February 13, 2008

His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street
Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran
 
His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 879 6671
 
His Excellency Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Minister of Intelligence
Ministry of Intelligence
Second Negarestan Street, Pasdaran Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
 
Your Excellencies,

On behalf of the 3,400 members of PEN American Center, an international organization of writers dedicated to protecting freedom of expression wherever it is threatened, we are writing to express our concern regarding the detention of writer and activist Amin Ghazaei.

According to PEN’s information, Amin Ghazaei, a leader of the group Students for Freedom and Equality (Daneshjouyan-e Azadi Khah va Beraber Talab), was arrested by Intelligence Ministry officers at a meeting in Tehran on January 14, 2008, along with 14 other students in what appears to be a troubling pattern of recent arrests of student activists. He is reportedly being held without charge in solitary confinement in Section 209 of Evin Prison, and has been tortured. There is concern for his health as he reportedly suffers from a peptic ulcer, heart problems, and asthma.

PEN American Center believes Mr. Javanmard has been detained in contravention of his right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by Article 19 of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a signatory. We therefore respectfully request his immediate and unconditional release.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,
              
Hannah Pakula                  
Chair, Freedom to Write Committee   

Larry Siems
Director, Freedom to Write and International Programs

CC: His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif
Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Fax: (212) 867-7086

His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax via Foreign Ministry: +98 21 6 674 790

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