Appeal: Youcef Nadarkhani, Death Sentence for Pastor
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Appelladresses:
(direct or through the respective Iranian embassy with forwarding request)
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed - Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader Islamic Republic
Shahid Keshvar Doust Street,
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
eMail: info@leader.ir
His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
eMail: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
Mohammad Javad Larijani - Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights
Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave.,
South of Serah-e Jomhuri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 3390 4986
Botschaft der Islamischen Republik Iran
Podbielskiallee 65-67
Fax: 030-8435 3535
14195 Berlin
eMail: iran.botschaft@t-online.de
oder via website: www.president.ir/email
Botschaft der Islamischen Republik Iran
Thunstrasse 68
Postfach 227
3000 Bern 6
Schweiz
Tel: 0041-3135108-01
Fax: 0041-3135108-12
eMail: Ambassador@iranembassy.ch
Excellence,
I am writing to you in order to draw attention to the case of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani.
He was arrested for the first time in December 2006. He was accused of "defection from Islamic beliefs" and "spreading non-Islamic teachings." He was released without sentencing. When he tried to employ his right to religious freedom - guaranteed in the Iranian Constitution - he was once-again arrested on October 12, 2009. Since then, the Pastor has been imprisoned in the Secret Police prison in the city of Lakan.
On September 22, 2010, the First Court of the Revolutionary Tribunal sentenced him to execution by hanging, based on the charges levied against him in 2006. Currently, he is held in the political prisoners ward and is not allowed to receive visits from his family or his lawyer, who dealt with the appeal. Nevertheless, the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court in Qom upheld the sentence. He was given further opportunities to renounce his faith; otherwise, he would be executed.
A judgement based on chosen religious affiliation stands in clear opposition to the Interna-tional Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which is internationally binding for Iran. In Article 18, it notes:
(1) Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.
(2) No one shall be subjected to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.
I appeal you to assert your influence for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Youcef Nadarkhani.
Sincerely,
