October
28th, 2012 – [Kaleme] In an open letter from Rajai Shahr prison, Shahrokh
Zamani, a well-known labor activist and
member of The Committee for the Promotion of Free Labor Unions and The
Syndicate of Tehran Painters appeals to the public to be his voice to the world
at large. As per reports by the Meli Mazhabi [National Religious Coalition]
site, Shamrock Zamani, currently serving his 11 year sentence in exile at Rajai
Shahr prison, describes the pressures and torture he has endured while behind
prison in an open letter of appeal to UN Special Rapporteur to Iran, Ahmed
Shaheed.
The
full content of the letter is as follows:
I
am Shahrokh Zamani, a 30 year resident of Tehran and a member of The Syndicate
of Tehran Painters and The Committee for the Promotion of Free Labor
Unions. I was unlawfully arrested by
agents of the Intelligence Ministry on June 5th, 2011 while visiting with my
parents in the city of Tabriz [East Azerbaijan Province] and charged without
any evidence what so ever, regarding the nature of my supposed crimes. Following 40 days of both psychological and
physical torture and a 40 day hunger strike protesting this illegal and
inhumane treatment, I was transferred to the Central Prison in Tabriz having
lost 27 Kg (approximately 60Lbs) without succumbing to a false confession. Notwithstanding the fact that there was not a
shred of evidence against me and although my interrogators had failed to obtain
a confession out of me, I was nevertheless maliciously charged with “propaganda
against the regime” and “the establishment of socialist groups” and sentenced
to a mandatory 11 years behind bars by the Revolutionary Court in Tabriz. It
goes without saying that I have always denied all charges filed against
me. When asking the judge presiding over
my trial why I was handed such a sever sentence, he only responded: “Who do you
think I am sir? I am just an employee following orders in a highly hierarchical
system.”
Tabriz
prison is one of the most notorious prisons in Iran renowned for its murderous
prison guards, infamous for their illegal, inhumane and deadly treatment of
inmates. Political prisoners behind bars at Tabriz prison are denied their
fundamental rights such as furlough from prison, conditional releases and even
access to the prison library that is tightly controlled by prison
officials. Prisoners are subjected to
the worse forms of psychological and physical torture, including the unleashing
of violent prisoners charged with common crimes on political prisoners who are
forced to co-mingle in the same ward.
Given the utter lack of rules, clashes and outbreaks (whether big or
small) are a daily occurrence between inmates charged with common crimes and
political prisoners living under the same roof.
21
beds have been installed in a room no larger than 20 meters; a room that houses more than 40 prisoners at a
time. On a normal day at least 7 violent, common criminals are placed amongst
us with the goal to spy and physically intimidate political prisoners.
Political
prisoners are in contact with individuals with AIDS and Hepatitis. This close proximity along with the mocking
and taunting by prison guards is one of the most unnerving forms of
psychological torture endured by political prisoners. In 2011 I was transferred from my cell
[heavenly in nature in comparison to my new destination] to section 12 under
the management of the Intelligent Ministry for the purpose of being
tortured. Section 12 is a quarantined
area dedicated to dangerous criminals.
Many say that most inmates are unable to tolerate its conditions for
longer than three days. I was later
transferred to Section 15, known as the Methadone Ward, along with another
incarcerated labor activist, Jomhour Azgoch [a member of the Kurdistan Workers
Party (PKK)] to a room that housed more than 50 inmates suffering from AIDS and
Hepatitis.
In
April 2012, despite the fact that I had not committed any crime, the prison
officials tampered with documents, falsely claiming that I had requested a
transfer and as a result I was moved to the city of Yazd. After being accused of leaking information
regarding the prison conditions in Yazd, I was once again sent back to the
Treatment Ward 8 at Tabriz prison, where I collaborated with other political
prisoners, sending 14 written letters to the State Prison Organization,
highlighting the human rights violations and the harassment of political
prisoners at the hands of prison guards and demanding the immediate upholding
of our legal rights such as the right to furlough, conditional releases, the
use of the exercise facilities and access to technical and professional
classes, to name a few.
In
retaliation, the prison officials coerced the common prisoners to file a
complaint against me and a number of other prisoners, claiming that we had
insulted the Supreme Leader, had sworn at common prisoners and cajoled other
labor union prisoners to launch a strike.
A case file was submitted to the 11th circuit court and as result I was
exiled to Rajai Shahr prison in the city of Karaj. Interestingly enough, two of the inmates who
had filed a complaint against me later expressed regret over their decision.
Mr.
Ahmed Shaheed,
In
spite of the numerous complaints by my family members to a variety of legal
entities such as The Office of the Supreme Leader and the the Supreme Court of
Human Rights to name a few, to date we have heard nothing back but intimidation
and threats. As a result of the
continued pressure and threats on my family I would like to share with you that
my lawyer was told by a Supreme Court expert that in his opinion the charges
filed against me were terribly unjust and there was no reason what so ever for the
presiding judge to hand down such a harsh sentence. My wife was told by a human
rights expert that nothing can be done
about my predicament given that the sentence has been handed down by high
ranking officials, recommending that she appeal to international human rights
organizations instead. Apparently the
presiding judge was pressured into rendering such a sentence and later stated
that he is but a subordinate doing his job and following orders within the current,
complex system of hierarchy.
Mr.
Shaheed, we political prisoners are left with no other recourse but to turn to
human rights organizations. You are our only hope.
In
closing I would like to reiterate that my life was threatened both directly and
indirectly by the Office of the Ministry of Intelligence. These threats
included but were not limited to poisoning, exposure to inmates suffering from
AIDS, forcing mentally unstable, violent and dangerous inmates into
altercations with me and provocation by intelligence officers disguised as inmates,
encouraging me to escape so that I may be shot while escaping. Thankfully I disassociated myself from these
prisoners after they were identified and exposed. I was warned repeatedly by a number of kind
and benevolent prison guards to be careful given the example of Mr. Emani an
engineer who was killed when falling into the trap of an assisted escape from
prison. As such I would like to warn everyone that if I die while in prison,
the responsibility for my death lies with the officials.
While
looking forward to a future rich with humanity and void of all discrimination
and oppression, I warmly embrace you and sincerely thank you in advance for
your support and hard work.
Shahrokh
Zamani
Prisoner
at Rajia Shahr Prison, Iran
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