Translated by Ahang Rabbani
The wife of Anvar Moslemi, who is a member of the Baha’i community of the province of Mazandaran, has written a letter to the Court that has jurisdiction over her husband’s case, outlining the injustices inflicted upon Mr. Moslemi and the violation of the legal rights of their family.
At the beginning of her letter, she states:
Respectfully I submit that I am Farzaneh Shahbahrami, the wife of Mr. Anvar Moslemi. I have been confronted with a serious problem which not only has caused complications for me, but has brought to question the principles of justice and jurisprudence in our society.
Regarding the arrest of her husband, she writes:
At approximately 11 in the morning on Saturday, 22 November 2008, a certain gentleman by the name of Movahhed and several others [came to our house and] announced that they had the right to search the premises and arrest Mr. Anvar Moslemi. They had with them a piece of paper which displayed the phrase “The Ministry of Intelligence”, but they did not allow us to read that document and refused to show us the court’s authorization [for search and seizure]. If this order is indeed legal and authorized, then why were we not allowed to properly see and read this document?
At any rate, after causing tremendous fear and anxiety in my children and me, the men searched the house and brought about a complete upheaval in our personal affects. They seized all the pictures which were spiritually sacred to us and they even took my father’s personal property. They said to me, “Your husband has only until 1:15 pm today to present himself to the Security and Intelligence office.”
My husband did as bidden, and for 20 hours they gave us absolutely no news of him. Eventually, because of my insistence and efforts, they gave me a brief update on him.
The wife of this ideological prisoner then enumerates provisions of the Constitution and the Declaration of Civil and Societal Rights which clearly appear to have been violated in this instance. For example, she refers to:
Article 14 of Iran’s Constitution: “The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and all Muslims are duty-bound to treat non-Muslims in conformity with ethical norms and the principles of Islamic justice and equity, and to respect their human rights.”
Article 20: “All citizens of the country, both men and women, equally enjoy the protection of the law and enjoy all human, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, in conformity with Islamic criteria.”
Article 22: “The dignity, life, property, rights, residence, and occupation of the individual are inviolate, except in cases sanctioned by law.”
Article 23: “The investigation of individuals’ beliefs is forbidden, and no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief.”
Paragraph 4 of 1/83/716 penal code states: “Islamic conduct and precepts must be observed in dealing with suspects and all people.”
Paragraph 5: “In all necessary situations, the arrest and seizure of individuals should be in accordance with proper orders and provisions as outlined in the law.”
Paragraph 12: “Judges and Courts must exert a special effort to oversee arrests by security forces or agencies which have been given special missions … including officers who interact with prisoners.”
At the conclusion of her letter, in conformity with the above-stated laws, Mrs. Farzaneh Shahbahrami adumbrates her requests as such:
I request that:
A.My husband be allowed to meet with me, our children and other primary family members.
B.My husband be permitted to have telephone conversations with his family.
C.Permission be granted for my husband’s lawyer to meet with him, and that interrogation and issues regarding the liberty of my husband, even if surety or security is required, be quickly dealt with.
D.Officers and policemen who in such a way bring into question the status and character of the government of Islamic Republic of Iran and its hardworking officials, particularly when through personal animosity and hatred they violate the civil rights of individuals, be seriously and harshly investigated.
[On 27 November, Iran Press Watch reported on the arrest of Mr. Anvar Moslemi in Sari, in the province of Mazandaran. On Saturday, 29 November, Human Rights Activists of Iran posted portions of a letter of Mrs. Moslemi to the judiciary of that town seeking justice for her incarcerated husband: http://hrairan.org/Archive_87/1239.html. This letter was also published at http://www.agahee.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=481&Itemid=28 and on Iran Press News (http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/050287.htm) on Sunday, 30 November and appears above in translation.]
December 5, 2008 5:57 pm
He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful! O God, my God! Thou seest
me, Thou knowest me; Thou art my Haven and my Refuge. None have I
sought nor any will I seek save Thee; no path have I trodden nor any
will I tread but the path of Thy love. In the darksome night of
despair, my eye turneth expectant and full of hope to the morn of Thy
boundless favor and at the hour of dawn my drooping soul is refreshed
an strengthened in remembrance of Thy beauty and perfection. He whom
the grace of Thy mercy aideth, though he be but a drop, shall become
the boundless ocean, and the merest atom which the outpouring of Thy
loving-kindness assisteth, shall shine even as the radiant star.
Shelter under Thy protection, O Thou Spirit of purity, Thou Whom art
the All-Bountiful Provider, this enthralled, enkindled servant of
Thine. Aid him in this world of being to remain steadfast and firm in
Thy love and grant that this broken-winged bird attain a refuge and
shelter in Thy divine nest that abideth upon the celestial tree.