14/12/2020
To: The European governments, European Union, European Parliament, International sporting bodies, International organisations
Rouhollah Zam, an Iranian journalist was executed by the regime in Iran
The Islamic regime in Iran must be held accountable and boycotted
The Islamic Regime in Iran has kidnapped an Iranian journalist from Iraq and executed him on 12 December 2020. I, on behalf of the Campaign to Free Political prisoners in Iran (CFPPI), strongly urge you to boycott the Islamic Regime of Iran (IRI) for committing crimes against humanity. I also strongly urge you to break political ties with the Islamic regime, expel the regime’s ambassadors and diplomats from the European countries, international sporting bodies, International Labour Organisation (ILO), and other international organisations.
Rouhollah Zam was an Iranian Journalist who lived in France. In October 2019, he was kidnapped by the agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), when he visited Iraq. He was then taken to prison, tortured, and sentenced to death by hanging which was carried out on 12 December 2020. Zam was the editor of the online opposition news site called ‘Amad News’. The IRGC’s kidnapping strategy of the opposition activists has moved beyond the borders of Iran and now includes the dissidents living in different countries with dual citizenship. Mr Jamshid Sharmahd an Iranian-German citizen was kidnaped in Dubai in July 2020, and Mr Habib Chaab, an Iranian-Swedish citizen, was kidnapped in Turkey in October 2020. They both are in prison and being tortured now.
Over the last four decades, the Islamic regime has been suppressing, arresting, torturing, and executing millions of people in Iran. The regime’s crackdown on protesters, particularly those who participated in protests in December 2017 and November 2019, issuing jail sentences, floggings, and execution sentences for the protesters are well-known facts. This includes the execution of wrestling champion Navid Afkari in September 2020. The followings are examples of the crime committed by the Islamic regime in Iran:
• Kidnapping and assassinating dissidents and members of opposition groups living in European countries as well as traveling to Iran neighbouring countries.
• Taking dual citizens as hostages and using them as bargaining chips to take advantage in their negotiation with European governments. There are tens of dual citizens who have been given lengthy jail sentences or execution sentence. Mr Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish citizen has been sentenced to the death penalty and could be executed at any time now.
In addition to the above atrocities, the Islamic regime has continuously committed the crime against humanity throughout the past 40 years. These include:
• Hundreds of labour activists have been arrested, tortured, flogged, and sentenced to jail. Mr Jafar Azimzadeh is one of them.
• Women have been systematically discriminated against in every aspect of their lives and being subjected to discriminatory and misogynistic laws and sexual apartheid. There are hundreds of women’s rights activists who are currently in prison.
• During the protests of November 2019, the regime killed 1500 and arrested more than 8000 demonstrators. Please see reports by CFPPI and Amnesty International
• Carrying out a massacre in the summer of 1988 and executing thousands of political prisoners which was included in the letter by the United Nations human rights experts
On behalf of CFPPI, I strongly urge you to boycott the Islamic Regime of Iran for committing crimes against humanity. I also strongly urge you to break political ties with the Islamic regime, expel the regime’s ambassadors and diplomats from the European countries, international sporting bodies, International Labour Organisation (ILO), and other international organisations.
Shiva Mahbobi, Spokesperson
Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI)
www.cfppi.org
shiva.mahbobi@gmail.com
+44(0) 7572356661
