Call to Protect the Life of Kianoosh

Call to Protect the Life of Kianoosh Sanjari,Known Activist of the Student Movement in Iran

Kianoosh Sanjari, known student political activist has left Iran to escape persecution and yet he continues to face serious threats to his life. He has left Iran to neighboring Iraq where adequate protection, according the standards provided by the Geneva Convention for refugees does not exist and his safety is in no way guaranteed.
Kianoosh Sanjari was arrested on October 8, 2006 by the Iranian security forces and was released on 27 December on bail of over US$100,000 while awaiting trial. Upon his temporary release from prison, he did not stop his anti-regime exposures but instead continued his political activities ever more courageously.It was in this context that he was forced to leave the country. He has now sought refuge in Arbil, Iraq and has requested political asylum from the United Nations Office in this city who so far has left his request unanswered.
Considering the insecure situation in Iraq and penetration of the agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) all over Iraqi soil, any further stay in that country for these student activities is extremely dangerous. It is now feared that he would be kidnapped or murdered by the agents of the regime, as has been the case for many political opponents of the IRI in neighboring countries in recent years. The gravity of the situation is so that he had been openly told that the Iraqi government is unable to guarantee, and thus would not accept the responsibility of providing his safety.
Considering the precarious situation Kianoosh Sanjari is in, and in order to end the threats that he is facing, the Campaign to Protect Sanjari's Life has been launched.
We, the undersigned, request that: The case of Kianoosh Sanjari will be examined promptly, granted as political asylum and transferee to safety immediately.
We, as the signatories of the Campaign to Protect the Life of Kianoosh Sanjari, Famous Activist of the Student Movement in Iran, call upon all personalities, political parties and organizations, all the human right bodies, Iranian or otherwise, to raise their voice in support of Kianoosh Sanjari, sign this call or send separate message, and use any available political or legal means to save him and persuade the High Commissioner of Refugees of the United Nations to transfer him immediately to a safe country.
[1] Based on the reports by Amnesty International, Independent (UK daily), and the Association of Iranian Web loggers. (AIW) Sanjari is a long standing leader of the student movement, a famous web logger and a member of AIW. Moreover, he is a known political prisoner and the speaker for the Association of Political Prisoner formed through the collaboration of some political prisoners in Iran. In the previous years several reports have been published about his situation inside prison, his activities and the dangers he faces, by human rights organizations such as Amnesty International. Amnesty International

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130012007?open&of=ENG-IRN
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/irn-160107-goodnews-eng?open=&target=goodnews&source=homepage_banner
http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/eslPOL300552006
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/irn-160107-goodnews-eng?open=&target=goodnews&source=homepage_banner
http://www.petitiononline.com/evin209/petition.html

Personal website of Kianoosh Sanjari :

http://ks61.blogspot.com/

[2] Sanjari has been arrested and imprisoned 4 times already. His first arrest was when he was 17 years old. He has been in different prisons including the 59 prison and the 209 prison both controlled by the Revolutionary Court and the Ministry of Intelligence, where he has been tortured. He has also been condemned to one year in prison for the crime of activity in the student movement and being the spokesperson of the united student fron.
Urgent action by Amnesty : Iran: Fear for safety/fear of torture and ill-treatment, Kianoosh Sanjari 23 0ct 2006

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE131212006

[3] The AIW in a declaration has voiced concern about his situation in Arbil and the possibility of him being kidnapped by IRI agents and demanded his transfer to a safe country
The association of Iranian bloggers (PENLOG)

http://penlog-news.blogspot.com/2007/04/blog-post_21.html
http://penlog-en.blogspot.com/2007/04/penlog-pleades-with-all-human-rights.html
http://kan84un.blogspot.com/2007/04/blog-post.html

[4] After his arrest on October 8, 2006 he has finally been released on bail (a bail of over $100 000) by the special court of clergy. His release is temporary, he is accused of activities against national security and propaganda against the regime. Even though he has not been presented before the court to be officially condemned, but the court believes in his guilt. Urgent action by Amnesty: Iran: Fear for safety/fear of torture and ill-treatment, Kianoosh Sanjari 13 Jan 2007

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130012007?open&of=ENG-IRN

[5] After conditional release on bail he did not stop activity and exposed a lot of truth around the crimes of the regime and the inhuman conditions in prisons (see his personal site for more info). He also spoke against the regime in his interview with the Independent: The Independent 15 march 2007 Iranian blogger freed and reporting once again

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2359096.ece

Reaction and more information:
sanjarisos@yahoo.com
www.ksanjari.blogspot.com
Razad –Tel. 0031 (0)512 84 21 41
Pejman-Tel :0031 (0)64 38 007 38