book Prison-like Archipelago. There are said to be several cases pending against Ganji for articles he has written, including charges of ‘propaganda against the regime’ and publishing lies, insult and libel. Professional details: Author of the best-selling book Dungeon of Ghosts. a collection of Ganji’s newspaper articles published in early 2000. in which he implicated the former president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and other leading conservative figures in the “serial murders” of 1998. The book is said to have seriously damaged the repu-tation of Rafsanjani. and is thought to have been a major factor in the conservative defeat in the parliamentary elections of February 2000. Place of detention: Evin Prison. Treatment in prison: Reported in April 2003 to have spent 70 days in solitary confinement. Health concerns: In April 2003 his wife reported that he had been refused necessary hospital treatment for a back complaint. Said to be looking well physically and mentally in October 2003. Other information: Recipient of the Canadian Joumalists for Free Expression (CJFE) 2000 International Press Freedom Award. Honorary member of: Canadian, American. Liechenstcin and English PEN Centres.

Hossein GHAZIYAN

Profession: University lecturer and director of the Ayandeh Research Group. Formerly worked for the now-banned newspaper Nowrooz. Datę of arrest: 31 October 2002. Sentence: Ninę years’ imprisonment. Expires: 30 October 2011. Details of arrest: Detained by judicial officials on following a scarch of his Tehran office. The Ayandeh Research Group has sińce been closed down according to an order by the judiciary. Details of trial: Ghaziyan’s trial began on 1 December 2002, and he was sentenced on 2 February 2003. Place of detention: Evin Prison. Tehran.

‘Ensafali HEDAYAT

Profession: Freelance joumalist, has written for a number of reformist and overseas newspapers. Datę of arrest: 17 January 2004. Sentence: 18 months’ imprisonment Expires: 16 July 2005. Details of arrest: Arrested at his home in Tabriz, northwestem Iran. on 17 January 2004 by Ministry of Intelligence officials, who searched his house and seized Computer equipment and personal documents. Hedayat had recently retumed from Berlin, where he had been attending the founding conference of the ‘Unity for Democracy and Secular Republic in Iran’ (Etrehad-e Jomhouri Khahan-e Iran), a group which supports the pcaceful establishment of a democratic and secular republic in Iran. The

conference took place in Berlin on 8-10 January 2004, and is believed to have been attended by up to 800 delegates representing a rangę of political views, seeking to establish a peaceful alternative political structure in opposition to the current govemment of Iran. Hedayat is believed to have been covering the conference as an accredited joumalist. Details of trial: Sentenced by the Tabriz Revolutionary Court on 14 April 2004 to

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