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Persistent Punishments and an Erosion of Civil Rights
October 17, 2011
Threat of War, Press TV Attacks, Parliamentary Elections, Amnesty Reports
March 6, 2012

Arseh Sevom Annual Report, 2010

December 30, 2011
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  • Reports
  • Sanctions
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Dear Readers:

The primary goal of Arseh Sevom is to promote a vibrant civil society in Iran and related communities. All activities we take on are in service to this. Vibrant societies make room for voices from the margins as well as the center.

The name Arseh Sevom is Persian for third sphere and refers to the sphere of activities represented by civil society. The organization was formed to address the needs of civil society actors. In the wake of the flawed 2009 presidential elections in Iran, many civil society actors have found themselves facing severe pressure. This includes limitations on travel, new sanctions against associations, harassment and arrests, and unfounded charges against organizations and individuals. Revolutionary courts and the notion of national security are used to circumvent the rule of law. In 2010, we released the report, Attack on Civil Society in Iran, documenting many of the abuses.

Civil society actors amplify the voices of people at the margins. They highlight difficult, even unpopular issues, curb the excesses of power, and inspire passion. In order to make their work possible, Arseh Sevom reports on abuses against the third sphere, provides information and undertakes exchanges, and develops materials that can be used to build the capacity of individuals and groups.

As I write this letter, the situation of civil society actors in Iran is even more desperate than in 2010. The 2011 report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran shows a dire situation for activists that includes:

Exorbitant bails: Often individuals face bail amounts so high that they or their families are forced to hand over the deeds to their houses. These deeds often remain in the hands of the authorities even after defendants are acquitted or released. This means that families and individuals no longer have control over their financial assets.

Persistent punishments: The effect of these exorbitant bails and the retention of deeds is a muzzling of civil society actors. In addition, some have faced life-long bans on their activities even after release.

Lack of due process: Reports show that prosecutors are aware of sentences before a defendant even appears in court for sentencing. There are multiple claims of the denial of due process and fair trials for both prisoners of conscience and criminal defendants.

High number of executions: There has been an increase in executions in Iran. The punishment is often applied for non-capital crimes. According to officials in Iran, more than 200 executions have taken place in 2011.

Muzzling activists and critics: The charges brought against critics of the regime include: “(a) acting against national security; (b) participating in an illegal gathering; (c) insulting the Supreme Leader; and (d) spreading propaganda against the regime.” Critics have found themselves imprisoned, harassed, and denied their rights.

Religious intolerance: The Special Rapporteur expresses concern specifically over the case of the Protestant minister, Yousef Nadarkhani, who has been sentenced to death unless he renounces his faith.”This is an emblematic case of religious intolerance and State-sanctioned violations of the right to freedom of religion and belief, a fundamental freedom guaranteed by international instruments.”

Denial of health care: In many cases, prisoners and activists are denied access to healthcare. In the case of the cleric Mehdi Karroubi, a leader of the political opposition who is under house arrest, authorities have prevented him from keeping medical appointments and have denied access to medication.

In this, our first ever annual report, we look back on 2010, share our accomplishments and even some of our struggles. This first report covers four months of operations.

Our objective as an organization is to use our annual reports as learning documents. This means we strive for transparency, while making a case for Arseh Sevom. This is a difficult path. Annual reports are meant to show the world how wonderful we are. By sharing our struggles as well as our successes, we demonstrate our trust in our stakeholders to help us do everything possible to become successful in our mission to promote a vibrant civil society in Iran and related communities. Arseh Sevom is a learning organization that seeks out and shares knowledge from people and organizations all over the world. We welcome your participation.

Sincerely,

Bert Taken
President of the Board
Amsterdam, December 2011

Download the full report (pdf)

If you have a question, contact Kamran Ashtary at [email protected]

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Assign a Payment Channel for Medication, Humanitarian Needs, and Non-Sanctioned Items

Dear Catherine Ashton:

We, the undersigned, are concerned about the effects the implementation of sanctions are having on average Iranians. We are particularly concerned that items that are not sanctioned, such as medication and humanitarian goods are not reaching the people in Iran.

This is a time of great suffering in the region. We want to ensure that we are not further contributing to the suffering because of the denial of access to a payment channel for humanitarian items. We know the intention of the sanctions is to put pressure on Iran’s ruling elite. We worry that this is not the reality.

The brunt of the suffering falls on women and children and the most vulnerable in society. They suffer the consequences in very real ways. They lose their incomes, their homes, and their access to life-saving medication. Some of this suffering can be alleviated by facilitating the seamless implementation of the existing humanitarian exemptions. These include financial transactions related to medications, basic needs, and other items that are currently not sanctioned.

We ask the European Union to create a payment channel to accept transactions from Iran. This channel should be closely scrutinized. This will allow much needed financial transactions for medications and basic needs to take place.

It is crucial at this time when the people of Iran are desperately trying to make their own voices heard that we show we are listening. They went to the polls in an attempt to show their own government that they wanted reform and better relations with the outside world. We need to show we are listening.

Please help to avert a humanitarian disaster. Allow Iranians access to the international banking system to purchase medications and humanitarian goods.

Thank you

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Ahmad Shaheed Committee of Human Rights Reporters Coursera Economy Green movment Havaar Hemophilia Center HIV/AIDS human rights ICHRI IHRDC ILO international campaign for human rights in Iran International Federation for Human Rights International Student Peace Prize iranelection Iran Human Rights Iran Primer iranquake Iransanctions IRGC Justice for Iran Medication Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Peyman Majidzadeh political prisoners Revolutionary Guards Reza Haji Hosseini Rouhani Sanctions Shirin Ebadi State Department surveillance Tehran Bureau The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Thomas Erdbrink UN Special Rapporteur
This campaign is an initiative of Arseh Sevom

Arseh Sevom (Third Sphere) is a non-governmental organization established in 2010 in Amsterdam, aiming to promote peace, democracy, and human rights. Human and civil rights belong to all sectors of society and to all individuals. Arseh Sevom promotes the advancement of rights for people of all beliefs, genders, ethnicities, non- violent political affiliations, and more. A key aim for Arseh Sevom is to work with individuals and organizations to amplify their actions and efforts in the promotion of civil society.