Dissident cleric Ayatollah Kazemeyni-Boroujerdi is a long-time prisoner of conscience in Iran. He was originally sentenced to death in 2007, but the sentence was commuted to eleven years in prison. His crime? He believes in the separation of mosque and state, and regards the theocratic Iranian regime as illegitimate. From an Amnesty report:
He had reportedly been found guilty of at least 30 charges, including "waging war against God" (moharebeh); acts against national security; publicly calling political leadership by the clergy (velayat-e faqih) unlawful; having links with anti-revolutionaries and spies; and using the term "religious dictatorship" instead of "Islamic Republic" in public discourse and radio interviews.
Ayatollah Boroujerdi has reportedly been tortured and otherwise ill-treated on numerous occasions since his arrest. He is said to have been beaten, thrown against a wall, and had cold water thrown on him when he was sleeping. He suffers from a heart condition, pulmonary issues, diabetes, severe problems with his eyes including untreated cataracts, and kidney stones. His legs are swollen which makes it very difficult for him to walk. His hands also shake as a result of his Parkinson‟s disease. While in detention, he has not been receiving necessary medical treatment and has lost a considerable amount of weight. He was reportedly attacked and beaten in prison on 17 November 2013, perhaps as a result of letters he wrote that have been published on various web sites.
Latest reports now suggest that he could soon be executed:
Ayatollah Kazemeyni-Boroujerdi, an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime and a proponent of separation between mosque and state, is known to stand behind his convictions even under torture and threats of death. In 2006, he told his supporters right before he was arrested, “Neighbors, know that Boroujerdi’s crime was that he doesn’t put up with the government.” He asked the Iranian government, “Are you ready to serve the people or to kill them? Your duty is the eradication of poverty in this society or annihilating the descendants of the Prophet Muhammed?”...
The Iran Human Rights Center reported that they heard from their sources that Ayatollah Kazemeyni-Boroujerdi was transferred from his ward in Evin Prison to the location where dissidents await their death sentences, where he is presently in solitary confinement. Recently, the Iranian authorities stated that they will execute him soon. The Iran Human Rights center called upon the international community to act to save him. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of the Iran Human Rights center, stated, “We take these reports seriously and ask the international community to react before it is too late.”
From the National Council of the Resistance of Iran:
The Iranian Resistance calls on all international bodies and mechanisms to take effective and immediate measures to save the life of political prisoner Ayatollah Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi who is at the risk of execution.
On Saturday morning, October 4, following a sit-in and the insistence by Mr Boroujerdi’s family to see him, a short visit ensued.
Regime’s henchmen brought Mr. Boroujerdi to the place of the visit while his hands and feet were in chains. He is being kept in solitary confinement cells allocated to prisoners condemned to death who are about to be executed and he is in dire physical condition. In this visit, Mr. Boroujerdi has said that he has been severely tortured.
On Wednesday, October 1, Ayatollah Boroujerdi was suddenly transferred from the special clerics’ ward in Evin Prison to the solitary confinement section in this prison. Last week, Mohammad Movahedi, “special prosecutor for clerics”, visited Mr. Boroujerdi and described his beliefs and views that were a different interpretation than that of Khamenei as “apostasy and heresy” and stated that his sentence is death.
Very concerned about Ayatolla Boroujerdi. There's been no recent reports in news about him since mid October. Does anyone know what has happened to him? If he is still being held in Evin prison or if he has met the same fate as his father and grandfather?
Posted by: Anne | November 03, 2014 at 01:06 AM
No, you're right - a quick Google search doesn't bring up any new info.
Posted by: Mick H | November 03, 2014 at 08:25 AM