Iran: 61-year-old man sentenced to death for speaking at memorial for massacred political prisoners

NCRI – On Tuesday, December 29, 2009, the clerical regime sentenced a 61-year-old political prisoner to be hanged for speaking at a memorial ceremony held for members and sympathizers of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) who were massacred by the regime in 1988. The clerical regime’s measure aims to cause fear and intimidation.

Ali Saremi was arrested in September 2007 after speaking at a service honoring massacred political prisoners. He was transferred to Ward 209 of the notorious Evin prison in Tehran and placed under brutal torture. Seven months later, he was taken to Ward 350, which has unbearable circumstances. After nearly two-and-a-half years of imprisonment, the regime’s henchmen refused to review his case. Arrested many time for supporting the PMOI since the establishment of the mullahs’ rule, Saremi has spent about 20 years of his life in the prisons of the Shah and later the clerical regime. On Tuesday, he was hastily sentenced to death and two years in prison without due legal process.

NCRI – On Tuesday, December 29, 2009, the clerical regime sentenced a 61-year-old political prisoner to be hanged for speaking at a memorial ceremony held for members and sympathizers of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) who were massacred by the regime in 1988. The clerical regime’s measure aims to cause fear and intimidation.

Ali Saremi was arrested in September 2007 after speaking at a service honoring massacred political prisoners. He was transferred to Ward 209 of the notorious Evin prison in Tehran and placed under brutal torture. Seven months later, he was taken to Ward 350, which has unbearable circumstances. After nearly two-and-a-half years of imprisonment, the regime’s henchmen refused to review his case. Arrested many time for supporting the PMOI since the establishment of the mullahs’ rule, Saremi has spent about 20 years of his life in the prisons of the Shah and later the clerical regime. On Tuesday, he was hastily sentenced to death and two years in prison without due legal process.

Having failed to curb the courageous uprising of the Iranian people and youth, Iran’s desperate regime has increased the number of hangings for prisoners and especially those with political affiliations. The regime’s officials stress that “terrorist forces, including the PMOI, and foreign infiltrators instigate the disorder and instability in Iran,” and repeatedly threaten that “the Judiciary will strike at them and especially the PMOI with an iron fist” (state-run media on December 27 and 28).

The Iranian Resistance calls on all international human rights authorities and organizations, particularly the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, to condemn the rising trend of executions in Iran, and demands urgent measures to be adopted to stop this brutal punishment, especially as it relates to the aforementioned prisoner.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
December 30, 2009