Source : Huffington Post
Author:
January 12, 2018
Translation: Zefira Fernanda Cordero (Original publication in Spanish on Dec. 2, 2017)
Review: Jorge B.
The desperate cry of Mohammad Ali Taheri
Despite having been in office for more than four years, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has done nothing other than to renege on his electoral promise to strengthen, respect and promote civil and political rights in his country. Last year in Iran, there were no fewer than 437 executions, of which at least 49 were committed against minors, despite repeated attempts by the Iranian Parliament to pass effective laws against the death penalty.
“Spreading corruption on Earth through his spiritual beliefs and teachings.” For this reason, Section 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Professor Mohammad Ali Taheri to death on August 27 of this year, while he was serving another sentence in solitary confinement since 2011 in Evin prison, second section (Tehran).
Taheri asks for help, for our help so that the Iranian government and Rouhani end the violation of his human rights.
To add insult to injury, he has been repeatedly convicted of the same crime despite the fact that Article 14.7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a State Party, provides that: “No one shall be liable to be tried or punished again for an offence for which he has already been finally convicted or acquitted in accordance with the law and penal procedure of each country.” Taheri has carried out thirteen hunger strikes and four suicide attempts.
Professor Taheri, after enduring for more than six years the systematic violation and disregard of his fundamental rights; after suffering the denial of the right to a lawyer, to have visits from his family; after suffering imprisonment and confinement in solitary confinement, at this moment he has to live with the daily threat of the implementation of the death sentence that would put an end to his life. Taheri asks for help, for our help so that the Iranian government and Rouhani put an end to the violation of his human rights.
We cannot remain unmoved by the suffering of others, however far away, physically or socially, this suffering may be from us
Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Declaration to which Iran also adhered) that proclaims that “everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person,” must keep us firm in the defence of all prisoners of conscience that exist in the world, and in this specific case, it must keep us alert to denounce the flagrant violation of article 3 concerning Mohammad Ali Taheri.
We cannot remain unmoved by the suffering of others, however far away, physically or socially, this suffering may be from us. The pain inflicted upon Taheri, as well as the struggle, and the vital destruction undertaken against him no longer has forgiveness; we only have to continue fighting until the end, so that the human and fundamental rights of Professor Taheri will no longer be violated.
As an aside, I recall that international human rights treaties impose two obligations on States: to respect (not to kill, not to torture, not to censor…) and to guarantee (to adopt laws, to train security forces and bodies with regard to human rights…). Ever since the Peace of Westphalia (1648) states were the only actors in matters of international law, while citizens were only mere objects of protection, not legal subjects capable of acting.
From this forum I call on the Iranian government to immediately release Mohammad Ali Taheri
After World War II, this paradigm changed and since many actors outside the States have been recognized as full-fledged actors, such as NGOs and individual citizens. This fact has an incontestable dimension: any of us is qualified, according to international treaties, to act in defending, promoting and monitoring human rights, whether these are political and civil rights or economic, social and cultural rights.
From this forum I call on the Iranian government to immediately release Mohammad Ali Taheri, that his human and fundamental rights be restored and that Iran, through President Hassan Rouhani, return to international legality in matters of human rights. I ask the international community to continue publicly denouncing the Taheri case, without forgetting for a second that his life is in danger in a certain and imminent way.
To you, Mohammad Ali Taheri, if you could read these lines, I can only tell you that we are still fighting for your freedom, that we will not stop until we see you again exercising your fundamental rights to the fullest. Do not let your enthusiasm falter. Resist. Dignity, truth, life and justice are on your side.
